Thomas & Mack 25th Anniversary

No. 16: Big George wins bloody battle: Thursday, November 6, 2008; Thomas & Mack Turns 25: Foreman survives Alex Stewart in first boxing match at the Mack; By Ron Kantowski; Over the past 15 years, the Thomas & Mack Center has held some of boxing's most memorable and lucrative prizefights. The very first one it hosted was neither.

No. 17: The Boss makes 'em scream: Wednesday, November 5, 2008; Thomas & Mack Turns 25: Springsteen one of many musical acts to play 25-year-old arena; By Ron Kantowski; That was the battle cry at the Thomas & Mack Center on Aug. 18, 2002 when Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, one of the most prolific touring acts of all time, hit town to promote "The Rising" CD.

No. 18: 'Woo-Woo' steals show in Tark's return: Tuesday, November 4, 2008; Thomas & Mack Turns 25: Rosegreen grabs 21 boards as Rebels beat Tarkanian in front of 18,000; By John Katsilometes; February 17, 1997, amid the dizzying hype of former UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian’s first game at the Thomas & Mack as a visiting coach, was Warren Rosegreen’s time to shine. He collected, often violently, 21 rebounds as the Rebels beat Fresno State 78-64 in a Western Athletic Conference battle in front of 18,024 at the T&M. It was the largest crowd in more than three years to see a game at the arena. “I’ll be over it,” Tarkanian said afterward. “I just wish we should’ve shot better. We haven’t rebounded well all year, so that’s nothing new. But I thought ...

No. 19: Phish fans out in force: Monday, November 3, 2008; Thomas & Mack Turns 25:; By John Katsilometes; Phish and legions of fans waded into the Thomas & Mack on Sept. 30, 2000.

No. 20: ‘Trotting’ in family entertainment: Sunday, November 2, 2008; Thomas & Mack Turns 25: Globetrotters helped shape Thomas & Mack as a family-friendly events center; By Ron Kantowski; On Jan. 25, 1984, a tall man, wearing the most colorful basketball uniform since the old ABA folded, chased another tall man all around the basketball court at the Thomas & Mack Center.

No. 21: The Mack 'Smackdown': Saturday, November 1, 2008; Thomas & Mack Turns 25: Wresting events keep coming back to the Mack; By Rob Miech; You Little Hulksters, just don’t get too close to the action on the rails of the Thomas & Mack Center! That may or may not have been the request over the speakers on March 21, 1987, when wrestling made its debut in the arena and 14,434 attended the event that featured Hulk Hogan.

No. 22: Talking politics: Friday, October 31, 2008; Thomas & Mack Turns 25: 2004 Republican, Democratic rallies pack Thomas & Mack; By Andy Samuelson; Sometimes, things have gotten downright political. Stump speeches and agendas have pushed past “Tark” and taken over the Thomas & Mack floor to the tune of more than 10,000 people.

No. 23: Fade pattern: Thursday, October 30, 2008; Thomas & Mack Turns 25: Two failed franchises, poorly attended title games leave penalty flags for indoor football in Las Vegas; By Ron Kantowski; It was the first time the ArenaBowl was held at a neutral site. The game was less than a success, as a modest crowd of 10,822 -- the smallest in ArenaBowl history -- turned out to watch the Colorado Crush edge the Georgia Force, 51-48.

Memories plentiful for Mack and me: Wednesday, October 29, 2008; Thomas & Mack Turns 25: Sun columnist shares sentiments of storied arena; By Ron Kantowski; When people ask what makes the Thomas & Mack Center special, I tell them to enjoy their stay at Imperial Palace. And don't forget to tip.

No. 24: Pavarotti plays the Mack: Wednesday, October 29, 2008; Thomas & Mack Turns 25:; By Rob Miech; The larger-than-life opera singer also gave the first classical concert at the Thomas & Mack Center on March 3, 1985, the second of a nine-stop tour of the U.S. and Canada.

No. 25: UNLV's basketball teams open arena with a bang: Tuesday, October 28, 2008; Thomas & Mack Turns 25:; By Rob Miech; The opening night of the Thomas & Mack Center left two visiting basketball teams leaving with defeats, which would become a common theme and serves as a natural introduction to our countdown.

One eventful edifice: Tuesday, October 28, 2008; Thomas & Mack Turns 25: UNLV arena has hosted stars, stood test of time; By Rob Miech; It might have taken a while to get built, but the building has become a storied venue in Las Vegas and one to be feared by visiting college basketball teams.