Ron Kantowski

Sports Columnist

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Recent Stories (view all stories)

A venue for all types of pros: Even if a big corporation does build an arena downtown, that’s no reason to pursue a sports team. Is it, Mayor?; Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009; One more reason why I love Las Vegas: I can get the mayor on the phone even when I don’t leave a message.
Letting the good ol’ times roll: Roller derby on banked track returns to valley, bruises and all, after decades-long hiatus; Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009; They got started late, and when the recording of “The Star-Spangled Banner” kept malfunctioning, I thought the couple sitting in the front row dressed out of “A Clockwork Orange” was going to sing Jim Croce’s “Roller Derby Queen” — the roller derby national anthem — so the match could get under way. Or assault somebody.
The Elevator: Halloween edition: Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009; A special Halloween edition of who’s going to the penthouse in local sports — and who’s getting the shaft: One stale Zagnut bar — To Mayor Oscar Goodman, who is and always will be the one Las Vegan I would most like to party with. That said, the next time he pitches an idea about a 20,000-seat downtown arena during an economy that is softer than the University of Florida’s nonconference football schedule, he must do it wearing fake nose and glasses, lest somebody take him seriously.
Rolling with the punches: Despite setback, derby to skate in this weekend; Friday, Oct. 30, 2009; The last time anybody saw the banked roller derby track in Patrick and Lali Outhoummountry’s back yard in northwest Las Vegas it looked like a pretzel, or an ampersand with twisted metal hanging from it. It was virtually destroyed by a mighty wind storm in June 2008.
Agassi's book puts ’97 in perspective: Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009; I don’t know Andre Agassi, the Las Vegas tennis legend and, as of Tuesday, admitted former crystal meth user. But I have liked him since the day he started losing his hair and responded by shaving it off.
5-foot-1, 90-pound pitcher manages to make bigger hitters helpless: Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009; Ryan Popowcer does not a throw a baseball with a great deal of velocity like Nolan Ryan, Don Drysdale or Roger Clemens did, mostly because those guys stood 6-foot-2, 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-4 respectively, and weighed 200, 216 and 220 pounds.
The Elevator: College GameDay edition: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009; Who’s going to the penthouse in local sports — and who’s getting the shaft:
If the Rebels can’t win this one ...: Coach Sanford can’t possibly stay at UNLV, unless he can; Friday, Oct. 23, 2009; For those Rebels fans who haven’t moved on to basketball practice season — all four of you — this column is for you. It’s about how this game Saturday against winless New Mexico, quite possibly the worst college football team in the land, if not the entire solar system, is the most crucial game in the UNLV coaching career of Mike Sanford. Provided, that is, he wants to stay on as Rebels coach. Perhaps his spread offense would play better on Pluto.
For a spot with Yanks, he’ll take a little hazing: Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009; During September, Cimarron-Memorial graduate Mike Dunn appeared in four games for the New York Yankees, and once as The Riddler from “Batman.”
Members of UNLV's 1984 football team converge for reunion: Monday, Oct. 19, 2009; At a little before 7 Friday night the old Rebels began to congregate in the banquet area at South Point.