Ron Kantowski

Sports Columnist

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A fight night homage to the Hilt: Ron Kantowski recalls an epic bout as the hotel welcomes boxing back; Tuesday, July 8, 2008; When I heard the Las Vegas Hilton was getting back into the boxing business — tonight is the debut of Tuesday Night Fights, with loquacious 41-year-old Kevin Kelley stepping out of the broadcast booth to throw jabs in the main event — it rekindled two memories.
Planetary pillar in the post: Ron Kantowski drops by a team tryout to see 7-foot-9, 370-pound Sun Ming Ming of China; Thursday, July 3, 2008; Sun Ming Ming is a walking solar eclipse. He stands 7-foot-9. That’s a lot of inches, centimeters or cun, which is how they measure people — at least most people — in China.
Ron Kantowski lifts an idea from UNLV golf and Arizona State wrestling that could save endangered programs: Forget the ADs and legislators, find donors: Wednesday, July 2, 2008; A year after Arizona State hired football coach Dennis Erickson and approved a contract that would pay him $5.6 million over five years, the Sun Devils dropped three men’s sports.
Their Hoop Dreams won’t die: Ron Kantowski finds a place where those compelled to play the game as pros get a chance; Tuesday, July 1, 2008; The Centennial Hills YMCA is where Hoop Dreams refuse to die, where the little-known Las Vegas Stars of the equally little-known International Basketball League hoop it up from time to time.
Eclectic mix of events: Friday, June 27, 2008; Over lunch at the Coronado Cafe at the South Point, Michael Gaughan and Steve Stallworth were asked to put together a list of favorite events they brought to Orleans Arena when they owned (Gaughan) and ran (Stallworth) it.
Call them the 'Suns': Ron Kantowski has hit on a new name for the 51s. Not only is it a money-saver, but it works equally well in Vegas and Florida; Wednesday, June 25, 2008; Last week, the 51s announced a contest to rename the 51s. According to the ad, “you could win season tickets for four for the 2009 season.” Ron Kantowski has a few suggestions. (Vote in our poll on what to name the team.)
Who’s out of style and whose duds are in: Ron Kantowski lists his five best-dressed college football teams, as well as his bottom 10; Tuesday, June 24, 2008; College football players come in all shapes and sizes. College football uniforms come in all colors and styles. Here’s our look at some of the best — and worst — college football uniforms you’re ever going to see.
Is the Thomas & Mack half empty, or half full?: Ron Kantowski applauds the creative marketing acumen of Daren Libonati, who goes to extreme lengths to fill the seats; Monday, June 23, 2008; If, as Forrest Gump said, life is a like a box of chocolates, then Daren Libonati would be the raspberry truffle on the outside of it.
For the long term, there’s optimism about sports arena: Sunday, June 22, 2008; Last summer, two groups were rushing to be first to build a Las Vegas arena.
PBA U.S. senior open: Thursday, June 19, 2008; According to an anonymous quote, one advantage of bowling over golf is that you never lose a bowling ball.
Too much money, lots of temptation: Ron Kantowski wonders whether Javon Walker’s behavior might give teams considering Vegas pause; Thursday, June 19, 2008; First Tupac, then UNLV football player Randy Brewer, now Oakland Raiders wide receiver Javon Walker.
Ron Kantowski applauds Tiger Woods’ little-known U.S. Open challenger, but doubts we’ll remember him: Wednesday, June 18, 2008; It was late Monday evening, hours after my co-workers had retreated from the office TV sets to go about their business.
A painful roller derby wreck: Ron Kantowski on how Mother Nature gave the Outhoummountry family a cross check to the gut; Monday, June 16, 2008; It was about 4 p.m. on that windy Wednesday when the pilot of Southwest Airlines flight 2001 originating in San Diego landed the Boeing 737 in which I was riding in the manner of a bank shot in billiards.
Vick chew toy not so valuable to terrier or Shih Tzu: Monday, June 16, 2008; It was almost a year ago when I sent away for “The World Famous Vick Dog Chew Toy.”
The ﬁght for a shot at the gold: Ron Kantowski says amateur wrestling can lead athletes to the UFC, but this weekend, it’s about Beijing; Saturday, June 14, 2008; If there’s an equivalent of the cover of the Rolling Stone for athletes, it would have to be the front of a Wheaties box. I mean, how cool is that, having your picture plastered on that orange box, right under the words “The Breakfast of Champions”?
Free fishing day: Friday, June 13, 2008; Saturday is Free Fishing Day in Nevada, which means you can hook, line and sink without buying a license.
Bad contracts costing Rebels: Ron Kantowski on how foolhardy five-year deals are putting UNLV in dire straits; Thursday, June 12, 2008; Sometime today or Friday, after university system Chancellor Jim Rogers checks the coffee can buried in his back yard for $96 million that it won’t be getting from the governor’s office, UNLV is going to offer Kathy Olivier, its new women’s basketball coach, a lucrative five-year contract.
Heating up the diamond: Ron Kantowski braves the desert temps to find out what fans, coaches and players think of day games at Cashman Field; Tuesday, June 10, 2008; It was a few minutes past noon on a Sunday afternoon brighter than the T-shirts of the Cashman Field parking lot attendants when the No. 3 hitter from Tucson took a mighty swing and lifted a pop fly straight up the chute.
Ron Kantowski explains why hockey skipped the weekend: Monday, June 2, 2008; Well, they finally found somebody who could stop the Wranglers’ power play and slow down those pesky Cincinnati Cyclones. The Charlie Daniels Band and a miniature schnauzer.
Ron Kantowski watches the consonants fly, and miss, at a spelling bee of sports names: Friday, May 30, 2008; To celebrate the Scripps National Spelling Bee — or perhaps to hammer home that the finals will be broadcast on ESPN today — six ESPN Zone restaurants, including the one in New York-New York on the Strip, held sports spelling bees Wednesday night.
Ron Kantowski says Las Vegans can’t let soda-drinking Cincinnatians show them up on the ice, or at the turnstile: Thursday, May 29, 2008; C’mon, Las Vegas. We’re not going to let Jerry Springer and Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods beat us, are we?
Why high school coaches are quitting: Tuesday, May 27, 2008; When I was in high school, most of my coaches looked like Coach Buzzcut from Beavis and Butt-head. They were Marine drill sergeants in short pants and sweat socks. They yelled a lot and made us run. Sometimes, they let us get a drink of water. But only sometimes.
Barkley’s gambling debt makes you wonder ...: Monday, May 26, 2008; I see where TV ratings for the NBA playoffs are up over last year and the Cavaliers and Celtics even played a pretty exciting game last week.
Takin’ it to the (Alabama) turf: Ron Kantowski says this weekend’s racing card not limited to the Indy 500 and NASCAR’s longest run; Friday, May 23, 2008; Two of my dad’s favorite Memorial Day pastimes were mowing the lawn and listening to the Indy 500 on the radio. He would have absolutely loved the U.S. National Lawn Mower Racing Association.
Ron Kantowski says high-sticking in June is just weird, but Wranglers will take it: Thursday, May 22, 2008; It was 108 in the shade Monday — and the Wranglers were getting ready to play another hockey game. One hundred eight degrees. Hockey. That had to be the strangest convergence of diametric entities since Julia Roberts married Lyle Lovett. Human Torch, meet Mr. Freeze.
Just what sports needs: More Triple Crowns: Monday, May 19, 2008; It might come as a surprise to you — I know it did to me — that Pimlico is a famous residential area in central London known for its 19th century architecture and quaint hotels.
Technically, they’re a success: Ron Kantowski on how the Wranglers have become Las Vegas’ model sports franchise; Monday, May 19, 2008; The other day the Las Vegas Wranglers issued a news release that said the ECHL team had exercised a three-year option on its lease at the Orleans Arena.
One tough guy, even when he lost: Ron Kantowski explains why the guy who’s been training one of the boxers on the undercard of tonight’s bout is his all-time favorite fighter; Friday, May 16, 2008; Greg Haugen just might be my favorite fighter ever, not because he threw punches like old Buicks throw engine rods and had more courage than a division of Marines.
Embrace the role of the villain: Ron Kantowski applauds Kyle Busch for not following in his older brother’s footsteps into NASCAR irrelevance; Thursday, May 15, 2008; Nearly five years ago Kurt Busch — that would be the Busch brother from Las Vegas who doesn’t win races anymore — was feuding with Jimmy Spencer and trying to win back NASCAR fans who never liked him in the first place.
Bearded look cuts no ice: In most cases, on these faces, it produces anything but the ‘meaner and tougher’ image that’s desired; Tuesday, May 13, 2008; During their five-year existence the Las Vegas Wranglers have found themselves in any number of hairy predicaments.
Last week’s Indiana primary brings back hometown memories: Monday, May 12, 2008; Last Tuesday I heard my hometown mentioned on CNN — and it had nothing to do with a freak snowstorm or a refinery blowing up.
Where credit is due: Ron Kantowski explains why former UNLV coach John Robinson belongs in the hall of fame; Monday, May 12, 2008; It has been four years since John Robinson coached the UNLV football team and Mike Sanford, the current UNLV coach, is still blaming him for what’s wrong with it. But hey, what are friends for? When Sanford took the job, he claimed he and Robinson were best buds.
Fact and ﬁction collide: Ron Kantowski finds some surprising parallels between a Japanese cartoon character and Las Vegas’ Kyle Busch; Saturday, May 10, 2008; Go, Speed Racer! Go! But watch out for the No. 88 car. (You know, the one Dale Earnhardt Jr. drives.)
Juleps, giant hats and cigar smoke: Ron Kantowski takes in the sights, sounds and smells of a locals casino’s race and sports book on Derby Day; Monday, May 5, 2008; The Kentucky Derby is often called “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports.”
Cruel world, unusual spirit: Ron Kantowski on the UNLV basketball legend who raced to his transplant surgery only to be denied at the 11th hour; Friday, May 2, 2008; Though I’m not exactly sure what constitutes cruel and unusual punishment as defined by the U.S. Constitution, I now think I can write my own meaning.
It’s over, but what a way to go: Ron Kantowski finds collegiate gymnast Tasha Schwikert looking for a new challenge as she retires from competition.; Thursday, May 1, 2008; With all due respect to Brett Favre and Roger Clemens and what they accomplished in their careers, most athletes would prefer to go out the way Tasha Schwikert did at last week’s NCAA gymnastics championships.
Fixed-game drama uses Rebels clip: UNLV should sue over ‘Law & Order’ show, sports footage seller says; Thursday, May 1, 2008; Here’s a new basketball play UNLV might consider: Filing a lawsuit against NBC and the NCAA for implying in a fictional TV show that the university’s team was involved in a game rigged by a referee.
Ron Kantowski is convinced versatile driver Kyle Busch could steer a taxi or just about any other vehicle in his native Vegas to victory lane: Wednesday, April 30, 2008; In an effort to make this week’s race at Richmond more competitive, NASCAR is considering parking Kyle Busch’s Toyota and assigning him to another vehicle manufactured in Japan.
In search of the next Rulon Gardner: Ron Kantowski meets the original while looking for his successor at the national wrestling championships; Monday, April 28, 2008; If the ultimate test of man and machine is the Indy 500, then the ultimate test of man and man is boxing. Especially if two Mexican fighters are standing toe to toe. Then comes wrestling.
On top of their salaries, some eye-popping paychecks: Friday, April 25, 2008; One of the things I have learned about this business is that sports salaries are like Paris Hilton, Mike Tyson and train wrecks in India. In the words of Kenny Bania, the hack comedian on “Seinfeld,” “They’re gold, Ronnie, gold.” If you write about them, people will read.
Ron Kantowski knows just the guy to give new Lady Rebels head coach Kathy Olivier some pointers for succeeding in Las Vegas — himself: Wednesday, April 23, 2008; What new UNLV coach Kathy Olivier really needs is some good old-fashioned advice from somebody who has been following the Lady Rebels, or at least checking the sports briefs for their scores, for the past 21 years. So here it is, coach. A day late and a dozen wins short.
Tooting a rival pitcher’s horn after two striking performances: Monday, April 21, 2008; The first thing I noticed about Stephen Strasburg was that he wasn’t wearing a hiking boot. Or playing the French horn.
The Elevator: Saturday, April 19, 2008; Who’s headed toward the penthouse on the local sports scene — and who’s getting the shaft.
Ron Kantowski has had some comments come back to bite him, but none like these guys’: Friday, April 18, 2008; There may have been one or two things I have said in this space that, upon further review, I have come to regret. But what about Mike Hamrick’s saying he expects his coaches to compete for conference championships and NCAA bids?
UNLV’s bargains, cash cows: Ron Kantowski breaks down the athletic department payroll, from AD to tennis coach; Wednesday, April 16, 2008; Ron Kantowski reviews the athletic department payroll and shows where UNLV gets the least bang for its buck, starting with the athletic director, who makes more money than the president of the university.
Why attendance goes down as the stakes go up in minor league hockey: Monday, April 14, 2008; Hockey playoff games are supposed to be tight-checking, low-scoring affairs with few penalties and lots and lots of fans in the stands. Preferably, they should be decided in overtime and somebody should throw something onto the ice, like an octopus. Or, if the referees are really awful, a doughnut.
Gondo’s aching heart: Ron Kantowski is pulling for former Rebel who lost his mother, needs transplant surgery; Friday, April 11, 2008; When we last left Glen Gondrezick, the UNLV basketball hall-of-famer was headed for Los Angeles to await a heart transplant. Other than that, he had nothing to complain about.
Now he does.
Ron Kantowski feels like he’s in a black hole: Ballgames are invisible: Thursday, April 10, 2008; I wouldn’t say I have totally embraced modern technology. But I do hold hands with it.
Who do you like?: Ron Kantowski has decided, after careful examination, which team he and UNLV fans should root for; Monday, April 7, 2008; Kansas vs. Memphis. The Rockefellers in baggy shorts vs. ... well, I gotta go with the Mark Cubans. College basketball royalty vs. a college basketball team that royally gets after you. So if you’re a UNLV fan, who do you cheer for?
Still in the game: Ron Kantowski on a gentle man whose dream of playing baseball led to 5 decades behind the plate; Thursday, April 3, 2008; Baseball umpires are supposed to be gruff and tough. They should have nicknames like “Shag” or “Jocko” or “Beans.” They should chew tobacco and cuss a lot. But John Mastalir loves the symphony and old black and white movies.