Ron Kantowski

Story Archive

Three locals who might be in the running for UNLV AD job: Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009; There’s still no official list of candidates for the vacant UNLV athletic director’s job and probably won’t be until spring.
Rebels easily won season opener — but then, they were supposed to: Monday, Sept. 7, 2009; All I could think about leaving Sam Boyd Stadium on Saturday night was Blues Magoos, a psychedelic rock band from the 1960s.
Instant analysis: Rebels sorta impressive, sorta not: Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009; So this is what a New Mexico Bowl team looks like. Or doesn't. It was still a little hard to tell. On a gusty night at Sam Boyd Stadium, UNLV did what it was expected to do. It beat Division I-AA Sacramento State of the Big Sky Conference. It was a competitive game for three quarters.
The Elevator: UNLV athletic department goes up — and down: Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009; Who’s going to the penthouse in local sports — and who’s getting the shaft.
Track discounts NASCAR tickets to fill stands: Friday, Sept. 4, 2009; I had planned to write this column in February, when Las Vegas Motor Speedway officials quietly confirmed that ticket sales for the most recent NASCAR weekend were down 15 to 20 percent.
UNLV-Minnesota column unleashes some territorial passions: Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009; Sometimes, as Bruce Springsteen is fond of saying, you’ve just got to stand back and let it all be.
For UNLV football fan, a tradition that ﬁts to a T-shirt: Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009; In four seasons as a UNLV football fan, a kid named Mike Wintermute has accomplished what Jim Weaver could not in 3 1/2 years as Rebels athletic director:
Why UNLV won’t kick off this season in Minnesota: Monday, Aug. 31, 2009; Before you criticize UNLV for scheduling an opening-night football opponent whose logo resembles that of a supermarket chain, consider that the ... uh ... um ... Hornets, of Sacramento State, played Colorado State of the Mountain West tough before losing 23-20 last year.
The Elevator: Crash Test Dummies: Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009; Who’s going to the penthouse in local sports — and who’s getting the shaft.
Mountain West’s TV strategy: Remote control hide-and-seek: Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009; When I think of the great disasters of modern television history, the first one that pops into mind is “My Mother the Car” starring Jerry Van Dyke. The second one that pops into mind is the Mountain West Conference’s current TV deal.
In arena football, it’s not about the money: Ron Kantowski finds star quality in a wide receiver who’s in the game for the title of a very minor league; Monday, Aug. 24, 2009; As I sat in the wheelchair section atop the Orleans Arena (can you believe they ran out of room on press row at ArenaCup 10?) watching guys catch khaki-colored footballs off fishing nets Saturday night, my first inclination was not that this is a silly game with silly rules played by almost grown men hailing from colleges with directions or a “Kutztown” in their names — which was my first inclination while watching one of the 16 or so indoor football teams that have tried to make a go of it in Las Vegas over the years.
A lad’s Jimi Hendrix Experience: Going to Cubs games: Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009; The date was Aug. 15, 1969. It was 40 years ago today that Jimi Hendrix taught all those bands to play. There were 32 in all (if you count the solo acts and Swami Satchidananda, who gave the invocation) and roughly half a million people who came to hear what they had to say at the Woodstock Festival Aug. 15-18 during the Summer of Love. There also was a lot of mud and mind altering that weekend, and a lot of peace was guiding the planets.
Chicago's storied Wrigley Field truly one of a kind: Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009; It took just 2 hours, 40 minutes for the Iowa Cubs to defeat the Las Vegas 51s 5-4 at stately Wrigley Field on Sunday afternoon.
51s get glimpse of goal in trip to baseball shrine: Inside look at Wrigley Field’s ivied walls for game against Iowa awes Las Vegans; Sunday, Aug. 9, 2009; Welcome to the Road to Wrigley, which is sort of like the Road to Cashman Field, only with greener ivy. A stiff breeze is rustling the leaves on the ivy-colored walls of one of baseball's most revered cathedrals as the Iowa Cubs and the Las Vegas 51s prepare to do battle in the second installment of the Road to Wrigley, a minor league baseball game featuring one of the Cubs' minor league affiliates.
Dome rangers going up, early arrivals going down: Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009; Who’s going to the penthouse in local sports — and who’s getting the shaft:
Hardworking Koloskie quietly pushing to be UNLV AD: Friday, Aug. 7, 2009; If Jerry Koloskie were ever forced to blow his own horn, it would probably be a piccolo trumpet — the smallest member of the trumpet family.
Ode to doubleheaders: In the bigs, they just don’t schedule ’em like they used to; Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009; When I was a kid — i.e., when pitchers more often than not finished what they started — doubleheaders were a common occurrence. My father, who worked in a steel mill, believed that two baseball games for the price of one were better than one baseball game for the price of one. That is why my brother and I saw a lot of twin bills at Wrigley Field and an occasional double dip at old Comiskey Park.
Will the greatest boxer ...: Fans will pick who stands for the titles, with winners to be revealed in Las Vegas; Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009; Go into any bar, tavern, pub, gin mill, saloon, lounge, roadhouse, speak-easy, taproom, watering hole, rathskeller, bistro, canteen, honky tonk or any other place where men gather to imbibe and smoke fat cigars, and invariably the conversation will turn to boxing. And who could beat up whom.
The Elevator: Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009; Who’s going to the penthouse in local sports — and who’s getting the shaft. Going up — Five media guides (soccer, men’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis, women’s basketball and volleyball) produced by the UNLV sports information department have received national and regional honors from the College Sports Information Directors of America. A Lady Rebels basketball poster also received an award, although this elevator operator is still going for the one showing Farrah Fawcett in a red bathing suit.
One pro’s ‘thrill of a lifetime’: Friday, July 31, 2009; Until this week, Henderson’s Wendy Macpherson had done virtually everything there is to do in bowling with the exception of rolling a friendly game against Ralph Kramden and representing her country against the best female bowlers from around the globe in the World Women’s Championships.
Taking a stand on the Las Vegas sports scene: Wednesday, July 29, 2009; An Internet Web site is sponsoring a poll called The Greatest Place to Stand in the United States, which means on Dec. 1, when the poll closes and they place a complimentary copy of USA Today in front of your hotel room door, you will be reminded that you don’t get away nearly enough.
Last of these low rollers: Massive bowling tournament closes in anticlimax after five months and countless celebratory fives; Monday, July 27, 2009; They — the people who tried to find a spot in the parking lot on Fireworks Night at Cashman Field — said it would never end. But it did.
The Elevator: On (TV), Brave Old Army Team: Saturday, July 25, 2009; Who’s going to the penthouse in local sports — and who’s getting the shaft.
Do we even need an AD?: Six years ago Vanderbilt got rid of its athletic director and rethought its athletic department. It’s worked out pretty well so far. With Hamrick gone, Ron Kantowski thinks it’s a great opportunity; Thursday, July 23, 2009; To show how important an athletic director is to winning and losing at the NCAA level, Vanderbilt of the Southeastern Conference eliminated the position six years ago.
Who might take Hamrick's place?: Tuesday, July 21, 2009; Even before the official announcement that Mike Hamrick was resigning as UNLV athletic director to take the same job at Marshall University, speculation had begun about who would replace him.
Let’s be frank: This royal alienator of an A.D. stayed step ahead of ax: Tuesday, July 21, 2009; To anybody who believes that becoming the new athletic director at Marshall University was Mike Hamrick’s idea, I would only say: Enjoy your second day on this planet.
Iron Mike among those getting glimpse of boxing’s future: Monday, July 20, 2009; Besides the free bobblehead dolls and reasonably priced tickets, one of the attractions of minor league baseball is you get to watch the stars of tomorrow on their way up.
Former UNLV arena director gave major sports events a place in Vegas: Monday, July 20, 2009; The last time I saw Dennis Finfrock, the ravages of Parkinson’s disease already had the former UNLV arena director and interim athletic director in a three-quarter Nelson, an analogy he would appreciate owing to his wrestling background.
Cuban boxers put on a show at Planet Hollywood: Saturday, July 18, 2009; If the performance of the four Cuban exiles on Friday's "Future of Boxing" pro fight card at Planet Hollywood can be used as a barometer, the future of the fistic sport looks promising indeed. Beginning with two-time Olympic gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux, the Cubans were like the cigars in their former homeland -- as good as advertised.
The Elevator: How 'I Fought The Law' ... and received two minutes for roughing: Saturday, July 18, 2009; Who’s going to the penthouse in local sports — and who’s getting the shaft.
A skeptic returns for a day in the life of the NBA summer league: Friday, July 17, 2009; The first thing I notice upon dropping into the NBA summer league on Wednesday afternoon at Cox Pavilion is dozens and dozens of very tall men, most of whom are speaking foreign languages. It is hard to tell whether they are European scouts or Turkish power forwards.
In the end, Mountain West took the money and walked: Wednesday, July 15, 2009; Money talks, and whatever argument Sen. Orrin Hatch and his constituents from the University of Utah made in front of a U.S. Senate subcommittee, on behalf of the Mountain West and college football’s other have-not conferences for automatic inclusion into the Bowl Championship Series, walks.
Boxing’s Cuba connection: Fighters who escape the island always find promoter Luis DeCubas; Tuesday, July 14, 2009; If you were around in the 1960s, you may remember the Freedom Flights, which from 1965 to 1971 brought 245,845 native Cubans to live in the United States. If you were around in the 1960s, you also may have attended Woodstock, in which case you probably don’t remember the Freedom Flights.
The Elevator: Fists (and feet) of Fury: Saturday, July 11, 2009; Who’s going to the penthouse in local sports — and who’s getting the shaft.
Square versus octagon: Two Sun writers duke it out — with words — over whether boxing or mixed martial arts reigns supreme; Friday, July 10, 2009; For Ron Kantowski, the defense and strategy in boxing makes it a superior sport. But it's the thrill of seeing big, audience-oriented fights that draws fans to mixed martial arts, Andy Samuelson counters.
How service for Michael Jackson compares: Wednesday, July 8, 2009; Michael Jackson’s memorial service Tuesday in Los Angeles is being hailed as the biggest such event in entertainment history, surpassing the throng of 75,000 who paid last respects to Elvis Presley.
Introducing the all-baseball movie starting lineup: Tuesday, July 7, 2009; While watching the Major League Baseball all-star game selection show (?!?) on TV Sunday afternoon, it suddenly occurred to me that I no longer have much interest in watching Zack Greinke pitch to Albert Pujols, even if home field in the World Series is riding on the outcome.
The Elevator: Perfect pals, perfect games: Saturday, July 4, 2009; A special Fourth of July, sparklers and snakes version of who’s going to the penthouse in local sports — and who’s getting the shaft:
Cowherd was never afraid to take a chance: Saturday, July 4, 2009; I used to call Colin Cowherd “The World’s Most Dangerous Sportscaster.” It was both a nod to the “World’s Most Dangerous Band,” which is what David Letterman called Paul Shaffer and his musical pals before they became “The CBS Orchestra,” and a tribute to Cowherd’s propensity for doing George Plimpton-esque stunts during his days as sports director for KVBC-TV, Channel 3.
Rich history of golf in Nevada begins and ends with Vegas: Hall of fame may be portable, but don’t expect it to travel to Reno any time soon; Wednesday, July 1, 2009; Until Monday the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame was known as the Southern Nevada Golf Hall of Fame.
Crazy enough for a 24/7 city: An all-night run to Vegas: Monday, June 29, 2009; Ragnar Lodbrok of Scandinavia was a pirate and a raider. One of his favorite pastimes was to attack Christian cities on holy days, because he knew a lot of the Christian soldiers would be in church.
The Elevator: Gonzaga and those other teams: Saturday, June 27, 2009; Who’s going to the penthouse in local sports — and who’s getting the shaft.
Baseball, Nevada style: A fan recounts state diamond lore, as if talking with friends in a bar; Saturday, June 27, 2009; I’ve been writing about sports and baseball in Nevada for a long time, yet much of what was revealed about our state’s baseball history in “Home Runs and Jackpots” was news to me.
NCAA’s obstinacy a sure bet: But as more states allow gambling, eventually its silly anti-Vegas rule will become obsolete; Thursday, June 25, 2009; Now that it has been officially announced that the Western Athletic Conference will join the West Coast Conference in holding its men’s and women’s postseason basketball tournaments at the Orleans Arena — at the time of Wednesday’s news conference, the cat had not only been let out of the bag, but was halfway to Barstow — I figure it’s only a matter of time until the Big Sky Conference announces that it, too, will move its hoops shindig to Las Vegas.
A year later, football star's senseless death still stings: A year later, family of football star remembers their ‘Superman’; Monday, June 22, 2009; Here’s the thing about losing a family member or other loved one: You don’t think you can go on, but you do. Inner strength can be a wonderful thing.
The Elevator: Wishing happy trails to Gully and the Fisher King: Saturday, June 20, 2009; Who’s going to the penthouse in local sports — and who’s getting the shaft.
NHL cleans up for Vegas awards show: Chatter you might overhear at award show, saving you $504 or so; Thursday, June 18, 2009; In 1892, or thereabouts, Lord Walter Stanley purchased a decorative silver bowl, forged in Sheffield, England, by London silversmith G.R. Collis and Co., for $48.67 that would become the most famous trophy in pro sports.
Recalling the horror of 1972: Marathoner describes Olympics terror attack, remembers Prefontaine; Monday, June 15, 2009; It is hard to believe that it has been 37 years since the Munich Olympics, the so-called Serene Olympics that turned out to be anything but.
The Elevator: Up and down the Vegas sports scene: Saturday, June 13, 2009; Who’s going to the penthouse in local sports — and who’s getting the shaft:
Point-counterpoint: Busch strikes a chord, and discord: Racing front-runner won the race, then smashed the prize; Saturday, June 13, 2009; NASCAR has an instigator and his name is Kyle Busch. Although the stock car sanctioning body will never admit it was right for him to smash the Gibson Les Paul custom guitar he received for winning last weekend’s Federated Auto Parts 300 into tiny bits (and pieces) in Victory Lane, it sure was a lot more interesting than watching somebody named Ricky or Rusty getting up there and thanking his sponsors.