I turned 30 this year and still have many vivid and fond memories of that fateful day in March. I am born and raised in Las Vegas. My family moved here in '51. My grandmother founded the Las Vegas Women's council of realtors and was responsible, in part, for bringing safekey to the local schools and my grandfather worked on the Test Site. I graduated from Clark High School and I am a UNLV Alumnus, Las Vegas is my hometown and I take a great deal of pride in her.

I recall running outside and cheering and stamping my feet up and down the block as that clock ran down to zero and UNLV was left as the sole victor. Everyone was out on the streets. Neighbors cheering and crying and hugging. People honking their car horns in celebration. In a town comprised of people whose job it is to make outsiders happy, we were happy. Even a niave 10 year old boy such as myself could see it and I didn't want it to end. For years afterward anytime I would be in the car with my mom and I'd hear someone honk their car horn I would think to myself, "Hey the Rebels won last month/year/two years ago!" And a big smile would consume my being thinking about the look of dejection and defeat on Coach K's face, and remembering Anderson Hunt and Larry Johnson leaping through the air in celebration. However as all good things, those feeling passed and the thoughts became memories and the memories became fleeting dreams of what was.

Back in present times, I find my neighbors waiting in their cars for me to get in my house and therefore out of small talk distance if we just so happen to arrive home at the same time. And when I'm driving and hear a car horn my thoughts are much less innocuous.

Vegas isn't the town it used to be, and maybe never will be again. But at least I get to catch a glimpse of what my Vegas used to be for 2 hours or so inside the Thomas and Mack at every Rebel home game.

Nice article. Amazing to read some wit and satire on a "regular" newspaper's website. I don't know if this article will be in print. Especially since I got rid of my parakeet, it's a recession ya know!, I haven't needed to buy newspapers anymore...

Good Job Mr. Coolican

"Not really. The discussion about the game is part of the love for the game and the team. Without the super fans like us discussing it, what you are left with is a bunch of folks leaving the T&M 8 minutes before the end of the game."

I like discussing the games. I'm talking about calling kids out or calling for the coaches head after every loss/off night. I make it to at least 10 homes games a year and I stayed until the end on Wednesday. I just hate to see people take the outcomes of these games so personally and then in turn lash out at the people for whom we are supposed to be cheering.

We can't play the games. We can go to the games and cheer our hearts out, but that's it. Perhaps a few boosters have enough clout to actually make an impact on the team critically, but the rest of us can't do anything and shouldn't be able to.

WE have to accept the results win or lose and move on. I love the Rebels like no other and as a life long resident they are my only "team". But calling out kids and coaches is the equivalent of barking about politics on AM radio. Neither of which have any real impact.

Go Rebels!

Every team looks amazing when shots go in, every team looks like crap when they don't.

FT's and overzealous weak side double teams leading to bad rotation leaving guys open on the arc is what I saw at the game.

I saw a UNLV team that was the most ferocious on the glass as I have seen in a long time. They were trying everything they could to win this game. The shots just didn't fall. It happens to every team.

Let's take it out SUU! Go Rebels!

@2323
Sammy Sosa injured his back sneezing, weird stuff happens. Are you that eager to blame that you are grapsing at stuff like this?

We should be thankful for the coverage from Ryan and the LV Sun (I still miss Rob!), but we are here reading these articles for FREE! We are essentially putting the Sun out of business by reading these articles here instead of buying the newspaper. It costs the Sun money to publish these articles,and then we can read them for FREE, and still complaints? (Yeah, yeah internet advertising...)

Newspapers are on their way out, and if the eventually throw in the towel, we'll have to get our sports coverage strictly from places like ESPN... Or from some dudes blog.

Those complaining about these articles need to take a step back and assess the ground on which they stand.

I love Tre's game. He gets to the basket and finishes strong. Draws fouls and makes his FT's. Very good leader that sets the example himself. But what I love most about Tre'von???

He's a JUNIOR!!!

@ Mike Lange

I did notice how the entire post game wrap up was all CSU. They showed three highlight reels, all of them were of CSU players! Maybe they figured CSU was going to win the game the way things were going and that's all they had prepared, it was strange.

Tough loss, have to move on to the next game.

Questions to those of you that are all ready calling for an N.I.T finish this year...

Why do you say that?

I know that seems like a loaded question, but I am honestly curious that if the Rebels really are your team, why would you be calling for them to go to the N.I.T. this early in the conference season.

I guess this optimist would just like a peak into the brain of a pessim... (ahem) a realist's brain. (because you're realists right?)