The Heart of Las Vegas

***Update Below*** Many people have wondered what makes Las Vegas tick. Is it the gambling? The girls? The shows? Well, the easy answer is yes, it's all of that, and more. And that more is best understood as UNLV. Not the university mind you, but the basketball team. Yep... the UNLV Runnin' Rebels are really the heart and soul of Las Vegas. When all is right in the universe, the Rebs are runnin' and gunnin' and playing a swarming defense that can completely disorientate an opponent in a few short minutes. I was fortunate to get a ticket to the game last week against Louisiana Monroe. Now I know this is not what one might call a quality team, but what I saw that night impressed me. Like most teams today, the kids, or young men, are always looking for a way to get on the ESPN highlight reels and this game was no exception. Mike Moser had a couple of reverse dunks that brought the house down in the second half. But those dunks were the product of a lock down man to man defense not seen in Las Vegas since the glory days of Larry Johnson, Greg Anthony, and current coach Stacy Augmon in the late 80's and early 90's. I watched as time after time the current group of Runnin' Rebels controlled the tempo of the game, stole the ball, and kept Louisiana Monroe from even getting a shot off before the shot clock ran out. Yes, as evidenced by a 50 point blowout of Central Arkansas last night, and the recent trashings of Cal, Illinois, and North Carolina, the UNLV Runnin' Rebels are back. And that is good news for Las Vegas. The heart is beating again. Here's a nice video of Karam Mashour's dunk from the game against Bakersfield Thursday Night... Enjoy!

Real Life... When Politics Don't Matter

I had just finished a great post on the politics of government when I got to the office and saw the news that UNLV Basketball great Armen "The Hammer" Gilliam had died. He was 47. Somehow politics, the blame game and all the arguing seems so petty when real life intrudes. Most of you will never understand what UNLV Basketball meant to our little community back in the 70's and 80's. The Rebels made us big time. The center of the college basketball universe. Showtime before Showtime! And Armen was a huge part of that. One of our all-time greats. He reportedly died while playing a game of pick up basketball. To the end, probably finishing off a fast break with a dunk. I saw Armen play many times back then at the rockin' Thomas and Mack Arena at UNLV. He was a true delight to watch. You just knew the Rebels were going to win when he had that big smile on his face. Armen, you will be missed. Thank you for all you did for Las Vegas while you were here. For more on this, the Las Vegas Sun has a nice article.

A Little Respite

I love sports. Perhaps one of the reasons is because it provides me with a needed respite from the realities of day to day life. I find in sports many of the qualities that I believe are essential to succeed, excel, and really enjoy life. Things like drive, determination, passion, and hard work. The other day my son Joseph posted on his blog Shadow Sports, his Top Ten Sporting Events. Check it out. That got me to thinking about my list. So I decided to do mine with a twist. So here it is…10 of my favorite sporting events, in no particular order, that I have seen live on television or in person. Fernandomania. This was in 1981 when Fernando Valenzuela broke in with the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was phenomenal. He pitched great, the park was full, and he was young and full of charisma. Almost single-handedly he rescued baseball from the strike doldrums. UNLV vs. Georgetown. A great basketball game in the early 80’s. The Thomas and Mack Arena was packed and the house was rockin’. You cannot imagine what it was like in those days. Not even the MJ led Bulls had a house like this! The Rebels lost but had the Mighty Hoyas, led by Patrick Ewing, down late in the game. I think G’town won by only 2 or 3 points. UNLV moved up in the college basketball rankings with that loss. Virtually unheard of before, or since. Jerry Reuss No-Hitter. Nothing short of brilliant. Reuss allowed one base runner, after an error by Shortstop Bill Russell. Simply one of the most dominant pitching performances I have ever seen, and I have seen Hall of Famers Gibson, Seaver, Carlton and Marichal. The fact that it was against the hated Giants was just icing on the cake. Monday Night Football. Live with Howard Cosell. Face it, there was nothing better. It was what came to be known as appointment viewing. You had to watch. Maybe the best part was halftime and the highlight reel. It was SportsCenter before ESPN! Magical. NASL. Yeah that's right…soccer, in 1976, here in the US. But not just any soccer, the New York Cosmos vs. the Los Angeles Aztecs, played in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. What made the game great? The Pele led Cosmos beat the George Best led Aztecs 2-1. To see two of the greatest soccer players in history (both pictured here) was an unbelievable experience. The greatest player ever, Pele, scored the winning goal. USC vs. Notre Dame, the 1974 Edition. SC trailed 24 – 0 late in the second half when Anthony Davis went in to make the score 24 – 6. It did not look good for the Trojan faithful, until lightning struck. In the third quarter SC scored 35 unanswered points to demolish the Irish 55 – 24. 2002 World Series. The Angels won, beating the Barry Bonds led Giants 4 games to 3. As a lifelong Angel fan, to finally see “my” team win a World Series was unbelievable. US vs. Brazil. Yep, soccer again! I was in Guadalajara, Mexico where the game was being played and was given a ticket to the game. One problem, I had to preach that night at a small church just outside of the city center, so I couldn’t go. After church I was invited to a member’s home where they had a small black and white television from the 60’s. We put the game on and saw the entire second half. The US lost 2 – 1, but it was a great game and watching with the family made it all the better. Game 6, NBA Finals, 1980. If you know your sports history, there is nothing else I need to say. If not, here is your clue… Magic jumped center. That’s right. Magic Johnson, in my opinion the Most Valuable Player in NBA History, a guard, jumped center against the Dr. J. led Philadelphia 76er’s. Magic’s line that night… 42 points, 15 boards, 7 assists, and 3 steals. Not bad for a rookie! Dr. J called Magic unreal after that game. And I saw every minute of it from the floor of a local hardware store in Las Vegas, while on break from my job, with one of my best friends, on a TV set they were selling, with half of the store crowded around. But my favorite sporting event I ever saw was a small college hockey tournament in a small gym outside of Chicago a few years back. What made it so special? I spent the whole day in that freezing place, watching some great hockey, with my son Joseph. The world did not exist that day. It was one of the best days of my life. (Just so you know, I think hockey is the best sport in the world when you see it live. The speed, grace, and power all mixed together in that cold arena can’t be beat.) So there you have it. If you feel like it, add yours to the list. Sorry if you have tried to comment on the last two posts. For some reason "New Blogger" is not allowing that on my blog. I hope to get it fixed real soon. Dave technorati tags: Sports, Life, MNF

Pure Joy

Bracketology, smacketology! The UNLV Runnin' Rebels are headed to the Sweet 16. Upset Kings. Bracket Busters. For those of you who don't know what this means, let me explain it to you. In the 1999 - 2000 season, UNLV had the best college basketball team on the planet. They beat Duke in the Championship game by 30 points. A record that still stands. And yes, you read that right. They crushed Duke 103 - 73. The next season they went to the Final Four undefeated but were upset in a close rematch with Duke. And that was it. Over the next 16 years, there was an occaisional appearance, but never the Sweet 16. Until now. I am not sure they can beat Oregon, but hey, who thought they could beat Wisconsin? Certainly not Timmer, who had them losing in the first round to Georgia Tech. Look at the faces of these kids. Pure joy. I love sports. There are not many things in life that can bring that kind of joy. Welcome back UNLV! Finally, for all of you bracket people, here are my Final Four picks. Florida, Kansas, Georgetown, and Texas A & M.

Tournament Time

They’re back. That’s right. The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels, the former basketball powerhouse of the Southwest are back in the dance. The NCAA Championship. March Madness. The thing every college basketball junkie lives for. We all owe Coach John Wooden, UCLA, and a skinny kid named Lew Alcindor, later known as Kareem Abdul Jabbar, for our annual party, and through the 70’s and 80’s one of the most exciting teams to watch was the Jerry Tarkanian coached Runnin’ Rebels. I moved to Las Vegas in 1979 and, being a sports nut from Los Angeles, started looking for a professional team to follow. The Rebels were all we had in those days. Michael Johnson and Spiderman Burns. Not great, but good. And they played in the Las Vegas Convention Center. But Tark worked hard to bring high quality players to an up and coming program. Vegas and Tark were the perfect couple. He brought in winners and the city showered him with love. During my days there I was able to see many of the Rebel greats play in person. Ed Catchings, Danny Tarkanian, Elridge Hudson, Armon Gilliam, and Fearless Freddie Banks(pictured here). These were the guys who came before what was one of the great college basketball teams in history, the 1989-1990 powerhouse that had Stacey Augmon, Greg Anthony, Anderson Hunt, and of course Larry Johnson. I was also fortunate to see some great non rebel players. Guys like Patrick Ewing of Georgetown and Len Bias of Maryland. But the real stars were always the Rebs. It has been a number of years since UNLV has had much to get excited about. Since Tark left, the school has been left wondering if they were ever going to see a return to prominence. Well that day has finally come! I watched the WAC Championship Game the other day. It was held at the Thomas and Mack Arena in Las Vegas, the home court of UNLV. It was packed, the Rebs were runnin’, the defense was outstanding, and they defeated longtime rival BYU. This week they will play Georgia Tech in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. No matter how it turns out, it is good to see the Rebels back in the mix. The style of ball they play, runnin’ and gunnin’, is great for recruiting, exciting to watch, and for the first time in a long while, their future looks bright. Now if the NCAA will just leave them alone. (kudos to sports illustrated, the rj, and google for the photos)