Garrett Downing

Story Archive

Despite his past, Pete Rose wants a future in baseball: Fans flock to The Forum Shops for glimpse of Major League star; Monday, April 6, 2009; Two men in their mid-20s stand at the entrance of the Planet Hollywood restaurant inside Caesars Palace. With big eyes and boyish enthusiasm, they whisper back and forth before one musters the courage to approach the familiar face. “Mr. Rose, can I get a picture with you?” one of them asks. Pete Rose obliges.
Career sports bettors battle the betting line: Oddmakers comb through numbers, hoping neither side has the advantage; Monday, March 30, 2009; Joe D’Amico was already counting his winnings. It was the fourth quarter of a football game a few years ago, and D’Amico, a professional sports gambler, appeared to have picked another winner.
Tech slugger strikes fear in opposing pitchers: Thursday, March 19, 2009; Chris Sambol has become accustomed to hitting pitches he does not like.
During his baseball career at Southeast Career and Technical Academy, opponents have tried to limit his power at the plate by walking him or offering up a steady diet of breaking balls.
Utah escapes with win over TCU: Friday, March 13, 2009; Lawrence Borha could do nothing but watch and wait. With his Utah Utes tied against TCU in the final seconds of the Mountain West Conference tournament quarterfinals, Borha camped out in the corner and waited for a chance.
Centennial shuts out Bishop Gorman for Sunset title: Monday, March 9, 2009; The Centennial girls' soccer team had the kind of second chance few teams get. Senior Julie Owens wanted to make the most of that opportunity.
With the girls' Sunset Regional championship on the line against Bishop Gorman, Owens led the Bulldogs with a pair of goals, defeating Gorman 2-0 at Bettye Wilson Soccer Complex and returning the Bulldogs to the Southern Nevada State Championship for the second consecutive season.
Eddie Owens: Men's Basketball (1973-77): Monday, March 9, 2009; Nobody in UNLV history scored more points than Eddie Owens. He could put up points every night out, and he never averaged less than 10 points per game in any of his four seasons.
Freddie Banks: Men's Basketball (1983-87): Monday, March 9, 2009; Few players in UNLV history could shoot like Freddie Banks. His smooth jumper and sharp-shooting accuracy led the Runnin’ Rebels to a 1987 Final Four appearance during his senior season.
Glen Gondrezick: Men's Basketball (1973-77): Monday, March 9, 2009; Glen Gondrezick never wowed people with his raw athletic ability. He lacked some of the flare that personified UNLV basketball and was just as comfortable staying in the background rather than taking center stage.
Elbert "Ickey" Woods: Football (1984-87): Monday, March 9, 2009; Few players—if any—experienced the kind meteoric rise that Elbert “Ickey” Woods had during his senior year with the Rebels. In one year, Woods went from college unknown to NFL sensation.
Kenny Mayne: Football/ Broadcasting (1978-82): Monday, March 9, 2009; His numbers on the field aren’t legendary, but Kenny Mayne’s contribution to sports goes far beyond his performance as an athlete. Mayne’s unique approach to covering sports has made him one of the most recognizable figures in the sports media.
Misty Thomas: Women's Basketball (1982-86): Monday, March 9, 2009; Misty Thomas did everything for the Runnin’ Rebels women’s basketball team. Her contributions on and off the court make her one of the greats for UNLV.
Reggie Theus: Men's Basketball (1975-78): Monday, March 9, 2009; The 1976-77 Rebels put UNLV on the map with the school’s first Final Four appearance, and the flashy guard Reggie Theus quickly became a household name.
Ricky Sobers: Men's Basketball (1973-75): Monday, March 9, 2009; Ricky Sobers helped lay the foundation for what would become an era of greatness for UNLV basketball. Before Sobers arrived in Las Vegas, UNLV had no tradition of basketball excellence and few people around the country knew about the Runnin’ Rebels.
Robert Smith: Men's Basketball (1974-77): Monday, March 9, 2009; Robert Smith ran the “Hardway Eight’s” offense to perfection, making everybody around him better. With Smith in control of the offense, the Rebels averaged 107 points per game and advanced to the first Final Four in school history.
Jerry Tarkanian: Men's Basketball Head Coach (1973-92): Monday, March 9, 2009; Jerry Tarkanian defines UNLV basketball. The Rebels play on a court dedicated in his name. He has streets and a school named after him. He coached the Rebels to the only national title in school history and is still a legend in Vegas.
Elburt Miller: Men's Basketball (1966-68): Monday, March 9, 2009; Elburt Miller knew how to score. He could drive to the basket. He had also had a deadly jumper. He could beat you with the dribble, and he could find the open man as defenses collapsed on him.
Sidney Green: Men's Basketball (1979-83): Monday, March 9, 2009; Sidney Green came to UNLV at a time when the program was not the most attractive place to play. He took a gamble coming to UNLV, and it paid off, as he became one of the most prolific Rebels ever.
Larry Johnson: Men's Basketball (1989-91): Monday, March 9, 2009; Many consider Larry Johnson the best player to ever suit up for UNLV. As a star with Vegas, Johnson did nearly everything well, averaging 21.6 points per game and grabbing more rebounds in a season (457) than any other Rebel.
Greg Anthony: Men's Basketball (1988-91): Monday, March 9, 2009; Things were starting to fall into place for the 1990 UNLV basketball team. Then starting point guard Greg Anthony took a fall.
Armen Gilliam: Men's Basketball (1984-87): Monday, March 9, 2009; Few people know Armen Gilliam by his birth name. Instead, the UNLV faithful knew him better as “The Hammer,” a nicknamed he earned for his physical style of play.
Stacey Augmon: Men's Basketball (1987-91): Monday, March 9, 2009; Stacey Augmon, an explosive player with incredible talent, helped guide UNLV to a 126-20 record during his four seasons with the Rebels.
Bob Florence: Men's Basketball (1971-74): Monday, March 9, 2009; Before Larry Johnson , Stacey Augmon and the golden days of UNLV basketball, there was Bob Florence. At a time when the UNLV basketball team was toiling in obscurity, Florence came to Las Vegas and established himself a dominant player.
Randall Cunningham: Football (1982-84): Monday, March 9, 2009; Randall Cunningham has earned more recognition and had greater athletic success than any other football player in UNLV history. In a school known for basketball greatness, Cunningham rose to prominence on the gridiron.
Matt Williams: Baseball (1984-86): Monday, March 9, 2009; No better baseball player has come through UNLV than Matt Williams. The All-American infielder dominated as a Rebel and became an elite professional ballplayer.
Sox get the best of Cubs at Cashman: Chicago teams wrap up two exhibition games in Las Vegas; Thursday, March 5, 2009; Alfonso Soriano brought Chicago Cubs fans to their feet during his first at-bat on Wednesday.
He drove a pitch to the wall, and the Cubs faithful hollered as they watched the fly ball sail to the warning track. White Sox fans shouted back as the ball was caught just short of the fence. Soriano’s drive was just the start of an old-school rivalry making its way to Las Vegas.
Race results shake up standings: Sunday, March 1, 2009; In a race with 14 cautions, several engine failures and a hometown champion, the Shelby 427 Sprint Cup Series race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway also produced a new leader in the standings.
Win or lose, fans here for the atmosphere: Sunday, March 1, 2009; With NASCAR in town for the Shelby 427 Sprint Cup Series race, thousands of fans turned the infield at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway into a weeklong party.
Lake Mead repeats as 1A state champs: Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009; Two years ago Lake Mead Christian Academy's Landon Littlefield had to watch Trinity celebrate a state championship after a victory over the Eagles. He wanted to make sure that never happened again.
The motivation paid off for Littlefield as he helped Lake Mead win its second consecutive 1A state championship with a 59-49 victory over Pahranagat Valley Saturday at the Orleans Arena.
Lowry wrecks Boulder City girls' dream season: BC boys advance to state championship; Friday, Feb. 27, 2009; One year ago the Boulder City girls' basketball team failed to win a single league game.
This season, the Eagles turned their program around and advanced to the 3A state tournament.
The Eagles' stay at the tournament was short-lived, however, as they lost to Lowry 49-41 Friday at Desert Oasis High School in the state semifinals.
Palo Verde narrowly edges Liberty: Panthers set to face Eldorado in State tournament; Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009; Palo Verde's game against Liberty on Monday provided a continuous cycle of one-upmanship.
Each time one team would open up a lead, the other would strike back, creating a back and forth contest until Palo Verde's clutch free throw shooting made the difference, sealing the Panthers birth to the state tournament with a 68-63 victory.
Bishop Gorman girls blast Silverado for State tournament bid: Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009; For a team that has won the last three state championships, losing in the Sunset Regional finals left a definite sting for Bishop Gorman.
With one more chance to advance to the state tournament, the Gaels wasted no time against Silverado Monday at Arbor View High School by jumping out to an early 17-point lead before coasting to a 74-45 victory.
Bowling championships get rolling in Las Vegas: Activities to continue through July 24 at Cashman Center; Saturday, Feb. 21, 2009; The United State Bowling Congress Open Championships began Saturday and for the next 153 days, the Cashman Center will welcome about 85,000 bowlers from across the country.
Centennial girls crush Legacy: Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009; With two minutes left in Thursday's Sunset Regional semifinal game against Legacy, three Centennial players dove after a loose ball like the outcome of the game hinged on that one play.
But the game was already well in hand, with Centennial up by more than 50 points and on its way to a 94-37 victory.
Liberty stuns Canyon Springs: Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009; The start of Wednesday's game against Canyon Springs did not go the way Liberty wanted.
Canyon Springs jumped out to an early 7-0 lead and the Patriots looked outmatched right from the jump.
Then the Patriots head coach Pat Welby called timeout to calm down his team and adjust defenses. From that point forward the Patriots controlled the Pioneers in nearly every way, pulling off a 59-47 upset victory.
Silverado storms into playoffs on high note: Friday, Feb. 13, 2009; To start the second half of Thursday's game against Silverado, Green Valley High School came out ready to make a charge. Green Valley went on a quick scoring run, and looked ready to erase their 11-point halftime deficit.
Then Silverado's James Lata took control.
With the ball at the top of the key, he drove through the Gators defense and finished with an acrobatic layup, ending Green Valley's run and pushing the Skyhawks to a 69-55 victory.
Former pro Vargas sees a future in combined boxing-MMA events: Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009; For years as a boxer, Fernando Vargas never really liked doing interviews. He preferred to leave the talking to the promoters while he stuck to performing in the ring.
Baethge wins world championship in bull riding: Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009; Clayton Baethge entered the Championship Bull Riding World Championship 7 at the South Point Hotel and Casino sitting at 13th in the CBR 2008 standings. He had previously earned just $7,000 on the CBR circuit and was not one of the favorites to take the world title.
Rider gets cut lip, misses out on $25,000: Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009; Cooper Kanngiesser's first-place finish in Round One of the Championship Bull Riding World Championship 7 Friday at the South Point Hotel and Casino not only gave him a dose of pride, it gave him a shot at some extra cash.
Super Bowl prop bet fun: Friday, Jan. 23, 2009; With the Super Bowl right around the corner, Las Vegas sports books are buzzing with people looking to lay down money on the big game as the Super Bowl brings in about $90 million of wagers to Nevada.
Betting odds on the inauguration: Monday, Jan. 19, 2009
Las Vegas beats Shadow Ridge in back-and-forth game: Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009; It was the fourth quarter of Friday's game between Las Vegas and Shadow Ridge when the Mustangs started to make a late charge.
Featherweight Gamboa delivers solid performance: Friday, Jan. 9, 2009; Yuriorkis Gamboa entered Friday’s featherweight fight against Roger Gonzalez with a reputation as a fast-rising star with big-time knockout potential. Gamboa’s previous two fights had ended with knockouts in the first and second rounds and many expected him to make quick work of his latest opponent.