Ron Kantowski

Story Archive

Home sweet ... Vegas sports scene: Tuesday, June 2, 2009; I won’t bore you with all the details of my Midwestern vacation, but as near as I can tell, here’s the most important sports news from when I was gone:
Ron and Joe Go to White Castle: Monday, June 1, 2009
How fast fortunes change: Alex Tagliani experiences Indy 500’s emotional swings before race even starts; Saturday, May 23, 2009; In 1992, after he won his first of two Indy 500s, Al Unser Jr., who now lives in Henderson, looked into the TV cameras in Victory Lane and began to choke up. “You just don’t know what Indy means,” a tearful Little Al said.
If UNLV’s athletic department really wants to save money, here are some ways: Saturday, May 23, 2009; I see where to makes ends meet during a sluggish economy, the UNLV athletic department is going to have to do away with free coffee (and a few other non-essentials).
Pro wrestling at a swap meet -- sounds like fun to me: Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Can’t wait for road trip as a fan, not a writer: Wednesday, May 20, 2009; A lot of people think I have a pretty neat job, and most of the time I agree there are worse occupations than writing about sports.
Hey, Fuzzy, can I give you a ride?: Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Eli's Coming so hide your ... Super Bowl XXXI seat cushions?: Monday, May 18, 2009
Top concern should be playing at all: Players and parents can get used to new opponents as long as there’s still a game; Monday, May 18, 2009; This talk about realigning the high school sports divisions in an attempt to save some money apparently isn’t going over very well.
The Elevator: Up and down the local sports scene: Saturday, May 16, 2009; Who’s headed toward the penthouse on the local sports scene -- and who’s getting the shaft.
Color this car owner happy: Henderson man’s hard work pays off with an Indy 500 starting spot; Saturday, May 16, 2009; Pink is for elephants and flamingos and panthers and Cadillacs and slips from your boss and the little houses of John Mellencamp’s youth. And, this year, for an Indy 500 race car owned by Sam Schmidt of Henderson.
Despite rumors, Wranglers still high on Las Vegas: Thursday, May 14, 2009; Wranglers Fans Asked to Wear White. Wranglers Fans Asked to Bring Mac-N-Cheese.
Wranglers Fans Asked to Ignore Damaging Rumors About Team’s Future. The first two were actual headlines on press releases leading up to the Wranglers’ ECHL playoff series against the Alaska Aces resuming at the Orleans Arena this week. The third also might have been an actual headline, if the Wranglers issued press releases to negate the effects of damaging rumors.
Meet Kruger at the rockin' Robin: Wednesday, May 13, 2009
51s' Dirk Hayhurst: A real-life story behind the numbers: Tuesday, May 12, 2009; 51s reliever Dirk Hayhurst began looking at his life as a baseball player, wondering how much longer he should put it on hold while chasing a dream that probably wasn’t going to pan out. Now, his second career, as a writer, is coming to fruition.
Who's that cat in the St. Louis Browns' hat?: Monday, May 11, 2009
The Elevator: Up and down the local sports scene: Saturday, May 9, 2009; Despite playing in front of a crowd that almost could have fit in the goal judge’s box, the Wranglers won another game seven .
Rebels with a cause — academics: Friday, May 8, 2009; You may not know what APR means, but UNLV is getting better at it, and that’s good. APR stands for Academic Progress Rate. In a nutshell, APR tracks the progress of student-athletes over a four-year period using a formula that includes eligibility, retention and graduation.
Lett's all celebrate -- Leon is getting his degree: Thursday, May 7, 2009
Talent sky-high, feet on ground: Thursday, May 7, 2009; The last time I had talked to The Kid, he mentioned how important it was to stay one, which is hard to do when you are only a sophomore in high school and are capable of hitting 502-foot home runs at Tropicana Field in national home run derbies, which is what The Kid did in January.
Stockton goalie needs a paint job: Wednesday, May 6, 2009
UNLV feats are John Robinson’s footnotes: Tuesday, May 5, 2009; On the same day John Robinson was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame, one Las Vegas icon died, another was being memorialized and anybody not wearing black and shedding tears of sadness was gearing up for this year’s Fight of the Century at the MGM Grand.
Manny's big KO could be Oscar's way back in: Monday, May 4, 2009
Chase Maddux makes Wrigley Field debut: Sunday, May 3, 2009
Friends, fans mourn UNLV's 'Gondo' at memorial service: Ex-teammates, colleagues recall stories of former Rebels star; Thursday, April 30, 2009; A little bird descended from the rafters of the Thomas & Mack Center Thursday morning, where Glen Gondrezick's retired jersey had been lowered out of respect, and landed on the black curtain forming the backdrop of the speaking dais. I figured he was a scout. They held a memorial service for Glen "Gondo" Gondrezick, the former UNLV star and longtime broadcast analyst.
Glen Gondrezick: A life so full, taken so soon: Proud UNLV Rebel, devoted dad, affable soul, and this sports writer’s friend; Wednesday, April 29, 2009; For a guy who had been there, done that, Glen Gondrezick never was one to live in the past. He was one of UNLV’s great ones, good enough to have played six seasons in the NBA. But he hardly ever talked about the glory days. There were few reminders of his basketball career on display in his northwest Las Vegas home.
Glen Gondrezick, UNLV basketball legend, dead at 53: 'Gondo' apparently died of complications from a heart transplant; Monday, April 27, 2009; Glen Gondrezick, the UNLV basketball Hall of Famer who received a heart transplant in September, died today at St. Rose Dominican Hospital in Henderson, apparently as a result of complications due to the surgery. He died around 5:30 p.m. while waiting to be airlifted to UCLA Medical Center after becoming ill. After he retired from professional basketball, Gondrezick returned to UNLV where he served as the Rebels' broadcast analyst for the past 17 seasons.
It’s too bad both can’t win: Hatton, Pacquiao nice guys, heroes back home; Monday, April 27, 2009; These are both great fighters and good men and one hits like a ton of bricks and the other doesn’t seem to mind it. Who do you cheer for, then?
Little flash, but lots of class: Bowling tourney draws average Joes with interesting stories; Saturday, April 25, 2009; According to the official United States Bowling Congress Open Championships press release that went out Tuesday, “There is no news from the tournament site today.”
Local gymnast gets bent out of shape on ESPN: Wednesday, April 22, 2009
The grass is greener in Reno. Really.: Political leadership in Las Vegas failed to match northern rival’s vision; Wednesday, April 22, 2009; On the very night the Reno Aces christened their beautiful new $50 million ballpark in downtown Reno against the dreaded Salt Lake Bees, the Las Vegas 51s opened their home season against the dreaded Colorado Springs Sky Sox at Cashman Field.
Lions hope to solve problems with new logo, fonts: Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Lucha Libre is Super Crazy: Monday, April 20, 2009
Preﬁght hype in full swing: In frenzy, even members of media are subjects for camera’s eye; Monday, April 20, 2009; I think I just got 24/7’d. That’s what I’m thinking as I stand outside the boxing gymnasium owned by Dean Chance, the former baseball pitcher, in a residential section of the old Las Vegas. I am there for Ricky Hatton’s open workout. His big fight with Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand is less than two weeks away. That’s not that far off. But not so close the media will write about it. This is why boxing people set up open workouts. It’s a surefire way to get the big fight back in the news and give HBO some more stuff for those compelling 24/7 documentaries they air before big fights.
The Elevator: Life on the cheap: Up and down the Vegas sports scene; Saturday, April 18, 2009; A special dollar menu edition of who’s going to the penthouse in local sports and who’s offering cheap admission and hot dogs this week:
Comparing and contrasting local equestrian events: Two events with little in common besides horses; Saturday, April 18, 2009; A horse is a horse, of course, of course — especially when it comes to filling seats at the Thomas & Mack Center during a slow time of the year in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas Bowl: Our bowl game’s superheroine: Thursday, April 16, 2009; I am convinced that if diabolic supervillain Lex Luthor trained a death ray on Las Vegas and pulled the trigger, the only thing still standing would be the Las Vegas Bowl. And maybe Slots-A-Fun.
Time to get fleeced at Cashman Field: Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Another side of Marilyn Chambers: Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Angel’s death stirs memories of other athletes gone too soon: Tuesday, April 14, 2009; Every time a ballplayer dies way before his time, I think of Ken Hubbs, the former Chicago Cubs Rookie of the Year who perished in a light-plane crash in 1964 when he was just 22 years old and I was just 7.
Remembering an interesting chat with Bruce Snyder: Monday, April 13, 2009
High pitch, but no heat: 51s’ pitching coach had an accomplished big-league career, but he’s best known for a slowpitch softball-like curve; Saturday, April 11, 2009; When I heard Dave LaRoche was going to be the Las Vegas 51s’ pitching coach, I knew I was going to write about him before the first bases-loaded walk of the season.
The Elevator: Chad Campbell in the lead: Saturday, April 11, 2009; Who’s going to the penthouse in local sports and who’s getting the shaft:
The Late Great Hamburger Stand?: Thursday, April 9, 2009
Who he is, and what he’s not: Thursday, April 9, 2009; Provided it doesn’t snow or something like that, former Las Vegas Stars catcher Mike Basso will exchange lineup cards with Tom Runnells at home plate at Security Service Field in Colorado Springs at a little past five this afternoon, thereby officially becoming the 19th manager in Las Vegas’ Triple-A baseball history.
Brown(s) alert at Cashman Field: Wednesday, April 8, 2009
One Cessna vs. five F-16s equals major blowout: Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Week’s worth of fightin’ words: Tuesday, April 7, 2009; Five opinions having nothing to do with Opening Day that, like cleaning out the garage and changing the oil in my car, I just didn’t get to last week:
Tark pulling for the (free) ticket master: Monday, April 6, 2009; Well, it's 4 p.m. on Opening Day, and although I can't wait to see the New York Post headline after the Yanks' CC $abathia got lit up like a Christmas tree by the Orioles, my nominee for top quote of the day actually goes to an old basketball coach.
You never know what you'll see on Thunder Road: Saturday, April 4, 2009
The Elevator: Ichiro rolls in, Busch can't get started: Saturday, April 4, 2009; Who’s going to the penthouse in local sports and who’s getting the shaft.