UNLV hoops

My Christmas present this year from Christina was season tickets to Rebel home games. Although the season tickets are in the nose bleed section, I am very grateful. Fortunately, I have family that has season tickets very close to the floor and often times they don't use the seats so I get to sit close to the bench on numerous occasions. (We also just sneak down a lot). It is too hard sitting up in the nosebleed section, the game is just different downstairs, so near the players. You can hear their conversations, hear the coaches yelling, actually see the play about to occur. Plus, it's louder!

I've been a Rebel basketball fan since infancy. I was in 6th grade when UNLV won its national championship, and was hooked the first time I attended a UNLV game in 4th grade with Uncle Wade. There was nothing like going and seeing Armon "Hammer" Gilliam, "Fearless" Freddie Banks, Mark Wade, et al. Then on to Larry Johnson, Greg Anthony, Stacey Augmon, et al. I still wonder why my beloved Rebels agreed to receive money to lose to Duke in the Final Four my 7th grade year. This is by far more egregious than Brasil receiving money from Nike to lose to France in the 1998 World Cup to assist in France's political uprising. This is all true, look it up!

For about 10 years UNLV hoops sucked. Every now and again UNLV was competitive, but not like the old days. The NCAA head hunted Tarkanian, our beloved coach, and basically sent UNLV into the toilet with their witch hunt and sanctions. Tarkanian sued the NCAA and won $2 million in damages, but this didn't help our UNLV hoops get back to prominence.

Recently, Coach Kruger has rescussitated the program. 3 NCAA tourney wins in 2 years and the buzz is back at the Mack. Stellar recruiting and great coaching have the Rebels in the tourney every year.

Saturday I was able to receive some 7th row tickets from family members (again). Oh the excitement of walking in the North Tunnel to enter the game. Walking on the court to get to our seats, and seeing the players sweat during warm ups. I can even smell the water boy as he nervously prepares water for the players after warm ups. Okay, not really....but you can definitely feel the BUZZ. You get to assess both team's players. 7'2" players look 7'2", not 4 inches tall like upstairs.

Anyway, a HUGE dream of mine almost occurred on Saturday. Right after halftime a UNLV stadium staff member approached me and my friend. THIS WAS IT! I was about to live my lifelong dream of participating in the "Shootout" as I like to call it. Essentially you have to make a layup, free-throw, 3 pointer, and half court shot all in 30 seconds to win season tickets for next season. (Times are tough, last year it was a car).

It all occurred in slow motion. I knew he was approaching us, knew we were going to be celstialized into the Shootout hall of fame! I was so nervous, but already going through my pre-shootout routine as the staff guy approached. "Hey guys," he said. "Any interest in partipating....." "YES!!!!!!!!," I screamed! Then, only to be let down, dropped, beaten, scarred, and crucified he finished his sentence, "participating in the Chevron Challenge?" All my hopes and dreams dissapeared at that moment. Didn't he realize how many times I have practiced the Shootout at the church? How many times I won the darn thing from the South Stake Center located here in the valley? I'd never felt this bad, not even when I was dumped by my first girlfriend in 5th grade, Lyndsay Weston.

Needless to say my friend, Dan, and my cousin Chase, and I agreed to the contest. We got to appear on the big screen above the court, cheering for our car color to win. I lost. My heart just wasn't in it after the deflating blow from the staff member. Dan won a $50 gift card to Chevron for gas. My dream died a little. How many times will I get this opportunity to be on the floor for a promotion? Probably just this once. So close, yet so far away.

The good thing was the Rebels beat an overrated BYU (again) team on Wednesday, and a way overrated Utah team again on Saturday. This eased my pain....a little.

Christina says next year our seats will be downstairs so we can pridefully walk through the North Tunnel like all of the other North Tunnelers (people with tickets close to the floor). This also eased my pain a little. I can't take sitting upstairs again. Can't take the uneducated fans that yell at the coach, ref, and players on every possession. People downstairs just know more. I need seats close to the court again, I need the Shootout!

Go Rebels. I love you...