2012 Football Issue
Seven Questions
Mike Pritchard
UNLV football’s radio analyst on the prospects for the 2012 Rebels, why UNR’s program is consistently good and a young NFL receiver to keep an eye on
August 30th, 2012
Few people in Southern Nevada can better gauge what it takes to succeed in football than Mike Pritchard. The 1987 Rancho High School graduate was a star running back with the Rams before attending the University of Colorado, where he was named MVP of Colorado’s 1990 national championship team. He subsequently was selected by the Atlanta Falcons, and also played with the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks. Now entering his seventh year as radio analyst for UNLV football games, the 42-year-old Pritchard will team with new play-by-play announcer Russ Langer, calling the action on ESPN Radio 1100-AM and 98.9-FM, beginning with the Rebels’ season opener against Minnesota on Aug. 30. Read more »
The Latest Thought
Dream On …
He was so close to the payday of a lifetime ... and then he fumbled
August 30th, 2012
I went to bed on Dec. 3 with $10,500 in my pocket … and it was literally the saddest fucking moment of my life. Because only a small fraction of the cash was really mine. It’s not that I robbed anyone. Instead, I felt like I’d been robbed. By the gambling gods. Again. Before I get into the specifics of how $43,800 slipped through my fingers, here’s a little backstory: I’m a square, a betting sucker, a casino’s best friend … or as I like to think of myself, a dreamer. Read more »
Dear Arizona Cardinals Coach Ken Whisenhunt,
August 30th, 2012
I would like to apply for the position of quarterback. This is not meant as a dig at the other two players who spent the offseason vying for the starting job, Kevin Kolb or John Skelton—well, maybe at Kolb—but rather, it’s the little matter of wanting the team to win several games in a row. Or maybe even clinch the lightweight NFC West, or possibly rack up something better than last season’s skin-of-the-teeth 8-8 record. Read more »
Football Forecast
Guiding you through the 2012 UNLV football season
August 30th, 2012
Passing the Test: Nick Sherry is the third freshman quarterback in UNLV history to start a season opener, joining Jon Denton (1996) and Travis Dixon (2007), neither of whom was taking snaps for the Rebels by their junior year. Read more »
Tales from Behind the Bankroll
Twists and turns in the life of a professional betting man
August 30th, 2012
Pro handicappers lay it on the line. Read more »
Can UNLV Football Be Saved?
The surprising answer is ‘Yes’—provided Rebel brass follows our survival plan
August 30th, 2012
Sports have always been defined and validated by numbers, the most important of which fall under the win-loss column. As such, Bobby Hauck’s two-year tenure as UNLV’s head football coach can only be categorized as disastrous: He’s won four games. He’s lost 21. He’s 0-for-14 on the road, losing those games by an average of 34 points. Read more »
The Oddsmakers
Art Manteris
Vice President of Race and Sports Operations, Station Casinos—33 years as a Las Vegas bookmaker
August 30th, 2012
When you’ve been in the business for so long it’s easy to let your own personal opinion dictate your logic. You have to be conscious of that. You have to remind yourself not to let your personal feelings get the best of you. Read more »
The Oddsmakers
Mike Colbert
Vice President of Race and Sports Risk Management, Cantor Gaming—10 years as a Las Vegas bookmaker
August 30th, 2012
In order to be a successful oddsmaker you first have to know your customer. And every book has its own type of customer. Also, you better be able to make a number. Read more »
The Oddsmakers
Jimmy Vaccaro
Director of Public Relations for William Hill U.S.—37 years as a Las Vegas bookmaker
August 30th, 2012
The first football bet I ever made was the 1958 NFL Championship Game between the Giants and the Colts—“The Greatest Game Ever Played.” I was 13 years old, and my brother made a $10 bet for me. Read more »
The Oddsmakers
John Avello
Executive Director of Race and Sports, Wynn Las Vegas—26 years as a Las Vegas bookmaker
August 30th, 2012
One sportsbook moment I’ll always remember, especially being a New York Giants fan, was Buffalo kicker Scott Norwood missing wide right with the field goal at the end of Super Bowl XXV, giving the Giants the championship... Read more »
