Robinson remembers UA clinic

BOB HOLT
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

John Robinson was the quest speaker at Arkansas' football clinic in the spring of 1998, a few weeks after Houston Nutt had become Arkansas' coach.
Who knew less than two years later, Robinson and Nutt would be meeting in a bowl game?
Back in the spring of 1998, Robinson was out of coaching, having been fired after his second stint at Southern Cal. His defensive coordinator with the Trojans was Keith Burns, who turned down an opportunity to stay at Southern Cal to coach with Nutt at Arkansas.
As a favor to Burns, Robinson -- who coached Southern Cal to five Rose Bowls and the Los Angeles Rams to six playoff appearances -- agreed to come to Fayetteville to lend some star power to the Razorbacks' clinic for high school coaches.
"I just remember how classy and knowledgeable Coach Robinson was when he came to visit us," Nutt said. "He really helped our clinic and gave it a big name, because he's a legendary type of coach."
Robinson, 65, got back into coaching at UNLV in 1999, taking over an 0-11 team that improved to 3-8 last year and is 7-5 this year to earn a spot in the Las Vegas Bowl against the Razorbacks.
"I had a great time when I went to Arkansas' clinic. I really enjoyed hanging out and watching practice," Robinson said. "It is funny that I'm coaching against Arkansas after being out there a couple of years ago, but I don't think anybody ever knows what's going to happen in the future.
"You just take things as they come, I guess."
So, how does Robinson compare Fayetteville to Las Vegas? Any similarities?
"They're both great places," Robinson said. "I was impressed with the beauty of Fayetteville, and Las Vegas really isn't that big a city."
Maybe it doesn't seem that big to Robinson because he lived so many years in Los Angeles, but it seems pretty big to somebody from Fayetteville.

MGM STARS
The MGM Grand attracts a lot of big-name people, and we're not just talking about the Arkansas media in town for the Las Vegas Bowl.
When Arkansas Democrat-Gazette photographer Mike Woods was checking into the MGM Grand this week, the desk clerk started to assign him a suite reserved for Tiger Woods.
Also rumored to be in the MGM this week are Clint Eastwood and Mel Gibson.
So far, we haven't run into Tiger, Clint or Mel at the $5 blackjack tables.

THERE'S A FOOTBALL GAME?
The Las Vegas Bowl has been overshadowed in the local media because of UNLV firing Bill Bayno as basketball coach last week after the school was hit by NCAA sanctions.
Among the big names being mentioned as the next Runnin' Rebels coach are Boston Celtics Coach Rick Pitino, former Indiana Coach Bobby Knight, Utah Coach Rick Majerus and Alabama Coach Mark Gottfried.
It seems crazy to think Gottfried would leave Alabama -- his alma mater that he has rebuilt into a powerhouse -- for UNLV. Knight doesn't make any sense, either.
Majerus might be a good fit, and he's already in town. He underwent knee surgery in September and has taken a leave of absence from coaching to undergo rehabilitation in Las Vegas with world-renowned physical therapist Keith Kleven, whose clients also include Tiger Woods and Mike Tyson.

KOSHER PORK
Comedian David Brenner told some jokes at Wednesday's Las Vegas Bowl Luncheon and said he hopes Arkansas does well even though its mascot is a pork product.
"The Hogs, huh?" Brenner said. "In spite of being Jewish, I'll cheer for pigs."

TAKE A BACK SEAT, TODD
Todd Christiansen, who will be ESPN's color analyst for the Las Vegas Bowl, was the featured speaker at the luncheon. He was a Pro Bowl tight end for the Raiders, but not the best tight end at the luncheon.
That honor goes to Keith Jackson, the former Little Rock Parkview standout who is the color analyst for Arkansas' radio network and starred for the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers.

BEST BET
The buffet at the MGM Grand. The prime rib melts in your mouth, the shrimp are peeled, and the price is less than $15.

This article was published on Thursday, December 21, 2000

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