A holiday movie marathon dedicated to UNLV athletics

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Justin M. Bowen

The Rebel Girls sport their holiday attire during a break in the game Tuesday at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Tue, Dec 22, 2020 (2 a.m.)

Last year we spread holiday cheer by dedicating Christmas songs to the UNLV basketball program, but let’s think bigger in 2020.

One universal theme of this long, trying year has been staying indoors and killing time by binge-watching comfort movies, so let’s gather in front of the fireplace, crank up our preferred streaming services and press play on the ultimate holiday movie marathon for UNLV sports.

It’s a Wonderful Life

The closest we got to this timeless favorite in 2020 was a new hardwood classic: UNLV basketball's win at San Diego State early in the year. The Aztecs were undefeated and ranked No. 4 in the nation at the time and UNLV was just finding its small-ball stride toward the end of T.J. Otzelberger's first season, and everything came together for the scarlet and gray to pull off its most memorable victory in nearly a decade. The same way families still gather to watch Frank Capra's schmaltzy masterpiece, UNLV fans will reminisce about this win for a long time.

Christmas with the Kranks

The only comparison for the most disastrous mess of a Christmas movie ever put on the big screen is the most disastrous sports season we’ve endured in quite some time: UNLV football in 2020. Marcus Arroyo's first year at the helm spiraled out of control quickly; in the same way the only watchable part of "Christmas with the Kranks" is the end credits, the highlight of UNLV's season was having its home game against Boise State canceled due to coronavirus. We're all ready to turn the calendar.

Gremlins

Otzelberger must be a fan of this modern classic, because he has decided to retool the basketball program around a bunch of tiny mischief-makers who are too quick to contain. Of course, Otzelberger hopes his gremlins are a little more coachable than the movie monsters, but with four and sometimes even five guards on the court at the same time, small-ball is here to stay.

Love, Actually

The way “Love, Actually” is ultimately dragged down by too many storylines and not enough substance, the UNLV quarterback situation was similarly overcrowded and under-productive in 2020. Four different QBs took snaps and none of them did anything particularly noteworthy; Arroyo would be wise to learn a lesson from this film and apply the “less is more” strategy to the quarterback position in 2021.

Elf

An unexpected feel-good story that cheers you up, leaves you with a smile and restores your faith in humankind? Sounds like Marvin Coleman to me.

Jingle All the Way

The football team was as bad a viewing experience as "Jingle All the Way," but UNLV may have snagged its very own Turbo Man action figure in the form of wide receiver Kyle Williams. The fleet-footed playmaker exploded onto the scene with 35 catches for 426 yards and two touchdowns in just six games, enough to earn him Mountain West Freshman of the Year honors and give us something to look forward to next year.

Silent Night, Deadly Night

This one is for the fans, who were very much missed in 2020. No spectators were allowed in the Thomas & Mack Center for the basketball opener in November, and it made for a quiet, surreal experience (kind of like watching the killer Santa Claus hack and slash his way through this movie). Let’s hope expedient and efficient vaccine distribution allows for fans to make sporting events loud and lively again in 2021.

Black Christmas

A trendsetting movie for a trendsetting player. The way “Black Christmas” paved the way for holiday horror imitations—excuse me, homages—like “Halloween” and “Friday the 13th,” UNLV hopes that Zaon Collins will clear the way for more superstar basketball recruits to choose Las Vegas. It appears to be working, as the 5-star point guard from Bishop Gorman already helped to get a commitment from fellow Class of 2021 blue-chipper Arthur Kaluma. Collins is making UNLV cool again.

A Christmas Story

“A Christmas Story” once served a purpose by doling out nostalgia to a generation of post-Ike suburban kids who were all grown up by the 1980’s and ready to turn this film into a holiday staple. Sam Boyd Stadium also served the UNLV football program for most of that same time period, but just like there’s no need for TNT to run a 24-hour marathon of Ralphie and Ovaltine and his Red Ryder rifle anymore, Allegiant Stadium has come along and made Sam Boyd obsolete. We can still remember both fondly, but much like the ultimate holiday movie for the boomer generation, Sam Boyd has outlived its usefulness. A fond farewell.

Home Alone

The premise of this movie has to seem uncannily familiar to Kenyon Oblad, a record-setting local prep legend who must feel as though he has been forgotten and left behind by his hometown UNLV football program. Despite playing well down the stretch as a freshman in 2019 (including three touchdown passes in a win over in-state rival UNR), Oblad got buried on the depth chart and never got a chance to show what he could do this season. For UNLV’s sake, let’s hope Oblad doesn’t transfer and kill it at his next school, leaving Arroyo to jolt awake on an airplane, realizing his error and shouting “Kenyon!”

Miracle on 34th Street

For Bryce Hamilton, who skipped straight past 34th street on his way to a cool 35 points in a win over New Mexico in January. Picture the postal workers delivering sack after sack of mail to Santa in the courtroom scene — that's the volume with which Hamilton produced buckets that night. It announced the sophomore guard's arrival as a star scorer, as Hamilton ended up averaging 20.9 points per game in conference play while earning a spot on the All-Mountain West first team.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

To the UNLV football defense, for getting lit up like the Griswold house at the climax of this movie.

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.

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