Hitchhiker Bono gives thumbs-up to rescuer

When I asked a co-worker how his holiday weekend went, he said the highlight was being introduced to Lumpy Rutherford's wife at a local bar.

Only in Las Vegas, as I like to say.

Only in Las Vegas could one be minding his own business and be introduced to the spouse of actor Frank Bank, who portrayed Clarence "Lumpy" Rutherford in "Leave it to Beaver."

Only in Las Vegas could one answer the telephone in the sports department and have it be Robert Goulet, asking for an explanation of tennis' tiebreaker system, or Evel Knievel, looking for a final score of the Colts' game on which he had wagered the night before.

Only in Las Vegas could one be covering an amateur golf tournament and have the runner-up be Kelly Knievel, son of the famous daredevil, which happened to another co-worker two weeks ago.

These chance encounters, along with cheap shrimp cocktails and free pulls on giant slot machines, are what make Las Vegas Las Vegas.

And now that darn Vancouver, and a guy who plays on the checking line for the Edmonton Oilers, are trying to steal our thunder.

Gilbert Brule, who had seven goals and two assists for the Oilers in 41 games this season, his fiancee, Kelsey Nichols, and the couple's German shepherd, Bella, were driving around West Vancouver in beautiful British Columbia headed for a place called Horseshoe Bay when they spotted two mud-covered men hitchhiking on the side of the road. One looked just like Bono, were Bono to be covered in mud.

It was Bono.

Only in Vancouver.

The legendary frontman and philanthropist for the legendary Irish rock band U2 and his assistant had gone for a hike and got caught in one of British Columbia's equally legendary rainstorms before crossing paths with Brule, who gave the pair a ride. Bono and his pal rode in the back of Brule's truck, along with Bella.

The next night at the U2 concert in Edmonton, Brule and Nichols had backstage passes. During the show, Bono told the huge crowd, "I like ice hockey because people who play ice hockey are the kind of people who pick up hitchhikers.

"I'm ever so grateful. I've decided that I want to be Gilbert Brule."

Then he compared bandmates Larry Mullen Jr. to Mark Messier, Adam Clayton to Grant Fuhr and The Edge to Wayne Gretzky.

Only in Edmonton.

THREE UP

■ UNLV track and field assistant Khadevis Robinson was named USA Track and Field's Athlete of the Week for beating Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, the 2009 world champion in the 800 meters, and a bunch of other guys with 4 percent body fat in a foot race in Rome. "I'm still in somewhat good shape," Robinson said afterward, an understatement that surely must have cheesed Jessica Simpson.

■ If Andre Agassi and his investment team are capable of financing $500 million to develop a charter school system, I know what local NBA fans must be thinking: Too bad one can't teach reading and 'rithmetic in a new sports arena after Clippers practice.

■ A rare baseball card of Bryce Harper, Las Vegas baseball phenom (.338, 13 HRs, 41 RBIs in 54 games for Class A-Hagerstown), recently sold for $3,600 on eBay. An unconfirmed report said the Russian guy with the miniature giraffe from the DirecTV commercials is using Harper's card in his bicycle spokes to make a really cool sound.

THREE DOWN

■ Remember when Crash Davis was the most popular player on the Durham Bulls? Not anymore. Dirk Hayhurst, the former 51s pitcher and best-selling author now keeping the major league dream alive at Triple-A Durham, has 8,751 Twitter followers. There are 14 Crash Davises on Twitter, none with more than 166 followers.

■ The Mountain West Conference has called a news conference Monday for the purpose of "unveiling the league's new brand direction and conference identity." I think this means it is going to reveal a new logo. This is such top-secret stuff that dignitaries such as UNLV president Neal Smatresk, new chairman of the MWC board of directors, apparently had to travel to The Lodge at Torrey Pines in opulent La Jolla, Calif., for the announcement, where the cheapest hotel room costs $343.13 with tax.

■ So if I were Dave Rice, who will make "only" $400,000 (plus incentives) as UNLV's basketball coach, the next time I'm staying at The Lodge at Torrey Pines and I get hungry, I'd order a Bloody Mary and a steak sandwich ... and a steak sandwich, and try putting it on the Underhills' bill, like Chevy Chase in "Fletch." If that doesn't work, I'd just ask for the Mountain West discount.

Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Ron Kantowski can be reached at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow him on Twitter: @ronkantowski.