The UNLV football team is rallying together in support of its local community after the Oct. 1 mass shooting on the Las Vegas Strip took the lives of 58 people and injured more than 500.
Rebels head coach Tony Sanchez told ESPN's Coley Harvey that his charge ahead of Saturday's home game versus San Diego State was for his players to realize they can be a unifying force for the city.
A pregame ceremony was held at Sam Boyd Stadium, and both the Rebels and Aztecs had red-ribbon decals affixed to their helmets. All visitors in attendance also received a wearable ribbon.
This weekend, ESPN provided ongoing coverage of UNLV's tribute to the victims of the tragedy.
Paying tribute
During the coin toss before tonight's San Diego State/UNLV game, shooting victim Addison Short flipped the coin. Emotional night here.
The 10-yard lines at UNLV's Sam Boyd Stadium have on them the red ribbons that we will see on the Rebels' helmets tonight.
San Diego State and UNLV players, coaches, staff, fans, and students join first responders in honoring the victims of the Las Vegas tragedy by wearing red ribbons to promote the words known around the valley. Vegas Strong
Everywhere you turn in Las Vegas, these two words are prominently displayed: Vegas Strong.
UNLV Football places memorial ribbons on helmets for their game against San Diego State to honor the victims of the Las Vegas Massacre.
As UNLV finished practice this morning, the Las Vegas skyline and the unmistakable gold windows of Mandalay Bay hotel loomed in the distance. Coach Tony Sanchez told me his charge ahead of Saturday's game here is for his players to realize they can be a unifying force for this community. Sunday's shooting was meant to divide and instill fear, he said. His players won't let that happen, he added.
You'll see these shirts all over UNLV's sidelines during Saturday night's football game versus San Diego State. Each coach will be wearing them.
Keep an eye on the backs of San Diego State's helmets Saturday, where these decals will be applied. The Aztecs will wear them in solidarity with UNLV and Las Vegas. UNLV will wear these smaller ribbons the rest of the season after sporting bigger ones this week.
A member of UNLV's equipment staff places on a helmet one of the large red-ribbon decals the football team will wear in Saturday's game against San Diego State. Inside the decal reads: "Las Vegas." It was important to school officials that the city be represented in this decal. On the other side of the helmet is the standard UNLV logo.
Former players, locals show support
In Las Vegas, just spoke to Randall Cunningham, the former Eagles, Vikings and UNLV QB who is the minister of a church here. His message Sunday will be about unity. "Everybody says this is Sin City, but we are really a service city." He noted how quickly people with private planes offered to fly home out-of-towners stranded here after the shooting, and how off-duty police, military and medical personnel rushed into work.
Added Randall Cunningham on Las Vegas' resilience: "What this has done is drawn us closer together." He lives about four miles from Mandalay Bay hotel and all Sunday night heard the sirens of first responders rushing to the scene of the shooting. It was during a Wednesday prayer service when the emotions of the week hit the former NFL QB and current minister: "You mourn with those who mourn. I was literally crying out."
On crosses lining Las Vegas Blvd are the pictures of some of the 58 innocent people who were killed in Sunday's shooting.
A return to 'normalcy' as the UNLV club hockey team hosts Utah
Tonight, "normalcy" is the buzzword inside City National Arena in Las Vegas, where UNLV's club hockey team is hosting Utah. UNLV assistant coach Nick Robone was shot in the chest at Sunday's Route 91 festival. He survived, and could be out of the ICU this weekend. The Rebels are trying to get things back to normal, even if for only a few hours.
When UNLV's club hockey head coach, Anthony Vignieri Greener, visited Nick Robone, his assistant who was shot at Sunday's Route 91 concert, he had a simple question in the hospital room: "How are you feeling, Nick?" Replied Robone, from his bed in the ICU: "I've had better days. So how'd the team practice?" The Rebels aren't surprised that Nick's prevailing thoughts are about those who mean the most to him.
UNLV's club hockey team is hosting Utah tonight in one of the first sporting events in Las Vegas since Sunday's shooting. On the board in pregame, "10-1" and "0:58." It's the date of the shooting, Oct. 1, and the number of victims who were killed.
Fans attending the packed arena that doubles as the practice home of the Vegas Golden Knights are penning messages to shooting survivor and UNLV assistant club hockey coach Nick Robone.
It was an emotional night in Las Vegas on Friday, as UNLV's club hockey team recognized the 58 people killed last Sunday, Oct. 1.