Oral history interview with Daniel “D. J.” Allen conducted by Stefani Evans and Claytee D. White on June 21, 2024 for Game On! The Oral History of Las Vegas Sports project. In this interview, D. J. Allen describes growing up in Henderson, Nevada and playing baseball and basketball as a young person. He recalls listening to radio stations and learning to love the Los Angeles Dodgers and UNLV Runnin’ Rebels. He volunteered to write about Little League for the Henderson Home News and was hired as the full-time sports journalist. He parlayed his "Crazy Dance Man" persona into an internship in media relations with the Las Vegas Thunder hockey team, and from there, at 21, became Director of Media Relations for the Las Vegas Stars, all while he was still an undergraduate UNLV student. In this wide-ranging interview, he talks about working with Jim Livengood to help erase Las Vegas's "gambling" stigma with the NCAA and professional sports, get the NCAA athletic directors to begin talking about Las Vegas as a sports city, and about how Cisco Aguilar and Andre Agassi helped make these conversations happen. Among other topics, he talks about the Vegas Golden Knights, the Raiders, the Thunder, and the Stars and using sports as a platform to do good in the community. Digital audio available.
Archival Collection
Game On! The Oral History of Las Vegas Sports Interviews
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Collection Number: OH-03922 Collection Name: Game On! The Oral History of Las Vegas Sports Interviews Box/Folder: Digital File 00
From left to right: V.E. McDonnel, R.E. Thomas, W.E. Whittier, Bruce McNeil, F.O. Case, Jack Charles, and H. Satterthwaite. Bruce McNeil and F.O. Case are holding a large key. The photo is labeled: "McNeil Construction Co. Magnesium Plant, Las Vegas, Nevada. 5-28-43." McNeil Construction built the Basic Magnesium Inc. plant in an unincorporated area outside of Las Vegas, which is now Henderson, Nevada.