Monday, June 30, 2008

CLAY LEADS AFTER FIRST DAY OF DECATHLON

(June 30): There are many sports that American fans only pay attention to every four years -- namely, when the Summer Olympics roll around.

Such is the case with track, swimming and gymnastics just to name a few.

But with the Beijing Games right around the corner, the focus is now firmly on those sports as we again begin to discover the athletes that will be taking center stage in the coming weeks.

One of those is Castle High School graduate Bryan Clay, the now 28-year-old decathlete who is considered a leading candidate to win a gold medal in China after having secured a silver in Sydney.

After yesterday's opening five events, the 5-foot-11, 185-pounder – tiny by modern decathlon standards -- had a modest 22-point lead over Troy Hardee. The remaining five events will be held today at the U.S. Trails in Eugene, Ore.

The most notable performance of the day took place in the 100 meter trials, where Tyson Gay ran faster than anyone in history with a 9.68 clocking. However, the time will not be recognized as a world record because of a tailwind that was blowing more than twice the allowable limit of 2.0 meters per second.

Two world records fell during the opening day of the swimming trails in Omaha. Michael Phelps broke the 400 individual medley mark with a time of 4:05.25, while Katie Hoff shattered the women's record in the same event with a clocking of 4:31.12.

One final U.S. Olympic note: Center Dwight Howard is suffering from a stress fracture in his sternum, but is expected to play in China, nevertheless.

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Friday, June 27, 2008

NASTY NINE ON NINTH SINKS MICHELLE

(June 27): Michelle Wie has been playing better golf of late. Not great, mind you, but better.

Wie was 1-over when she approached the ninth hole in yestrday's opening round of the U.S. Women's Open.

Nine shots later, she was headed for an eventual 8-over 81 and effectively out of contention of even making the cut. The disastrous round dropped her from the middle of the pack to 146th in the 156-player field.

With Kurt Suzuki getting the day off, the Oakland A's posted a 5-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in yesterday's rubber game of a three-game inter-league series that has captured the attention of local baseball fans.

The other Maui product, Shane Victorino, had a solid outing, however, Victorino accounted for two of Philly's three hits off Oakland starter Rich Harden.

Victorino also stole a base for the third time in as many games, upping his season total to 20 – fifth best in the National League.

It's soccer tournament season on the Valley Isle, with two major youth events taking place over a span of a couple of weeks.

The No Ka Oi concludes a four-day run tomorrow.

After a week's respite, the Hawaii Cup kicks off its 22nd edition starting on July 9. This year's event will feature 50 teams, including nearly 30 from off-island.

The Just Win Football Camp is under way on the campus of Kamehama and one of the most notable attendees is Baldwin defensive lineman Mana Rosa.

The 6-3, 245-pounder put on an impressive display during a recent combine on the mainland, prompting additional attention from recruiters. Utah and UNLV have already made offers, with Oregon State, Oregon, Washington, Washington State, Cal and Arizona also expressing interest.

Former UH receiver Chad Owens was named to the Arena Football League's all-rookie team. Owens caught 66 passes for 674 yards and scored 16 TD for the Colorado Crush.

He also led the Crush with 983 kick return yards. He scored nine times on receptions, six on rushes and once on a kick return.

The Crush will open their playoff campaign on Saturday versus the Utah Blaze, which includes lineman Vaka Manapuna of Kihei.
Baldwin grad Kawika Kahui is a linebacker for the Arizona Rattlers, who host Grand Rapids on Monday.

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Thursday, June 26, 2008

ROUND 2 OF SHANE VS. KURT

(June 26): The major-league schedule reads Philadelphia at Oakland. But as far as baseball fans here on the Valley Isle are concerned, it's really Shane Victorino versus Kurt Suzuki.

In the second game of an inter-league series, Victorino's Phillies blanked Suzuki's Athletics 4-0 last night in Oakland. The rubber-match of the series concludes today.

Victorino went 1-for-3 at the plate, beating out a bunt single, scoring a run and stealing a base at the expense of Suzuki, Oakland's starting catcher, for the second straight game. Suzuki also went 1-for-3.

Congratulations to Lake Casco of Lahainaluna and Bailey Massenburg of King Kekaulike for their selections earlier this week as MIL athletes of the year by the Maui News.

Casco is bound for Penn of the Ivy League this fall, where he intends to play football as a defensive back. For the Lunas, he was an all-purpose all-state player on the gridiron as well as a state champion in wrestling. He also competed in track.

Massenburg still has one more season remaining in an already illustrious prep career. The talented distance runner won two gold medals in the state track meet and was third in the state cross country meet. She also played tennis for Na Alii.

Kanekoa Teixeira of Maui was the winning pitcher after throwing a scoreless inning of relief to help the Carolina League beat the California League 3-1 in the High-A All-Star Game in South Carolina.

The right-hander pitches for the Winston-Salem Warthogs, a farm team of the Chicago White Sox.

And the No Ka Oi soccer tournament opened a four-day run yesterday on fields throughout Central Maui with matches featuring youth teams ranging from the under-10 to under-19 divisions.

In two weeks, the youth soccer campaign continues with the 22nd edition of the Hawaii Cup, featuring 46 teams from Maui, the state and the mainland.

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Wednesday, June 25, 2008

HISTORIC DAY FOR MAUI BASEBALL FANS

(June 25): Although the overwhelming majority of the 13,348 fans in attendance didn't realize it, those of us who follow baseball here on Maui knew an historic event was taking place at the McAfee Coliseum in Oakland last night.

For the first time ever, two players from the Valley Isle were competing on the same major-league field: Center fielder Shane Victorino for the Philadelphia Phillies and catcher Kurt Suzuki for the hometown Athletics.

For those keeping track of such things, you could say that Victorino enjoyed the better night individually but Suzuki enjoyed the fruits of victory.

Victorino went two-for-four, beating out a pair of infield hits, scored a run and stole a base at the expense of Suzuki. It was Victorino's 18th theft of the season, ranking him sixth in the National League in that category.

But Victorino's efforts went for naught as Oakland capitalized on Emil Brown's three-run homer in the seventh off the very veteran Jaime Moyer, lifting the A's to a 5-2 win in the opener of a three-game inter-league series.

Suzuki contributed to Oakland's cause by leading the bottom of the first with a single in four at-bats. He also suffered his third passed ball of the year.

Despite the loss, Philly maintained its one-game lead in the NL East thanks to Tampa Bay's 6-4 win over second-place Florida. Oakland, meantime, remained five back in the AL West as the division-leading Angels beat Washington 8-3.

The Phillies-Athletics series continues today and concludes tomorrow.

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Tuesday, June 24, 2008

KAI, CHING ON TARGET IN SOCCER

(June 24): Hawaii's two most noted soccer players continue to make their mark at the international level.

Natasha Kai, the former UH and Kahuku High standout, was named to the final 18-player roster for the United States national women's team in the upcoming Olympic Games.

Brian Ching, the Kamehameha product who is a star striker for the Houston Dynamo of MLS, remains a key member of the U.S. men's squad on the road to qualification for the 2010 World Cup.

Kai's selection was hardly surprising, given that she has scored a team-leading 10 goals for the U.S. this year.

More surprising was the selection of goalkeeper Hope Solo and the exclusion of veteran Briana Scurry. Hope was suspended from the squad during the last Women's World Cup after criticizing then coach Greg Ryan for being kept out of the starting lineup in an eventual 4-0 loss to Brazil.

Ching contributed a pair of goals for the US in an 8-0 rout of Barbados in an opening round match in regional World Cup qualifying. The Americans won the away leg of the home-and-home series in less impressive fashion, defeating Barbados 1-0.
The win earned the US a berth in a semifinal group that also includes Trinidad & Tobago, Cuba and Guatemala.

The top teams from each semifinal group advance to next year's regional finals, which will produce three World Cup qualifiers and a fourth team that will play-off against South America's fifth-place team for the final berth.

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Monday, June 23, 2008

GROVE POUNDS OUT VICTORY

(June 23): Keeping alive his flickering mixed martial arts career after sustaining back-to-back losses, Maui's Kendall Grove was awarded a split decision over former middleweight champion Evan Tanner.

Grove's victory, which seemed more decisive to this reporter, improved his UFC record to 11-5 and kept him in the running for a spot in a UFC card at Aloha Stadium, projected to take place next summer after Hawaii's MMA regulations go into effect.

Grove dominated the first two rounds of Saturday night's nationally televised bout, but appeared to lose a bit of steam in the final stanza.

Two judges scored the bout 30-26 for Grove, while another had it 29-28 for Tanner.

Maui's two major leaguers will be renewing acquaintances this week in Oakland as the Philadelphia Phillies, featuring center fielder Shane Victorino, pay a visit to the Athletics, featuring catcher Kurt Suzuki.

The three-game inter-league series begins Tuesday.

In yesterday's action, Victorino went 0-for-3 and walked once in a 3-2 loss to the Angels in a showdown between divisional leaders. The Phillies lead the National League East by one game over the Florida Marlins.

Victorino is batting .270 for the season and ranks sixth in the NL with 17 steals.

Suzuki went 1-for-4 and drove in a run in Oakland's 7-1 romp past Florida. A recent surge at the place has lifted Suzuki's average to .279. The A's, by the way, are second in the AL West, 4.5 games behind the Angels.

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Friday, June 13, 2008

SUPER RALLY? OR EPIC COLLAPSE?

(June 13): Depending on your perspective, it was either a classic comeback or an epic collapse.

I'll take the more positive approach and credit the Celtics for showing exceptional resiliency and determination by coming back from a 24-point road deficit to overtake and defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 97-91.

The stunning comeback pulled Boston to within one win of claiming the NBA title. Game 5 will be held on Father's Day in LA.

Things started well for the Lakers as Lamar Odom made all six of his shots, leading his team to 35-14 lead in the first quarter. And with Kobe Bryant concentrating on playmaking duties, the Lakers led by 18 at intermission although the MVP didn't make a single field goal in the first half.

The Lakers were up 70-50 midway through the third period when the Celtics locked down defensively and received major offensive contributions from Ray Allen as well as reserves James Posey and Eddie House. Allen had 19 points while playing all 48 minutes. Posey scored an unexpected 18. House hit the go-ahead basket.

And all this took place after Boston coach Doc Rivers was forced to improvise when it became evident that starting point guard Rajon Rondo was still severely hampered by a bum ankle and young center Kendrick Perkins left for good with a shoulder injury.

But Boston's biggest hero was Paul Pierce, who finished with 20 points and played exceptional individual defense after volunteering to guard Kobe after intermission. Bryant finished with 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting.

No team has ever come back to win the title after trailing 3-1 in the Finals. But, then again, no team had ever come back from a 24-point deficit, either.

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Thursday, June 12, 2008

EX-PISTON ASSISTANTS TAKE TOP JOBS

(June 12): It's more than a bit ironic that Flip Saunders was fired by Detroit after guiding the Pistons to three straight conference finals, and his two assistants – Michael Curry
and Terry Porter—landed head-coaching positions.

Curry was promoted to the top job in Motown, while Porter will take over in Phoenix. Both men inherit veteran teams. Perhaps, too veteran.

Detroit GM Joe Dumars has vowed to make major changes to a core group that includes the likes of Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess.

Dumars says 10 teams have already contacted him and that a blockbuster deal should be expected. The hottest rumor is that the Pistons will make a play for Denver's high-scoring Carmelo Anthony.

Phoenix features former MVPs Shaquille O'Neal and Steve Nash as well as one of the league's best front-line players in Amare Stoudemaire.

It seems unlikely that any of those three are going anywhere, but there has been speculation that Leandro Barbosa and/or Boris Diaw might be dealt, although they are among the younger players on a decidedly aging roster.

Meantime, Atlanta head coach Mike Woodson's contract is up at the end of the month and still no word on whether he will be retained by new GM Rick Sund.

Woodson has compiled a dismal 106-222 record in his four seasons in Atlanta, but did guide the young Hawks to their first playoff berth in 10 seasons, extending the hugely favored Boston Celtics to seven games in the first round.

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Wednesday, June 11, 2008

LAKERS ARE BACK IN THE MIX

(June 11): The level of over-reaction to the early results of any playoff series continues to astound me after all these years.

Take the case of the current NBA Finals. After Boston won a pair of home games to take a 2-0 lead, many commentators were already burying the Lakers.

In fact, a cover story on the sports section of USA Today openly questioned whether Kobe Bryant would or could ever reach the heights attained by his obvious role model, the iconic Michael Jordan.

To compare anyone to Jordan is unfair. But it should be also noted that if championship rings are the main criteria for greatness – and I don't think they are – Kobe has won three of those at an age when MJ had only one.

Of course, Jordan went on to collect six before he was through. And for those who correctly not that Kobe's three came as a teammate of Shaq's, it is equally true that MJ didn't win until Scottie Pippen joined the Bulls.

The point I'm making is that we can't get too far ahead of ourselves in sports or anything else in life.

So how do we overreact to the latest development in the NFL Finals now that Kobe staged a spectacular performance, scoring 36, in leading Los Angeles to an 87-81 win over the visiting Celtics last night?

Remember that Tuesday's win would not have been possible if not for some sensational shooting by reserve Sasha Vujacic, who scored 20 -- making a trio of three-pointers when they mattered most – on a night that Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom struggled.

So LA has trimmed its deficit to 2-1 with two more home games remaining. And the level of hysteria among many Laker fans has abated. Well, for a couple of more days, that is.

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Wednesday, June 4, 2008

WINNING NOT ALWAYS ENOUGH

(June 4): Nothing short of an NBA Finals appearance apparently can assure a coach of retaining his job.

Consider this: Over the past three years, the coaches with the best regular-season records were – in order – Avery Johnson of the Dallas Mavericks with 178, Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs with 177 and Flip Saunders of the Detroit Pistons with 176.

Two of those three are now out of a job. Johnson was cashiered by Dallas after the Mavericks were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year.

Saunders got the axe despite guiding Detroit to three straight conference finals.

Only Popovich retains his job, recently getting a contract extension. The difference
with Pop, of course, is that he's won four NBA titles with the Spurs.

It's not as if Saunders or Johnson will be lining up at their local unemployment office.

Detroit still owes Saunders an estimated $5 million for the remaining year on his contract. Johnson remains under contract with Dallas for the next three years and is owed $12 million.

The odds are that neither of those to competent coaches will be working this season. Two jobs remain open: in Phoenix and Chicago. But there are clear front-runners for both – Detroit assistant Terry Porter in Phoenix and Doug Collins in Chicago.

Another potential opening could be available in Atlanta, which could fire Mike Woodson although the Hawks ended a 10-year playoff drought this season. Go figure.

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Tuesday, June 3, 2008

LATEST SPIN ON NBA COACHING CAROUSEL

(June 3): Flip is out, Terry may be in and Nellie is coming back. Those are the latest developments on the NBA coaching carousel.

The Detroit Pistons announced today that Flip Saunders will not be back as coach next season. Saunders guided the Pistons to marks of 176-70 in the regular season and 30-21 in the playoffs, but they lost in the conference finals in each of those three years.

Saunders had one year left on the deal he signed in 2005 after replacing Larry Brown. He has 587 victories in 13 seasons with the Pistons and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The hot rumor in Motown is that Saunders will be replaced by Michael Curry, one of his current assistants.

Another Pistons assistant, Terry Porter, is believed to be the top candidate to fill the vacancy in Phoenix, which is seeking a replacement for the departed Mike D'Antoni.

Some down time at his off-season home on Maui appears to have recharged the batteries of Don Nelson. The second-winningest coach in NBA history will fulfill the final season of his contract with Golden State.

The club exercised its $5 million option in March, when the team appeared on track for a second straight playoff appearance. After the team fell short of the post-season, despite winning 48 games, there had been speculation that Nellie might opt to retire.

Instead, a rejuvenated Nelson said he'll be back, but with a different focus. His goal is to assist in the development of Brandan Wright and Marco Belinelli, who saw limited action as rookies last season because of Golden State's ill-fated playoff bid.

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Monday, June 2, 2008

TAYLOR CAUGHT IN TUNA'S TRAP

(June 2): Jason Taylor held a press conference yesterday to clear up a few things. But despite addressing a number of issues, the seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end's future as a member of the Miami Dolphins remains cloudy.

Clearly, Taylor has become the victim of Bill Parcells' desire and apparent need to let everyone know – particularly his players – that he's the alpha dog in Miami. And how better to accomplish that than by putting the team's best player in his place?

With or without Taylor, the Dolphins are not going to contend this season as Parcells – the franchise's football chief -- remakes a 1-15 team into his hard-nosed image.

That Taylor opted to participate in Dancing With the Stars TV show gave Parcells an opportunity to show his new team that no one is safe from the wrath of The Tuna.

For his part, Taylor – just two seasons removed from winning NFL defensive player of the year honors -- said he has never demanded a trade, while adding he hopes to play one more season before pursuing an acting career.

Whether that will be as a member of the Dolphins, he did not – and could not – know. That is a question only Bill Parcells can answer.

The Dolphins tried to move Taylor to Jacksonville just before the draft, but the deal fell apart. And it appears unlikely that Miami can get equal value for Taylor, who has registered more sacks – 100.5 – than any player since 2000.

But Taylor will soon turn 34 and The Tuna's public posturing has done little to improve Miami's trade leverage with other teams. A small price to pay, apparently, for Parcells to show he's in charge.

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