Thursday, July 31, 2008

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?

(July 31): Dare I say it? What the heck, here it goes: The smell of football is in the air.

Across the islands, players and coaches are gearing up for the coming season.

Pop Warner kids will soon be suiting up – some for the first time.

High school practices officially opened yesterdays for three days of conditioning before the players put on the pads on Monday.

The first games involving MIL teams are just around the corner.

On Saturday, Aug. 16th, Kamehameha-Maui will open against reigning Division II champion Iolani at Aloha Stadium.

That same night, Maui High will debut against Kalaheo at War Memorial Stadium.

Baldwin, Lahainaluna, Kekaulike and St. Anthony are scheduled to play their openers the following weekend.

We will be covering more than 20 MIL and state tournament games this fall exclusively on Maui's ESPN 550.

The University of Hawaii opens camp over the weekend, although most of the kids – even the transfers – have been around all summer.

Most of the attention will be focused on new head coach Greg McMackin, who succeeds June Jones, and a four-way battle to inherit Colt Brennan's job at quarterback.

Returnees Tyler Graunke and Inoke Funaki join JC transfers Greg Alexander and Brent Rausch in what promises to be a spirited competition.

Hawaii opens Aug. 30 at Gainesville. Fla, against national title contender Florida, led by the reigning Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow.

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Monday, July 28, 2008

VICTORINO, SUZUKI SLUG HOMERS

(July 28): Maui's major leaguers flexed their muscles yesterday, each hitting a three-run homer in helping their teams to much-needed victories.

While Shane Victorino's Phillies are in the midst of knocked down, drag out battle in the National League East, Kurt Suzuki A's have been steadily sinking in the American League West.

Victorino was one of five Philies to go deep and he was involved in a ball-jarring collision home plate with Atlanta catcher Brian McCann as Philadelphia rallied from a 5-0 deficit to a 12-10 victory. On Saturday, the Phils came back from a 9-3 deficit to defeat the Braves 10-9.

With Philly trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth on Sunday, Victorino slugged a game-tying three-run homer – his seventh of the year. In the sixth, Victorino triggered a five-run rally with an RBI single and eventually scored by barreling over McCann, who left the game with what appeared to be a mild concussion.

The win enabled Philly to remain a game behind the Mets in the NL East. New York beat St. Louis 9-1 while third-place Florida, which trails by a pair, suffered a 9-6 loss to the Central-leading Cubs.

Suzuki hit a three-homer in the second – his fifth of the season – and finished with three hits to lift his season average to .294 while helping Oakland to a 6-5 win over Texas.

The A's, however, have fallen to 10.5 behind the Angels in the division after losing eght of their previous nine games.

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Wednesday, July 23, 2008

BIG NIGHTS FOR SHANE AND KURT

(July 23): Philadelphia staged an unlikely comeback last night, rallying for six runs in the top of the ninth inning for a an 8-6 win over the Mets. And Shane Victorino's fingerprints were all over the victory.

Victorino hit a two-run homer in the seventh then singled and scored the tying run in the ninth. Shane has been on a tear of late, batting .400 with seven extra base hits, over the past eight games, raising his season average to .279.

The victory allowed the Phils to take a one-game lead over the Mets and Florida Marlins in the National League East.

Kurt Suzuki also was hot at the plate last night, contributing three hits, one run score and one RBI in helping Oakland end a six-game skid with an 8-1 victory over Tampa Bay.
Suzuki has six multi-hit games in his last nine starts and is batting .287 for the season.

The recent bad stretch has dropped Oakland nine back of the Angels in the American League West.

Kanekoa Texeira is moving on up the baseball ladder.

In this case, the hard-throwing right-hander from Maui.was promoted from Single-A Winston Salem to the Double-A Birmingham Barons.

Texeira had a Carolina League-leading 20 saves in 23 chances to go with a 3-1 record and 0.93 ERA. He had 36 strikeouts and 14 walks in 38.2 IN over 36 appearances. He was also the WP in the Carolina League All-Star Game.

Dylan Rush, the former Big Island standout football player and wrestler, will give up playing for the UCLA Bruins to pursue a career in mixed martial arts.

Rush was originally recruited as a tight end, and was making the switch to fullback.

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Tuesday, July 22, 2008

NEW APPROACH TO RECRUITING

(July 22): I harbor no illusions about the University of Hawaii football team coming remotely close to matching last year's run. This year's schedule is much too tough and the losses on offense much too significant to be easily overcome.

Not to mention, the elevation of Greg McMackin to head coach. Even in-house changes have a major impact on any program. Different people do different things, and everyone must adjust accordingly.

One of those different things taking place at Manoa is a new emphasis and approach in recruiting.

June Jones disliked recruiting. His best finds, actually, dropped into his lap – in part, it is only fair to add, because of June's extensive connections. On the local front, one of the major criticisms of Jones was that he didn't know the way to Kahuku High.

McMackin and his staff have taken a more proactive approach, already securing verbal commitments from a pair of promising prospects – a mainland quarterback and a local pass receiver -- who are entering their senior seasons. McMackin recently disclosed, as well, that Hawaii has already made offers to 24 perspective players.

Under the old regime, recruiting for the fall didn't begin until the current season was over. That's far too late in the modern world of college football.

And local kids are being contacted early and often, giving a feeling that UH truly wants to keep its best prep players instead of recruiting them as an after-thought while mainland colleges have been steady showing interest from early-on in the game.

Will this approach help UH against Florida in the season-opener on Aug. 30? Of course not. But the revamped approach bodes well for the future of the program.

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Monday, July 21, 2008

OOPS! MICHELLE BLOWS IT BIG TIME

(July 21): Things finally appeared to be turning around for Michelle Wie, the former golf prodigy whose career has pretty much turned south.

And the end of Saturday's third round of the State Farm Classic in Springfield, Ill, Wie apparently was in strong contention for her first LPGA tour win since turning pro three years ago But minutes later, Wie sat red-eyed at a press conference why she had been disqualified from the event.

The 18-year-old from Honolulu had broken one of golf's basic rules: She failed to sign her scorecard before leaving the scoring area on Friday. And with that, Wie was gone from a tournament where either the $255,000 winner's purse or the $155,252 second prize would have put her comfortably within the top 80 money winners for the year -- and virtually guaranteed her a place on the LPGA Tour next year. Instead, Wie now faces the likelihood of having to go through the Q-school process.

Wie's disqualification helped open the way for Ji Young Oh to capture her first LPGA victory in a playoff over rookie Yani Tseng.

Things turned out better for another Hawaii golfer. Castle High grad Dean Wilson rallied for a final-round 65 to finish tied for third at 13-under-267, three strokes behind winner Richard S. Johnson in the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee. The strong finished earned Wilson a $208 thousand paycheck.

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Friday, July 18, 2008

JUNIOR VARSITY PROGRAMS COULD BE CUT

(July 18): As a result of budget shortfalls, the state Board of Education is seriously considering cuts that could result in pulling the plug on junior varsity sports at Hawaii's public schools.

Such a move would generate $1 million in savings, while impacting some 6,000 students and 730 coach positions in sports ranging from football and basketball to the elimination of judo at the varsity level.

The only JV sports that would not be cut under the proposal are girls' soccer, softball, paddling and bowling. Those sports were implemented several years ago to meet Title IX gender-equity requirements and fall under a different funding program than other JV sports.

While there has been an outcry about the plan among sports-oriented critics, the cuts go much deeper than their particular point of interest.

It's all part of an attempt to chop $9.2 million in expenses throughout the Department of Education and could adversely impact such popular and much-needed programs as the A-Plus after-school programs.

The proposed cuts were revealed on Monday during a Board of Education budget and fiscal committee meeting, and reflect part of the financial restrictions placed on state agencies by Gov. Linda Lingle.

If approved, changes in athletics will begin with the 2009-2010 school year.

Those concerned with the proposed changes should inform their BOE representative quickly. All budget decisions are scheduled to be completed by the board's Aug. 7 meeting.

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Thursday, July 17, 2008

WOMEN’S OLYMPIC TEAM HAS HAWAII FLAVOR

(July 17): Exactly one-third of the players named to the U.S. Olympic women's volleyball team have a connection with the Aloha State. And, if you want to stretch the point, a case can be made that five of the 12 players have Hawaii ties.

Former University of Hawaii All-Americans Robyn Ah Mow-Santos, Heather Bown and Kim Willoughby were named to the squad. So was Lindsey Berg, a Punahou graduate who played at Minnesota. And don't forget about Logan Tom, the former Stanford star who is part-Hawaii and whose father, Mel, is a former NFL football player.

Earlier this week, former UH and Kaiser High star Clay Stanley was named to the US men's volleyball squad.

Another former UH standout came up big for a US national team last night. Natasha Kai scored the winning goal on late header off a free kick by Carli Lloyd for a bittersweet, 1-0 victory over Brazil in San Diego.

Kai came into the exhibition match as a replacement for star striker Amy Wambach, who suffered a broken left leg in a collision with a defender. That leaves the U.S. without its leading scorer as it tries to defend its Olympic gold medal. Wambach has 13 goals and 10 assists in leading the Americans to a 21-1-1 record this year.

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Wednesday, July 16, 2008

DON’T BLAME THIS SNAFU ON HERMAN

(July 16): It's been seven months since the Sugar Bowl, and the embarrassments continue for the University of Hawaii administration.

Recently, the university issued an apology for trying to cover up that some 75 family members and friends had their trips to New Orleans paid for by the athletic department.

Now comes the revelation that UH was left holding 1,035 unused tickets, costing the athletic department $129,375.

Naturally, folks are putting the blame for this latest snafu on departed athletic director Herman Frazier, who was fired shortly after June Jones bailed to become the coach at SMU.
Jones, by the way, has so far refused to pay a $400,000 buyout that was in his UH contract.

Frazier underestimated demand for game tickets and agreed to accept only 13,500 of UH's initial allotment of 17,500. The remaining 4,000 tickets were offered to Georgia fans.

Frazier's didn't want to be on the hook for unsold tickets. Under intense public pressure, Frazier secured another 1,866 tickets to accommodate outraged fans. But only slight more than 800 of those tickets were sold.

The revisionist history is that the tickets became available too late for fans to travel to during the busy holiday season. The truth is that Frazier's concern that UH would be left holding a bunch of tickets proved to be correct.

You can blame Frazier for a lot of things. But this isn't one of them.

BOUND FOR BEIJING: Former Hawaii star Clay Stanley is bound for China as a member of the U.S. Olympic men's volleyball team.

This will be the second Olympics for the Kaiser High graduate. His father, Jon, also competed for the U.S. in the 1968 Olympics, making them the first father-son duo in USA Olympic volleyball history.

Earlier this year, Clay was named the top server at the regional Olympic qualifier. He finished the qualifier as the top U.S. scorer with 49 points on 33 kills, 10 aces and six blocks.

At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Clay led the team and finished fifth overall in scoring with 110 points on 83 kills, 17 aces and 10 blocks.

Another pair of former UH player, libero Alfee Reft and middle blocker Delano Thomas, were on the 19-player qualifying roster but failed to make the final 12-man cut.

Several other volleyball players with Hawaii roots are candidates to receive invitations to play for the US women's team in Beijing.

They are setters Robyn Ah Mow-Santos and Lindsey Berg, middle blocker Heather Bown and outside hitter Kim Willoughby.

Also headed for Beijing is former UH soccer standout Natasha Kai. She has been the leading scorer this year for a US women's team that has compiled a 20-0-1 record going into tonight's exhibition match against Brazil in San Diego.

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Tuesday, July 15, 2008

A RUNNERUP TO REMEMBER

(July 15): There's an adage in sports about no one ever remembering who finished second. There are exceptions to any rule and we witnessed one of them yesterday during the All-Star Game Home Run Derby.

I doubt few of us will recall over time that Justin Morneau won yesterday's event at Yankee Stadium by hitting five homers to his opponent's three in the final round of the competition

But few of us are likely to forget the mind-boggling, gravity-defying display of raw power by Josh Hamilton.

The Texas slugger hit 28 home runs – including 13 in a row – during the first round of the derby. For those keeping score at home, that's 28 dings on 38 swings, to shatter the record of 24 set by Bobby Abreau in 2005.

It wasn't just the number of homers launched by Hamilton that was so impressive. There was also the length of his prodigious blasts.

Hamilton drove five balls into the upper deck. He slugged another off the facing of the mezzanine. Two more of his moon shots landed in the black seats in center. Three of his drives traveled in excess of 500 feet.

So a national hero was born yesterday in the Bronx by a guy who already is in the midst of a sensational season after essentially missing four years because of various dependencies and addictions.

Quickly now: Who won last night's Home Run Derby? See what I mean.

BACKUP BLUES: One of the problems with having a durable and dominant quarterback – someone in the mold of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and, yes Brett Favre – is that their backups seldom if ever get a chance to show their stuff.

So if the great QB goes down, there's huge letdown in talent and experience. And if the backup is really promising, he'll try to leave by any means possible in order to get his shot as starter.

Which brings us to the Indianapolis Colts and the announcement yesterday that Manning will miss from four to six weeks after undergoing surgery to remove an infected bursa sac in his left knee.

That means Manning will miss training camp and at least some exhibition games, putting the focus on little-used backup Jim Sorgi, who has thrown all of 36 passes in five seasons with the Colts.

COLT SIGNS: Speaking of backup quarterbacks, former University of Hawaii standout Colt Brennan signed a four-year, $1.8 million contract with the Washington Redskins, who drafted him in the sixth round of April's NFL draft.

Brennan will receive a first-year base salary of $295,000 if he makes the team in addition to receiving a signing bonus of $98,500.

Brennan is expected to compete with Derek Devin of Marshall for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart behind starter Jason Campbell and 13-year veteran Todd Collins.

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Monday, July 14, 2008

GREEN BAY CALLS BRETT’S BLUFF

(July 14): Green Bay has called Brett Favre's bluff. If Favre wants to un-retire, he will have to remain a member of the Packers with no guarantees, at this point, that he will return as the starting quarterback. A bit vindictive? No doubt. But the right and fair move, nonetheless.

Favre's desire to be given a release with no strings attached is patently unfair to the Packers. Particularly, when it would provide Favre the option of signing with division rivals Minnesota or Chicago, if he so desires.

Or even with Tampa Bay or Carolina, two teams that will face the Packers this season.

And let's not forget that by releasing Favre, the Packers would receive no compensation for his departure.

This is the same Brett Farve, you may recall, who tearfully announced his retirement in March after guiding Green Bay to the NFC championship game.

Favre, who has gone through this Hamlet imitation over the previous two summers, apparently reconsidered his decision. In the process, he's tried to spin his story by saying that he was not 100 percent committed to retirement in March and was forced into making a premature announcement by the club.

But can you blame the Packers? They simply wanted to know how to proceed if Favre was not returning. So they installed the untested Aaron Rodgers as their starter and drafted a pair of quarterbacks as insurance.

Frankly, I don't think Green Bay owes Favre a free release. I do think Favre owes the Green Bay fans an apology for his diva-like behavior.

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Monday, July 7, 2008

NADAL WINS A MATCH FOR THE AGES

(July 7): I can hardly be described as a huge fan of tennis. But what I witnessed yesterday was as captivating a sporting event as I've seen in recent memory.

So compelling, in fact, that former superstar turned TV analyst John McEnroe, himself involved in a match for the ages some years ago, described it as the greatest Wimbledon Final ever.

Surviving a 4 hour, 48 minute marathon, Rafael Nadal of Spain – previously known as a clay court specialist – defeated Roger Federer – known as the king of grass – by scores of 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7.

You didn't have to a Spaniard or Swiss to appreciate the drama, the skill, the perseverance, the courage, and the endurance that these two men displayed yesterday.

Nadal won the first two sets, then lost back-to-back tie breakers before winning the final set in extra time as the light was dwindling in center court.

So ended Federer's five-year reign as Wimbledon champ. And so truly began the legend of Nadal, who became the first player since Bjorn Borg accomplished the feat in 1980 to win on the clay of Paris and the grass of London in the same year.

Because of Nadal's relentless tenacity, as one reporter described it, Federer's run of 65 straight wins on grass and 40 straight at the All England Club also came to an end.

It has been noted, correctly I think, that tennis has lost momentum in recent years. If this doesn't give the sport a well-needed and much-deserved, boost nothing will.

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