Rousey in 14 seconds

LOS ANGELES » Ronda Rousey has stopped every opponent she has faced in her meteoric mixed martial arts career, so a first-round victory is no shock for the UFC's bantamweight champion.

Except nobody had ever finished a UFC title fight this quickly, and hardly anyone had done it with this much flair.

Rousey stopped Cat Zingano with an acrobatic armbar 14 seconds into the first round, dramatically defending her 135-pound title at UFC 184 on Saturday night.

Rousey (11-0) earned the most impressive victory of her career with jaw-dropping speed, taking out the previously unbeaten Zingano with her signature armlock from an unlikely position.

Rousey landed on her head after Zingano (9-1) charged her at the opening bell, but the champion gracefully flipped Zingano onto her back, got up and scampered into position to wrench Zingano's arm grotesquely.

Just like that, Rousey forced the challenger to tap out, ending her fifth title defense before the sellout Staples Center crowd could process what it just witnessed.

Rousey's last three fights have lasted a total of 96 seconds, including two bouts against previously unbeaten opponents. Her 14-second finish was a record for any UFC title bout, but she thought it only went to plan.

[that makes 30 seconds in two bouts]

UH receives $1.2 million donation

The University of Hawaii is hoping that a $1.2 million gift by an anonymous fan will inspire others to contribute to the financially-challenged athletic department.

The estate planning gift, which is said to be one of the biggest ever earmarked for athletics, is scheduled to be celebrated with a ceremonial check presentation at halftime of Thursday night's UH-Long Beach State men's basketball game at the Stan Sheriff Center.

"This is a great way to inspire others to give to the university," said Kimo Kai of the UH Foundation.

The pledge comes as UH has redoubled efforts to reach out to the community to help underwrite the 21-sport, $32 million athletic program in the absence of additional state and university funds.

UH officials said when the gift is realized it will be spread across all the department teams and band.

UH Manoa Chancellor Robert Bley-Vroman said in a statement, "Personal gifts such as this one will help student-athletes for years to come fulfill their academic and athletic potential. By investing in our athletics program, donors are also enriching our community by keeping top-notch athletic events accessible to all, and stimulating a range of economic benefits."

The same donor, a woman whose identity UH declined to reveal, presented the department with a $875,000 through a charitable remainder trust in 2011, bringing her total to more than $2 million, official said.

The previous gift was to establish three endowments benefitting Rainbow Wahine sports — the Rainbow Wahine Volleyball Program Endowment, the Rainbow Wahine Basketball Program Endowment and the Softball Program Endowment — in recognition of the 40th anniversary of Rainbow Wahine sports.

"This is a tremendous philanthropic gift donation for UH athletics and we are very appreciative of the support for all of our student-athletes," athletic director Ben Jay said. "It is our hope that this generous gift will stimulate additional gift donations to support UH athletics. It is also a great example of the many ways to contribute to UH and our athletic programs."

The largest gift to athletics on record is $5 million from the Clarence T. C. Ching Foundation which is being used to help construct the athletic facility of the same name.

The anonymous donor's attorney, Thomas Mui said, "While my client was never an athlete herself, she appreciates the role that UH Athletics plays in our local community both in terms of serving as a healthy outlet for our young people and as a way for them to further their education. It is her hope and mine that this gift will serve as an incentive for others to contribute to and support UH Athletics at a time when the money is sorely needed."

Larry Little

Larry Little first set foot in Hawaii as coach of the Centenary Gentlemen, but not even a subsequent courtside seat to the most turbulent period in University of Hawaii athletics as the Rainbow Warriors’ basketball coach ever changed the gentleman part. 

Little saw the ’Bows through NCAA sanctions, chaos in the athletic department and over-heated expectations — none of it his doing — in the late 1970s, somehow remaining a class act throughout his nine-year tenure in Manoa.

The man who gave UH stability in troubled times and guided it into the Western Athletic Conference era died Wednesday at age 75 in Las Vegas.

“It is a shock,” said Jack Miller who played four seasons (1980-84) for Little and had planned to visit him next month.

Little, who had helped transport his ailing friend and former assistant Riley Wallace in Las Vegas as recently as Sunday, suffered a massive stroke Monday, a family member said.

“He and Riley were closer than brothers and (Riley) is just broken up over it,” said Bruce O’Neil, another former UH coach who has been in regular contact with the pair.

Little was 100-33 in five seasons as head coach and athletic director at tiny Centenary when he accepted the UH job in 1976 in the ominous shadow of the NCAA investigation. The looming sanctions — UH was eventually slapped with two years of probation for 68 violations — the departure of several key players and lack of a permanent athletic director in place had prompted at least two candidates, including assistants at UCLA and Notre Dame, to turn down the job.

But Little, who had come to the then-Honolulu International Center, as Blaisdell Center was known at the time, to play the Fabulous Five was not dissuaded.

“He loved Hawaii,” said O’Neil, an assistant athletic director involved in the search. “He wanted the job.”

Sam Hinkie has a plan

Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie held a 40-minute press conference in Friday to discuss trading away two of his team's most productive players for future draft picks at the trade deadline.

The Sixers under Hinkie are the most radical experiment in American sports. Since he took over after the 2013 season, he has traded away the team's best players, refused to sign free agents, spent as little money as possible, drafted players who are injured or overseas, and hoarded picks through an unceasing series of trades.

It's blatantly anticompetitive on a night-to-night basis, and a lot of people — NBA fans and otherwise — hate it.

At his press conference, Hinkie explained his thinking.

He said that the only way to win an NBA title is to have a team that can win 55+ games every year. And the only way to have a team that can win 55+ games every year is to get great players. And the only way to get great players is to have enough picks to either 1) draft a great player, or 2) put together a trade package for a great player that can help you make a "big leap."

Hinkie is only trying to build a championship-level team. He's not interested in building a team that can just make the playoffs, or even win a series or two. He wants a juggernaut, even if it means Philly is the worst team in the NBA for a few years.

When asked when he'll know when the rebuilding process is complete and he has the right players in place, Hinkie responded ominously, "We'll all know. We'll all know."

LeBron Jr.

LeBron James' son, LeBron James Jr. (on the right in the above photograph) is 10 years old and he's already getting offers from colleges. LeBron isn't too happy about that. From the Washington Post:

"He's already got some offers from colleges," James, who skipped college to turn pro, told reporters Tuesday. "It's pretty crazy. It should be a violation. You shouldn't be recruiting 10-year-old kids."

And if you wanted to see LBJ Jr. in action:

Michelle Wie on Hawaii Five-O

Michelle Wie, by most accounts, was boffo in her acting debut on Hawaii Five-0 last week, but the budding thespian was a bit harder on herself than others.

For sure, Wie, who spoke with reporters on Wednesday ahead of this week’s Honda LPGA Thailand event, had a fantastic time playing herself in the show shot in her native state. The reigning U.S. Women’s Open champion did, however, have some notes for her on-screen persona.

"It was weird," Wie said about her cameo appearance as herself.

great fantasy basketball performances

Kobe's 81 point game is ranked fourth

Jasmine and Jeremy

They were always close, as twins usually are. They were teammates as little kids on baseball and basketball teams. When they got to high school at Punahou, Jeremy was a state champion in football and baseball and Jasmine starred in softball.

On this birthday, though, the twins are separated by 300 miles. Jasmine, who played softball at Weber State, is completing her final semester at the Ogden, Utah, campus and helping out as a volunteer assistant coach. Jeremy is with the rest of the family in Boise, Idaho, where they moved in 2012.

But the twins are closer than ever in their hearts.

Jeremy needs a new kidney. Jasmine is his best bet. She is undergoing tests to see if she is a match for a transplant.

"When I actually think about the possibility of surgery it's a little scary, but I just think about getting my brother better," she said. "I just want to get him a kidney as soon as possible."

Jeremy has a rare disease, IgA nephropathy, that has wracked his body for more than 21⁄2 years, including decreasing his kidney function to 1 percent.

If he were healthy, he might be at the NFL Combine this week, preparing for a chance at a pro football career.

Instead, he continues to deal with dialysis five times a week — including hemo dialysis three times a week, which requires a catheter in his heart for an infection there. That takes three to four hours, at a dialysis center. The other treatment is at home, but takes eight to 10 hours while he is sleeping.

And he continues to await a transplant.

Medical and associated expenses, even after insurance, will be huge. Ioane's coverage as a Boise State athlete expired in January, and catastrophic injury insurance via the NCAA is not available because the illness is not from playing football. Insurance will likely cover a sizable amount, but far from everything.

There will also be Jasmine's expenses to consider, even if she isn't a match as a donor.

A donation fund organized by Boise State has raised $74,000 and a group in Hawaii is initiating fundraising efforts; there is an email account at 808forjeremyioane@gmail.com, and donations to "Friends of Jeremy Ioane" can be mailed to PO Box 300333, Kaaawa, HI 96730 or dropped off at any First Hawaiian Bank branch.

-- by Dave Reardon

Bobbie Awa and Konawaena

Meet Bobbie Awa , who has taken her alma mater Konawaena High to a ranking of No. 21 in the nation — and without much fanfare — according to MaxPreps Xcellent 25 Girls Basketball, where they are characterized as being “really good.” They are clearly the best-kept athletic secret in the state.

Awa is so low-key, she couldn’t even tell me how many victories she has amassed overall or how many championships she’s won. Nor did she know her team’s national ranking. In digging through the records, I was able to learn that she began coaching in 2001, and since then has won 12 Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) titles, and captured five state crowns, tying her with Kamehameha Schools’ Al Apo for most championships won by an individual coach. Awa’s teams have made it to the state title game eight out of 14 seasons. And Konawaena, with its enrollment of 700 students, is heavily favored to make it nine out of 15 seasons with another state crown this week at Stan Sheriff Center, site of the 38th annual HHSAA girls state basketball championship. All this dynasty chatter makes Awa uncomfortable, given her humble nature and personality.

The Wildcats emerged on the national radar screen with impressive performances in the December Iolani Classic, in particular their stunning victories over two national powerhouses and a narrow loss in the finals to another talented and tall team from California.

In typical Awa style, she and her squad “rededicated themselves to improving and getting better every day.”

When pressed to talk about her success, she is quick to credit her husband, Donald Awa, the varsity boys head coach at Konawaena, and a dedicated stable of coaches, most of them related to her or Donald. They have truly taken the maxim “the family that plays together stays together” to another level. They coach year round through the Kona Stingrays, a hoops club comprised of boys and girls from 5 to 14 years of age, that Donald founded 20 years ago. They coach passionately with an emphasis on fundamentals, teamwork and discipline. The 75 youngsters play and learn for free, and they cannot wait to grow up and be Wildcats so they can have fun and play B-ball for the only hoops wife-and-husband coaching tandem in the state, if not the country.

“It’s all about run and gun and have some fun in a disciplined way,” says Awa.

She serves as an assistant to Donald’s cagers, and Donald does the same for Bobbie’s outfit. The late U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink would have been extremely proud to see how the varsity and junior varsity boys squad and the girls varsity outfit (no JV girls team) practice — drills and scrimmages are conducted in a challenging coed environment and atmosphere. Gender equity is indeed alive and well in Kealakekua, Hawaii.

“We do drills, run sprints and scrimmage the boys regularly,” says Awa.

The Awa coaching and training style is probably one of the major reasons two of Awa’s former players are starting at a Division I school in the highly competitive Pac-12 Conference. Bobbie’s daughter Dawnyelle Awa and Lia Galdeira won three state titles before moving on to Washington State. Galdeira already is the fourth all-time leading scorer in Lady Cougars history.

This year’s Wildcats edition, the No. 1 ranked team in the state, features three Molina sisters: freshman point guard Cherilyn; 5-foot-8 post Celena, a sophomore; and Chanelle, a senior who is the top player and college recruit in Hawaii. Awa says she is “the best pure basketball talent” she has tutored. The Molina trio already has drawn the attention of Rainbow Wahine basketball coach Laura Beeman, who has had her eye on the gifted Chanelle since she was a freshman. She picked up on her two younger siblings quickly upon witnessing their outstanding performance in the Iolani Classic. Perhaps with an eye toward providing a huge incentive for Chanelle to matriculate at UH to play at home with her sisters, the word is that scholarship offers were also made to Cherilyn and Celena.

As for Chanelle, she is the “real deal.” I have been in awe of her talent since we started taking her as a freshman member of Team Aloha, an all-Hawaii basketball squad I sponsor annually to compete in an elite spring tournament on the Mainland. Last year she led Team Aloha to the championship of a 64-team bracket from all over the western United States.

-- Mufi Hannemann, Midweek, February 11, 2015

*** [2/13/15]

Konawaena defeats Lahainaluna for the sixth state crown.

Danny Ainge, GM

The NBA trade deadline is coming up Thursday afternoon, and Ainge is pursuing multiple deals, big and small. This is one of his favorite times of the year. His rivals throughout the league can sense it.

"He's probably the best GM in the game,'' says Daryl Morey, who became GM of the Houston Rockets after working with Ainge at the Celtics. "Look at the roster in '03 when Danny took over, and his ability to win a title five years later -- that transformation is unheard of, I've never seen anything like it. Now you look at the way he's set up the Celtics today, and it's the best I've seen someone go from losing a core to creating lots of future picks and flexibility to turn it around quickly. People don't see it yet because it hasn't turned the corner, but they will see it.''

[I don't know about the best GM, but it's an interesting story.]

NBA storylines

heading into the second half

NBA All-Star Weekend

Kevin Hart wins fourth MVP in Celebrity game despite getting schooled by a schoolgirl (plus his team lost)
World beats USA in Rising Stars Challenge

Dominique, Bosh, Cash win third straight Shooting Stars Challenge
Patrick Beverley comes from behind to win skills challenge
Stephen Curry wins Three-Point Contest
Zach LaVine dazzles in the Sprite Slam Dunk

West edges East, led by Westbrook's 41

Bobbitt breaks Henderson's mark

If you can break a record set by Tom Henderson you're doing pretty well.

That's not just because Henderson is one of the best two or three players in University of Hawaii basketball history and went on to the U.S. Olympic team and the NBA.  [Who's better?]

It's also because any records he set have stood for more than 40 years.

His single-season steals mark Roderick Bobbitt broke Thursday night was set in 1973. That record is so old it was two NCAA investigations ago. It's so old that David Ige, who attended his first UH basketball game Thursday as governor, was in high school when Henderson set it.

“Rod actually came into the year and said I want to do something special. … He said, ‘I want to lead the nation in steals,’” UH coach Benjy Taylor said after the Rainbow Warriors 73-52 rout of UC Riverside. “He’s on his way. … He’s a specialist and he has no problem owning up to that. I think he’ll break (his own record) next year.”

Aroldis Chapman

Closer Aroldis Chapman avoided a salary arbitration hearing with the Cincinnati Reds by agreeing to a one-year, $8.05 million contract Friday.

Chapman, a three-time All-Star, has 113 saves over parts of five seasons with the Reds. He has 430 strikeouts over 252 2/3 major-league innings, for an average of 15.3 per nine innings. In 2014, Chapman recorded 36 saves and struck out 106 batters in 54 innings.  [Holy crap]

Chapman had filed for $8.7 million in arbitration, while the Reds had countered with an offer of $6.65 million. His settlement with Cincinnati came before a scheduled arbitration hearing Friday.

[sounds like a bargain to me, but then again, he only pitched 54 innings]

Charles Barkley and analytics

During TNT’s studio show following the Houston Rockets’ victory over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night, Charles Barkley ripped Rockets GM Daryl Morey — and the NBA’s burgeoning advanced stats movement by extension — saying: “I’ve always believed analytics was crap. … I never mention the Rockets as legitimate contenders ’cause they’re not. And, listen, I wouldn’t know Daryl Morey if he walked into this room right now.”

“The NBA is about talent,” Barkley added. “All these guys who run these organizations who talk about analytics, they have one thing in common — they’re a bunch of guys who have never played the game, and they never got the girls in high school, and they just want to get in the game.”

The debate over using advanced metrics in sports is nothing new, and Barkley’s comments aren’t out of place with what baseball traditionalists were saying after “Moneyball” was published more than a decade ago. But what I found humorous in Barkley’s remarks is that there are no greater champions of Barkley’s legacy as a player than proponents of advanced metrics.

Yes, Barkley is well-regarded by the establishment — he is a Hall of Famer, after all. But his career has been dogged by the criticism that weighs more on stars in the NBA than any other sport: He never won a championship. Fellow power forward Tim Duncan, on the other hand, has won five — and counting.

Barkley also lacked the sheer stat totals of Karl Malone, another contemporary at the position, who came within 1,459 points of setting the NBA’s all-time scoring record. These time-honored considerations are what keep Barkley a distant third behind Duncan and Malone on most mainstream “Greatest Power Forward Ever” lists.

Statheads, on the other hand, often decry the outsize role that championships have taken in assessing NBA players’ legacies and have little use for raw numerical accumulation. Instead, they marvel at numbers such as Barkley’s outrageous per-possession offensive efficiency rating, which is the highest ever among players who used as many possessions as he did.

Malone may have outscored Barkley by 13,171 points (and Barkley even trails Malone in points per game), but according to more advanced metrics, there’s little doubt that Barkley was the better player. Over a common range of ages (22-36), Barkley was worth about 2.1 more points per 100 possessions to his team’s efficiency differential than Malone (in the estimation of Box Plus/Minus) and produced about 10 more wins of Value Over Replacement Player (VORP). For BPM nonbelievers, Barkley also leads in Player Efficiency Rating (PER) and Win Shares per 48 minutes.

And as much respect as we have for Duncan, it’s not clear that he performed better in his prime than Barkley did, either. Over the same range of ages, Barkley leads Duncan in BPM — by a whopping 1.8 points per 100 possessions — VORP and WS/48. (Granted, Duncan’s PER does edge out Barkley, 24.7 to 24.6.)

In other words, the advanced stats tend to hold Barkley in much higher esteem than the conventional wisdom does. Barkley may not care for analytics, but his legacy as a player would benefit from greater acceptance of the analytical point of view.

[but Anthony Davis has become better than all of them]

*** [2/14/15] Mark Cuban responds on analytics.

Cuban's biggest point is that you can learn things through the use of advanced stats, but that there is no longer much of an advantage to it.

"When a couple of teams are using [advanced stats], you can get an advantage," Cuban told 105.3 the Fan. "When everybody is using it, your advantage is pretty much gone. That’s where analytics has gotten to now, where pretty much every NBA team uses analytics — at least some degree."

This is the same problem the Oakland A's ran into with "Moneyball" in Major League Baseball.

Despite the misunderstandings of many, "Moneyball" at its core is simply looking for market inefficiencies. That is, looking for positive traits in players that other teams are overlooking, and hence are undervaluing, and often advanced stats are used to reach that goal.

The problem for the A's, which general manager Billy Beane has acknowledged, is that now the cat is out of the bag and all teams in Major League Baseball are using advanced stats to some degree. So it is not that "Moneyball" didn't work or has stopped working. Rather, it is that it has become much harder to find something that other teams have missed.

Jerry Tarkanian

LAS VEGAS >> He couldn't stop fighting the NCAA any more than he could give up chewing towels courtside. Jerry Tarkanian built a basketball dynasty in the desert, but it was his decades-long battle with the NCAA that defined him far more than the wins and losses.

The coach who won a national title at UNLV and made the school synonymous with basketball died Wednesday after several years of health issues. He was 84.

Tarkanian put the run in the Runnin' Rebels, taking them to four Final Fours and winning a national championship in 1990 with one of the most dominant college teams ever. His teams were as flamboyant as the city, with light shows and fireworks for pregame introductions and celebrities jockeying for position on the so-called Gucci Row courtside.

He ended up beating the NCAA, too, collecting a $2.5 million settlement after suing the organization for trying to run him out of college basketball. But he was bitter to the end about the way the NCAA treated him while coaching.

"They've been my tormentors my whole life," Tarkanian said at his retirement news conference in 2002. "It will never stop."

The night before he died, fans attending UNLV's game against Fresno State draped towels over the statue of Tarkanian outside the campus arena that depicts Tarkanian chewing on one of his famous towels.

Tarkanian's wife, Lois, said her husband -- hospitalized Monday with an infection and breathing difficulties -- fought health problems for the last six years with the same "courage and tenacity" he showed throughout his life. His death came just days after the death of another Hall of Fame coach, North Carolina's Dean Smith.

"Our hearts are broken but filled with incredible memories," Lois Tarkanian said in a family statement. "You will be missed Tark."

Tarkanian was an innovator who preached defense yet loved to watch his teams run. And run they did, beginning with his first Final Four team in 1976-77, which scored more than 100 points in 23 games in an era before both the shot clock and the 3-point shot.

He was a winner in a city built on losers, putting a small commuter school on the national sporting map and making UNLV sweatshirts a hot item around the country. His teams helped revolutionize the way the college game was played, with relentless defense forcing turnovers that were quickly converted into baskets at the other end.

He recruited players other coaches often wouldn't touch, building teams with junior college transfers and kids from checkered backgrounds. His teams at UNLV were national powerhouses almost every year, yet Tarkanian never seemed to get his due when the discussion turned to the all-time coaching greats.

That changed in 2013 when the man popularly referred to as Tark the Shark was elected to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, an honor his fellow coaches argued for years was long overdue. Though hospitalized in the summer for heart problems and weakened by a variety of ills, he went on stage with a walker at the induction ceremony.

"I knew right from day one I wanted to be a coach," Tarkanian said. "Coaching has been my entire life."

Tarkanian's career spanned 31 years with three Division I schools, beginning at Long Beach State and ending at Fresno State, where Tarkanian himself played in 1954 and 1955. Only twice did his teams fail to win at least 20 games in a season.

But it was at UNLV where his reputation was made, both as a coach of teams that often scored in the triple digits and as an outlaw not afraid to stand up to the powerful NCAA. He went 509-105 in 19 seasons with the Runnin' Rebels before finally being forced out by the university after a picture was published in the Las Vegas Review-Journal showing some of his players in a hot tub with a convicted game fixer.

UNLV was already on probation at the time, just two years after winning the national title and a year after the Runnin' Rebels -- led by Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony -- went undefeated into the Final Four before being upset in the semifinals by the same Duke team they beat by 30 points for the championship the year before. Even after losing four of his starters off that team and being on probation, Tarkanian went 26-2 in his final year at UNLV.

His overall record is listed several different ways because the NCAA took away wins from some of his teams, but the family preferred to go with his on court record of 784-202.

The sad-eyed Tarkanian was born to Armenian immigrants Aug. 8, 1930, in Euclid, Ohio, and attended Pasadena City College before transferring to Fresno State, where he graduated in 1955. He coached high school basketball in Southern California before being hired at Riverside City College, where he spent five years before moving on to Pasadena City College.

He was hired at Long Beach State in 1968 and went 23-3 in his first year, then led the school to four straight NCAA tournament appearances, including the 1971 West Regional final, where Long Beach led UCLA by 12 points at halftime only to lose by two. While at Long Beach he got into his first dispute with the NCAA, writing a newspaper column that questioned why the organization investigated Western Kentucky and not a powerful university like Kentucky.

Never shy about challenging the NCAA, Tarkanian once famously said: "The NCAA is so mad at Kentucky, it's going to give Cleveland State two more years' probation."

By the time he moved to Las Vegas in 1973, Tarkanian was considered one of the rising coaching stars in the country. He quickly built a name for what was then a small school and by his fourth season at UNLV he had the Runnin' Rebels in the Final Four, where they lost 84-83 to North Carolina. It would be another decade before UNLV made the Final Four again, and the Runnin' Rebels were in three in five years, including the national championship season of 1990.

In the final that year, UNLV used its pressure defense to blow out Duke 103-73 in one of the most dominant performances in championship game history.

It all happened with Tarkanian on his chair courtside, chewing on a moist towel that was always left carefully folded underneath his seat. The towel chewing, Tarkanian would later say, was something he started doing during long practices when he could not stop to go to a drinking fountain.

***

Tark the Shark was the fans favorite villain

I remember his appearance in Honeymoon In Vegas.

why Nick Young was late

First, a little background: Nick’s girlfriend, pop star Iggy Azalea, started all of this on Monday when she tweeted…

Nick is scared of Dolphins.

A dolphin in Cabo tried to kill him once. I was there and to be fair, it's true. Now he won't go on the wild dolphin snorkel tour. Lol.

Then, last night before the Lakers hosted the Denver Nuggets, Swaggy P talked to reporters and ESPN’s Baxter Holmes got to the bottom of things…

“He was playing with everybody else, doing what dolphins do — the ‘ack ack’ and all that,” Young said. “It was my time to ride the dolphin. For some reason, he took me all the way to the bottom. He was trying to drown me. But I saw it happening so I jumped out of the water and took off the little life vest and threw off my little water shoes and stayed outside.”

Young said the dolphin took others around in circles but didn’t do the same when it was his turn to interact with it.

“He went straight down,” Young said. “He was trying to kill me. I think he was trying to get on Iggy. He was a little friendly, kissing her and stuff. He was trying to take my woman.”

And after that, if you read the source material, Young got fined by coach Byron Scott because he showed up late.

Oregon's new quarterback

Eastern Washington quarterback Vernon Adams is headed to Oregon, where he immediately becomes the favorite to replace Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota.

After three prolific seasons at the FCS school, Adams announced Monday -- just over a week after visiting Eugene -- that he will make the rare jump in subdivisions. A short time after Adams made the news public, Oregon announced he had signed a financial-aid agreement with the school.

He is the favorite to replace Mariota but will not join the competition with five other quarterbacks -- including Mariota's primary backup the past two seasons, junior Jeff Lockie -- until after receiving his degree in the spring.

Once the 6-foot, 190-pound Adams graduates, he will be able to enroll at Oregon as a graduate student and be eligible to play right away.

In three years at Eastern Washington, Adams threw for 10,438 yards and 110 touchdowns with 31 interceptions while completing 64.8 percent of his passes. He was a runner-up for the Walter Payton Award, given to the FCS' best offensive player, the past two seasons and has twice been named the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year.

Adams' success hasn't been limited to lower-level competition either. In two starts against Pac-12 teams, Adams turned in two of his best performances.

In a 59-52 loss at Washington in 2014, he completed 31 of 46 passes for 475 yards and seven touchdowns without an interception. That came a year after he led the Eagles to a 49-46 win at Oregon State in which he threw for 411 yards and four touchdowns with 107 yards rushing and two more scores.

The Ducks weren't alone in their pursuit of Adams. He also fielded interest from UCLA and Texas, according to The Oregonian.

Billy Casper

SAN DIEGO -- Billy Casper, one of the most prolific winners on the PGA Tour who was overshadowed at the height of his career by the "Big Three," died Saturday at his home in Utah. He was 83.

Bob Casper said his father died quickly and peacefully with wife Shirley at his bedside. They had been married 62 years. Casper passed out in the clubhouse at the Masters last year, had work on his heart and recovered from a bout of pneumonia over Thanksgiving. His son said Casper was going to cardio rehab for the past four months and was doing well until he started to feel badly in the past week.

In any other era, Casper might have commanded more attention than he did.

He won 51 times on the PGA Tour, putting him at No. 7 on the career list behind only Sam Snead, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer and Byron Nelson. His three major championships include the 1966 U.S. Open, one of golf's most remarkable comebacks. He rallied from a 7-shot deficit on the back nine at Olympic Club to tie Palmer, and he beat him in an 18-hole playoff.

Casper also won the 1959 U.S. Open at Winged Foot and the 1970 Masters. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1978.

But he was overshadowed by the "Big Three" -- Palmer, Nicklaus and Gary Player, whose rivalry sparked a revival in golf in that era. Part of that was the marketing of Mark McCormack at IMG. Casper originally signed with IMG and then left.

From 1962 through 1970, Casper and Nicklaus won 33 times on the PGA Tour. Palmer won 30 times. According to Golf Digest, Casper's winning rate of 9.2 percent trails only Nicklaus (12 percent) and Woods (26 percent) of all golfers who began their careers after 1950. Casper was a genius with the short game, considered one of the best putters in golf.

He won his first PGA Tour event in the 1956 LaBatt Open over Jimmy Demaret, and Casper won at least once each season for 16 straight years, a streak surpassed only by Nicklaus and Palmer at 17.

But it was that U.S. Open title at Olympic that finally brought him acclaim, even at the expense of Palmer.

"I watched Arnold play such magnificent golf on the front nine. I really felt that he was going to win the tournament," Casper said in 2012 at Olympic Club. "I had checked the scoreboard and I found that I was 2 shots ahead of Jack Nicklaus and Tony Lema, and so I wanted to finish second and informed Arnold of that. And he said, 'I'll try to do everything to help you.' "

More than golf, Casper was devoted to family. He had 11 children, six of them adopted, and became a Mormon just as his career was taking off.

"Everything became easier," Casper told Golf Digest in 2012. "I began to live much more for others, and my life fell into balance."

Casper was born June 24, 1931, in San Diego and began to caddie at San Diego Country Club. He was among the first of the great lineage of golfers in San Diego that included Gene Littler and Mickey Wright.

"Gene was so much better than me. I never beat him as a teenager," Casper told Golf Digest in the 2012 interview. "But I had a lot of inner confidence. I had such a tie with my eyes and my hands. I could look at a telephone pole 40 yards away, take out a 7-iron and hit it 10 times in a row. I had something special. And somehow, I really understood the game, all without having a lot of guidance."

Casper won the PGA Tour money title twice and was player of the year in 1966 and 1970. He won the Vardon Trophy for the lowest scoring average five times and still holds the American record in the Ryder Cup for most points. He played on eight teams and was the winning captain in 1969.

Dean Smith

Dean Smith, the coaching innovator who won two national championships at North Carolina, an Olympic gold medal in 1976 and induction into basketball's Hall of Fame more than a decade before he left the bench, has died. He was 83.

The retired coach died "peacefully" at his North Carolina home Saturday night, the school said in a statement Sunday from Smith's family. He was with his wife and five children.

Roy Williams, the current North Carolina coach who spent 10 years as Smith's assistant, said Smith "was the greatest there ever was on the court but far, far better off the court with people."

"I'd like to say on behalf of all our players and coaches, past and present, that Dean Smith was the perfect picture of what a college basketball coach should have been," Williams said in a statement. "We love him, and we will miss him."

In a career that spanned more than 40 years, Smith coached the likes of Michael Jordan and James Worthy and influenced the game and how it is played in ways that are unrivaled.

"Other than my parents, no one had a bigger influence on my life than Coach Smith," Jordan said in a statement. "He was more than a coach -- he was my mentor, my teacher, my second father. Coach was always there for me whenever I needed him and I loved him for it. In teaching me the game of basketball, he taught me about life. My heart goes out to Linnea and their kids. We've lost a great man who had an incredible impact on his players, his staff and the entire UNC family."

Smith's Four Corners time-melting offense led to the creation of the shot clock to counter it. He was the first coach at North Carolina, and among the first in the segregated South, to offer a scholarship to a black athlete. The now-common "point to the passer," in which a scorer acknowledges a teammate's assist, started in Chapel Hill and became a hallmark of Smith's always humble "Carolina Way."

He was a direct coaching descendant of basketball's father, James Naismith, playing and later coaching at Kansas for the inventor of the game's most famous student, Jayhawks coach Phog Allen.

Smith would pass lessons learned in Kansas along at North Carolina, adding more than a few of his own. He tutored perhaps the game's greatest player, Jordan, who burst onto the national stage as a freshman on Smith's 1982 national title team, and two of basketball's most successful coaches, fellow Hall of Famers Larry Brown and Williams.

The numerical record of Smith's accomplishments is staggering. His only losing season came in his first, and he left the game having surpassed Kentucky's Adolph Rupp as the winningest men's basketball coach in Division I history.

He led the Tar Heels to 13 ACC tournament championships, appearances in 11 Final Fours, five national title games and NCAA championships in 1982 and 1993. North Carolina won at least 20 games in each of his final 27 seasons and made 23 consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournament.

"We have lost a man who cannot be replaced," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "He was one of a kind, and the sport of basketball lost one of its true pillars. Dean possessed one of the greatest basketball minds and was a magnificent teacher and tactician. While building an elite program at North Carolina, he was clearly ahead of his time in dealing with social issues.

"However, his greatest gift was his unique ability to teach what it takes to become a good man. That was easy for him to do because he was a great man himself. All of his players benefited greatly from his basketball teachings, but even more from his ability to help mold men of integrity, honor and purpose. Those teachings, specifically, will live forever in those he touched."

More than 50 of Smith's players went on to play professionally in the NBA or the ABA, and more played overseas. Among them: Charlie Scott, Walter Davis, Sam Perkins, Brad Daugherty, J.R. Reid, Jerry Stackhouse, Rasheed Wallace, Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison. Along with Williams and Brown, the only coach to win both an NCAA and NBA title, former Tar Heels with successful coaching careers include George Karl and Eddie Fogler.

In addition to wife Linnea, Smith is survived by daughters Sandy, Sharon, Kristen and Kelly; son Scott; and several grandchildren.

[2/10/15] The Mount Rushmore of college basketball coaches

[2/10/15] Stories that shaped Dean Smith's career (video)

Gib Arnold out as Hawaii basketball head coach

[2/22/15] Gib Arnold's exit is getting expensive

[2/8/15] It started with a "4"

[2/6/15] Booster or not a booster?

[2/6/15] Former men's basketball coach Gib Arnold has filed a grievance against the University of Hawaii, claiming a violation of his employment agreement, the school said Thursday.

Athletic director Ben Jay said notice of the grievance, dated Feb. 3, has been forwarded to UH attorneys for review.

UH coaches are represented by the HGEA.

An attorney for Arnold referred questions about the grievance to UH.

William McCorriston, outside counsel for the school, said the contention is UH violated section 8 of the contract, the portion dealing with termination by the university.

Arnold claimed in a statement Tuesday that he was owed $1.4 million by the university, not just the balance of his $344,000 base salary from the 2014-15 season that UH said he was due Jan. 26.

McCorriston said, "everybody is focusing on section 8, but the contract has to be read as a whole and there are many different provisions and the provision which is paramount in this contract is paragraphs "a," "b" and "c," which require Coach Arnold to comply with the laws of the NCAA and its regulations and protocols."

McCorriston added, "if the notice of allegations received from the NCAA is correct, in whole or in part, it would be a violation of the contract. That provision —- and the breach of it — would have to be considered along with any obligations, which may or may not exist, in section 8."

[2/4/15] Gib Arnold is not going down without a fight.

The ex-University of Hawaii basketball coach and his former employer might be headed toward a legal tussle over more than $1.4 million that Arnold said Tuesday he is owed as part of his termination of employment.

A UH source not authorized to speak publicly on the matter said the university's outside counsel does not agree with Arnold's contention.

In a statement released to the media Tuesday afternoon, Arnold disputed charges against him in the NCAA's notice of allegations delivered to the university Friday, saying he will "most fiercely defend" himself against two Level I allegations, the most severe category.

In the notice, the collegiate sports governing body alleged Arnold "acted contrary to the NCAA principles of ethical conduct" and "knowingly influenced others to provide the institution with false or misleading information, or to conceal information" regarding violations from the fall of 2010, the start of Arnold's tenure at UH, through the course of the NCAA's eight-month investigation of the Rainbow Warriors program in 2014.

Arnold and assistant coach Bran­dyn Akana were fired "without cause" by UH on Oct. 28, meaning they were entitled to compensation.

Arnold said he will use the mandated 90 days — the amount of time institutions are given to respond to NCAA allegations upon deliverance of the notice — to prepare a defense. Arnold, who was also cited in four Level II violations, said he will use his personal funds.

"Fortunately, the University agreed under my contract to pay me more (than) $1.4 million as my termination payment, so I will have the resources to fight the NCAA's allegations against me," Arnold stated.

UH was to have paid Arnold the remainder of his 2014-15 salary of approximately $346,000 in a lump sum in late January.

But Arnold says his contract entitles him to an amount of severance money equal to what he accrued since his contract began on July 1, 2011.

Arnold stated: "UH decided they would rather pay me the contract price — three and half years' salary and bonuses totaling over $1.4 million — to terminate me ‘without cause' rather than fire me ‘with cause' and pay nothing. That decision, made when the Athletic Department was already millions of dollars in the red, tells you the University did not have confidence that the facts they heard amount to cause for dismissal. On that point, UH and I agree."

[2/1/15] Even for someone regularly briefed on the progress of the NCAA's eight-month investigation, Manoa Chancellor Robert Bley-Vroman said he was taken aback by the seven violations contained in the "notice of allegations" against the University of Hawaii men's basketball team.

"We knew, more or less, what was going on (with the investigation), but it was still a little bit striking to see it all written down there because it is very important for us to keep high standards," Bley-Vroman said. "It was very disturbing to see the extent of the allegations."

In the 42-page notice, UH was charged with three Level I violations, the most serious of the four-tiered NCAA system, and four from Level II. They included charges of impermissible tryouts, improper benefits, dishonest conduct and using operations staff as coaches to circumvent the limit on the number of coaches, all occurring "between the 2010-11 and 2014-15 academic years."

In the notice, the NCAA cited evidence obtained in interviews with current and former players, staffers and other coaches as well as email and cellphone records.

Former head coach Gib Arnold and ex-assistant Brandyn Akana were repeatedly tied to allegations. Benjy Taylor, the current coach, was not cited by the NCAA for any violations.

Arnold, who was on the mainland, declined immediate comment but said in a text message he may respond at a future date. Akana did not answer requests for comment.

Both were dismissed by UH on Oct. 28 "without cause."

UH has 90 days from receipt of the allegations in which to contest or accept the charges, and the NCAA then has 60 days to respond. After that, the NCAA's Committee on Infractions may mete out penalties.

"I think the report pretty much speaks for itself," Bley-Vroman said. "They've been very clear, very detailed, so I don't think I have much more to add."

The chancellor declined to say if UH will contest any of the charges or self-impose penalties. "We have to study (the notice) and see where we go from here."

UH could face a postseason ban, loss of scholarships and/or practice time and other sanctions.

Individuals could face suspensions or multiyear "show cause" orders in which any NCAA member that seeks to employ them would have to demonstrate a reason for their clearance.

[10/28/14] The University of Hawaii announced Tuesday afternoon that Gib Arnold has been removed from the position of head men's basketball coach.

Assistant coach Brandyn Akana has also been "relieved of coaching duty," according to a press release sent out by the university.

Arnold will be paid a lump sum for the remainder of his contract through June 30, 2015, and will be officially employed through Jan. 31. He was to be paid $344,000 for the entire 2014-15 season.

Akana will also be employed through Jan. 31 but will not be entitled to additional compensation, UH said.

"These painful but critical steps are being taken in an effort to strengthen our athletics program and to do right by our student athletes and students in general," athletic director Ben Jay said in a statement. "We appreciate the work of Gib and Brandyn and wish them both the best in the future."

Manoa Chancellor Robert Bley-Vroman said: "We are committed to setting the best possible examples for our players not only on the field of sports but in life. Athletics Director Jay has my full support in these steps that will strengthen the long-term future of our athletics program and our university."

Arnold, whose program has been under NCAA investigation since March, was about to enter the fifth season in his tenure leading the Rainbow Warriors.

He is expected to be replaced in the short term by associate head coach Benjy Taylor, sources indicated to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Also, former 20-year head coach Riley Wallace has been mentioned by sources as a strong candidate to take over for Taylor for the rest of the 2014-15 season, which begins Nov. 14.

The university has been in the process of deciding on self-sanctions in advance of the NCAA releasing its findings in the case, which could come before the regular-season opener vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Arnold did not immediately respond to a phone call seeking comment.

Last Thursday amid talk of university self-sanctions, Arnold sought to reassure the UH fan base. He released the statement: "The Hawaii fans need to know that we are doing the best we can to run a program they can be proud of. We are not paying players, committing academic fraud, putting our student-athletes in harm's way or treating them poorly.

"We have yet to even receive a notice of any possible allegations from the NCAA. Nor have we been given our mandated 90 days to respond to any allegations. If there has been anything administratively in our program where we have fallen short we will learn from it and correct it immediately."

Earlier this year, UH self-reported to the NCAA a Jan. 9, 2014 situation where, "a men's basketball coach submitted an altered document that was essential for admissions purposes," according to information obtained by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser under the state's open records law.

*** [10/29/14]

Even before the dust settles from the stunning termination of head basketball coach Gib Arnold and assistant Brandyn Akana on Tuesday, the University of Hawaii is bracing for the next shoe to drop.

It could be as big as size 15 with concerns about the eligibility of the Rainbow Warriors' top player — 6-foot-8 all-conference forward Isaac Fotu — apparently yet to be resolved.

Athletic director Ben Jay refused Tuesday night to say whether Fotu would be available when the 'Bows play an exhibition game Nov. 6 against Hawaii Pacific University. "I won't discuss him or our other student-athletes," Jay said.

*** Gib Arnold statement

"I would first like to thank former AD Jim Donovan, former Chancellor Hinshaw, and former President Greenwood for the opportunity to return home and coach at the University of Hawaii. We inherited a losing program with very little support and transformed a 20-loss team into a 20-win team in four short years. Our players represented the state of Hawaii on the floor, in the community and classroom. We recently set an all-time high in GPA and our "Give Back Hawaii" campaign has touched thousands of children. I am very proud of these accomplishments. We leave Hawaii loaded with great young talent and great kids. This program is definitely far better off than when we arrived.

I am being fired "without cause." That means that UH does not need to prove they have a reason to fire me. It pains me that they are taking my team and career away based on unknown allegations from unknown sources that have not been proven and that I have never been able to defend. I do know we have never paid any players or recruits, never committed any academic fraud, never had an off-court issue involving domestic violence or criminal behavior. We ran a program the people of Hawaii could be proud of.

I am aware of new NCAA legislation that all actions of assistants or administration fall upon the shoulders of the head coach, even if they have no knowledge of the situation. I strongly believe I deserved the right to address those allegations against my assistants or administration. I certainly don't feel the NCAA changed this legislation so administrators can fire head coaches without cause. I feel that UH administration acted prematurely offering the heads of both Coach Akana and I before we were given due process.

As for now, my family and I look forward to the next adventure life brings. I want my players to know I love and support them and to always fight for what's right. I also want to personally thank all the wonderful people of Hawaii for their love and aloha."

[see provision C]

***

Timeline.

It was an altered number.

Dave Reardon

[10/30/14] Isaac Fotu ineligible, pending appeal

Benjy Taylor press conference transcript / Valdes, Nevels video

Gib Arnold speaks (Star Advertiser, KITV report, KHON report, transcript)

[Ben Jay's resume looked good too]

[10/31/14]  Dave Reardon again

StarAdvertiser editorial

[11/1/14]  Alumni show their support

[11/2/14] Isaac Fotu likely to leave and turn pro / yep he has departed

[11/4/14] Who's in charge at UH? (Ferd Lewis)

[11/12/14] Fotu signs with team in Spain

[11/14/14] Sammis Reyes changes his mind and rejoins the team

[11/19/14] Brad Autry hired as assistant coach

[11/20/14] Sammis Reyes breaks hand in practice

[11/22/14] Riley Wallace suffers stroke

[11/22/14] Hawaii shocks Pitt

[11/24/14] Hawaii fears severe NCAA infractions

2015 Hawaii Football recruits

2/5/15 - Rojesterman Farris, CB, Coral Springs (FL) signs with Hawaii

2/5/15 - Norm Chow runs down his recruiting class

2/5/15 - Arona Amosa, OL, Campbell also signed with Hawaii

2/4/15 - Cam Hayes Hawaii Bound?

2/4/15 - Hawaii's recruiting class ranked 127 (out of 129) ahead of New Mexico State and UTEP.  They are listed with only 9 commits and 1 three star recruit.

2/4/15 - 16 sign with Hawaii

don't see Goeas (to redshirt?), Holmes (San Diego State), Fieeiki, Wilson, Northrup (Fresno), Salanoa-Alo Wily (UNLV), Afalava (UNLV)

signees not mentioned below were Jordan Agasiva, Kamuela Borden, Dylan Collie, Paul Harris, J.R. Hensley, Sione Kauhi*, Russell Williams*, Max Wittek*. (* already enrolled in school)

2/3/15 - Austin Webb, OL, Highland Park High School (Texas), to sign with Hawaii
2/2/15 - Alexander Trifonvitch, P, Punahou, accepts offer from Hawaii
1/26/15 - Colton Goeas to transfer from Kansas to Hawaii, will redshirt in 2015
1/24/15 - Dejuan Butler, CB, Santa Monica College, accepts scholarship from Hawaii
1/22/15 - Hawaii set to add DeSean Holmes, WR, Bishop Alemany High (highlights)
1/19/15 - Matt "Moose" Norman*, OT, Fullerton College, accepts scholarship from Hawaii
1/18/15 - Mel Davis, RB, of Santa Monica College will sign with Warriors
1/16/15 - Kolotolu "Tolu" Fieeiki, DL, of Fullerton College to join Warriors
1/12/15 - Solomon Matautia, S-LB, Campbell to sign with Hawaii
1/12/15 - Hawaii signs Dylan Collie, WR, Sione Kauhi, DL, Russell Williams, LB
1/4/15 - Makani Kema-Kaleiwahea*, LB, transfers from Arizona
12/31/14 - Kainoa Wilson WR, Mililani

9/4/14 - Ben Northrup, OT, Glendora High (California) says yep to Hawaii
8/12/14 - Kahuku's Salanoa-Alo Wily, DE, Soli Afalava, S-RB, orally commit to Hawaii
5/1/14 - Eperone Moananu, OL, American Samoa to sign with Hawaii in 2015

Hawaii High School Football All-Stars 2014 / 2015 signees

[2/3/15] Top six college football prospects are linemen

1. Canton Kaumatule DE 6-7 290 Punahou Oregon
2. Fred Ulu-Perry OL 6-2 295 Saint Louis UCLA/UH
3. Semisi Uluave OL 6-6 315 Punahou UCLA/Oregon/Cal/Texas Tech
4. Mika Tafua DE 6-4 238 Kamehameha BYU
5. Rex Manu        DT 6-2 290 Mililani Oregon
6. Breiden Fehoko DT 6-3 286 Farrington Texas Tech
7. Dylan Kane DB 6-3 195 Kamehmameha Oregon
8. Kanawai Noa WR 6-1 185 Punahou Cal
9. Jordan Agasiva OL 6-3 290 Mililani Hawaii
10. Tuli Wily-Matagi TE/DL 6-3 220 Kahuku Oregon St.
11. Solomon Matautia LB 6-2 215 Campbell Hawaii
12. Salanoa-Alo Wily DT 6-1 270 Kahuku UH/UNLV
13. Lyle Tuiloma OL/DL 6-3 284 Nanakuli Colorado
14. Ronley Lakalaka LB 6-1 220 Punahou San Diego St.
15. Viliamu (William) Auwae OL 6-6 275 Kapolei Utah State
16. Abiel Taito DB 6-2 200 Campbell Nevada ??
17. Kamuela Borden OL/DL 6-3 240 'Iolani Hawaii
18. Soli Afalava DB 6-2 201 Kahuku UH/UNLV
19. Ronald Matautia LB 5-11 205 Kapolei, Pima (Ariz)
20. Alohi Gilman DB 6-0 180 Kahuku Navy

More
Arona Amosa, OL, Campbell, Hawaii
Alex Trifonovitch, P-K, Punahou, Hawaii
Matthew Mariota, DL, Saint Louis, Oregon
Zaren Zadio, LB, Mililani, Oregon
Pesi Savea, OL, Kapolei, San Diego State
Nathaniel Oishi, OL, Iolani, San Diego State
Pena Fitasemanu, DL-RB/LB, Kahuku, Utah

[12/25/14] McKenzie Milton named All-State offensive player of the year, Rex Manu named All-State defensive player of the year, Rod York coach of the year
[12/6/14] McKenzie Milton verbally commits to Hawaii for 2016
[12/4/14] McKenzie Milton named Gatorade Hawaii football player of the year

NFL coaching changes

2/3/15 - Falcons hire Dan Quinn as head coach
1/22/15 - 49ers hire Tony Sparano as TEs coach
1/22/15 - 49ers hire Eric Mangini as defensive coordinator
1/21/15 - Jacksonville hire Doug Marrone as assistant head coach
1/20/15 - Jets hire Chan Gailey as offensive coordinator
1/20/15 - Ravens hire Marc Trestman as offensive coordinator (to replace Gary Kubiak who went to Denver to replace John Fox who went to Chicago to replace Trestman)
1/19/15 - Denver hires Gary Kubiak as head coach
1/16/15 - Bears hire John Fox as new head coach
1/15/15 - 49ers promote Jim Tomsula to head coach
1/14/15 - Raiders hire Jack del Rio as new head coach
1/13/15 - Buffalo hires Rex Ryan as head coach
1/13/15 - Jets hire Todd Bowles as head coach
1/12/15 - John Fox and Denver to part ways
12/31/14 - Doug Marrone opts out as Buffalo head coach
12/29/14 - Michigan lands Jim Harbraugh as head coach
12/29/14 - Jets fire Rex Ryan, GM John Idzik
12/29/14 - Bears fire head coach Marc Trestman and GM Phil Emery
12/29/14 - Falcons fire Mike Smith
12/28/14 - Jim Harbraugh, 49ers agree to part ways

UH retired numbers

Saturday the University of Hawaii athletic department will pay tribute to the late Judy Mosley-McAfee, the most dominating basketball player in the school's history.

It is scheduled to unveil a banner in the Stan Sheriff Center at halftime of the game with Cal State Northridge, celebrating the school's first All-American in women's basketball and all-time leader in scoring and rebounds, who died of cancer in 2013.

But while the banner is said to carry her number (32), UH says it is retiring her jersey, not the number.

In that Mosley is the first example of an eight-month old "retirement of jersey policy" policy that draws the curious distinction between the two.

The policy notes, in bold italics, that "although the honoree may be celebrated with their jersey number (if applicable), the jersey number will not be 'retired.'"

Officially, a UH spokesman said, across all of its sports offerings, just three numbers have been retired in the school's nearly 105-year history.

Initially, there was Tommy Kaulukukui (32), its first All-American in football in 1935, though it apparently took a while before they got around to putting the number aside. A couple generations later in 1997, UH took the numbers of pitcher Derek Tatsuno (16) and his coach, Les Murakami (11), out of circulation.

So far there have been none in basketball, according to UH, not Tom Henderson, Bob Nash, Anthony Carter, Nani Cockett or Raylene Howard.

Athletic director Ben Jay said, "Our executive staff developed a formal policy with input from our head coaches. The feedback we received was to honor and celebrate our student-athlete greats by retiring their jersey with their name, but not the number.

"This is not uncommon with other athletic departments around the country. Some 'retire' a number and others do not and keep the number in use."

[Who cares?  We have the Circle of Honor.  Isn't that good enough?]