Ben Jay asks for $3 million or ...

Athletic director Ben Jay today asked University of Hawaii officials to help lobby the state for $3 million to help keep the financially-challenged athletic program competitive or it may have to consider a reduction in sports, including football.

"There is a very real possibility of football going away," Jay said under questioning by members of the Board of Regents Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics.

But, he cautioned, "but even if football goes away, all the revenues that football drives goes away and then it becomes a costlier venture for the university."

Jay said cutting any sport was a "back pocket" possibility.

"I think, in my mind, it has to come from the state. In part, I'm asking this board, President (David Lassner) and the UH-Manoa leadership to support and ask the legislature for direct for direct funding support for the athletic program," Jay said.

Jay said UH closed the just-completed fiscal year with a $2.1 million deficit and projects at least a $1.5 million deficit for the current fiscal years that ends June 30, 2015.

Jay said that was based upon "optimistic" figures and could go as high as "$2.5 million to $3 million."

Jay told the regents, "It is our goal to try and get out of this," but said the fiscal model UH has been operating on "is broken."

He said athletics has run at a deficit for 11 of the last 13 years.

"Not been a matter of spending, it has really been a matter of not achieving enough revenue to support ourselves, " Jay said. "What we have now is a bare bones operating budget that is limping along and has hurt our competitiveness and our ability to recruit and people want us to win. It raises, I think the entire state, by what we do. And, I think we are worthy of the investment."

***

Bring back Jim Donovan? [He left less than two years ago.  I wonder how he's doing?  Then again, I don't see football on their list of sports.]

***

Um.  Let me clarify..

After earlier in the day telling a Board of Regents committee, "there is a very real possibility of football going away," under questioning by the board, Jay said issued the following statement:

"My comments at the Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics' meeting were made in order to convey a sense of urgency regarding the need to address our current funding model. In no way was I indicating that a decision on program reduction of any sport was under consideration. Rather, I was suggesting that the department's financial situation required that all possible scenarios be reviewed. Hopefully, going forward, there will be a priority placed on discussing the future financial needs of the UH Athletics Department. President David Lassner has expressed his support and we'll call upon our many loyal stakeholders to help us ensure that we remain competitive within the future landscape of intercollegiate athletics. We owe that to our student-athletes and passionate fans."

[Well, I guess it doesn't hurt to ask.]

*** [9/4/14] We Get 'em

Kainoa Ferreira

Pac-Five opened its 2014 season in record-breaking fashion on Saturday night as sophomore quarterback Kainoa Ferreira set an Oahu high school record for passing yards in a game, finishing with 515 and six touchdowns in a 54-37 win over King Kekaulike on Maui.

Ferreira, making his varsity debut, completed 34 of 64 passes to break the record held by former Wolfpack QB PJ Minaya by 4 yards. They are the only two Oahu players ever to top the 500-yard passing mark in a game.

Senior receiver Tsubasa Brennan fell 8 yards short of becoming the fourth player from Oahu to top 300 yards in a game, finishing with 292 yards on 19 catches and four touchdowns.

***

McKenzie Milton wasn't bad either as Mililani outscored St. Louis to spoil the return of Cal Lee and Ron Lee.

the end of World Peace?

Metta World Peace no more.

The former New York Knicks player, who is currently playing for the Chinese Basketball Association, announced that he plans to change his name to better fit his home for the season. According to English-language newspaper China Daily, World Peace has settled on a name: Panda Friend.

Teshya Alo

It’s always fun each summer to follow up on how some of our previously featured athletes are doing. Many athletes head off to tournaments and championships on the Mainland or around the world.

Case in point, the amazing Teshya Alo of Liliha, whom we have showcased several times in this column (2012 and 2013) as she’s continued to grow and succeed. The 16-year-old wrestling sensation, who is already a two-time state high school champion from Kamehameha, did it again this summer. She won her third straight national title at the ASICS/Vaughn Junior & Cadet National Championships this past week in Fargo, N.D. Alo also was named the Outstanding Wrestler of an event that bills itself as the largest wrestling tournament in the world. She also earned a spot on the ASICS Girls High School All-American Wrestling First Team for the second year in a row.

If that’s not enough, earlier in the month, Alo won a world championship title halfway around the world — in Spina, Slovakia — thus becoming the first wrestler from Hawaii to win a Cadet world championship, as well as the first wrestler from the United States to win in the 56 kilogram weight bracket. The U.S national coach, Erin Tomeo, was very impressed, as Alo finished undefeated in a bracket that is noted for being the largest — and arguably the toughest — field in the tournament.

“We are all proud and very excited for our world champion, Teshya Alo. She showed a lot of heart and determination,” the coach says.

Alo will be a junior at Kamehameha in the fall and previously has stated her goal of eventually becoming an Olympic athlete. She appears well on her way. And, as mentioned in an earlier column, Alo is also the subject of a feature documentary film done by Honolulu filmmaker Kimberlee Bassford, titled A Winning Girl, that is expected to premiere this fall at Hawaii International Film Festival.

*** [4/5/16]

Clarissa Chun and Teshya Alo are 16 years apart, but the paths that bring them to the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials speak to a spirit and determination that is as remarkable as it is shared.

The 34-year-old Chun, a two-time Olympian from Roosevelt High, and Alo, an 18-year-old Kamehameha Schools senior chasing her first Olympiad, represent the disparate ends of the spectrum at the University of Iowa this weekend, where the U.S. team is to be selected for this summer’s games in Rio de Janeiro.

short memories

The new Foot Locker commercial is superb, with Charles Barkley lecturing James Harden on how “all the greats have short memories.”

Chuck, for instance, says he can’t remember throwing a guy through a window and calls himself a “pacifist.”

It isn’t easy to steal his thunder, but Scottie Pippen does, proclaiming that he’s the greatest Chicago Bulls player of all time.

Cal Lee back to work at St. Louis

Cal Lee was, in his own words, a bit tired by Friday night. When afternoon practice finished around 6 p.m., the iconic football coach had been on the field nine hours.

His brother, offensive coordinator Ron Lee, had done the same. The tanline on his face, with his sunglasses removed, told the story. He was on campus by 7 a.m. to study film of the Saint Louis-Kapolei scrimmage, which was played on Wednesday.

Exhausted? Maybe. But they both love it. Winning right away would be nice, but the Lees are steadfast about developing character, and that starts with discipline on and off the field.

"Everything they do, it makes sense. The players buy into it. They're learning. For some of them, it's going to help them to the next level. They're learning things they'll be learning at college," Cal Lee said.

Cal Lee hasn't lost a bit of his passion for teaching defensive football. Since guiding Saint Louis to 14 Prep Bowl championships and one state crown (1999), Hawaii's iconic head coach has been part of UH's glory years and even the arena football Hawaiian Islanders. Now he and brother Ron are back with the Crusaders.

"It feels good to be back," said Cal Lee, whose penchant for defensive excellence has never ceased.

For now, Saint Louis isn't deep on that side of the ball and probably won't be until the new crop of players and transfers are eligible for ILH varsity play next year. (Freshman are not permitted to play varsity football in the ILH.)

That puts the onus on the offense, which is just fine by quarterback Ryder Kuhns and wide receiver Drew Kobayashi. They're full of smiles this preseason with Ron Lee's wide-open four-wide attack in full gear.

"We're coming out flinging. What quarterback wouldn't be happy? Handing the ball off? What quarterback, and receivers, they'd rather block and stick their nose in someone's forearm? No way. They want to catch the ball and go," Ron Lee said.

Spurs hire Becky Hammon

The San Antonio Spurs hired WNBA star Becky Hammon on Tuesday, making her the first full-time, paid female assistant on an NBA coaching staff.

Hammon, who plans to retire from the San Antonio Stars after this season, spent time working with coach Gregg Popovich and the Spurs last season and made a strong impression on an organization with a history of forward-thinking moves.

During the 2001-02 season, Cleveland Cavaliers coach John Lucas brought Lisa Boyer into the team's practices and some games. Boyer, now an assistant at South Carolina, was not paid by the Cavaliers and did not travel with the team, but did work with the players and coaches that season.

Last season, Hammon attended Spurs practices, film sessions and sat behind the bench for the NBA champions at home game this season. She's been friends with Spurs teammates Tony Parker and Tim Duncan since competing in an NBA All-Star shooting competition in 2008.

"I very much look forward to the addition of Becky Hammon to our staff," Popovich said. "Having observed her working with our team this past season, I'm confident her basketball IQ, work ethic and interpersonal skills will be a great benefit to the Spurs."

It's the latest trailblazing move for the Spurs, who hired European coaching legend Ettore Messina to join Popovich's staff earlier this summer and have been the leaders in bringing international players to the NBA for almost two decades.

Brandon Poulson

This is the stuff movies are made of. The Minnesota Twins have signed Brandon Poulson, a 24-year-old pitching prospect who can hurl 100 mph fastballs but has never been drafted.

''You just don't see stuff like this every day,'' Twins scout Elliott Strankman told the Associated Press. ''It's one of those great days as a scout you hope you have every five years.''

The Twins had heard about Poulson from his recent season with the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where he had an 8.38 ERA.

At Academy of Art's scout day last fall, Strankman witnessed Poulson sprint the 60-yard dash in 6.6 seconds flat . . . wearing just socks. He also showed off a 40-inch vertical leap.

''I had cold legs,'' Poulson told AP. ''Maybe I would have run it faster.''

The 6-foot-6, 240-pound right hander had joined the Academy of Art team after taking a couple years off (before that, he'd played baseball and football at Santa Rosa Junior College), working in his father's excavating business — driving 18-wheelers, front-loaders and backhoes — with the idea that he'd take over the trade someday.

'I went to work with my father and didn't want to gamble with sports anymore,'' Poulson told AP.

He later changed his mind and spent months working on his hurling technique with Healdsburg Prune Packers pitching coach Caleb Balbuena in the collegiate summer league.

Poulson's stats this summer: 31 strikeouts and just six hits allowed in 12 1-3 innings, with four saves in 12 appearances.

It was at the Prune Packers game on July 15 that Twins scout Strankman decided to go see Poulson pitch. It took all of 18 throws to convince him that this guy was the real deal.

''He's a physical specimen. He's got the best pure arm strength I've ever seen,'' Strankman told AP.

Two days later, Poulson signed with the Twins, despite also drawing interest from the San Francisco Giants, the Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies. Ultimately, the teams didn't have enough money left in their draft pool to match Minnesota's $250,000 — about 10 times more than an undrafted player would typically receive.

Poulson said one of his first purchases will be a therapy device to help his father with his diabetes.

Hall of Fame Class of 2014

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Frank Thomas choked back tears, Joe Torre apologized for leaving people out of his speech and Tony La Russa said he felt uneasy.

Being enshrined in the Hall of Fame can have those effects, even on the greats.

Thomas, pitchers Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux, and managers Bobby Cox, Torre and La Russa were inducted into the baseball shrine Sunday, and all paid special tribute to their families before an adoring crowd of nearly 50,000.

The 46-year old Thomas, the first player elected to the Hall who spent more than half of his time as a designated hitter, batted .301 with 521 home runs and 1,704 RBIs in a 19-year career mostly with the Chicago White Sox. He’s the only player in major league history to log seven straight seasons with a .300 average, 20 homers, 100 RBIs and 100 walks.

Ever the diplomat as a manager, Torre somehow managed to assuage the most demanding of owners in George Steinbrenner, maintaining his coolness amid all the Bronx craziness while keeping all those egos in check after taking over in 1996. The result: 10 division titles, six AL pennants and four World Series triumphs in 12 years as he helped restore the luster to baseball’s most successful franchise and resurrected his own career after three firings.

Torre, the only man to amass more than 2,000 hits (2,342) and win more than 2,000 games as a manager, was last to speak, and in closing delivered a familiar message.

“Baseball is a game of life. It’s not perfect, but it feels like it is,” said the 74-year-old Torre, who apologized afterward for forgetting to include the Steinbrenner family in his speech. “That’s the magic of it. We are responsible for giving it the respect it deserves. Our sport is part of the American soul, and it’s ours to borrow — just for a while.”

“If all of us who love baseball and are doing our jobs, then those who get the game from us will be as proud to be a part of it as we were. And we are. This game is a gift, and I am humbled, very humbled, to accept its greatest honor.”

The day was a reunion of sorts for the city of Atlanta. Glavine, Maddux and Cox were part of a remarkable run of success by the Braves. They won an unprecedented 14 straight division titles and made 15 playoff appearances, winning the city’s lone major professional sports title.

“I’m truly humbled to stand here before you,” Cox said. “To Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux, and I have to mention the third member of the big three — John Smoltz — I can honestly say I would not be standing here if it weren’t for you guys.”

Smoltz, part of the MLB Network telecast of the event and eligible for induction next year, flashed a smile in return for the compliment.

Glavine was on the mound when the Braves won Game 6 to clinch the 1995 World Series, pitching one-hit ball over eight innings in a 1-0 victory over Cleveland. And the slender lefty was one of those rare athletes, drafted by the Braves and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League.

The 48-year-old Maddux went 355-227 with a career ERA of 3.16 in 23 seasons with the Braves, Cubs, Padres and Dodgers and ranks eighth on the career wins list. He won four straight Cy Young Awards in the 1990s and won 15 or more games for 17 straight seasons with his pinpoint control.

“I spent 12 years in Chicago, 11 in Atlanta, and both places are very special,” Maddux said. “Without the experiences in both cities, I would not be standing here today.”

La Russa, who ranks third in career victories as a manager with 2,728, behind only Connie Mack and John McGraw, was chosen manager of the year four times and won 12 division titles, six pennants and three World Series titles in stints with the White Sox, Oakland A’s and St. Louis Cardinals.

La Russa spoke from the heart. There was no written speech.

“It’s uncomfortable because I didn’t make it as a player. Not even close,” said La Russa, who made his big league debut as a teenage infielder with the 1963 Kansas City Athletics and appeared in just 132 games over six seasons, hitting .199 with no home runs. “Since December, I have not been comfortable with it. There’s no way to mention everybody, and that bothers me.”

“From managing parts of two years in the minor leagues, after thinking about all the other young managers who paid a lot of dues in the minor leagues and I get a chance and then I go into the big leagues with three organizations,” he said. “All that equates to me is I’m very, very fortunate. I’ve never put my arms around the fact that being really lucky is a Hall of Fame credential.”

Kacy the American Ninja Warrior

Kacy Catanzaro just took kicking ass to the next level.

The former Division 1 Gymnast (she was named NCAA’s 2012 Southeast Regional Gymnast of the Year) competed on Monday's American Ninja Warrior and absolutely killed it. At only 5 feet tall and 100 pounds, she became the first female contestant to qualify for ANW's final round — and from what we can tell, barely broke a sweat in the process.

-- via facebook

one of these things

is not like the other

Gone in 16 seconds (by Ronda Rousey)

LAS VEGAS -- Rousey by KO is the new Rousey by armbar.

The UFC women's bantamweight champion had the most dominant performance of her dominant career, stopping Alexis Davis in 16 seconds.

The fight was a blur. Rousey wobbled Davis with a right hand behind the ear, landed a knee, used a judo throw to put Davis on the mat, and landed a series of undefended punches until Davis was unconscious.

The blinding finish of the UFC 175 co-main event sent a jolt through the Mandalay Bay Events Center crowd.

Of course, big things had been expected from Rousey, who came into the fight as 10-to-1 favorite, but most expected something a little ... longer.

Davis, a 7-year-pro, is renowned for her toughness, and most thought that combined with her Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt would at least offer some resistance. Instead, it was a blowout.

Amazingly, it was the 7th sub 1-minute win in Rousey's career, though it was the fastest among the bunch. She is now 10-0 after her second straight KO win. The last came against Sara McMann in February. Prior to that, all eight of her wins had come by armbar submission.

***

And in the co-main event, Weidman decisioned Machida

***

More from UFC 175.

Aloha Stadium to go aloha?

Aloha Stadium's current 50,000 seating capacity would decrease by 30 percent to 40 percent if the recommendation of a consultant hired to study the facility's future is adopted.

Foley & Lardner LLP, a New York law firm, recommended "a new 30,000- to 35,000-seat stadium on the lower portion of the stadium site," as part of a 35-page comprehensive site summary unanimously accepted Thursday by the Aloha Stadium Authority.

Authority Chairman Charles Toguchi said, "While the summary includes observations and recommendations from Foley & Lardner, the Stadium Authority has not made any definitive decisions regarding the future of Aloha Stadium, as we look forward to analyzing the summary and soliciting feedback from the public."

Toguchi said, "The purpose of the summary is to provide the Stadium Authority with facts and stakeholder opinions so that we can make informed decisions about the future of Aloha Stadium."

The Halawa facility, which marks its 39th year of operation in September, has undergone numerous renovations, and the report said that the Department of Accounting and General Services "estimates approximately $120 million in high priority health and safety improvements are needed to keep the stadium operational for the next five to 10 years." The study said a new stadium could "save the state between $2.4 million and $3.2 million per year in operating expenses alone."

2014 NBA Draft

[6/27/14] Grading the draft

[6/26/14]  Damn, the computer shut down.  No warning that the power was low.  Lost the beginning of the draft.  Retype.

1.  Cleveland takes Wiggins over Parker

2.  So Milwaukee take Parker

3.  Philadelphia takes Embiid despite his injury and having taken Noel last season

4.  Magic takes Aaron Gordon in a surprise.  Everybody was thinking Exum.

5.  So Utah takes Dante Exum to team with Trey Burke

6.  Celtics grab Marcus Smart, which means Rondo could be on the way out

7.  Lakers take the best available Julius Randle.

8.  Kings take Nik Stauskas, SG.  So maybe a vote of no confidence with Ben McLemore.  Don't they remember Jimmer?

9.  Charlotte takes Noah Vonleh.  I kept calling him Vonteh.  Could be good help for Al Jefferson

10.  76ers take Elfrid Payton.  Why do that when they have MCW?  Is MCW going to be moved to SG?  Payton being compared to Gary Payton.

11.  Denver takes Doug McDermott.  College player of the year and leading scorer.  Being compared to Adam Morrison and WallyS.  (In other words, he's white.)  Hopefully more like WallyS.

McDermott traded to Chicago for 16th and 19th picks.  (Denver also trades Anthony Randolph away and get a second round pick.)

12.  Orlando takes Dario Saric, who's going to play two more years overseas

13.  Minnesota takes Zach LaVine.  I assume as Rubio's running mate.

Orlando trades Saric to Philadelphia for Payton

14.  Phoenix takes T.J. Warren.

OK, that completes the lottery.  Now getting to guys I never heard of.

15.  Atlanta takes Adreien Payne
16.  Chicago takes Jusuf Nurkik (for Denver)
17.  Boston takes James Young from Kentucky
18.  Phoenix takes Tyler Ennis, PG, Syracuse (to sit on the bench?)
19.  Chicago takes Gary Harris, SG, Michigan (for Denver, which is a great pick because Denver could have conceivably taken Harris at no. 11, so they get Harris and Nurkic for free).
20.  Toronto takes Bruno Cabocio, a project from Brazil
21.  OKC takes Mitch McGary, PF, Michigan
22.  Memphis takes Jordan Adams, SG, UCLA
23.  Utah takes Rodney Hood, SG, Duke
24.  Charlotte takes Shabazz Napier, PG, UConn.  This is the guy LeBron wanted.  And evidently is going to get him in a trade to Miami.  So Miami's hoping that'll help keep LeBron in Miami.  (summer league vs. Phil Pressey)
25.  Houston takes Clint Capela, PF, Switzerland.  Probably will stash him and not take up cap space.
26.  Miami takes P.J. Hairston, SG, Texas Legends.  To be traded to Charlotte for Napier.
27.  Phoenix: Bogdan Bogdanovic, SG, Serbia
28.  Clippers: CJ Wilcox, SG, Washington
29.  OKC: Josh Houston, Stanford
30.  San Antonio: Kyle Anderson, UCLA

[6/25/14] Consensus Mock Draft: toss up between Wiggins and Parker for no. 1

[6/24/14] David Aldridge mock draft

[6/23/14] Embiid tumbles in consensus mock draft

[6/20/14] Mock Draft 4.0: Embiid fractures foot, Parker rises to no. 1

[6/14/14] Scott Howard Cooper's mock draft 2.0
1. Cavaliers: Joel Embiid, C
2. Bucks: Jabari Parker, F
3. 76ers: Andrew Wiggins, SF
4. Magic: Dante Exum, G
5. Jazz: Julius Randle, PF
6. Celtics: Noah Vonteh, PF
7. Lakers: Aaron Gordon, F
8. Kings: Marcus Smart, PG
9. Hornets: Doug McDermott, SF
10. 76ers: Nik Stauskas, SG
11. Nuggets: Dario Saric, SF
12. Magic: Rodney Hood, SF
13. Timberwolves: Adreian Payne, PF
14. Suns: Gary Harris, SG

[5/29/14] The top 14, based on 12 mock drafts

1.  Andrew Wiggins, SF, Kansas
2.  Joel Embiid, C, Kansas
3. Jabari Parker, SF, Duke
4. Dante Exum, PG, Australia
5. Julius Randle, PF, Kentucky
6. Noah Vonteh, PF, Indiana
7. Marcus Smart, PG, Oklahoma St.
8. Aaron Gordon, PF/SF, Arizona
9. Doug McDermott, SF, Creighton
10. Dario Saric, SF, Croatia
11. Gary Harris, PG, Michigan
12. Nik Stauskas, SG, Michigan
13. James Young, SF, Kentucky
14. Jusuf Nurkic, C, Bosnia

[5/20/14] The Cavaliers continued their remarkable run Tuesday, winning the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft for the second straight year and third time in the past four. They moved up from the ninth spot despite just a 1.7 percent chance of winning the top selection.

Pop Eldredge

Babe Ruth once said, “Baseball was, is and always will be to me the best game in the world.” It’s a sentiment shared by the Eldredge ohana, in many ways “the first family of Hawaii baseball,” who have been pitching and batting for some three-quarters of a century. More than 10,000 young baseball players have been touched by an Eldredge during this time period.

Taking the name Eldredge comes with deeply rooted responsibilities and commitment. Baseball fever runs through their veins, and the family has learned that you can expect the high or curve balls in life, and no matter what happens, you must keep on swinging until you hit a home run. It all began with the late David Pinkham Kaiana Eldredge II aka “Pop,” who started the passion back in Lahaina in the 1920s.

“Grandpa was a young kid who enjoyed playing baseball with the older generation. As an adult, he began what was known today as the Manoa Little League,” says Duane P. K. Eldredge of Pop, who was the sole coach for all the teams in Manoa during the ’50s, and was known to have put in blood, sweat and tears to build the Manoa Valley District Park all by himself. The elder Eldredge also was affectionately called the “Mayor of Manoa.”

Michelle Wie wins U.S. Open

PINEHURST, N.C. — Michelle Wie’s strategy for the 69th United States Women’s Open was to laugh in the face of disaster. She made it her mantra. When bad shots happen, smile and move on.

Much has gone wrong on the golf course for Wie since she made the cut at the 2003 United States Women’s Open as a 13-year-old. Eleven years later, she came to Pinehurst No. 2 still in search of her first major title.

Would misfortune visit Wie again? It was lurking on the 16th hole, a par 4. Cruising along with a three-stroke lead, Wie had to take a one-stroke penalty for an unplayable lie when her approach settled in a clump of grass. She left the green with a double bogey and her lead over Stacy Lewis, who had closed with a four-under 66, whittled to one.

While Lewis, the world No. 1, made her way to the range to prepare for a possible playoff, Wie rebooted. She hit her tee shot at the par-3 17th to 20 feet and made the putt, a stroke of fortune that would have been inconceivable two years ago.

To rebound from the disaster at 16 with a birdie was a tribute to Wie’s resolve, which was finally — and richly — rewarded. She finished with a par 70 for a 72-hole total of two-under 278 for her fourth career victory on the L.P.G.A. Tour and her first in the continental United States.

“I like to make it hard on myself,” said Wie, who described the victory as “amazing.”

Wie, 24, was the only player to finish in red numbers. Lewis, at 280, was followed by Northern Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow, who posted a 69 for a one-over total in her professional debut.

Juli Inkster, playing the tournament for the 35th and final time, carded a 75 to finish tied for 15th at seven over.

Wie said winning the title now meant more than it would have in 2005 or 2006 when she played in the last group on the final day.

“If I won it back then I would have been like, ‘Oh, cool, this is awesome,’ ” Wie said. “But I think it means a lot more to me because I went through so much.”

*** [11/19/14]

A rewarding year for Michelle Wie

Wie and Li

PINEHURST, N.C. -- Michelle Wie is looking at her past. Lucy Li is looking at her immediate future. The topic: Playing your first U.S. Women's Open as a youngster. A very young youngster, that is.

A little more than a decade ago, Wie did it when she was 13. Li has upped the ante, if you will, by qualifying for this event at age 11. Li will tee off here at Pinehurst No. 2 on Thursday at 7:07 a.m., and she hopes lots of spectators will come out to see her compete.

"I think I like crowds; they don't bother me," Li said. "I play better the more people that come watch me."

Li was sitting in the interview room at Pinehurst on Tuesday, all braces and pigtails and giggles. She talked about loving to go to Dave and Busters, being a big fan of Sherlock Holmes books, and how she celebrated after qualifying for the U.S. Women's Open by going to see "The Amazing Spider-Man 2."

Eight hours earlier, Wie had sat in the same chair, now age 24 and a serious contender to win what would be her first LPGA major championship. But figuratively, Wie had been in this same chair in 2003. Then she was a 13-year-old at the U.S. Women's Open at Pumpkin Ridge in Oregon, facing a room full of adult reporters marveling at the Wunderkind.

"I wasn't quite as young as her," Wie said. "But I'm just so excited for her. I met her on Sunday afternoon. She looks so darn cute. I don't think I looked that cute when I was 11. It's definitely a walk back to memory lane."

Wie played in a United States Golf Association event -- the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links -- when she was 10 in 2000. She knows the spotlight that will be on Li this week will be adoring but also a bit critical.

"A lot of people ask me, 'Is that too young? What do you think?' " Wie said of Li, but she could have been talking about herself. "It's a memory that will last her a lifetime. What other 11-year-old can say that they played in the U.S. Open at Pinehurst and got to see the men play as well, too?"

***

PINEHURST, N.C. -- Lucy Li showed her age only when she finished her historic round Thursday at the U.S. Women's Open.

Just like any 11-year-old, she went straight for an ice cream.

The youngest qualifier ever at the Women's Open played a grown-up game at Pinehurst No. 2, except for three holes that made her 8-over 78 look a lot worse than it was and stretched the odds of her becoming the youngest player to make the cut.

"She looks 11. She doesn't talk 11. And she doesn't hit the ball like she's 11," said Catherine O'Donnell, who played with her in a sun-baked opening round on a course that only four days ago hosted the men's U.S. Open.

The sixth-grader from the Bay Area was the star attraction, right down to her Stars & Stripes outfit to celebrate the occasion. She wore a mid-drift shirt patterned after the American flag, with a similar motif for a skirt, complete with silver stars that matched the color of her braces.

Li wound up 11 shots behind leader Stacy Lewis, the No. 1 player in the world who opened with a 67. But one moment was telling.

The kid made a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-5 fifth hole and headed to the next tee, her braided pigtails swinging with each step. The media and a large gallery followed her right past the adjacent green, where hardly anyone noticed Lewis making her way around Pinehurst with no bogeys.

Only this was more than just a sideshow.

Li missed only one fairway -- by less than a yard. Even though she hit fairway metals into half of the holes, she rarely got out of position. Now if she could only take back three shots that led to big numbers.

"It was a lot of fun. I kind of struggled today, but it was great," Li said, pausing to lick her ice cream between answers. "I mean, it's 8 over. It's not bad. But I was 7 over in three holes, so that's 1 over in 15 holes. So yeah, I just need to get rid of the big numbers."

1979 Punahou basketball team

“The 1979 team may be the only Hawaii high school team that featured three guys who went on to play Division I basketball: Gabriel at Loyola Marymount, Dan Hale at Hawaii, and Darin Maurer at Stanford,” he says.

That team also had a future USC and NFL football star in John Kamana, who was so good he kept another pretty well-known hoopster out of the starting lineup.

That pretty-well-known hoopster was future President Barack Obama.

“Barry had the misfortune of playing behind Kamana,” Mello recalls. “But we all played together – I still remember the intense pickup games on the outdoor courts at Punahou.”

Tony Gwynn

Tony Gwynn could handle a bat like few other major leaguers, whether it was driving the ball through the "5.5 hole" between third base and shortstop or hitting a home run off the facade in Yankee Stadium in the World Series.

He was a craftsman at the plate, whose sweet left-handed swing made him one of baseball's greatest hitters.

Gwynn loved San Diego.

San Diego loved "Mr. Padre" right back.

Gwynn, a Hall of Famer and one of the greatest athletes in San Diego's history, died Monday of oral cancer, a disease he attributed to years of chewing tobacco. He was 54.

"Our city is a little darker today without him but immeasurably better because of him," Mayor Kevin Faulconer said in a statement.

In a rarity in pro sports, Gwynn played his whole career with the Padres, choosing to stay in the city where he was a two-sport star in college, rather than leaving for bigger paychecks elsewhere. His terrific hand-eye coordination made him one of the game's greatest pure hitters. He had 3,141 hits -- 18th on the all-time list -- a career .338 average and won eight batting titles to tie Honus Wagner's NL record.

He struck out only 434 times in 9,288 career at-bats. He played in San Diego's only two World Series -- batting a combined .371 -- and was a 15-time All-Star. He had a memorable home run in Game 1 of the 1998 World Series off fellow San Diegan David Wells, and scored the winning run in the 1994 All-Star Game despite a bum knee.

Gwynn never hit below .309 in a full season. He spread out his batting titles from 1984, when he batted .351, to 1997, when he hit .372.

Gwynn was hitting .394 when a players' strike ended the 1994 season, denying him a shot at becoming the first player to hit .400 since San Diego native Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941.

Gwynn befriended Williams and the two loved to talk about hitting. Gwynn steadied Williams when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the 1999 All-Star Game at Boston's Fenway Park.

too young

Thurmond Munson
Ben Wilson
Dale Earnhardt
Brian Piccolo
Lou Gehrig
Drazen Petrovic
Hank Gathers
Chuck Hughes
Reggie Lewis
Payne Stewart
Ray Chapman
Roberto Clemente
Joe Roth
Steve Prefontaine
Len Bias
Derrick Thomas
Pat Tillman

Nine Wrestlers

Spurs beat the Heat

SAN ANTONIO -- From their low moment in the NBA Finals, back to the top of the league.

The San Antonio Spurs turned the rematch with the Miami Heat into no match at all.

The Spurs finished off a dominant run to their fifth NBA championship Sunday night, ending the Heat's two-year title reign with a 104-87 victory that wrapped up the series in five games.

A year after their heartbreaking seven-game defeat, their only loss in six Finals appearances, the Spurs won four routs to deny Miami's quest for a third straight championship.

"Hard to believe, isn't it? Manu Ginobili said. "We played at a really high level."

Kawhi Leonard, named the Finals MVP, had 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs. San Antonio added this title to the ones the Spurs won in 1999, 2003, '05 and '07. They nearly had another last year, but couldn't hold off the Heat and lost in seven games.

San Antonio rebounded from an early 16-point deficit by outscoring the Heat 37-13 from the start of the second quarter to midway in the third.

The celebration the Heat canceled last season was on by the early second half Sunday.

LeBron James had 17 first-quarter points to help the Heat get off to a fast start. But it wasn't enough. He finished with 31 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat, who lost their spot atop the NBA to the team that had it so long.

The Spurs won four titles in nine years, but hadn't been back on top since 2007, making Foreigner's "Feels Like the First Time" an appropriate song choice after the final buzzer.

Tim Duncan and coach Gregg Popovich have been here for all of them, and it was the fourth for Tony Parker and Ginobili, who with Duncan are once again the reigning Big Three in the NBA.

"Just a great team and we do it together," Parker said.

[6/17/14]

The defense wins

mini-movie

questions for Miami

Bill Russell watches the finals

I'm an old guy that has this really bad, bad habit: I like to watch good teams play. And the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs in this year's NBA Finals are not only two really good teams but two teams I particularly enjoy watch playing.

As a fan, I focus on the nuances of the game, the chess match that goes on between both teams. And this series will be no different. How will Miami try to exploit the Spurs? What will San Antonio do to offset the Heat? Last year, we saw the Spurs allow LeBron James to shoot from the outside while packing the paint, deterring him from driving. Will they try to do the same this year? The team that is most successful in exploiting the other team will win. Make the other team make adjustments and the team that has to make the most adjustments always falls behind.

There is a lot of talk about what is at stake in this upcoming NBA Finals. Miami is going for three consecutive NBA championships, trying to become only the fourth franchise in NBA history to achieve that milestone. The Spurs are going for their fifth title in 15 years. Both franchises are being celebrated for their consistency over the years and this Finals rematch is drawing great anticipation.

While these accomplishments are looked at as a collective body of work, when I played, there was always a singular championship focus because if you look ahead, it won't be long before you are eliminated.

It might seem strange but I did not know our Celtic teams won eight championships in a row until about 20 years ago when I read about it in a game program. Our focus was always on that particular season, always one year at a time. The year we played had nothing to do with the previous year or the next year. That's just the way it was.

Now, I don't know if Miami is thinking about winning three in a row. In the NBA Finals, there's pressure and you always see how players react to the pressure. For some guys, it makes them a step slower while for other guys, it makes them a step faster. I like to watch to see how teams react to the pressure because for the really great players, there isn't any pressure, you just go out and play.

While fans, media and even some former players like to compare great teams with other great teams from different eras, it's just not practical. The game today is a different game than when I played or even when George Mikan played. For example, you were not allowed to play zone defense and today, everyone plays a zone. On the Celtics, we had seven players who averaged double figures. Today's good teams have only three. In my 13 years, the Celtics never had a player who led the league in scoring. As a result, when someone retired, it allowed another player to step into that slot, which enabled for a high level of consistency.

It's a different game, which requires different skills. So, I could not legitimately compare these teams today with any of my teams nor can I compare myself to any of the players today. It's still called basketball but it's applied differently.

While the game today may be different, I still have great admiration for today's players, particularly those playing in this series. I would have liked to have played with the three guys in San Antonio -- Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili -- because they put the most pressure on the defense and if you could play at all, it would be easy and fun to play with them. The same thing is true of LeBron and Dwyane Wade. Both guys are really, really good. And when I say good, I'm not limiting it to only scoring. They also excel as defenders and passers. They both have different starting points, which makes it difficult to guard them. See, each player has a favorite spot where he starts, not where he finishes but where he starts. Both of these players have multiple places where they can start, which makes it very challenging defensively. A lot of people like to call them natural athletes, which I disagree. There's no such thing. I like to think that they simply know what they're doing, which makes them great.

I'm a big fan of Tim Duncan. He's playing at a high level at an age (38) where a lot of people are not playing. He has successfully been able to intelligently change his game to fit his body this year. But as far as I'm concerned, he's a center, not a forward. Most of his work is done in the post. I wouldn't list him as a forward or as a guard. I would list him as a great player. Period.

One of the attributes that makes Duncan great is his integrity. When he said after the Spurs eliminated the Oklahoma City Thunder that they were going to win this time against the Heat, he was saying what he believes. He wasn't sending a message to Miami or his teammates. You have to take in consideration, maybe he sees something that no one else has seen.

When I played, I never, ever tried to send a message. Before the playoffs, when a reporter asked if he thought we had a chance to win the championship, my reply was, 'We've done it before.'

In the playoffs and especially The Finals, one of the big advantages is to play the same team over and over with no other team in between. This way, you can make intelligent adjustments. Now, this is a second year in a row the Heat and Spurs will play each other and with the Celtics, we've had some experience playing the Los Angeles Lakers in back-to-back Finals on three separate occasions. The last time being in 1969 when we went to a seventh game against them in L.A. That season, we had finished fourth in the Eastern Conference, securing the last playoff spot. We get to the seventh game of The Finals and I said to the guys, 'The Lakers don't have a chance tonight.' And they looked at me like I had lost it.

One of the things we knew how to do was to play our opponents. We played the Lakers six games and by this time we knew what worked. We knew they were an excellent team but they were so slow a foot. In the half-court offense, they will beat you to death plus we were an undersized team. The reason we are going to beat them is because we are going to fast break them. And you always hear that you cannot fast break in The Finals because other teams won't let you.

Well, I learned from experience that the key to a fast break is defensive rebounding and outlet passing. I told my guys, 'I am the best to have ever done those things. So, I want both of our guards and our small forward to line up at each side of the court between the foul line and half court. So that when I rebound, I can quickly get the ball to the guy on the same side. So, that's what we did and we ended up scoring 59 points by half time. Fast-break offense was not new to us. We were very versatile. We could play to our strengths against every team.

Intelligent adjustments. Ultimately, this NBA championship will come down to intelligent adjustments. Who will make the most of them and when? The beauty is that no one knows until it tips off Thursday night. While I'm not in the prediction business, it wouldn't surprise me if this series went the distance like last year.

One thing's for sure: I'll be watching. At my age, some bad habits are really hard to break.

Chuck Noll

Chuck Noll, who built the “Steel Curtain” Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s into one of the most dominant teams in pro football history, becoming the only N.F.L. coach to win four Super Bowl championships, died Friday night in Pittsburgh. He was 82.

Noll died of natural causes, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner said.

When Noll was named the Steelers’ head coach in 1969, they had never reached a league championship game since their founding in 1933 and they were coming off a 2-11-1 season. Noll had played at guard and linebacker on powerful Cleveland Browns teams of the 1950s, but he had never been a head coach.

The Steelers won only one game in Noll’s first season. But he went on to coach four Super Bowl champions in a span of six seasons with a host of brilliant draft picks that helped create the memorable Steel Curtain defense and a high-powered offense.

Noll selected defensive tackle Mean Joe Greene as his first N.F.L. draft pick. He drafted quarterback Terry Bradshaw and Blount in 1970, linebacker Jack Ham in 1971, running back Franco Harris in 1972 and wide receivers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth, middle linebacker Jack Lambert and center Mike Webster in 1974.

All became Hall of Famers.

Noll’s Steelers won the Super Bowl in 1975, ’76, ’79 and ’80 and captured nine American Football Conference Central championships in his 23 years as coach. They became one of the N.F.L.’s most dominant franchises, echoing George Halas’s Chicago Bears of the 1940s, Paul Brown’s Cleveland Browns of the 1950s and Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers of the 1960s.

Noll was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993.

soccer's Uncle Drew

If you’re not familiar with soccer street legend Sean Garnier, then watch this amazing video where he puts his insane skills to the test.

He’s gained worldwide recognition for having arguably the best football handles in the world, and now he’s giving the people the shock of a lifetime after disguising himself as an old man and tearing up the court.

Just like Kyrie Irving did with his “Uncle Drew” character, Garnier duped everybody playing and watching with a ridiculous skill set. With the World Cup just around the corner, we can feel soccer getting hotter with videos like this.

[via facebook]

Rainbow Baseball 1979

It was 35 years ago, in 1979. The ‘Bows, who had started their baseball program with a part-time coach by the name of Les Murakami only eight seasons before, first made it to the NCAA tournament in 1977, but they quickly were eliminated in just two games.

But 1979 would be a different story — a wonderful story.

It began on opening night at the old Rainbow Stadium, well before the new stadium was built. On a cool February evening, Mark Olmos pitched a gem against powerful Oregon State, and the Rainbows won 2-1 on Vern Ramie’s game-winning sacrifice fly. Hawaii was one year away from joining the WAC, so they played an independent schedule, and Murakami loaded it with powerhouse teams and played as many doubleheaders as opposing teams could stand.

The 1979 team included star leftie Derek Tatsuno, the All-American pitching ace from Aiea High, plus Thad Reece, Ron Nomura and a young red-headed catcher by the name of Howard Dashefsky.

“I remember being the bullpen catcher and warming up Tats before games,” Dashefsky recalls. “We would have more than 100-plus people sitting around just watching him warm up, and that just blew me away.”

Tatsuno won his first 20 games that season on his way to one of the most dominating seasons in college baseball history. Along the way, he recorded 245 strikeouts, still an NCAA single-season record.

“We were 60 and 3 at one point of the season, and were ranked No. 1 in the nation. It seems pretty ridiculous, but we did it against some very good competition,” Dashefsky says.

Excitement for the team grew by leaps and bounds, until the bleacher seats at old Rainbow Stadium couldn’t contain all the fans.

“We went to Aloha Stadium and Tats threw in front of more than 20,000 people. At the time, it was the largest crowd ever for a college baseball game,” Dashefsky adds. “It was pretty freaky; sitting in the dugout, you didn’t see anybody, but then you would go out on the field and the entire ballpark was filled from first to third base, all the way up.”

By the time the regular season came to an end, Hawaii had 67 wins against just 13 losses. Their first-ever NCAA tournament wins came against Indiana State and Oklahoma.

“I remember the regional at University of Arizona and hitting the game-winning home run that gave Tats his NCAA record,” Dashefsky says.

The ‘Bows finished 69-15, falling to Arizona in the regional finals.

jiu jitsu in Hawaii

Romolo Barros, who founded the Hawaii Triple Crown of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, believes jiu-jitsu has made him a better person.

He was born and raised in Brazil, but didn’t learn jiujitsu until he was a senior in high school living in California with his older brother Robson (who also is a black belt), and their roommate was Rorion Gracie, creator of the hugely successful Ultimate Fighting Championship.

“Learning jiu-jitsu improves your overall life in every way – to be a better husband, a better father, a better human being and a complete fighter,” explains Barros. “You will become more secure with yourself. You will learn how to defend yourself, but in the process of getting there, you also will learn a lot more than just how to be a better fighter.

“The essence of Gracie jiu-jitsu is leverage – using the least amount of force for the maximum results. Whatever position you fall into, you just have to find the leverage there, and you’ll be fine. So Brazilian jiu-jitsu is for everyone: big, small, weak, strong, young or old.”

In addition to jiu-jitsu, Barros also loves to surf, and he moved to Hawaii 30 years ago for the waves, as well as the beauty of the Islands and the aloha spirit.

Shortly after, Relson Gracie (Rorion’s brother), also moved to Hawaii and started teaching his family’s style of self-defense here. Barros started training with Relson, and together they shared a passion for promoting jiu jitsu in Hawaii. “Relson was the first to put on jiu-jitsu events here, but then he stopped and I felt there was a need to continue it,” says Barros. “It’s about the opportunity to showcase the talent in Hawaii through friendly competition, So, I created Hawaii Triple Crown of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.”

Barros, who is a fifth-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, owns and operates Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu/Gracie Elite Team, as well as the Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu Association.

“Although I originally learned jiu-jitsu from Rorion, I got my black belt from Rickson Gracie, who continues to be my mentor and close friend,” adds Barros. “And Rolls Gracie also was a great friend, instructor and inspiration. I got my first belt, a blue belt, from him and Rorion. Rolls passed away very young, but left a legacy for all of us, just like Grand Master Helio Gracie did.”

“One of the greatest things about jiu-jitsu is it makes you a more humble person,” adds Barros. “I see it all the time in class. You also become more confident, and you develop physical and mental skills. It’s one of the best workouts you can have.

“From when I moved to Hawaii, jiu-jitsu really has grown a lot. There used to be only one school, Relson’s school, and then mine. Now, I can’t really tell you how many there are, but there’s got to be hundreds.”

Barros continues to teach and train jiu-jitsu, as well as surf, swim and lift weights. He also follows the Gracie diet, which is based on a proper combination of foods.

EA settlement

A $40 million settlement has been completed that will pay college football and basketball players dating to 2003 for the use of their likenesses in NCAA-branded video games.

The payouts could go to more than 100,000 athletes, including some current players, who were either on college rosters or had their images used in videogames made by Electronic Arts featuring college teams. Lawyers for the plaintiffs say it would be the first time college athletes will be paid for the commercial use of their images.

Depending on how many athletes apply for the settlement, the payments could range from as little as $48 for each year an athlete was on a roster to $951 for each year the image of an athlete was used in a videogame.

“We’re incredibly pleased with the results of this settlement and the opportunity to right a huge wrong enacted by the NCAA and EA against these players and their rights of publicity,” said Steve Berman, one of the lead attorneys in the case. “We’ve fought against intense legal hurdles since filing this case in 2009, and to see this case come to fruition is a certain victory.”

The settlement is with Electronic Arts and Collegiate Licensing Co., which licenses and markets college sports, and does not include the NCAA. The case against the NCAA is scheduled for trial early next year.

Plaintiffs in the case, which dates to 2009, contend the NCAA conspired with Electronic Arts and Collegiate Licensing Co. to illegally use their images in videogames.

U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken still must approve the proposed settlement, which comes on the eve of a major antitrust trial against the NCAA that could reshape the way college sports operate. That case, featuring former UCLA basketball star Ed O’Bannon and others as lead plaintiffs, goes to trial June 9 in Oakland, California.

According to documents filed with the court late Friday, attorneys for O’Bannon and 20 other plaintiffs say they have already run up legal fees exceeding $30 million and expenses of more than $4 million in pressing their case. They are seeking an injunction that would stop the NCAA from enforcing rules that prohibit athletes from profiting from their play in college.

O’Bannon, who led UCLA to a national title in 1995, is also part of the group settling with EA Sports and Collegiate Licensing Co. Also covered by the settlement are suits brought by former Arizona State quarterback Sam Keller, former West Virginia football player Shawne Alston and former Rutgers player Ryan Hart.

According to the filing, a pool of money will be available to players after attorneys take 33 percent of the proposed settlement and up to $2.5 million in expenses. Named plaintiffs like O’Bannon and Keller will receive $15,000, while others who joined the suit later would get $2,500 or $5,000.

The majority of the money, however, will go to athletes who file for claims, a group that attorneys say could contain between 140,000 and 200,000 players who were on football and basketball rosters from 2003 on. The final payouts will depend on how many of those athletes file claims in the class-action case.

EA Sports announced last year it would stop making the long-running NCAA football video game series because of the litigation and other issues in securing licensing rights.

Lance Stephenson memes

ICYMI somehow last night or this morning, Lance Stephenson had a great game last night. But he made a name for himself not so much for his on court-play, but for doing what he could to get in the heads of the Miami Heat (and, specifically, LeBron James) in Game 5 of the East finals. That meant playing in-your-face defense, bumping Heat players here and there and, oh yeah, blowing in LeBron’s ear.

Well, a good screengrab/video excerpt like that can’t survive on the Internet without becoming a new meme. So, this morning, we present the best memes of Lance Stephenson blowing on things:

The $15 lineup

Ballislife.com tweeted out the following game Tuesday. The goal is to select an all-time NBA team with just $15, with some of the greatest players ever given different prices.

Not surprisingly, the game has taken the Internet by storm, creating countless debates.

[via facebook]

My team?  Oscar ($4), West ($3), Dr. J ($3), Dirk ($2), Wilt ($3).  Considering I rank Wilt as the greatest player of all time and Oscar as the greatest PG of all time.  Then I rank West over Kobe [now I see I didn't before].  The forwards were harder.  Duncan is probably the bargain as I don't think Malone and Barkley are any better than him.  Dr. J was incredible in his ABA days, but I think Durant might have a better career barring injury.  Might even wind up as the greatest scorer in NBA history.  LeBron over Bird?  Yeah, I think so.  Except for all those incredible clutch shots.

OK, I changed my mind.  I'll take Durant and Duncan instead.  Oscar, West, Durant, Duncan, Wilt.

the Natatorium

[5/21/14] A nearly three-decade battle to preserve the neglected Wai­kiki War Memorial Natatorium is getting added ammunition from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which is adding the landmark to its list of "national treasures" — a move that harnesses the support of thousands of preservationists from coast to coast.

Built in 1927, the Natatorium's memorial arches, 100-meter saltwater pool and stadium bleachers were meant to honor Hawaii's 10,000 World War I veterans. It has been recognized as an architectural landmark on the National Register of Historic Places and for a few generations was the place where Hawaii residents learned to swim and great watermen like Olympic medalist Duke Kaha­na­moku and his contemporaries trained. However, those glory days ended in 1979 when the Natatorium was closed due to disrepair.

The trust's new campaign aims to pre­sent alternatives to an $18.4 million plan announced in May 2013 by Gov. Neil Abercrombie and Mayor Kirk Caldwell to demolish the pool and bleachers and develop a public memorial beach at the site, said David J. Brown, the National Trust's executive vice president, who plans to announce the designation in Hono­lulu on Wednesday.

"The Natatorium is an important war memorial from a period that Hawaii has lost a lot of its history. … It really has the opportunity to be the place that continues to honor the service of WWI veterans," he said. "We think a restored Natatorium could once again become a place of recreation, recuperation and reflection."

Caldwell and Abercrombie have said their plan would be better for the community than spending the estimated $69.4 million it would take to fully restore the memorial.

Heather Dorniden got up

Heather Dorniden falls flat on her face during a championship race, then gets right back up and just wows the entire crowd!

[via facebook]

who watches pro wrestling?

In a presentation given shortly after the Network was announced in January, the company told investors that it would take 1 million U.S. subscribers for the Network to break even, but if it got to 2 million subscribers, the Network would produce additional income of $50 million, thereby nearly doubling the entirety of the company's 2012 operating income before depreciation and amortization (OIBDA).

Naturally, a statement like that had investors licking their chops. Unfortunately, 2 million U.S. subscribers is a completely unreasonable number given the size of the WWE's American fan base, a fact that shouldn't come as much of a surprise to people familiar with how the WWE made its estimate.

In fact, the estimate is based on in-house research that found that 52 million broadband-enabled U.S. homes have someone in them who has "an affinity" for World Wrestling Entertainment. As a result, the WWE reasoned the Network could get 2 million subscribers by getting just 4% of these households to sign up.

This logic is extremely flawed. While it's nice that 52 million households have "affinity" for the WWE, the fact is that only about 5 million people watch the company's flagship cable show, "Monday Night Raw," each week. It stands to reason that people who aren't watching the company's free offerings would be unlikely to pay $9.99 monthly for premium content.

A better pool to look at would be the people who were already paying for two or three pay-per-views and would realize savings by getting all of the events on the Network. While the WWE's most popular pay-per-view, WrestleMania, can generate more than 1 million buys, its other events are significantly less popular. Only one other pay-per-view, the Royal Rumble, was purchased by more than 300,000 people in 2013.

It's no surprise then that WWE reported only 667,000 subscribers in April. While it's possible the service could get to 1 million over the coming year, it seems that its next big growth period would likely come around the Network's biggest selling point, WrestleMania, which won't come again until April 2015.

And while Monday Night Raw is largely responsible for USA Network being the most-watched network on basic cable, advertisers pay less to reach its viewers than any other show the station airs.

These low ad rates are partially attributable to the stigma that has followed pro wrestling since its carnival origins, but they're also grounded in reality.

According to a survey of sports fans produced by Scarborough in 2013 and reported on by wrestling business reporter Chris Harrington, half of WWE viewers earn an income under $50,000, compared to 30% of sports fans in general. On top of that, 66% of adult WWE viewers never attended college, well above the 44% national average.

Alex Tanney

With the drafting of Johnny Manziel, the Browns release Vince Young and Alex Tanney.

Who's Alex Tanney?  Watch this video.

Sting signs with WWE?

WWE has been unable to grab one man for 20 years now, but it seems those days are behind them. Sting, the man who has never worked for the WWE and could be the only marquee wrestling name to never have worked for any McMahon. Now, rumors are swirling that Sting may have signed and is just waiting to be put on television.

Sting was on WWE Network for the tribute to Ultimate Warrior. He actually made appearances on the Network all that week. WWE also added him to their “30 Seconds of Fury” YouTube show, where they highlighted his Stinger Death Drop finishing move.
WWE was rumored to have filmed him for some other WWE Network projects set to come out later this year, and even DVDs. He is supposedly present on his Ultimate Warrior DVD, but at the time WWE was filming it, he was under TNA contract so that might be uncertain. They did use footage of him with Warrior, however, as they were a tag team before splitting up to join different companies.
Sting was supposedly set to appear on the RAW after WrestleMania 30. However, with The Undertaker being hospitalized the night before and not on RAW, the WWE did not use Sting for the show. They easily could have, as he was in town.
The Undertaker is speculated to be an opponent for Sting at WrestleMania 31, but that has not yet been decided. Many fans want to see it as it is sort of a dream match for fans.

ADVERTISEMENT

The issue has always been that the men were in two different companies. The problem now is that Undertaker may be done all together. So WWE may be holding off on bringing Sting in for a while, so that they can potentially use him in Undertaker’s place.
The last word on him coming in, however, was said to be around SummerSlam. There is no word on how they were planning to do that, but it was floating around. WWE also contemplated just having him appear randomly without a set up to surprise fans and bring in major ratings for a RAW TV show.
The one thing we DO know, is that is it believed Sting had signed a contract in the last month. We also know a little about the deal. In that it is said to be a Legend’s Deal and similar to Brock Lesnar’s deal where he will only work TV spots and PPVs but other than that, there are no major details on the deal. The money side on it has yet to be confirmed, but Sting isn’t going to complain, I’m sure. Sources claim that Sting’s major reason for coming to WWE was never about the money in the first place, although, like most, he won’t just say no to the color green.


Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/1247297/wwe-news-update-on-stings-potential-signing-with-wwe-when-he-will-appear/#i3tvWSTSzw4wmOWm.99

WWE has been unable to grab one man for 20 years now, but it seems those days are behind them. Sting, the man who has never worked for the WWE and could be the only marquee wrestling name to never have worked for any McMahon. Now, rumors are swirling that Sting may have signed and is just waiting to be put on television.

Sting was on WWE Network for the tribute to Ultimate Warrior. He actually made appearances on the Network all that week. WWE also added him to their “30 Seconds of Fury” YouTube show, where they highlighted his Stinger Death Drop finishing move.

WWE was rumored to have filmed him for some other WWE Network projects set to come out later this year, and even DVDs. He is supposedly present on his Ultimate Warrior DVD, but at the time WWE was filming it, he was under TNA contract so that might be uncertain. They did use footage of him with Warrior, however, as they were a tag team before splitting up to join different companies.

Sting was supposedly set to appear on the RAW after WrestleMania 30. However, with The Undertaker being hospitalized the night before and not on RAW, the WWE did not use Sting for the show. They easily could have, as he was in town.

The Undertaker is speculated to be an opponent for Sting at WrestleMania 31, but that has not yet been decided. Many fans want to see it as it is sort of a dream match for fans.

The issue has always been that the men were in two different companies. The problem now is that Undertaker may be done all together. So WWE may be holding off on bringing Sting in for a while, so that they can potentially use him in Undertaker’s place.

The last word on him coming in, however, was said to be around SummerSlam. There is no word on how they were planning to do that, but it was floating around. WWE also contemplated just having him appear randomly without a set up to surprise fans and bring in major ratings for a RAW TV show.

The one thing we DO know, is that is it believed Sting had signed a contract in the last month. We also know a little about the deal. In that it is said to be a Legend’s Deal and similar to Brock Lesnar’s deal where he will only work TV spots and PPVs but other than that, there are no major details on the deal. The money side on it has yet to be confirmed, but Sting isn’t going to complain, I’m sure. Sources claim that Sting’s major reason for coming to WWE was never about the money in the first place, although, like most, he won’t just say no to the color green.

Masahiro Tanaka is going to lose

Sooner or later, Masahiro Tanaka, ace right-hander of the New York Yankees, is going to lose a game. The law of averages says that it’s inevitable.

But Tanaka has been a little slow in obeying this particular law. From 2012 through 2013, he won a record 30 consecutive games in Japan, pitching for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. So far this year he’s 4-0 and has American League hitters looking as if they’re swinging at BBs. The Yankees are just half a game out of the top spot in the AL East, and Tanaka is the primary reason: all other Yankee pitchers have combined for a won-lost record of 14-15.

In January, the Yankees signed the 25-year-old to a seven year, $155 million contract—and that was after paying $20 million to the Golden Eagles just for the rights to negotiate with him.  So far, it looks as if the Bombers might have gotten a bargain; TV ratings shoot up and stands are packed on days when he’s on the mound. At this rate, it won’t be long before he may be recognized as Major League Baseball’s biggest drawing card.

His appearances are treated by the media like those of a rock star—not unreasonable, perhaps, considering that he’s married to one, Mai Satoda of the now-disbanded Country Musume (“Country Girls”) and a popular TV show Quiz! Hexagon where she endeared herself to Japanese audiences for giving ridiculously answers to trivia questions.  One Japanese reporter likened her persona to Goldie Hawn on the old Laugh-In: “She was well-liked for being ditzy.”

Tanaka’s arrival in New York for his introduction as a Yankee was accorded the kind of press reserved for the kickoff of a Beyoncé tour. He rented an entire Japan Airlines Boeing 787 at the cost of $195,000 to carry Mr. and Mrs. Tanaka, a Japanese baseball official, two friends, and the couple’s brown toy poodle, Haru, on a plane that can handle 190 passengers.  Before his departure, Tanaka was careful to remind reporters, “It’s a private jet. It’s not something the Yankees prepared.” Actually, some suspected that Japan Airlines provided the plane gratis for the publicity.

If Tanaka did pay for the plane, no worries. Estimates are that by the fourth inning of his second start the cost was covered.

Less than two months into the season, he’s on the verge of becoming a huge fan favorite in New York. The Yankees crowd already yells his nickname in chorus when he walks to the mound, “Ma-kun” or just plain “Ma.”  “There is really not a way to say it in English,” explained his interpreter at his first Yankees press conference. “It’s just a very friendly way of calling somebody.”

He takes his pregame tosses to warm up songs by the all-girl Japanese group Momoiro Clover Z.  (In practice he uses custom-made gloves with multicolored fingers, one each for the signature colors of the group’s members.)

Another nickname which is gaining momentum is “Tiger” for Tiger Tanaka, the head of the Japanese secret service in Ian Fleming’s You Only Live Twice, a moniker given credence by the tenacity he’s shown so far.

Tanaka seems to have two natures, as The New York Times’ Barry Bearak noted in March, “Shy and good-natured off the field, yet so fierce and determined while on it that he could appear possessed. He roared as he threw a pitch. He pumped his fist after striking someone out. He scolded teammates for sloppy play.”  So far in the States, he has eschewed the roaring, pumping, and scolding so as not to antagonize his new teammates and opponents.

He doesn’t need such histrionics to intimidate. At 6’2”, Tanaka throws a fearsome four-seam fastball which has been clocked as high as 94 mph and a split-fingered fastball as well as a slider which, says Yankees catcher Brian McCann, “breaks like it’s falling off a table.”   All the pitches in his arsenal are delivered with a fluid hip-swinging propulsion that has scouts in awe. (Watch Tanaka’s “loaded hips” delivery.)

He emerged from high school as one of the most famous athletes in Japan, and at age 18 signed with the Golden Eagles. In his first season, pitching against batters who were on average ten years his senior, he was 11-7. Over the next six years he went 88-28 with an ERA of 2.21. In his last three seasons in Japan his ERA was a jaw-dropping 1.40.

Tanaka has given the Yankees a dignity, discipline, and confidence, qualities   they sorely need now that Mariano Rivera is gone, Derek Jeter is in his final season, and Alex Rodriguez is lost for the year to a drug suspension.

In turn, he has learned something about American baseball. Some of his teammates, including his countryman and future Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki, call him by yet another nickname, “Meat,” a tag applied to Tim Robbins’s rookie pitcher by Kevin Costner’s veteran catcher in Bull Durham.

When asked by a reporter if he knew what it meant, Tanaka said with a laugh, “Someone told me that’s how people call each other in the Yankees clubhouse.”

What, another reporter wanted to know, would he do when his winning streak—currently at 34—came to an end?  With a soft smile and a shrug that belied by his steely eyes, he replied, “Start another.”

Kevin Durant MVP

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Kevin Durant has plenty of scoring titles. Now, he finally has an MVP trophy to go with them.

The Oklahoma City Thunder star won the NBA's top individual honor Tuesday, grabbing 119 first-place votes. Miami's LeBron James, who had won the last two MVP awards and four of the previous five, finished second with six first-place votes and Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers was third.

Durant won his fourth scoring crown in five years this season by averaging 32 points per game.  Durant's run of 41 consecutive games this season with at least 25 points was the third-longest streak in NBA history. In all, he scored at least 40 points 14 times. He also averaged 7.4 rebounds and a career-high 5.5 assists while shooting 50 percent from the field.

***

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Michael Carter-Williams has something to show for being a bright spot in a dismal season for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Carter-Williams won the NBA's Rookie of the Year Award on Monday after becoming only the third player since 1950-51 to lead all rookies in scoring (16.7), rebounding (6.3) and assists (6.2). Oscar Robertson (1960-61) and Alvan Adams (1975-76) were the others.

Despite the performance of their dynamic guard, the Sixers were awful this season. They were 19-73 and tied an NBA record by losing 26 straight games.

Carter-Williams received 104 of a possible 124 first-place votes. The Orlando Magic's Victor Oladipo finished second and Trey Burke of the Utah Jazz was third.

Allen Iverson is the only other player in Sixers history to win the award. The 11th overall pick from Syracuse in last year's draft, Carter-Williams is the first player picked 10th or lower to win since Mark Jackson did it in 1987 for New York.

Carter-Williams had a spectacular debut, posting 22 points, 12 assists and nine steals to lead the Sixers to a stunning 114-110 victory over the two-time defending champion Miami Heat. He was the second rookie after Shaquille O'Neill to be the Eastern Conference Player of the Week in his first week in the NBA.

*** [6/4/14] NEW YORK -- The Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant, the 2013-14 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player and winner of four scoring titles in five seasons, highlights the 2013-14 All-NBA First Team. Durant was the lone unanimous selection, appearing on all 125 ballots as a First-Team pick while LeBron James of the Miami Heat garnered 124 First-Team votes.

Joining Durant and James on the First Team are Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers, James Harden of the Houston Rockets and Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls. Harden and Noah captured First Team honors for the first time in their careers. Paul is an All-NBA First Team selection for the fourth time. Durant makes his fifth appearance on the First Team, while James earned his eighth All-NBA First Team nod.

Durant averaged a career-best 32.0 points to go with 7.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists, also a career high. In capturing his fourth scoring title, he joined Jordan (10), Chamberlain (seven), Gervin (four), and Allen Iverson (four) as the only players in league annals to win at least four scoring titles. He shot .503 from the field, .391 from three-point range, and .873 from the free throw line, leading all players in free throws made (703) and attempted (805). Durant authored two 50-point games, topped the 40-point mark on 14 occasions, and turned in 17 games with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds.

James shot a career-high 56.7 percent from the field this season, marking the seventh consecutive season he has improved his field goal percentage. He connected on 116 three-point field goals, the second straight season he has made over 100 three-point field goals while shooting at least 55 percent from the field. He posted his ninth 2000-point season, becoming only the fourth player in NBA history to accomplish this feat, joining Karl Malone (12), Michael Jordan (11) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (9).

Noah, who appeared in 80 of Chicago's 82 games, ranked sixth in the NBA in rebounding (11.3 rpg), 12th in blocks (1.51 bpg) and added 1.24 steals. He was one of just three players (Detroit's Andre Drummond and New Orleans' Anthony Davis) to average at least 10.0 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.2 steals. Behind Noah, the Bulls held opponents to a .430 field goal percentage, second-stingiest in the league.

Paul led the NBA in assists (10.7 apg) and steals (2.48 spg), while averaging 19.1 points and 4.3 rebounds as the Clippers won a franchise-record 57 games. Paul became the seventh player in NBA history to top the 6,000-assist plateau before the end of his ninth season. He's only the fourth player in NBA history to reach 6,000 assists before his 29th birthday, joining Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas and John Stockton.

Harden finished fifth in the NBA in scoring (25.4 ppg), and added 6.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds. He was one of only two players (LeBron James) to average at least 25.0 points, 6.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds. He finished second in the NBA in free throws made (576), topped the 30-point mark in 24 games and registered two 40-plus outings. Harden also ranked fifth in the NBA in minutes (38.0 mpg).

The All-NBA Second Team consists of guards Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, forwards Blake Griffin of the Clippers and Kevin Love of the Minnesota Timberwolves and center Dwight Howard of the Rockets.

The All-NBA Third Team includes the Portland Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard and the Phoenix Suns' Goran Dragic at guard, the Indiana Pacers' Paul George and the Trail Blazers' LaMarcus Aldridge at forward and the Charlotte Hornets' Al Jefferson at center.

Alyssa Tobita streak ended by freshman

St. Francis freshman Taylor Lau defeated defending three-time state champion Alyssa Tobita of Mililani 6-1, 6-3 to win the girls singles title at the Carlsmith Ball/ HHSAA State Tennis Championships in Wailea, Maui, on Saturday.

"After it was over, I was sad for Alyssa," Lau said. "It's always good winning, but it's sad seeing the effects that winning can have on people because she was trying to win it four times."

Lau, who is rated a four-star recruit and ranked 80th in her age group nationally by tennisrecruiting.net, earned her bronze ball by finishing third in a junior tournament in Mobile, Ala., in March.

She also won the USTA President's Day Junior Section Championship in February and the Wailuku Winter Junior Sectionals in January. Lau advanced through her bracket with 6-0, 6-0 wins in her first three matches. In the semifinals, she beat ILH champion Ashley Ishimura of Punahou by winning 3-6, 6-2, (2).

 *** [5/3/14]

One match is all that separates Mililani's Alyssa Tobita from a 4-peat in girls singles.

The senior swept past third seed Lani-Rae Green out Waimea 7-5, 6-1 in the semifinal round of the Carlsmith Ball/HHSAA State Tennis Championships on Maui on Friday. 

She got into the semifinal with a quarterfinal win earlier in the day, a sweep of sixth seed Serena Le of Punahou, 6-0, 6-0. Tobita faces St. Francis' Taylor Lau for the title. 

*** [5/2/14]

Mililani senior Alyssa Tobita is two days away from her fourth straight girls singles title.

Tobita swept Baldwin's Jessica Pressman 6-0, 6-0 in the first round of the Carlsmith Ball/HHSAA State Tennis Championships on Maui on Thursday and followed it up with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Kaiser's Lisa Owen in the second round. She will take on Serena Le of Punahou in today's quarterfinals and either third seed Lani-Rae Green of Waimea or OIA runner up Hina Goldsmith of Roosevelt in the semis.