The University of Hawaii has an identity problem. Regardless of the strides made in research and the increased enrollment of Native Hawaiians into the system, the state’s flagship university is seen as a quagmire of self-interest and financial incompetence. After decades of questionable decision-making, it’s an assessment not without merit. Let’s be honest, UH is [...]
Phillip Parker was 14 a year ago when he hung himself in the bathroom of his foster parents’ home. After years of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his classmates, the high-schooler killed himself rather than face the continued torment that comes with being an openly gay male. His final cry for help [...]
Hawaii boasts a billion-dollar golf industry that includes 90 courses, millions of local and visiting participants and junior programs equal to more populous and well-heeled areas. What it doesn’t have is an appreciation of its history or a unifying theme around which the various courses and tournaments can rally. The Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame [...]
Whatever your personal feelings are about MMA and at what age young enthusiasts of the mixed martial arts fighting sport should be allowed to show off their skills in the cage, you’ve got to raise your eyebrows when considering the incredible record of Makaha teenager Nainoa Dung. A kickboxer since the age of 6, a [...]
It was more than a bit strange, the speculation whether Chris Webber would attend the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final. He did, but in an atypical way. If not for CBS cameras staking out the parking structure, the viewing public may never have known for sure. Webber was there, with his wife, Erika, and wearing a [...]
I love this time of year. March Madness. Just saying the two words together gets me going. I’m currently on a plane, flying to Bellingham, Wash., for the NCAA Regionals. Over the years, I’ve been to NCAA Division I and Division II regionals and national championship competition from Hawaii to California to Kansas, North Carolina, [...]
Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmyg …” What you’ve just read is a small portion of my brain’s inner monologue throughout the entire month of March. Every year. Without exception. A hoops junkie like myself can barely function in society during March because the NCAA Tournament is so completely intoxicating. I really shouldn’t be [...]
You can’t know where you’re going unless you know where you’ve been. I don’t know if that statement is 100 percent true, but it’s commonly used and gives me a great excuse to recap all the exploits of our high school athletes from the just-completed winter seasons before we move our attention to the spring. [...]
It’s been quite a year for the University of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine basketball team. For the first time in many seasons, there is talk of a possible conference title and perhaps a trip to the NCAA tournament. First-year head coach Laura Beeman has molded a team of veterans and newcomers, with Kamilah Jackson Martin playing [...]
About a month ago, I talked about possible ways to fix the Pro Bowl and what should be valued during that week’s events. I think I missed a key component of the current problem, which was made a bit more clear during the recent NBA All-Star weekend. A lot of the cachet behind All-Star festivities [...]
