Sidelines
WELL, now that we're faced with the certainty of a final four without the Rainbows (What? Oh, sorry, "Men of War"), let me see if I understand the men's volleyball situation correctly: Firing a volley at
geographic correctnessThe top seven or eight or nine or so teams in the country (almost exclusively in the west, and UH is one of them) are absolutely great, and the rest ...
The men's volleyball poll only goes to the Top 15, because after that, well ... the No. 10 team in the April 24 poll had a 10-13 record.
There are only 21 official Division I teams in the country (but several more are Division III teams that play in D-I conferences, and could theoretically make the NCAA tournament).
Based on attendance, the only places where the game really matters passionately to people outside of the immediate families of players and coaches are Hawaii and Utah.
And even then, when Brigham Young wasn't involved, only 481 people showed up in Provo on Saturday to watch a crucial, winner-take-all conference championship match.
And yet somehow neither the final four nor the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournaments are permanently located in the Stan Sheriff Center, one of the few places in the United States where men's volleyball continues to draw -- and would draw -- significant, loyal and appreciative crowds.
The tournament for the MPSF (of which UH is a member) is a lot tougher and has better competition than the NCAA championship tournament. Yet if you don't get through the MPSF, you could stay home while lower-ranked teams go to the NCAAs.
The Powers That Be have structured things in such a way as to be "Geographically Correct," with winners from the MPSF, Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association and Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association earning automatic bids to the national semifinals.
One final spot in the NCAA Tournament is reserved for an "at-large" bid, so at least one school in the field isn't playing its way in, but is chosen solely by a committee of three people.
A selection committee puts someone in the final four!
All of which brings us to one inevitable conclusion:
Huh?
THE HAWAII'S BEST SPORTSCASTER question is going well. But, due to lack of space last week when we originally posed the question, we had to cut the line about Jim Leahey and Don Robbs being ineligible for the contest because they are institutions. So the early leader is ... Jim Leahey! In a runaway! Nobody is even close!
Among other early candidates in the mix:
>> Robert Kekaula, Robbs, Pal Eldredge, Kanoa Leahey.
... and "Larry Beil ... um, I mean Rick Quan. Man, I've been on the mainland too long!"
Will a favorite emerge among local network guys?
"SO WHO WON THE GAME?"
Legends 28, Sirens 8.
FROM THE MAILBAG:
Answers to your quiz:
1) d.
2) d.
3) d.
4) d.
5) d.
6) d.
7) d. ... Oops, there was no No. 7. Sorry, I got in a groove.
NICE TO SEE UH baseball wearing green Saturday.
Kalani Simpson's column runs Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays.
He can be reached at ksimpson@starbulletin.com