Last year's Pigskin Pigout made a record $102,000 for the University of Hawaii football program. Murphy prepared
for another PigoutBy Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.comThe goal for 2001?
"We're just saying it's to have more fun than ever," answered Don Murphy, owner of Murphy's Bar & Grill, where the sixth-annual event will be held tomorrow, starting at 5:30 p.m.
UH head coach June Jones and most of his assistants are scheduled to attend.
The event includes silent and live auctions of sports memorabilia and other items totaling over 200 in number; they run the gamut from a Sam Choy-prepared luau to nine-week old American Kennel Club-registered mini dachshunds.
Murphy, who is also the president of the Na Koa football booster club, had a difficult time deciding on his favorite.
"The trips to the (San Francisco) Giants and (Denver) Broncos games would be great. My favorite might be the Joe DiMaggio-autographed ball," Murphy said. "But I guess I should go with my wife's (Marion's) handmade quilt."
Tickets, at $100 each, are available at the restaurant. Call 531-0422 or 585-6442 for more information.
Surgery for Ching: Men's volleyball outside hitter Tony Ching will undergo surgery on his right (hitting) shoulder on Monday. Despite rest after playing with the USA Junior National Team earlier this summer, he is still bothered by tendon and ligament problems from during the season.
"It'll put a big dent in his fall because the rehab will take him three months," head coach Mike Wilton said. "He can still play, but the doctors feel that surgery is the best bet."
Ostler eyes Europe, Middle East: Former basketball player Troy Ostler is weighing offers from several overseas professional teams.
"We're getting a little closer," the 6-10, 220-pound forward/center said. "It looks like several teams are interested. There are a couple teams from the top Italian league that we just sent tapes to. A team in Slovenia is making a good offer."
Ostler said the best offer so far is from a team in Lebanon that will pay him $125,000 a season.
"That looks pretty good, considering they usually pay rookies $60,000 to $90,000 there," Ostler said.
Ostler worked out for Japanese teams last month.
"They were interested, but decided to go for more experienced players," he said.
Warriors to play Aztecs: Jones said he is disappointed that yet another football team has dropped off UH's schedule after agreeing to play Hawaii.
"We'll line up and play whoever," he said. "I wish we were still playing Arizona and still playing Iowa State. I don't know how they get out of these contracts. But San Diego State certainly revives some old rivalries and that's a positive."
Hawaii was to have opened this season at home with Iowa State and next year with Arizona. But both pulled out.
Former Western Athletic Conference-member San Diego State, now of the Mountain West, has agreed to replace Arizona next season. The Aztecs will play the Warriors on Dec. 7, 2002 and Dec. 3, 2005 at Aloha Stadium.
Hawaii is 7-15-2 against San Diego State. The teams last met in 1998, when the Aztecs beat the Rainbows for the ninth-consecutive time. That was the last season before the breakup of the old WAC.
The Warriors also play former WAC and current Mountain West members Brigham Young (Nov. 24) and Air Force (Dec. 1) this season at Aloha Stadium.
TSN says UH rising: The Sporting News expects UH to improve from its 3-9 football season of a year ago, picking the Warriors as its "Ascending" team in the WAC for 2001.
The magazine also chose guard Vince Manuwai to its all-league offense and linebacker Chris Brown to the defense.
Here and there: Defensive line coach Vantz Singletary began a three-week stint at the Arizona Cardinals' camp yesterday. ... Texas A&M-Corpus Christi athletic director Dan Viola said his men's basketball team is "tentatively set up" to play in one of the Rainbows' preseason tournaments in 2002. ... Wilton, his attorney and athletic director Hugh Yoshida met last Friday in ongoing discussions regarding a new contract for Wilton. ... UH placed 25 athletes on the all-WAC academic teams for baseball, golf, softball, tennis and track and field (see scoreboard for complete list).
Star-Bulletin reporter Grace Wen
contributed to this report