|
Sidelines
Kalani Simpson
|
Frazier’s meeting Monday with lawmakers giving off crazy vibes
THERE'S been a flurry of UH news these last few days, but nothing bigger than the fact that we could be looking at the craziest, most entertaining public meeting since Larry Price verbally smacked around that traveling FieldTurf salesman (and Michael Green dramatically pulled out -- gasp! -- a letter from June Jones) back in 2002.
Oh, there have been other headlines this week. Les Murakami Stadium will -- coincidentally -- get some new turf, which is a relief. My ACL aches just looking at that stuff. And Bob Nash just signed his first recruiting class. And Amy Sanders -- I knew she was good, but this is a pleasant surprise -- will play in the WNBA. All good stuff.
But all of it pales next to the news that Hawaii athletic director Herman Frazier has been called to appear before state lawmakers Monday for an "informational briefing."
Now this has potential.
I'm expecting a ridiculous amount of grandstanding, from everyone involved. Tough grilling. Dramatic gasps and rumbles from the audience. I'm envisioning an extravaganza worthy of its own Jon Stewart synopsis or "Saturday Night Live" sketch.
Well, maybe not. But we can always hope.
Yes, it will probably go smoothly, and diffuse tension, and Frazier will explain everything, and the politicians will run out of questions, and say, "Um, well, OK then," and promise to send more money to UH. That's probably how it will go.
Then again, there will be television cameras. And these are politicians, and Herman Frazier is Herman Frazier. And there's starting to be this crazy vibe in the air.
Yesterday, in my e-mail: "Let's keep the focus on Herman Failure." (Original.) "No one cares about Glanville or Mouse anymore. They're gone."
You mean you don't want a funny, lighthearted escape for a day, 3 minutes of respite from the worries of everyday life? Well, no. It seems at least some people don't want that. They want blood. Lots of it, unrelenting, every day.
(I'm surprised with all of the interviews he's been doing for the Jamboree that no irate fan or keen media member has called Mufi Hannemann on the fact that a year ago -- May 15, 2006, to be exact -- he proclaimed it "Herman Frazier Day" in our fair town. Come on Mr. Mayor, you can't run from your record!)
Call C-SPAN. Jon Stewart. Count on it. Legislators at every level always seem to find a way to get themselves ahead of a trend, to sprint to the front of the pack. It'll be perfect. The cameras will be rolling. I can't wait to see which of our lawmakers asks the questions that make him or her the face of this "Frazier issue."
But anyone looking to make a name on this thing should have his or her homework done first. Frazier has let the situation get away from him on more than a couple of issues this past year (he deserves this public grilling), but somehow I have a feeling he'll be ready in this particular case.
Get the cameras. Alert Jon Stewart. This could be fun.