Another bowl down;
one to goSUPER Bowl XXXIII is history, and now only the Pro Bowl remains. That might not be such a big deal except that it's being played in Hawaii once again at Aloha Stadium and a sellout is expected. One Super Bowl oddity: While the Vegas line had Denver a solid seven-point favorite, and while five of the six ESPN commentators picked the Broncos, only Chris Mortenson held out for a Falcon win in overtime. (Sterling Sharpe had to pick Denver or else his brother, Shannon Sharpe, who plays for the Broncs, might never talk to him again.) But while the smart money and expert picks almost unanimously were for Denver, a CNN poll of football fans a few days prior to the game asked which team the respondents thought would win and 74 percent said Atlanta. Go figure! By the way, Denver owner Pat Bowlen (who also owns Nick's locally) must have blanched when he picked up the current Sports Illustrated and saw Shannon Sharpe on the cover. The infamous S.I. cover jinx brings shudders to sports fans rooting for the team or player who shows up the week of the big game ...
NOW here's the kind of difference you find between the Super Bowl and the Pro Bowl: Cher sang the National Anthem at the former and the local teen-age singing group DisGuyz will be singing at the Pro Bowl. They'll do their rendition of "Hawaii Pono'i" at Sunday's game. The group, regulars at the Polynesian Palace, is a favorite of City Council Chairman Mufi Hannemann ...
Manetti's 'Magnum' opus
IN town promoting his chatty new book, "Aloha Magnum," Larry Manetti and co-author Chip Silverman ("Diner Guys") dined at Aaron Placourakis' "diner," Nicholas Nickolas Saturday night. Ever the quipster, when he got on the elevator to leave, two guys in suits with very short haircuts got on. "OK," Manetti says to the startled twosome, "you're either Secret Service or FBI -- which is it?" Manetti's book, featuring himself and "Magnum P.I." star Tom Selleck on the cover, announces fairly prominently next to their photo that the book "has not been endorsed, licensed or sponsored by MCA /Universal Pictures Television, or its related companies." ...IT was a bittersweet Saturday night at Lewers Lounge in the Halekulani as Loretta Ables performed her final evening there after nine years. A full house was most appreciative and the vocalist was loaded down with flowers, not the least of which was a large batch of the longest-stemmed roses I've even seen, a gift from her old friend, designer Dean Christopher. The evening concluded at Havana Cabana were I found KGMB weather person Kim Gennaula, well, breezing through like Hurricane Kim on her way to yet another function ...
Unemployed adman
NOW here's a guy in the advertising business who doesn't want -- or need -- another job. Jack Seigle, whose name has been associated with many ad firms over the years, was feted by cohorts and competitors alike at the Pacific Club as he slips into retirement. Three different governors he helped elect by designing ad campaign strategy for them, George Ariyoshi, John Waihee and current governor, Ben Cayetano, were on hand to say their alohas. Singer Jimmy Borges entertained -- he goes way back with Seigle to when he was featured in a Primo Beer campaign the adman devised. In retrospect, it must not have helped much because Primo went out of business. Now Seigle's bowing out too ...
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings
in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968.
His columns run Monday through Friday.Contact Dave by e-mail: donnelly@kestrok.com.