Sports Watch

By Bill Kwon

Saturday, May 22, 1999

UH’s new ticket plan
a tier-jerker

MANY a tier has to fall, but it's all in the game. I don't know, but I think the University of Hawaii athletic department is sending a wrong message out there by not only raising ticket prices for Rainbow football but by adopting "tier" levels.

Four tiers to be exact.

Tier I will cost $21 for sideline seats, $19 for end zones and $14 for youths, seniors and UH students. The only Tier-I game this fall is the season opener against Southern California.

Tier II tickets will be $3 less across the board. This season, Washington State and Navy! - don't ask me why, the more than mediocre Middies - have been designated for that second level.

Tier III includes all Western Athletic Conference games for $17, $15 and $10.

Tier IV will be all other games at last year's prices when Rainbow fans paid $16, $14 and $9 to see the home team lose eight straight games at Aloha Stadium.

Presumably, we're talking Eastern Illinois and Boise State here this season.

Hey, why stop there?

Go for a Tier V. If the football 'Bows lose any Tier IV game, UH should cheerfully refund the money.

Right away, you can see why a tier-level plan is as full of holes as the Rainbow defense was last year.

For one thing, there's no way that Navy is a Tier II opponent. The Middies were 3-8 last year, with one of the losses an embarrassing 49-7 wipeout to Air Force.

Washington State? Well, OK. It's a Pac-10 team after all.

But the lonely tier-drop concept really sends a wrong message to the other WAC teams on the schedule.

In effect, UH is saying, "You're Tier III, guys." To me, it's just a euphemistic way of telling the WAC it's third rate.

Of course, the real sad message that's sent out, though, is that if UH football opponents ever came up with a tier plan of their own, the Rainbows would probably be classified as a Tier IV team. At least, until they win a game.

I can't help but shed some lonely tear drops for UH's new tier system of ticket pricing.

Speaking of Rainbow football, one of the reasons for the downfall can be summarized in two words - Duce Staley.

Staley became the Philadelphia Eagles' franchise running back by signing a six-year, $16.3 million contract with the NFL team yesterday.

Five years ago, Staley was recruited by UH offensive coordinator Paul Johnson and he had his heart set to play for the Rainbows. But he wasn't academically qualified to enter school - not at Hawaii anyway.

So he went on to star for South Carolina instead and finally wound up playing at Aloha Stadium - in the Hooters Hula Bowl.

Just another reminder of what might have been for the Rainbows.

Welcome back, Jack

It was good to see Jack Nicklaus back in action again. He played his first competitive round of golf since hip-replacement surgery four months ago, shooting a creditable 2-over-par 74 in the first round of the PGA Senior Tour's Bell Atlantic Classic yesterday.

And he did it his way, disdaining the use of a golf cart even tough it is allowed on the Senior Tour. He walked every step of the round on the hilliest course that the seniors play on the tour.

The only exception was riding with a tour official to a portable john in order that his threesome didn't fall behind of the group ahead of them.

Nicklaus' decision to walk, not ride, is in keeping with the rules of golf. And it's a refreshing counterpoint to those trying to ride their way into the U.S. Open.