An Honest
Day’s Word
THIS and that to chew on over lunch: It’s the end of the WAC
as we know it
(and TCU feels fine)Call me skeptical, but when someone tells you, "At this point, all I can tell you is ...," it's a done deal.
Dot a few i's and cross a few t's and, you've got yourself a transaction.
Given that, it's been nice playin' ya, Texas Christian.
Ooops. That's right. Hawaii hasn't played the Horned Frogs yet. Maybe they'll only play twice.
TCU president Michael Ferrari told the Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram on Monday that all he could tell them at this point was his university hasn't yet been invited into Conference USA. On the other hand, if C-USA comes calling, TCU will listen.
Really?
And Judy MacLeod, athletic director at the University of Tulsa, just flat told the newspaper there that her institution of higher learning would be happy as all get-out to join up with other schools that aren't a million miles away.
I might be wrong, but I have a hunch I'm not. The WAC as you know it -- which is only a fraction of the WAC you used to know -- isn't going to stay together too long. The talking heads up in Manoa will try to put a happy face on all of this, I'm sure, as will the morning newspaper.
As I said, call me skeptical, but don't get too used to hating TCU, Billy Tubbs or otherwise.
Boise State on the other hand ...
Kauai High will play a non-conference game this weekend against Cascade High of Salem, Ore., but the aloha will be flowing in all directions.
Joe Cho, a McKinley High graduate, is head coach at Cascade and has a number of coaches on his staff who are from Hawaii.
Add to that several dozen alums who have made the trip and you have yourself a home-away-from-home game right in the heart of the Garden Isle. That's one tailgate party, I'm sure, that will be hard to top.
Keep an eye on Nebraska this fall, especially the offensive line.
Former St. Louis School star Dominic Raiola, a redshirt sophomore, is the team's starting center and an all-Big 12 Conference pick.
Toniu Fonoti, formerly of Kahuku High, won't start, but he'll get lots of playing time at guard as a freshman. That's nearly unheard of at Nebraska, a school that has produced six Outland Trophy winners.
Only two other true freshmen have played on the offensive line for the 'Huskers in their "modern era." The last to do so was Kansas City Chiefs stud Will Shields.
Nebraska coaches are high on both players. You'll read more about them in the near future, I guarantee.
Lester Kodama is the single-copy circulation honcho at Hawaii Newspaper Agency and HNA's resident jock of all trades.
I've played lots of softball with Lester and when it comes to hitting the ball, we're both pretty solid fielders.
You name the sport and Lester will play it.
Basketball, no problem.
Softball, absolutely.
Golf. Of course.
I've never played golf with Lester, but he likes to talk about it plenty.
I'll admit I was surprised when he told me a few days ago that he shot his age.
Usually when a guy shoots his age, he's in his 70s or 80s, but I know he just turned 41.
So I asked him, how many holes did you play?
Six.
Happy birthday, big fella.
