To Our Readers
THE continued publication of the Star-Bulletin topped our personal list of things to be thankful for this year, of course. We try not to define our existence by what we do for a living, but it's hard to resist. An auspicious
ThanksgivingThe prospect of being a newspaperman without a newspaper reminds me of the story "The Man without a Country" by Edward Everett Hale that we read in grade school. In it, an American naval officer damns the U.S. at his trial for treason and is condemned to a life at sea, never to see or set foot on American shores again.
Of course, Hale's story is fiction. The Star-Bulletin melodrama now playing in the courts and corporate conference rooms is much less dramatic, but it's real life. We're hoping for a happy ending and thankful for the overwhelming support we've received from readers.
As well-seasoned season ticket holders, we're also thankful for the magnificent and almost unprecedented comeback of the Rainbow Warriors. We're looking forward to tonight's game against Washington State with some trepidation, however.
My wife is a big college football fan but she says the overtime victory over Fresno State and the last-minute interception to beat Navy were almost too much. Now we face a scrappy Pac-10 team that's down on its luck and ready to play spoiler to end its season on a high. Can Warrior fans stand another nail-biter?
Hats off to the seniors who play their last regular season game tonight. We witnessed your struggles and hung in there through those dreary, humiliating fourth quarters while the losing streak grew. Our passage together through purgatory -- yours on the field and ours in the sparsely populated stands -- made this season's salvation that much sweeter.
Tonight's should be the final triumph, eclipsing the NCAA records for college football turnarounds, clinching June Jones' bid for coach of the year and giving those long-suffering seniors their rightful places in history. Go 'Bows!
John Flanagan is editor and publisher of the Star-Bulletin.
To reach him call 525-8612, fax to 523-8509, send
e-mail to publisher@starbulletin.com or write to
P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, Hawaii 96802.