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Sports Watch

By Bill Kwon

Tuesday, December 19, 2000

Season filled with
holiday cheer, games

IF you thought this year went by quickly, you ain't seen nothing yet. Just watch the next 13 days zip by. It'll be the year 2001 before you know it.

It'll take your breath away. Especially if you're a sports fan, maybe more so if you're a couch potato who likes to pop open a beer and watch football on television.

Locally, the sports calendar is loaded with live events.

The two biggies are the Oahu Bowl Sunday afternoon and the Aloha Bowl the following Christmas morning in a unique back-to-back college football treat at Aloha Stadium.

They played both bowl games on two Christmas Days past, but that proved a bit much even for the most diehard football fan. So they've decided to split the Christmas pie, hoping it'll be twice as nice.

Georgia will meet Virginia in the Oahu Bowl, while Arizona State and Boston College will tangle in the Aloha Bowl.

If that's not enough, the University of Hawaii men's and women's basketball teams are hosting tournaments this week, along with Brigham Young-Hawaii.

For hoop fans who want a glimpse of the future right now, some of the nation's top high school teams and players are competing in the 16-team Iolani Classic this week.

It's a tournament that host Iolani School can point to with pride since its inception in 1983. A brainchild of former Raiders basketball coach Glenn Young, the Iolani Classic has grown into one of the nation's premier high school holiday tournaments.

Those who have played in the Iolani Classic include Dennis Scott, Sam Cassell, George Lynch, Jason Capell, Jerry Stackhouse, Bobby Hurley and Minnesota Timberwolves' Malik Sealy (who died in a tragic auto accident in May).

Speaking of premier holiday tournaments, there's none better than the Rainbow Classic, hosted by the University of Hawaii since 1964.

There have been other Johnny-come-lately preseason tournaments, including the now higher-profiled Maui Invitational, but none has had the tradition or history to match the Rainbow Classic.

The 37th annual tournament starting next Wednesday at the Stan Sheriff Center will feature No. 7 Tennessee, St. Louis, Iowa and Texas A&M joining the Rainbows.

MEANWHILE, it'll be difficult to pry couch potatoes from their television sets from now through New Year's Day and a couple of days beyond.

Tomorrow's Mobile Alabama Bowl between Texas Christian and Southern Mississippi will be the first of 25 bowl games that will be televised nationally.

And from Dec. 27 through the Jan. 3 Orange Bowl between Florida State and Oklahoma for the national title, there will be at least a game a day on TV. So stock up on the beer.

Speaking of beer, the best news story of the day was on yesterday's front page by our science writer Helen Altonn.

She cited a study from an international scientific convention attended by 10,000 here that said beer may reduce heart disease and cataracts by as much as 50 percent.

We've already learned -- scientifically -- that a little wine is good for you. Wow, beer, too.

Now if only scientists can come up with something beneficial about single malt Scotch.

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS:

Georgia Southern's 27-25 victory over Montana for the NCAA Division I-AA football championship was a good news, bad news for UH fans.

Good news in that Georgia Southern coach Paul Johnson was formerly with the Rainbows. The bad news? Montana is on UH's schedule next fall.

If Johnson calls seeking a game, UH should hang up.