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The Way I See It
I realized what strong, compassionate leadership can mean to a group of men when I spoke with Lui Fuga last week. Leadership is what
makes Jones specialThe rock-solid defensive lineman was solemnly pumping weights several hours after University of Hawaii head football coach June Jones' near-fatal car crash last week.
But when asked how he was feeling, he blurted his emotions with the unfettered sincerity of a child.
"He's like a daddy to us,'' said the 6-foot-2, 326-pounder from Waipahu.
"I felt like I wanted to cry. It was like somebody stabbed me."
Jones' pain was eliciting an unabashedly tender response from a man gripping iron to maintain himself in a sport that demands total machismo.
It impressed me, and it ought to impress you.
But forget the Jones coaching mystique for a second.
I really believe his value lies more in his ability to reach the people who follow him.
If you want to run June Jones for governor because he took your Warriors to a bowl game in 1999 and you expect more, then you're missing the point.
The colonial troops who sat through a frigid winter with Washington at Valley Forge didn't do it because they knew he was going to lead them to victory over the British regulars.
Heck, they just wanted to survive the cold.
They held together under Washington because they believed in the man.
Not every leader can make his followers feel that way.
Anyone who's ever been caught in a vacuum of leadership knows how desolate a feeling it is.
There's nothing worse than a leader who's unable to offer direction, counsel, understanding and comfort when his team is in crisis.
Jones showed a patient dedication to his players through a dismally disappointing second season.
He didn't grab anyone by the face mask and toss him to the turf.
Instead, he stuck by an interception-prone freshman quarterback, allowing him to blossom offensively.
He also kept his staff intact.
It strikes me that Jones is a secure personality in a leadership position.
And that's not really such a common virtue these days -- on the field or in the office.
There are some coaches who would've been ready to offer their players, the administration and the media for public crucifixion rather than accept blame for a bad run.
Hugh Yoshida is trotting out the assistants to handle spring ball while Jones lies on his back in a hospital bed.
But even now the players have no doubt who's in charge.
I'd say any man who can instill the same confidence in his followers while tethered to IVs and breathing apparatus as he did while he was on his feet is a true leader.
HEY, look, I'm as sorry as anyone that the UH men's basketball team can't win on the road.
I've seldom been around a more decent bunch and they deserve a lot better than the odds offer on this trip.
But in case you haven't leafed through your program lately, winning road seasons are almost as rare in the history of Hawaii basketball as tsunami that have hit Waikiki.
Only twice (1996-97, 1997-98) since Riley Wallace took over in 1987-88 has Hawaii been able to break even or win more than it's lost on the road.
Prior to Wallace's tenure, you have to go back to Red Rocha's seasons of 23-5 in 1970-71 and 24-3 in 1971-72 to find Rainbow Warrior road success.
Pat Bigold has covered sports for daily newspapers
in Hawaii and Massachusetts since 1978.
Email Pat: pbigold@starbulletin.com
