Sidelines
THEY waited so long that they ran out of guests at yesterday's meeting of the Honolulu Quarterback Club. They did everything they could to stall. They called departing KGMB-TV sports reporter Ross Shimabuku out of the crowd for an impromptu oration. ‘Answer man’ Jones
justifies suspenseClub president Al Minn went from standup comedy to a "Mr. Science" speech to finally -- at Les Keiter's humorous, emphatic request -- lucky number drawings to keep things moving.
Time dragged. The clock ticked. But nobody moved.
They wouldn't dare. Football was in the air and the size of the crowd showed it. Everyone was packed into the room, waiting. Everyone, that is, except for the one man who was missing. The guest of honor, June Jones.
And with every rustle, all eyes were on the door.
The man knows how to make an entrance. Give him that. He kept them waiting and wanting and hanging on, letting the anticipation build. Making his arrival even bigger.
Finally, after former University of Hawaii athletic director Paul Durham had told the joke of the man with one eye (he had "20" vision), Jones swooped in. There he was, coming in at 12:44 p.m. for an 11:30 a.m. luncheon. And they loved him. Now that's style.
He headed for the mike. No time for speeches. Straight to questions. Jones said he'd been watching film after meetings and had lost track of time. The season is coming. He's excited, too. So let's get started.
And so the questions came, and all the answers were easy.
He may still feel a little sore, he may time his arrivals to avoid sitting down. But the swagger is back.
JUNE JONES IS a study in confidence:
There was a report that your defense isn't very good. "I haven't read it, but whatever it was, it was probably wrong."
Have you talked to President Dobelle? "His expectations are high, which I like, because mine are, too."
Will freshmen contribute? "We have some freshmen coming in that were some of the best players in the country last year."
How will you replace Dennis McKnight? "We will do a better job than when Dennis was here."
Are defensive players scarce? "Before I got here, offensive players were scarce, too."
Will Kevin Lempa have an attacking defense? "We attack more than anybody we play. ... We blitz 70 percent of the game. Nobody in the country does that."
Simple. Direct. Self-assured.
Jones told the story of how he convinced multiple Super Bowl coach Dan Reeves to draft Kynan Forney. "I said, 'Dan, let me tell you something. I've looked at your line ...' "
Pure swagger.
And Reeves bought it. Jones was right. Forney may start.
Is it any wonder a room full of fans will sit and wait to see what pronouncements Jones will make next?
At last the questions dried up. He'd matched their expectations. He'd worn them out.
Jones apologized again for being late. "I hope you just had seconds on the food," he said. But all was forgiven. A man with all the answers gets the benefit of the doubt every time.
Kalani Simpson's column runs Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays.
He can be reached at ksimpson@starbulletin.com