Friday, February 1, 2002
Klompus’ hard WAILUKU >> For nearly 20 years, Lenny Klompus and his partner and wife Marcia (Cherner) Klompus, have made big things happen in Hawaii sports: namely, the Aloha, Oahu and Hula bowls, and the Aloha State Games. They were "thinking out of the box" long before the term became a cliche, and their creativity and connections helped revive the struggling State Games and Hula Bowl. Less than two years after they sold the Aloha and Oahu bowls, the games no longer exist in Hawaii, but the Hula Bowl appears to be going strong. The Baltimore, Md., native sat down for an interview yesterday at War Memorial Stadium, site of tomorrow's game, and spoke on a variety of subjects.
work shows
at Hula Bowl
Hawaii's bowl guru believes there is a clear
need for the departed bowl games to return
By Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.comStar-Bulletin: Let's start off with the news. There have been conflicting reports about the Hula Bowl moving back to Honolulu or remaining on Maui. What can you tell us today?
Lenny Klompus: One of the reasons we came to Maui was because we wanted a grass field. The practice fields are great. We live here, we work here, we have every intention of remaining here. It's just a matter of working out the details.
Yes, we've received inquiries. Yes, people have asked if we would come back to Oahu. But right now the goal is to work something out to stay here.
SB: Is there something you need from Maui that you're not getting?
LK: The mayor (Kimo Apana) and the former mayor (Linda Lingle) did everything they could to assist this event. That's why it's called the Hula Bowl Maui.
SB: What about your new marketing tie-in with the Pro Bowl, which is on Oahu, and that in coming years, the games will be held within a day or two of each other?
LK: Trying to do two events in one week creates a challenge, being on two different islands. But you're talking about an 18-minute flight, and I think it is doable. Would it be easier on one island? Sure it would. But you have to weigh your negatives and your positives. Right now we're happy being where we are.
SB: How much of a concern is it that players drop out of the game? The number of scratches seems to get bigger each year. Is there anything you can do about the competition with the other all-star games?
LK: I think we've got about 20 guys on our rosters who are playing in only this game. A lot are playing in just one. Every game wanted Dusty Bonner, he's only playing in ours. Eric Crouch could have played in any game, he's only playing in ours. So, we certainly could move up in front of the East-West game and play in January, but then we lose our Pro Bowl deal. What makes more sense? Players signing and getting hurt, or being advised not to take flights, or whatever may be, that happens to all the games. The Senior Bowl had Joey Harrington as someone who didn't show up. The worst part about where we are is that after three games, the injuries mount, not unlike a football season. So I'm not sure we're having fallout from anything, in the majority sense, other than injuries.
SB: Legitimate injuries?
LK: Legitimate injuries.
SB: You must be happy with the ESPN situation, a new five-year contract.
LK: Happy with the ESPN situation, happy with the Heisman relationship, we've had the Heisman winner four of the last six years. Lots of other name players. That's why ESPN wants to do our game. We're the only all-star game in prime time. There's a tie-in promo with the NHL all-star game on ABC, so the Disney relationship has been very positive.
SB: The coaches association, the AFCA, helps you a lot, too, doesn't it?
LK: They really are our closest partner and ally. Grant Teaff and the 11,000 coaches that he's executive director of feel very strongly about this game and have their coaches of the year coach the game. And the coaches sending their players has been critical to our success.
SB: What are your thoughts on the Aloha and Oahu bowl situation?
LK: For Marcia and me, it broke our hearts. We did them for 18 years. Because of a loss of our child and my mother, it was the right time to step back and not do all the work.
There clearly needs to be a bowl game. I think the NCAA would like to see a bowl game back in Hawaii. I know the coaches I've talked to miss it. I don't see any reason in the world why there can't be one.
SB: Did you get out because of the proliferation of bowl games?
LK: Not really. It was the personal situation more than anything else. It just took a lot out of us, emotionally. Marcia, always an upbeat person, was not the same. She's coming back now. People on Maui have helped, been really supportive. It was personal. We had the game on solid ground. We had Chrysler signed on five more years. ABC had signed on four years the day I left. ESPN for three more. The games were healthy, vibrant and alive.
SB: Was the two-game concept biting off a little too much?
LK: I've been accused of being P.T. Barnum, maybe it was a little too P.T. Barnum-ish, but I don't think we bit off too much. It was a great idea on paper. I think it worked better with both games on the same day. Did we bite off more than we could chew? Not from a logistical viewpoint, but maybe from a fan's viewpoint of sitting through two football games.
SB: How much of the doubleheader concept was a pilot for a possible national college football final four, so that when a playoff finally came about, you'd be the one with the track record of being able to do it?
LK: About 75 percent of it. Clearly it was an opportunity to show it could be done. There were a lot of NCAA officials here to see it, and they said, "This could work." We did do it. We did everything we said we were going to do, and probably a little bit more. You can play a doubleheader. The question is, is anyone going to sit there and stay that long?
SB: Judging from that, you're for a playoff system?
LK: When I was on that side of it, I was one of the few bowl people for a playoff. I'm against bowl tie-ins. I believe in playoffs, and getting rid of the bowl tie-ins. I don't think they're good for college football. When we had to compete for teams, it was frustrating, but we are built on American capitalism.
SB: Is Christmas Day the right day for a game?
LK: When we started, we were up against the Sun Bowl. We beat them in the ratings and they got out. We owned Christmas Day. I like playing on Christmas Day, I don't know if the stadium personnel did, but ABC did, still does. They put another game in there in a New York minute. I hope it will come back and Hawaii will get that time slot back. Coaches and athletic directors and conference commissioners will tell you, that time slot on ABC is worth $750,000. So while the game only pays $800,000, they made a lot from the TV.
SB: Your name comes up often in discussions about who the next athletic director at the University of Hawaii might be. What do you see yourself doing in the future?
LK: There was a time when that was appealing, and I've been asked about it, and A.D. at the University of Maryland, that was my dream job. I've been approached about running for public office, and I find that interesting. The thing I enjoy most about what I do is making people happy and helping people. A lot of what I do does have to do with politics in one way or another. Business is different than politics, but there are a lot of similarities, the biggest being working with people to achieve something that will help as many people as possible.
SB: Is there a timetable on that?
LK: I just made 50, so not too far from now, but nothing right away.
Hula Bowl