Sidelines
First we heard from the AstroTurf people, and now along come the FieldTurf guys. FieldTurf guys up
against AstroTurf people"I do agree that any 'studies' conducted are much like those of the tobacco industry," concedes FieldTurf marketing coordinator Darren Gill, before presenting two very impressive studies of his own. "But these numbers speak for themselves."
They do. Of course, the AstroTurf people say the same thing. And there were a variety of factors toward all those BYU injuries at Aloha Stadium this season. And that turf is still relatively new.
And the people who actually do make these decisions have already made them. At least for another year.
"I've got my fingers crossed that we will be selected," Gill says.
>> Nebraska lost a starting safety to an ACL and LCL knee injury on FieldTurf this spring.
>> Nothing's perfect.
>> It's clear that at times the ESPN commentators at the NFL Draft would say anything just to keep talking. Ron Jaworski knew about as much about Ashley Lelie as Billy Packer did about Rainbow basketball.
But at least Billy had the decency to just stare blankly.
>> Jaworski was half right. Lelie is not the most polished receiver in the draft. But all that stuff about the run-and-shoot offense and exploiting holes in a soft zone?
No, no, that was Craig Stutzmann's highlight tape.
>> David Carr might become a great pro and is the No. 1 pick, but he was still the third-best quarterback to play at Aloha Stadium last fall.
The best was Ben Roethlisberger from Miami (Ohio).
>> So despite a successful tenure as men's volleyball coach, Mike Wilton has to wring 1-year contracts out of UH, and when people ask him about negotiations to keep him here he never seems to have any answers. (Or leverage.)
All this BYU speculation must make him smile. Maybe when nobody's looking. At least a little bit.
>> I am not a fan of these soap operas on steroids that some call "wrestling," but it is a lot of fun to hear Serious News Anchor Joe Moore refer to a person as "The Rock."
>> Kind of like the same kick I get out of hearing Jim Leahey's voice on "Felicity" promos: "Wednesday night at 7, on K-5!"
>> Best interview of the post-NFL Draft mess:
Robert Kekaula: "I can't believe somebody didn't pick you up."
Nick Rolovich: "I knowwww!"
Jeff Spicoli lives.
>> Good to see Brian Smith sign on with the Ravens. I was wondering what had happened that we hadn't heard his name in all this NFL talk, especially after his having quietly been Hawaii's best offensive lineman last season.
>> Yes, better than him. And him. And him. And him.
>> California fans are getting excited about next season's high school football doubleheader. I received an e-mail from a guy who is already making his travel plans and was asking about game officials, "considering the magnitude of these two games."
>> June Jones said back in August that Nate Jackson would go to Tennessee. Wow.
Kalani Simpson can be reached at ksimpson@starbulletin.com