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Sidelines Kalani Simpson |
It takes a QB
to make Jones smileTHERE are fewer empty seats when the Hawaii head football coach comes to speak at the Honolulu Quarterback Club.
They had to bring in an extra table for the overflow, yesterday, when June Jones showed up on the day before spring practice began.
One regular, walking in a minute or two late, was stunned: "Hey! Ho, somebody took my seat!"
A lady sat in the front row wearing an Ashley Lelie Denver Broncos jersey.
And even Quarterback Club "Head Coach" Chris Faria seemed surprised by the turnout as he scanned the crowd.
"I see someone very familiar to me," he said. "She happens to be my wife."
Yes, it was not the usual crowd the Honolulu Quarterback Club had come to expect.
"I just mentioned to Ben (Yee, Na Koa booster club vice president), it's amazing so many people came to hear him talk," former UH athletic director Paul Durham said.
Wait a minute. Stop. Kalani, is your column every Tuesday simply going to be a recap of Paul Durham's jokes?
Maybe.
Depends on the jokes.
But back to the program. Durham was recalling the year and a half before Jones was hired, when UH was in the midst of its horrid 0-18 streak:
"We, as members of the Quarterback Club, became distraught," he said.
"That's a great word, 'distraught,' " Durham continued.
"I don't know how to spell it. And I don't know what it means ..."
It was that kind of day on the dais.
Yee spoke, mentioning that Na Koa is a "year-round" organization (they'll take your money all year round). Unfortunately, he did not cry. I mention that only because Vili "the Warrior" Fehoko did.
It was incredible. He was sobbing, talking about all the good things that had happened to him in life, thanking everyone.
It was as if he had won an "Oscar."
"Mr. Vili," a voice from the crowd began, when emotions had finally settled down.
"Yes?"
"When you wear all your makeup, you look like a mean, vicious warrior," the man said. "But when you take it off you look like a gentleman."
"I love you."
How could Jones follow this?
Well, he had to try.
"Have you decided who your quarterback is going to be?" Durham asked.
OK, he had to try again.
But Jones rolled with it. He was with the mood of the room. It seemed like he'd recharged the batteries a little, this offseason, which is a good thing. Because last season he was a little tense.
Not yesterday. Not even when Jim Leahey launched into a question and Jones launched into an answer and Leahey answered his cell phone.
"You're not even listening!" Jones said.
But overall, he felt loved.
It is April, not August. And these shenanigans could make anybody smile. But Jones seemed more relaxed than I've seen him in a long time.
"His brow," Les Keiter rumbled, "is not furrowed."
That's good news on the first day of spring.
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
Kalani Simpson can be reached at ksimpson@starbulletin.com