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The shape of success
In its 10 years, the Stan Sheriff
Center has helped take University
of Hawaii athletics to another level
It opened with a sellout, coaches in tuxedos and a victory. Ten years later, the Stan Sheriff Center Show is still a hit.
It is hard to imagine what the University of Hawaii's athletic life would be without the on-campus facility that bears the name of its late athletic director.
It is even harder to imagine that many thought 10,000 seats would be too big and too big of an expense.
HOMECOURT ADVANTAGEHow University of Hawaii teams have fared at the Stan Sheriff Center:
Overall record: 592-150 .798
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Sheriff, who died some 19 months before the arena opened, never wavered. The former All-America football player held the line at a minimum of 10,000 seats - he had hoped for 15,000 and skyboxes - and, with the backing of then-Gov. John Waihee, it was built.
Just as in the movie "Field of Dreams," they did come. And continue to do so. Often.
There have been 42 sellouts in the 742 games played by UH's arena sports - 22 for men's basketball, 12 for women's volleyball, eight for men's volleyball.
The overall winning percentage for the teams in the SSC, including women's basketball, is .798. Leading the way is the Rainbow Wahine volleyball team, which is 194-14 (.933) and has won 33 straight at home heading into tonight's match with Rice.
The Wahine volleyball program is the first to draw more than 1 million fans (1,475,631 prior to tonight) and has led the nation in attendance the past nine seasons.
Warrior volleyball has no equal among men's programs, averaging on a single night more than most teams do in a single year.
Hawaii players and their opponents have come to love the Sheriff Center. The fans, particularly in volleyball, have loved them back.
"I've played volleyball all over the world since leaving here and I've never felt the energy that I felt in here," said former Wahine All-American Heather Bown (1997-98), a member of the past two U.S. Olympic teams. "The fans here don't care who's playing, who's winning or losing. They cheer for the sport and that is rare."
The arena is a key selling point during recruiting. Even after a decade, it looks new.
Sheriff's youngest son, Rich, the arena manager since Day 1, has seen to that.
"The name on the building is what keeps me coming to work every day, the pride I have for my father and his efforts," said the 41-year-old Sheriff. "It has its challenges and, like any job, it's tough at times. But I do enjoy it.
"One of the things I try to strive for with our staff, especially as the building gets older, is that we need to work hard to keep it nice. If it gets rundown, it will taint the fans' enjoyment."
The fans have enjoyed incredible wins and suffered through heart-breaking losses over the 10 years. If memories could buy seats, there would be a sellout every night.
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Best night? The consensus seems to be Hawaii's emotional win over No. 2 Kansas in the 1997 Rainbow Classic championship in men's basketball.
As the Star-Bulletin reported:
"This ...
"was ...
"HUGE.
"If you want to see a bigger win - and one as odds-defying - go rent 'Hoosiers.'
"Last night, the Rainbows were in the ESPNZone, using their oppressive 1-2-2 defense to turn No. 2 Kansas into a crumbled pile of rock chalk, 76-65."
Worst night? It might be hard to choose.
The men's basketball loss to Fresno State in the 1998 NIT quarterfinal? Who can forget when Anthony Carter's fadeaway jumper from just above the free-throw line fell short as time ran out against the Bulldogs, and FSU guard Chris Herren dancing on the scorer's table?
The women's volleyball team seeing its undefeated season ended by Michigan State in the 1995 regional final? Joselyn Robins shanked the serve on match point as Michigan State wore down Hawaii in five. It would have been the Wahine's first trip to the final four since 1988.
"Being up 2-0 with a chance to go to the final four, in front of our home crowd, then going on to lose that match, it had to be one of the most devastating losses in the program's history," Wahine volleyball coach Dave Shoji said. "I think losing that match gave our team the fire for our 1996 run (to the NCAA title match)."
That loss to Michigan State is No. 2 on Rich Sheriff's personal Top 10 moments in the arena, right behind the Hawaii-Kansas game.
Also on his list are two non-athletic events from 1998: the Miss Universe Pageant and the Christina Aguilera concert.
Basketball coach Riley Wallace's list includes Hawaii-Kansas ("No other game could compare") and Hawaii-Michigan State ("Everyone sat there stunned").
"No question that this arena put us on an even keel with the rest of the WAC," said Wallace, the Rainbows' coach since the 1987-88 season. "It seats 10,300, but it looks bigger. It's as good as you see anywhere else."
The official capacity has ranged from 10,031 to 10,300. It varies per event, depending on the needs of television, visiting coaches and corporate sponsors.
The building was designed to allow a future expansion by raising the roof to add another level. The addition would mean another 5,000 seats and the potential for skyboxes or suites.
"Everyone asks what I would have done differently," Rich Sheriff said. "I would have liked to have seen us have the space accommodations for the skyboxes. It would be the final touch to what I consider a great building.
"I know my dad thought 15,000 would be perfect. He didn't want it too small, certainly not smaller than Blaisdell (Arena, 7,500 seats)."
The men's volleyball players enjoyed over-the-top celebrity treatment during the 1995-96 seasons, with teen-aged fans staying until 2 a.m. to get autographs from players such as Aaron Wilton and Yuval Katz. Wilton, now a Warrior assistant, smiles and shakes his head, recalling the times he used to slip out of the arena in a laundry cart.
"The Stanley" has hosted a variety of events, UH and non-UH. NBA preseason exhibitions, Olympic trials, concerts, fund-raisers, high school state tournaments.
It's seen its share of infamous moments, including the brawl between Tennessee and George Washington during the 2000 Rainbow Classic and Utah coach Rick Majerus making an obscene gesture during a WAC basketball game.
Some believe it has its share of ghosts. While Rich Sheriff doesn't believe, his Rhodesian Ridgeback Kobe does.
"His hair stands up every time he goes into the west lobby," Sheriff said of his dog. "My student workers feel like there are. Some think we have a mo-ped ghost, they've heard tires squealing.
"I've heard some pretty strange stuff, but I try to think of a logical, mechanical explanation. But a lot of people have said they feel there's a spirit here."
Some feel that it belongs to Stan Sheriff, who died in 1993. The Special Events Arena was renamed for him in 1998.
"I can't say if my dad is here," Sheriff said. "I'd like to think so, that he's looking down with a big smile on his face and saying, 'That's a good one.'
"He had a vision for this arena, but I don't know if he envisioned the support we'd get for men's and women's volleyball. During the Yuval (Katz) years, the guys were treated like rock stars.
"All I know is there is not a bad seat in the house. I've watched a lot of replays on TV and none ever do justice to being in this building at ... the event."
The Top 10 Moments
In honor of the Stan Sheriff Center's 10th anniversary, the sports staff of the Star-Bulletin voted on the Top 10 moments in the arena's history.
1. Dec. 30, 1997: Hawaii defeats No. 2 Kansas in men's basketball for Rainbow Classic title, 76-65.
2. Feb. 16, 1995: Tes Whitlock's game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer lifts Hawaii over BYU in WAC men's basketball, 73-70.
3. Dec. 13, 1996: Rainbow Wahine volleyball team sweeps BYU 15-10, 15-6, 15-6 in regional final to earn first final-four trip since 1988.
4. Jan. 27, 1996: Rainbow Warriors outlast UCLA in five (16-14, 12-15, 8-15, 15-8, 16-14) for the Outrigger Hotels Invitational volleyball championship in what would be a preview of the national final four months later won by the Bruins.
5. Dec. 8, 1995: Michigan State comes back after losing Games 1 and 2 to hand Hawaii its only loss in 32 matches in the regional final, 6-15, 8-15, 15-10, 15-7, 15-12, denying the Rainbow Wahine their first trip to the volleyball final four since 1988.
6. March 19, 1998: Chris Herren's Fresno State team rallies to top Hawaii 85-83 in the quarterfinal of the NIT, leaving the Rainbows one game short of their first trip to New York City since 1974.
7. Feb. 22, 2001: UH men's basketball crushes TCU 102-87 on senior night. It is the Rainbows' seventh home win in a row and they ride the momentum to the WAC championship and first NCAA tourney berth in seven years.
8. Feb. 21, 2002: In "White Out I" the Rainbow basketball team outlasts Tulsa in overtime 86-85 and goes on to win the WAC championship and earn an NCAA tourney berth for a second consecutive season.
9. April 24, 1999: Clay Stanley sets a Hawaii record, coming off the bench for 50 kills as the Rainbow Warriors eliminate UCLA from the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation playoffs 16-14, 15-11, 14-16. 17-15.
10. Oct. 21, 1994: Wahine volleyball team defeats San Jose State 15-4, 12-15, 15-2, 15-6 as the arena opens with a sellout, the first of 12 for the program that has led the country in attendance every year since.
Honorable mention - Other notable Stan Sheriff moments in chronological order: Dec. 22, 1994: Men's basketball team loses to No. 1 North Carolina 88-76 for the Rainbow Classic championship. Oct. 10, 1996: Newly acquired Shaquille O'Neal and rookie Kobe Bryant team together for the first time as the Los Angeles Lakers top the Denver Nuggets 111-101 in an exhibition game. Oct. 15, 1997: Anthony Carter and Alika Smith dress as Batman and Robin for a near-capacity Midnight Ohana crowd. Nov. 28, 1997: Men's basketball team opens season with an 82-65 win over Indiana. The Hoosiers' locker room floods and coach Bobby Knight walks back to his Waikiki hotel. Feb. 14, 1998: Nani Cockett's final home game draws a women's basketball record crowd of 6,192 as the Wahine defeat SMU 73-69 for their 18th consecutive victory. May 12, 1998: Miss Universe Pageant. Oct. 21, 1998: Christina Aguilera wows a sold-out arena in the first concert featuring an international recording artist. Feb. 19, 1999: In a classic battle of the state's two top boys basketball players, Brandon Brooks leads Punahou to an overtime victory over Julian Sensley's Kalaheo team. Dec. 18, 1999: Penn State defeats Stanford for the NCAA women's volleyball title. July 26, 2000: The UH athletic department unveils its new "H" logo. Dec. 7, 2000: The Rainbow Wahine defeat nemesis Long Beach State 11-15, 15-13, 15-9, 12-15, 15-6 in the NCAA West Regional semifinal, ending a five-match postseason skid against the 49ers dating back to 1989. Oct. 7, 2003: The new-look Lakers, with Karl Malone and Gary Payton, shake off the offseason problems of Kobe Bryant to dismantle the Golden State Warriors, 107-89. May 22, 2004: Konawaena upsets Kahuku in girls basketball 51-41 for the Big Island school's first state championship in any sport.
