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Jones’ door always
open for athletes

ALL these awards for Chad Owens are incredible. And well-deserved. What a senior season. What a cap to a great career.

(And imagine how great that career would have been had he been allowed to return punts the whole time.)

It's a heart-warming story. A walk-on who went on to All-America honors.

But it also brings another issue to the forefront.

Hawaii's best receiver, in this passing offense -- this team's best player, really -- is a walk-on.

And before him, Ashley Lelie, who also earned All-America honors (third team) and is now playing for pay, was a walk-on.

Now, you can look at this two ways. One, this is June Jones' dream come true. That when you roll out this offense, you will have all kinds of great receivers -- and other players, too -- just showing up. That's great.

(And yes, I know Lelie technically showed up to play in another offense, but that is not the point.)

On the other hand you could say it says something about your recruiting, if many of the best players you've had are the ones who just showed up.

It's a half-empty, half-full argument, and we know in any half-empty, half-full argument Jones' cup is not only overflowing, it's the best cup of coffee he's ever had, even better than the coffee they drink in the pros. And I have to say that Owens and Lelie give him a good point on this one.

But that's not the only point. You can look at this two ways.

Myself, I look at it both ways.

Owens' accomplishments are a great thing. But they give you something else to think about, too.

» For goodness sakes, pau already with all this "Big Matt," "Little Matt" business. I can't take it any more, gonfunit!

I'm going with "Matt Gibson" and "Matthew Gipson," because that's how Matthew first introduced himself to me.

(I then had him say for the record that -- even though he didn't care, either way, whatever, etc. -- Matthew was his official preferred name. We're not going through this "Timmy" "Tim" business again.)

» Was dying to write the "first Eddie Aikau in years" column. But it would have turned into the "stuck in traffic trying to make it to the Eddie Aikau" column. And the "parking half onto the highway, then walking 7.5 miles to Waimea Bay" column and the "returning to find my car washed away into the ocean by raging massive surf" column.

Actually, that sounds like a pretty good column. Should have done it.

» Corrections department: "Our" Olympian Bryan Clay is not an "Oahu native," as I wrote last week. Let's go to Dave Reardon for the real story: "He went to Castle and lived most of his childhood in Hawaii, but was born in Austin, Texas."

I hate it when I do that.

» Corrections department, part II: Jim Barahal is not the executive director of the Honolulu Marathon. He is the marathon's president. But apparently he does not mind being misidentified, as I have been promised more comfortable accommodations for next year.

Making the race start at an hour when people are actually AWAKE would be a good start.

» Just kidding. As long as I don't have to actually run the marathon, like our boss, editor Frank Bridgewater, I should be fine. Congratulations, Frank. I think I hurt myself just riding that far in the back of a truck.

» I don't want to say College Football News made some "daring" picks on its All-America teams, but I think I made honorable mention.

» This quote hit me. Riley Wallace, on his angioplasty: "You can mistake it for indigestion if you don't really have a feel for it."

Oh my goodness, he's had so many of these he has "a feel for it"!

Welcome back, Coach. Stay well.

» Write it down. This Rainbow Wahine volleyball team has a national championship in its future.

» Here we go from a reader:

"I enjoy hearing you on the radio, and enjoy the attempts by the participants at humor."

COMMENT: "Attempts." Yes. Well, just let me know if we ever get one.