Chargers game in Hawaii
intrigues Steeg

San Diego's new chief operating
officer has begun talks with
the state's tourism chairman

Sellout crowds of 50,000 have packed Aloha Stadium nearly every year for the Pro Bowl since 1980. Sunday's NFL All-Star game was no exception, as around 49,000 attended the AFC's 38-27 victory over the NFC.

But how many fans would turn out for an NFL preseason exhibition game in Hawaii?

That's the question being kicked around now.

Sunday was the last event for Jim Steeg as the person in charge of putting on the Super Bowl and Pro Bowl for the NFL. Steeg's new job is chief operating officer of the San Diego Chargers, and he's open to the idea of bringing the team to Hawaii for a preseason game.

"I don't know what the league's thinking will be, but it is something we're interested in," Steeg said.

No year and opponent for the Chargers have been pinpointed, but Steeg has had informal preliminary discussions with Hawaii Tourism Authority chairman Rex Johnson.

"We've talked a little bit about it," Johnson said. "A couple of West Coast teams would probably be kind of nice. We will take a look at the numbers and see what would make sense. It's real general right now, but we actually have been talking about an exhibition game for years. The numbers were always too horrendous, but there are some factors now that make it look better. Once Jim gets ensconced with the Chargers we'll look at the numbers and see if it makes sense."

Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann talked about bringing an NFL game to Hawaii during his campaign last year, but he admits "there are a lot of hurdles."

Hannemann also explored the possibility when he was director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) in the 1990s. He worked closely with the NFL at the time, negotiating contracts to keep the Pro Bowl in Hawaii.

Now, the NFL rotates a foreign preseason game each year. Hannemann said a game in Hawaii is much more likely if it can be designated as such a game, thus getting lots of NFL support.

"It would lessen our financial risks," he said. "But it's not a slam-dunk proposition."

Especially if the NFL is not heavily involved.

"You have to try to lure private-sector financial support," Hannemann said.

The mayor said such a game would be a boon for tourism.

"Wouldn't it be a wonderful promotion to be able to say the NFL begins and ends in Hawaii?" Hannemann said.

State tourism liaison Marsha Wienert said the state would "welcome a preseason NFL game, but it needs to be privately funded."

The state, through the HTA, will pay the NFL a total of $16 million to host the next four Pro Bowls.

Lenny Klompus is now senior advisor to Gov. Linda Lingle. He and his wife, Marsha, used to own and operate Bowl Games Hawaii, which put on the Aloha Bowl and Hula Bowl, as well as other sports events.

He set up a deal in which the Houston Oilers and Chargers agreed to play in an exhibition game at Aloha Stadium in 1992. But Aloha Stadium became unavailable late in the preparations, and the game was scrapped.

"The finances were worked out, but the stadium had construction or something," Klompus said.

"It was doable then, and it's doable now," Klompus said. "Of course, a deal isn't good unless both parties are happy."

The best teams for such a game would be ones with players with Hawaii ties, like the Denver Broncos, with kicker Jason Elam and receiver Ashley Lelie. Most importantly, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen is a part-time Hawaii resident. Hannemann said he has talked with Bowlen several times over the years about bringing the Broncos to Hawaii.

Travel might be an obstacle, especially for teams that aren't on the West Coast. Even if it is the first preseason game, coaches won't want to waste time and energy with extra travel when they must evaluate players trying to make the team.

"Clearly, the teams should be from the West Coast," Klompus said.

The San Francisco 49ers seem to be the ideal opponent for the Chargers. Although they've suffered in the standings, the 49ers remain extremely popular among Hawaii fans. And they have two former University of Hawaii standouts, linebacker Jeff Ulbrich and defensive tackle Isaac Sopoaga.

"Guarantee, the 49ers would be a sellout," said Aloha Stadium manager Eddie Hayashi. "A preseason NFL game would be good for the state. We have the biggest stadium in the Pacific, and we've proved with the Pro Bowl that people here love football."