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Aikman makes bad call
saying Pro Bowl should
be scrapped

The Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium Sunday on a beautiful sunny Hawaiian day was a huge success. Besides the immediate effect on our visitor industry from all the people who came here for the game, the TV exposure of Hawaii's beauty will bring future benefits. Players interviewed on TV said they love playing in the game. Their comments sack former Dallas quarterback and TV NFL games analyst Troy Aikman hard. Aikman said he'd like to see an end to the Pro Bowl and added that most players feel the same way. While here, some pros gave football clinics and good advice to isle youngsters. The AFC beat the NFC, 38-27. But this was a fun game in which players, 50,000 people in Aloha Stadium, millions watching on TV, and Hawaii all came out winners ... Philadelphia Pro Bowl QB Donovan McNabb and his mom, Wilma, well known for her Campbell's Chunky Soup commercials, dined at Morton's while here ...

Readers stand tall for steel guitar players

Wallace Pfeifer of Joliet, Ill., is disappointed that in last Saturday's column I didn't mention Hawaii's great steel guitarists of past years who could have been nominated for Grammy recognition if there had been a Hawaiian category. Wallace is right. David Kelii, Jules Ah See, Pua Almeida, Billy Hew Len and Barney Isaacs are the steel artists he mentioned -- and there are more. Mainlander Lorene Ruymar also stood up for steel guitarists in an e-mail. Ukulele players such as Bill Tapia, Herb Ohta, Eddie Kamae, Jake Shimabukuro, Byron Yasui, Lyle Ritz, Eddie Bush, Benny Chong, Gordon Mark and others deserve recognition, too. Since the slack key album was a surprise winner this year, perhaps next year's Grammy nominees will include another instrumental album. It may be "Byrd's Nest," on Keala Records, a tribute to steel guitarist Jerry Byrd. The "Nest" is made up of Alan Akaka, Paul Kim, Casey Olsen and Greg Sardinha, all fine steel guitarists ...

Cole Haan opened at Ala Moana Center last week with a blessing by Kahu John Keola Lake. Cole Haan officials Peter Christman, Robert Dunn and Scott Fedje flew in for the opening. Vien Ngonethong is store manager ... An opening reception for artist-photographer Tracy Wright Corvo's exhibiton will be held at South Street Gallery at Frame Arts Hawaii March 4 ...

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