Hula Bowl still getting its affairs in order

The owner still owes money from last year, but says there will be a game

The Hula Bowl still doesn't have Aloha Stadium officially booked for the date it wants next month, but a stadium official said yesterday he believes the college all-star game will be played Jan. 14.

Events manager Scott Chan said Hula Bowl owner Nick Logan still owes the stadium around $37,000 from last year's event, but Logan was in town last week and has made arrangements to pay the amount.

"We're in the process of addressing the concerns. We cannot make it official. The contract is still not in place," Chan said. "We're hoping for it to be in place by next week. We hope to have dialogue next week."

Logan earlier paid $10,000 from last year's leftover debt.

Logan, who has booked coaches and players and is promoting the game, said it is on.

"We are going to have a game," Logan said last Friday. "That's definite."

Hawaii Pacific Entertainment president Lincoln Jacobe said his company's lawsuit against Logan's Pineapple Productions is now in mediation. A Circuit Court suit alleges that Logan's company owes Jacobe's more than $100,000 for work in conjunction with last year's game.

"We are working on getting everyone paid," Logan said.

As of yesterday, ticket information was not available at the Hula Bowl Hawaii web site.

University of Hawaii players Ikaika Alama-Francis, Tala Esera, Nate Ilaoa, Leonard Peters, Melila Purcell, Samson Satele and Dane Uperesa have been invited to play in the game.

Esera said he probably can't because it overlaps with the reporting date for the East-West Shrine Game, which he will play in. Satele declined because he has been invited to the Senior Bowl.

The others haven't accepted yet.

"I heard I would be invited to that," Uperesa said. "Right now I'm just waiting to see if there's an opening in the Shrine Game. I'm just waiting and seeing. I'll try to have a good (Hawaii) bowl game and go from there."