THE WRIGHT STUFF

Chatt Wright will leave huge shoes for HPU to fill

Chatt Wright lives up to his name once again. The president of Hawaii Pacific University has been the right leader for a school that has grown in enrollment, funding and stature since he took the helm in 1976. And now he's leaving the right way, too: announcing his retirement a year in advance so the private college has plenty of time to find a worthy successor. That won't be easy, given the way Wright has poured his heart and soul into the school. He's earned the rest, and we wish him well as he transitions into a new role. Wright's last day as president will be June 30, 2011, but anyone who knows him understands that he'll be advocating for HPU long after that.

FAN CLUB

The idiot seen 'round the world

If you have a Facebook page, you probably know that a fan page sprung up almost immediately after the tsunami warning on Saturday responding to the TV images of a man wading off Waikiki Beach during the height of the scare. The fan page is called “;The idiot who was swimming in Waikiki during the tsunami warning.”; Also, a video of “;the stupid idiot”; has been posted on YouTube.

WHAT A SPORT

Get your tickets, and your Sharpie, now for January's Pro Bowl

All right, sports fans, the wait is over. It's back.

The Pro Bowl is returning to Hawaii — though unlike past years, when the NFL all-star game came a week after the big Super Bowl, the 2011 edition will be played a week before the championship game. The Pro Bowl is scheduled for Jan. 30 and will be televised live on FOX; kickoff will be 2 p.m. at Aloha Stadium.

The recent Pro Bowl was played in Florida, disappointing many Hawaii fans — and NFL stars — who had gotten used to the event being here for the last three decades. The Hawaii Tourism Authority will pay $4 million per year to host the Pro Bowl for the next two years; in 2009, the event reaped $28.6 million in visitor spending.

“;We know how much the Pro Bowl means to our residents, the players and to the thousands of fans from the mainland who enjoy visiting our state for the game,”; said Mike McCartney, the tourism authority's CEO.

Fans and autograph hounds, get those footballs and Sharpies ready.