Maui Sports

It’s the time of the year when the word “bubble” returns to the basketball lexicon – as in teams on the proverbial bubble to make the 65-team field of the Big Dance. With four days to go before Selection Sunday, there are lots of unanswered questions regarding who’s in and who’s out of the NCAA […]

After several years of collectively struggling in the state prep basketball tournaments, MIL teams gave solid account of themselves and their league last week, compiling an overall record of 5-6. Leading the way was Molokai, which advanced to the semifinals before finishing fourth in Division-II following losses to Castle, 57-44, and Kohala, 70-55. Farmers’ center […]

By nature, I don’t surprise easily.  But I was stunned to learn last night that the Dallas Cowboys had released wide receiver Terrell Owens, although there had been persistent rumors that he might be cut in order to improve morale in a sharply-divided locker room. Shocked, because TO, for all the controversy that he invariably […]

In an effort to show us how knowledgeable they are about the inner workings of the NBA, some cynical media pundits will fill your heads about how this is the start of the tanking season. That’s when the weaker pro teams allegedly begin losing in an effort to enhance their lottery positions. Call me naïve, […]

Reports of the Pro Bowl’s permanent departure from Hawaii were premature. The Hawaii Tourism Authority – under pressure from fans and politicians – apparently will reconsider and approve an offer to host the game in 2011 and 2012. The proposed deal would bring back the game for those two years, although it would be played […]

As the state girls’ basketball tournaments tipped off last week, we noted that the MIL, whose champions were relegated to No. 4 seeds, had to earn respect the old-fashioned way – on the court — after years of coming up short in their annual visits to Oahu. And the two teams did just that. Molokai […]

It’s a sad truth in the NFL that, in this salary cap era, it’s next to impossible for an athlete to play his entire career with the same team.  We’ve seen it in the past, and we’re seeing it again this year. The latest victims of this reality are a pair of players who will […]

As details continue to leak out regarding why the University of Hawaii placed Jim Bolla on administrative leave in the middle of the season, it’s evident that he will not be returning as head coach of the struggling women’s basketball program. Regardless of the outcome of a probe on the latest allegations against Bolla, the […]

You can’t make those who write or commentate about baseball happy.  I speak from experience, because I’ve done both. My colleagues are the self-appointed moral compasses of the game in a fashion you don’t see in those who cover other sports.  Predictably, they have taken on the roles of judge and jury in the never-ending […]

Rainbow Wahine basketball coach Jim Bolla is under fire, and it’s not just for another season of dismal results on the court. Bolla was placed on indefinite paid leave last week for undisclosed reasons, although reports have since emerged that the cause of the action is an alleged physical confrontation with a player that recently […]

Living up to its No. 1 seed, Seabury Hall eased into today’s semifinals of the state boys Division-II soccer tournament with a decisive 3-0 victory over Honokaa yesterday. The Spartans, who captured the unofficial MIL overall title by posting a 10-1-1 mark despite its small-school status, will face fourth-seeded Kapaa of Kauai in a 3 […]

Many outstanding college players – as is the case annually – recently opted to forego their final season of eligibility by applying  for early entry into the NFL draft. There was one standout junior who also left school after three years, but not for the typical reason.  This hard-hitting safety from Florida State, projected as […]

The landscape of prep sports is being altered all over the country, as the continued economic downturn continues to force school districts and states to make some tough financial decisions. We saw it in Hawaii last year, when an effort to cut junior varsity sports was barely averted.  But the times have gotten tougher since […]

The King Keakulike girls’ soccer team won’t have much time to rest on its laurels. A pair of early goals by Mia Minkler lifted Kekaulike to a 2-1 victory over fourth-seeded Hilo on Thursday and earned Na Alii a berth in the semifinals of the state Division-I soccer tournament. Kekaulike faces a huge challenge in […]

It’s kind of sad really.  The Pro Bowl will be played for the 30th — and possibly last – time at Aloha Stadium on Sunday.  Yet, there is little buzz about what has long ranked the state’s biggest sporting event of the year. Forget all the marketing baloney about how 25,000 fans come from the […]

If you agree with the theory that recruiting is the lifeblood of any successful college football program, then you can make a strong case that this is the most important day of the year on the college football calendar. It’s the first day that a new crop of talented high school seniors can sign binding […]

Last week, I was grumbling about the winter woes of University of Hawaii teams, who – at that time – had lost a combined 18 games. Wouldn’t you know it?  Each of those teams ended their respective losing streaks since then. None more impressively than the men’s volleyball team.  Off to a 1-6 start and […]

The pen may be mightier than the sword, but Hawaii’s BJ Penn was not mightier than Georges St. Pierre, confirming the old sports adage that a good big man almost invariably beats a good little man. Historically, that’s been the case in boxing, with a long list of light-heavyweight champions who have gotten their clocks […]

<p>For fans of University of Hawaii athletics, this has been a winter of discontent.   A last-gasp victory last night over LaTech ended a streak of 18 combined losses by UH teams.</p> <p>Following an encouraging start, the men’s basketball team had lost five in a row and nine straight on the road.  But a 54-53 win […]

I attended an basketball game on Friday night and a free-throwing shooting contest broke out.  In a showdown that was as  sloppily played as it was intense and dramatic, Baldwin needed overtime to hold off visiting Lahainaluna 61-56 in one of the two marquee hoops matchups of the MIL weekend. The game featured 38 turnovers, […]