ESPN Hawaii

Videos to check out

2009-04-19T09:26:00.004-10:00

Hey guys...checking in on a Sunday to leave you with some great videos.

- Michael Wilbon of PTI vs. Wes Malott of the PBA Tour. If Wilbon wins, he gets an exemption on the PBA Tour.

- Hilo High's Ryan Fukunaga had a monster game against Keaau High on Wednesday from Walter Victor Field. Fukunaga belted two 2-Run Home Runs to go along with a sweet 6-3 Double Play. Many thanks to the good folks at the Hawaii Sports Page for sending in the great shots!

NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: LIVE Blog

2009-04-06T15:16:00.033-10:00

It is that time! The 5 month journey of college hoops ends tonight at Ford Field. The prohibitive favorite is North Carolina, with Psycho-T, Ty Lawson, and an underrated group of role players. Meanwhile, the Michigan State Spartans are technically at home, they will have the crowd in their favor, and they are the hottest team in the tournament.

My Pick: North Carolina

Live blog starts in a bit!

How do you get in touch with us?

E-Mail: Joshpachecoshow@espnhawaii.com
Text: 21227
Twitter: Joshontheradio

(3:25 pm) - Deon Thompson gets the first bucket of the game for UNC. Let's see how much he can contribute. Meanwhile, Goran Suton with a beautiful three right over Psycho-T straight away to give Michigan State the lead, followed by an answer by Danny Green. He hasn't cooled off since Saturday nights win against Villanova

(3:27) - Both teams will run, which should create for a very fun pace. The quicker that Michigan State can baskets offensively, the better they will be. The longer possessions go, the advantage to North Carolina. 8-3 UNC early.

(3:29) - North Carolina has forced three turnovers early, and the last one forces a Suton foul.

(3:30) - Throughout the day, I'll be posting predictions from people you know. Parker McLaughlin posted his via Twitter: "Carolina is going to win but MSU is going to make it a great fight!"

Parker, I couldn't agree more!

(3:32) - As we head to our first media timeout, the Tar Heels haven't cooled from Saturday night's 10 3-pt shooting barrage. Ellington just added one a moment ago, and the Heels are up early.

(3:35) - North Carolina is up 12 early, forcing another turnover, and getting a second straight bucket off of an offensive rebound. 21-7 UNC early.

(3:37) - Interesting stat on Personal Fouls: Michigan State has already been called for 5, while UNC hasn't been whistled yet.

(3:39) - Finally, Carolina gets whistled for two fouls, both on Danny Green. Ellington replaces him, and you really aren't losing anything there. That is how deep and talented the Heels are. 22-8 UNC. Make it 24 as Deon Thompson now has 6 points.

(3:40) - Offensively, the Spartans are not getting quality shots. Too many outside jumpers, where they should be trying to get things inside, and try to attack the interior, especially with Hansbrough out of the game right now.

(3:42) - 24-11 UNC lead going into the under 12 TV Timeout. Outrebounding and outshooting Michigan State. Simple stats explaining why they are way ahead.

(3:49) - Got a call from Jase of our sister station Native FM. I'll be on tonight between 7 and Midnight to recap the championship game in the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, Michigan State turns it over again (the 8th time in the game). They also haven't gotten a basket in the last 6 minutes.

(3:52) - Once you start going down early, you tend to start jacking up contested long bombs. It seems extremely early to do so with 9:44 left in the 1st half and down 22 points, but we are already seeing it from Michigan State. I'm not calling this one over yet. Remember Kansas?

(3:54) - Michigan State has a couple of field goals in a row, but they need the defensive stop to help them out. They got a break with the Hansbrough Goaltend, but they need to put up a 6 to 8 point unanswered run to make a dent in this scoreboard.

(3:56) - Michigan State just turned the ball over for the 9th time after allowing an easy offensive rebound and bucket. I have a feeling this will be a LONG night.

(4:01) - Tough break for Raymar Morgan, getting popped in the face. He's had a tough year, and is definitely a tough kid. Hate to see him leave the game. Ellington just hit a huge three to put UNC up 43-20. This is getting out of hand.

(4:05) - Yet another turnover for Michigan State. Their tenth. North Carolina has 13 points off turnovers. The wheels are definitely coming off in a 23 point game. Goran Suton just got a bucket that they really needed, but can they make a defensive stop?

(4:07) - Via text message at 21227, JE writes: "It's over?" My response: "It was over five minutes ago"

(4:08) - Another TV Timeout here as UNC leads by 23, and it reminds me of what a texter said earlier today during the JPS: "The only way state wins is if they tie Carolinas shoe laces together. Carolina has too many horses for State." You are so right, Bill.

(4:13) - Gotta repost something Via Twitter. Former UConn Husky and now Milwaukee Buck Charlie Villanueva said something kinda funny: "Are u kidding me, this game reminds me when we spank Georgia Tech in the championship game by 20"

(4:14) - Michigan State has gotten within 18 and is shooting the ball a bit better. If they can end the half strong, we might just have a game after all.

(4:18) - Local Comedian Lanai via Twitter: "UNC FACTS: Get 38 Local braddas and sista's going to that school right now and the cafeteria doesnt serve rice." Haha. Facts like those will keep me entertained during this blowout.

(4:21) - 55-34 UNC lead at the half. Largest lead in Championship game history. Back for the second half in a little bit. Time to watch some baseball.

(4:43) - Time to start the second half. MSU must start hot and get back in this game fast. But right off the bat, a Sparty turnover, followed by a Tar Heels giveaway, and a Suton lay-in. Gotta trim the game down quick.

(4:49) - Just over four minutes gone by, and Michigan State has made no headway. That changes with a Suton 3 to get within 18. Ty Lawsom just set a championship game record with 8 steals, and off of the last one, UNC gets a bucket to lead 61-41.

(4:56) - Skip Bayless of ESPN First Take on ESPN2: "I knew my prediction was doomed when Greg AND Seth Davis picked Mich St"..."NC played most dominant half I've seen in title game". I've simply chosen to just ignore Skip Bayless...you?

(4:59) - Crowd is back in it here. 16 point game, which once was 24. But Michigan State still isn't snaring some of these key boards. Second chance bucket is a 3 for Danny Green to make it a 19 point lead, and MSU to the free throw line after the under 12 Time out.

(5:02) - Via InsideHoops.com: "MSU is going to win 193 to 68". Ouch.

(5:10) - 9:32 to go in the game, and it is a 15 point game now in favor of UNC. Still not convinced that this comeback will go far, especially with UNC getting it inside easily and grabbing offensive boards.

(5:12) - 7:33 to go, the lead is back to 19, and the chances are looking slimmer and slimmer. 72-53 UNC.

(5:22) - MSU has gotten it back to 15 with a Suton 3 pointer. How long does Roy Williams go with Ed Davis on the floor? Not long. 4 of the starting five is back on the floor along with Frasor. For Tar Heels fans, its time to stomp on the throat of the Spartans, as Lawsom hits a 2 to get the lead back to 17.

(5:26) - Now down to 13. Even the Magic man is on his feet trying to get his team back in it. But Korie Luscious is down, and that is bad news as Korey is a long range threat.

(5:38) - I gotta give a ton of credit to Michigan State. They have not once given up despite being down consistantly in double digits. This will go down as one of the uglier championship games in history, but Sparty never laid down once.

(5:47) - Not much you could say about this game. Absolute domination by North Carolina en route to an 89-72 win over Michigan State. Wayne Ellington is the Top player of the tournament, and well deserved indeed. This tournament lacked a little bit of excitement, and this championship game definitely echoed that.

Congratulations to the Tar Heels on another National Championship!

Michigan State vs. North Carolina - And Spartan Haters?

2009-04-05T11:26:00.003-10:00

Thanks to all of you who kept track of the live blog here at ESPNHawaii.com of the Final Four. We will do it all again for the championship game at 3 pm on Monday....after the Sparty/Husky live game blog, an "anynymous" Spartans fans chimed in with this

As a Spartan fan it was fun to stumble across your blog. After listening to the commentators tell us how we couldn't beat Louisville, how we couldn't beat USC, how we couldn't beat Kansas... jesus, we had people doubting us against Robert Morris... your earliest comments in the game were coming straight out of UConn's, um, press kit. Give MSU some credit. We've said all year we prefer a run n gun game. You're in a long line of people who didn't believe us.

First of all, I didn't read UConn's press kit, but if I was spot on, then I take that as a compliment, so thanks.

Secondly, yes, most of the media out there didn't think that you would have much of a chance. I won't argue that point. With that said, that is one of the joys of the tourney, where we all get proven wrong and see teams prove us all wrong. I don't mind being proven wrong. After all, I did have BYU in my Final Four. Look how well that went.

But, here's the honest truth. Michigan State was an underdog going into their game against Connecticut. And, you are an UNDERDOG AGAIN against North Carolina. Michigan State will play a very good game, but I believe that the more grizzled team, the team with a bit more experience, which would be North Carolina, will win it late.

So, yeah, I guess I am in a long line of people that didn't believe in you. And I'm staying in that line. I picked North Carolina before the season started, and I'm not jumping off of the bandwagon now.

We'll preview the game after Rays/Red Sox on Monday around 11 am, and then bring you the live blog right here at 3 pm.

NCAA Basketball Live Blog ROUND TWO: Nova/UNC

2009-04-04T15:14:00.028-10:00

So, we know that Michigan State has moved on to the NCAA Championship Game. Will they play the surprise Wildcats of the Big East or the Season Long favorite Tar Heels from the ACC?

How can you get in touch with us?
Twitter: Joshontheradio
E-Mail: joshpachecoshow@espnhawaii.com
Or leave your comment below!

My pick: UNC over Villanova

(3:22) - For some reason I find Jim Nantz's introductions of the starting lineups to be real boring. Where's JE? UNC wins the tip, two rare missed free throws from Tyler Hansbrough, and already two offensive rebounds by Villanova. North Carolina has trailed for the first time since the game against Gonzaga. Nice stat. Heels are real rusty early.

(3:24) - I'm kinda curious as to how much of the 70+ thousand people stayed around for this game, especially since the home state team already played. After a Lawson three, Villanova just grabbed its third offensive rebound of the game. The 'Cats can't be afraid to get to the rim, right now they are acting like the they are afraid. But, if they are going to keep hitting shots, just like Corey Fisher just did, maybe its ok.

(3:28) - Villanova gets another Offensive board into a flush, but yet they trail to the better shooting Tar Heels 10-8 at the first TV Timeout.

(3:33) - Villanova is not in a good position. Down by 9 points and watching the Heels shoot extremely well. Another offensive board by Nova but a block by North Carolina. The Cats finally try to work something inside, but turn it over. The wildcats are shooting 4-16 from the field to start and now trail by 11 as they need an early timeout.

(3:38) - I'm fearing that CBS News may break into coverage soon of this game. Fox News is reporting the following:

"All North Korea would need to launch a rocket appears to be in place, a senior U.S. official told FOX News.

"It would seem everything is aligned and ready," the official said.

The weather conditions appear to be favorable with no precipitation or wind concerns."

(3:39) - Coach Wright has to find a way to work the ball inside. The CBS guys did say that a pick and roll would be a good idea, and I agree, but they are using it to work for outside shots. This one is starting to get ugly.

(3:41) - Clark Kellogg noticed a difference in the long range shooting of both teams. North Carolina is shooting in a nice, calm, comfortable rhythm, while Villanova is hurried and out of sync. The percentages back that up, as UNC is shooting 67%, while the Wildcats are shooting 30% from the field. 26-12 Carolina at the under 12 TV Timeout

(3:46) - North Carolina just hit its fifth three, and we are only halfway through the first half. Villanova is all over the place right now, and right now that doesn't mean anything good. 2 Missed free throws by Villanova, another offensive board, yet no point. Right now if you're Villanova, you can't have empty possessions like they are getting.

(3:51) - Nova finally has a three, but right now they seem really lost defensively. North Carolina is penetrating and kicking and getting the Wildcats out of position. 11 point Tar Heels lead at the Under 8 TV Timeout.

(3:57) - One thing that Villanova has done well is win the battle of Offensive Rebounding, 10-5 right now. But they aren't putting in the second chance points. Down 15 right now, then need to button down defensively and get on a run before the end of the half. There's another offensive board. Dante Cunningham was not boxed out and he had the easy finish. Yet, Danny Green gets another three-pointer. Six threes for UNC. That's a number Villanova wishes they had.

(4:02) - Via text message, our own JE chimes in."It's over...UNC vs. MSU equals UNC championship again." Well, remember last year when Kansas was down by a huge amount and made a run to get back in the game. Down 28 to be exact. We haven't gotten there yet, but it feels like a 28 point deficit which is right now 14.

(4:09) - Scotty Reynolds is starting to find a rhythm. Villanova has scored the last seven points, and Scotty has the latter 5. It's now a 9 point game as North Carolina is forced to call a Timeout to stop the momentum.

(4:11) - One of the reasons why Roy Williams is a great coach. Calls a timeout at the right time to stop the momentum, and follows the time out with a great play to pick up a 2 and get back up by 11.

(4:13) - 30 Seconds left in the half, and it is important for the Wildcats to get back in single digits before the half is over. Big bucket by Fisher in traffic, to get within 9, and now UNC Free Throws. Lawson goes 0-2 of the FT line, and Villanova trails by single digits going into the locker room.

After the First Half: North Carolina 49, Villanova 40

I'll be back closer to the start of the second half to bring you some key numbers and keep the live blog going!

Key 1st Half Numbers:

Nova: 2-12 3-Pt's, 12 Off Reb
UNC: 9 Ast, 6-11 3 Pt Shooting

(4:38) - We are underway in the second half, and Villanova commits a stupid foul on a jump shooter exactly a minute in. UNC goes 1-2 from the line, and Villanova follows with a three to get within seven.

(4:40) - Breaking news on the North Korean rocket. From Breaking News Online:

BULLETIN -- NHK SAY NORTH KOREAN ROCKET WAS LAUNCHED AT 11:32 JST

(4:41) Momentum is right now on the side of Villanova. Clark gets a second chance bucket, then Psycho-T gets called for an offensive foul. 22-10 run for the Wildcats. Can anyone quiet the Tar Heels outside shooting? Danny Green with yet another 3. And then UNC extends the lead off a steal, bucket, and harm.

(4:43) - More details on the breaking news in North Korea from Breaking News Online:

NHK says the North Korea rocket now moving over the Pacific Ocean.

(4:46) - Villanova needs to be careful that they dont fall into the all long range, all the time shooting spree. Three straight 3's missed in one posession. Green hits his fourth three pointer, and extends the lead back out to 13 as we hit the under 16 media timeout.

(4:52) - Via twitter, iDews contributes: "nova trying to live by the 3s, we all know how that works." Yeah, ask St. Joseph boys basketball. They will tell you in great detail.

(4:55) - Big 4th foul on Dwayne Anderson for Villanova, as he has double-digit rebounds for Nova, and right away as he comes out, UNC gains an advantage on the boards, followed by a bucket and harm to take a 61-49 lead going into the TV Timeout.

(5:03) - Ty Lawson has worn his third different jersey in this game. He went from #5, to #25, and they have brought out another #5 jersey, as his first one was bloodied. Villanova is 3/23 from beyond the arc. Terrible number.

(5:07) - 4th foul on Tyler Hansbrough forces him to sit out, and while that sounds like a big deal, UNC is so balanced, that I don't think it is that big of a deal. Wild shot on the fast break by Fisher when they shouldve just taken their time. Big three for Ellington 3-Pointer number 10 for the Heels to go back up by 15.

(5:11) - Hate to say it, but watch the Wildcats right now, and you'll see that they are out of gas. Worked too hard to try to keep the game close. Jump shots are having a harder time going down. I believe that this one may be too far out of reach.

(5:12) - Via twitter, people are talking about the N. Korea rocket launch. One person in Oahu says, "Hickam AFB just scrambled F-15's and an AWACS... I can see from OWT 16th floor lanai."

(5:14) - You start to see the metal of a team when their backs are against the wall. Villanova is losing the team concept right now. Big three by Redding, followed by a turnover, a bucket, and a UNC foul. Uh oh. Villanova back within 13 with 4:20 left.

(5:20) - This game is certainly not over, as Nova is down by 12, and while they need to hurry their comeback, they also need to be smart.

(5:28) - Daunte Cunningham just fouled out, and gave one heck of an effort, as did the entire Villanova team, but I think we all know how good UNC is, as they are 2:15 away from a rematch with Sparty for the title.

(5:32) - Already getting predictions for MSU/UNC on Monday Night. JE says Carolina by 12. John via facebook says Michigan State. I'm going with a 7 point UNC win on Monday night.

(5:35) - That's it. 83-69 UNC win over Villanova, which means Tar Heels vs. Spartans in Mondays championship.

Join me on Monday's JPS at 11 am to break down the game, and then we will live blog it right here at ESPNHawaii.com on Monday afternoon. Look forward to seeing you there!

NCAA Basketball Final Four: LIVE Blog

2009-04-04T12:00:00.031-10:00

Today is the day for the NCAA Men's Basketball Semi-Finals, ala the Final Four...before we start the LIVE blog, it is time for me to make my picks:

Michigan State vs. UConn - UConn (in OT)

Villanova vs. North Carolina - North Carolina (they were my pick to win it all from the very beginning).

Sparty/Husky matchup begins in a few minutes. I'll be live blogging throughout this one....

(12:11 pm) - Early on, we at least see a glimpse of what UConn will do with Goran Suton, the big man with dangerous range. The smaller husky, Jeff Adrian, starts off on the big, with Hasheem Thabeet playing D around the paint. It's practically a 4 on 5 with one man in a zone.

(12:13) - Lucas 3 for Michigan State puts them up by 5, and a UConn turnover gives the Huskies their biggest deficit of the tourney. Wow. If you've only trailed at most 5, and now 7 with another two-pointer, you must be darn good.

(12:16) - The big man Thabeet causes our first injury of the game, knocking out MSU's Travis Walton. I love the hustle by the Spartans early on. Right now, they WANT it more than UConn does. They are grabbing too many offensive boards early.

(12:19) - Michigan State is attacking the inside early on, despite a few blocks from Thabeet and Jeff Adrian for UConn. They know if they can keep attacking, they can draw some whistles, and maybe knock some key players out of the game. Michigan State 14, UConn 10 at the first Media Timeout

(12:25) - The lovefest for Kemba Walker begins. I know he had a great game in the Regional Final, but let's slow it down just a little bit. Also, I HATE these raised floors. This is seriously gonna get someone hurt just for hustling.

(12:27) - UConn is on a nice run. Six straight after the timeout. They are getting Sparty in foul trouble, working the rock inside, and making the on the fly adjustments. Ibok already out with two fouls for Michigan State.

(12:28) - Hasheem Thabeet out to rest after a three-point play. Let's see how different the game is for UConn without their big man. Our second TV Timeout give us a UConn 19-16 lead over MSU.

(12:34) - I like how UConn has toughened up over the last several minutes, and Jeff Adrian has been the point person for that. 8 points early on to go with a block and good D. Michigan State is starting to go away from the inside attack, and looking more for outside shots, which has not been a strong success for them. Plus, UConn didn't drop off with Thabeet on the bench, and he is starting to impose himself on both sides of the floor.

(12:39) - Thabeet and Adrian combining for 15 of the 27 UConn points, and the Huskies lead at the next TV Timeout 27-23

(12:44) - Yet another UConn block, this time by Gavin Edwards on the fast break. And 4 Huskies went for the loose ball, and nearly crashed and burned on the raised court. Again, I DISLIKE the raised court. Michigan State is 2-7 from beyond the arc, something they can't rely on as the game progresses.

(12:47) - Via twitter, go2pinnacle says "Mich/UCONN game is basketball at it's finest." I personally think that fans are just happy that we have a competitive, close game so far. Kemba Walker just missed two free throws for Uconn, a rarity since they have been very good from the line during the tournament. UConn 29, Michigan St. 27 at the next media timeout.

(12:53) - Via twitter, Baron Davis (yes, B-Diddy from the Clippers) says "70k at the final four. That's a lot of people." Yes it is, a record. Unfortunately, the game is being played in Ford Field, which has NEVER been kind to the Detroit Lions, so why should it be kind to Michigan State? Big three earlier for Korie Luscious, and he'll try for three more at the charity stripe as Michigan State has the lead once again.

(12:57) - Welcome to the Final Four, boys. We have our first near fracas of the day.Remember, guys, this game is physical. No need to get chippy. Just a tough basketball play. If anything, I think we get a T on Jeff Adrian for a little unnecessary shove on Jeff Adrian, which started this. But, no T will be called. The foul on Walton for Michigan St. stands. Good job by the refs for clearing everything up.
(1:01) - Via twitter, iDews says "agreed, live or die by the three, and just as I tweet, they hit one! Go MSU!" Reference to the Luscious three, and he hit another one just a second ago. But, the big man Thabeet runs the floor and gets a fast break bucket, and a bump. Clark Kellog's voice just raised about three decibals when talking about Thabeet. Man crush?

(1:03) - Also via twitter, Dave Reardon of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin chimes in "UConn = thugs?". LOL....nah, I don't think that word would be accurate. Passionate? Yes. Timeout Michigan State tied at 36

(1:08) - You want a story of a freshman making a difference? Delvon Roe of Michigan State may be your guy. Big bucket before the end of the half to give MSU the lead. He's been quiet since being active in the first several minutes of the game.

Michigan State 38, UConn 36 At Halftime!

Key 1st Half Stats:

MSU: 9 Off Reb, 40% Shooting, 12 Fouls
UConn: 52% Shooting, 6 Fouls, 4 Blocks

(1:30) - We start the second half with UConn on a 6-0 run. The one thing UConn has done well with in this game is adjustments, and I think we are seeing that at the start of this half. Add another two for Thabeet, and UConn is 4-5 shooting to start the half.

(1:31) - Big foul on Goran Suton as he is called for his third on the offensive end. Suton has been a non-factor. As iDews said on twitter earlier, "Goran Suton, where are you?" Coach Izzo is keeping him in the game, surprisingly.

(1:33) - Out of nowhere, Sparty starts to get on a roll, with six in a row, including the first points for Suton, and MSU retakes the lead, paving the way for a Calhoun time out.

(1:36) - Suton finally leaves with his 3 fouls at the 16:56 mark of the second half. Ibok in with a few fouls, so lets see if they go right to Thabeet. Nope, and no Huskies basket. I do want to say, btw, that I am a fan of Clark Kellogg's work, but I don't like him on Color. He's better in the studio, right now I feel he's trying too hard. TV Timeout here as we are tied at 46

(1:43) - A couple of big fouls to note for Michigan State. Ibok just picked up his third foul. He's matched up with Thabeet, so I think that makes him very vulnerable on the floor. Draymond Green just picked up his third as well. He's matched up with Adrian, whos been a solid player in this game. Stanley Robinson gets a bucket for UConn and then a big block on the other end. But, Michigan State recovers and gets a fast break flush. The Spartans are running, which despite the conference affiliation, suits them well. The Big Ten isnt known for being a run and gun offense. Michigan State is on fire! Up 4 53-49 with 13 Minutes to go and a timeout.

(1:55) - Big 3 for Michigan State and Summers to extend their lead to 6. Michigan State has improved its 3-Pt shooting percentage to 33%. I really think they are starting to wear UConn out.

(1:58) - Important Stat: Bench Scoring (Michigan State - 22, UConn - 5)

(2:07) - Dunk of the year? Durrell Summers jam on Stanley Robinson has to be one of the best I've seen all year! Summers has been a part of the deep bench that Michigan State has employed, scoring 28 of their 66 points. UConn needs some bench support quick.

(2:10) - Via Facebook, Reid says "damn!!! What a dunk by Summers." Indeed.

(2:11) - Thabeet just swatted away another one, and on the other end, AJ Price is at the line hitting two free throws. Price is the 4th starter in double figures in points for UConn. Kalin Lucas just hit a clutch three for MSU to put them up 9, and then Morgan with a fast break flush to go up 11 with just over 3 Minutes to play.

(2:14) - Via text message, our own JE says "MSU Championship bound if they keep up the rebounding"....that stat is even right now, but I don't think that was expected by many.

(2:17) - Can UConn make up an 11 point deficit with 1:54 remaining? I'm not so convinced, especially with how Michigan State has dialed up their defense.

(2:23) - UConn is determined to close this gap within 32 seconds of game time, they've brought this game down to 6, plus a very questionable whistle on Goran Suton with 1:26 to go on Suton. Big injury as Thabeet has to come out of the game as he limps off.

(2:26) - Lead down to 4 as UConn makes that a 4 point trip with Austrie's two free throws. Still a lot of time with it a two possession game. Big missed throw for MSU, and Robinson gets a HUGE rebound jam to get within three, followed by Michigan State breaking the press and getting a bucket and a foul. Terrible time for a defensive lapse.

(2:29) - Michigan State starting to struggle a bit from the free throw line. 7 point game with 48 seconds to go. Missed layup on Price, foul on Thabeet, and nowthis game appears to be close to out of reach.

(2:31) - UConn within 7 after a layup with 30 seconds left. They need to force a turnover off this inbound or foul and hope for two missed free throws. Not over yet, but definitely far away from them.

(2:35) - It's just not meant to be for UConn. The "home" team Michigan State wins in front of 72,000+ by the score of 82-73 over the Huskies. Sparty plays either Villanova or North Carolina.

FINAL SCORE: Michigan State 82, UConn 73

Alright, second game will be up in about 30 minutes. I'll be up with another live blog for Wildcats and Heels shortly. See you then!

NCAA Tournament Games on TV (And my picks)

2009-03-18T20:01:00.001-10:00

Thursday, March 19th:

6:30 am: Texas A&M vs. BYU (Announcers: Dick Enberg, Jay Bilas)

PICK: BYU

8:55 am: Maryland vs. California (Announcers: Tim Brando, Mike Gminski)

PICK: CALIFORNIA

1:10 pm: Minnesota vs. Texas (Announcers: Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg)

PICK: MINNESOTA

3:55 pm: Virginia Commonwealth vs. UCLA (Announcers: Carter Blackburn, Jay Bilas)

PICK: UCLA

Method to My Madness: Filling out my NCAA Tournament Bracket - 1st Round

2009-03-15T17:19:00.006-10:00

Now that the field of 65 has been determined, it is time for me to fill out my 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Tournament Bracket. Just so you know, as we are currently at selection sunday, I make my predictions as soon as I get the teams. I don't like to wait a couple of days to stew things over.

First things first: Sure fire locks to win in the first round. This at least gets me going with some of my favorites. And they are:

MIDWEST REGION:

(1) Louisville - Even though they are the #1 Overall seed, they have the toughest road to the title, because there are so many uncertainties in this bracket, and although Louisville won the Big East title, that doesn't erase the fact that they can be erratic at times.

(3) Kansas - I think they will beat ND St. in the first round. After all, this is North Dakota St.'s first year of eligibility in Division I, therefore their first time in the big dance. Nothing like facing the defending champs to break in your tourney experience.

WEST:

(1) UConn - After all, they open against UT-Chattanooga. Good luck to the Mocs.

(11) Utah State - 30 wins, 4 losses, and a #11 seed? Thats total disrespect to the WAC. They should knock off #6 Marquette, who lost one of their best players to injury earlier in the season, and haven't been the same.

(3) Missouri - The Aggies from Utah would be the Tigers next opponent if Mizzou can get through Cornell. I think the Tigers are going to be too physical for the Big Red.

(2) Memphis - I'd hate to be CS-Northridge. Facing a team with a chip on it's shoulders. Prepare for a beatdown.

EAST:

(1) Pittsburgh - For obvious reasons. They do open up with East Tennessee State

(5) Florida State - Wisconsin is the first round opponent for the 'Noles, and I hate Big Ten play this year.

(3) Villanova - Playing at home in the first two rounds. Nuff said.

(2) Duke - Sorry Binghamton, but Coach K is the all time winningest coach in Tourney history.

SOUTH:

(1) North Carolina - Ty Lawson will be back, and the Tar Heels should have no problem against Radford

(4) Gonzaga - They've got a favorable draw here in the first few rounds. Plus, I like Bulldogs over Zips anyday of the week.

(3) Syracuse - There's just something special about Syracuse when the play in the Big Dance. SFA better bring their A+ game, or they will fall to the Orange.

(2) Oklahoma - Don't think anyone on the Morgan State squad can match up with Blake Griffin

Now that I've finished up my absolute LOCKS for the first round, time to do a little more research and finish my first round predictions.

UPDATE: 6:11 pm - Just finished my first round projections, and I am convinced that we won't see too many upsets on the first two days.

Upset Winners: 11 Utah State over 6 Marquette, 9 Siena def. 8 Ohio State, 10 USC beating 7 Boston College, 10 Minnesota def Texas.

I've even gone to a coin flip to help me decide 8 LSU s. 9 Butler in the South region. Winner. 8 LSU. These teams will battle in a close one, but I see LSU as the team with the most momentum heading into this game. Butler is probably still reeling from the upset in the conference championship game to Cleveland State.

Konawaena wins D1 State Title

2009-02-28T11:54:00.003-10:00

(Photo Credit: Mike Burley/Star-Bulletin)

On Thursday night when I got the results from the Girls Division I Semifinal Games with Punahou and Konawaena, I had an idea that we were going to be in for something special. Both teams fought through adversity just to get to the championship, beating tough foes in Lahinaluna and Farrington, respectively. Little did I know that the "something special" would turn into, arguably, the greatest State Title game in memory.

The defending champs fought tooth and nail with the Wildcats from Kealakekua through the opening quarter, as the Buffanblu had an early 9-8 lead in the first eight minutes. Konawaena started to make their move in the second quarter, paced by Lia Galderia's three field goals and seven points from Kimberly Brown off the bench. Those two were the only Wildcats to score, and they outdid the Buffanblu 13-9 in the 2nd quarter to take a halftime advantage.

Brown and Galdeira continued their solid play in the 3rd quarter, combining for 11 of the teams 17 3rd period points to bulge their lead to 9. We also started to see Janelle Nomura try to take the team on her shoulders. She only got 4 points of her 20 in that period, but she started to wildly drive to the bucket, leading to three offensive fouls, two of them in the 3rd.

A nine point lead at the 3rd-4th quarter bridge would increase to eleven before Konawaena would begin to crumble. Nomura put 7 points on the board for Punahou in the 4th quarter, while Konawaena could only manage one field goal, which came from Lia Galdeira. Nomura tied the game with mere seconds remaining, and Galdeira missed an open three at the buzzer to send it to overtime tied at 44.

The 1st Overtime was fairly uneventful, with both teams having opportunities at the free throw line, but only able to hit one from the charity stripe, to send things to a 2nd Overtime tied at 45.

The 2nd Overtime was where Galdeira started to shine. She put in all of the Wildcats three extra session field goals (10/16 FG's on the night) to pull Konawaena ahead for good. Coach Bobby Awa was able to clear the bench with a few seconds remaining to allow her entire team the chance to get on the floor to play in the Championship game. Konawaena wins their 3rd State Title with a 54-50 win over Punahou.

The amazing thing is that with an announced 1,687 in attendance at the NBC, most of the fans were rooting for the Neighbor Island Wildcats. When the TV timeouts would take place, the Kona-favored crowd would sing loudly "Let's Go Kona! Kona, Let's Go!" And when the Punahou cheerleaders would run onto the floor to do their routines, they would get hearty boo's from the Wildcat faithful. I've never seen that kind of lopsided crowd in favor of a team that was truly, in all senses of the word, a visitor.

NOTES: The entire Vulcan Girls Basketball team had made their way to the Blaisdell from McCabe gym after their loss to Hawaii Pacific University. Senior Forward Jessica Hanato stayed back well after the game was over, wearing a Konawaena basketball t-shirt and celebrating with the rest of the Konawaena crowd at least a good 25 minutes plus after the finish. Also in attendance was Oahu Radio personality Billy V, who is a Konawaena grad. He was wearing a Green and White Konawaena Polo Shirt with black Konawaena shorts.

Devin Harris = Best. Shot. Ever.

2009-02-24T10:41:00.001-10:00

I challenge you to find me a shot that is better than Devin's. E-Mail me at our radio inbox (joshpachecoshow@espnhawaii.com)

As promised, the Metal Wood Bat

2009-02-10T14:58:00.002-10:00

Curtis Chong is holding up the Metal Wood bat, which will be used at the Stanley Costales Sr. Memorial Baseball Tournament. First off, it is an all wood bat, except for the metal handle. Secondly, I took that picture with my iPhone while talking on air live (Podagees supposed to be able to multi-task, ya?).

In case you missed the interview with Curtis and Royden Okunami on Tuesday's show, make sure to check out the Podcast now on ESPNHawaii.com, or just search for the show in the iTunes Music Store and get the free podcast right there!

ESPN Radio Highlights: Hawaii Pacific vs. Hawaii-Hilo (1/2/09)

2009-01-03T16:17:00.000-10:00

FINALLY: Oahu Day Two - Rainbow Classic Day Two

2009-01-01T14:07:00.004-10:00

Yeah, I know, I was supposed to put this up at the beginning of the week. Thanks to being under the weather for a little bit, and watching way too much football, plus a one-sided Rose Bowl Game (which I predicted to be that way), I figured now was a better time than ever to put up the final day blog from the 45th Annual Rainbow Classic.

Oh, why was I sick again?

Yep. That's the culprit. Chicken Strips and fries from the Stanley. I haven't felt the same since. Chicken Strips are best served with sauces...none given here (unless you just wanted to squirt ketchup and mustard, which defeats the point).

The first game of the day featured the Pepperdine Waves in Orange and the Buffalo Bulls in blue. This may have been the game from the first two days of the tournament, as Buffalo won in overtime on a game winning shot with 0.8 remaining on the clock. And yes, there were a few more people that came down to watch. Not much.

The second game featured Coppin State, a NCAA tournament team from last year, and the Buffaloes from Colorado. Colorado's head coach was the former coach of the Denver Nuggets, Jeff Bzedelik. Colorado played well in this game, and Coppin State tried to fly around and stay in it in the second half, but the Buffs were too strong for the Eagles.

Good trip all around for me, and it was fun to watch Division I Men's Basketball in person for the first time in my life.

Next Tuesday and Wednesday, by the way, Stan Costales and I will be back on the island of Oahu, bringing you UHH Vulcan Basketball against BYU-Hawaii!

Oahu Day Two - 45th Annual Rainbow Classic Opening Night

2008-12-28T09:43:00.008-10:00

Being the total tourist I was going to the Stan Sheriff Center, I had to snap a shot of the building I was entering for the first time. The Stan Sheriff Center. I asked the ticket person to give me the best seat I could get, and she told me the lower bowl wasn't for sale, so I ended up with...

That seat assignment would get me this kind of view:

Okay, well it wasn't the greatest view in the world, and there were a lot of empty seats on the bottom, which were filled up for the Hawaii game, but it was a blessing in disguise. More on that toward the end.

George Washington was taking on the Vermont Catamounts in the first game. As I was trying to find my seat way up high, I ran into a George Washington Athletics person who was selling George Washington Gear.

I was thinking of grabbing one of those Colonials hats (same color as a cheesehead), but I don't think I have enough room in my bag to take it home. I stuffed my bag to the max with some of my new shirts, because I never like to underpack. Maybe I'll just get a shirt. Anyway, to the games.

Vermont 83, George Washington 72

Vermont controlled the game early, thanks to great play from Senior Colin McIntosh. He finished with 14 points, but the rest of the team kicked into gear, especially in the second half. Mike Timboli hit a few clutch three's, Marqus Blakely had a double-double, and Maurice Joseph led the team with 18 points. Rob Diggs led all scorers and rebounders with 25 and 14. Too bad he didn't have much help until it was too late.

Hawaii was getting ready for Colorado State in the nightcap. My seat was actually right next to a few season ticket holders. One of the guys' names was Doug. I don't remember the other. But they asked me if I knew the person that usually sits there. I said no, so she must have sold her season ticket for that game because she wasn't going to make it. Either way, they were joined by a Syracuse alum who sat behind us and his son, who is going to Syracuse right now. We chatted a lot about famous Syracuse announcing alums, like our own Mike Tirico, Marv Albert, and others.

What I didn't know is that the son once competed in the halftime challenge, where you have a rack of basketballs at half court, and you have to make as many shots as you can in a certain amount of time. He won $500 in that game years ago. So, I was fortunate to sit next to some long time season ticket holders who made the experience for me enjoyable.

Colorado State 74, Hawaii 58

The first half wasn't the most well played for Hawaii, with some sloppy point guard play from Kareem Nitoto, foul trouble from Sasha Parghalava, and Rod Flemings and Bill Amis taking a little while to get going. But some Colorado State turnovers and missed opportunities on their own end kept Hawaii in the game, and the Warriors lead by two at the break.

At halftime, they have the Jack in a Box blimp fly throughout the center and drop prizes to the loudest sections in the arena. It didn't come by us. To be honest, the people I was sitting with really didn't care. But, two rows behind us, there were these "Valley Girl" like college chicks (some were cute) who were making a bunch of noise, but they were the only ones. They also had the afore mentioned halftime contest hosted by Oahu radio personality Billy V.

The second half was all Colorado State. I was impressed with Jessie Carr, a Freshman guard out of the state of Nebraska, who I would describe as a pain in the neck to guard, and he picked apart Hawaii's defense in the second half. He only had 9 points, but his 4 assists may have been more important. Add to that Hawaii shooting 26% in the second half (6-23 from the field) and Colorado State ran away with it.

One more thing to note. During a media timeout late in the 2nd half, a UH-Hilo student was in attendance for a chance to win some big prizes ( don't remember what they were giving away). He had 45 seconds to hit a layup, free throw, three pointer, and a halfcourt shot. He struggled from the charity stripe before hitting one and then took a small while before he hit his three-pointer. In Saint Martin-esque style, he got the ball at half court with about 2 seconds left, threw it up, and banked it in! The whole crowd went nuts! Too bad the team couldn't feed off of that. Sign him up, coach!

So back to the guys I ended up sitting next to. They left with about a minute left to go in the game. Some were leaving with 6 minutes left when the media time out happened. Before they left, they asked me how long I was staying, and I told them I would be here until Monday morning. They left me with two free tickets for today's doubleheader (Buffalo/Pepperdine and Colorado/Coppin State) right in the same section, just a row higher.

Only problem is...I need to find someone who wants the other ticket or at least wants to go with me! I came on this trip on my own, so if you're reading, you're on Oahu, and you wanna go, send me an email!

Quickly, my thoughts on the rest of the sports world:

__________________________________________________________

- New England is going to put the pressure on the Miami Dolphins to win against the Jets. New England is winning in Buffalo and most likely will hold on with 3 minutes left to go. Meanwhile, the Houston Texans are spoiling the Bears chances of getting into the playoffs, and of course, I predicted that on Friday. And oh by the way, Detroit is doing their very best to get their first win of the year against Green Bay. Uh oh.

- Ben Rothleisberger is suffering from a concussion today. Luckily for Steelers fans, the Steelers have a bye in the first round of the postseason.

- Bill Parcells could go back to coaching. I'm not surprised. It all depends on whether Wayne Huizenga sells his share of his team. Part of the contract Parcells agreed to. Gotta imagine there would be a few teams interested in his services if that takes place.

Back tonight or Monday with the final Oahu trip blog!

Oahu Day 1 - The Blackout on Oahu

2008-12-27T10:16:00.008-10:00

It's kinda ironic that on the day the movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still" comes out in theaters, many parts of Oahu stood still because of a massive blackout. We went from this late in the afternoon....

To this...

Around 6:45 pm here in Waikiki, the power went off, and as I looked outside my hotel room I watched the lights go out across the canal and uphill to more residential areas. I watched people from other hotels and condos walk outside and wonder what the heck was going on. Some were outfitted with flashlights, some weren't outfitted with shirts, but all were curious of what had happened and when power would be back.

During the afternoon, we had lots of thunder and lightning in the area, to go along with good size gusts of wind, but no rain. According to Oahu media reports, some bolts struck transmission lines and knocked almost everyone out of power in Oahu.

The shot above is pretty much how things here in the heart of Waikiki were shut down. The biggest crowd was waiting outside of the ABC store. From what I saw, they were letting only a few people in at a time to shop while power was out. I would imagine they didn't want any kind of looting.

Of course in any tough situation, you need entertainment. Thanks to my iPhone, I caught Sonny playing a conga and a cowbell. Earlier, someone across the canal had popped off some fireworks!

Power was out here in Waikiki for just about 12 hours. It came back at 6:40 am on Saturday. Some businesses are still struggling to get back afloat after being out for so long.

Thats one of the seemingly millions of ABC stores in Waikiki. Many freezer or cold items could not be sold. The McDonalds and Subway locations were closed due to the outage, and anywhere that was open, it was SUPER packed because not too many things were open at 10 am because of the recovery.

So, until things start to get less hectic outside, I'm just gonna stay here, eat some food, watch some football and enjoy this view from the hotel...

Hopefully, you are staying safe back on the Big Island after the stormy weather over the past few days. Now on to some sports notes:

_____________________________________________________________

- As a San Francisco Giants fan, I don't know what to think with my team signing the "Big Unit" Randy Johnson to a one year, $8 Million deal. He's not gonna make the team any better at the age of 45. But, this move is all about dollars and sense. Since San Fran privately financed the creation of AT&T Park, they are still paying off that transaction, and with Randy Johnson 5 wins away from 300, they definitely want to get more people in the stands to watch, and maybe pay it back quicker. I'm still expecting another losing season next year.

- Great Motor City Bowl last night, as Florida Atlantic beats Central Michigan at Ford Field. Can a team from Michigan get a win in that stadium this year? Michigan State lost to North Carolina in College Basketball, Detroit Lions, um, you know, winless this year, and now Central Michigan. Coach Butch Jones for the Chippewas took some gambles late, and yes, they didn't pay off, but its a bowl game, your players wanna have fun, so go out and leave everything on the field! He did, didn't work, but Central Michigan still had a good year.

- College Bowl Madness Challenge Record: 2-5. Yikes.

- I'll be at the Stan Sheriff Center for Day 1 of the Rainbow Classic. At 5 pm, Vermont takes on George Washinton, followed by Hawaii and Colorado State at 7:30 approximately. I'll try to put up some photos in the next blog, but I will write up a recap in the next Oahu installment.

Fighting Irish More Than Lucky in Hawaii Bowl Win

2008-12-24T20:29:00.003-10:00

I guess 62% of the Big Island's SportsNation, including yours truly, were wrong in assessing the fate of the 2008 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.

Meanwhile, the 38% who chose Notre Dame were right on the mark with the points of emphasis in this game, as heard on my show this morning:

- Lack of Discipline by the Warriors

- Better athletes underneath the Golden Domes of Notre Dame

- A win would not be close, whatsoever.

I did say to watch out for some kind of breakout game from QB Jimmy Clausen, didn't I? Yeah, I picked Hawaii to win, but I was afraid of the very kind of game that Clausen delivered on Christmas Eve. He set Notre Dame bowl game records for passing yards and TD's. He even got help from a Warrior secondary that must've sipped on some spiked Egg Nog before kickoff, because they were nowhere to be found all game long.

For Notre Dame, they throw the bowl game monkey off their back, breaking the streak of 9 straight postseason losses, 4 of them to Oklahoma State and LSU alone. All of the questions surrounding Charlie Weis will remain going into the 2009 regular season, but at least now for Irish fans, they will have a bright glimmer of hope for a better campaign than the one they just suffered, highlighted by a loss to the Orange of Syracuse.

And Hawaii? A winning season with a first year head coach. Sure, it wasn't pretty at times, but I think most Hawaii fans will remember the strong end to the regular season rather than the beginning and the ND game and look to games against Cincinnati and Fresno State, for example, as signs that the Warriors will improve and be better. They will have two returning QB's and a lot of promise at other skill positions. But can their defense improve, especially in the secondary? And can they stop committing stupid penalties?

All questions will be answered in 2009.

Until that point in time, I've got three shows left here in 2008 (Christmas Day, the 26th, and the 20th), so I hope you and your families have a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season, and even more so, a prosperous 2009. Our ESPN Radio family appreciates your support and we look forward to bigger and better things to come in '09!

The Bowl Championship Series Got it Right - MOSTLY

2008-12-07T15:59:00.004-10:00

The matchups are set for all 34 bowl games, but everyone's eyes are looking at the Bowl Championship Series today as all 10 berths have been announced.

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi (January 1, 2009 - 11 am ESPN Radio) - USC vs. Penn State

Penn State will have a LONG layoff before they play this game. They didn't play this past weekend, unlike USC, who beat UCLA on Saturday. Penn State also has to worry about the deepest team in the country. USC right now is the better team in this game.

FedEx Orange Bowl (January 1, 2009 - 3 pm ESPN Radio) - Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech

This will probably be the game that no one really cares about, as both these teams come from the mediocre BCS conferences. Virginia Tech has peaked at the right time under head coach Frank Beamer, especially after their one-sided win in the ACC Championship against Boston College. Cincinnati rallied to beat Hawaii on Saturday in an umimpressive showing.

AllState Sugar Bowl (January 2, 2009 - 2:35 pm ESPN Radio) - Utah vs. Alabama

Alabama's fate rested in the SEC championship game, and they could not pull off a win over favored Florida, so the Crimson Tide get to play in New Orleans in the Sugar Bowl. You have to wonder if there will be a letdown by Alabama since their National Championship hopes have been dashed.

Utah makes it in with an undefeated record and another chance to shock the world, so to speak, by beating a SEC team. Utah has played the role of a BCS buster before, but I believe everyone will remember what happened in that very building one year ago between the Warriors and Georgia.

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (January 5, 2009 - 2:35 pm ESPN Radio) - Ohio State vs. Texas

This is where the BCS got it wrong. Ohio State does NOT belong in the BCS. They are the only at-large in the BCS with two losses, and they get a berth over one-loss Texas Tech (already two teams in the Big XII making the BCS) and unbeaten Boise State (only one non-BCS school can be a part of the BCS). Granted, their two losses come to both opponents in the Rose Bowl game, but either way, I don't think they should be in.

Contrary to what Longhorns fans believe, Texas is right where they should be. Forget the talk about a split national championship (I'm hearing it, and I don't like the idea of it). The Longhorns in the week-by-week beauty pageant of College Football are not as pretty as the Sooners. Time to get over it and play football.

FedEx BCS National Championship Game (January 8, 2009 - 2:35 pm) - #1 Oklahoma vs. #2 Florida

I was a bit worried that the computers would keep us from this matchup, but we indeed get the two hottest offenses in the country. The Gators had a great 2nd half in the SEC Title game over Alabama to come from behind with the win, and the Sooners right now are the HOTTEST team in the country, as they practically wrapped up the Big XII Title in the 1st quarter over Missouri.

Jerry Palm of CollegeBCS.com will join me tomorrow to break down the BCS here on ESPN Radio!

Notre Dame / Hawaii in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl?

2008-12-07T11:36:00.004-10:00

Sources tell the Honolulu Advertiser this morning that a Fighting Irish / Warriors Hawaii Bowl matchup is close to being a done deal.

Now, let's be honest. Notre Dame at 6-6 definitely doesn't deserve a bowl berth. Heck, their coach should be lucky that he has a job for next season.

And, as I have stated for the past few weeks on my show, Hawaii is not a deserving bowl team? Although they had a very good performance for about three quarters against Cincinnati, they didn't have the juice to finish off the upset. Their body of work, however, over the course of the year, has shown only one good win, and multiple bad losses.

But, we all know what the bowl season is really all about....

$$$KA-CHING$$$

Notre Dame has a nice Hawaii following. After all, all of their home games were on NBC for everyone to see, kinda similar to the Braves having their games on TBS not too long ago before TBS decided to carry the national Sunday package. The Fighting Irish have had an honorable past history on the gridiron, no matter how bad this decade has been in the eyes of the Irish Faithful.

More over, Notre Dame will want to play in Hawaii because they want to woo Punahou senior and Butkus Award winner Manti Te'o their way. There's been no secret that the Irish want him. Coach Charlie Weis made a visit after the USC game, and Te'o has made a visit to South Bend. A impressive win in Hawaii would go a long way for them.

Certainly, to be fair to Hawaii, this season has exceeded a lot of people's expectations, considering the players that moved on and a first-year head coach. Seven wins is considered a great year, in my opinion. But having a great year and deserving to play in the postseason are two different things. Heck, next year, a great year for Washington Huskies fans will be winning at least three games. Won't get them into a bowl. Even more so, a great year for Miami Dolphins fans this year would've been more than 4 wins. Right now, they may go to the playoffs. We must put it in perspective.

More importantly for ESPN Regional and Sheraton (the organizer and sponsor of the Hawaii Bowl), this would be a given for a solid Aloha Stadium Crowd. Heck, I may even decide to fly up and watch! Big crowds, especially if a lot of South Bend faithful decide to fly over, equals tourism and dollars.

We'll see if this gets finalized today. My thoughts on the BCS pairings coming up tomorrow.

UPDATE: It indeed has been confirmed, as Notre Dame and Hawaii will meet in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. ESPN Radio will have coverage of the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl at 2:35 pm on Christmas Eve.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

2008-11-26T20:01:00.002-10:00

Ob behalf of all the staff and management here at ESPN Radio, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, and hope that you have the chance to spend time with family and friends and celebrate all that we must be thankful for.

To our friends who are serving or have served in the military, I take this time to say thank you for everything you do for our country. You help to keep our country free, and allow people like me to speak freely every day. I salute your service and your dedication to our country.

Finally, I want everyone who is reading this to remember how much we must be thankful for. As I write this, I'm watching CNN and they are showing live coverage of the unfortunate and sickening events in Mumbai, India. Innocent people have lost their lives, and will not be able to spend time with their families and friends, regardless of what their nationality or ethnicity is.

You, the reader, as well as myself, are fortunate to spend this holiday with our loved ones. Unfortunately, halfway across the world, there are people who will not see another day. Please keep these families in our thoughts and prayers as we spend the next few days with the people we love.

- Posted by Josh Pacheco

First Hawaiian Bank / HHSAA State Football Tournament Information

2008-11-19T14:51:00.003-10:00

Big thank you to Lyle Crozier, the Interim Executive Director of the BIIF, for giving me a hollar and asking me to pass along the following information:

All HHSAA State Football Games will start at 7:30 pm on Friday. The games are as follows:

Division I:

Kealakehe vs. Farrington (Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium, Oahu) - Aired on OC16 and Starcomm Sports Radio Network

Leilehua vs. Baldwin (War Memorial Stadium, Maui)

Division II:

Campbell vs. Konawaena (Julian R. Yates Field, Kealakekua) - Aired on ESPN Radio

Radford vs. Kauai (Vidinha Stadium, Kauai)

BIIF Mathematics, er, Division Championship Implications

2008-11-07T14:06:00.002-10:00

You might as well give the first person to solve this BIIF Football Division 2 mathematical equation a state title.

Oh wait, that would be me.

On behalf of my iPhone's Calculator, newspaper archives and radio highlights, and my smart brain, I would humbly accept this prestigeous award of BIIF Football Mathematician of the Year.

Okay, all kidding aside, thats pretty much what it takes to figure out all of the tiebreakers for a possible Kamehameha win. You ready?

If Kamehameha beats Konawaena by 7 points or less, the Konawaena Wildcats are DII Overall Champions

If Kamehameha beats Konawaena by 8 points, it creates a 2nd tie between HPA and Konawaena

If Kamehameha beats Konawaena by 9-10 points, HPA is the 2nd round champion and would play Konawaena next week

If Kamehameha beats Konawaena by 11 points, it creates a 2nd tie between HPA and Kamehameha

If Kamehameha beats Konawaena by 12 points or more, Kamahemeha is the 2nd round champion and would play Kona next Friday.

Of course all of this means nothing if one thing happens:

KONAWAENA WINS

Good luck.

You can hear this matchup on Saturday beginning at 7 pm on ESPN Radio.

Hawaii was a big part of Election History

2008-11-05T07:31:00.004-10:00

Credit: ElectiveDecisions.Wordpress.com

I was honored to sit inside of a studio, in front of a microphone, and turn on the microphone just after 6 pm on General Election Night to make the announcement that Senator Barack Obama, who was born in Hawaii and played prep ball at Punahou who is the current senator of the state of Illinois, was projected to be the next president of the United States.

The last two presidents to represent this country have come from Sports backgrounds. President George W. Bush was the former owner of the Texas Rangers, and his parents often frequent Rangers Ballpark at Arlington. If Senator John McCain were to be voted in, he would've brought an athletic background as well, being a former wrestler and football player in his prep days.

As a first time presidential voter, I was excited to be one voice among millions in the history books, yet the nervousness of casting that first presidential ballot was very big as well. I was quivering as I filled out that electronic ballot machine because I knew the magnitude of what we had all gathered in many sites across the island and country to do.

Credit: KonaTimes.Blogspot.com

And of course, here on the Big Island, we would vote for the first new mayor of the County of Hawaii since Mayor Harry Kim took office two terms ago. I personally want to say a big Mahalo to both Billy Kenoi and K. Angel Pilago. Our reporter at Pilago HQ's, Claude Barnett, described this race as a "Gentelmen's Race" and that is very accurate. Supporters may have had their own things to say on blogs and in papers, but the two candidates were cordial, professional, and ran a positive, issues-oriented race. Young up-and-coming politicians (which I won't be, I'm sure) should take notes on how those campaigns operated and use that as an example.

Whether you were a first time voter, a long time voter, an off-and-oner, your voice was one of many who spoke loudly during the 2008 General Election. Thank you for being a part of the process.

Happy Halloween from ESPN Radio!

2008-10-31T07:26:00.021-10:00

We may not be trick-or-treating tonight for Halloween, but at least we "tried" to get in the spirit of the day!

JE Orozco, BIIF Football Color Commentator, dressed as his man-crush Tony Romo. Someone please do a urine test, because I see some unusually large guns here.

Actually, they are number 3, in their only division. By the way, the costume needs a little addition. Like a pinky brace???
And speaking of the pinky brace...

Mike & Mike in the Morning as Batman (Golic...not to be confused with Fatman..lol) and Robin (Greeny...definitely fits the Boy Wonder mold)

Rocket Rod Pacheco, Play-by-Play guy and ultimate crummy-joke teller (I kid!) as a confused tourist. What he's holding in his right hand is a mini-size box of Milk Duds. I guess that goes along well someone who's confused, right? Sorry for the darkness of the quality. The back hallway in our office is pretty dark.

Aaron Yes-No-Maybe-SoNaka as Dwight Howard

JE didn't Aaron off on where to get the fake roids, apparently.

Just wanted to make sure you saw Aaron's cape to go along with the Howard jersey, circa the 2008 NBA All-Star Game

The Big Island's Famous Mason Souza, dressed up an overweight plumber, maybe Joe the Plumber, and making sure he picks his nose live on the air! Not pictured: The plunger that he brought in.

Coming soon, yours truly as Aaron Rodgers circa 2006!

Philadelphia Phillies World Champions!

2008-10-30T13:59:00.004-10:00

Put aside the mess that was the television ratings of the World Series, the last three innings of the World Series proved to be memorable, especially if you are a fan of the Philadelphia Phillies. In what turned into a shootout of a Game 5 ending, the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Tampa Bay Rays to win the Series 4-1.

This World Series had the local flair, as Shane Victorino of Maui, with Big Island Roots, not only played for the World Series Champs, but was a pivotal contender. The significance of his performance will mean something for his wallet, which I will get to in a second.

The storylines were compelling for this team: A much maligned closer pitching for redemption, who had not blown a save, and would keep it that way, an offense that could not drive in runners to save their lives for the first two games, a city that was so starved for a championship that they were turning from the "City of Brotherly Love" to the "City of Grumpy Whiners."

Now that the series is done, let's look forward:

Thanks to our good friends at the Hawaii Sports Page for passing along a link to a baseball blog which follows contracts of Major League Baseball players called Cot's Baseball Contracts. From that site comes the info they sent me:

Geoff Jenkins 5 Million
So Taguchi $900,000
Pedro Feliz $3 Million
Matt Stairs 1.6 million
Ryan Howard $10 million
Jimmy Rollins 8 million
Chase Utley 7.7 million

PLAYERS WHO MOST LIKELY WON'T BE BACK:

Pat Burrell of
6 years/$50M (2003-08)
6 years/$50M (2003-08)
avoided arbitration with Philadelphia 1/03
$1.5M signing bonus ($1M up front, $0.25M 1/04, $0.25M 1/05)
03:$1M, 04:$4M, 05:$7M, 06:$9.5M, 07:$13M, 08:$14M
full no-trade clause
award bonuses: $0.1M for MVP ($75,000 for 2nd, $50,000 for 3rd), $0.1M for WS MVP, $50,000 each for LCS MVP, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger or All Star selection
5 years/$8M (1998-2002)
$3.15M signing bonus
98:$0.75M, 99:$0.75M, 00:$0.8M, 01:$1.275M, 02:$1.275M
drafted by Philadelphia 1998 (1-1)
agent: Greg Genske
ML service: 7.131

Jamie Moyer lhp
2 years/$10.5M (2007-08)
2 years/$10.5M (2007-08)
signed extension with Philadelphia 10/06
$1M signing bonus
07:$6M, 08:$3.5M
2008 salary increases to:
$4.5M with 170 IP in 2007
$5.5M with 180 IP in 2007 (had 199.3 IP in 2007)
2008 performance bonuses: $0.5M each for 165, 175, 185 IP in 2008
1 year/$5.5M (2006)
re-signed by Seattle as a free agent 12/05
performance bonuses: $0.2M each for 160, 170, 180, 190, 200 IP
acquired by Philadelphia in trade from Seattle 8/06
Phillies added $4.75M 2007 mutual option ($0.5M buyout)
Seattle paid undisclosed amount of cash to Philadelphia
3 years/$15.5M (2003-05)
re-signed 12/02
$1.5M signing bonus
03:$6M, 04:$6.5M, 05:$8M ($1.5M base)
performance bonuses: $6M based on GS, 2003-04)
award bonus: $50,000 for All Star selection
2 years/$12M (2000-01), plus 2002 club option ($2.5M buyout)
Seattle exercised $6.5M 2002 option
agent: negotiated own contract
ML service: 19.126

Add to that players that are likely to get raises before the start of next year:

Cole Hamels $500,000
Shane Victorino $480,000

Who knows what may happen here? Oh, Hawaii Sports Page also sent this little comment along on the Phils for next season:

But they still need a left
fielder.... Manny is your phone on?

Good luck with that.

NBA Star loses to ordinary Joe

2008-10-30T07:59:00.003-10:00

I said on Wednesday's edition of "The Josh Pacheco Show" that I would put this up. The New Jersey Nets' Devin Harris was playing one-on-one with some average guy named Stuart Tanner. What you're about to see is Harris get a beatdown:

If you're the NBA, I would pretend that it never happened.

BIIF Girls Volleyball for the ages

2008-10-26T17:49:00.005-10:00

Saturday Night on the campus of Konawaena High School, I was witness to the most exciting high school volleyball action of my life. Two championships were on the line, along with a Division II State Berth:

HONOKAA def. ST. JOSEPH 20-25, 25-17, 25-20, 22-25, 15-12

You had to believe that Honokaa was a tad bit fired up after their upset loss to the hands of the Lady Ka Makani of HPA (more on them in a little bit.)

Meanwhile, looking at St. Joseph for a second, their attack is very predictable. It's Chelbie-Lyn Hanohano, Chelbie-Lyn Hanohano, and more of the same. When she's in the backrow, that is when the team really struggles. Let's give credit to Hanohano for her exceptional play. The volleyball genes have certainly run in the family. But, she can't do it alone, and the longer a match wears on, the more tired she gets, and the less likely she's able to continue to produce at a high level. Shoddy serving did the Cardinals in at key moments as well, but give credit to Honoka'a for a TEAM effort. You may not be able to name a player on that squad, but I'm sure that's just how they like it.

Honoka'a joined Hilo and HPA as representatives of the BIIF at the state volleyball tournament from November 5th thru the 8th.

HILO def. HPA 25-15, 25-19, 14-25, 12-25, 20-18

Which Hilo team will we see when the state tournament comes around? The team who played Games 1, 2, and 5 in a dominating fashion, attacking the middle with success and playing great defense, or the team in Games 3 and 4 that made mental mistakes and couldn't handle the volleyball?

Give credit to Coach Brennan Wong for the Vikings. After Game 4, I was surprised to see how lose the team was. They didn't hang their heads at all, and actually seemed like they were in decent spirits. Coach Wong even told me after the match that the team needed that wake-up call. To blow games 3 and 4 in lop-sided fashion is tough to handle psychologially, and give the Viks credit for overcoming that.

And at the same time, give the same credit to the Ka Makani for not giving up and rallying back. Their confidence was there, they played cleaner volleyball, and did not quit. Coach Sharon Peterson told me that this is the best team she's had there at the private school, and it has showed. It didn't seem like anyone wanted to finish this match. It was a treat to watch this one.

This game will be re-aired Sunday night approximately 6:20 pm after Emily Gail Talks Golf on ESPN Radio. Because of the length of the World Series, the DII Championship didn't get on the air Saturday Night until the end of Game 3. We are re-airing it from beginning to end on Sunday night, and I should also have it online at a later date.

WAIAKEA def. KAMEHAMEHA-HAWAII 20-25, 20-25, 25-16, 28-26, 15-11

Just when you thought you couldn't top the first two distance matches, Waiakea's comeback may have topped it all.

The regular season matchup between these two teams went the distance, with Waiakea winning, thanks in part to a key Kamahemeha player going down to injury. No injuries here, but Waiakea certainly didn't quit after the first couple of games.

Hard to really pinpoint anything that Waiakea did differently, but I would say that their defense was a lot better later on the game, and the battle at the net shifted. Kamehameha won on the front line in the first couple of games, but not when it mattered.

It's amazing what a team has to do in order to stay unbeaten on a season. Both of these teams will represent the BIIF in the Division I State Tournament.

Big Trouble in Big D

2008-10-13T08:24:00.004-10:00

Photo Credit: Fort-Worth Star Telegram

Boy, don't you just love the storylines coming from the Ranch after another poor Cowboy performance against the Arizona Cardinals, resulting in an overtime loss? Let's count the ways that the 'Boys are hurting big time:

- Tony Romo is out for 4 weeks due to a broken pinkie finger.

- LB Greg Ellis sounded off, saying, among other things, that he is "disappointed in the organization"

- And we still haven't forgotten about Adam Jones' situation, as the NFL is still investigating the incident, and captain Bradie James warned him not to alienate himself from the team.

Wow, let's shoot a special edition of "As The World Turns" from Valley Ranch. Also scheduled to appear in the Big D drama are the entire offensive line, as Tony Romo was knocked down 19 times in the game (no wonder he got hurt), Terrell Owens chewing out one of the offensive linemen for not doing his job of protecting his quarterback (no tears included, but I actually don't blame TO for being vocal there), Wade Phillips for coaching comparable to a job an Oompa Loompa could do, Jason Garrett as the Offensive Coordinator who makes more than the head coach and is sure to get the job once Wade Phillips is ushered out any time now, and Jerry Jones as the owner who loves it all.

Oh yeah. The Cowboys are only a mere 4-2!

4-2 is a pretty good record in the parity filled National Football League. But, here's why everyone's making a big deal of this:

Over the past three games, they were out-played by Washington, they somehow were playing with Cincinnati all four quarters of the game, when they should've had them beat by Halftime, and they merely woke up late out of bed against Arizona, while the Special Teams was atrocious (opening kickoff returned for TD, field goal blocked but nullified by own coach's timeout, punt block return for game winning touchdown).

They should be better. Now, we'll see if the forty-something Brad Johnson can lead them to victory.

A couple of weeks ago, I said that the cure for the common ailment in the National Football League was the Cincinnati Bengals. That only made them sicker. The St. Louis Rams just got their first win of the season, and they play the Dallas Jerry Jones' this weekend. Don't chalk this one up just yet.

NFL Picks for Week 6

2008-10-10T07:18:00.002-10:00

Since we ran out of time on Thursday's program, I figured I'd make up for forgetting to make my Week 6 picks by putting them right here on the ESPNHawaii.com blog:

CAROLINA PANTHERS vs. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS - 7:00 am

I think it is a huge surprise right now that the Panthers are 4-1 and on top of the NFC South Division. Then again, when you look at the rest of that division:

ATLANTA (3-2)
TAMPA BAY (3-2)
NEW ORLEANS (2-3, easily could be 4-1)

DeAngelo Williams has been a great catalyst for the Panther ground game, helping Jake Delhomme (and helping my fantasy team)to expand this offense. But, being as how these two teams are very close in talent, I'll take the home team, the Bucs, to win by a field goal.

DALLAS COWBOYS vs. ARIZONA CARDINALS - 10:15 am

Cowboys fans beware! Pacman is up to no good again, T.O. is making more headlines for his tears and words than his catches and scores, and maybe more importantly, THEY JUST HAVEN'T PLAYED WELL LATELY! In the past two weeks, they lost at home to the Washington Colt's, er, Redskins and played un-inspired football at home against the Cincinnati Ocho Cinco's, er, Bengals. AT HOME! Imagine how they might play on the road!

With that said, the Cardinals are nice at 3-2, but Anquan Boldin is out because of the nasty hit he took against the Jets. Look for the Cowboys to be comfortable enough to double up Larry Fitzgerald because he is going to be the go-to guy. And, look for Kurt Warner to throw some picks. I'm taking Dallas by 10.

CHICAGO BEARS vs. ATLANTA FALCONS - 7:00 am

To be honest, I'm a little biased. Those damn Falcons beat my Packers last week at Lambeau, so I'm still a little steamed. Outside of that, this will be a fun game to watch. There are a couple of rookies on display that you should be paying attention to. Rookie QB Matt Ryan has been good for the most part, and has a good ground game to compliment his air attack. And speaking of the ground game, Bears rookie runner Matt Forte has been a big surprise (I would say a 'pleasant' surprise, but I'm a Green Bay fan, remember?) for the oft-doubted Windy City offense. And Kyle Orton, speaking of oft-doubted, is coming off of a career game. Chicago by 9.

Can't leave the blog without a bonus pick:

LOUISIANA TECH vs. HAWAII - 5:59 pm Saturday

Again, I can't afford the PPV. Plus, it looks like I'm going to Waikoloa to see Styx at the Grand Ballroom (and take a mini-vacation). I think Hawaii is flat out a better team than La Tech, but we all said it last year when they went up to Rustin, and they needed overtime to beat the team from the Boot State. I think Hawaii wins the homecoming showdown by 7.

TO RECAP

Tampa Bay over Carolina by 3
Dallas beats Arizona by 10
Chicago downs Atlanta by 9

AND THE BONUS...

Hawaii over Louisiana Tech by 7

___________________________________________________________

Show's back on the air on Tuesday due to Major League Baseball...so far, we have lined up the NFL Week 6 Rewind, Daniel Brock of the West Hawaii Today, MMA Talk with Luke Thomas of MMA Blog BloodyElbow.com, and more. I'll leave you today with this...

Just to clear any confusion on the BIIF Football Championship Race

2008-10-03T13:18:00.004-10:00

Many of you read the article from Kevin Jakahi in the Big Island Papers on the BIIF Football 1st Half Champions Race. I read from it, and I was wrong because the information was wrong. Thank you to Lyle Crozier, the interim Executive Director of the BIIF for clarifying things for our listeners and for myself on the program.

In case you missed it, here is the procedure on how it would work and the scenarios in play tonight:

Division 1: Kealakehe 3-0, Kea'au 2-1, Honoka'a 2-1

- If Kealakehe wins over Keaau - Kealakehe is first half D1 Champion

- If Keaau wins over Kealakehe, and Honokaa beats Waiakea - First half champion would be determined by a point differential tiebreaker between Kealakehe, Keaau, and Honokaa

- If Keaau wins over Kealakehe, and Waiakea beats Honokaa - Keaau would be First Half champion based on head-to-head tiebreaker with Kealakehe

UPDATE: Honoka'a loses to Waiakea on Friday night 14-0, so they are eliminated from the first-half crown picture. Tonight's Kealakehe / Kea'au game on ESPN Radio will determine the first half champion.

UPDATE #2: As heard on Saturday night here on ESPN Radio, Kealakehe's 27 - 13 win over Kea'au gives the Waveriders the first-half championship, as they finished the first half 4-0, to Kea'au's 2-2 and Honokaa's 2-2.

Division 2: Konawaena 3-0, HPA 2-1, Kohala 3-1

- If Konawaena beats HPA - Konawaena is the First Half D2 Champion

- If HPA beats Konawaena - First half champion would be determined by point differential tiebreaker between HPA, Konawaena, and Kohala

Kohala has a bye week this week, and have decided to not play a game, so they will wait for HPA and Konawaena to duke it out.

UPDATE: HPA beat Konawaena 12-0 on Saturday at HPA, but because of the point differential between the three teams in question (HPA, Konawaena, Kohala), Konawaena takes that tie-breaker to get the first half title. Here's the numbers:

Konawaena: 40-6 W over Kohala, 12-0 Loss to HPA (40 PF, 18 PA = +22 Point Differential)

HPA: 12-7 Loss to Kohala, 12-0 Win over Konawaena (19 PF, 7 PA = +12 Point Differential)

Kohala: 40-6 loss to Konawaena, 12-7 Win over HPA (18 PF, 47 PA = -29 Point Differential)

All that equals a Konawaena first half championship.

That begs the question: Should point spreads be used to determine champions?

ALDS Live Blog: Chicago vs. Tampa Bay

2008-10-02T06:35:00.027-10:00

So many storylines to follow here for this ALDS Series between the Chicago White Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays. Hmm, let's see....Ken Griffey Jr. (pictured above, Thanks to the Chicago Tribune) with his son. He hasn't been to the playoffs for over a decade. What about the entire White Sox team. They did something that had never been done before just to get here. They beat three opponents in three days to earn their spot.

OH, and those pesky Tampa Bay Rays. First playoff appearance in the franchise's 10 year history. And all they did was just take the devil out of the name. How simple! All kidding aside, it was more than just the devil. A good mix of players and a manager who held them all together. And they were only the best in the East division, which also includes the Yankees and Red Sox.

Some storylines, huh?

WHERE: Tropicana Field - St. Petersburg, FL
TBS Television Broadcasters: Don Orsillo and Harold Reynolds
ESPN Radio Announcers: Gary Thorne and Chris Singleton

PREDICTION: I'm not really sure where to go on this one, but I'm someone who looks at pitching as key, especially when you have a team that has never been to the playoffs before. The Rays have James Shields. Not their ace, and not someone with big time playoff experience. Javier Vasquez does have the experience and can be considered one of a group of aces on the White Sox staff. I'm going Chicago in game one.

By the way, management has told me that we are joining the game in-progress on-air at 9 am (Honolulu is joining at 10 am, so I guess it isn't so bad). I'll be keeping the blog updated as the game goes along, however, so you don't miss anything here.

__________________________________________________________

And we are underway! James Shields off to a great start for the Rays, getting his first strikeout of the postseason to DeWayne Wise for the second out after a fly out. Jermaine Dye grounds out, and a 1-2-3 inning for Shields!

Javier Vasquez off to a great start in the opening frame. A couple of quick outs to Iwamura and Upton (I think he hustled) and now the team's best power hitter, Carlos Pena. Vasquez was criticized by his Manager, Ozzie "The Mouth" Guillen after his last start of the regular season. Pena strikes out and the inning is over.

AFTER ONE INNING: Chicago 0, Tampa Bay 0

To the second inning, and the Home Run hero from the AL Central tiebreaker Jim Thome is up first. The 38 year old has set some home-run milestones this year, and whether you believe it is juiced or not, this has been a comeback in regards to numbers. He grounds to short, however, for the first out.

Konerko grounds out on one pitch for the second out. I wonder how much better this team would be if a healthy Carlos Quentin was in the lineup. He had a MVP-like year for Chicago until he went down with a bum wrist. Shields strikes out Griffey on a changeup way out of the strikezone, and we head to the second with no score!

Bottom of the second, and the Rookie of the Year (in my opinion) is at the plate in Evan Longoria. And the first ever playoff homer at the Trop! Evan Longoria knocks one out to left center for the first run of the game. 1-0 Tampa!

Let's see how Javier Vasquez reacts to giving up the homer. Gets Carl Crawford on a foul tip for the strikeout, and then Cliff Floyd flailing away for the second out. Navarro gets a double on a tough pop up for the defense. Give credit to Navarro for hustling out the two-bagger when he easily could've just jogged like he believed it would be an easy out. Gross strikesout to strand Navarro in scoring position, but the damage is done from Evan Longoria!

AFTER TWO INNINGS: Chicago 0, Tampa Bay 1

Our first injury storyline comes here in the third as Carlos Pena leaves the game. Gary Thorne just said that Pena was hit in the throat with a practice ground ball from, of all people, Evan Longoria earlier in the game. Willy Aybar comes in to play at first, and that is a HUGE power bat out of the lineup early on.

ROY Runner-Up Alexei Ramirez with a single, followed up by a Pierzynski single to put a couple of runners on as the White Sox try to answer the Rays homer. Uribe moves both runners into scoring position on the sacrifice bunt, and now Orlando Cabrera with his enormous amount of playoff experience with the Angels and Red Sox steps up. And Shields gets him to pop-up to second! Big at-bat for the Rays starter.

HOME RUN! DeWayne Wise, the fill-in for Carlos Quentin, hits a 3-Run Homer! White Sox go up 3-1 here in the 3rd....what a clutch at-bat! What a way to send Tropicana Field's fans from a frenzy with the Longoria shot to a huge low with Wise's crack. And now, Dye picks up a double to deep left-center. Shields is really shaky right now. Someone might wanna go out and talk to him. And almost on cue, the pitching coach comes out to chat.

Thome grounds out and the inning is finally over. But, DeWayne Wise turns this game around for Chicago to make it 3-1!

***Just an FYI, the live blog takes a break just before 10 am for a little bit. Yours truly is filling in for Jill Taylor on the KBIG-FM Middays. There is a possibility that I may have a guest live blogger for the time being.***

Bartlett bounces one by third to get on base to start the inning, followed by an Iwamura swat to deep center that bounces off the wall! Akinori goes for a triple as Bartlett goes home and the Rays get within one. 3-2 Chicago!

Strikeout on Upton by Vasquez, and Javier has a lot of work to do to keep that tying run from coming in at third. I'm surprised that the infield is coming in here in the 3rd inning. Aybar hitting for the first time and immediately makes a difference with the fly ball deep enough to left field to drive in Iwamura. 3-3 Tie! That was a close play at the plate. Good throw by Wise.

WHAT!?!? Longoria goes out again! Down the left field line and Longoria hits his second home run! 4-3 Tampa Bay!

I have a feeling that Javier Vasquez won't be lasting too much longer for the White Sox. He's been tagged over the past inning plus. Carl Crawford up, hard to top the act that Longoria has put up so far. Crawford flies out and ends the inning, but the Rays answer the 3-Run White Sox inning with three of their own!

AFTER THREE INNINGS: Chicago 3, Tampa Bay 4

USELESS STAT OF THE NIGHT: Evan Longoria is the youngest 3B since 1951 to hit two home runs in his game. Good work.

INJURY UPDATE: Slightly blurred vision in the left eye of Carlos Pena has knocked him out. He suffered the injury at home last night. Yikes. How many times have we heard of injuries suffered outside of the game (a la Monta Ellis moped incident) that has cost players some time? Hope Pena is okay.

Shields starts this half of the inning with a strikeout to Konerko looking and a Griffey grounder, and now working hard against Rookie Alexei Ramirez to try to end this frame. Gets a grounder to first and Shields retires the side!

To the bottom of the frame we go, and this is an important recovery inning for Javier Vasquez. The offense for Chicago will get more runs, I'm sure. But can the pitching staff hold down the Rays attack? Cliff Floyd strikes out for out number one.

Navarro up, and he doubled his first time up, but he pops up here. I didn't realize that Vasquez already has six strikeouts. Maybe the trouble has outweighed the K's so far. He's close to walking Gabe Gross, however. And there it is.

USELESS STAT ALERT: Evan Longoria is the first player in MLB Postseason history to hit home runs in his first two postseason at-bat's

Nice aggressive base running by Gabe Gross to steal 2nd with two down. Bartlett pops up and the inning is over. We're done with four!

AFTER FOUR INNINGS: Chicago 3, Tampa Bay 4

***BREAK TIME: Gotta fill in on the KBIG FM Mid-days. Be back in a little bit!***

Alright, we're back, and what did we miss?

SCORING PLAYS:

5th - Evan Longoria RBI Single followed by a Carl Crawford RBI base knock

AFTER SIX INNINGS: Chicago 3, Tampa Bay 6

James Shields has loaded the bases thanks to a walk, HBP, and a single, and his night is over. Grant Balfour has two outs to keep all of the runners on base, and Juan Uribe is the first man to face him. And Balfour delivers with a key strikeout to keep em loaded with two down!

Uh-oh. Tempers are flaring! Grant Balfour and Orlando Cabrera are kicking dirt and yelling at one another. I'm not sure what may have happened there, but it's the playoffs, and this is the time where emotions come out!

WOW! Balfour strikes out Cabrera! Now Ozzie Guillen is screaming at his players to get control of themselves. Yeah, he should be one to talk, right? Balfour saves the day for Shields and the Rays still lead by 3!

***PROGRAMMING NOTE*** Tomorrow on "The Josh Pacheco Show", BYU-Hawaii Women's Volleyball coach (and Laupahoehoe alum) Wilfred Navalta joins us to preview the matchup against Hawaii-Hilo, and Rosey Rosenthal calls in to talk BIIF Football. We run until 11:35 am as we will have Game 2 of the ALDS between these two teams.

Bottom 7, and BJ Upton goes after a slider in on him, and flies to right. One down. Nice stab by Uribe to get Aybar, and now comes the game's star, Evan Longoria, who's driven in three runs! And, to be expected with a nice sized Rays lead, Longoria gets walked to bring up Carl Crawford.

Also, not to be surprised at this, but Ozzie Guillen jawing at Rays fans. Who doesn't he jaw at?

Longoria nearly caught in a run down, but it's been his night tonight. Konerko could release the ball from first, and Longoria steals second. Crawford grounds out to end the inning and strand Longoria.

AFTER SEVEN INNINGS: Chicago 3, Tampa Bay 6

***One more break on the live blog...gotta go to the bank***

That's it! Dan Wheeler made this one interesting, but Tampa Bay holds on to win 6-4!

Milwaukee and Philadephia coming up in about 15 minutes. Thanks for logging on!

NLDS Live Blog: Milwaukee vs. Philadelphia

2008-10-01T08:05:00.041-10:00

Photo Credit: Associated Press

We are at that time, everyone! Postseason baseball! We kick off the postseason with an NLDS matchup between the Wild Card Champion Milwaukee Brewers and the NL East Champion Philadelphia Phillies. Here's what you need to know

WHERE: Citizen's Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
TBS Television Announcers: Brian Anderson, Joe Simpson, and John Smoltz
ESPN Radio Announcers: Michael Kay and Steve Phillips

PREDICTION: Phillies should win game one. I don't like the Brew Crew with Gallardo on the mound, but that's what happens when you have to put your big name pitchers on the mound toward the end of the year to make sure you get in the playoffs first. But, looking at it right now, Yovani Gallardo vs. Cole Hamels? I don't know many people that would pick Gallardo here.

_________________________________________________________
PRE-GAME STUFFS:

In case you need a guide to help you cram for this NLDS Series between the Brew Crew and the Fightin' Phils, The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Tom Haudricourt and Anthony Witrado did a position-by-position breakdown here, and not to my surprise, they aren't biased. If you check out the breakdowns, the Phillies should dominate the series against Milwaukee. But the big key will be pitching. Can anyone else step up besides CC for the Brewers?

BREWERS BATTING ORDER:
1. Mike Cameron, CF (0-3, 2 K's, BB)
2. Bill Hall, 3B (0-3, K)
-----Ray Durham, PH (1-1, 1B, R)
3. Ryan Braun, LF (1-3, 2B, K)
4. Prince Fielder, 1B (0-4, 3 K's)
5. J.J. Hardy, SS (0-3, BB)
6. Corey Hart, RF (1-4, 1B, K)
7. Ricky Weeks, 2B (0-2, 2 K's)
-----Carlos Villanueva, P
-----Tony Gwynn Jr., PH (0-1)
-----Manny Parra, P
8. Jason Kendall, C (0-3, 2 K's)
9. Yovani Gallardo, P (0-1)
-----Mitch Stetter, P
-----Craig Counsell, 2B (1-2, 1B)

BREWERS PITCHING:

Yovani Gallardo (R)- 4 IP, 3 R (0 ER), 3 Hits, 3 K's, 5 Walks
Mitch Stetter (L) - 0.2 IP, 1 Strikeout
Carlos Villanueva (R) - 2.1 IP, 3 Strikeouts
Manny Parra (L) - 0.2 IP, 1 Walk, 1 Hit
Guillermo Mota (R) -

PHILLIES BATTING ORDER:

1. Jimmy Rollins, SS (1-4, 1B, K)
2. Jayson Werth, RF (0-4, 3 K's)
3. Chase Utley, 2B (1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R)
4. Ryan Howard, 1B (0-1, K, 3 BB)
5. Pat Burrell, LF (0-2, GIDP, BB)
-----Eric Bruntlett, LF (1-1, 1B)
6. Shane Victorino, CF (0-2, 2 BB, RBI, SB)
7. Pedro Feliz, 3B (0-3)
8. Carlos Ruiz, C (1-4, 1B, R)
9. Cole Hamels, P (0-2, Sacrifice Bunt, Reaches on E4, R, 2 K's)

PHILLIES PITCHING:

Cole Hamels (L) - 8 Innings, 2 Hits, 9 K's 1 Walk
Brad Lidge (R)

_____________________________________________________________

Last thing I wanted to hear from Michael Kay is that there's a chance that we could have some kind of weather problem that could affect this game. "Ugly clouds"...as opposed to nice clouds?

Good start for Cole Hamels as he gets the strikeout on Mike Cameron and Ryan Braun to help complete a 1-2-3 inning start the game.

Gallardo up in the Bottom of the inning. He's got a tough assignment with a lot of pressure on him. For a pitcher who hasn't thrown much coming in, this is as big as it is going to get.

And Gallardo responds with a strikeout of his own to help lead to a 1-2-3 inning to keep it nodded at nothing as we quickly move to the 2nd!

END OF FIRST: Milwaukee 0, Philadelphia 0

Cole Hamels is looking fantastic so far. Four strikeouts, including his latest to Prince Fielder. And, maybe more importantly, he is working very quickly. As has been mentioned by Michael Kay, and I'm sure by the TBS guys, 3:00 local time is looking more like it is 6 or 7 pm with the dark clouds and the threat of rain. So, it is very important for Cole to work as quickly as possible. Same for Yovani.

Another 1-2-3 inning for Cole Hamels. He's definitely dialed in with the crowd here in Game 1.

First little mistake made by Gallardo with the walk to Ryan Howard. Then again, that might not be that bad of a mistake, especially because Howard can knock one out if you leave him a mistake pitch.

And Yovani quickly helps erase that mistake as Burrell grouds into a 6-3 douple play. But, he quickly walks Shane Victorino on four pitches to put the base-stealing threat on the basepaths. You think watching Hamels dominate is psyching him out a little bit?

Yovani gets a hard ground out from Pedro Feliz to end the inning without any further trouble. 2 innings complete in 27 minutes. Maybe I might have time to do a quick show before the pre-game of the Dodgers game?

END OF SECOND: Milwaukee 0, Philadelphia 0

We're still looking for our first hit of the game, and it doesn't appear that we are going to get it anytime soon as K-ole Hamels picks up strikeout number 4 with Weeks. Struckout with a pitch out of the strike zone.

Watching TBS Hot Corner along with the radio broadcast (Hot Corner is way behind) and I can see how dark it is. It doesn't look like it is 3:40 pm Eastern Time. I really hope we don't get a rain delay, because my goal is that we get to hear the start of the Dodgers game.

Nearly our first run of the game as the pitcher Gallardo, yes, the pitcher, sends one to the warning track to Burrell before the wind keeps it in the ball park. I have a feeling that the first to two runs will win the game.

8-9-1 hitters up for the Fightin Phils here in the bottom of the third. 26 pitches for Gallardo thus far, and he gives up the first hit of the game to Carlos Ruiz. The great thing about NL baseball is that the strategy comes in with the pitchers spot.

We see the bunt, and we get our first error! Weeks can't hang on and Philly is charging with two on and nobody out. I think we've kinda forgotten how bad the infield has been this year for the Brewers here. Weeks covered first on the bunt defense and thats a tough error to have. Tough for a young pitcher on the mound to work with in a pressure spot.

Rollins up, and you would expect him to bunt, right? Nope...fly ball. Bad at-bat especially with the wind and the lack of offense so far. Just move em over, but he doesn't. Let's see if that comes back to bite Philadelphia.

BIG strikeout by Gallardo getting Werth to make this scoring threat look like less of an issue. Chase Utley is always a tough out, however, and he doesn't strikeout, so he will usually just put one in play.

Line drive to right-center and Mike Cameron can't hold on to the tough flyball. He falls, ball falls, Ruiz and Hamels comes in to score to make it 2-0. Ruled a double for Chase Utley. Intentional walk to Howard to make sure he doesn't extend this lead, and now comes Pat Burrell.

Burrell walks to load the bases and then Gallardo struggles to walk Victorino and walk in a run. The struggles of putting a young guy on the mound in a pressure game. Feliz flies out, nine men to the plate, and finally the inning is over.

END OF THIRD: Milwaukee 0, Philadelphia 3

Rough stretch for Gallardo in the 3rd. He's thrown 61 pitches through 3, 29 for strikes. Add in the 5 walks and the three runs allowed, and you have a recipe for a possible short night for Yovani. And let's also remember that the Brewer bullpen has been less than stellar this year. Uh-oh!

Meanwhile, Cole Hamels is just business as usual. Four perfect innings in 44 pitches, 30 of them for strikes. Pressure back on Gallardo as we head to the bottom of the inning.

BIG regroup inning for Gallardo, and Carlos Ruiz helps out by bunting it right to him. BUNT? The pitcher is on deck, you decide to do something that doesn't play to your strength! Very very questionable.

Gallardo gets the strikeout to his opposite number and now faces Rollins. Rollins can frustrate pitchers, and with Gallardo's expected pitch limit to 85, he might want to be aggressive to Rollins to end this inning quickly.

Rollins gets a single, pitch right over the upper part of the plate. Rollins knows how to handle those, and now we will see how Yovani handles it. Rollins has 47 stolen bases this year in 50 attempts. Pitch count now over 70 and climbing. I don't think he wants this inning to extend with Utley coming up, and he forces a pop up in foul ground.

END OF FOURTH: Milwaukee 0, Philadelphia 3

Cole Hamels continues the hot streak right now as he sets down Prince Fielder for the second time. Changeup right below the zone and a tad away. 5 Stikeouts for Hamels as he is still perfect.

Hamels had to work a little bit against JJ Hardy, but ended up inducing the ground ball to Jimmy Rollins, who is one of the best at the position.

First hit of the game for the Brewers as Corey Hart got a base knock to right field. On 7 days rest, 14 straight retired to start the game for Hamels before that hit. you know we shouldn't have uttered the word "Perfect"...I think that did it. You know my rule. No one should start on perfection until the 7th or 8th inning. But, he recovers with a strikeout and ends the inning.

Mitch Stetter is the new pitcher for the Brew Crew. You can see Gallardo's line in the constantly updated Box Score above. And Stetter gets the first out on Utley with a ground ball.

Watching Stetter's delivery, it's more of a side-arm than a submarine delivery. With Stetter's slider, left handers might be caught off guard. The slider might start out like it's going right at him, and then it will break toward the plate. Stetter's got more of a chance against Lefty hitters than most might think.

Told you the slider was effective. He got the big lefty on the slider, and now he is done. Double switch coming up.

Villanueva comes in and in two pitches, gets the out on Burrell to end the inning. By the way, on the double switch, Craig Counsell goes over to 2nd to replace Weeks.

AFTER FIVE INNINGS: Milwaukee 0, Philadelphia 3

Still working on a quick pace as we go to the sixth, and no better way to start the inning than strikeout number 7 on Jason Kendall on a pitch on the outer half of the plate, maybe a little bit outside.

Double switch is looking good as Counsell gets a base knock, only the second hit for Milwaukee in the game. Let's see if Counsell goes to put pressure on Hamels. Craig is 3-4 on stolen base attempts.

Uh-oh. Hamels is starting to fly open a little bit. Tough walk to Cameron, and now there is two on with one out for the streaky Bill Hall. Ball four to Cameron didn't miss by too much, but the Home plate umpire is holding a tight strike zone right now.

Hamels regroups well to get the strikeout on Hall, who is known to strike out a lot. A Ryan Braun pop-up follows, and Cole Hamels escapes possible trouble to strand the two runners on base.

***REMINDER: Game One of the ALDS is up at 3:35 pm between the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Dan Shulman and Dave Campbell have the call. Our own Keith Vachon of KBIG FM is a die-hard Boston Red Sox fan. If you're bored, call up the KBIG request line when he is on the air to tell him the score!***

1-2-3 inning for Villanueva. Good solid inning and a third for Carlos to try to keep Milwaukee in this one with 4-5-6 in the order due up.

AFTER SIX INNINGS: Milwaukee 0, Philadelphia 3

As we start the 7th, and Hamels gets fielder on one pitch, let's see how much longer the Phils go with Hamels. Cole is due up first in the next inning. If Hamels continues his solid performance, I think he will be hitting after the 7th inning stretch.

Nice play by Feliz at 3B with the diving stab and the throw to keep this inning quick. And then Hardy in one pitch. If I'm not mistaken, this was a 4 or 5 pitch inning.

We apologize for the technical difficulties. I don't think it was an US thing. Satellites have issues every once in a while.

The Brewer bullpen has been criticized over the past couple of months, but they have been outstanding thus far. Stetter was good in his 2/3 of an inning, and Villanueva since has been fantastic including strikeouts of the last two hitters and a swinging strikeout to end the inning. 2 1/3 innings for Villanueva and outstanding results.

AFTER SEVEN INNINGS: Milwaukee 0, Philadelphia 3

To the eighth inning, and the Brewers hitters are giving this one away. Great stat by Michael Kay, as they committed four outs in six innings. When you're down by 3, the last thing you should be doing is chasing first pitches and getting desperate.

What's also important here is if the Brewers don't get someone on base, Fielder and Hardy may not get a chance to hit in the 9th.

Yet ANOTHER strikeout by Cole Hamels with a changeup knocking out Jason Kendall. 9 Strikeouts by Hamels to this point, and a groundout will end the inning. 8 in a row set down by Cole!

Back to the bullpen for the bottom of the 8th and the talented, yet sometimes intimidated lefty Manny Parra. The Brewers bullpen so far has worked 3 innings of perfect baseball, but tough time for Parra as he has to face the heart of the order.

Utley grounds out, and it reminds me that the Philly offense hasn't done much tonight outside of the three run third. The Fightin Phils only have three hits in the game and two of those hits came in that third inning.

Walk to Howard, and that's the first baserunner allowed by the bullpen. Meanwhile, an infield single by Eric Bruntlett puts a couple of runners on as the Phillies will try to extend this one.

With Victorino extending the game, the Brewers will go to the pen for their 5th pitcher, Guillermo Mota. If Howard scores, you could put this one in the books and re-focus to game two.

***PROGRAMMING NOTE*** The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs follow this game on ESPN Radio. We won't be live blogging this one, but you can listen to the game as the middle part of our doubleheader.

Victorino gets the uncontested stolen base as this Feliz at-bat becomes more important. Two in scoring position so a base hit drives them both home. And Feliz pops up, great play by Counsell at 2B to snare it and end the inning. Crunch time coming up for the Brewers!

END OF EIGHTH: Milwaukee 0, Philadelphia 3

To the bullpen we go for the first time and the National League Comeback Player of the Year Brad Lidge. I personally don't think he deserves it, and I think it should go to Fernando Tatis, but that is just me. Lidge has been great, though. 41 for 41 in Save Opportunities this year.

Cameron caught looking at a fastball over the heart of the plate! What are you thinking! Phils' two outs away from taking Game 1.

Veteran Ray Durham pinch hits for Bill Hall and gets on base for Ryan Braun. Big at-bat's coming here because Bruan and Fielder both have power that could tie this game.

Ryan Braun comes through in the clutch with a double down the right field line. Utley has trouble with the throw, Durham scores, and now we have a ball game here at the Bank in Philly. Error charged to Utley, taking away the RBI

Why do you pitch to Prince Fielder? Fielder represents the tying run at the plate here. Who would you rather have beat you? Fielder or JJ Hardy? I would choose Hardy here.

WOW! Fielder strikes out for the third time tonight! So much for second guessing the decision to pitch to the big man. Phils one out away from the win.

Great job by JJ Hardy being patient and forcing the walk, which brings the go-ahead run to the plate in Corey Hart, who is hitless against Lidge.

Oh boy. Could the old Brad Lidge be breaking in to the playoffs? Wild pitch moves both runners into scoring position.

LIDGE RECOVERS! Strikeout on Hart ends the ball game. It was looking real tight for a moment, but the Phils win a playoff game for the first time since 1993!

FINAL SCORE: PHILADELPHIA 3, Milwaukee 1 (PHI leads 1-0)

Thanks for reading the live blog. We're back tomorrow for two here at ESPNHawaii.com!

MLB Postseason Live Blogs!

2008-09-30T08:30:00.003-10:00

As many of you know, I'm taking Wednesday and Thursday off, as well as the last 25 minutes on Friday, so ESPN Radio can bring you live coverage of the 2008 MLB Postseason. But, that doesn't mean I'm not working. I do have to be here in the office, and that means I need something to do. So, during select games of the 2008 MLB Postseason, I'll come here and start live-blogs during the action in case you are watching the game or listening to it along with the rest of our audience. The live-blog schedule will be as follows:

Wednesday:

8:35 am - NLDS Game 1: Milwaukee vs. Philadelphia

Thursday:

8:00 am - ALDS Game 1: MIN / CWS vs. Tampa Bay

If we get bumped next week for one of the NLCS / ALCS games, we'll do the same thing, so I'll keep you posted.

Best Football Catch Ever?

2008-09-25T12:58:00.001-10:00

Let's start the debate: Best Catch Ever? You Decide.

Please don't dirty the kids minds, Greg Oden

2008-09-09T14:31:00.004-10:00

Came across this via Awful Announcing and Hard For The Yard in what has to be the most disturbing piece of Karaoke I have ever seen.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Greg Oden:

That, my friends, was a song originally done from has-been boy band *NSync.

And if you knew that, shame on you.

Whew! That was close...

2008-09-06T21:57:00.004-10:00

Before I even blog about the Weber State / Hawaii game, I did want to mention very quickly how much of a headache I had earlier from the countless hours I spent watching college football today. I would say I spent almost 9 hours on college football, jumping from game to game. Even for a "sports guy," that can be quite a bit.

Luckily for me, I have this cool thing called High Definition Television, and with it came this channel that showed a concert from one of my favorite bands of all time, Dave Matthews Band. If you are a DMB fanatic, or are just a fan of good music, I strongly suggest you check this out. It was on the Palladia channel on Oceanic Time Warner Cable.

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It looks like the Tyler Graunke era begins sooner rather than later at the University of Hawaii.

And when I meant later, I was meaning Week Four of this season.

After Inoke Funaki went down with a reported concussion, and the Warriors had given up 14 straight points at the end of the 1st half to trail by 10 to the Football Championship Subdivision Weber State team, Graunke was inserted to start the second half and was flat out fabulous.

Graunke finished with a quarterback rating of 206 (I still don't really know the math behind that), threw for 218 yds and had 3 passing touchdowns.

Inoke Funaki wasn't BAD, but its just that the offense didn't move with him at the helm. With Graunke out there, things were exciting again, and the Warriors seemed to have an easy time hitting paydirt.

I guess this means we will have our third different starting quarterback in three weeks as Tyler should get the nod against the 0-2 Beavers, who were demolished in Happy Valley by JoPa's Nittany Lions, which leads me to some other college football notes.

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- Excessive Celebration? Seems to me we have excessive amounts of stupid rules.

The referees MIGHT HAVE cost the Washington Huskies a chance to win over #15 BYU on Saturday, when Jake Locker was called for Excessive Celebration after his touchdown to get his team within a point.

I emphasize the IF factor because we don't know if BYU would have blocked the extra point attempt from the regular distance, so Washington didn't totally get robbed.

But, back to the point. Under the letter of the NCAA's Rules and Interpretations, if you toss the ball up in the air in a celebration, that can be interpreted as part of an excessive celebration. Locker indeed threw the ball up in the air in celebratory fashion, so he was penalized.

Should that really be a penalty, though? I can see this called in High School, because we want to teach Sportsmanship and goodwill to the young moldable athletes. In college, different story. While based on the letter of the law, the referees made the right call, its a call that shouldn't have to be made in the first place.

- ECU upsets another Top 25 foe, this time Top 10 West Virginia

Whatever, Daniel Brock. You've got a surprise coming your way on Monday's show.

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By the way, for those of you who missed Friday Night's BIIF Game of the Week between the Honokaa Dragons and the Hilo Vikings, click here

Regroup Time for the Warriors against Weber State

2008-09-01T18:43:00.004-10:00

(Photo Credit - Associated Press)

The Warriors 56-10 loss to the Florida Gators? Not surprising.

I think we all knew this was coming. Whether you are a Warrior Fan or not, you know that the Gators are a darn good football team.

But, it seems like we are back to square one with the most important position on the football team: Quarterback.

On "The Coach Mack Show" on KGMB9, Coach Greg McMackin announced that Inoke Funaki would get the start against Weber State. Coach Mack admitted that Brent Rausch and Greg Alexander still were inexperienced with the system and needed a little more time, which begged the question of why Alexander started, and why Rausch was originally considered the starter in the first place.

Let's get positive, though. What's the best medicine for a hangover after a loss to a Top 10 team on the road in blowout fashion?

Weber State.

Sure, Weber State did beat Montana-Western 62-6 in their season opener, but the Football Championship Subdivision is much different than the Football Bowl Subdivision. Expect a blowout at Aloha Stadium this coming weekend.

USA Wins Gold in Men's Basketball

2008-08-23T22:29:00.003-10:00

If you don't have Digital Cable, then you are going to have to wait to see an EPIC of a basketball game. USA beats Spain in a thriller 118-107 to take home the gold in the games of the 29th Olympiad. Three things you should know from tonight's game:

1) The USA's 2-point shooting down the stretch was a big key. Guys like Kobe, Wade, and Deron Williams all have experience on their own NBA teams to make big shots in key moments. So imagine when they are all on the same team hitting those same shots? That's what we saw throughout, especially with Wade in the 1st Half and the 4th Quarter, and Bryant in the 2nd half.

2) Let's give Spain a lot of credit for the way they played. After losing by 37 to the US in pool play, they came out spirited, with a chip on their shoulder, and with no fear. Timely defense, three point shots, and amazing dunks and runners kept this team in the game. In the end, however, USA was too quick and tough.

3) The FIBA officials who worked this game were horrendous. There was a shot of NBA Commissioner David Stern in the stands and I'm sure he was thinking "and they thought our officials were bad! These guys stink! And they aren't even fixing the game!" That was the only part of the game that was embarassing.

As I said earlier, this was an instant classic. This game had me jumping out of my seat, making a ton of noise, and watching every single second. Congratulations to the Redeem Team!

Bud Light / ESPN Radio Ultimate Cruise Party - EAST HAWAII FINALS!

2008-08-22T08:40:00.002-10:00

RIP Gene Upshaw 1945-2008

2008-08-21T14:08:00.002-10:00

The NFL World lost one of its ambassadors today, as Gene Upshaw died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 63. I wanna touch on cancer issue first before I get to his NFL career.

Imagine being a family member of Upshaw's, finding out four days ago that your loved one was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and then all of a sudden, he is no longer with you. I can't imagine that, and I've been so fortunate that I have never been put in either side of that situation. Many others have not been so fortunate.

Just a few days ago, a friend of mine lost her mother to Pancreatic Cancer. Unlike Upshaw's bout, this bout lasted for a long time. I don't exactly know how long, but it was a sad situation for far too long. She was one of the nicest people you would ever meet in your life. And I'm not just saying that because of her passing, but I firmly believed it. We may not have spoken a lot, but everytime we did, she was a joy to be around. She had a great smile and a wonderful personality. Her kids definitely were raised by a wonderful person, and it shows. She will be missed.

Back to Upshaw. I think many people may know of his career. 15 years, all with the Oakland Raiders, to go along with 3 Super Bowl appearances in 3 different decades. He was one of the best Offensive Lineman the game has seen, a hall of famer on and off the field. Raiders owner Al Davis said that the community lost a "great man."

Let's just put that in perspective. Yes, we lost a great football player and a leader of the players organization. But, we also lost a husband, a father, and a great guy. Gene will be missed.

Where China has crossed the line...

2008-08-20T14:27:00.003-10:00

Came across this story in the Honolulu Advertiser today....

Two elderly Chinese women who applied to hold a protest during the Olympics were ordered to spend a year in a labor camp, a relative said Wednesday.

Ok, while that sounds a bit tame, here's where it starts to bother me...

Li said no cause was given for the order to imprison his 79-year-old mother, Wu Dianyuan, and her neighbor Wang Xiuying, 77.

"Wang Xiuying is almost blind and disabled. What sort of re-education through labor can she serve?" Li said in a telephone interview.

Here's what we know for a fact: China's "setup" of protest zones has been a bunch of BS. 77 protest applications sent in, and NONE allowed. China's promised open media journalism...that's not happening either...

The four unfurled a Tibetan flag and shouted "Free Tibet" south of the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium, the New York-based Students for a Free Tibet said. It put the number of police at 50; a spokeswoman for the Beijing Public Security Bureau declined comment.

"The fact that there were so many undercover police following them it just made them go with the action urgently," said Kate Woznow, the group's campaigns director.

Two Associated Press photographers were roughed up by plainclothes security officers, forced into cars and taken to a nearby building where they were questioned before being released. Memory cards from their cameras were confiscated.

I have a major problem with broken promises and unfair treatment. I understand that different countries have different ideals philosophies, but these are basic things that are being messed with.

It's sad to me how a country operates when it's own citizens, who are sheltered from hearing a lot of the negative already, are applying for protests. It's too bad that these issues will continue to be talked about during what has been a historic Olympic Games

Jam-Packed Show Today on ESPN Radio

2008-08-19T07:46:00.003-10:00

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnn.

That's kinda how I feel right now, after a 4 am wake up call to get to the studio at 5 am. Normally, on any day, this is an achievable feat, as I have done morning FM Radio and Morning College Radio before, so it was a normal thing when I would fill in for someone and wake up comsistantly at the same time to get in to work at 5.

But, this time, it was a little different. Like many of you, I've been suffering from "Olympic Hangover." You know, when you watch too much Olympic coverage, especially when a lot of it is late at night? I don't know how many days I have strutted into work after my designated start time at 6 am since the games of the 29th Olympiad started. Hope my bosses don't read this.

Today, however, was easy to wake up. I was so excited to come into work at 5 am, for three different reasons:

1) Ted Leonsis. You may know him as the AOL guy, or the former owner of the NHL's New York Islanders. Now, he is the majority owner of the Washington Wizards, Capitals, and Mystics. He's also produced two films, and the one we talked about is called Kicking It.

Anyway, his call-in interview was at 5:30 am. That's right. 11:30 am his time in Washington D.C. Such a cool guy, though. He'll be on today's show at 10:25 am or so.

2) Mike Riley. Mike was a former head coach in the professional football ranks with the San Diego Chargers in the NFL and in the CFL as well. Anyway, he is currently the coach at Oregon State. He's an awesome guy to talk football with, and he told me that I can call him anytime if I need anything. I'm not gonna do that, but maybe we'll have him on again before the Oregon State / Hawaii football game.

His call-in interview? 6 am. That's 9 am there in Corvalis.

3) June Jones. Of course, everyone knows him as the old ball coach at Hawaii, but he's traded in the green for Mustang Blue and Red (and Red is one of my favorite colors). June called in right after practice, and I asked him where has the best food (Dallas or Hawaii?), as well as questions about his transition and his team.

His call-in interview? 6:35 am. That's 11:35 am Central Time in Dallas.

Oh, and I can't forget Kau's football coach Jonathan Roddy joining us at 11:10 am today.

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On another note, I guess I gotta find another way to make our finalist for the Bud Light Ultimate Party Cruise. How does "Name That College" sound? We're gonna do that tomorrow on the program.

BIIF Pre-season Football

2008-08-18T07:54:00.003-10:00

If you log on to ESPNHawaii.com, you will be able to see the complete list of games for the BIIF Football season. Whether it is pre-season or regular-season, you won't be left in the dark when it comes to following your favorite team.

We've just added a second pre-season game to our schedule for this Friday night. Our friends at ESPN550 will be simulcasting a pre-season matchup between Kamehameha-Hawaii and Baldwin. I'll host BIIF Football Countdown at 6:30 pm, and we will have the game call from Fred Guzman and Barry Hele at 7 pm.

Talk about a hectic pre-season schedule for Kamehameha-Hawaii, they start off with the #8 team in the state in Kapolei, losing 43-0, and then they follow it up with the team that was ranked #7 in the last Star-Bulletin poll (and I'm sure they will be higher this week, I voted them in at #5).

Kapolei 43, Kamehameha-Hawaii 0

2008-08-17T14:58:00.004-10:00

The #8 Ranked Kapolei Hurricanes didn't disappoint the Star-Bulletin voters in their win over 3-Time Defending Division II BIIF Champion Kamehameha-Hawaii.

Stay right here, because coming up I will have a link to the archived, condensed version of the broadcast, as I called it, on ESPN Radio Saturday night. That link should be up soon.

UPDATE: Click Here for ESPN Radio's Archived Games!

BREAKING NEWS: June Jones on "The Josh Pacheco Show" Tuesday 8/19

2008-08-14T13:40:00.003-10:00

Just got word from the SMU Athletic Department that we have the OK to interview former UH Head Football Coach June Jones on Tuesday morning during "The Josh Pacheco Show" on ESPN Radio.

I know a lot of you have things you wanna know about June Jones and his past and his current gig in Dallas as coach of SMU, so I'm asking you to send me your questions for the interview. I'll be taking your questions until 3 pm on Monday, August 18th. I can't guarantee that every one of your questions will be asked, but I will do my best to make sure they get on.

Olympic Update

2008-08-12T13:59:00.002-10:00

Someone liked my Olympic idea in my last blog (didn't realize I poured out my thoughts and ideals, but okay), so I figured I would continue with blogging about the olympics.

- What's with the handball craze? I don't get it! I tried watching women's handball last night, and was left wishing I had had all that time back. Maybe its because they don't really explain the rules, but I'm not a big fan. I'd rather see golf become an Olympic sport. After all, we do have the WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS.

- Speaking of sports we would like to see in the Olympics, could we find a way to keep Softball on the agenda for the games? I watched most of the USA's drubbing of Venezuela, which ended in a 5th inning TKO. Just because the other countries aren't as good in softball as the USA doesn't mean we should just get rid of the sport.

- Meanwhile, while everyone is talking about the BIG names in Tennis (Federer, Venus and Serena, Nadal), my favorite match to watch so far was between China's Zheng Jie and Spain's Nuria Llagostera. Yeah, that's right. Two no-names. But, in three hours, we saw broken serves, missed opportunities, blown leads, and high intensity. I saw so much heart, hustle, and fight that I was hoping that this match would never end. Spain won this one in 3 sets, but this was definitely the match of the day in my book.

- Germany's Men's Basketball: Disappointing. Nuff said.

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Join me tomorrow as we talk to Idaho's Football Head Coach Robb Akey on the program. What's their Hawaii connection (besides being a WAC rival with the Warriors)? And what are the expectations for the team? Find out tomorrow.

And don't forget the poll at the top of the page. With Saturday's broadcast of the preseason special between Kapolei and Kamehameha-Hawaii, we want to know who you think will win? Answer the poll and we will mention the results on Saturday's broadcast!

What We Are Paying Attention To

2008-08-10T11:45:00.004-10:00

Hey guys....working on a Sunday today, as we are training one of our newcomers who will be a valuable asset to our entire group of radio stations. He probably won't be the next sports talk host (he probably doesn't wanna be), but he could be the "next big thing" in radio here so good luck to him.

Working on getting an update on our Hilo Junior Little League baseball team, who played their opening round match in the Junior League World Series in Taylor, Michigan. I know a lot of people have been trying to listen to the ballgame via the internet here, but if you have only Windows Media Player, it freezes before it even gets to the game. I tried it at home and even here at the office, to no luck. Fortunately, one of our computers here at the workstation has Real Player, and the stream worked that way, although the quality of the announcers volumes were very poor. And I have an ear for that kind of stuff, and my ear was ready to fall off.

UPDATE: Tough loss today for the Hilo boys, as they lost to Alvin, TX by the score of 7-5. Their next matchup comes against a team from Mechanicsville (no joke) at 5 am on Monday morning.

Meanwhile, I'm currently watching the Waipahu Little League at the West Regional Final against Nevada. They put up a 3-Run first inning against Nevada and are leading going into the second.

I know, that went completely off the subject, but once I get an update, I will let everyone know on-air and on-line. I'll be calling Coach Wong in just a few.

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Monday Night Football is back, as Cincinnati goes to the historic Lambeau Field to play Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. How will the Green Bay fans react when Rodgers exits the tunnel onto the field as the Packers starting quarterback? Should be interesting.

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Meanwhile, Colt Brennan got to play in a Washington 3-point win over the Buffalo Bills. Brennan's final line was 4-8 for 37 yards. Oh, and to all of those "Vote Colt as the Starter!" fans, settle down. Jason Campbell is having an outstanding training camp, and even if he wasn't, Colt wouldn't be the first guy in line for the job. Not being a hater or anything, but telling it like it is. Look at the depth charts.

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And, finally, as I write this entry, China is tied with the United States in the medal count for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. China has six gold medals, to our two, but we aren't one hit wonders with other athletes taking silver and bronze awards.

If you want extra motivation to beat the Chinese, look no further than the guys who play the national anthem during the medal ceremony. When Michael Phelps won his first (of many) gold medal, the national anthem started right in the middle, repeated sections, and then abruptly cut off before it got to the end. Oh yeah, President George W. Bush was there in attendance as well. Whoops! Time to kick some butt, USA!

Another reason why Brett Favre to New York could be a good fit

2008-08-07T08:35:00.002-10:00

Thanks to our production guru, he took time out of his busy schedule to remind me of a lesser known acting job by Brett Favre. It's from the movie "Reggie's Prayer" featuring, you guessed it, Reggie White.

(Thanks to joblo.com)

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By the way, Jane McManus, Jets beat writer for "The Journal News" joins me on the show today as she has had a late night / morning covering the trade.

Brett Favre to the New York J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets!

2008-08-06T18:32:00.005-10:00

After all, could you really see Brett Favre wearing this?

(Photo Credit: Tampa Tribune)

I didn't think so.

Foxsports.com first reported that Brett Favre and the Packers agreed to a trade with the New York Jets in exchange for a fourth-round pick next year, which could be upgraded to a second-round pick depending on Brett's performance.

Finally, we have the culmination of a soap opera that has gone on for WAY too long. Too many feelings hurt, trusts broken, and relationships damaged. From GM Ted Thompson to President/CEO Mark Murphy and Head Coach Mike McCarthy, the power players in Green Bay botched this situation and made it the drama it was.

But, lets not forget that blame can be shared on Brett's strong shoulders as well. His pre-madonna attitude made it difficult on the organization, and made this ordeal a burden on the fans and players.

Reaction coming up tomorrow on "The Josh Pacheco Show" on ESPN Radio.

Colt Brennan Live Blog at AFC - NFC Hall of Fame Game

2008-08-03T14:06:00.015-10:00

Well, today marks the return of professional football...it's been six months of rumors, Brett Favre, and well, Brett Favre, until now.

Colt Brennan is expected to start the second half for the Washington Redskins, and according to head coach Jim Zorn, his performance and game situation will determine how long he plays.

The game is airing live on NBC Sports. I'll be with you for the live Colt Brennan blog when he checks in!

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3:52 pm: Well, Colt has his work cut out for him. The Colts (I mean, Indy) lead the 'Skins 16-9 and after seeing Jason Campbell and Todd Collins, its time to start the competition for the 3rd string QB position.

3:56 pm: Brennan makes his debut in something unfamiliar to Warrior fans....under center. Screen pass for 6 yards, followed by a hand-off which lost a yard.

3:58 pm: Beautiful pass from Brennan to Billy McMullen up the left post. Still has a littl of that side arm motion, but puts the ball right on the numbers for a long gain of 34 yards and a first down. Had to take a timeout after that. Wonder if that was mis-communication on his part, or his teamates?

4:01 pm: First down completion to USC TE Fred Davis for 8 yards. Simple play. Davis was in the flat right side with alot of room. Good start as he is 3-3 for 48 yards. They get the first down on the next play with a 5 yard rush.

4:02 pm: I like the way the Redskins are running the football. 5 yard gain up the gut. But, on second down, Brennan couldn't find anywhere to go, held the football and stayed in the pocket too long and got sacked for a loss of a yard.

4:03 pm: Brennan capps a perfect drive with a nice touchdown in the right corner of the end zone to WR Maurice Mann. He got great protection from his blind side, and was able to fling one in from 20 yards out to pick up his first NFL Touchdown!

COLTS 16, REDSKINS 16: 5:51 left in 3rd Quarter

4:13 pm: Colt's getting ready to start his second series from the 12 yard-line. He was 4-4 for 68 yards and a TD on the first drive. He's been getting some great help from the running game, as they picked up a seven-yard rush on first down, and a one-yard rush on second down, followed by a 5-yard holding penalty against the Colts to give them a first down.

4:15 pm: Brennan's first incompletion was not a good one. He instinctively held off on throwing the football immediately on the three-step drop, but then forced a pass up the sideline where he had a lot of space to run. He followed that up with a play-action pass right up the seam with a rocket thru two defenders for 26 yards.

4:17 pm: After a one-yard loss, Brennan set up a screen pass for nine yards to RB Rock Cartwright, and now on third and short, he throws a bad pass on a slant behind the receiver Billy McMullen who was wide open. Doesn't matter, however, as the Colts were lined up in the neutral zone and gives the 'Skins a first down.

4:19 pm: Final play of the third quarter is a Brennan rollout to the right finding Maurice Mann for seven yards. Brennan is 7-8 in the third quarter as we are still tied at 16.

INDIANAPOLIS 16, WASHINGTON 16: END OF THIRD QUARTER

4:21 pm: Start of the Fourth Quarter, and Brennan runs a delayed handoff to Rock Cartwright for no gain. Great stat by the NBC guys, two total incompletions by all Washington QB's, meanwhile Cartwright gets close to a first down on third and short. One of the OL guys are injured for Washington as we will see if they give them the first or not. I think he got it.

4:25 pm: Back from the injury timeout as Brennan fires a quick pass over the middle for 7 yards to continue his outstanding play. Cartwright jukes and jives for two yards on second down.

4:26 pm: Adam Schefter of NBC is talking to Fred Dean. He had my favorite HOF speech on Saturday. He was funnier than Conan O' Brien! Third down and one and Brennan gives to Cartwright for a first down as they get close to the eleven yard line.

4:27 pm: Marcus Mason gets a chance to run the football for five yards on first down. Outside of the time out that Brennan called early in his first drive, he has run the offense extremely well, as Mason gets another run for a yard.

4:28 pm: Third and four, and Brennan does a little Brett Favre-like improv, rolling to his right and finding Mason inside the one, and Mason backed his way into the end zone! 5 Yard TD Pass and Brennan gets some props from his teamates on the sidelines as with the extra point, the Redskins will lead by a TD!

REDSKINS 23, COLTS 16: 10:22 left in 4th Quarter

4:37 pm: Brennan's stats thru his first two drives: 9-10, 123 yards, 2 TD's, and a 157.5 QB rating. Oh, I HATE these Viagra commercials they are playing.

4:39 pm: Looks like Brennan's day is done. Derek Devine is the guy competing with Brennan for the #3 spot on the Depth Chart. Honestly, based on Brennan's performance, Devine's got a lot of work to do, but he's been lucky with a solid running game that has gotten them by on the first three plays.

Unless Brennan gets back in, which I doubt, this live blog is complete for the night. We will talk a lot about Brennan's performance on Monday's edition of "The Josh Pacheco Show" on ESPN Radio. Thanks for logging on!

HIBT / State Canoe Racing

2008-08-02T21:37:00.003-10:00

I am blogging tonight from the Ilima Hotel in the heart of Waikiki! Consider this a "mental health vacation." haha...this is my excuse for not being in the office. See, I would normally be in the office today if not for just getting on a flight and getting away.

Actually, take that back, I was in the office today...printing out my itinerary. So much for that.

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Great day for our Big Island canoe paddling teams at Keehi Lagoon here in Oahu. Our "Rocket" Rod Pacheco tells me via phone that Kai O Pua and Puna Canoe Club had outstanding performances. In the end, one of Maui's finest took the title. I can't find the results anywhere online, but I hope to find them soon and update on Sunday. Either way, Rocket Rod will join me on Monday morning to recap the races.

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Special thanks to Laura Aquino of Current Events for e-mailing me the results of the Hawaii International Billfish Tournament...and without further ado:

TEAM STANDINGS:

1. Laguna Niguel Boating Club, Team 2 (California) - 3,323 points
2. Hilton Grand Vacations Fishing Club (Japan) - 2,600
3. Team Malaka (California) - 1,887

CAPTAIN STANDINGS:

1. Neal Isaccs (Anxious) - 2,000 points
2. Allan Ayano (Lady Dee) - 1,700
3. Bill Benbow (online) - 1,667

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Among the topics we will be covering this week: New Kamehameha Head Football Coach, New starting QB for UH Manoa?, and training camp opening for Big Island football teams.

Oh, and tomorrow during the NFL Hall Of Fame Game between the Colts and Redskins, we will live-blog Colt Brennan's snaps and appearances in the game. I wonder if John Madden will gush over him?

MLB Trade Deadline: Winners and Losers

2008-07-31T14:37:00.006-10:00

What a day. I woke up extra early (3:30 am, to be exact) so I could stay on top of the trade deadline. What a waste of time to see that the only "MAJOR" trade was an aging Ken Griffey Jr, and that was about an hour later.

Needless to say, I've been a grouch all day long, and have pretty much not helped any with the fact that I'm still feeling the ill effects of a cold that some of my other co-workers passed along.

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With the MLB Trade Deadling come and gone, it's time to announce the three Big Winners and the three Big Losers from the drafting game:

THE WINNERS

They only needed one trade to set themselves as the best TEAM in baseball. Picking up 1B Mark Teixeira gave them a bigger bat and a better glove at first base. While the Braves didn't lose here in getting Casey Kotchmann, the Angels definitely improved. And more importantly, the best 1-2 punch in baseball now resides in Anaheim with Vladimir "Vlad The Impaler" Guerrero and Mark "Tex Mex" Teixeira".

Some people may question the move because they already had a big lead in their division (see the NY Mets 2007 for why you should never settle for a big lead), but they are looking ahead to competing with the rest of the best in the AL. Great move.

Although they didn't make the blockbuster deal for a superstar player, they picked important role players to fill voids. With Hideki Matsui out of action in LF, they picked up Xavier Nady from Pittsburgh, while in that same move picking up Damaso Marte to give them a solid left-handed middle reliever. And if that wasn't enough, days after C Jorge Posada was deemed inactive for the rest of the year, they made the decision to go after 14-time All-Star Ivan Rodriguez from the Tigers, getting rid of strong, yet erratic right-handed reliever Kyle Farnsworth.

I've said all along that it doesn't take an all-star lineup to win championships, which explains why the Yankees haven't won a championship in a while. But, these moves put the Yankees in the right direction.

No, I'm not making them a winner just by getting Manny, although the trade did give them a big boost. But, they also made some quality trades beforehand, picking up SS Angel Berroa, former Rookie of the Year, to help out their middle infield defense, and picking up 3B Casey Blake, which was great timing because Nomar Garciaparra is out indefinitely with injury.

With the D-Backs doing little to nothing to help their team, and the rest of the division at a stand still, look for this move to send the Dodgers to another NL West crown.

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THE LOSERS

For a team that is tied for second in their division and is in a big hunt for the Wild Card, they sure did NOTHING to help their cause. All they did was trade away a veteran middle reliever, and didn't pick up any help. Granted, they got help from within with Chris Carpenter returning the other night, and more help down the road with Adam Wainwright, but they could've helped themselves out instead of staying put.

Maybe it's because this franchise is still considered "small market" and they have never been in the position of possibily being a buyer to help improve their odds of winning a division crown, but could they have at least done something? Let's see, Arthur Rhodes, Jason Bay, all went elsewhere. Couldn't lure away Jose Guillen or Raul Ibanez from their respective teams. Great job doing nothing. Just watch the Yanks cruise right past everyone to the top.

No, they didn't get put in the losers category because they traded Manny Ramirez away. I mean, yes, their team isn't as good, and yes, the batting order isn't so fearsome now. But, don't you think with all of the trash and distractions that Manny was causing over the last week that the Red Sox were having a hard time dealing with it?

The bigger problem for Boston is this: Outside of this move, they did nothing. Their bullpen has been dicey, and instead of making a move to improve it, they traded away one of their younger talents. Yeah, offense is good, but if you can't hold on to a lead, it's worthless, just ask the Denver Nuggets and the Texas Rangers.

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"Rocket" Rod calls in from Oahu to say he is extremely excited about the trade which got his team a big time hitter in Manny Ramirez. He also makes sure to note that Bobby Brown is going to be at the Pipeline on Saturday. Yeah, THAT Bobby Brown. The drug addict who married Whitney Houston. Glenn Medeiros is opening for him.

ESPN Radio Video: State Canoe Races Preview

2008-07-30T16:30:00.004-10:00

Ok, I'm not a professional video producer. This is the first one ever. I actually have a remastered version planned for tomorrow or friday. But, until then, here's the interview from earlier today on "The Josh Pacheco Show"

What a day of trades!

2008-07-29T16:37:00.004-10:00

Not too many people expected this to happen, but the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pick up 1B Mark Texeira from the Braves in exchange for 1B Casey Kotchman and a minor league hurler.

This definitely makes the Angels the best team in baseball. Consider this lineup with switch-hitting Teixeira and the power righty Vladimir Guerrero, to go along with speedster Chone Figgins. I think we have found an early World Series favorite.

Meanwhile, the NBA offseason just got more interesting, with the Houston Rockets picking up defensive specialist Ron Artest from the Kings. Now granted, Artest isn't just a defensive kinda guy, he cal also score.

I still don't think this really helps put the Rockets over the top, however. Shane Battier was their starting SF for the most part, and he is a defensive specialist who has range from beyond the arc. Artest is a little more athletic, but I still don't believe this gets the Rockets past the first round. And, maybe more importantly, I think Ron Artest still has the potential to be a headcase.

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Tomorrow on the show, we'll be talking to Rocket Rod Pacheco to preview the state Canoe Racing Championships at Keehi Lagoon. I'm going to try something different tomorrow. I plan on taking video of the in-studio interview and putting it online later on. I'll let you know how that goes and you may see that here tomorrow afternoon!

Sports Storylines to follow this week

2008-07-27T18:40:00.003-10:00

In what many people describe as a "boring season" in sports, this is going to be one awfully busy week of headline watching. Here are some of the stories that you, as a sports fan, should be paying attention to:

- MLB Trade Deadline is Thursday: Could there be a blockbuster Manny Ramirez trade?

The Red Sox and Manny Ramirez are tired of each other. For almost eight years, the Red Sox have coddled Manny Ramirez, and Manny has, well, been Manny. The Sox are now exploring a possible trade, and according to Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com, Manny doesn't mind.

If the Red Sox feel they can win without Manny Ramirez, then they will do whatever it takes to part ways. The big question is, who will pony up enough for his services?

- Will Brett Favre be a Packer by Tuesday?

For reasons I can't explain, Brett Favre still hasn't sent in his reinstatement letter to the NFL. Last I checked, an important document should be mailed first-class with the utmost care, not sent via a fax machine.

Chris Mortensen reports on when Favre expects to send in, err, fax, his letter of intent. Could a trade be worked out by the time Favre makes his way toward camp?

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In other news, while I was at the Kilauea Volcano Marathon, the rest of our crew was at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel / ESPN Radio Bridal Fair and W****** Expo.

What's with the W******?

Do you realize how young I am? I'm nowhere close to that stage.

Oh, and who do I expect to marry anyway, myself?

Ok, this has gone horribly south. Check out a video clip from our Bridal Fair and W****** Expo.

UPDATE: Thanks to Kelli for the heads up...video was edited and taken down. Put up a different video of a dance contest that took place at the Expo.

26th Annual Kilauea Volcano Runs

2008-07-26T18:43:00.003-10:00

That was the scene at 6 am in the morning at Kilauea Military Camp in chilly Volcano as over 150 outstanding runners got the command to start the 26.2 Mile Marathon. We saw runners from all over the world descend here on the Big Island, not just for the marathon event, but also the 5 Mile Run and 10 Mile Run. Great Britian, Japan, and Canada were just some of the countries represented.

This marathon has been known to feature one of the toughest courses out there, yet boasts one of the most scenic trails in all of the world. There was some worry this year after the eruption of the volcano and all of the vog. But, the race officials worked with KMC to make this year's event work, and it did not disappoint. A total of over 800 Runners were here.

No, the above is not meant to be a gratuitous photo of me (I wouldn't torture you with that!) but is actually of me emceeing the awards ceremonies. As you can tell, I was a wuss for keeping the sweater on all day long, while there were all these runners in tank tops and short shorts.

But, one of the special moments of the awards ceremonies was the announcement of the Hawaii Island 3 Runners. The Hawaii Island 3 consists of runners who completed the Big Island Marathon, the Kailua-Kona Marathon, and the Kilauea Volcano Marathon. I believe around 20 or so runners made up this elite group, which sppeaks volumes to their fitness and dedication to running.

Congratulations to all of the finishers from all of us here at ESPN Radio. And, a BIG mahalo to Race Director Wayne Joseph, the Volcano Arts Center, and the numerous hard-working volunteers.

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My good friend and co-worker Keith Vashon of KBIG FM decided to simply slack off during work and take videos of random things in the office. Fortunately (or unfortunately), he decided to walk in on me during the show. The rest, well, eh.

What you should be checking out this weekend

2008-07-25T20:00:00.002-10:00

In case you need a little guide for what to check out in sports this weekend, let me help you out:

- 26th Annual Kilauea Volcano Runs - Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

The marathon starts at 6 am tomorrow. Yes, I am a little biased because I get to emcee and host the awards ceremony there. But, I can attest to how well this event is run. This is also a very tough marathon to run. Hope to have the winners on Monday's show

- New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox - Saturday, 9:20 am and Sunday, 1:35 pm on ESPN Radio

The Yankees got off to a great start in this series with an outstanding pitching performance by Joba Chamberlain (who is slowly making me eat my words with his last few performances on the mound). And, we will have to see what the Nady/Marte trade with the Pirates does to boost the ballclub. I think this will help them out a lot.

- Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies

I said today on the radio that this would be the series that determines whether the Braves sever ties with Mark Texeira at the Trade Deadline. They won Game One in convincing fashion, and a series win does a lot for their late season chances.

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Next Saturday is the State Canoe Racing Championships at Keehi Lagoon on Oahu. Our own "Rocket" Rod Pacheco will be covering the action for us (no relation). I'll be joining him up there later in the day after I take care of some business over here. I have all my plans put together and one of my goals was to go and see the group "Smash Mouth." So, I went to go and buy tickets online for the concert, only to see the word CANCELLED. Turns out, after doing more research, the show actually isn't cancelled, but it got moved to a different venue. I don't think I'm gonna buy the tickets, though. I dunno, I'm just not feeling it for some reason.

So, if you are gonna be in Oahu, email me at joshpachecoshow@espnhawaii.com and let me know what's good to check out or if you have plans I should privy to. I mean, I'm going just to relax. I don't care if I stay in my hotel room the entire trip, but I do want to relax.

Thought the WNBA scrum was entertaining? This takes the cake.

2008-07-24T21:12:00.002-10:00

ESPN's Neil Everett (oh, and former KGMB Anchor and HPU SID) reported on SportsCenter tonight on the brawl of all brawls. From ESPN.com:

Now you know why that guy who threw the ball and accidently hit a fan is in the minors. In all seriousness, you should NEVER throw a ball at anyone in that kind of situation. You could seriously kill someone. Unfortunately, that fan is in the hospital.

The problem here, though, is that they felt the need to finish the game after they suspended 17 players. At that point, I could care less about the game. And, those players didn't deserve to be re-instated so the game could be finished. What if their tempers were still boiling and something escalated again?

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On a side note, I'm forcing myself to watch the MLS All-Star Game. As many of you know, I'm not the biggest soccer fan. But, after Keith Vashon of KBIG FM and myself left our lunch stop at the downtown Thai Food place, we ran into one of the UHH Soccer Coaches who was extremely excited about it and was watching it live.

One thing I'm noticing early: Toronto Soccer Fans HATE visiting teams. Who else throws streamers at the opposing players during a corner kick? Normally, during a regular-season game, I wouldn't mind, but it's an all-star game. Let's go all out in fun!

Rick Mahorn's Man-Card In Question

2008-07-23T17:48:00.004-10:00

(photo credit - AP Photo/Jerry S. Mendoza)

I've always been told that a man should never put his hands on a lady.

During last night's LA / Detroit WNBA game, a tussle ensued in the final few seconds involving, among others, Rookie Candice Parker of the Sparks. But away from the main tussle, Lisa Leslie of the Sparks was seen falling down with Detroit assistant Rick Mahorn's arms outward.

In a postgame interview on ESPN2, both had different sides of the story. Leslie contended she was pushed. Mahorn said he was trying to protect Lisa and keep the peace.

This photo is probably the clearest evidence of what took place, and looking at Mahorn's left arm, it appears that he pushed her, because as I was watching live and viewing the replays it was harder to tell.

Putting this in a broader perspective, no league benefits from coverage of a fight. For the WNBA, this is a first, and I don't think this gets extensive coverage without Mahorn, Leslie, and Parker's involvement.

Expect suspensions, fines, and the return of little attention to the WNBA.

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One of our regular commenters asked if I have posted any more photos of station events. I haven't, although I have a few on my computer. Should I post photos of me up?

Personally, as I mentioned, I know I have a face for radio, and I'm not a big fan of myself in pictures. But, if the public demands, I could concede. For now, enjoy the picture below and the one above.

Michelle Wie against the boys, again?

2008-07-21T15:48:00.002-10:00

Before we talk about the topic at hand, thanks to my co-worker Keith from sister station KBIG FM for sending me the picture from the 4th of July festivities at the Mo'oheau Park Bandstand. We were on hand emceeing, and on top of my emceeing duties, I was playing the evening concert with the Hawaii County Band.

First off, if it looks a little weird that I'm next to our sister station's banner instead of our own, it really isn't. I've temporarily (as far as I know) been working Saturday mid-days from 10 am - 3 pm for the past couple of weeks, and will be for the next couple. You can listen in online at KBIG.FM, and e-mail your requests at josh@kbig.fm

Secondly, don't expect to be seeing a lot of pictures of me on the blog. As most people will tell you (and I will personally vouch for), many people in radio have "faces for radio." I'm very secure in myself to say that I fit in that category. And, no, I don't mind it. I rely on my personality, not my looks, to get me by in life. That's how it should be. And honestly, it's all I got :) .

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Big news of today is the announcement that Michelle Wie has picked herself back up just days after forgetting to sign her scorecard. Michelle Wie has received a sponsors exemption to play on the PGA Tour's Legends Reno-Tahoe Open.

Before you get mad at Michelle Wie, let's realize what the even't promoter must be going through:

- On the same weekend, the World Golf Championships are in Ohio, luring the best players in the world.

- His tournament boasts (for lack of a better term) the weakest field on the tour season.

- The economy's is rough.

So, of course, you are gonna find away to get people to show up to your tournament and boost up the ratings! That's why you give Michelle Wie a chance.

On tomorrow's show, we are going to talk to the tournament director, Michael Sterns, to talk about how tough it is to put together a tournament, why Michelle over Annika or Lorena, and what the future of this tournament could be if the numbers and the dollars don't come through.

You want big stories? This weekend delivered.

2008-07-20T14:24:00.004-10:00

Before we start with the big sports headlines, we must start with the big movie of the weekend:

This weekend was the premiere of the new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight." Thank you to everyone for coming out in Hilo and Kailua-Kona. I was at the Hilo location at the Prince Kuhio Plaza. First off, someone actually admitted in line that they were related to me (still checking on that one), its amazing how annoying people can get to show that they want to win tickets, and free cookie and malasada samples REALLY make my day!

As far as the movie is concerned, I really loved it. I rate it an 8.5 out of 10 possible points. There were a couple of lull spots for me, but other than that, the action was great, the Joker character deserves an award, and it left me asking questions. I'm definitely seeing this again. (If you are a friend of mine and you read this, do you wanna go?)

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Now to the BIG sports stories of the weekend:

- Padraig Harrington wins The Open Championship. While many people are disappointed that we didn't get to cap the story of Greg Norman's honeymoon with a win at a major championship (by the way, at the ripe young age at 53), Harrington's story is also pretty good. Just a few days before the tournament, there was a very good chance he wouldn't even be healthy enough to tee off with a wrist injury. Four rounds later, he successfully defends his championship.

- Michelle Wie ALMOST proved me wrong. She did shoot a career round on Friday at the LPGA State Farm Classic. She also put herself into 2nd place during the 3rd round in Springfield, IL. But, that third round wouldn't matter, as she was DQ'd for not signing her second round scorecard. Tough break Michelle, but I can't feel bad for you. You are a professional. You must always remember to follow the rules. If you were an amateur, I may feel a little remorse, but as a professional, there is no excuse.

(by the way, the fact that Golf has the top two big stories on the blog is good for the game. this rarely ever happens.)

- Jason Taylor is now a Washington Redskin. Believe it or not, this deal makes sense. The 'Skins lost their top defensive end to a season-ending injury. Jason Taylor on record has said he will only play one more year. Why not trade for Taylor to fill in for the season? You give up only two draft picks, but in the end you strengthen your defense. Good move, Washington.

All of this and more, including our "Squawk With Brock" segment (hopefully) on Monday on the program!

Lead with your head, not your heart

2008-07-18T15:07:00.002-10:00

Sports fans are very passionate fans. We love our players, our coaches, and our surroundings. But, the Brett Favre story has shown me one thing more so than everyone else:

Fans can't think straight.

As a sports talk show host, I have a duty to give you facts and straight talk opinion. Yes, I am a Brett Favre fan and a Green Bay fan. And, I could easily spend two hours talking to you about my favorite teams and players.

But you don't want to hear that.

I've heard people try to shove their "fandom" down everyone's throats, and I honestly don't want to hear that. When people make opinions based on their hearts, and not on their common sense and mind, they say things that don't make sense, and that's what I've gotten from a lot of people.

This could be applied to any situation, but nothing good comes from opinions that are formed by the wrong substance.

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On a lighter note, thank you to Hollywood Theaters for a couple of things:

1) Our radio premiere of "The Dark Knight" is tonight at 7:00 pm. We're giving away exclusive movie posters and other garb...I don't think there are any tickets left for you :). We gave em all away on our FM stations.

2) I also scored promotional stuff from the new Step Brothers movie. It stars Will Ferrell and John Reilly. They gave me a fake wooden drum pad with mini drum sticks. Absolutely fantastic!

Don't cut JV Sports!

2008-07-17T21:04:00.002-10:00

Thanks for clicking onto the blog! Before I get to JV Sports, I told you guys I would put up the link on Natalie Gulbis here on the blog. As I teased on the show on Thursday, there is a contest out there for one lucky person to win a day with LPGA Golfer Natalie Gulbis, according to the Steady Burn blog.

Now, I know our targer demographic is males, and you younger ones I'm sure would definitely jump at this chance. After all, wouldn't you want to brag to your friends about going on a morning workout, round of golf, and dinner with a golf beauty?

But, at the same time, I wouldn't tell you this if I wanted this for myself. I'll let you guys have this one. I mean, after all, I'd embarass myself in the morning workout by barely lifting any sort of weight, I'd lay a gigantic egg on the golf course, and by the time dinner came around, I would be such a mess I would want to hide in my hotel room to prevent myself from further embarassment.

So, it's all yours, guys. Good luck writing your essay. I still need to learn how not to strike out with the smart women here before I take any kind of shot at a professional.

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I couldn't believe my eyes when I read this article on the DOE proposing a cut of Junior Varsity high school sports and two lesser varsity sports.

First things first, I'm a proud former JV / Varsity athlete. I realize that playing JV basketball was more than going on the court and playing, er, trying tying to play the game I loved. It was more than just trying to be popular while being on the top school's squad (I still wasn't popular either way). But, I realize how much playing sports kept me out of trouble.

If you are a parent, JV Sports served a dual purpose. You had a couple hours off from your kids every day while they were at practice (don't lie, sometimes you feel like you could use a breather). You also had a golden opportunity to bring the family out to watch your son or daughter play.

But more importantly, high school sports, Junior Varsity and Varsity, helped as an avenue to teach the kids a few life lessons. Obviously, after playing high school basketball and tennis, I didn't pan out to be a fantastic athlete. But, I did learn how to be a leader. I got to be a three year captain of my Varsity tennis team. I learned how to interact, communicate, and work as a team with people that I was around all the time. There aren't too many opportunities for people to get that kind of hands-on learning.

I know a few people teaching at the DOE, and they tell me that other extra-curriculars are being put on the backburner, like music and other arts activities.

It would greatly sadden me if JV sports were knocked out. I realize how much it helped me, and I'm sure you can say the same thing.

Let's look at the other side of the coin, though. Our economy stinks, for lack of a better adjective. Job cuts, lighter wallets, panic. That is the honest look at what we are seeing not just here in Hawaii, but across the country. And the DOE is in that same boat. They see a $4.2 million dollar budget, look at it and see how they can cut it down....a million bucks lighter.

We could all play the blame game. One caller today said the DOE is mis-managed. I hinted that maybe the government is improperly spending a lot of our money.

But, the fact is, we need to find a way to save Junior Varsity sports.

Any ideas?

Why is MMA so huge?

2008-07-16T20:51:00.002-10:00

Before I blog about the topic at hand, I first want to send out my thoughts and prayers to those who were let go at the Honolulu Advertiser on Wednesday. For those of you who haven't read the news, you can read it here.

As someone who works in the media, my heart goes out to those who were victim to these cuts. We all work our hardest to deliver news, opinion, and stories that you can talk about to relate to. Unfortunately, because of the crumbling economy that we are living in, some of these outstanding professionals have had to be let go.

Sometimes, we in radio compete with those in print. But, in the end, we are all part of the media. I hope that those who were let go will be able to get back on their feet and support themselves and their families in their tough times.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I'm very fortunate to have a group of people, both male and female, that I can talk to about sports, pick up ideas, throw around opinions, etc. I recently asked one of my newest friends about a blog idea, and this trustworthy person said "Why not talk about MMA?"

Sure.

MMA is growing. Whether you think the sport is barbaric or not, it has garnered a growing audience of blood-thirsty, action seeking fans.

I think part of the allure of MMA, at least here on the Big Island, is that we are seeing guys who live here and train here compete. And it all starts with B.J. Penn, born in Kailua, but residing here, doing business here, and training people here to become MMA fighters, and more importantly, keeping fighting off of the streets.

I also believe that MMA is a sport that EVERYONE can enjoy. While Boxing is normally viewed as a sport where the rich people watch, bet, and enjoy, anybody can go to a MMA fight (as long as you can pay the rising ticket prices) and watch guys go at it. No meddling Don King wannabees, no worrying about fixed fights, just clean action.

If you are looking to to find out what I am talking about, go to the Civic in Hilo for the next Beatdown event on August 9th. ESPN Radio will be broadcasting a Big Island first, live MMA play-by-play, with yours truly on the call beginning at 7 pm.

All For Nothing: The Josh Hamilton Home Run Show

2008-07-14T19:58:00.003-10:00

I got home from work just in time to grab a seat on the couch and watch one of the most amazing home run derby rounds in event history. Texas Ranger Josh Hamilton (who in case you don't know, already has 95 RBI's at the break) went absolutely bonkers at the dish, knocking out 28 Homers, setting a first round record.

But, as the first round ended and the second round went through, I started to feel like we were going to see an upset. See, Josh Hamilton had so many home runs that he didn't even need to take a swing in the second round. He had already clinched his spot in the final round. Yet, he went up, looked alright as he knocked four dingers out of the park, but wasn't as crisp.

The final round pitted Hamilton against Minnesota Twins slugger Justin Morneau, and while both didn't look as solid as they did in the opening rounds, it was Hamilton who had nothing left in the tank. He couldn't belt out another 500+ Foot Home Run. He ran out of gas. And even though Justin Morneau hit 13 less Home Runs in the entire derby, he still won it all when it mattered.

Let's go back to Hamilton for a second and forget the Homers, the Runs Batted In, and the Yankee crowd falling in love with him. His comeback story is one to write home about. Just a few years ago, he was immersed in the wrong crowd, drugs, alcohol, the wrong life. This former #1 overall pick was bound to be the biggest disappointment in draft history.

But, he cleaned it up. During his interviews on ESPNHD, he repeatedly thanked his friend, God, upstairs, for giving him a second chance and giving him a chance to utilize his talents. He still has his tattoos from his bad days. He said he's tried to take them off, and some have come off, but because they hurt so much to take off, he's decided to just live with them.

These are the kinds of stories we should be embracing as sports fans.

Colt Brennan signs contract

2008-07-14T07:22:00.003-10:00

Promising news for former UH Warrior quarterback Colt Brennan this morning. ESPN.com's John Clayton is reporting that Brennan has inked a 4-year deal worth $1.8 Million dollars.

From the very beginning, I have liked and respected the way Colt Brennan has played the game of football. My only question mark was his somewhat side-arm throwing motion, but I felt that if that could be worked on, he would make a pretty decent NFL QB.

But, let's also not forget where he is. He's with the Redskins, of course, but the Head Coach, Jim Zorn, just recently left the Seattle Seahawks, where he was the Quarterbacks Coach. I think he knows a thing or two about making quarterbacks better, and that can only help Colt.

Along with the positive health report that Clayton reported on, this signing should give Colt a little bit of comfort that he may be on the roster once opening weekend starts. Some are saying that he could be the #3 Quarterback on the Depth Chart. Hopefully, he doesn't take this to heart and start to cruise through training camp (I think he will continue to work hard and strive to move up the depth chart).

With young Jason Campbell still at the helm, fresh off of watching current #2 QB Todd Collins lead the team into the playoffs, I think Campbell may be looking back over his shoulder, might press the issue at times, and might play his way on the bench.

If so, this could be the prime opportunity for Colt Brennan. Just keep working hard, young man.

What A Crazy Week!

2008-07-11T19:54:00.004-10:00

I love having this blog up here at ESPNHawaii.com, because it gives me yet another avenue to spread the truth.

And the fact is, this past week has been absolutely crazy. For those of you who listen on the radio, you know me just as the guy who talks sports for two hours every day. But, over the past week and then some, I was added to a temporary task of managing the station's commercial production.

What did that mean? Less time creating show content, more time creating client content.

Luckily, there are people who I must thank who helped make this week's shows go by (and probably saved my job too!)

- Kelli Miura, The Honolulu Advertiser's Campus Life 101 Blog on why it isn't strange to meet women who like football.

- Bob Valvano, ESPN Radio's V Show, talking about the V Foundation for Cancer Research, co-founded by his late brother Jim and ESPN

- Gwint Fisher of the PGWSA, who shared the importance of getting our high school athletes ready for college

- JE Orozco, KBIG FM on the Big Island Canoe Racing Scene

- Daniel Brock, West Hawaii Today for his weekly segment

- Bert Roussel on the Mardi Gras golf tournament

- Brett Favre, for giving me breaking news to spend most of Friday's show on!

Most of these interviews are online right now at ESPNHawaii.com, and I am working on putting up a few more while I have a chance.

Oh, and while I have a chance to make another "SHAMELESS PLUG," if you are one of those people who need great tunes to get you through your weekend, you can find me this Saturday live from 10 am - 3 pm on KBIG FM on a fill-in basis. It's been a while since I've been on the FM Dial, and that was where I was prior to making the jump to sports talk, so I'm very excited to be back for the time being. You can listen online as well at KBIG.FM!

When should we start talking about "The Perfect Game?"

2008-07-09T21:36:00.005-10:00

In the past three days, we have had two instances of so-called "near perfect games" between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves (oh, and both times, the Braves were on the short end of the stick).

On Monday, Hiroki Kuroda had a perfect game through the first seven innings before being broken by the first batter in the 8th, Mark Texeira, with a double.

On Wednesday, Derek Lowe had a perfect game through six innings before being ended by a Gregor Blanco base hit.

During the "Tuesday Night Confessional" with me and a group of well-versed sports fans out in town, we talked about this very thing, and I asked the question: "When is it okay to start telling people that there is a perfect game in the works?"

One person said, "going into the Ninth inning." But the majority, myself included, said after the 7th.

See, I could be sarcastic and tell you that after the 1st inning, ANY pitcher could have a "perfect" game. But, a perfect game isn't really impressive until after the 7th. Once you start going through the order a third time around, and still get everyone out, then I can be impressed.

So, shame on you ESPN, for telling me that a perfect game was going after 6 on Monday. And shame on you for wasting a "BREAKING NEWS" crawl on the TV Screen telling me Lowe's perfect game was foiled after 6 innings. Tell me about it when it starts sounding really impressive.

I'm tired of this A-Rod Divorce Story

2008-07-07T20:45:00.002-10:00

We really must be in a dead period in sports, after all.

With football a few months away from the regular season, and the NBA just about a month removed from the championship series, most sports fans are looking for something to follow. Plus, most casual baseball fans are just waiting for the start of the postseason to begin to care.

So what kind of stories do we have to fill the time?

We have this from the Associated Press (courtesy of the Honolulu Advertiser) on the marital status of Alex Rodriguez.

Cynthia Rodriguez calls Alex Rodriguez an "adulterer" and says that his extramarital affairs have caused him to "emotionally abandoned his wife and children." C-Rod filed for divorce today in Miami. This all comes off of the heels of the NY Media reports that A-Rod has been in an affair with Pop star Madonna, which the Material Girl denies.

And seriously, this comes from someone who has been reportedly linked to Lenny Kravitz? It guess it doesn't work both ways.

I guess this is what happens when you make it big, have all the money and power in the world, and can seemingly do whatever you want. It's too bad that there are kids involved in this divorce.

Listen, this is a story that should be followed by those TMZ.com guys or Entertainment Tonight or whatever show it is that likes to follow the pitfalls of the rich and famous. More importantly, this is a story that should be talked about behind the public eye, away from the ridicule of the so called "experts" and pundits.

I hope I never have any kind of personal "rubbish" reported on by the media.

Changing of the Guard in Men's Tennis

2008-07-06T11:32:00.003-10:00

I didn't have to watch the entire Gentlemen's Final at The Championships Wimbledon to know that it was an instant classic.

Watching the last set told me everything I needed to know.

The longest championship match in Wimbledon history saw Championship points defeated, breaks in serve, break points fought off, spectacular shots, amazing aces, outstanding gamesmanship, and a helluva lot of fun.

Yet, after today's five set thriller, the defending five-time champion Roger Federer would fall off of his throne to the golden boy of the sport, Rafael Nadal.

The men's tennis landscape is no longer Roger's to dominate. Nadal is soon to be the number one player in the world, as long as he learns to play well on surfaces other than clay and grass. Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open earlier this year, and is currently regarded as the best hard court player on tour. Fed's got some competition.

And you know what, that competition is good for the game's popularity. It's no longer a given that Roger Federer will win every tournament.

Let's make a comparison between Men's Golf and Tennis and show why Tennis has been more popular in the overall grand scheme of things. In golf, who has been Tiger's biggest rival? Phil Mickelson is the closest to him, but that isn't much of a rivalry. Rocco Mediate? Please....one close playoff doesn't make him a rival.

In tennis, Federer vs. Nadal has been the rivalry of all rivalries. You could make comparisons to Aggasi / Sampras, or Bjorg / McEnroe, but in the current game, Nadal / Federer has ignited the frenzy of tennis fans all throughout the world, even here in America.

Congratulations to Rafael Nadal, and maybe even more importantly, congratulations to Men's Tennis.

HHSAA / HIADA Voting Issues

2008-06-11T13:48:00.002-10:00

I just recently posted my corner article for HawaiiSportsPage.com on the voting problems that continue to set us back in the HHSAA.

I don't want to give all of it away (of course, I want you to go there and read it), but I did want to mention an idea that may better solve the problems that we are facing here.

We need to have one or thw other. The HHSAA is proving the HIADA worthless when they vote down the resolutions that are discussed and voted on by the athletic directors, yet the HIADA process seems to be the better suited process to make decisions that are less about league agenda and more about benefiting the individual schools and, eventually, the athletes.

Do you have a different idea on how you would like to see decisions made? Leave your comments here and we will discuss...

Also, if you have a blog, leave a link to it. If I like it, I'll add it to our "Bloglist" on the right hand side of the page!

Jr. Griff hits No. 600

2008-06-09T14:38:00.002-10:00

It's great to see Ken Griffey Jr hit number 600. It's one of the few recent home run chases that have been nice to watch and track.

Ken Griffey Jr. is one of the few elder statesmen (yes, we can call him that) that still enjoys having fun at the ball park. Yes, he is still battling injury, and not seeing much playing time. But, he isn't barking and complaining, he's embracing the youth movement in Cincinnati.

He's also not part of the "Steroids problem" in sports. Griffey is as clean as a whistle, and if not for various injuries in the middle of his career, Griffey would probably be right around 700 at this point in time.

Lastly, I'll remember Ken Griffey for another great feat. When he was back in Seattle, he and his father homered in the same game, which was the first time it had happened in Major League Baseball. It's seemed like Griff has embraced his father's career, and just continued on the great play and sportsmanship that Senior posessed.

The injuries will be looked at as a big minus for Ken Griffey when he retires and thinks about the Hall, but when you hit 600 home runs, and have a chance to hit another 40-50, Griffey has struck himself a nice case.

NBA Finals Game 2: Fourth Quarter Thoughts

2008-06-08T17:09:00.002-10:00

The Lakers are off to a promising start. I like the fact that Kobe has found Ronny Turiaf for a few shots at the rim, but eventually, with the game still at double digits, Bryant needs to start taking some shots and drawing contact. The Celtics are still in a little foul trouble, and the Lakers right now have not exposed that fact.

I'm starting to get around to the way Rajon Rondo is playing. I didn't like his lack of agressiveness early on, but with the fact that he has 15 assists to this point, I'm starting to like it.

Right off a timeout, poor defense by the LA Lakers. Inbounds pass goes into Leon Powe, and he goes coast to coast for a flush. Embarassing defense.

Great to hear the crowd chanting Leon Powe's name. He deserves it. This is the best night of his NBA career.

Important last six minutes or so of the game. If I'm Phil Jackson, I'm thinking this game is out of reach, but I absolutely want momentum going into game three. My players need to make sure they are leaving everything out on the floor now to set some kinda of a standard going back home.

The Lakers have cut it down to 13 thanks to some important three pointers. With under four minutes to go, I still don't see the game in doubt, but it is definitely a promising finish for the Lakers. Good to see Fisher knock one down.

And just as I write that, out of the quick Celtics timeout, James Posey hits a three to bring it back up to 16.

Radmanovic cleans up a Bryant miss, and then after a Posey no-go, Bryant hits a three of his own to make this one a little interesting. Jeff Van Gundy notes it is a 21-7 run for the Lakers to cut the Celtic lead to 11.

Maybe I should just not say the game is out of reach. The Laker defense is shutting down a currently-dismal Celtic defense. Two straight steals, a Vujacic three, and a Radmonivic dunk, cut this one down to four. BTW, Radmonovic CLEARLY took an extra step. Where are you referees? Pay attention!

A couple of Bryant free throws cuts this one to two, but a foul on the Lakers sends Paul Pierce to the fres throw line, where he hits two to make it a four point lead with 22 seconds left. What will Phil Jackson draw up in this timeout?

Bad play by Vlad Radmonovic. He has it at the top of the circle and instead of getting the ball to Kobe Bryant, he goes the opposite way and finds a covered Sasha Vujacic who gets his shot blocked by Paul Pierce. QUESTIONABLE to say the least. The Celtics get a couple free throws to seal the deal.

Boston 108 - LA Lakers 102.

Important win for Boston to hang on to home court advantage by winning a couple at home. The Lakers have to have confidence, however, that they could cut a 24 point defecit to two in about 7 minutes.

In my opinion, the Lakers need to win ALL THREE in LA on Tuesday, Thursday, and next Sunday, because of the Boston Home sweep. It's tough to win three in a row in the playoffs, but if the Lakers want to prove they are a great team, it's time to come together and be on the same page.

NBA Finals Game 3: Third Quarter Thoughts

2008-06-08T16:45:00.002-10:00

Allow me to state the obvious. With the Celtics up 12 going into the start of the second half, it was imperative that the Lakers start the third quarter with some emotion and fire.

I didn't mean a technical foul when I meant emotion and fire.

Kobe Bryant had some words for one of the officials after making a basket. He wanted a foul. Looking at the replays, there was definitely no contact.

If there is anyone right now for the Lakers in need of getting their game together, it is Kobe. Missing shots, playing frustrated, and being on the bench a lot more than he would like due to foul trouble. And, he isn't getting to the free throw line. Right now, he's only been there once, and that was on the KG Technical back in the 1st.

Foul trouble is becoming an issue now for the Boston Celtics. Three guys, including Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, have three fouls, and Kendrick Perkins has four. Part of that is due to their very agressive defense, but now is not the time to let up on the throttle.

With 1:20 to go, this game may soon be out of reach if the Lakers don't start to shape up. The Lakers trail by 20. Bryant is starting to get his points, but he is whining just as much. Vladimir Radmonovic's play is putting the Lakers behind the eight ball. The bench and role players right now are absolutely ABSENT.

It's a complete 360 from the last Lakers time out, where Kobe Bryant was extremely vocal towards his teamates. Maybe he is starting to throw them under the bus?

Interesting with the game starting to get out of reach, Kobe Bryant is sitting. Questionable coaching move by Phil Jackson.

I think we just saw the play of the game with two of the key players to end the third quarter. Rajon Rondo fakes the behind the back pass while driving to the rim, then gets a bounce pass to a cutting Leon Powe for a flush. Right now, LEON POWE is the player of the game.

Boston 83 - LA Lakers 61

NBA Finals Game 2: Second Quarter Thoughts

2008-06-08T15:39:00.002-10:00

Boston has gotten off to a great start here in the second, with ten straight points before a Phil Jackson time out. When you have a mix of starters and bench players going up against the entire second team for the Lakers, you better take advantage if you are the Celtics, and they indeed have.

Why did the Lakers have a second team 5 to start the quarter? When three of your starting five guys, including Odom and Bryant, are in foul trouble, you have no choice. But once again, the bench doesn't show. Poor offensive play was a big help.

Let's give credit to Leon Powe for the Celtics. I like his agreesiveness, drawing contact and getting to the free throw line. He's a big spark off the bench for Boston so far.

I wanted to go back to something that Jeff Van Gundy said back in the first quarter. He said that there should be a rule change on fouls, either having 7 fouls as the limit, or having no fouling out at all, because it penalizes players, including some of the best players in the game.

I disagree. If you can't play clean and can't play within the rules, you shouldn't be on the floor.

Paul Pierce doesn't even look like he has a knee problem. But, at the same time, he is getting most of his points from beyond the ark, as he is 3-3 from 3-point land, and 12 points at this point. He's just spotting up, taking his time, and knocking in his shot.

Kobe is taking the last 1:53 off of the second quarter. 9 points, but 3 fouls. The Lakers at this point need to get on a big run, and it will be interesting to see who decides to fill Kobe's leadership shoes on the floor.

Answer: No One. Two points in the final 1:53 since Kobe left. That was from Gasol. Bad shots, tough misses, and no one crashing the defensive glass, and the Celtics close out the first half well.

Boston 54 - L.A. Lakers 42

NBA Finals Game 2: First Quarter Thoughts

2008-06-08T15:19:00.002-10:00

Coming in down 1-0 in the series, it would naturally be important for the Lakers to come out to a great start here in Game 2, but they did that in Game 1, the most important thing is how they do in the second half.

Lakers are off to a decent start, Gasol and Bryant are being agressive and getting their opportunities. They are a little slow right now on the fast break defense, however. And their bench has disappointed so far, as Ariza and Walton haven't played well on entry.

The Celtics are looking a little slow to start. A lot of turnovers, and a lot of confusion on offense. And, KG looks a little out of his element to start. Got beat by Gasol on a dunk defensively, and then was called for a moving screen and a subsequent technical foul. I'm surprised by his start.

Rajon Rondo is a little to passive on the offensive end. He's passed up some open shots, to the ire of the crowd in Boston. This tells me that he is not confident in his offensive game, and it needs to change as the game progresses, as the offense starts with him running the show.

A couple of fouls by Kobe Bryant within a span of a minute 2/3rds of the way thru the first. The second one was an offensive foul elobw to Ray Allen. I disagree with the guys on the ABC telecast. You shouldn't have to throw an elbow to get free on the offensive end. If you do, you should be charged with a foul. Simple as that.

22-20 Lakers after one, as Jordan Farmar hit a 3-pointer with under 4 ticks to go.

Manny being Manny is getting old

2008-06-06T13:14:00.002-10:00

We all have probably seen the reports of the tumultuous game on Thursday between the Rays and Red Sox which saw two different sets of fights, one involving both teams on the field, and the other between Manny Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis in the Sox clubhouse. ESPNdeportes.com's Enrique Rojas said on the story:

Ramirez pointed at Youkilis before being escorted down the runway at Fenway Park toward the clubhouse by trainer Paul Lessard and a few other players. Later in the game, NESN, the team's broadcast network, showed grainy footage of Ramirez apparently taking a swipe at Youkilis.

A Red Sox source told ESPNdeportes.com that the cause of the dugout disagreement was Youkilis' temper following a poor at-bat.

Yes, you read it. Over a poor at bat. It's like a child crying over spilled milk. It's insane.

I have no problem with a player who gets frustrated after having a bad at-bat. You know what that shows me? He's a winner. He's a perfectionist. Why should you have a problem with that? He wants to produce for your team each and every time he is at the plate. To me, the attitude that you can always get better is encouraged, even if that means a little frustration. He's giving himself a chip on his shoulder.

And, you know what? It's working. Coming into this post, he is hitting .306 with 9 home runs and 36 RBI's. You don't think the attitude isn't working for him?

And, the Red Sox players feel he is being selfish in showing his frustration. That couldn't be farther from the truth. And, with Youkilis being upset after another bad at bat, Manny decided to take it into his own hands, and that is where the problem lies.

Manny is not the captain. Let your captain, Jason Varitek, handle the situation if you have a problem. Don't start causing problems and making the situation worse. There is always a right way and wrong way to handle things.

Thanks to Jooce.com, here's the other fight everyone is talking about between the Rays and Red Sox.

MLB Draft brings big choice for High School stars

2008-06-05T13:18:00.002-10:00

With the MLB Draft underway today and running until the end of the 50th round tomorrow, the honor of being selected by a professional club to be one of their future stars comes with a big decision, mainly for those right out of high school.

Two Kamehameha-Hawaii players are widely considered for the draft this year, including Kolten Wong, who many people believe may go around the 10th round, and Blake Amaral. These are two of many different high school players around the country who are being selected in the entry level draft.

While it is a no-brainer that the Number One overall pick, SS Tim Beckham of Griffin, GA, a graduating high school senior, will take the offer of being the number one pick and go to the farm system in the Rays Organization, other high schoolers picked in the lower rounds won't have that easy of a choice.

Many of these high schoolers have already committed to play collgeiate baseball. he big question is whether these players want to sacrifice two things:

1) Quality Education

2) The natural graduation from high school - college - professional is natural and more progressive.

In the end, the choice is up to the kids, or should I say, the young adults, and what is best for them, Hopefully, they make the right choice.

John Smoltz, Hall of Famer?

2008-06-04T13:44:00.002-10:00

210 Wins, 154 Saves, 8 Strikeouts per 9 Innings, 3.26 ERA.

That appears to be the final line for John Smoltz, who will undergo season ending shoulder surgery on his bum right shoulder. The amount of saves almost stands out, especially because he isn't a closer. He only was in that role coming back from injury.

Compare that to Dennis Eckersley, a current Hall of Famer, who has seen time as both a starter and a reliever:

197 Wins, 390 Saves, 3.50 ERA, 6.6 K per 9 innings.

The thing with John Smoltz that will help him stand out is that he played his entire career with the Atlanta Braves. Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux will always be remembered for their time in Atlanta, but John Smoltz stayed, despite the other two leaving.

Let's not also forget that Smoltz has over 3,000 strikeouts. Smoltz is a sure-fire first ballot hall of famer.

Smoltz' career may not be over, however. He might try to play professionally on the PGA / Champions Tour. But, just as a fan of the game of baseball, I hope Smoltz can come back for one more year, just to leave the game on top.

Chad Johnson. Headcase.

2008-06-03T14:20:00.002-10:00

Earlier today on the Josh Pacheco Show, we talked about Chad Johnson and how he said he will be coming back to Bengals training camp to be with the team and work out. After I got off the air, Chad spoke on his satellite radio show (another reason why satellite radio sucks, people who don't know how to do radio end up being on "radio") and said he still wants to be traded away from Cincinnati.

MAKE UP YOUR MIND!

Chad knows what he is doing, though. He's trying to maximize his monetary value. If he doesn't report to Cincinnati, we know they aren't going to trade him, but not playing this year means his value decreases. Being there shows he is going to play, look out for himself, pad his stats, and look for another team next year with his value intact.

It is unfortunate that we look at a player like Johnson and see an act like his in a negative light. Before, someone going to camp meant a reconciliatory gesture. NOW, it means an act of posturing.

Pacman's Back....well, sort of

2008-06-02T13:35:00.003-10:00

John Clayton of ESPN.com reports today that Pacman Jones is back in the NFL, kinda. Pacman is allowed to practice with his teamates, play preseason games, and perform in organized team activities. But, let's stop short of the word reinstatement.

A final determination will be made by Sept. 1. Jones will have to be on perfect behavior in order to be eligible for the 2008 season.

What's the deal with the commish? Why are we continuing to set limits on Pacman? Last I checked, and I've said this numerous times on the air, Pacman hasn't done anything to show me that he deseves another suspension. He's stayed free of the law. The only questionable things he has done is go to a strip club, which almost every guy is guilty of, and take almost 3/4 of a year to pay a gambling debt, which is common among gamblers in america. Not suspensionable to me.

September 1st, by the way, is three days before the Thursday night regular season opener, and six days before the matchup in Cleveland against the "let's exchange our draft picks with Dallas" Browns. Hopefully, a decision is made long before then.

And, if you are a Giants, Eagles, or Redskins fan, you are hoping Jones is reinstated so your offensive players can do this:

Thanks to panthersinthepros

June Jones contract dispute a sad situation

2008-05-28T13:46:00.002-10:00

This is definitely a way to show the youngsters how important a signed document is.

The $400,008 contract disupute continues between June Jones and the University of Hawaii, with mediator Clyde Matsui intervening to help try to find a solution to keep both sides from arbitration.

How did all of this start? June Jones left Hawaii for SMU, violating his contract, which meant that leaving before the end of the contract would result in his repayment of half of his salary, the afore mentioned $400,008. It was supposed to be paid within 60 days, which would've meant March 7th, 2008.

As you can tell, that money wasn't paid. Jones and former AD Herman Frazier had a verbal agreement exchanged via e-mail, but according to the contract, the agreement to nullify the money issue must be done via writing and signed by both parties, and that wasn't done.

It all comes back to Herman Frazier, doesn't it? In all seriousness, I can understand why June would be a little upset after Herman's email, but at the same time, a contract is a contract. You signed it, so now you must abide by it. Whether your agent, Leigh Steinberg, or you yourself didn't see the fine print doesn't matter at this point. Time to step up and fulfill this obligation.

No need to rush back, Tiger

2008-05-27T13:15:00.003-10:00

I think the golf world is doing just fine without Tiger Woods. Just look at what has happened since he has gone down. Phil Mickelson survived a terrible start to the 18th hole this weekend to win the latest PGA Tour Stop, meanwhile Sergio Garcia finally decided to show up and win The Players.

Now, Tiger Woods may be back soon. According to the Associated Press...

"The knee's doing better," said Woods, who had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee April 15. "The rehab is boring. It gets really old riding that bike, man. But everything's on schedule. Just been training and trying to get this thing organized for the Open, and it's right on schedule for that."

A lot of people have been quick to write off the game of golf without Woods, but look at who has carried the torch since. Young star Boo Weekley and great golfer Adam Scott.

The St. Jude and Memorial are still to come before the U.S. Open, but for those that think Tiger couldn't come back soon enough, you obviously haven't been watching.

Thanks to EA Sports!

Jason Taylor's Ego Too Big For Himself

2008-05-21T13:23:00.002-10:00

I feel bad for the Miami Dolphins. They have had a bad couple of years. Only one win this past year, a brand new regime coming in, and the realistic expectation that as long as the Bellichick dynasty continues in New England, the Miami Dolphins will NEVER win a division crown.

With that all understood, it gets worse now with their best player saying he won't be attending training camp, among other team events. Their two best players appear to be out before this coming season. Zach Thomas is now with the Cowboys, and Taylor may either retire or ask to be traded.

This is all on Taylor. Apparently, his ego has gone through the roof since being a part of "Dancing With The Stars." For example, go to youtube.com. The first bunch of videos are from him on the hit show, not of him on the football field. I think that has gone to his head. In fact, take some of the quotes he has made:

"I know what the reaction's going to be: Oh, he's the leader of that team, and he needs to be there," Taylor wrote. "But, see, there're different types of leadership in sports. There're guys that can talk all the time, and try to lead by saying: 'Oh, this is what we need to do, let's go, rah, rah rah.' They're rah-rah guys.

"And then they're guys, like me, who lead by example. And people are saying now, 'Your example should be being there working out with the team.' Well, at the end of the day, I will show up and I will do anything I need to do, and I will be the best football player I can be."

Some leader by example, huh? I'll lead, as soon as I'm ready to. Yeah, whatever. And more...

"Yes, there's a new defense to learn," Taylor wrote. "But we've had a lot of coaches the last five years, and I've learned all those defenses. We'll make it work, trust me. We're not reinventing the wheel here."

Come on. Every coach has certain wrinkles to their defenses. Even Jason Taylor should realize that. Bogus.

Maybe it is time for Miami to get rid of this "distraction." Just like the Cincinnati Bengals should get rid of Chad Johnson, it's the same thing here with Taylor. Get rid of the monstrous ego. Now's the time to completely re-build the team.

Oh, in case you don't know what makes Jason Taylor famous now...

Thanks to DanceWTS1

NFL Labor Deal Issue A Matter of Greed

2008-05-20T12:21:00.003-10:00

The NFL Owners decided today to opt out of the current labor deal, which could lead to, among other things, a possible lockout in three years. They feel that the rookie pool salary is too high, labor costs are high and rising, and getting money back from players who don't perform or cause problems is too hard to do.

The rookie salary issue is huge. Take this comment from ESPN.com

Giving some rookie more money than veteran is an insane practice. I would be upset if a new hire was paid more than me to do the same job I've been doing for years.

Jake Long is getting paid more for not even taking a snap than any other offensive lineman on his team who's worked hard and given up a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. It's not right.

Everything else is straight up greed. The owners are unhappy that the players get 60 percent of all revenue, and they get only 40. They will make sure that that part gets buried behind the headlines, but it's the truth. The greed between the two unions, and the fact that they always fight for what is good for themselves, not for the game, is sickening.

And guess who's money is tangled in all of this? You buy NFL Sunday Ticket? What about the jerseys and hats? Yea, people are being greedy over your money.

Odell Thurman Saga Disappointing

2008-05-19T13:16:00.003-10:00

Both the Cincinnati Bengals and Odell Thurman were going for thhe same goal...cleaning up their negative image. The Bengals were pretty much known as the "Jail Cats" for their players' numerous offenses with the law. Thurman had just been re-instated after missing two years for a substance abuse violation.

Now, the Bengals are shooting themselves in the foot. The Cats released Odell Thurman "due to a dispute over the amount of time Thurman was away from the team dealing with a family matter," a team spokesman said. Thurman had taken a leave of absence due to his grandmother falling seriously ill, and later passing away. He had been away for a few weeks to be by her side, and when he was about to leave his family's side to go back to the team, they let him know that he was no longer a Cincinnati Bengal.

This is a touchy issue, because it deals with a death of a family member and the rights of a team. The team has the right to tell you when you have to come back to work, while dealing with the death and severe illness of a loved one is a tough burden to bear. It's hard to work in that sort of situation. Some people would say that work is a good cure to those trying times that ail you, but in this case, the organization is being a little unfair.

I feel bad for Thurman. He is trying to do the right thing. It's unfortunate that the leash was short on him to begin with, due to the past suspension, but we are 3 1/2 months away from the regular season. The Bengals could've cut him a little more slack.

Too bad this is what the Bengals will be missing out on:

Thanks to whodey9857

Greed overcomes the NFL again

2008-05-16T14:56:00.003-10:00

The NFL Owners are talking about opting out of the labor agreement they are in with the players association. According to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com:

One management source called it a "high likelihood" that the owners will exercise their option to terminate the agreement, which will trigger a number of alternatives, including a potential work stoppage by 2011. Another source said "be prepared" for the action, although it was "not a 100 percent proposition yet."

This could mean salary cap-less play in 2010, and the lack of a system for the following NFL draft. Unrestricted free-agency would change as well around that time frame.

What is the most important entity in the NFL? It's not the owners, and it isn't the players. It's us, the fans. Our money, attention, and want for the NFL product has led to the NFL being the most popular sports league in the country. We've supported them through allegations of steroids and lots of greed from players.

Yet, the greed continues. They both have it good on each side of the aisle. But, how are they going to get the message to show them that what they are doing is hurting the fans and the game?

When we stop spending money on them.

Oh, and because we spend money on the NFL, this is what we get:

Thanks to
Fantasy Sports Girl!

Time to be creative with flying to sporting events

2008-05-15T13:02:00.003-10:00

The Honolulu Advertiser came out with a story on the airline problems that face the Athletic Department at UH Manoa, and I'm sure the athletic departments of every athletic program in the country.

From the Honolulu Advertiser:

"Charter costs are just unbelievable now for us," Donovan said. "It is getting to be stratospheric."

For example, Donovan said the Warriors paid $85,000 to charter to San Jose, Calif. for last year's game with the Spartans and $125,000 to Idaho for the game with the Vandals, but have been quoted a $319,000 fare for Fresno State this year.

This is not meant to be-little what us average joes are going through with the rising costs of flying, because most of us don't have the money that the UH Athletic Department is dealing with. But, let's look at this from a sports perspective. Do we want competitive teams on the Division I level? Rising airline costs can jeapordize that. Look at the UH-Hilo baseball team. The lone DI program in a DII school, will go down to Division II next year, as rising costs to travel and play big named teams are beginning to be too much.

There have been rumblings that if the UH can't bring in enough revenue to sustain itself on the DI level (because DI is all about money), that they may eventually have to make the step down to DII. They are already at a disadvantage compared to every other top tier team in the country. It's expensive to fly there, and expensive to fly outta there. Most big name teams will think twice about going there after this year, and Hawaii may think twice about making flights to Florida.

Let's give Jim Donovan, the new Athletic Director, a lot of credit. He is trying to be creative and cut costs. Mixing commercial with charter flights, albeit not the most star-studded way to fly, is the plan for this coming year. If you have to save money by going on commercial flights, you've gotta do it, even though the players may have to fly coach with the "normal people."

People have suggested the UH get their own charter plane / jet. Seriously? Stop it...UH doesn't want to, and shouldn't have to, pay for a pilot, gas, and plane. Not under a budget that is expected to be $1.5 Million in debt.

For now, and ALL athletic departments need to look closer into this, it's especially important to go after those corporate sponsorships and agreements. No other way to get what you need without strong support from the business community. Who knows what they could provide?

It's all about making the effort now to put all of your resources together to find the most cost-efficient way to get where you need to go. Good luck.

Sit Down, Senator Specter

2008-05-14T13:19:00.003-10:00

That was Tuesday in the NFL press conference regarding Roger Goodell's interview with Matt Walsh, and the revelation that nothing new, generally, had come from the interview, therefore closing spygate. And now today, Senator Arlen Specter:

Please, sit down and shut up, Mr. Senator. The only thing you are succeeding in is putting your name out there for everyone to hear, feeding your ego, and making yourself look good.

Problem is, you are representing a mass constituency of people in Pensylvania who have needs, issues, concerns, and feelings. Have you thought to ask your people in Pennsylvania if this is what they want? You represent them, not yourself.

With all due respect, there is nothing more to gain from any kind of investigation. It seems like we know all we can know. Are you trying to set us all up for another letdown, similar to what it felt like when our hopes were high, expecting to get breakthrough information, only to realize that we got the same thing that we knew already. And, I have a good feeling that any internal investigation would reveal the same thing here.

Please, stop wasting taxpayer dollars. Focus on things your people actually care about.

Goodbye, Spygate!

2008-05-13T13:05:00.003-10:00

If you were waiting for a huge revelation from the NFL, Matt Walsh, and all parties involved regarding "Spygate," you were left empty. It's like watching an overdone promo for a brand new show on television that is supposed to be revolutionary, only to be left with a dud that did nothing for you.

That's what many felt like they got today from Matt Walsh.

For months, we waited while the NFL and Matt Walsh worked out an agreement so they could talk, thinking that we would get new information that we didn't know before, that Matt Walsh held the key to unlocking the secret items in the dark closet of the Patriots' videotaping operations.

Instead, we heard Roger Goodell tell us that the meetings revealed nothing that people didn't already know.

Thanks a lot.

At least we can finally, and I mean, FINALLY, put Spygate to rest. It's something I called for months ago, and if not for Matt Walsh leading us along, it would have ended months ago. Punishments won't change, nothing new will likely emerge, and we can all go back to talking about stuff on the field.

Maybe we should talk about the cheerleaders on the Chargers videotape.

Oh, and I guess Bellichick was right after all, somewhat:

(Thanks to the Associated Press)

Kobe Bryant injury more important than you realize.

2008-05-12T13:25:00.003-10:00

Kobe Bryant has a back problem. And it was evident on Sunday during Game 4 vs. the Utah Jazz, which the Jazz won in overtime. But, this is an important injury that may impact the rest of this series.

According to J.A. Adande of ESPN.com, Kobe Bryant says he will play in Game 5, but he obviously isn't the same player with the injury. The back is an important part of the body of an NBA player. He needs it as he explodes through the lane to score at the rim, or rise up on a jump shot. That is two big factors in Kobe's game.

Why else is it an issue? Phil Jackson called out his team for "bailing out" on Kobe Bryant toward the end of the game. I wouldn't say that they bailed out on him, but they were non-existent in the overtime period. At the same time, Odom and Fisher were especially present with their outside shooting to get back in the game after being down double digits late.

Don't count out Utah now. They've gotten back into the series with wins at home. They could just as easily surprise the Lakers in L.A.

I wonder if Kobe can carry his team on his back now?

Oh, I wonder if Kobe can do this now?

Now that the State Baseball Tournament is over...

2008-05-12T07:30:00.003-10:00

Congratulations to Kauai and Punahou, the champions of the Division II and Division I State Baseball tournament. Kauai had solid pitching throughout to beat St. Anthony's of Maui to win the 1-0 contest and take the first ever DII crown. Pitching was solid for Kauai. Jordan Buster picked up the complete game win for the Red Raiders, scattering three hits and striking out eight.

Make it 5 consecutive years that the Buffanblu have taken the title in the state baseball tournament. All Punahou needed was a four-run second inning to take the lead over Saint Louis, and Reece Kiriu did the rest. Kiriu also threw a complete game, striking out eight and allowing only three hits.

Our Big Island teams lasted through the first day and a half of the tournament. But we made some loud noise, especially on the first day. Remember when Kamehameha-Hawaii knocked out Kailua, which many people took to be a big surprise? How's about Blaise Kise's performance for Kohala on opening day, shutting down Kahuku in a fine pitching performance? For another year, we didn't make it to the final four in the state tournament, but we had some solid efforts.

Finally, let's see what the HHSAA learned from this year, especially with the introduction of the DII tournament. Surely, they will find things that they need to improve and fix, including the lack of working scoreboards at Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park. Speaking of which....

I was talking to one of the scorers at Les Murakami Stadium about the very subject of CORP, and she said, and I quote, "Thank Mayor Jeremy Harris" in a sarchastic tone. Yep, this was his project. She added that the restrooms were too far away, and there wasn't enough planning put in to this park.

Sure, it has almost everything. 4 Baseball fields, at least. Little league parks, softball fields, tennis courts, pool. It is the hub for everyone in Waipio to enjoy the outdoor lifestyle. But, it seems like they left some things short.

First rule of putting together a tournament, in my opinion. You must hold it in a place where 1) the scoreboards work, and 2) you have an official scorekeeper at every field. There was one set of scorers for EVERY game at Les Murakami Stadium, meanwhile at CORP, they relied on different people to do it, usually stats people from the different schools. Come on, this is the finale to the baseball season. Let's do this RIGHT.

Is holding the DII tournament on the neighbor islands a viable possibility? Leave your comments and we will discuss here and on the air.

State Baseball Tournament: Day Two Thoughts

2008-05-09T14:58:00.003-10:00

Tough day for our Big Island teams on Thursday. But it all had a common theme to it. Hitting and mistakes.

Kohala couldn't muster a hit against #1 Kauai in Division II. Some speculate that Kauai should've made an effort at playing Division I, but this is what they decided, and they crushed the Cowboys.

Speaking of a lack of hitting, that accurately describes Waiakea. Only got two hits as they got shut out by Saint Louis. The Crusaders haven't given up a run this postseason.

Now to the mistakes, and a couple of them proved costly for Kamehameha in their loss to Maui High. Kamehameha will play for 7th place on Saturday, as they lost to Roosevelt on Friday.

For #4 Honokaa in Division II, it was both. Three hits and three errors. They lost by 10 to Molokai.

Tough day to see the rest of our teams knocked out. We'll see what we can do in the consolation bracket.

*****UPDATE*****: We will broadcast the 5th place game between Waiakea and Roosevelt on Saturday beginning at 10:45 am from Les Murakami Stadium!

State Baseball Tournament: Day One Thoughts

2008-05-08T07:27:00.003-10:00

Hello From Oahu,

Congratulations to Kamehameha, and Kohala for winning in Day one of the tournament. And they both did it with good pitching.

Kohala's Blaise Kise threw a complete game, striking out nine, and getting himself out of trouble in the last few innings. In fact, he left two on base to end the sixth, and allowed a couple runs in the seventh before shutting the door.

Meanwhile, from Patssy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park field 1 over to Les Murakami Stadium, and Kamehameha's Blake Amaral. He had his tough moments, including a HBP and some one-run-allowed innings, but the middle to back part of the order helped him out in the sixth, including help from the Kailua defense, as an E6 and E3 helped bring in the go-ahead runs in the sixth. Amaral, however, settled down late, and struck out a couple in the final frame, and eight for the game. Talking to some of the people in the press box after the game, the word they used to describe Corey Ishigo's team: Undisciplined. And it showed defensively in the sixth.

Couple of things already needed to look at for next year. We NEED a working scoreboard at Central Oahu Regional Park. To me, it's a little embarassing that people just walking can't tell the score, and that they don't even have official scorers. In fact during the HPA broadcast we did, the official scorer was actually the guy taking stats for Maryknoll. Oh BTW, you forgot to add the run that HPA picked up in the 5th. The final score in the HPA game should read 15-1, not 15-0.

Oh, and one more thing. No one told me that there is a hospitality room for the media, so I didn't have to go downstairs at Murakami and buy a hot dog and mountain dew. I found out that they had sandwiches and drinks there.

Big thank you to my taxi driver, Nam. Got tipped pretty well Wednesday, as I was pretty much his only client from the hotel to Murakami to CORP and back to the hotel. I'm saving my receipts.

Schedule for Thursday:

11:15 am (after a special baseball edition of the Josh Pacheco Show)

Kamehameha-Hawaii vs. Maui

1:45 pm

Saint Louis vs. Waiakea

And, by the way, Friday's edition of the Josh Pacheco Show will be LIVE from the Ilima Hotel conference room. You can e-mail, call-in, text in, all the same. I just won't be in the studio. But we will have "Yes-naka" running the board and answering the calls.

Do we have a chance in the State Tournament?

2008-05-05T14:33:00.003-10:00

First off, I apologize for not posting towards the end of last week. With preparing for the baseball broadcasts, other jobs, and well, okay, I admit, a Thursday late night gathering at the "establishment," I couldn't get on the computer to do the daily blogs. With that said, time to answer the subject question: Can a Big Island team win at the State Baseball Tourney?

YES.

Take a look over at Division II and you will see four teams, all with different roads to get to the crown. The 4th seed in Honokaa has a first round bye and awaits either Radford or Mokokai. I like their arms, yet I'm a tad disappointed with their bats, especially when I saw them on Saturday where they didn't take advantage of opportunities that were handed to them on a silver platter, and waited until the 6th inning to get their first hit.

Konawaena blew the DII championship, and has the task of playing Kalaheo. If they win, they face Waipahu. If they can cut down on the mistakes, they could surprise a few people, even myself.

HPA took third place at the BIIF Tourney, and got the luckiest draw of all. They face winless Maryknoll in the first round. Look for them to advance to the 2nd round against St. Anthony.

Kohala may be the most dangerous team of all. Disappointing showing at the BIIF tourney, which forced them into a first round game against Kahuku, who is more known for their football than baseball. If they get by, it sets up a showdown with Kauai. Don't count out the Cowboys in any round of this tourney.

What about Division I?

Waiakea took the DI BIIF Crown, and draw a bye to await the winner of Saint Louis and Baldwin. Therein lies the first problem. Saint Louis most likely will win, and is one of the top two or three teams in the state. Bar none. Waiakea's pitching is also suspect, as was proven in the BIIF Championship game as they nearly blew a 10 run lead. We know they can hit, but can they pitch and not break down defensively?

Kamehameha-Hawaii gets a first round matchup with Kailua, and that could be a tough assignment, as Kailua was ranked #4 in last week's Star Bulletin Top 10, which I am a voter of. If they get past that, their road looks a little easier, with #4 Maui waiting. We know Kamehameha can hit and score with anyone, but can the rest of their game stay on pace?

I think the best shot to win a championship lies in Division II. DI has talent, but the scheduling may do them in, as I do not think there is any break whatsoever in the schedule. But the less heralded Division II will show an exciting showing from Division II teams that in other years, you wouldn't hear a peep from.

Another Coach Needlessly Fired

2008-04-30T14:01:00.003-10:00

The pressure to win is undoubtedly high in every sport, college or professional. Maybe too high. Just ask Avery Johnson. Johnson, who is the fastest to 50, 100, and 150 wins in NBA coaching history, was fired Wednesday by the Dallas Mavericks, less than 24 hours after guiding his team to a first-round series loss against the upstart New Orleans Hornets.

Outraged? You should be. Avery Johnson is two years removed from am NBA Finals appearance, in which they lost in six games to the Miami Heat. More importantly, Avery Johnson was not to blame for the Mavericks failures this postseason. That distinguished honor goes to Mark Cuban.

Cuban was the mastermind behind the Jason Kidd trade, and lets face it, that trade did not produce the results that were expected. Kidd averaged 8 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds in the postseason. Not enough production from someone who was supposed to make the team better.

But who often gets the blame when a key move doesn't work? Cuban can't punish himself. He, in fact, is the owner, the judge, the jury, and the executioner. So, you go after the coach who unsuccessfully could not fulfill your expectations with a move that you wanted.

I personally thought this Mavericks team was better with who they had before the trade. They had key players, and an emerging point guard in Devin Harris. An emerging player wasn't good enough for Cuban, he wanted a star past his prime. And he got results that echoed that players talent.

Avery Johnson will be back on the bench before you know it. He's an outstanding coach, but more importantly, he is a stand-up person.

Thursday morning at 11:25, we will replay the interview that Avery had with 103.3 ESPN in Dallas on Galloway & Co.

In the mean time, thanks to Dallasmavs2006, here's a tribute to Avery Johnson:

BIIF Baseball Tournament Schedule

2008-04-29T14:29:00.002-10:00

I've been alotted one game per day to broadcast to you for the BIIF Baseball Tournament from Wong Stadium, so without further ado, here is our schedule of events.

THURSDAY:

1:30pm - Division One Semifinal: #4 Keaau vs. #1 Waiakea (pre-game at 1 pm)

FRIDAY:

7:00 pm - Division One Championship: Teams TBA (pre-game at 6:30 pm)

SATURDAY:

1:00 pm - Division Two Championship: Teams TBA (pre-game at 12:30 pm)

Some of the pre-game shows may get knocked out due to NBA Playoff coverage, because the games have not been determined yet. Hope you enjoy the coverage!

Oh, and hope you enjoy this baseball play of the day...thank you to href="http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com"> for putting this up!

Good Luck Colt Brennan

2008-04-28T13:27:00.003-10:00

Colt Brennan had to wait a little while, but after a day and a half of the NFL Draft, Colt was taken in the 6th round by the Washington Redskins. He was the only Warrior taken in the draft, with Davone Bess, Ryan Grice-Mullins, and Jason Rivers signing free agent deals. Two bad two of those three receivers had a year of eligibility left.

For Brennan, this was a great move. Now, the pressure is off of him. Brennan is not expected to compete for a starting job right away, and he shouldn't be. Often times, teams and players make the mistake of getting someone in "too early." Here, Brennan will be developed by Washington Redskins head coach Jim Zorn, who was formerly the Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator. The Redskins have a starter in Jason Campbell, and a number two guy in Todd Collins. All Colt needs to do is progress, keep his head up, and he may be in good shape.

I feel bad for Jordan Dizon. Dizon, the pride of Kauai and the former Buffalo of Colorado, was drafted in the second round by the Detroit Lions. Dizon is extremely good, don't get me wrong. BUT, it's the Detroit Lions. I wouldn't want to be stuck in that organization, and neither would you.

Who may play sooner? I think it would be Dizon, even though to some he is oversized, but I see some need for a linebacker in Detroit. He could possibly be on the field this season if he works hard.

As always, feel free to leave your comments while I finish up my Star-Bulletin Top 10 Softball poll. And, of course, I've gotta leave the video of the day. Thanks to LEONARDDAVISPROBOWL, here is the best of Colt Brennan.

Josh Pacheco Show New Time

2008-04-25T15:41:00.002-10:00

Hi there everyone,

As you heard me somewhat mention on Friday's show, I mentioned that there would be an announcement on what the new time of my show would be. There was no announcement for Friday's show, because nothing was set.

Starting on Monday, April 28th, I'll be on from 10 am - noon. Last hour becomes the first hour, one less hour, you get the drift. This is taking place because we are making room for a new show which begins on Monday from 6:30 am - 9:00 am.

Now as for today's video to get you into the weekend, how's about some bloopers!

Guess who wants to coach again?

2008-04-24T15:11:00.003-10:00

One commenter on ESPN.com who read the following story had this to say:

"Who has more? Larry Brown and jobs or Elizabeth Taylor and husbands?"

The Answer: Larry Brown. Brown has had 11 different coaching jobs. Taylor has had 7 different husbands in 8 different marriages.

Larry Brown wants to get back into coaching. He's been in the front office for the Philadelphia 76ers for a little while, and decided to resign in the intent of being on the bench for a college or professional team.

First off, the 76ers are in the playoffs, and their Vice President is stepping down to do his own thing? So much for being a team player...what's so hard about sticking around until the playoffs end and supporting your franchise? Oh wait, Larry Brown has always found a way to quit on teams. Which leads me to my next point...

Larry Brown has always found a way to spend a few years in one place and then move on...let's delve into this:

-1972 - 1974: 2 years with the Caroling Cougars in the ABA. The team moved, and he decided to move elsewhere. Not so much on him, but you'll see more of this later.

-1979 - 1981: Was at UCLA. First year, he led the Bruins to the NCAA Championship game. The Nets came along and offered him quadruple of what he is making. He followed the money.

-1981 - 1983: In his second year in New Jersey, Brown interviewed for the Kansas Jayhawks job. He accepted the job with a few games left to go in the year, and instead of letting him coach out the rest of the year, the Nets fired him.

-1991 - 1993: Brown was with the Clippers. Before you say "No wonder he would leave so soon," he led them to the playoffs twice before being frustrated with management. He would go to Indiana, where he said "I'm hopeful this will be my last stop." He had 3 more stops waiting.

-2003 - 2005: The Detroit Pistons. He was there for the Brawl at the Palace with the Pacers. He won a championship. But during the conference finals in his second year, it was reported that he had landed a front office job with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Buyout of his contract was in order. But instead of staying with Cleveland....

-2005 - 2006: He landed his eleventh coaching job with the Knicks. Granted he got fired, but nonetheless, followed the money trail, as this was the richest contract he had ever signed. 5 years for 50+ Million dollars. Yikes.

That's just some of his tenure. Would you want this man coaching your team? He has the urge to work with you one moment, but as soon as he loses interest or sees more money, goodbye! Not the kinda guy I want developing young talent.

Feel free to leave your comments and discuss. No video today...nothing clean enough to use. I guess people really didn't like Larry Brown, after all.

The Worst Word in Sports: TIE

2008-04-23T18:11:00.003-10:00

I thought we learned our lesson from last year's Hilo / Kamehameha overtime game that ended up in a tie after 9 innings of play. It wasn't a popular decision, especially so close to the playoffs. But I guess not.

If you were listening on Wednesday afternoon, you heard a wacky, wild, and compelling extra innings affair between Kamehameha and Keaau on the Warriors home field. We saw 8 errors, 3 Cougars caught between the basepaths, batters hitting out of order, and an untimely rain delay. This game went to the top half of the 8th inning, and with one on and two out, the rain came down hard enough for the umpires to delay the game. That's where the chaos began.

The rain wasn't showing any signs of letting up, and both umpires met with both head coaches and decided to call the game. That's when I expected to hear that they would suspend the game and finish it either the next day. As I was wrapping up the broadcast, I was told that the coaches and umpires met and that they would play the game over again. But then, the law was set in stone for us.

After I got off the air, BIIF Executive Director Ken Yamase hurried to the field, met with both athletic directors and both head coaches, and made a different decision based on the letter of the law in the league. Here's how he described it to me after the fact (and I'm paraphrasing):

1: The game is called a tie. 7-7 is the final score.

2: Both teams remain with the same record, and if both win on Saturday, they will be tied going into the playoffs.

3: BIIF rules state that a playoff game is only called to decide the top seed / regular season champion in a respective division.

4: Because Keaau and Kamehameha are both tied for 3rd place, a playoff game cannot be played to decide who would be the higher seed, in the event that both take care of business on Saturday.

5: The next option to determine a tie is by head-to-head results. Since they only played once, and it ended in a tie, nothing remains decided (still following me?)

6: The last option to resolve a tie is by coin flip. Both teams defered to having the coin flip after Saturday's games, as long as both teams win or both teams list on Saturday. Both schools athletic directors will be summoned by Mr. Yamase either at his office or at an undisclosed location to flip the coin and determine who will be the 3 seed and who will be the 4.

Hope you caught all of that....why is this so important? The 4th seed would end up playing Waiakea. Waiakea beat Kamehameha by 2 to open the season, and Waiakea beat Keaau by 2 in 10 innings. The 3rd seed would end up playing Hilo, the 2 seed. Keaau beat Hilo earlier in the season, and Kamehameha lost to Hilo by 2 in a game we broadcast a few weeks ago.

What would I do? I would go back another day and finish the game....these players worked so hard and went into extra innings and to call it a tie is such a shame. No one likes to lose, every one loves to win, but all sides never play for a tie.

PS. For those of you listening to Wednesday's edition of the Josh Pacheco show, I said I would put up the clip of the Denver Nuggets coaching staff's intresting pre-game "moshing"...check this out:

Cincinnati's Big Mistake

2008-04-22T11:49:00.004-10:00

If you have been following the Cincinnati Bengals / Chad Johnson fiasco, you've probably formed an opinion by now on who's side you are on what you would do. For those of you that haven't followed the story, here's the quick and dirty. Ocho Cinco is unhappy. He wants out. He feels like he is the scapegoat for all of Cincy's issues from last season. Oh, and in case you don't remember, here is what he said on SportsCenter a while back:

If you are an employer, and you are paying X amount of dollars to this guy, what would you do to react? I'm sure you would say that you would let him go on the spot. Not the Cincinnati Bengals. They maintain they will not trade or let go of Chad Johnson as long as he is still under contract with them, which he is for another few seasons.

Cincinnati today revealed that they had turned down a trade offer from the Washington Redskins for Chad Johnson. The Redskins offered two first round draft picks over the next two drafts for number 85, which the Bengals declined. Maybe this seems too common sense for me, but wouldnt you take the first good offer you get, and I think the Redskins offer is good, and run with it to get the distraction out of town?

The Bengals are playing with fire. If they keep him, he sits, and he causes an enormous distraction for the rest of the team. If they trade him, he could be good for someone else. In BOTH ways, the Cincinnati Bengals aren't a good team this coming season.

Feel free to comment and let your voice be heard!