THIS and that to chew on over lunch: Big Mac’s timing
is best in the bizTiming is everything in business and Mark McGwire's seems to be perfect. The big guy gets traded from the worst team in the big leagues this season to the team with arguably the best fans in the country. Once he figures out that National League pitchers have this macho thing about "challenging" hitters with their best heater, he starts launching balls out of every park but Yellowstone.
As the season winds down, he signs a $28 million, three-year contract that likely will keep him with the Cardinals into the next millennium and then goes out in front of his home fans and hits a ball off the lights that spell his name on the scoreboard. Roy Hobbs had nothing on this guy.
Roger Maris' record is safe for this season, but if NL pitchers don't figure out what their colleagues in the American League have know for a decade -- keep it away and off-speed -- all bets will be off for next season. McGwire crushes them like no other.
Timing is everything in business and the University of Hawaii athletic department's seems to be, um, is strange the right word? Two days after the Rainbows get their jerky handed to them by Wyoming, the athletic department resumes talk about scaling the ticket prices at Aloha Stadium. Traffic will no doubt be bottle-necking in all directions for the rights to pay more to see the 'Bows get thrashed. The object here, guys, is to put MORE people in the stands. Reduced ticket prices jacked up the gate by several thousand. That should be a good hint, no?
It looks as though Honolulu will have a Professional Indoor Football League team. The announcement hasn't been made officially, but it looks like a done deal. The team also has a nickname, the Hurricanes. It'll be one of 10 teams in the start-up league. Games will be played at Blaisdell Arena. The second round of player tryouts is at 6:15 p.m. Sunday at at Pacheco Park, next to the Pearl City police station. Players will be tested in the 20 and 40-yard dashes, vertical jump, 225-pound bench press and a shuttle run. There is a $5 registration fee. If you'd like to try out and want more information, contact Father John Frederick, Hurricanes general manager, at 671-8213 or 676-4714.
A couple of services for golfers have come across my desk that seem great. First, there's a publication called The HoleView Hawaii that gives players the most useful scorecard I've ever seen. It is being used at a handful of courses around the island (Hawaii Kai and Makaha Sheraton were the first).
The guide gives you actual aerial photographs of each hole on the course so you can really see your location and proximity to the pin. There also are tips from the course pro about club selection, trouble spots, etc.
Co-publishers are Mark Matsumoto, a McKinley and UH grad, and Scott Whipple, who went to Damien.
The other service is useful when you're traveling. Going to Vegas for some action at the tables and on the golf course? A company in El Segundo, Calif., called Golf Bag Express will pick up your clubs at your house, office or golf club and ship them directly to the course you plan to play. And not just to Vegas, anywhere on the mainland. Cost is about $60 each way.
The company uses UPS as its shipper. When you request service, GBE gives you a light-weight shipping bag with the shipping documents already filled out. The shipping bag can be carried in your golf bag during play and return instructions get your clubs home after you're pau.
Reservation information is available at 1-800-237-6200.
