2010 Hawaii Warrior Football Draft Watch

April 21st, 2010 kNuke

Tomorrow kicks off a new 3-day format for the NFL Draft.  For the first time, the First Round will be televised live in prime time on Thursday night, 1:30 PM Hawaiian.  The second and third rounds will be televised live at 12 noon Hawaiian on Friday.  The draft will conclude on Saturday starting at 4 AM Hawaiian.  The draft will continue to be televised on the same networks, ESPN and NFL Network.

If you’re a Hawaii fan excited about hearing one of your favorite Warrior names called, you won’t have to pay attention till Saturday.  And even then you might be disappointed as only one Warrior has a legitimate chance to have his named called.

John Estes, C
Estes looked like a solid 5th round pick at the beginning of the season, but the tide has turned against him. After being snubbed by the NFL Combine and getting injured at Pro Day, most reports don’t have Estes even being drafted. I disagree, I think his body of work will convince one team he deserves a shot.
Projection: Round 6

Blaze Soares, OLB
I’ve heard numerous reports that Soares was gaining draft consideration. I really don’t know why any team would select Soares; he’s too slow and injury prone.
Projection: FA

John Fonoti, DE
At the beginning of the season a lot of people were saying Fonoti will play on Sundays. I didn’t think so and it looks like the rest of the NFL agrees.
Projection: FA

Jovonte Taylor, WR
Taylor ran a great 40-time at the Pro Day (4.34 seconds), but that’s not enough to be selected. All those dropped passes and his short stature are too much for teams to overlook, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he got invited to a few tryouts; speed has a way of opening doors.
Projection: FA

Aaron Kia, OL
Maybe the NFL Officials could draft Kia and use him during flag throwing and whistle blowing practice.
Projection: FA

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University of Hawaii Fantasy Football Roster

August 19th, 2009 kNuke

For all you University of Hawaii alumni… It’s actually almost possible to field a starting lineup.

QB: Colt Brennan, Redskins
RB: Nate Ilaoa, Unsigned (He’s the best i could come up with)
RB: Reagan Mauia, Cardinals
WR: Ashley Lelie, Chiefs
WR: Davone Bess, Dolphins
WR: CJ Hawthorne, Bills
TE: Ikaika Alama-Francis, Lions (He’s a DE, but could play some TE)
K: Jason Elam, Falcons

And if you’re playing in an IDP league:

DE: Isaac Sopoaga, 49ers
LB: Pisa Tinoisamoa, Bears
DB: Ryan Mouton, Titans

Let me know if you got others!

You can check out my Fantasy Football Draft Guide for some real Fantasy Football advice.

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“Akebono” Chad Rowan

July 5th, 2009 kNuke

Chad Rowan was born May 8, 1969 in Waimanalo, Hawaii.  Rowan relocated to Japan early in 1988, joining the Azumazeki stable.  He made his sumo debut under the name Akebono in March 1988.  On January 27, 1993, Akebono became the first ever foreign born wrestler to reach Yokozuna, the highest rank in sumo.

Akebono retired from sumo after 13 years with a record of 566-198, winning 11 tournaments, which ranks 7th All-time.

Hawaii Athletes Status: Alii, 2009

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Duke Kahanamoku

June 10th, 2009 kNuke

Duke Kahanamoku was born August 24, 1890 in Honolulu, Hawaii, the first of nine siblings.  He is best known as the “Father of modern Surfing” and winner of five Olympic swimming medals.  He was the first person to be inducted into both the Swimming Hall of Fame and the Surfing Hall of Fame.  Also, he is a member of the US Olympic Hall of Fame.

In the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, Kahanamoku won the gold medal in the 100m freestyle and the silver in the 4×200m relay. World War I canceled the 1916 Olympics, but during the 1920 Antwerp Olympics, he won gold medals in both the 100m freestyle and the 4×200m relay. He won his last medal in the 100m freestyle, finishing second in the 1924 Paris Olympics.

Kahanamoku travelled around the globe, delighting crowds with swimming and surfing exhibitions.  Many people believe that these exhibitions were the main cause for increased popularity with modern surfing.

Duke Kahanamoku has a statue located on Kuhio Beach in Waikiki.

Medal Breakdown:
1912 – Gold, 100m freestyle
1912 – Silver, 4×200m relay
1920 – Gold, 100m freestyle
1920 – Gold, 4×200m relay
1924 – Silver, 100m freestyle

Hawaii Athletes Status: Alii, 2009

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Hawaii Click It or Ticket Campaign

May 27th, 2009 kNuke

I wear my seat belt every time I get into the front seat of a car; I figure that’s what it’s for.  Do we really need to spend resources reinforcing this?  I understand the campaign is targeted at young drivers, but shouldn’t they learn to wear a seat belt in Driver’s Education?

If a driver doesn’t want to wear a seat belt, I’m fine with that, it’s their choice.  If they are in an accident, it only causes harm to them.  If they’re willing to take that risk, that should a choice up to the driver.

Hell, people smoke, get lung cancer, give others lung cancer, and burden the Health system, which causes pain to the entire island.  Maybe Hawaii should start a Quit It or Ticket Campaign for Smokers?  Sounds pretty ridiculous huh?  Exactly…

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Fish Passing

January 1st, 2009 kNuke

On a sad note, my fish passed away sometime last night.  I’m not sure, but I believe he made it to 2009.  He was a good fish, he will be missed.

Mr Fishy (3+ months)

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Oahu Power Outage

December 27th, 2008 kNuke

Most of Oahu was without power last night, starting around 6:30 pm.  Supposedly lighting is the most likely cause of the massive outage, but the cause is still under investigation by HECO.  One thing I did learn is that darkness is very boring.  Another thing I noticed was that even though there was no power, there were a lot of lights on!

As I drove home in the darkness, I wondered why we need so many freeway lights?  The drive home wasn’t all that bad without street lights, I’m sure the state/city could reduce costs big time by turning off at minimum, every other light?

Also, the Honolulu Advertiser was unable to print editions of their daily newspaper so they released an electronic version to download.  Do they offer just an electronic version of their paper?  If not, I think it’s about 3 years past time to start offering that service.

Oh yeah, I need to go and pickup a survival kit; you should too!

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Oahu Flash Flooding

December 11th, 2008 kNuke

Big time rains and crazy winds beat down Oahu today.  That caused flooding, landslides,  and major traffic while also cutting power in some areas. Rain came down at rates only seen once in 22-31 years!

Flooding has been reported all over the island.  I’m not too familiar with preventative flooding measures so I wanted to ask a few questions.

1. Did we know that if a certain amount of rain occurred that we’d see mass flooding?  Was this just a calculated risk we were taking?
2. Were our preventative measures functioning correctly?
3. How does Lake Wilson overflow?
4. Is this type of flooding preventable in the future or is this an aberration?

On a personal note, my car hydroplaned in my parking structure due to the rain and I almost hit a wall!

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Hawaii Rail: Take Two

September 3rd, 2008 kNuke

With the RNC taking center stage, I felt in a political mood, which made me think about our Rail system again.  I tried contacting agencies associated with promoting rail, but I guess they’re all too busy.  Maybe someone else can answer a few small questions I have?

1. How much growth can Oahu support?
2. What is the final cost of rail?  How much does it cost to maintain and how would we get that money? How long will it take to build a functioning rail system?  How much cost is involved in tearing down a rail system? 
3. What about other alternatives not mentioned?  Telecommuting, staggered work hours, 4 day work weeks, different private school or UH-Manoa start times, moving businesses out to Kapolei, and/or moving a majority of UH-Manoa out to the west side.

These are just a few basic questions I’d like to see answered… 

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Level 4 Nightclub and Ultra Lounge

August 10th, 2008 kNuke

I just checked out the Level 4 Nightclub and Ultra Lounge on the fourth floor of the Royal Hawaiian Center and I have to say it was decent.  It’s not quite Vegas as the promoters claim, but it’s still a good time out here in Hawaii.

First, let’s cover the general info; Cover was $15 and parking was $5 with validation.  Supposedly the dress code is strictly enforced, but we saw a bunch of guys walking around in tshirts so I’m not sure what the dress code really is.  Regardless, I’d play it safe and wear a collared shirt and some nice shoes.

The club has 3 areas and 3 walkways.  The most packed area was the theater, which has dancers, VIP areas, and two bars.   The hotness of the dancers was 50/50, but there were dude dancers so that gets a thumbs down.  This area is so packed that you can’t find a good place to stand due to the constant movement!

The other two areas have bars and more of the ultra lounge feel.  I have to say that the chairs and VIP areas do remind me of Vegas.  The walkways were crowded at times, but they are good place to cool down, because the AC seemed to be a lot colder in that area.

The girls at Level 4 looked decent for the most part.  Nothing really different than what you’ll see at W or Pearl though…  One thing I did notice was that most girls were dressed up and a majority of the girls seem to have that “Punaohou/Iolani” feel about them if you know what I mean.

Overall, it was a good time and a place worth checking out.  Level 4 has a great atmosphere and the definite buzz factor, making it the place to be seen in Hawaii right now.  One important note, if you’re thinking of checking out Level 4, make sure you’re either VIP or on the guest list, because the regular line is RIDICULOUS!  I don’t know how it moved, but there were still people in line at 2am when we left.

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