The Bald-Headed Truth

A1 news story: Kekaulike investigation

I have done some news reporting in my 25 years (or so) as a sports journalist. It is not my favorite thing to do, and in fact, is a big reason why I am a sports writer.

On Friday afternoon and evening (for Saturday's paper), I wrote this piece on the investigation that has been opened up into hand gestures made by the King Kekaulike football team in Na Alii’s emotional 25-22 loss to Baldwin on Sept. 20 at War Memorial Stadium.

My day included a drive Upcountry to try to get Kekaulike's perspective on the matter, but there was no practice for Na Alii football players (as I found out when I got there) because of the Maui County Fair break. To his credit, Kekaulike coach J.W. Kenton called me back after I placed four calls to him during the day Friday. He had been away from his phone on a family trip to Oahu.

Several people have asked me why we didn't do something on this earlier.

The simple answer is we were waiting for some news to happen — and it did when Bruce Anderson, Maui District superintendent for the King Kekaulike, Baldwin and Maui high school complexes, sent The Maui News a letter on Thursday saying he was opening an investigation into the incident.

Things happen at MIL football games all the time. Fights and-or disorderly conduct in the parking lot are the most common. If we reported every incident at MIL football games, believe me, that would be almost the only thing(s) we reported during football season.

I, and my sports editor Brad Sherman, were fully aware of the incidents at the Kekaulike-Baldwin game from the beginning. After discussing the possible stories (and, believe me, it looks at this point like it will be stories) from the incident, we decided that there wasn't a whole lot there except he-said, he-said scenarios until possible sanctions (or not) were decided upon; or as ultimately happened, an investigation was opened.

I wish we could have had something Friday because we received Anderson’s letter to the editor on Thursday. If that letter had come to my in-box, there would have been something in Friday's paper. But Saturday's story sums it all up pretty well and we will be following this until its conclusion.

If you're interested on part of my personal take on all of the entire situation (past a news perspective), read my column in Sunday's sports pages (where I prefer my work to go, trust me).

I will post that column when it is placed online, so check back here late today.