Sports, that wonderful, horrible, meaningful, meaningless, inspiring, cynical, beautiful entity, just completed another wild feat. It took 2,390 miles of ocean and shrank it. It urged Hawaii and the United States mainland into a fresh realm of spiritual juxtaposition. It continued to redefine, according to Hawaiians, how Hawaiians perceive themselves.
Apparently, you just can’t beat that damned sports.
Last Saturday, a 24-year-old quarterback in his first NFL playoff game threw a touchdown pass to himself, commanded a wacko second-half comeback in a loud road stadium and forged a clinching-play block that deserves to prove unforgettable. On Monday, a 19-year-old quarterback entered the College Football Playoff national championship after halftime, redefined the tenor of that humongous game, became its most valuable player and threw a game-winning 41-yard touchdown pass so eye-pleasing that it will prove unforgettable.