Page 3 - Hawaii Island MidWeek - March 29, 2023

MARCH 29, 2023 HAWAI‘I ISLAND MIDWEEK 3
It will be the end of an era when Bob Hogue, current commissioner of the PacWest Conference, retires July 1.
Bob Hogue
Though he grew up in La Habra, Cal- ifornia, Hogue’s ties to the islands came courtesy of his mother and grandparents, who were from Hawai‘i. In his youth, he dreamed of becoming a Major League Baseball player and recalls times when he’d visit the islands and play catch with his father on his grandparents’ lawn in Mānoa.
“I was so fortunate to be able to come here several times to Hawai‘i when I was young,” he says. “Having that Hawai‘i background helped me along the way be- cause there’s that aloha spirit that comes with everything. It made a huge impact on my life.”
members, we need to add sports, we need to keep us together and we need to be- come successful,” he recalls.
It is the same aloha spirit that Hogue, who was featured on the cover of Mid- Week Sept. 27, 1989, carried with him throughout all the highlight-worthy mo- ments of his life. They include pitching for the University of Southern California Trojans; appearing on multiple TV news stations as lead sportscaster; penning MidWeek’s “Keeping Score” column for years; serving as a Hawai‘i state sen- ator; working as a play-by-play sports announcer for University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and Hawai‘i Pacific University; writing the novel Sands of Lanikai; and finally, leading the PacWest Conference for the past 16 years.
And that is exactly what Hogue did.
His impending departure has not been lost on his colleagues, some of whom have lauded the commissioner with re- marks such as “PacWest is Bob Hogue” and “Bob has been the super glue of PacWest.”
“I’m blessed to work with such won- derful people,” he says. “It’s amazing the challenges you can overcome when you make it the first priority that we’re going to respect each other and work together every single moment.”
“Reading what some of the people have said touched my heart,” says a teary-eyed Hogue. “I was deeply honored. I truly do love this job; it’s a wonderful job. In fact, it’s more of a passion than a job.”
Hogue concludes with a message to his PacWest ‘ohana: “I love this job. I will continue loving the PacWest for the rest of my life. It’s been an incredible expe- rience. I’m truly blessed to have been on this journey. I look forward to the future.”
It’s the same passion that has helped carry Hogue through the challenging times, especially in the days immediate- ly following his installation as PacWest commissioner.
“The charge to me was: We need new
— Jocelyn Lansangan
During his time commissioner, the conference has doubled the number of participating schools, added five sports to its repertoire and won six National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II national championships.
Of all the accomplishments, though, he’s most proud of the way the conference navigated its way though the pandemic. With the priority being the health, safe- ty and well-being of its student-athletes, PacWest was able to coordinate pod- based competitions where teams could compete against one another in respective geographic pods. The conference then made up 90% of its postponed games in 2020 the following school year.
“I’m really proud of where we’ve come from,” says Hogue.
A Nice Way To Enjoy Healthy Greens
Brussels sprouts
are named af-
ter the veggie’s
history of cultivation in
Belgium. This nutrient
powerhouse is best baked
or steamed, and is chock-
full of heart-healthy
antioxidants and anti-in-
flammatory compounds.
Brussels sprouts also help
reduce oxidative stress.
By eating cruciferous
vegetables like Brussels
sprouts, cauliflower, kale,
broccoli, cabbage, collard
greens and bok choy, we
are consuming glucosino-
lates that fight the free radicals that lead to oxidative stress. Maybe our parents were right when they told us to eat our Brussels sprouts?
BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH RED GRAPES
Ingredients:
• 2 pounds Brussels sprouts
• 1 medium bunch of large red seedless grapes • 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Wash, peel off damaged leaves and halve Brussels sprouts. Place halved Brussels sprouts and destemmed grapes on baking sheet. Drizzle with grapeseed oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. Broil for 20-30 min in oven until grapes look plump and Brussels sprouts crisp on the edges.
Brussels sprouts are also versatile. They can be shaved and added to garden salads or skewered whole and grilled. Sautéed, they are great as a bed for lean protein. They can also be added to omelets, stir-fries and soups.
Our recipe calls for red grapes instead of bacon, adding sweetness without any of the fat and cholesterol. This light bite, which is Blue Zones approved, is perfect as a side dish or as an accompaniment to lean grilled steak.
Are you hungry for more? Visit eatpono.org, follow @eatpono on Insta- gram, and learn about the Eat Pono Fund at Hawai‘i Community Founda- tion.
TARA YOUNG PHOTO
Photo courtesy Bob Hogue