Never Fear, The Hood is Here (or will be soon, at least)

I apologize for the slight delay in the 2008 Annual J-Borhood Super Bowl Prognostication Extravaganza!, however, I want you to know that I'm currently working on it and should have it finished by some point tomorrow. Because really, a Super Bowl aint Super without the hood, now is it?

Thank you for your patience with me in the midst of my move, big projects at work and friends visiting from out of town.

Ciao, J

A Job Well Done

This article is not long.

It is not verbose.

It does not explore a large number of topics.

It does not provide stunning insight.

It is not an example of great writing.

It just gets the job done. Quickly. And professionally.

Why, you ask?

In honor of the University of Hawaii Administration’s exemplary performance in the aftermath of the departure of head football coach June Jones.

President David McClain, Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw, interim Athletic Director Carl Clap and interim assistant Athletic Director John MacNamara acted with poise, grace, honesty and humility in the face of an angry and frustrated fan base, the firing of their Athletic Director and the onslaught of the local media. They displayed diplomacy when they worked with the workers’ union to reduce the required posting period of the head football coach position from ten days to five. They displayed great judgment when they hired a coach who could retain the current recruits, fans and offensive and defensive systems that have been so successful over the past nine years. Most importantly they displayed teamwork that had been glaringly absent from the athletic department when they openly involved the governor, legislature, boosters, fans and members of the current football team in the hiring process.

On behalf of the fans of Warrior Nation and the esteemed members of the J-Borhood, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to each member of the administration.

Thank you, Mr. McClain.

Thank you, Mrs. Hinshaw.

Thank you, Mr. Clap.

Thank you, Mr. MacNamara.

When people said the football program was dead, you did not waste time. You did not flood the media with false promises. You did not trip over the hurdles of bureaucracy. You just went to work and got the job done. For that, you deserve our praise and support.

I look forward to your continued success and implore you to continue working with the same type of poise, grace, honesty, teamwork and humility that you displayed over the previous week. If you do, I could not be more confident in the continued success of our athletic program and our University.

Please accept well deserved congratulations for a job done well.

A Football Carol

"I am confident that the spirit and unity the Warriors and all the people of Hawai'i gained as a result of Coach Jones' accomplishments will continue as the University of Hawai'i moves into a new chapter in its athletic history." - Governor Linda Lingle

At the time the Governor delivered her public farewell to outgoing University of Hawaii head football coach June Jones, the words sounded more like a eulogy then a goodbye. A mournful admission of defeat to a downtrodden people. Now, less then a week later, the words carry a renewed sense of hope as the University positions itself to rebound in the wake of Jones’ stunning rebuke. The feelings of despair have been replaced by a guarded optimism and a renewed sense of hope. The discussions about the demise of the football program have turned into debate over how UH can not only salvage the remnants of disaster, but regain their pre-Sugar Bowl momentum and continue to take their football program to the next level.

How did we arrive at this point? How did the administration stage the kind of turnaround we’ve become accustomed to seeing from the football team? Finally, and most importantly, what recent developments revived the spirits of Warrior Nation and positioned the University of Hawaii to recapture the magic of 2007?

[Author’s note: I have been so busy and the events of the past week have transpired so quickly that from the moment I started writing this article (Tuesday, 1/8) to now (Tuesday 1/15), the subject of this article has changed three times. In order to make sense of the rapidly evolving landscape of the June Jones aftermath, I’m going to channel my inner-Dickens and summon three ghosts to help provide clarity:

• The Ghost of UH Football Past
• The Ghost of UH Football Present
• The Ghost of UH Football Future

Don’t worry, I promise the last ghost won’t try to push you into your grave. I make no promises about the first ghost…]

The Ghost of UH Football Past: Monday, January 7

Enter skeletal figure, carrying ominous scythe, wearing a long black hooded cloak and bearing an uncanny resemblance to Herman Frasier.

(Herman): Come with me, brave souls, and learn from my misdeeds. It is too late to save me, but perhaps you can save yourselves. What I show you may chill you to the bone, but it is the only way to save you…the only way…

On the morning of Monday, January 7, less then a week after the Warriors stunning Sugar Bowl defeat, Stephen Tsai of the Honolulu Advertiser announced the unthinkable: June Jones had accepted an offer to become the head football coach for Southern Methodist University. Making matters worse, June suggested he left because of frustration over the UH’s poor athletic facilities and the lack of commitment from the UH Administration to improve them. Not only was our savior/hero coach leaving, but he essentially announced that no one else would want to replace him because the University lacked the necessary infrastructure to succeed.

At the time, it seemed like the death knell for the football program at the University of Hawaii. Twelve years after June rescued the program from an 0-12 season and a likely move to Division II, it appeared that the program would once again slip into obscurity. In the blink of an eye, the groundswell of support generated by the Warriors miraculous run to the Sugar Bowl, turned into a tidal wave of sadness, frustration and anger.

As I watched a horde of screaming fans demand for the immediate termination of athletic director Herman Frasier on the evening news, I hung my head, took a deep breath and prepared to write a eulogy to the University of Hawaii football program…

(Herman): I’d show you more of Black Monday’s harrowing events, but I didn’t anticipate the demand for reviewing them and I sold the remainder of the tickets. As I said, it’s too late for me…for me…for me…

The Ghost of UH Football Present: Tuesday, January 8

Enter kindly subdued Asian man, holding two Heisman trophy’s, wearing an NCAA Championship ring and a Tennessee Titans jersey.

(Norm Chow): Hello, fellow sons of Hawaii. I know that all hope seems lost, but the sky is always blackest just before the dawn. Take my hand, I can show you the way.

[Author’s note: I’m not entirely sure why my Norm Chow speaks like Cain from Kung Fu, but I wouldn’t it be REALLY funny if he did. Seriously, can’t you imagine him getting all Zen-Master on Vince Young?

“Vince, Confucius say, Quarterback who runs first, pays later”

Ok, maybe it’s just me.]

No one can pinpoint exactly what happened between Monday and Tuesday, but no one denies that something took place. Maybe it was the long night sleep. Maybe it was the abrupt firing of Herman Frasier. Maybe it was Lee Cataluna’s article unabashedly disparaging June Jones that cathartically ripped off the band-aid. Whatever it was, the tenor of the general public on Tuesday had a markedly different tone then it did on Monday. All of a sudden, June Jones dissenters came out of the wood work. Government officials and UH Administration members began discussing ways to improve the UH facilities. Fans began suggesting ways the University could not only salvage the situation, but continue to improve the football program.

On my way home from work that day, I had an epiphany: Norm Chow.

Norm Chow is an offensive mastermind who could continue the tradition of high scoring offensive innovation at the University. He tutored two Heisman winners (Ty Detmer, Matt Leinart) and aided in the development of two other NFL stars (Phillip Rivers, Vince Young). Furthermore, since he most recently worked as the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans, he would bring an NFL pedigree to the University to help attract further recruits.

But that’s just half of it. The real beauty of hiring Norm Chow is how much both sides need and would appreciate each other. It is no secret that Norm has wanted to become a head coach for a long time now. He waited patiently at BYU for over 15 years only to see the head coach job eventually go to someone else. He’s continued to work as an offensive coordinator, molding Phillip Rivers into a Top #5 NFL draft pick at NC State and helping USC win a national championship, but each time he applied for a job – first at Stanford, later at Washington – the Universities decided to hire someone else. Now, with UH desperately in need of a head coach, they can finally offer a native son an opportunity to claim his rightful spot as the head of a football program.

The final piece positive aspect of hiring Norm Chow is the large outpouring of support he would receive from the local community. While June Jones ostracized many of the long time football fans when he changed the team colors, uniforms, logo and the name of the team from the Rainbows to the Warriors. Most fans eventually came around when he began to turn around the program, but many old timers retained their bitterness to a coach whom they viewed as an outsider. Norm, on the other hand, is the ultimate insider. He is born on the islands, has openly discussed longing to return and has the respectful, deferential mindset that islanders love and respect – think the Dan Akaka of football. In short, Norm Chow offers an opportunity to retain the new fans and win back the old ones.

Truly, a match made in heaven.

(Norm Chow): I am humbled by your praise, but sadly, our destinies do not align. Fear not my sons, I have more offense to orchestrate while your fate lies in the hands of another…another…another…

The Ghost of UH Football Future: Wednesday, January 9 – Tuesday, January 15

Enter portly, jovial man wearing a Sugar Bowl hat, national championship ring and a beaming smile.

(Greg McMackin): Hi, I’m Greg McMackin. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m honored to meet such a loyal fan of the Warrior football program.

(You): Really? Wow, thanks.

(Greg McMackin): You’re very welcome. If you’d be so kind as to come with me, I have some exciting things to show you.

When June Jones left, it was a foregone conclusion that current Warriors defensive coordinator, Greg McMackin, would follow him to SMU. Greg was a loyal June supporter and had previously said that he’d never work for another head coach again. However, on Wednesday afternoon, Bobby Curran announced a way that Greg McMackin could remain at the University without working for a new head coach: He wanted to be head coach.

Fireworks exploded in my head. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It was too perfect.

Greg McMackin is a FABULOUS football coach. He’s not an offensive guru like June Jones, but he has equal talents on the defensive side of the ball. He was the defensive coordinator of the fearsome Miami teams in the late 80’s that won a national title, worked as the defensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks for four years and was the associate head coach for the San Francisco 49ers. He was also the head coach at Oregon Tech for four years, during which time he won the NAIA national championship as well as the coach of the year award twice. He was the defensive coordinator for the University of Hawaii for two years under coach June Jones and the Warriors won the WAC championship both years; Interestingly enough, the only two years in which June led the Warriors to a WAC title.

Hiring McMackin gave us a chance to retain the majority of our coaching staff and our recruits and completely eliminate any setbacks from trying to install a new offensive or defensive system. Even though June Jones served as the offensive coordinator through his tenure at UH, assistant coach Ron Lee has run the run-and-shoot for over 20 years, nine of them under the tutelage of Jones, and worked as the offensive coordinator for Coach McMackin at Oregon Tech where they won two NAIA titles in four years. If Coach McMackin took over the program, he could turn the offense over to Ron’s capable hands and keep the high octane offense in place at Aloha Stadium.

While I worked myself into a frenzy and proceeded to call every sports fan I knew, I could not shake the feeling that something would get in the way of this perfect situation.

The interim athletic directors wouldn’t get the deal done.
The legislature wouldn’t make the necessary commitments to the facilities.
McMackin would have second thoughts and decide to join June at SMU.

(You): Does it work out ok? Does Coach McMackin get the job? Can they afford to get the operation for Tiny Tim?

(Coach McMackin): (laughs) You’ll see.

On Tuesday, January 14, UH did the impossible. They salvaged the wreckage of their program, made the perfect hire and restored faith in their football program. At eight in the morning, UH Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw announced that the University was hiring Greg McMackin to become the next football coach of the Warriors. She also announced that the University had committed to upgrade the athletic facilities. Lastly, she stunned the crowd when by letting them know that Tiny Tim had a successful operation and that he was committing to the UH football team to play quarterback.

(Ok, she might not have announced that last part, but it sure felt like it.)

In the span of eight days, the University managed to save their football program and, more importantly, save a fan base that had completely lost hope. They still have a lot of work to do to convince their recruits not to follow Coach Jones, face an uphill battle in acquiring long term financial commitments from the legislature and will need to continue their recent success in order to keep their fans energized, but for the moment, all is well in Warrior Nation.

What once sounded like a desperate plea by the Governor, now stands out as a beacon of hope. A reminder that the spirit and the unity of the State of Hawaii will prevail.

God bless the Governor.

God bless the Administration.

God bless Coach McMackin.

(Tiny Tim): God bless us, every one!

(You): Amen, Tim. Amen.

Paradise Lost?

Aloha Friends and J-Bors,

Between the June Jones departure, moving out of my house and finding out that I'm having a little baby girl (trust me, much, much, more will be said on this subject in the weeks to come. For now, let me freak out about it in peace...), it's been a WILD week. With that in mind, please accept my apology for the tardiness of this week's article. So many things to address and so little time.

I promise to have this week's article along with my updated thoughts on this week's NFL action available for viewing before tomorrow's NFL action gets underway.

Mahalo for your support!

Update: I'm still working on this week's article, but I've updated the 2008 NFL Playoff Primer to include my thoughts on all this week's games:

2008 J-Borhood NFL Playoff Primer

NFL Playoff Primer 2008

Apparently, God does not care about football.

There is no other explanation for the fact that the Patriots, a team that caught for cheating and channeled their insolence at getting caught into motivation to run up the score on opponents all year, finished the season undefeated and had two players set the NFL records for touchdown passes and catches in a single season. I kept telling myself that God would step in at some point. I could not believe that he would reward the Patriots for their embarrassing display of poor sportsmanship. Then, during the last game of the season, it looked like God had finally had enough and was going to put an end to the Patriots ill gotten gains. With the Patriots trailing the Giants 23-28 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Tom Brady threw a picture perfect 40 yard bomb to a wide open Randy Moss who only had to catch the ball to give the Patriots the lead and set the all time TD pass and receiving records for Brady and Moss. But, in a stunning turn of events, the sure handed Moss dropped the easy catch, seemingly ending the Patriots drive. But on the very next play, Brady hit Moss using THE EXACT SAME PLAY and the Giants could only stand around and watch as Moss strolled into the end zone, setting the records and giving the Patriots a lead they would never relinquish.

I had always believed that God played a part, however small, in the outcome of football games. Not to say that I thought he would predetermine the outcome of each game (because then, watching football games from heaven would be boring), rather that given the right circumstances, he would occasional intervene to make sure that fair play, hard work and good sportsmanship were duly rewarded. How else can you explain the Colts beating the vastly superior Bears in last year’s Super Bowl? (Ok, even I can’t say that with a straight face.) Seriously though, in the history of the NFL it has always seemed like God has used his power to influence certain games. The drive. The catch. The immaculate reception. Boise State’s shocking upset of Oklahoma. Games that can only be described as miracles. It would be shocking and sad to learn that these amazing events were simply the confluence of hard work, practice and good fortune.

But, there’s still hope. Perhaps God is simply trying to draw out the suspense. Perhaps He believes it will be more damaging to the Patriots to come so close to a perfect season, only to lose it all in the playoffs. For now, all we can do is hope. Because at this point, it appears that the only thing that can stop the Patriots is an act of God.

---

2007 NFL Playoff Prognostication

Wild Card Round

NFC

Seattle over Washington

I feel like an asshole for picking against the Redskins since they’re the emotional underdog favorite in the wake of Sean Taylor’s death, but I can’t bring myself to pick a team led by Todd Collins, a 36 year-old journeyman quarterback who hasn’t had a starting job in 10 years, playing on the road, in one of the loudest and most difficult stadiums to play in the league. I want to believe in Collins – how can you not cheer for a guy named after a cocktail – but how can you put any faith in a guy who’s been passed over by 32 teams for 10 years, while Jonathan Quinn, Chad Hutchinson and Henry Burris have all had starting roles. As far as I’m concerned, the only logical explanation is that the alien that took over the body of Kurt Warner when he came down from “Canada” has now taken residence in the body of Todd Collins. Still, alien or not, I just don’t see it happening.

Tampa Bay over New York

Every year people say that Eli Manning is going to take the next step and become a big time quarterback and pick the Giants to win in the playoffs. Then, every year, the Giants get blown out in the first round of the playoffs. This year, in the wake of the Giants impressive showing against the Patriots in the final game of the season, people are once again saying that this is the year Eli Manning and the Giants take the next step. I’ll believe it when I see it.

AFC

Jacksonville over Pittsburgh

This has obvious game written all over it. Jacksonville dominated Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh three weeks ago, now, Pittsburgh lost their leading rusher Willie Parker, defensive standout Anthony Smith and their starting AND backup left Tackles. Everyone around the country is picking Jacksonville to win. Even Las Vegas got in on the action, making Jacksonville a one point favorite. In fact, the evidence is stacked up so much in favor of the Jaguars, that the all of the alarm bells in my head are ringing. If Jacksonville wins it would mean that the Jaguars, a team from southern Florida, would have beaten Pittsburgh in the winter in Pittsburgh twice in the span of a month. My better judgment says to go against the grain and pick the Steelers at home, but when have I ever listened to my better judgment? Go Jags!

San Diego over Tennessee

I’m looking forward to San Diego winning this game by 30 points, leading to a groundswell of support for the Chargers as they head to Indianapolis to face the Colts. I’m even more excited to laugh at everyone who jumps on the San Diego bandwagon, forgetting that means picking Phillip Rivers and Norv Turner on the road against Payton Manning and Tony Dungy.

Divisional Playoffs

NFC
Green Bay over Seattle

I don’t know if you’re heard, but upon winning the coin toss in overtime in the 2004 playoffs, Seahawks Quarterback Matt Hasslebeck announced “we’ll take the ball and we’re gonna score!”. It’s not like anyone has mentioned it lately…

Seriously, perhaps I missed the memo, but I think football pundits are required to bring up the anecdote when discussing the upcoming Packers, Seahawks game. I would not be surprised to learn that they have a quota. In fact, I’m pretty sure Joe Buck mumbled “Hasslebeck’s gonnataketheballandscore,” right before going to commercial break during the pregame show. Seemed a little weird at the time…

The sad part about the media’s singular focus on Hasslebeck’s infamous proclamation is that IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS GAME.

Aside from the obvious history of Hasslebeck, Favre and ex-Packers coach turned Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, these teams are completely different from the two units that matched up in 2004.

No one gives the Seahawks a chance in this game. They say Shaun Alexander is finished, Matt Hasslbeck looks erratic and their defense is overrated. While I certainly agree that Shaun Alexander is a broken shell of his former self (not sure when he decided to start up the Cedric Benson work out program), but I’m a big Hasslebeck fan and I think the defense has the speed and athleticism up front to put pressure on Brett Favre and disrupt the timing of their wide open spread offense.

That said, ever since the Packers developed a running game in week 8, behind the where-the-hell-did-he-come-from Ryan Grant (and no, I’m not bitter that the Packers found an undrafted free agent who turned into a stud running back while the Bears big money first round draft pick has turned into a fat, slow joke of a back. Not bitter at all…), they’ve looked like a complete football team. The defense is young and athletic with talent at all positions, the wide receiving core is big, fast and talented, and Brett Favre is, well, Brett Favre.

So, while I certainly think the Seahawks have the talent to make this an interesting game, I find it highly unlikely that they march into Lambeau Field and beat Brett Favre in Packer country in the middle of winter.

Original Prediction: Dallas over Tampa Bay
Revised Prediction: New York over Dallas

Generally, I subscribe to the theory of “I’ll believe it, when I see it.” In fact, I said as much last week when I predicted that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would beat the New York Giants.

“This year, in the wake of the Giants impressive showing against the Patriots in the final game of the season, people are once again saying that this is the year Eli Manning and the Giants take the next step. I’ll believe it when I see it.”

In the wake of Eli Manning’s impressive showing for the second straight week, I’m left with a new dilemma: whether to believe the real Eli Manning is the that the calm and collected Eli Manning of the past two weeks or the erratic, inaccurate Eli Manning of the past three years. Color me cautiously optimistic. I still think Eli Manning lacks the accuracy or composure to be a consistent threat at quarterback, but I think he’s gained the confidence and respect of his teammates to allow him to succeed. I’m the first to admit that that was a noncommittal answer, but here’s why I don’t mind making such a vague statement: I don’t think Eli is the difference in this game.

Every year there’s a team that looks great in the beginning of season, runs out to a big lead in their conference, locks up home field advantage throughout the playoffs, coasts through the last few weeks of the season and then struggles to find their rhythm in the playoffs. This season, that team in the Dallas Cowboys. They played terrible, sloppy football for the last four games of the year and haven’t played a meaningful football game in over a month. Now, they’re matched up against their bitter division rivals, who are playing their best football of the season, for the third time this season. Furthermore, the status of their primary playmaker, Terrell Owens, is in jeopardy due to an ankle injury and their leader, quarterback Tony Romo, is coming back from a week long vacation in Cancun with his starlet girlfriend, Jessica Simpson. Not the kind of momentum you want to carry into a football game.

I think that Dallas is the better team and I’m still not sold on this New York Giants team, but Dallas is engulfed in far too many distractions to devote the focus necessitated by their most important game of the season. And plus, the opportunity for the Giants to come out of nowhere, sweep through the NFC and provide Tom Brady the opportunity to beat two Mannings in a row on his way to the Super Bowl is too exciting to pass up.

AFC
New England over Jacksonville

Every year, one team is dubbed “the team of destiny”. For get some lucky breaks early in the season, start playing their best football at the end of the year and end up winning the hearts and minds of the pundits. This year, Jacksonville has taken up the mantle of team of destiny, which has many people proclaiming that they have a good shot to knock off the New England Patriots.

Nonsense.

New England is too good, too talented, too driven and too well coached to let their quest for a perfect season slip away to the Jaguars. Don’t get me wrong, the Jaguars have the type of physical defense that can put pressure on Tom Brady, disrupt the well oiled machine of New England’s offense and potentially shock the world, but in the end, their defense is too simple and their offense is too one-dimensional to compete with New England. Tom Brady should pick apart their suspect secondary, put up an obscene amount of points and force David Garrard into trying to match Brady score for score. Unfortunately for Jacksonville, only two quarterbacks (Payton Manning and Brett Favre, maybe Tony Romo) have the ability to keep up with the Patriots offense and David Garrard is not one of them.

I believe that the Jaguars are the team of destiny, but not even destiny can help them against the Patriots. I think New England wins by three touchdowns. At least.

Indianapolis over San Diego

Phillip Rivers vs. Payton Manning
Norv Turn vs. Tony Dungy

Nuff said.

Well, almost enough. Before I sign off, I want to silence the ridiculous notion that the Chargers are going to win, because they beat the Colts when they played each other earlier this year. In that game, Indianapolis was missing 7 starters, San Diego returned a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns, Payton Manning threw six interceptions, and San Diego still required an Adam Vinitieri miss on a chip shot field goal to win the game. At home.

Seriously, nuff said.

Conference Championships

We’re breaking new ground here in the J-Borhood. Historically, my predictions have been comically inept. They’ve been more useful for predicting who won’t win then predicting who will. This year, both of my predicted Super Bowl teams are still playing and both have the home field advantage, making a Super Bowl matchup likely.

I’m not sure what we’ll do in the wake of such a stunning turn of events. You might begin to trust what I say. If that’s not a scary thought, I don’t know what is…

Without further ado, let’s get to the games.

NFC
Original Prediction: Green Bay over Dallas
Revised Prediction: Green Bay over New York

AFC
Original Prediction: New England over Indianapolis
Revised Prediction: New England over San Diego

Usually, I prefer to break down each game separately. In this case, however, both match up heavily favored teams with future hall of fame quarterback against teams with strong disruptive defenses. The underdogs chances to pull off the upset hinges on the J-Borhood Axiom of Quarterbacks:

The quality of quarterback play is directly proportional to the quality of the offensive line play.

If the underdogs can put pressure on Tom Brady and Brett Favre, they have a chance – repeat, a chance – to pull off the upset. If they don’t collapse the pocket and Brady and Favre have an opportunity to drop back, drink a cup of coffee, check the morning paper and then throw the football, they’re in serious, serious trouble.
I know that seems like a simplistic take on two wildly different games and not the usual level of depth erudite J-Borhood faithful have come to expect, but both games really are that simple.

Trust me. I’m the guy that made the great predictions, remember?

Super Bowl

New England over Green Bay

Sugar Bowl Damage Control

Thud.

That was the sound of the University of Hawaii falling on it’s face on national television, a bittersweet end to an otherwise amazing run to the Sugar Bowl. It wasn’t just a bad game. It was an atrocious game. A hide the women and children affair. UH was utterly outplayed in almost every aspect of the game. Even Georgia’s injured kicker got in on the rout, booming a towering 52 yard field goal with 5 yards to spare. It got so bad in the second half that the announcers were more interested in the various hairstyles of the University of Hawaii players then their performance on the field.

*Sigh*

The team that captured the imagination of the state and rallied people of all shapes, sizes and colors around a common goal, delivered a wholly uninspiring performance after everyone finally tuned in to watch. Sadly, it’s easy for a disappointing performance in a season’s final game to detract from the season as a whole and UH fans are understandably crestfallen after the Sugar Bowl. That said, I’ve been shocked to here the things fans are saying about the football team, their season and their place in college football. People seem to think that one loss detracts from the quality of the greatest season in UH history and that’s just not true. Nothing can take away the magic of the season or the way that the team managed to unite not just football fans, but an entire state. Truth is, this team changed the way that the people of Hawaii regard UH football and left an indelible mark on the history of Hawaii sports. In order to set the record straight and remind people about how special this season and group of individuals was, I am going to debunk a number of fallacies that have been bandied about recently.

The Warriors gave us so much this season, it’s time to give a little back. So sit back and relax, friends and J-Bors. It’s time for a little myth busting, J-Borhood style. (I’d say Myth Busters, but I think that might be in violation of copyright laws, so I’ll stick on the safe side and say “myth busting”. I don’t think the J-Borhood needs to ring in the new year with it’s first lawsuit!)

Myth #1: UH lost the biggest game in the programs history

I’m not going to claim that the Sugar Bowl was not an important game. It was a huge game and certainly the most watched game in the programs history. It just was not the biggest.

The fact is, the importance of the Sugar Bowl pales in comparison to the importance of the Warriors games versus Boise State and Washington. In the Sugar Bowl, the only thing the Warriors had to gain was respect. If the Warriors lost to either Boise or Washington, not only would they have lost that respect, but they would have lost out on the 4 million dollar payout, non-stop national media spotlight and the chance to participate in the Sugar Bowl.

The Warriors had never beaten Boise State since they joined the WAC and had never won an outright WAC title in the history of the program. You only needed to see the borderline hysterical joy of the fans rushing the field and tossing Colt Brennan in the air after the Boise State victory to understand the incomparable magnitude of the Boise State game to all other contests in the programs history. Similarly, the Washington game represented the final hurdle between Hawaii and the BCS. That victory made the Sugar Bowl a reality and launched a non-stop month barrage of Warriormania throughout the state.

In the Sugar Bowl, the Warriors needed to play well to earn the respect of the nation and, unfortunately, they did not. The loss only reinforced many people’s belief that the Warriors did not deserve to be there in the first place. Admittedly, that sucks, but it still doesn’t make the game the most important in the programs history and it’s not even close.

Unlike the NFL, the primary goal of most schools is not to win the championship. For schools whose names do not rhyme with Exas, BooSC, Mohio State and BellSU the goal is not to win a major bowl game, just to get there. The Warriors season was an undeniable overwhelming success as soon as they qualified for the Sugar Bowl. They won their Super Bowl, they just got rocked in the Pro Bowl.

Myth #2: The loss in the Sugar Bowl casts a pall over the season

Nonsense.

The loss left a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth, but did little to tarnish the legacy of the greatest team in the program’s history. No matter how depressed Warrior nation is right now, the loss does NOTHING to chance the fact that the Warriors:

• Had an undefeated regular season
• Won the WAC Championship
• Played in the Sugar Bowl
• Earned over 4 million dollars
• Received a ridiculous amount of positive national media attention
• Infected the entire state with Warriormania

All of those accomplishments are incredible, but the last item is what made this season truly special and cemented the legacy of this team. The 2007 University of Hawaii Warrior football team rallied the state of Hawaii, the most diverse group of individuals in a country full of diverse individuals, around a common goal like no other cause since statehood. (Or, maybe the Tali-vans, but that’s another story…) It’s been impossible to go anywhere or do anything over the past month without running into people talking about the Warriors. Even my boss, a tech-centric diehard video gamer, who is more likely to know the release date of the latest Halo installment then the next UH football game, has been listening to Sports Radio 1420 non-stop for the past month. This team’s winning attitude, diversity and uncommon team centric mentality have resonated across gender, age and racial lines unlike any team in the history of Hawaii sports.

For Christmas, my wife had the Honolulu Advertiser post-game newspaper insert with the headline “Perfect!” and the picture of the fans and team celebrating on the field framed along with my game tickets from the Boise State and Washington games. (Yes, she is the perfect wife. No, we are not close to getting a divorce, so don’t get any ideas.) Every time I look at the poster – which has been about 25 times a day – I don’t remember the disappointment from the Sugar Bowl, I just think about the La Tech game, the San Jose comeback, Dan Kelly’s last second field goal against Nevada, the fans tossing Colt Brennan on their shoulders after the Boise State win and the magical Washington comeback. Nothing that happened in the Sugar Bowl or what happens in the future can take away the magical ride of the 2007 season or that crazy month of December in 2007 when all people wanted to talk about was Colt Brennan and the Warriors.

Myth #3: UH cannot compete with the best teams in the country

Perhaps the Georgia defensive line is too big, too fast and too strong for the Hawaii offensive line to block. Maybe if they played again, the Georgia defense would continue to run unabated to the quarterback and the Hawaii offense would never get anything going. UH certainly looked overmatched against Georgia, but one game does not provide nearly enough evidence to make such a bold statement about an amazing college football team.

The hardest thing for a team to do in preparation for facing an opponent is to simulate the speed of a particularly fast foe. Whether it’s an NFL team game planning to stop Devin Hester (hint: don’t kick him the ball) or a baseball team attempting to prepare for Randy Johnsons 92 mph slider (hint: sorry, you’re just screwed), no amount of film or simulation can adequately recreate the game speed. You have to see it to believe it.

If the Warriors had another chance to play against a top caliber foe, their offensive line would be much better prepared to adjust to the speed of their opponent then they were against Georgia. Maybe it wouldn’t affect the outcome, but after watching this offensive line outplay their counterparts in the 12 other games they played all year, I don’t see how anyone can say that one bad game exposed an otherwise unflappable group.

It’s entirely possible that I’m wrong, that the UH offensive line lacks the physical abilities to deter the relentless pressure of the football factory schools, but I just don’t see how anyone has enough evidence to definitively make the case one way or the other.

Myth #4: The game exposed Colt Brennan

Utter malarkey.

The only thing that anyone learned about Colt Brennan from the Sugar Bowl is that he’s as tough as they come. Colt stared into the teeth of the Georgia defense all night long, took a brutal pounding and kept coming back for more. It was less like a football game and more like watching the Passion of the Colt. Even Tom Brady at quarterback would have put up a Rex Grossman-esque quarterback performance behind the porous Warrior offensive line.

I’m going to let you savvy J-Borhood readers in on a little secret of mine. Feel free to use it to impress your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, roommates, acquaintances, grocery store clerks, Starbucks baristas or various other people who’s respect you desperate crave.

J-Borhood Maxim of Quarterbacks:
The quality of a quarterback is directly proportional to the quality of his offensive line.

Simple, elegant and utterly undeniable. Quarterback’s mysteriously get better when they have plenty of time to throw the ball and look decidedly pedestrian – or, as I prefer to say, Grossmanian – when they are constantly forced to scramble in the pocket and evade relentless pressure. Don’t get me wrong, the Axiom does not suggest that the difference between Tom Brady and Rex Grossman is the quality of their offensive lines, only that if you provided Grossman the time to sip his morning coffee and read the paper before making his throws like Tom Brady, that he’d look like a quality NFL starter. Similarly, the one game in which Tom Brady had a terrible game was against the Ravens, who had a ferocious pass rush all game and sacked Brady four times. It’s not rocket science people, just the J-Borhood Maximization.

When we apply the Maxim to Colt Brennan’s performance in the Sugar Bowl, we get a much better understanding of his poor performance. He was sacked seven times, knocked down almost 15 more, hurried on virtually every throw and unable to find any sort of comfortable rhythm in the pocket. Under this kind of relentless pressure, it’s unreasonable to expect any quarterback, no matter how amazing, to put up any semblance of a good game.

Regardless of his performance in the Sugar Bowl, Colt Brennan is a special quarterback. He has uncanny pocket presence, a good strong arm and borderline freakish accuracy on his passes. (When asked about his accuracy, June Jones, never one for hyperbole, said Colt Brennan was the most accurate passer he’s seen since Dan Marino and Jeff George.) When given time to throw he set 29 NCAA passing records. He’s been so good over the course of his career that we expect him to cure cancer every time he steps onto the field. While I wouldn’t put it past the guy, even he needs time to throw before performing miracles.

The only thing you need to remember about Colt’s performance in the Sugar Bowl are the comments of the Georgia defense following game. To a man they lauded Colt’s performance and, in particular, his toughness. Coming from a defense that faced Heisman-trophy winner Tim Tebow, I think that’s pretty good, no?

Myth #5: June Jones will not return to coach the Warriors

Ok, this one might not be a myth, but I do know the following:

All things being equal, June Jones would rather coach the University of Hawaii football team then any other football team in the country.

He made that clear when he turned down millions of dollars and the chance to coach the San Diego Chargers to take over the University of Hawaii football team and has reiterated the point on numerous occasions. The problem is that all things aren’t equal. Far from it, in fact. June could make far more money, have better facilities at his disposal and coach far superior players at any number of available college and professional jobs. The important thing to remember is that June does not WANT to coach somewhere else, but he will if the University does not step up to the plate and make a strong commitment to the athletic department.

If he just wanted more money he would never have come to Hawaii in the first place. Unlike the Little Nicky Sabans and Lying Bobby Petrinos of the world, June is using his contract leverage to secure a better situation for his team rather then himself. It’s what June has preached since he arrived in the state, a commitment he rededicated himself to following his incredible recovery from a car accident in 2002, and an attitude that is clearly reflected in the selfless attitude of the team.

So while nothing is certain and UH Athletic Director Herman Frasier has displayed an uncanny knack for botching key decisions, as long as the University steps up, does the right thing, and makes a solid commitment to the football team and the athletic department, June will return to his rightful spot at the helm of the SS Warriors.

I’m begging you Herm. Do the right thing and bring back June Jones. (Otherwise, I’m apt to look rather foolish in retrospect, but then, I suppose that’s nothing new…)

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Feel better?

Me too.

Now go out there, hold your head up high and be proud of your University of Hawaii football team. They certainly deserve it.

GO WARRIORS!

J-Borhood on sick leave

Aloha friends and J-bors,

I was recently sidelined with a 101 degree fever for over a week, which explains the recent lapse in posting here in the hood. I'm finally back on my feet and feeling better (Sugar Bowl malaise not withstanding), so you can expect some new material on Friday, as usual.

Happy New Year, everyone!