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…)
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!
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