Hey, Hawaii. Embrace Your Inner Rainbow, Warriors You’re Not

The University of Hawaii pisses me off. That’s right. Of all things in the sports world to draw my ire this Sunday, of all the institutions across this fine land, it’s the so-called “Rainbow Warriors” getting me fired up. Warriors, my ass.

These days the formerly touchy-feely, kind-hearted, generally harmless rainbow logo we came to know and love in high school (yep, I had one of those hats) has been replaced. Now, the football squad is clad in black and green with tribal warrior-inspired patterns across their uniforms. Angry-looking Samoan warriors now stand in the places previously occupied by those genuinely cuddly fat dudes in grass skirts who always seemed to be smiling.

Couple this “new image” with the gift of a Heisman candidate QB, and the aloha crew wants to be treated with respect. They no longer want to be the team that’s “fun to watch late night” and maybe makes a Holiday Bowl appearance. Bullsh*t. All of it. You will be ignored. And you will like it. Unless things start ot change.

Where did all this venom come from, you may ask? Here’s the real underlying cause: I want to see what this kid Brennan can really do. I want to see if he deserves to be discussed in the same conversations with Booty and McFadden. I want to see if he’s not another David Klingler. I want to see what he does against top-tier competition.

The problem? You guessed it. You know, when you got your table all set. Knife, fork, sauce, A1, Luger’s…Hawaii, just ain’t got the steak. Hawaii’s formidable out-of-conference schedule boasts the impressive trifecta of Northern Colorado, UNLV and next week…Charleston Southern! The only game worthy of potentially showing us anything about Brennan is a home game against the University of Washington on December 1st.

June Jones can take some cues from Pat Hill at Fresno St. Over the past few years, Hill has taken his team to Manhattan and College Station to face Kansas St. and Texas A&M. His Bulldogs have gone to the Coliseum to play USC and put respectable foes like Oregon and Colorado St. on the docket.

I understand college football is a business. Wins and bowl appearances trump pretty much everything. But for the Rainbow Warriors to get some respect, and for Brennan to merit serious Heisman consideration, the University of Hawaii needs to play somebody. Until then, they should embrace their happy, shiny Rainbow roots and accept what they are…a nice little team that’s fun to watch late night.