End of the Rainbow
Well, it’s happened. The University of Hawaii and athletic director Ben Jay announced an official shift in nickname for it’s men’s sports teams from “Rainbows,” “Rainbow Warriors” and “Warriors” from sport to sport to just “Warriors” for all its men’s teams, effective July 1.
UH women’s teams will remain known as “Rainbow Wahine.”
You can read the Star-Advertiser’s breaking news story on it written by Billy Hull here. There’s also the scoop Dave Reardon had about the impending move in Wednesday’s newspaper.
UH men’s basketball — the primary concern of this blog — is one of the two most visible UH sports affected, along with UH baseball.
For the team itself, this is joyous news. UH coach Gib Arnold has consistently referred to his team as “Warriors,” since he arrived in 2010, with mentions of the “Rainbow” few and far between. This season, you’d no longer hear cheers involving ” ‘Bows” at home games, and road jerseys under Arnold have sported simply “Warriors” on the front over the last three seasons.
To put it mildly, it’s not a shock that he was in favor of the move.
“I think it’s a good thing. I think change is good,” Arnold said from Northern California on Wednesday after UH practice in preparation for Thursday’s game at UC Davis. “I think we can be more united as far as the branding and everything goes. I see it as a positive.”
I initially weighed in on the subject a little more than a year ago while the debate was hot. You can read that entry here.
Being that the change doesn’t go into effect for several more months, you’re going to keep seeing the team referred to as the Rainbow Warriors in HSA stories through the end of this season. Enjoy it while it lasts if you’re a diehard of the old ways or count it down by the day if you’re a proponent of the new law.
Change is coming. People have to accept that one way or another now.
Personally, I can’t write only “Warriors” in a basketball story without thinking of the Golden State Warriors, so that’s going to take some getting used to on my part.
Got any thoughts on this hot-button topic? Comment away below.
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Now then, onto current events with the, ahem, Rainbow Warriors. UH takes its five-game winning streak (three on the road) to UC Davis’ Pavilion on Thursday night.
In case anyone forgot — highly doubtful — the Aggies got 40 points on 14 shots from Corey Hawkins in a 93-82 win in Honolulu on Jan. 19. That was the only home loss in Big West play by the Rainbow Warriors.
A potential X-factor in the rematch is senior swingman Hauns Brereton, who was out with a bruised knee in the first meeting. Brereton’s played well of late, scoring in double figures in four of five games since returning to the starting lineup.
“It’s a chance to compete against them. That game I wasn’t able to play,” Brereton said. “They’re feeling good about themselves, but we were missing a player. … they weren’t missing a shot. I’m just excited to go and get back at ’em.”
More on both the UH nickname situation and the UH hoops road trip — as well as the Wahine basketball homestand against UC Davis and Pacific — in Thursday’s newspaper.
Seems like this name change is based more on faux masculinity then tradition or community.
Should have been done way back in 2000 when the football team changed it IMO.
EVEN the “RIGHT” Decision MUST Be Made wih the Right Frame of Mind, The Right Intentions
OR The Results will Be Less than they Can Be
I Like Both Options: Rainbow Warriors (as currently) or Warriors as of July
i probably woulda pushed to The More Standout or Unique …
NOT Just One of 27 Warrior Teams
BUT So Long As itʻs Not “Out of Fear”, MAN-UP Homo-Phobes …
Itʻs the 21st Century and Inappropriate Discrimination is even a Federal Offense…
WHO NEEDS Recruits “That Afraid” of their own shadows…?
As Coach Jackson stated on “HIS” Show tonight, he has not had a single recruit of 100ʻs ever mention a Gay Concern…AND If there was, maybe itʻs time to take a Leadership Role and stand-up to defend the Minority — IT IS Part of What the USA was founded on…
i Believe Ben Jayʻs decision was Made with a Good, STRONG Heart…
As Was JJ
THAT is Good …
Go ʻBows!
Maybe Never Gone
Go Warriors!
KEEP WINNINʻ!
Win(s) this week lay the foundation/floor of Gibʻs Track Record…
16 Wins Minimum AND Better
P.S. I HOPE We can still get Shirts In BLACK or Silver Accents —
Rainbowtique is usinʻ A Lot of Colors Nowadays AND BLACK is a Consistent Best-Seller …
It is pretty unique to me that UH are the only warriors in major D1 athletics, I can’t name another one… most are in lower levels and high schools..
It’s not the end of the rainbow either, The wahine will carry on that tradition!
To be realistic, non-gender, non-controversal, common-sense.. let performance represent!
Why not just “Athletix” !?
SO, WHAT’S WRONG WITH STILL YELLING, “GO, BOWS!!” AT THE GAMES?
^^ nothing wrong with that. People will know you’re a long time fan yelling, “Go Bows”
Thank goodness somebody, in this case, the A.D. took a stand and made a change to bring more consistency in the branding or naming of UH-Manoa sports teams….I really like the women’s teams being called Rainbow Wahine and the men’s teams being called Warriors, although I would have preferred Rainbow Warriors, but no big thing…Finally, consistency and with the name chgs. come the return to the original colors, also.
Now let’s MOVE ON, can we!!!!
“Let’s Go Bows!”
“Go Bows” is an iconic program chant that wont easily evaporate because of corporate branding considerations. I like the Warrior monicor for Hawaii’s men…but, “Rain-Bow” whispers during football games is a chicken skin tradition that will not soon disappear and yet remains ingrained…
Ben Jay admits that he too yells, “Go Bows” when attending a men’s athletic event. He should have said, “Let’s Go Bows,” which is more common. He admits this ingrained habit won’t change for the near future. This will happen only when a new chant is created that is simple and rhythmic. I can’t think of any with the name Warriors. Maybe the UH should hold a competition to come out with a memorable chant and the cheerleader-led mime for “rain” and “bows” like in a hula dance.
why not “bow warriors”, then we can still say “let’s go bows”. to say that rainbow shows gayness is silly, the original naming of the school name as rainbows is due to the many rainbows that can be seen in Manoa valley. In the current era, rainbows can represent the many colors of the races (students) that attend UH.
Good to hear a variety of opinions on the subject. Thanks for weighing in all.
So to “Give Credit” where itʻs due, or at least where it was said,
Kanoa on CH3 Mis-Sports (Masters of the Questionable “Emphasis”;
that is “sensationalism” or Mis-Statement versus Fact:
WHO Hired ʻDeMello?)
As Kanoa asked, “IS IT “Bachi” that since Wednesdayʻs Announcement of “No More Rainbow” Official Monikers, ALL the Menʻs Teams that use “Rainbow” in their Official Team Name, that is, Rainbow Warriors (Basketball 0-2 following a FIVE-Game Winning Streak which included THREE Road Wins) and “Rainbows” (Baseball Team 0-4 First Season Opening Whitewash in X Years)…are WIN-LESS?
DOUBT Seriously that this will (immediately) trigger Ben Jay to Re-Cant …
Takes Most NON-Kamaaina Several Instances of Native Spiritualism to Move to “Becoming One”…
even if they already display a healthy Superstitiousness…