Worst of times?
People have been asking me if I can think of a darker time for University of Hawaii sports.
I cannot.
When the football team was on its way to 0-12 in 1998, the basketball program was not under NCAA investigation.
In the mid-1970s when basketball was also investigated, football wasn’t very good, but it was heading for an upswing as it joined the WAC and Dick Tomey led the program to respectability.
Other bad times include the Wonder Blunder, football coach June Jones’ and athletic director Herman Frazier departure after the Sugar Bowl blowout, various firings including those of Red Rocha, Bob Nash, Bob Wagner, budgetary woes.
Overall, UH sports have been a source of pride and entertainment over the years. But lately there’s been a lot of negative.
what’s disappointing is that some people saw this possibly coming 6 months ago. If they had just decided at the end of last basketball season to buy out the last year of Gib’s contract, they could have at least spread out the damage over a longer period of time. Gib had done nothing during his time here to show that he was the right guy for the job, yet Ben Jay was soooo eager to extend his contract. It made zero sense. The root cause of it all is a weak athletic directory without a stomach for change.
Strange assessment. Well, it IS Halloween. This is more like advice on a Bizarro World UH-M. Opposite of what’s going on in Manoa.
Let’s support Coach Benji!
If you are going to disagree with me, at least back it up with some kind of fact or some kind of critical thinking. I don’t even know which of my points you disagree with. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
and it’s “Benjy”, not “Benji”. How informed of an opinion can you have if you don’t even know how to spell the associate head coach’s name?
Oh, ho-ho, a measly typo will discredit what I have to say? He just recently/today got implemented (do you KNOW that word, Aaron???) as the 2014-2015 UH-M men’s b-ball coach. Oh, gosh, a Grease a TYPO on the guy’s name, oh, send me to the galleys in your world that seems to punish that greatly — got Stalin?
And I DID back it up!!! “Opposite of what’s going on at UH-M”? Your assessment: “Gib had done nothing during his time here to show that he was the right guy for the job,” — NO!!!. The guy was getting WINS. Made the game exciting (uh, I actually ATTEND the games at the Stan Sheriff). Did NOTHING during his time her to show that he was the right guy for the job? Hogwash.
I don’t agree that Gib did nothing… The quality of athletics improved with his recruiting and the team did produce 20 wins past year. I personally ally hink we could have had a monster year. Guess we may never know.
That’s “gallows,” not “galleys.”
Uh, you missed the pun, notnasti (uh, and it’s nasty, you should talk) . . . yes, yes, a Grease knows “gallows,” however, due to my typo of an apparent capital offensive nature, a Grease opts to submit “galleys“; you know? As in printer’s proofs?
What are you? Aaron’s other screen name? Or his friend? 😐
‘Matter? You guys don’t like Coach Benjy? He actually COACHED before.
Happy Halloween.
greasy chicken – forgot to take you medication again – you are not making any sense. Arnold my have won some games but he was cheating in doing so, and it has come to light in this NCAA investigation. a good coach wins without cheating. he is another punahou mafia selectee like chow, both are terrible.
NC State basketball was cheating much more, apparently. How come Roy Williams gets to be a teflon man, so far ? He won two NCAA championships during the period of the fake classes, 1993 to 2011.
correction, UNC, not NC State .
Re.: UNC Tarheel Basketball
I was reminded of a quote from Jerry Tarkanian (former UNLV and Fresno state Bb coach) the other day:
The NCAA is so mad at Kentucky, they’re going to give Cleveland State another year of proabation.
If that’s true, the NCAA is going to slap UH silly.
Its just hard to fathom that all these ivory tower professors and or, professionals lack any common sense in the way they run things at this University. Such stupidity and ignorance is a reflection of their personality and character which is a mockery to the average day citizen. Stupid is Stupid I guess.
Correction: …probation.
Gib was not fired for cheating– that would be a termination for cause entitling him to find out what infractions he is responsible for, who is accusing him, and provide him a chance to challenge these assertions and to make his case that he is not responsible and did not know of the infractions. UH is trying to cover up any shortcomings on their side and put all the blame for violations on the coach– which they can do to save the program, but they should give Arnold a chance to understand the case against him, the cause for his termination, and a chance to save his reputation by defending himself– due process. Because Gib was fired for cause in reality (remember the UHAD had signed his extension and given him a raise)– and UH is fraudulently calling the firing one without cause. Gib can if he chooses sue the UH for wrongful termination and failure to provide due process.
June Jones for HC.
Dave … true dat. Dark times for BBall for sure. You make an excellent point in this mornings article. If there is any hope of holding this team together, it will be player leadership, like Nevels. Let’s hope these kids respond to this mess by having one heck of a year on the court. If they do, you know it will be because of THEM.
Turns out you were right about the NC situation too. Earlier in the year, I mentioned that your discussion about the football coaching job was premature and disrespectful (and I took a beating for it here too). I’m all in now.
kev-1 … Thanks for continuing to share your opinions here.
Dave, What I am curious about is, is this what the Alabama lawyers advised UH admin to do? Hard to believe UH admin would act without consulting the Alabama lawyers first. If so, and this was done because of their recommendation, then must be bad.
The worst of times? Yeah, I’d give these times my vote for that.
But, not the bottom I fear. Merely descent to a level making it presently the worst.
No matter what UH football and basketball do the rest of the season, ugly controversy and uncertainty are ahead. Norm Chow stays or goes, there will be uneasant noise, objections, criticisms, and further estrangement from a community tired of the lack of pure positives.
Basketball? There could be a uptick through valiant effort by the players, return of Fotu, a refraining by Taylor of voicing his personl insecurities and angers in public. But there is a finalization of the NCAA investigation/sanctioning process ahead, the very real prospect of Arnold’s various gripes and the gripes of his loud suppirters being played out formally but no doubt in the press, and a hiring process where some poor soul will be asked to take the Hawaii job with the specter of all that hanging over him.
And then all that is going to be managed by Ben Jay, and whoever is giving him orders. BEN JAY may be choosing personnel to lead UH’s football and basketball teams into the 2015 through 2018 seasons.
Somehow, the prospect of even impulse ticket puchases seem unlikely.
The question may not be whether these are the worst of times, but rather, how much worse things will get before meaningful steps are taken to make things better.
I also vote for this as the worst time in UH Athletics history.
Not only that but also an all time high in distrust in UH Manoa leadership as a whole. Tom Apple was given the same, no due process, firing that Gib Arnold received. To this day, President Lassner and The BOR still have not given any justification for removing Apple.
I posted a timeline of events the other day and it’s pretty disheartening to see the amount of turnover there has been and that everybody that’s been removed have been for murky reasons at best. Nobody has actually survived to finish their term/contract in quite a long time.
It sure seems like someone put a curse on us and it started with the arrival of Ben Jay.
Those who truly believe know that what’s going on is God’s will. We should feel blessed that this is happening; there is the bigger picture of faith and acceptance.
These kinds of things bring us closer to the Lord.
IF any of you who “used to attend church” have forgotten all of the above . . . well, maybe it’s time to start going back.
So you’re saying God is not a UH football fan? j/k
But seriously … its sports, not religion. I’m not quite sure God has the UH athletic department in his plans.
I don’t need to go to church to know that what is happening at UH is the work of the devil himself.
=O
Good to see your posts, kev-1. Trust all is well.
This is NOT the worst of times. You want the WORST of the times, look at that high school — HIGH SCHOOL, now — having their entire season halted because of criminal hazing situation (and criminal charges to boot for some of these high school football players; bye–bye college play [in more ways than 1]).
We all could easily do a better job of holding the A.D. and UH administration as well. What do we reserve that kind of fervency and protest for instead? A fr!ckin’ rainbow (which is most certainly good luck for the men’s football and basketball teams, no? I mean, if you are into “luck”).
Grease, 808. Former UH athlete, you all have provided the entertainment for tonight. Worst of times? Absolutely if these comments are indicative of your readers, Dave. These are the critics of the UH admin? Really? LOL! I know now things will turn out all right as long as UH does not turn here for answers. Appreciate your views Dave but maybe next column can be “Blog Commenters”…is this the worst of times? Would probanly be a short one, though. What would come after”yes”. Thanks for the laughs folks.
Chicken Grease really ? I never bought into that God fairy tale but hey if it helps you get through life them have at it.
You represent/symbolize what’s wrong with UHAD and, in tandem (specifically with apparent recent chancellor actions of late) UH Administration right now; and that is what Chesterson mentioned also in that it’s not that nonbelievers believe in nothing, it’s that they believe in everything. That’s the attitude of both parties at UH-M right now.
And don’t forget . . . God has the last word. Always. 😉
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Keepitreal — uh, yeah, live up to your name please. Talk about entertainment, ha ha. Addressing Dave R. directly in a forum (uh, wouldn’t use of e-mail be more “real” in addressing Dave more directly?
Well Chicken Grease ask god to fix everything at UH by noon today and lets see what happens ? 😉
Keep it coming Grease. Hilarious!!