UH Must Win The Recruiting Game
Friday - December 16, 2009
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Del.icio.us‘Tis time to look to the future for University of Hawaii football. After suffering the disappointment of a Hawaii loss to Wisconsin in the season finale, the Warriors’ coaches and players will concentrate on the future.
The first concern is recruiting, where all success begins. It seem to be a talent-rich environment in the Islands, and UH will have its work cut out in trying to secure some of the top local talent.
The state of Hawaii is presently over-recruited; the Pac-10, Mountain West, Big 12, Big 10 and even the occasional SEC school are looking for players here.
When I hear complaints from some quarters about impact prospects getting away, I think these folks underestimate what Hawaii is up against. In many cases, Hawaii is lagging in facilities and amenities. Other times it’s that some schools offer particular academic fields that Hawaii doesn’t have.
The only thing that is inexcusable is for UH not to make an all-out effort to sell what the program it does have, which is a chance to play in front of friends and family, and to open doors in the future within the state.
Still, UH is never going to get everybody; some want to experience the Mainland and are committed to leaving. UH does do a good job keeping the door open to those who go away and become unhappy.
Offensive line and line-backers are needs the Warriors will try to address.
The coaches should be able to get everybody’s attention in the spring since UH opens with USC at home, followed by back-to-back road games at Army and Colorado. Both Boise State and Fresno State are on the road in 2010. That ought to be challenging.
The BCS has paired Boise State and TCU in the Fiesta Bowl, which allows the BCS conference schools to avoid potential embarrassment in the big bowl games. Not only does this repeat last year’s bowl match-up, but it marginalizes the non-BCS schools. It would have been so much more interesting to see TCU-Florida and Boise State-Iowa. But count on the BCS not to do anything that will raise the outcry for a playoff system.
I love Rick Reilly, formerly of Sports Illustrated, and currently with ESPN The Magazine. But when I heard his rant about what Tiger Woods ought to do next, I thought his house must be very different from mine. Riley says Woods should take six months off from the PGA Tour and stay home to work on his relationship with his wife and family, and that he should fire his caddy, agent and security team because Elin could never trust them again.
I don’t argue the implications that those around Tiger had to know of his apparently rampant promiscuity, but at my house he might as well hang on to the employees because the one who would never be trusted again would be Tiger himself.
The betrayal and ongoing embarrassment are so great that there would be zero chance of reconciliation. Over, done, adios, don’t let the door hit you on the way out you sleazy, creepy travesty of a family man - or words to that effect, according to my better half. I suspect that 95 percent of women share her sentiment. Not that many men don’t believe Tiger’s behavior is disgraceful.
Relationship-building? Not at my house, Rick.
Now we’ll find out if Tiger can keep his game and begin to repair his image.
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