Practice, Media and Parties in New Orleans

Jaymes Song of the AP writes about the Warriors in NOLA.

Saints coach Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis watched the first half-hour of Hawaii's scheduled two-hour practice.

"We're not really here scouting," Loomis said. "We're just allowing them to use the facilities."

He was well-aware, however, of the talent on the Warriors, who won their first outright Western Athletic Conference title, finished the regular season as the only unbeaten team in major college football and earned a berth to their first Bowl Championship Series appearance.

Loomis said the Saints' story last year, as far as overcoming obstacles and having a special season, is similar to the Warriors' success this year.

Stephen Tsai has details of the practice. Great quote from Adam Leonard:

It was sunny yesterday, much to the disappointment of linebacker Adam Leonard.

"It feels good to have a roof over your head when you practice," Leonard said. "But I wanted it to rain so I would know what it's like to practice and not get wet."

Two articles from Paul Arnett and one from Dave Reardon on this page. Arnett profiles both teams while Reardon writes about June Jones, his love for Hawaii, and the possibility of him leaving. Hopefully a very very small possibility.

His current contract expires in the offseason. Jones' agent, Leigh Steinberg, and athletic director Herman Frazier want to come to an agreement quickly, in January or February. Such a pact would presumably result in a substantial increase to Jones' $800,000 per year salary -- a bargain by any measurement in comparisons with colleagues, even many less successful ones.

Frazier said last month work has begun on a multi-year extension. But there is no done deal, no agreement in principle.

"Like other years, Leigh is taking care of it," Jones said yesterday. "When this game (against Georgia on Tuesday) is over I'll take some time off and analyze everything."

Arnett and Reardon also have an article looking at the matchup between the UH offense vs the Georgia defense, how UH wound up at the Saints practice facility and this funny exchange:

In his news conference yesterday, Jones talked about how he couldn't get any playing time at quarterback in four years at Oregon and Hawaii, and voila, in one year in the run-and-shoot at Portland State he broke passing records.

"Does that mean you were a system quarterback?" KITV's Robert Kekaula asked.

Laughter filled the room

"I was a system quarterback," Jones answered, also laughing as he labeled himself with the stereotype he fights to keep off of Brennan.

Arnett has a column about the media frenzy surrounding Colt in the Saints practice facility, and Coach Jones being back in the NFL, or at least for now, an NFL facility talking to an NFL coach.

Ferd Lewis writes about the grand treatment UH is getting from the Sugar Bowl, and the efforts to stay grounded.

Defensive coordinator Greg McMackin, who had been to the Orange and other bowls with the University of Miami, termed the Sugar, "the most impressive." Head coach June Jones called it, "super ... just like a Super Bowl." Added assistant coach Jeff Reinebold: "There wasn't some cardboard sign with magic marker that says 'Hawai'i' on it. This bus was the real deal."

For the jazz band that serenaded them at breakfast and upon arrival, the fear is that those cleats might not touch the ground in time for the kickoff of the Jan. 1 showdown with Georgia at the Superdome.

Which is why Reinebold could be heard walking the sideline shouting: "remember, guys, this isn't a vacation. This is about work, right?"

Lewis has some news and notes from the facility as well as some details of the amount of media in town for the Sugar Bowl:

A spokesman for the Sugar Bowl said 408 media members have been approved for credentials to cover the game.

Officials said that number could go higher.

They said the number was lower than last year when more than 500 were granted for a game matching Notre Dame and state favorite Louisiana State.

"It (this year) is a good turnout," added Duane Lewis, the bowl's spokesman.

Gary C.W. Chun writes about Lynn Sapir preparing his bar, Johnny White's Pub and Grill, as a destination for the UH fans in New Orleans.

With Sapir throwing his support behind his home state's team, he and his right-hand man, Sonny Fisher, were starting to decorate the place by unfurling and putting out Hawaii and Warriors flags around Johnny White's second floor. They also were erecting support poles underneath the aged balcony for the many Hawaii fans they were anticipating to come during the next few days.

Michael Tsai writes about the bowl games in New Orleans bringing in a bunch of needed tourist dollars. In his article is a priceless quote from a New Orleans merchant.

Alex Fleming, who works at the Cigar Factory on Bourbon Street, said he anticipated a healthy influx of visitors from LSU — "I figured it would be Mardi Gras II when they came," he said — but he wasn't prepared for such a strong contingent from Hawai'i.

"What surprised me is that people from Hawai'i actually came all the way out here," Fleming said. "I didn't think they'd come, but then all of a sudden it was, like, 'Holy crap, look at all the Asians!' It's been good. It's been good."

I must visit him. I shall bring greetings from the yobo contingent of the Asian Invasion.

The Advertiser has details about a card stunt in the works for the Sugar Bowl.

For two University of Hawai'i alums, the Warrior spirit for the Sugar Bowl is in the cards — roughly 1,600 of them for Tuesday's game against Georgia in the Superdome.

Mia Okinaga and Sonya Miyashiro have done the research and created the materials and are now asking fans that will be seated in sections 320 through 325 to participate.

The cards, when held up together, will spell out "Hawaii" and "Believe."

The cards will be on the seats before the game, and will come with instructions. At the first time out in the second quarter, fans should hold up cards that will spell out "Hawaii." At the first time out of the fourth quarter, fans again will hold up cards that will spell "Believe."

Awesome. Hope it looks good!

The Advertiser also has details of free stuff UH fans can get in New Orleans.

University of Hawaii fans attending the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans will be able to get some freebies — 20,000 UH Warrior fans shaped like helmets and 14,000 ti leaves — while supplies last.
The hand-held fans are helmet-shaped with "Proud to e a UH Warrio fan" on the front.

Hopefully that's just a typo.

The UH Warrior fans will be distributed, as follows:

When: Dec. 30 & 31 and Jan. 1 from noon to 2 p.m. Mayor Mufi Hannemann also will be handing out the fans on game day outside the main stadium entrance from 2 hours prior to kick-off.

Where: Marriott New Orleans, 555 Canal St., room TBA (look for signs) and at the Superdome on game day.

Lee Corso predicts a UH victory in the Sugar Bowl.

Q: Can Hawaii [in the Sugar Bowl versus Georgia] pull off an upset like Boise State did last year?

A: Absolutely. It's a tough assignment playing Georgia down in the South, tougher than what Boise State had last year against Oklahoma. It's a tough environment in New Orleans, inside a dome with a million Georgia fans, and Georgia is playing as well as anyone in the country, winning six straight games. But I still think Hawaii is going to do it somehow. They are going to throw the ball around and outscore them. You take Colt Brennan's arm, with the legs and hands of the receivers, who are among the best in the country, and coach June Jones' mind, and I just think they will put a ton of points on the board and outscore Georgia. They are just so good at that passing game. It is a great equalizer.

From the same Q&A, Corso says if he were an NFL GM, he would take Colt in the draft.

Q: If you were an NFL GM, which quarterback would you want to take first in the NFL draft: Kentucky's Andre Woodson, Louisville's Brian Brohm, Brennan, or Boston College's Matt Ryan?

A: I would take Brennan 'cause he has played more of a pro attack. He can throw the football well, and June Jones is a pro coach. I like the fact that he has been taught the passing game from the ground up from Jones.

Ted Lewis of the Times Picayune writes about the Warriors in NOLA, and talks to Louisiana Tech coach Derek Dooley about the matchup.

Dooley has conflicted rooting interests in the Sugar Bowl.

Hawaii is a fellow member of the Western Athletic Conference, but Dooley is the son of former Georgia coach Vince Dooley and earned his law degree from the school.

"I don't get all caught up in that," he said. "I'm just an interested fan."

But Dooley said he does think the underdog Warriors have a good chance to pull the upset.

"Their offense has been phenomenal all year," he said. "And it looks like they've played better and better on defense each week.

"Their challenge is going to be containing Georgia's runner (Knowshon Moreno) while not giving up the big pass. But Hawaii's quarterback and receivers are as talented as anyone's in the country. They can score on anybody."

And finally, here's an interesting article comparing Texas Tech's current Mike Leach offense with the run and shoot, which used to be run at TT. There's a few quotes from UH defensive coordinator Greg McMackin.