Weekend News

Some non-Heisman news you can use.

ESPN pundits take a look at the Sugar Bowl matchup and make some picks:


Thanks UHBows (again)

Former UH and current Atlanta Falcons guard Kynan Forney makes his Sugar Bowl prediction.

Falcons guard Kynan Forney was on June Jones' first team at Hawaii and was an All-Western Athletic Conference tackle before being drafted by the Falcons in 2001. He's predicting a Hawaii victory over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, and to add more spice to things, he said he was not impressed by the Bulldogs' black jerseys.

"Being 12-0 and going to a BCS game, do you imagine what that's going to do for recruiting with people wanting to come to Hawaii?" Forney said. "We have the best-looking uniforms in college football. We can't be touched right now."

Governor Linda Lingle makes a bet.

If Hawaii wins, Purdue will send a crate of Georgia peaches to the islands. If Georgia wins, Lingle will send a case of Hawaii pineapples to the Peach State.

"While Hawaii pineapples are certainly the preferred fruit anywhere around the world, in this particular case, I'm looking forward to receiving some fresh peaches from our friends in Georgia," Lingle said in a statement.

Funny.

Josh Kendall of Macon.com has an article about Georgia getting ready for the game.

Sure, Georgia is going to suffer a letdown after not being selected to play for the national title.

"You can't avoid it," tight end Tripp Chandler.

That doesn't mean it will have any effect on the Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl, when the No. 4 Bulldogs play No. 10 Hawaii at 8:30 p.m. at the New Orleans Superdome.

"My gosh, it's going to be a whole month before we're going to play, and that's plenty of time to get jacked up for a ballgame," Georgia head coach Mark Richt said.

Jennifer Sudick writes about the prices of packages to New Orleans keep going up.

Hawaii residents hoping to score tickets were lucky enough last week if they were willing to pay top dollar. Travel packages to New Orleans have risen to $3,499 for a Hawaiian Airlines coach seat, and even those were selling fast.

The more than one-third increase in travel prices this week at Hawaii's largest travel agency is the result of heavy demand to see the Warriors face off against the Georgia Bulldogs on New Year's Day, as well as the extra costs of setting up charter flights and competition from holiday travelers who booked their tickets months ago.

Congratulations to UH alum Ken Niumatalolo, who became Navy's new head coach.

"I am so humbled and honored to have this opportunity," the 42-year-old Niumatalolo said in a phone call from his Maryland home. "I know I'm representing a lot people, being the first Polynesian head coach. Hopefully, if I do well it will open doors for some other guys."

Ferd Lewis has a great column about the dues Niumatalolo paid as a grad assistant at UH to get where he is.

When acquaintances from La'ie spied him lugging bag after bag to the University of Hawai'i football team's bus following a loss at Brigham Young in 1991, they hooted and razzed Ken Niumatalolo.

So much for getting your foot in the door of the coaching profession, they snickered.

And it looks like The Warrior Insider is closing up shop. It was a great site to get recruiting news, gossip and discussion. Definitely will be missed.