Baseball ‘Bows retire Wong’s No. 14
During last night’s Grand Slam event in the Stan Sheriff Center, baseball coach Mike Trapasso announced that Kolten Wong’s jersey No. 14 would be retired.
It was an appropriate and well-deserved tribute to one of the program’s best hitters and most decorated alumni.
Wong could not attend the event because he is training with the St. Louis Cardinals, but a video of his heart-felt acceptance was shown on the arena scoreboard.
Dot and Les Murakami attended, with Trapasso giving special mention to his predecessor.
Jim Leahey, who will do the radio play-by-play this season, did his usually show-face-and-dash thing. Leahey exchanged hugs, handshakes and stories with other attendees and then … he was gone. Fifteen minutes after his departure, his raffle-ticket number was called. Leahey won the grand prize of a trip-for-two to Las Vegas.
Nice gesture and well deserved!
Let’s Go Bows!
Football practice begins next Monday.
Not 100 percent sure, but I sorta-sorta recall it will be open to the public.
Any news on Rolo filling that last coaching spot?
Bryson
He said he would fill it by this Friday. I think he returns from Samoa today
We applaud coach Rolo for turning around the football program in one season. The past 7-7 win/loss season surely has excited the fan base about the future of Warrior football. However, this excitement was not reflected at the turnstile. Perhaps an exciting and winning 2017 season will change that, but I am unsure that, in spite of the success, the program will not see an immediate and significant rise in game attendance. It seems to me there are a maze of challenges the athletic department faces in equating the on-field success to success at the gate. Unfortunately the athletic department does not have direct control of factors such as managing traffic and increasing general public parking at Aloha Stadium. Yet, there are other things the university can do to stimulate interest via active marketing. This brings me to open practices. It remains unclear whether practices will be open to the public. Why does this still remain a question? And I have not heard of any planned activities that would stimulate more fans to get excited about the upcoming season. To me, spring practice is the time to start beating the drums about the team.
Re: Closing upper section of Aloha Stadium.
Friends of mine who sit in the red section have received their season ticket renewal notices, and it does not appear that UHAD is attempting to close the upper section of Aloha Stadium. The renewal notices are for their current seats in the red section.
Oh thanks Stephen,for some reason I thought the date he set was the 13th…
To fill asst coach by this Fri must mean promoting someone already on staff or getting someone Rolo knows very well already.
I HEARD A RUMOR ABOUT KENEDY TUIMASEALII ACUPLA WKS AGO.
REALLY? WUFO:?
Winning helps the fan attendance. Say, the team is 7-6, that’s a bowl team, the attendance will be slightly up. Go 8-5 or 9-4 a little more, etc.
Take another scenario. Let’s say Rolo gets the team around 7-0 and you will see a very good bump there and continues to increase until they lose.
Then there’s the electric player, like Colt Brennan was. He was the pied piper that fans and especially kids flocked to. He alone and his tremendous accuracy, passing TDs, and outstanding group of receivers had our town buzzing, and we were undefeated. We don’t have that player since then and we have been waiting for the next holy grail. If Rolo finds that player we’ll see 30,000, maybe 35,000, maybe 40,000 fans show up easily. Go undefeated with that player and you will sell out the stadium. Few and far between. Gotta be very lucky.
HAVE YOU HEARD A RUMOR REGARDING KENNEDY TUIMASEALII RECENTLY?
DO YOU FEEL LIKE DEMONSTRATING, OR EXPLAINING THE VARIOUS SCENARIOS REGARDING THE TERM, “MODERATION”?
Bryson
Rolo moved it to the 23rd when he thought it would take a while to hire a D.C. Because they hired in house he moved it back to the 20th
You’d think by now someone would help Colt Brennan
in this town. His name alone brings excitement. Why
not a charity fun run in his name. Or a football ticket
sales push or maybe a Colt Brennan Brat House 🙂
Ipu Man…I think he burned enough bridges behind him.
Surely, he was the most impactful player to don the Hawaii uniform. However, he was not a role model in the years to follow.
The ball is in his hands to make one play after another to make “pono”.
,,,nuff said
http://samoanews.com/sports/univ-hawaii-warriors-samoa-hawaii-pipeline
Kapakahi’s post is a samoa news article referring to yesterday’s WarriorBeat article. Now I feel like either Deja Vu or in the Twilight Zone
Yeah! Wong got his number retired! Because it’s Chinese New Year!. What about Colt Brennan number too!. He had broken so many NCAA record and most of all taken the University of Hawaii football program to it’s first ever Sugar Bowl!. If not it’s because he is a white boy from the mainland!. If that the reason why not Timmy Chang’s number? He broken record and taken the University of Hawaii football program three bowl games!. Then what about the 1980 University of Hawaii Baseball team that went to the College Worlds Series and came in 2nd. They had great players from that year? What about the University of Hawaii Fabulous Five Basketball team? Plus last year University of Hawaii basketball program that made it to its 2nd round in the NCAA tournament!. I really seriously would like to see what the University of Hawaii AD program will give Dave Shoji? I hope not a trophy or a plaque!. Because he brought in the fans and money to the University of Hawaii! When he was the Head Coach of the WAHINE VOLLEYBALL TEAMS! . So many years in that sports! . But it’s really hard to believe that he is leaving!
just wondering how you get 8.2%?
#13:
your statement – “I think he burned enough bridges behind him” — “he was not a role model in the following years”
did Colt bash UH, it’s football program, his teammates, Hawaii etc?
Most of us are aware of the problems caused by his head injury in that unfortunate car accident including the dismissal of filing of a false police report by the Court and amid rumors of drug use — is this the basis of your statements in post #13?
I do not comprehend your continuity, please elucidate.
this house stands behind Colt for all his contributions to UH, it’s football program and the State of Hawaii!
RE: Colt Brennan
His fate has been greatly intertwined with Hawaii. He was projected a top draft pick at the end of his junior year but decided to return for his senior year and took us to the Sugar Bowl. Even JJ promised Colt he would be coaching if he came back. An undefeated season came with a concussion and a disasterous outing and injury in the Sugar Bowl. The Heismann finalist was barely drafted in the 6th round by a meddling ex-QB. Then the career ending car wreck in Hawaii ended his playing days. Colt may not have done much for Hawaii after his short NFL playing days, but he’s paid it all up front.
Good to see coach Murakami attending Athletic dept functions
Colt did Hawaii’s fans AND SOH a huge favor by coming back for his senior year. It was a magical season that may never be duplicated.
But personally, Colt paid the price for staying as injuries occurred and things started to unravel after Sugae Bowl. Just think if he went pro after his junior year. His personal story would be entirely different with a probable better situation for him. I will always worship Colt for everything he gave to us. I just don’t understand people above for their negative comments. No room in my life for people like you.
Colt is fine financially. Better than fine.
New post: http://hawaiiwarriorworld.com/?p=41821