THIS and that to chew on over lunch: Yes, UH, there is Virginia,
at least for nowIt might eventually work out that Hawaii won't play Virginia in football next year, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.
So says Jerry Capone, associate athletic director for football operations at Virginia.
A report in yesterday's Advertiser said Virginia has asked off the Rainbows' schedule so it can play Brigham Young instead.
That's not entirely accurate, Capone said yesterday.
Apparently, it's not an either/or situation with the Rainbows and the Cougars. Capone said it's possible Virginia will play both teams next season.
"We just made an initial contact," Capone said. "And we've been playing phone tag."
Virginia is trying to fill out two schedules -- 1999 and 2000. Capone said he talked to BYU about playing in 2000, but BYU will only do a two-year, home-and-home deal with the Cavaliers, who are No. 9 in the Associated Press poll this week.
Capone said the university isn't sure it wants to play both BYU and Hawaii on the road next year.
"School is demanding here," Capone said. "We're trying to balance education and athletics. The trip could be a lot of fun, but at the same time we don't want to kill them with the travel that we have the rest of the season.
"Although it's attractive, are we putting the kids in an unfair situation?"
Capone said he hopes to have the matter resolved in the next few days.
I can't say that I'd blame Virginia if it got off the schedule. Hawaii wasn't going to be a 12th game for the Cavaliers, anyway, Capone said.
Coach George Welsh has built a strong program in his 16-plus years at the Atlantic Coast Conference school. They have nothing to gain by playing here and everything to loose if hell freezes over and the Rainbows should actually win the game.
Better to play BYU.
Or both, of course, if Hawaii can cough up a whole lot of greenbacks for Virginia's trouble. Somehow that has a way of taking the sting out those guilt pangs that come with burdening your student-athletes.
"You might hear in a day or so that we're playing," Capone said.
Inquiries were made at Monday's Honolulu Quarterback Club luncheon about the status of freshman quarterback Shawn Withy-Allen and freshman running back Robert Grant.
Would one or both or neither redshirt this season?
Coach Fred vonAppen was noncommittal, but said Grant would get another look in practice this week.
Rainbow coaches have said Withy-Allen is the future quarterback. Grant has speed that could be useful to a team in search of a ground game.
I'm obviously not a football coach, but I know this:
The Rainbows are 0-4.
With that record, and I use that term loosely, why hold back on anyone until next year?
The Rainbows are staring down the barrel of an 0-12 season. If Withy-Allen and Grant are good enough to help the other lads at least score some points and maybe even win some games, why not get them in there?
The fans aren't too happy about paying 15 bucks a pop for a team that can't score, much less win.
They are the customers. They have every right to expect more for their money.
If this season stays on its present course, Withy-Allen, Grant and about 80 other guys might be playing for an entirely different coaching staff next year.
