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Sidelines
Kalani Simpson
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Going from Heisman hopeful to soap opera star
OH, my. Well, UH quarterback Colt Brennan's concerns have hit the wire and now there are headlines nationwide.
From the San Diego Union Tribune: "Hawaii QB Brennan rips school." From Deadspin.com: "Meet Hawaii's Stank Football Team."
OK, that's not good.
OK. I've gone back and read Brennan's complaints. Some are legit, and indefensible, and ridiculous, and should have been fixed two days ago, at the latest. (Whoa, apparently some were fixed two days ago -- what a coincidence!) Some are legit, but are just the reality for State of Hawaii, UH facilities. (Wait. You mean to tell me it doesn't compare with what they have at Colorado and Ohio State? What a SHOCK!)
And some just sound like he's 23, which he is.
I like Colt. And I'm glad he's decided to use his powers for good -- in his mind what he's doing is a sign of maturity.
But part of that maturity is first making sure what you're asking for isn't an NCAA violation.
He isn't doing this lightly, because he knows he's been granted a powerful platform.
But part of that is not using that platform to whine about your parking tickets. (There are several reasons no one else parks where Brennan has gotten in trouble for parking, but at least one of those reasons is that it's ILLEGAL.)
Saying it should be taken into consideration how much the football players bring in -- ooh, that doesn't sound good at all. (And how much money is it? It was only 5 minutes ago that there were 23,000 in the stands -- let's not get cocky.) Some of this stuff would have been better left unsaid.
Access to facilities. Cooke Field. The study room. All stuff that should be fixed right away. Soap. Whenever I've been in that kind of shower situation everyone just brought his own bar -- I guess we didn't know how outraged we were supposed to be. But if that's standard for Division I, then, yes, get some soap, stat.
But if you're going to drop a bombshell -- and that's what this was, and Brennan knew it when he did it -- you've got to make sure it comes out just right.
Those headlines are harsh, and he's portrayed as a quarterback who thinks he shouldn't get parking tickets, coast to coast.
Still, as far as public sentiment back home goes, for this minute, for right now, today, he picked a good spot. Colt is a popular figure (what was the reaction when Fred vonAppen said the same stuff?) and Herman Frazier is an unpopular figure -- and boom! -- the soap dispensers are back!
But this can be dangerous chemistry, Colt, be careful. Don't let it blow up in your face. With this responsibility comes ... well, responsibility. Stay humble. Don't spend your aloha points on parking tickets you shouldn't be getting anyway.
Some of this stuff is legit and should be fixed, some is legit and probably never will be. And some of it sounds like it's coming from a guy who is still very young, which he is.