Readers Write

Friday, July 12, 1996

Be alert, or football traditions will be lost

Funny things happen on the way to the forum, in furos and especially at the University of Hawaii football games. If you don't pay close attention at UH games, you may find a fond tradition has been killed while your mind was on R & R.

Once upon awakening from a nap inspired by the UH offense, I discovered that my beloved Rainbows were now called the Rainbow Warriors. Without consulting graduates, fans or the community, some sad soul sought to pump testosterone into the team via a macho name.

Later, after dallying too long in an Aloha Stadium byzantine latrine, it suddenly dawned on me that the Rainbows no longer have the beautiful song leaders of yesteryear. Did they bite the dust because of someone's sense of political correctness? Even today I keep pondering this question while I watch the Rainbow acrobats, the blah on steroids, the cow pie (pizza boxes?) throwing contest and the very politically correct Rainbow Dancers.

Still later, while watching the stadium rust, it dawned on me that the band no longer plays our fight song, the one that everybody sang because they knew the words and loved the melody and beat. What happened to "Oh You Rainbows, Hats Off to Thee?" Did some localphile arbitrarily drop it for something indigenous rather than a Minnesota transplant? Oops, there goes another tried and true tradition.

So stop slurping your saimin, wipe your chin and pay attention. Why, before you know it, the coach may stop going to the Quarterback Club on Mondays, or they may drop the Shrine game, or worse, the team may wear the trendy black uniforms that will certainly strike fear in the hearts of our opponents. Boo!

RICHARD Y. WILL


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