StarBulletin.com

This mag is aak in Internet age


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POSTED: Friday, August 21, 2009

In this modern era of text messaging, Facebook and Twitter, an old coach could be forgiven for being sacked behind the times.

Back when coach Greg McMackin first plied his trade, the thought of social networking would have been as foreign to him as a handheld computer fitting neatly in your pocket with thousands of songs and movies only an iPod touch away.

But all these things are very real and necessary among those born in the final two decades of the 20th century. If you can't use your thumbs to type a term paper or don't know what “;idk”; means in Internet slang, then those around you are bound to be “;lol.”;

Fortunately for the University of Hawaii, McMackin is “;aak”; and has done his best to bring the program up to date in the war room and on the football field. He understands what those 140 words in a tweet can mean.

; Here at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, we know all too well what the 21st century has thrust upon us. In order to survive, you must comprehend the modern lingo spoken by the kids who play the games.

Today's video aficionado knows John Madden as well as John F. Kennedy. He's been designing plays on a computer screen since he was old enough to point and click. With that in mind, we decided to do a UH football magazine patterned after the 2.0 generation. Us old folks might have a hard time deciphering the code, but if you're a coach with kids in the room, you can't afford to be one of them. Enjoy the magazine and welcome to the Internet age.

—Paul Arnett / Sports Editor