Rant & Rave
Rant & Rave
LOOKING back to the fourth week of the University of Hawai'i football team's season, their victory over Southern Methodist University, again reminded me of all the fair-weather Hawaii fans. The term is self-explanatory. It refers to fans who attend games only when their team is doing well. Fanning support
for UH ’BowsLast year's UH football season was disappointing, to say the least. Attendance hit an all-time low as the morale of the community was down. If you had tickets to give away, nobody would accept them.
After June Jones was hired, hype about the former San Diego Charger's coach was enough to sell the season opener against the University of Southern California. But 'Bows were blown out (62-7!) by the nationally ranked Trojans and everyone expected another unsuccessful season for the Rainbows, who had increased their losing streak to 19 games.
Watching the replay of the game on TV, I saw the long faces of the players at the end of the game. This made me want to support them even more. It was clear they wanted to win with all their hearts. If a fair-weather fan couldn't find it in his heart to support a team after seeing such a display of emotion, that fan would never go to games unless the team won a national championship. The fair-weather fans disappeared after the loss to USC. Only one loss! If only they stayed or the next game!
The Rainbows won the next four games. Expectations grew sky high. Tickets sold quickly for the game against the University of Texas El-Paso. Attendance at the weekly Na Koa Football meetings, increased. Who were these fans? How long would they stay before abandoning the team again?
AFTER a loss to Texas Christian University, a UH fan booed and insulted the UH players off the field. When Special Teams coach Dennis McKnight passed by the heckler, the two got into an argument. The fan was said to have been criticizing , among others, quarterback Dan Robinson. In a later news conference, Robinson took responsibility for the Rainbows' loss. I felt sorry for him. It was obvious that he had tried his best and the team still lost. I was disappointed that fair-weather fans could still find fault during a successful season.
Such fans follow other sports as well. In 1997, the Rainbows basketball team was nationally ranked after beating the third ranked Jayhawks of Kansas. Hawaii sold out many games that season. Why? Because fair-weather fans come out of the woodwork when a team wins. The Rainbows would later advance to the second round of the National Invitational Tournament. The game took place in a sold-out Stan Sheriff Center. The Rainbows were defeated in a close game by Western Athletic Conference rival, Fresno State. This was the last sold-out game for the team, as they struggled through a mediocre season last year.
All fans in Hawaii are not fair-weather fans. I, for one, am a faithful, die-hard supporter of the Rainbows. Last year I attended all but two of the eight football home games. I endured the horrendous 0-12 season and followed each game in hope of a victory. I also attended many of the men's basketball games while they struggled. I only miss games because of school work, not lack of interest.
I wish we didn't have so many fair-weather fans. If a fan base for a team is constantly supportive, success will come more quickly to a struggling program. Big crowds bring optimism to the players and help them to give their all. If a team tries its best, no one should fault them for losing.
Logan Narikawa is an 8th grader at Punahou School
whose goal is to increase the Rainbows' fan base.Rant & Rave is a Tuesday Star-Bulletin feature
allowing those 12 to 22 to serve up fresh perspectives.
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