UH hopes PPV hike
increases attendanceHawaii made $446,000 for its first year of live Pay-Per-View football telecasts last season. But UH knows it might have lost some gate attendance because of the availability of live TV. So the school hopes a modest hike in the cable fee will bring some of the fans back to Aloha Stadium -- and maybe even a little more TV money into the athletic department coffers than in 2002. It costs $100 to watch the
Warriors' six home football gamesBy Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.comOahu subscribers will be charged $100 for six games as opposed to last year's $75 for seven games, according to a news release from UH yesterday.
But 2002 package subscribers who renew between May 1 and July 15 will be charged only $75.
Pay-Per-View
Season rates: $100 for six games on Oahu, $40 on neighbor islandsEarly renewal: $75 for renewals Oahu, $25 neighbor islands
Single-game rates: $25-$35 Oahu, $10-$15 neighbor islands
The setup for neighbor-island package subscribers is similar, but less expensive; the rate for a new account is $40 and for an early renewal it is $25.
Individual game rates are $25 and $35 (premium) on Oahu and $10 and $15 on neighbor islands.
"It's a great thing for the neighbor islands. They get to watch all the games live," UH coach June Jones said. "It's very beneficial for us, too. We just have to make sure we control it enough to make sure people who pay for it get it and those who don't pay for it don't pirate it."
There were some technical glitches last fall and some subscribers didn't get the first game. But those problems were cleared up.
"The arrangement is great for both sides," said Nate Smith, general manager of Oceanic Time Warner Cable, which distributes the telecasts. "It allows the majority of the money generated by the subscribers to be funneled directly back to UH athletics and allows us at Oceanic to showcase the dynamics of some of our new digital technology."
Dead heat: As spring practice winds down, the only two players listed as even on the depth chart at the beginning of camp -- safeties David Gilmore and Leonard Peters -- are still "tied."
Gilmore took the field with the starting 11 yesterday morning, but the 6-foot, 197-pound senior from Albuquerque, N.M., said that doesn't really mean anything.
"The way the coaches have us doing it we're sort of trading off, so when you see me out there he's usually out there, too. We both run with first team, and when we're in nickel we're both in there," Gilmore said.
"I don't put any stock in all that. The most important thing is we have a lot of depth, as far as the whole secondary is concerned.
"We've got so many good corners and safeties. Everybody's good and it's a real close-knit group."
Peters agrees.
"He's my good friend, but we're battling for the same spot. The coaches will put in who they think can do the job best, and that's the way it should be," said the 6-1, 175-pound Kahuku High School graduate.
Defensive backs coach Rich Miano said both will see plenty of playing time this fall, whichever ends up the starter to go with All-Western Athletic Conference senior Hyrum Peters.
"They're even. David's been in our program five years now. He's smart, and he played a lot last year so he's kind of game-tested. He's continuing to get faster, stronger, with better technique. He'll see playing time, if not extensive playing time." Miano said.
"On the other hand, Leonard has so much pure talent as he continues to learn the system he's going to be tough to keep out of the starting lineup. He can flat out run better than anyone we have. Speed, instinctive, tough. Tremendous upside," Miano added.
"David's not the athlete Leonard is, but Leonard doesn't quite know the intricacies and nuances that David knows," the coach said.
"If we opened up today, Hyrum would be the nickel and both those guys would be the safeties in the nickel package. They're both going to play a lot, they're both going to play special teams for us and they're pretty even right now."
Gilmore was in on 70 tackles in 14 games last year.
Peters, who battled injuries, had a hand in 25 stops in nine games.
Short yardage: Quarterbacks Preston Maloney and Kainoa Akina have the flu. Maloney missed practice yesterday, and Akina left it early. ... Sophomore Garrett Dearing, listed as a defensive lineman but valuable as a scout-team tight end last year, has decided to transfer from UH to a small college where he has a better chance for playing time. ... Spring practice concludes with sessions tomorrow morning and Thursday. There will be no spring game, but a scrimmage is likely on the last day, starting around 8 a.m. on the grass field at UH.
UH Athletics
