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Sidelines Kalani Simpson |
Magazines might be
right about HawaiiTHE college football magazines are here again, and you know what that means. Time to talk to a financial consultant in hopes of getting pre-approved for The Sporting News Yearbook (when did these things start costing as much as a small car?).
Still, I've skimmed enough from the bookstore shelves to know it's a good summer to be a UH football fan.
Everybody's on the Hawaii bandwagon. How high is the optimism? Well, as you may or may not know, these things aren't written from some office in faraway New York. Each of these magazines contracts with local or regional writers. And so one of these previews picking UH to win the WAC was written by none other than Paul "the Prince of Darkness" Arnett.
YOU CAN'T GO against these guys. Not Nate Ilaoa's explosion. Not Chad Owens' excitement. Not Britton Komine catching everything or Jeremiah Cockheran leaving Alabama trailing in his wake.
This is the kind of team you get giddy about in the summertime. Oh, sure, the offensive line might make you nervous, if you're the nervous type. But there has to be a question mark somewhere. There is always turnover in the college game.
But not to worry. With all these great recruiting classes, there must be a few prospects ready to step in. With as many accolades as assistant coach Mike Cavanaugh has received (including in this space), you'd have to think he is a man who can make it work.
I'd say that on July 1 those championship predictions sound perfect, every one.
This is a team for magazine dreams.
This is a Dick Tomey defense, snarling on the front four, making plays on the back.
I'm always the guy going, "Hey, hold on a minute," when everyone else says crazy things like these. When everyone's expectations are out of control.
But this is summer. And these guys could be the real thing.
This is the time of year to get carried away.
Last December June Jones said Timmy Chang is due for a Carson Palmer kind of year. Which sounds farfetched. Until you consider that before his breakthrough 2002 season, Carson Palmer was Timmy Chang.
(Turned out all Palmer needed was some time with a guy named Norm Chow.)
So maybe it can really happen.
Anything can happen, on the first of July.
Reality can wait until September, along with tough opponents and muscle pulls.
I really think UH is going to make a run at a championship.
It says so in my football magazine.
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
Kalani Simpson can be reached at ksimpson@starbulletin.com