”;Same as it ever was ... same as it ever was.”;
— The Talking Heads

We are in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

OK, not all of us. In fact, a frozen pond is the closest body of water to some of you reading this on a computer screen.

But those of you here, at home in the islands, complaining about the University of Hawaii football schedule? Please remember this:

We are in the middle of the Pacific Ocean—and so is the University of Hawaii.

That makes the fact that there is a slate of UH football games AT ALL each fall a minor miracle.

Scheduling nonconference games has become increasingly difficult. If not for the Hawaii exemption—which allows teams that play here an additional game—it would be impossible, a no-brainer losing proposition.

And, whether you believe it or not, the WAC schedule is not specially designed to screw Hawaii. Still, it seems to have become an annual rite, this endless whining about the Warriors' appointment book.

It's too easy ... it's too hard ... Only one home game in September ... How dare they expect us to play on a WEDNESDAY! Where did Karl Benson go to college? Boise State? (He did, but so what? Boise State would play a doubleheader on Wednesday if ESPN asked.)

The thing is, scheduling has always been problematic for UH, and always will be. Blame the WAC and ESPN all you want, but think about what it would be like trying to book eight games without them.

It's always going to be less than ideal because it's a 5-hour plane ride to the closest competition, and LaTech makes it even worse by being twice as far away.

One thing the WAC could do is disallow scheduling games outside of the league in October and November; it causes a ripple effect of complications. That's why the Warriors don't have a bye late in the season (unless you count that home game against New Mexico State).

Regarding no home games in September after the opener against Central Arkansas: Doesn't the one at UNLV, as Jason Kaneshiro quipped, count?

And, from a pure football standpoint, isn't it better for UH to play more road games in September than November, when the weather gets bad?

As for that Wednesday game, it would be terrible at home. But not a bad thing at LaTech. It's not the only game in town, it's the only game in the country. It's called exposure, and athletic director Jim Donovan said he's good with it.

Donovan concedes this isn't a perfect schedule. But you know what?

Outside of 13 games all at home, there is no such thing.

» Glad to hear USC and UNLV among the field of the first Diamond Head Classic.

A school better known than those two for basketball (and they aren't bad) is close to signing on, or so we hear.

Good start.

» Bob Nash got his contract extension, and as Brian McInnis reports, a new player in guard Jeremy Lay.

A rollover and an option is more than fair. So is the magic number of 18 wins.

» Donovan declined comment on women's basketball coach Jim Bolla's situation.

Even if he's cleared of wrongdoing, it's likely he's coached his last game here.

Both sides are lawyered up and digging in. UH is trying to build a case for firing with cause, and Bolla wants his parachute.

You might want to pack a lunch for this one.