THE OTHER SIDE...

By: Theo Jones
Theo is a Producer at KITV and a friend of "Leaheyradio.Com"
Is it just me, or....?
... is Herman Frazier not completely getting a fair deal?
Hear me out.
The town folk are storming the UH Manoa Athletics Department with pitchforks and torches, calling for Herman's head... and for what?
Soap?
From what I understand, the lack of soap in the team shower is not exactly a recent development. (Granted, credible Athletics Departments should provide soap in their showers, but is it really a deal breaker?)
The handling of the basketball search?
I liked Riley, but... if you're truly trying to go in a different direction, why would you hire someone who's only worked as an assistant at one university, for two coaches, and primarily the one you're replacing? How do you know you're not going to just get more of the same?
I'll admit it's not fair to make assumptions about Bob Nash's coaching philosophy or ability, but it's fair to hold an expanded search and interview people with head coaching experience on their resumes.
Or maybe it's the weak Football schedule?
Granted it was weak. (Only two opponents with winning records.)
But Michigan State backed out. Primarily because even though officials CAN call holding on every play, it doesn't mean they SHOULD. (Yes I'm saying it, Michigan State had something of a case here. The holding calls were excessive at best... criminal at worst.)
Michigan preferred to open with Appalachian State because they were easier. (How'd that work out for them?)
And admittedly, Herm played his cards a little to close to his vest.
However, it's possible that his primary mistake was not so much the teams he approached, but thinking he used when he approched them.
He over played his hand thinking that BCS Conference schools wanted to play a quality opponent outside of their conference schedules. (For the record, they don't. They want cupcakes, and Hawaii IN Hawaii was no longer one of those. Hence, no one was trying to play them, much less promise them a home and home.)
And I know: This could have been done years in advance, but I believe Frazier's reach exceeded his grasp.
He sacrificed a good schedule for a great one... and got neither.
Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, because, honestly, hindsight being 20/20: If UH had a tougher schedule, they quite possibly wouldn't have even made it to the Sugar Bowl.
And there goes $4.2 million out the window.
Now it's the handling of the June Jones contract.
This could have been handled long before the situation reached critical mass; but I'm assuming that Herman would require the some kind of permission from the University president and chancellor to make an offer of any kind to June.
It's quite possible that your educational elitists are chaffing at the thought of increasing the salary of the COACH who is ALREADY the state's highest paid public employee. Having previous work experience in an athletics department setting, I assure you, it's high school all over again: Jocks vs. Nots.
I'm not apologizing for Herm... Primarily because I don't think he owes a lot of apologies to anyone... aside from the soap thing, maybe.
He has an impossible job.
Everyone wants blood from a turnip, to use an old expression.
People have stormed the fort with problems, but no solutions.
Everyone (Colt, June, and the masses who love them) want facility upgrades (let's let the soap go for now).
Yet, how many of those people want their taxes raised to facilitate the improvements? Or how many students would like to see their tuition increased?
Come on, we all have to make sacrifices, right?
Where else would the money come from?
UH made $7 million in football revenue this year, and a lot of people would argue that's the most successful year ever for the program.
Let's do the math: Minus $1 million for travel, equals $6 million.
Then the actual academic institution needs it's cut... Minus $2.5 million, equals $3.5 mill.
Not to mention that the UH Athletics Department is not just the UH Football Department. There are other sports to consider, some that don't generate enough money annually to cover their own expenses, much less add to the department revenue.
How much does it take to cover soccer, swimming, track and field, Wahine Softball and Basketball, and such? (Football is the cash cow for every university. It's where the majority of the Athletics Department's money is generated.)
On the low end, lets say Minus $2 million.
Now there's $1.5 million left... just enough to give the head coach a raise.
And by now you should see the dilemma.
That BCS berth was primarily because of Colt. There was tremendous national curiosity to see the Heisman candidate that rebuilt his life in the islands after going through trials and tribulations in Colorado. Add a sprinkle of the Haka and Polynesian culture and America's love for the underdog, and you can build a production around this. This is good TV.
But with only a couple hundred thousand dollars left in the coffers, coming off of a less than fulfilling bowl performance, and no story to build around for next year, there are some lean years coming for Warrior Football... even with June Jones.
Where is the money for facility upgrades suppose to come from?
This is a monumental task.
Granted, I'm not privy to the books, and my math could be off, but I have worked in an athletics department before, and these are the type of things they have have to consider.
The truth of the matter is, June Jones's contract situation is putting undue pressure on a University that has many missions. Football being just one of them. And in the big picture a small one.
When professional athletes hold up teams to provide for their families and their futures, fans clamor to remind them that money isn't everything. (See: Rod, A-).
Maybe someone should tell that to June.
But I think this would be an ideal time for Herman Frazier to buy some soap for the showers... as much as a couple hundred grand will get you.
I'm just saying...