Comments on: Monday…JJ’s last stand, and can (should?) we really afford a top-tier football program?

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 02:37:31 +0000

The idea is that the football team is the main revenue generator that supports all of the other college sports teams. You splurge on football, and the spoils will trickle down to the other sports.

I’m not sure if that’s necessarily the case in Hawaii though, where there are no major professional sports teams for thousands of miles, and where I’ve seen over 10,000 people turn out for a collegiate volleyball game.

There’s also the intangible benefit of Hawaiian pride, which swelled immensely before the playing of the Sugar Bowl. Once you’ve tasted a little bit of that, it’s hard to go back to being a bottom of the pack WAC team again.

By: Mike Middlesworth

Mike Middlesworth — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 22:08:24 +0000

While you’re right on the money once again, the chances of anybody who can do anything about it paying attention are slim and none.

That may sound cynical, and it is, but it’s based on 34 years of watching our “leaders” make the wrong choice at nearly every opportunity.

As one example, if anyone at the top had had the courage, moving the entire Manoa campus to Barbers Point when the Navy gave it up would have put UH in a great position to move forward.

A state as small as Hawaii does not need two campuses for its major university on the same island. What’s needed is a master plan to grow the university system statewide. That, however, seems highly unlikely.

aloha,
mike

By: Carrie

Carrie — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 19:28:17 +0000

Wow Ian — you nailed what I was ranting to my husband about yesterday. Jones is the high profile example of what’s been happing to the faculty at the UH for YEARS. You ask for support, you don’t get it, you make it known that you are looking for another position at another University, and no effort is made to keep you at UH until after a job is accepted. Then there’s a scramble to offer you something to keep you at UH. Too little too late. That scenario has repeated itself at least three times in the past 8 years that I know of, myself included.

I couldn’t care less if we have a great football team or not. But I do care if we have quality educators and a quality UH. But again, Jones’ treatment is par for the course — and people wonder why we are a support economy?