Opinion

Cougar football must be held accountable

By Bradley David Williams

I couldn't care less about football — which, for a native Texan like myself, is seen as something of a sacrilege in these parts — but I decided to tune in to ESPN on Christmas to watch Houston play Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl, the only bowl game played on Christmas day. It turned into a truly exciting contest, even for somebody as unapologetic or uninterested in football as I am, with Hawaii finally winning 54-48 in triple overtime.

But what followed the game's final play was horrifying. When the two teams were supposed to be shaking hands in the middle of the field, mayhem broke out. For what seemed like 10 minutes, pockets of violence erupted all over the field. Helmets came off and were used as weapons. Sometimes infantile, sometimes animalistic, the fighting included kicking, punching and wrestling. It was shocking. It was embarrassing. The ESPN commentators kept saying, "I have never seen anything like this."

Almost as embarrassing as the brawl itself has been the blasé attitude UH has exhibited since the incident. There's sort of an unspoken "boys will be boys" attitude going around. Under the tutelage of UH's heroic new coach Art Briles, the Cougars had their best season in many years, and everyone seems to be saying, "Let's just stick our head in the sand as far as the brawl and keep celebrating our back-from-the-dead football program."

Laughably, the game officials have been blamed for the brawl. Some say they should have done a better job of nipping in the bud all the trash-talking that reportedly took place between the two teams throughout the game.

Let's forget the blame game for a moment. I want to say a word on behalf of the non-football fan populace. UH looked like a bunch of thugs behaving badly in a foreign land, literally attacking our hosts on their home field in what was meant to be a diplomatic competition played on the day much of the world celebrates as its most important spiritual holiday.

While Hawaii became a state in 1959, the Hawaiian people have retained their own unique culture and language. Hawaii is a stunningly gorgeous place — otherworldly in its lush and dramatic geography — with a traditionally peaceful, loving way of life. The most isolated civilization on earth, it is a place where the word for hello and goodbye — "Aloha" — also means love.

The Houston contingent seemed very much in the Aloha spirit when the ESPN cameras first panned the visitors' section of the impressive Aloha Stadium, with everyone wearing red and white Hawaiian print attire. Briles wore a beautiful ceremonial lei around his neck. The weather was amazing — 80 degrees with the sun beating down in defiance of the drenching rain that is a constant threat during Hawaii's winter season.

UH had not been to a bowl game in seven years and had a huge opportunity to represent our university and our city on this national stage with a live television audience stretching across the United States and even to Japan. By losing control and lashing out in defeat the Cougars blew it, even if the UH players were justified in feeling threatened by hostile taunts from the opposing team. With emotions running so high, the Houston team should have headed straight to the showers.

I happened to be in Hawaii during the aftermath of the game. My nephew, who is in the Navy and stationed at Pearl Harbor, married a beautiful Hawaiian girl Jan. 4 on a beach near her hometown of Waimanalo. As I knew it would be, the reaction to the brawl was very different in Hawaii. One local TV news station had a special commentary, with the sportscaster talking about how disgraceful the incident had been and taking the Hawaii team to task for its share of the blame. Hawaii coach June Jones was so embarrassed, he told reporters that the incident had him considering a return to coaching pro football.

Headlines were made during my stay when UH Athletics Director Dave Maggard, back in Houston, told a Honolulu Advertiser reporter in a Jan. 8 phone interview that the Hawaii team was to blame for the brawl.

"There is still a lot of speculation, but there is no doubt in my mind, based upon what I viewed on the sideline, how it started," Maggard said. "Now, the retaliation should not have occurred, but I do know how it started."

University of Hawaii President Evan Dobelle said he was "surprised and taken aback" by Maggard's comments.

A week later, the Western Athletic Conference and Conference USA made a joint ruling mandating punishments for both teams. The media barely reported on the ruling. Hawaii suspended five players for one of next season's first four games and reprimanded seven additional players. June Jones announced he would impose the additional punishment of community service for the suspended Hawaii players.

As for Houston, Maggard announced that UH would keep secret the nature of discipline and the number of players involved.

Why not full public disclosure? What do we have to hide?

It remains to be seen if the brawl will have lasting negative effects on UH's national reputation, but regardless of that, it would seem appropriate for UH President and System Chancellor Jay Gogue, as well as Briles and Maggard, to step up and make some sort of bold public statement taking responsibility and apologizing for the team's misbehavior in Hawaii. So far, UH has refused to see what a public relations nightmare this event could mean for our university. 

Damage control seems very much in order, if it's not too late.

Williams is a graduate student in communication and a guest columnist for The Daily Cougar. He can be reached via dccampus@mail.uh.edu.