Quotes from 12/27

About how they will have no curfew for their first few days in New Orleans, JJ said:
"Tonight and tomorrow there'll be no curfew. Most of the players have family here and they'll be doing stuff with them. They'll be fine." (HSB)

HSB Note: "One concern is casinos. There is legal gambling within walking distance of the team hotel. All-American guard and team captain Hercules Satele said he's managed to avoid going to casinos at previous road games and doesn't see any reason to start trying his luck now."

About how JJ didn't ban casinos, Hercules said:
"(Jones said) try to stay away from the things we're supposed to stay away from. He mentioned it, but didn't really actually say it. I'm staying away from it. The whole season I've stayed away from the casinos." (HSB)

HSB Note: "Upon arrival yesterday morning, the Warriors checked into their rooms and sacked out. Then most just walked around the city with teammates, friends and family, checking out sites like the Riverwalk Mall. They also received the second half of their $675 of expense money."

Director of security for the Warriors, Manny Rezentes, said that the Warriors have had just "three or four serious incidents" like fighting or theft in his four years on the job, adding:
"They weren't even pertaining to UH itself, (they were) off-campus things. For the amount of people, in four years, that's pretty good. On the road, it's been even better. Nothing like that, just breaking curfew once or twice." (HSB)

About how 7 nights in New Orleans is different than 2 nights in Lewinston, Idaho, Rezentes said:
"We have a town that's open all night. So after the meetings and stuff they can wander the streets. There's only a few nights with curfew, prior to the big game. (Jones) wants to treat them like men." (HSB)

HSB Note: "The Warriors were scheduled for a 9 a.m. wake-up call today (6 a.m. for Jones and players who signed up for a Fellowship of Christian Athletes breakfast), and the first meeting was at 9:30. The first practice for the New Year's Day game against the Bulldogs was set for 2 to 4 p.m. at the Saints' practice facility."

About his blog for the UH website, RGM said:
"It's pretty cool. It's good to let people know what's really going on. It's all me, how our trip is really going. It's not about a grade, it's for the fun, and letting people know what it really is." (HSB)

About New Orleans, Brad Kalilimoku said:
"It's a real historical place. It's interesting seeing the lifestyle and the struggle they're having coming back (from Hurricane Katrina). It helps you to appreciate the things you have because you don't know if one day that will be taken away. This place means a lot. I want to go on a tour and see the areas that have been affected by the hurricane and flooding." (HSB)

HSB Note: "The Warriors' latest itinerary lists a hospital visit on Saturday as the only non-football or meal-related activity for the week. But Jones said other excursions are being planned."


About the food he had last night, Hercules said:
"I just tried some for dinner, had some gumbo, and I want to get some jambalaya. It's very good, very spicy. Last time we were in Louisiana, I had some, but not New Orleans style." (HSB)

About eating out with some teammates, RGM said:
"Me, Colt (Brennan), Davone (Bess) and (John) Estes walked around a little bit. We had a burger. A regular burger and chicken tenders. Very good." (HSB)


About arriving on his own instead of with the team, Colt laughed and said:
"Because I didn't come with the team, I didn't get the band and the cheerleaders to greet me." (HA)

About the two day break he had at his grandmother's house in Colorado, Colt said:
"The two days felt like a week. It was nice." (HA)

HA Note: "The past six weeks had been hectic, beginning with victories over Boise State and Washington as the Warriors (12-0) completed the only unbeaten regular season in Division I-A football this year. Brennan attended the Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York, finished a video thesis, completed work on his bachelor's degree, participated in the commencement ceremony, participated in practices and meetings, and autographed thousands of items. Given the option of departing with the team on Christmas Day or going to Aspen for two days, Brennan chose to continue the family tradition."

About going to Aspen for Christmas with his family, Colt said:
"I've been going there since I was 3." (HA)

About avoiding one of his favorite activities in Aspen, Colt said:
"I've always been good at snowboarding. I don't take risks. I wasn't going to do it (during this trip). You never know what can happen. I wasn't going to do anything risky right before the biggest game of my life." (HA)

In addition to visiting his newborn niece and enjoying a white Christmas with his family, Colt said:
"We had the fireplace going, and we put on the Elvis Christmas album. I'm not even joking, but that's the best Christmas album ever. You don't skip a song. You just let it play." (HA)

About how they saw that New Orleans is rebuilding, Colt said:
"There's a lot of construction because of (Hurricane) Katrina." (HA)

About how the team took it easy yesterday and had just 2 team meetings, Colt said it was:
"a mellow day." (HA)

HA Note: "Several teammates went to a fast-food restaurant across the street, returning with burgers, fries and chicken wings. A group held a small dinner in Brennan's double-bed room."

About resuming practice today at the New Orleans Saints' training facility, Colt said:
"Everybody is glad to be back on the five-day-practice schedule. We're ready to have great practices and a great game." (HA)

Not wanting to discuss specifics about JJ's upcoming contract, HF said:
"this won't be done in the media." (HA)

About how JJ's salary will be decided by the market, HF said:
"You start at the top and work down." (HA)

HA Note: "Gary Pinkel, the football coach at long-struggling University of Missouri, was given a $550,000-a-year raise this week. University of Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly got a $450,000-a-year raise and the promise of new practice facilities last week."

HA Note: "When the 2007 season started, Jones' salary ranked 66th among 114 Division I-A coaches on one list. He has since dropped to at least 69th, depending on who else gets a raise this week. Among coaches whose teams are in The Associated Press' Top 25 poll, Jones' $800,016 salary ranks 25th. The Warriors, the only unbeaten team, are ranked No. 10."

About the $4 mil per year salary that Saban got from Alabama, HF said:
"What they (Alabama) did affects everybody." (HA)

HA Note: "Indeed, new Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino is to receive $2.85 million — $850,000 more than his predecessor, Houston Nutt, who went to Mississippi, where he will get $1.7 million, an $800,000 raise over what his predecessor had received. New Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez will receive $2.75 million, a $947,000 raise above what he had been getting at West Virginia and $1.3 million more than his Michigan predecessor, Lloyd Carr."

Asked about the UCLA and SMU openings, JJ said:
"I'm only interested (in preparing for) the University of Georgia." (HA)

About how he could see himself finishing his coaching career at UH, JJ said:
"Oh yeah, I could. I want to coach, maybe, five or six more years. Then, I want to look back and enjoy this season. I want to coach a few more years, probably five or six and then that's it." (HA)

About speculation that he'll go to the NFL, JJ said:
"I'm not looking, but if the right situation comes along I'd always listen. I would think there will be a lot of turnover in the NFL this year, but whether somebody calls, I don't know." (HA)

JJ said that the "right situation" would be one where:
"whoever I'm working for believes in the same principles that I believe in. It is being at the right place with people who know what it takes to win. Quite honestly, many teams in the National Football League really, from top to bottom, don't really know what it takes to win." (HA)

About making Sugar Bowl tickets available to the public now, HF said:
"Now that we have taken care of ticket requests from our season ticket holders and UH fans in Hawaii, we're going to make the remaining tickets available to mainland fans and members of the general public." (HSB)

Unsure how many tickets they have available to the public, UH ticket manager Walter Watanabe said:
"The ticket count is fluid, but we'll make as many tickets available as possible." (HSB)

About the importance of football revenues, HF said:
"Football pays the bills (for the athletic department)." (HSB)

HSB Note: "Frazier did cite the uncompleted renovations to UH football offices as an example of how money might be spent. He said that if the renovations were completed, it would free up office space and conference room space for coaches in other sports. The success of the football team will also lead to a higher profile for the university as a whole, Frazier said, which will help in recruiting and fundraising."

HSB Note: "UH does have figures on licensing revenues from July 1 through last Thursday -- up 75 percent over last year, according to the University of Hawaii Collegiate Licensing Office. The university took in $215,115 in licensing revenues during that period, compared with $122,114 last year, said licensing administrator Debbie Kutara in an e-mail. UH collects about 8 percent of the wholesale sales of officially licensed products. Based on that, Kutara estimated total retail sales are up by more than $2 million from last year."

HSB Note: "Sales at the Rainbowtique stores at the Ward Warehouse and Stan Sheriff Center are up by 50 percent so far over the last fiscal year, said UH-Manoa spokesman Gregg Takayama. Another boost would come next month if the Warriors win the Sugar Bowl. Last year's total sales were about $1 million, Takayama said. The money from Rainbowtique sales and sales at the bookstore goes into a special fund to operate bookstores at all 10 UH campuses.

The athletic department gets $30,000 a year in merchandise from the arrangement and 10 percent of all online sales of athletic department products -- which amounted to $5,500 last year, Takayama said. Licensing revenue from UH-Manoa athletic apparel goes to the athletic department and is supposed to be used for scholarships for student athletes, said Carolyn Tanaka, UH associate vice president for external affairs. But royalties also are shared with the UH-Hilo athletic department, the UH system, UH-West Oahu and the community colleges, she said. That money also is supposed to be used for scholarships, Tanaka said.

The last royalty payments were made in May 2006. At that time the UH-Manoa athletic department received $154,000. The UH system received $52,984, which has not been spent, said UH Vice President for Administration Sam Callejo.

Last year's total sales were about $1 million. The money from Rainbowtique sales and sales at the bookstore goes into a special fund to operate bookstores at all 10 UH campuses. The athletic department gets $30,000 a year in merchandise from the arrangement and 10 percent of all online sales of athletic department products -- which amounted to $5,500 last year.

Licensing revenue from UH-Manoa athletic apparel goes to the athletic department and is supposed to be used for scholarships for student athletes."