The Perfect Day
As the new year approaches us, I would like take this time to share a story. I started Midnight Sports Today as an outlet. I was tired of watching my favorite sport shows speak about things that was not sports or make the same repetitive points on the same old teams. Now I do believe social issues must be discussed on all platforms. I also support one’s right to discuss such issues. However I found that said issues were not being discussed for its impact or importance on our society, more as it was the trending topic of the day. For the shows that refused to speak on said issues, I felt as if they had an agenda. To push a certain player or product. I understand that everyone has the favorite players and teams, Lord knows I do. However I felt as if it got repetitive to a point where originality was an exception. Where smaller market teams wouldn’t get a mention. Midnight Sports today was my outlet. A place where free thought and opinion on sports would not just be acceptable but encouraged. A place for all of us. I feel as if I have been successful in my efforts. I’ve made great relationships and friends with people I met through MST Twitter page, engaged in passionate debate and shared in our love for all things sports. My work has not come without criticism, I’ve made predictions, comments and takes for which have not well received. However, all of you engaged with my words and gave me a moment of your precious time, for that I am eternally grateful. So to start the new year, I would like to share a personal story. My first UH football game.
It was late November near Thanksgiving. I was in high school at the time and I had always wanted to go to a game. My day started out great. I used to be heavily involved in war games/ simulations. I was part of a club in high school and we’d play games before classes started. Every other Saturday or so, we’d meet at this store in Kalihi near Young’s fish market and play. My dad who bought me 2, 12 packs of Pepsi so I wouldn’t show up empty handed, dropped me off that morning. I had a phenomenal time and finished around 3. My dad with my mom picked me up in their 1996 Toyota 4Runner and we set off for Aloha Stadium. I wanted to rep my team so badly but I didn’t have any UH gear so my dad bought me a shirt that morning and I quickly changed into it as we passed all the HPD bike cops directing traffic.
We entered the stadium and my dad got both me and my mom all the snacks we wanted. One of the great things about Aloha Stadium was that the selections are endless. Besides the standard concession booths filled with popcorn, hot dogs and water, there was dippin dots, Papa Johns, blazin steaks and the multiple beer stands where endless men would wait for another drink, already hammered from the booze filled tailgates from the parking lot.
My dad got us prime 45 yard line seats as Aloha Stadium had a split on the 50. The stadium used to be able to move. I know that sounds crazy, it was a different time. We sat next to this older man, he was a white guy who lived in the islands for decades. He told me that he had 3 other buddies, the seat where we sat but unfortunately his friends either passed away or had medical issues so he was the only one left. It makes you think and made me appreciate how fortunate I was to be there, in this rusty but legendary cathedral of football. The man had binoculars for which he allowed me to use. It felt like I was on the field, next to players like Joey Iosefa, Scott Harding and Ikaika Woolsey who dawned the old school green jerseys and rainbow emblems of the 70’s.
With snacks and anticipation, the game was a initial dud. Hawaii rapidly down 14-0, a hallmark of the Norm Chow era found itself on defense. A 3rd down stop brought up 4th down for UNLV. Guess what happened? They ran a fake punt. I yelled for the UH special teamer to turn around but of course he didn’t listen. In the red zone, about to be down 21-0, Hawaii’s Na’Quan Phillips picked the ball off in the end zone to keep UH in it. The game was an up and down affair.
Hawaii football was in a poor state at that time, the Chow era was marked with close losses and then blowout losses. No true quarterback, finishing at the bottom of the Mountain West, UH was the joke of college football. This game was no different. Harding muffed every punt, no offensive consistency, irritation all around.
Finally we reached halftime, turns out my cousin was at the game. I joined him for the second half in the upper tier of the stadium, above the end zone. Hoping fortunes would change.
It did, UNLV and Hawaii engaged in a back and forth battle. The fourth quarter was a tough one. With less than 2 minutes left in the game, Hawaii was up 31-28. UNLV had the ball. UH needed a stop. With a full complement of timeouts, Chow was ready….to fail. Only using one timeout, UNLV drove down the field to score the potential game winning touchdown. However UNLV stormed the field with around 25 seconds left and got a bunch of unsportsmanlike penalties to be accessed on the kickoff. 35-31 UNLV. My memory is a little fuzzy but I believe they also kicked the ball out of bounce. Hawaii began their drive. A short gain followed by a timeout saw UH have a shot with 7 seconds left. Here we go. Woolsey dropped back and fired into the endzone. I fire out of my seat, no noise could be made. It was…incomplete. I take a quick gander to the scoreboard. One second remained. UNLV protested saying the game was over but the refs were having non of it. Chow called timeout and drew up the play. Woolsey dropped back, shotgun formation. Clean pocket. He steps up, no time left and fires the ball into the endzone. There’s a UH wide receiver. He jumps up, arms extended. Caught. I’m sorry let me quote me exact words at that time. “Holy fu***ing sh*t, he caught it, he caught it!” The late Robert Kekaula speaking to audiences worldwide…”Oh my goodness” to Rich Miano’s “this play will be reviewed.” This issue was that Kemp was pushed out of the endzone as soon as he caught it. It was so fast, no one knew if he crossed the plane.
It didn’t matter, the team and crowd stormed the field. The tumbler was jumping up and down. The crowd who remained in the stands were going crazy, the band played the loudest tune they could. It took an army to clear to clear the field, we won and replay confirmed. Kemp who is now a Kansas City Chief clearly had possession in the endzone. I went crazy, celebrating with my cousin. As the game finished with a procedural QB kneel, I raced down the column ramp to meet up with my parents to bask what just happened. It was incredible. We left and ate dinner at Zippys with the excitement of winning plowing throughout my body as a downed a surf pac with fruit punch. That night is forever etched into my memory. The moments shared, the heartbreak felt, the joy which filled my being. My dad’s dad jokes, yelling it’s Chao time to Norm Chow. The feeling of we love this team but please get a new HC. The effort my parents took to give me this perfect day. As we jumped on H3 towards the eastside, I looked out the window after waiting in the sea of red that is the break lights of the thousands of cars that were also trying to leave the stadium just thinking to myself…wow what a night. Thought the bright lights of Aloha stadium shall remain turned off forever, that place. Those orange, yellow and blue seats. The rusty pillars, the abandoned dugouts. Those times never leave me and for that, I’ll be forever fond of UH football.
