By Dave Reardon

Here’s hoping everyone got what they were wishing for today. But I know most of you won’t have your holiday dreams fullfilled unless a certain outcome occurs Jan. 1 at a little football game in New Orleans.

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Keith AhSoon ranks up there among the most interesting UH players I’ve had the pleasure of conversing with. Despite the great access I have to the team, I don’t always get around to good interviews with all of the players; there’s a 100 guys on a football team, and all of them have a good story. Today’s feature is the result of my first significant conversation with the UH starting left tackle of more than just a few quick questions and answers.

Thanks to Markus Owens of the media relations department for tipping me off to the fact that Keith comes from such a tiny island in American Samoa.

Also, pardon my math; there are 300 people on Faleasao, and more than 70,000 will crowd into the Superdome. So it will be more than 200 times as many people, not 20 as I wrote. But you get the point.

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A few hours after the Warriors leave Hawaii today for New Orleans, our Star-Bulletin travel squad of five (sports editor Paul Arnett, feature writer Gary Chun, photographers Jamm Aquino and Richard Walker, and me) will be hot on their trail.

We’ll be covering the team, the fans, the city and the game from all angles.

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By Dave Reardon

A total of 83 family members of UH athletic department staff, coaches and student-athletes are traveling to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl at “state or bowl proceed expense,” according to a tentative breakdown provided by the school to the Star-Bulletin today.

Here’s a detailed breakdown.

Coaches: 17 and 30 family.
Administrative staff: 17 and 28 family.
Support staff: 31 and 14 family.
Participating student-athletes: 113 and 11 family.
Participating band, dance and cheer: 281.

Athletic director Herman Frazier said all athletic department personnel on the trip will be working.

By Dave Reardon

The Warriors worked out this morning to complete a full week of Sugar Bowl practices — seven days in a row. Now it’s three days off before they go at it again, in New Orleans.

Today’s session ended with a relay race with offensive and defensive players squaring off. The defense won, with Ryan Keomaka anchoring.

“We’re a little harder than the offense,” cornerback J.P. Davis said. “They’re prima donnas. We don’t take days off.”

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The following is directly from a Hawaiian Airlines news release:

Hawaiian Airlines’ employees will send the University of Hawaii Warriors football team off to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans with a spirited Christmas Day rally at the Honolulu International Airport.

Team buses will begin arriving at the Interisland Terminal’s second-level check-in area at approximately 3:00 p.m. Hawaiian’s employees will be presenting the players with Mardi Gras beads, rally towels, and posters recognizing the team’s memorable season of achievements. The team will board the airplane from Gate 61.

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Jim Donovan, executive director of the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, said 29,000 tickets had been issued for today’s game by this morning.

“We’re hoping for 22,000 in the ballpark,” Donovan said.

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By Dave Reardon

“The Largest Shuga Party in Hawaii,” a proposed Sugar Bowl viewing party at the Blaisdell, won’t happen due to lack of sponsorship.

It was a good idea, too bad it won’t come to fruition.

Gary Chun will have more in the Sunday Star-Bulletin

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The autograph signing session at UH today left many fans disappointed. One hour was simply not enough time to satisfy all who wanted a piece of Colt Brennan.

There also was not enough security to avoid mokes cutting in line.

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Quarterback Colt Brennan will meet his family in Colorado for Christmas, his father, Terry, said.

The eldest sibling in the family, Carrera, is expecting her first child.

Brennan will rejoin the team in New Orleans in time for the first Sugar Bowl practice.

“It’s an eventful time for us,” Terry Brennan said.

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By Dave Reardon

Safety Jake Patek got word last night that he will be invited to play in the Hula Bowl, Jan. 12 at Aloha Stadium.

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In anticipation of a crush of fans tomorrow, UH says folks can begin lining up no earlier than 10:00 a.m. for the noon autograph session . No overnight staging or holding a place in line will be permitted. Also, no chairs or coolers will be allowed in the line.

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The Warriors will practice at the New Orleans Saints facility. Practices are closed.

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The Star-Bulletin magazine celebrating 12-0, “Dream Season” is now available at the Kaneohe Burger King, according to my buddy Tim Lee Bow.

Update, Friday a.m., it is now also available at the Star-Bulletin fifth floor offices at Restaurant Row. They’re $4.95 each.

As our photo chief George Lee says (I’ll give you partial credit, Georgi), “Who knew regurgitation could look so good?” You’ve seen most of the photos in the paper, but they are exponentially better on the heavy magazine stock. We’re talking Sports Illustrated quality.

They will be at other outlets Friday afternoon, including 7-11, KFC, City Mill, Barnes & Noble and Best Sellers.

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We now have a page dedicated to Sugar Bowl stories, whether they be sports, news or features (photos, too).

http://starbulletin.com/specials/sugarbowl_showdown/

By Cindy Luis

The Hawaii men’s volleyball team was ranked 11th in the CSTV/AVCA Division I-II men’s volleyball preseason poll.
The Warriors open Jan. 3 against Penn State in the second match of the 14th Outrigger Hotels Invitational.
Brigham Young was ranked No. 1, followed by Pepperdine, UCLA, Penn State and defending national champion UC Irvine.

By Dave Reardon

Colt Brennan’s thoughts on the possibility of his number being retired didn’t make it into the a.m. edition. Here’s what he said after practice today (it’s about what you’d expect):

“That’s a real hard one to answer. Obviously it would be a big honor but I don’t know because so many players have done so many great things, including several teammates of mine. Thank God it’s not my decision.”

Reader Scott Ferguson’s take is probably similar to many others:

Retire a number?
Who has done more for the athletic program, the state of Hawaii, Recruitment, Donations, National exposure through major TV and newspapers, the football team than Colt Brennan has done? Who has touched the hearts of so many people across the country? Colt Brennan.
Who has broken the most records at Hawaii and NCAA history? Who led the team to our first undefeated season, first WAC outright championship, nationally ranked #10 BCS, and a trip to the Sugar Bowl? Who has gotten the state of Hawaii excited about football?
If there is anyone more deserving to have his or her number retired please do so. Timmy Chang didn’t do half of what Colt Brennan has done and in less time yet we have Timmy’s number partially retired. Premature? I don’t think so. We should have already retired his number.
Not only should we retire his number we should give him a key to the city, erect a statue of him, and start an athletic museum at Manoa campus if not already done.

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Error on my part in this morning’s edition in the story about retiring Colt Brennan’s number: The autograph signing session is at noon on Saturday, not 1 p.m.

It will END at 1 p.m. … the signing is for just one hour.

My apologies for the error.

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I just got my advance copy of “Dream Season.” The photography is beautifully displayed on thick paper stock. The pictures are worthy of a 12-0 team.

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By Dave Reardon

The 68-page magazine documenting 12-0 with big pictures and the game stories will be available from noon Friday (21st) at the following locations:

7-11
Burger King
KFC
City Mill
Barnes & Noble
Best Sellers

I was also told Borders and Times last week, but apparently that is obsolete information now.

And you can still order on line, too, at starbulletin.com

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OK, I don’t want to make a big deal out of this, but because I’ve received some emails and two phone calls questioning our reporting, it’s time to clear the air.

UH backup defensive end Victor Clore did not injure his shoulder by falling off a bull as was reported elsewhere on Tuesday.

It is correct that, as the Star-Bulletin reported, also on Tuesday, Clore got hurt while weightlifting.

Regardless of how he injured himself, it’s too bad that Clore won’t be able to play in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1. Fortunately, another backup defensive end ahead of Clore on the depth chart, Francis Maka, is healed enough from an injury near the end of the season and will be able to play against Georgia.

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Let’s get the bad part out of the way so there’s no misunderstanding: Airfare not included.

Now the good stuff: KGMB9 and HMSA are giving away tickets to the Sugar Bowl, and not just any tickets; luxury box tickets. Five winners will each receive two VIP tickets.

It’s one of those tell them why you deserve it deals. The winners will be announced Friday morning, during Sunrise on KGMB9.

The deadline to enter is Thursday night, a minute before midnight.

E-mail suitetickets@kgmb9.com to enter. Provide your name, phone number, address, e-mail address and why you and your guest should go to the game. You must be a current Hawaii resident.

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I was all pumped to write a story about how the UH players are getting shafted because they’re getting significantly less meal money at the Sugar Bowl than Boise State players did last year for the Fiesta Bowl.

Then UH coach June Jones explained that the Broncos got more because their fall semester last year ended several days earlier than UH’s this year, and thus they were practicing for the bowl game “on their own dime” for food longer than the Warriors are. Jones said the rate is set by the NCAA.

I’m getting the amount confirmed and will update with it.

Speaking of perks and such, Joe Edwards from our news desk culled this today from the Athens, Ga., paper:

Here, according to Sugar Bowl spokesman Duane Lewis, is what the Sugar Bowl is giving players: A Sony digital camcorder and memory stick, a leather jacket, Ogio Travel Bag, Nu-Fit baseball cap, a custom watch and a commemorative football.

Not a bad haul.

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Memory stick? That used to be what parents, P.E. teachers and nuns would use to help kids remember to listen to them.

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By Dave Reardon

Bo Levi Mitchell, one of the top two quarterbacks in passing efficiency in Texas, commited to accept a scholarship from Hawaii on Monday, sources said.

Mitchell is 6-feet-2 and 190 pounds. He plays for undefeated Katy High School, the alma mater of UH defensive back Ryan Mouton.

More details to come.

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There will be much more to come, but this sounds promising:

Lynn & Jeaneen Sapir are the owners of Johnny White’s Pub & Grill on Bourbon Street, and Lynn is from Hawaii — so you know what that means!!!

Lynn was born and raised here, an alumnus of Iolani and UH.

Lynn says the restaurant serves food daily from 3 pm till 10 pm, “with our balcony bar remaining open until you can’t drink anymore. The Hole in the Wall Bar is open 24 hrs.”

On New Years Eve food will be served until 7 pm and then a $10 cover will be charged with a one drink minimum. It will be first come first serve without in and out privileges. ESPN’s 1420 Sports Animals will broadcast from 7 pm till 10 pm from the balcony.

On January 1st there will be a tailgate buffet type event for $20 from 1 pm until 6:30 pm. In and out with a stamp. This offer is for Hawaii fans, who are requested to wear green. ESPN 1420 will broadcast a pre-game show from our balcony from 5:30pm till 7:30 pm.

By Dave Reardon

It’s a 68-page magazine full of great outsized photos and the next-day Star-Bulletin game stories from each of the 12 regular-season victories.

You can buy it online now at Star-Bulletin.com (this web site, just click back to the home page), or wait until later this week when it will be available at Times, Borders, Barnes and Noble, 7-Eleven, Pizza Hut, Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken.

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With practice being closed, UH is still trying to set something up this week where fans can interact with players for autographs and photos. It might be at Cooke Field. Details as soon as we get them.

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Two Arizona Western players hopes to transfer to UH; they visited practice today. Running back Kimo Leung-Choi (Kahuku) and defensive tackle Kamalu Umu (Saint Louis) both played at Hawaii high schools.

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Slotbacks Davone Bess and Ryan Grice-Mullins both did not practice again today due to wear and tear from the regular season. Receivers coach Ron Lee said he thinks they’ll both be back tomorrow.

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