In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we pause to reflect on some of what has made 2015 such a bountiful sports menu and count our many blessings.
So, before reaching for the TV remote or a second helping of dressing, how about hoisting a drumstick and giving a hearty thanks that:
>> It is two days before UH’s final football game and the Rainbow Warriors still have some assistant coaches left.
>> You don’t have to fight Holly Holm for the last slice of pumpkin pie on the table.
>> Mark Rolfing is said to be making progress in his battle with cancer and could be back out on the links reporting for NBC/Golf Channel in January.
>> UH has made it possible for so many attorneys to be gainfully employed again this year.
>> UC Davis and Colorado were on the football schedule this year.
>> You don’t have to try to block Kennedy Tulimasealii Saturday.
>> You weren’t stuck with a large inventory of leftover "Chow Time" t-shirts.
>> Though he qualifies for an array of AARP discounts, Dave Shoji still doesn’t know the meaning of "retirement."
>> Paying for MWC opponents’ charter flights has ended incessant whining about travel to Hawaii. Well, almost. San Jose State coach Ron Caragher told the San Jose Mercury after returning from Saturday’s victory, "We have the shortest week after the longest trip of the year."
>> More than 60 people want the UH head football coaching job and the school is not requiring psychological testing of the applicants.
>> Even after four consecutive losing seasons and facing the prospect of a fifth, UH still had enough hardcore fans left for the purchase of more than 15,000 football season tickets. Nowhere else in the Mountain West Conference would that happen.
>> Offensive lineman Ben Clarke has been one of the Rainbow Warriors’ all-time true "ironmen."
>> Kahuku and Saint Louis brought back some foot-stompin’ life to Aloha Stadium.
>> You won’t have to be the one to explain it to Notre Dame faithful if the Fighting Irish get left out of the College Football Playoff this year.
>> Laura Beeman has stuck around.
>> Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo is one of the best representatives Hawaii football could have.
>> You don’t have to be the one that goes before State Rep. Isaac Choy and the House Higher Education Committee next month to explain why the Legislature should give athletics $5 million.
>> Abby Wambach and the U. S. Women’s National Team bring world-class soccer to Aloha Stadium next month.
>> The new NCAA rules have done nothing to inhibit Roderick Bobbitt.
>> Leonard Peters provides some insightful and often unvarnished analysis on Oceanic Cable.
>> The Aloha Stadium Authority found a way to share $150,000 of field signage money with UH.
>> Marcus Mariota plans to give back to the community through a charitable foundation.
>> Riley Wallace is recovering from a series of medical problems –and has lost none of his acerbic wit.
>> That Abe Elimimian and Lance Samuseva look at coaching at UH as a way to give something back to their alma mater.
Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.
