Slurping up the Kool-Aid, no matter how bitter the potion, was considered totally cool not long ago. Loyalty through dark times was a virtue, not something to be ridiculed.

Now, predicting success for a team that doesn’t look promising on paper takes courage. Few want to be labeled naive or oblivious of harsh facts leading to near-consensus predictions of a poor season.

Most of us who follow University of Hawaii football for a living expect 2013 to be Year Two of a massive rebuilding project under coach Norm Chow … Year Two of what many rational observers believe will take at least three.

But, to paraphrase Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix, there are many here among us who feel that Chow is but a joke.

Personally, I prefer the long view of the next line from "All Along The Watchtower:"

"You and I, we’ve been through that, and this is not our fate."

Survivors of 0-12 in 1998 wear the badge proudly, but their loyalty was rewarded quickly with the June Jones debut turnaround the following season. That is part of Chow’s problem; fans have seen how quickly an about-face can be executed.

That matters little to the real loyalists, however. And they don’t care that there will be fewer free tickets; they vow to continue paying for their season passes (and showing up) until the end of time.

Retiree Pomai Patton said his heart tells him UH will go 12-0 this season, but his brain says 8-4. He added that even if the team is winless, he will attend every home game.

"Don’t forget it’s not just football … I go for the tailgates also, good friends, good food, talk story, have fun then go to the game," said Patton, a longtime season-ticket holder and UH softball booster club officer.

Derrick Chae, an 11-year Hawaii resident, is a psychiatrist at Schofield Barracks from New Jersey.

"I’m a Rutgers alum, but plan to live the rest of my life in Hawaii, so I’d root for Hawaii if they ever played Rutgers for the national championship," Chae said. "I have 43 days to hope and dream of this and no one can change my mind. I’ll be at the USC game screaming my head off like it’s the playoff game it is towards the national championship."

Former UH linebacker Punahou Aina took a look at the schedule and said 7-5.

"I believe that they are trying their best to be better, and that’s enough for me."

When I ask exactly how winning will be achieved, the word magic sometimes comes up. Like I said, this is a fan base that has seen what looked like the unexplainable — 1999 and again eight years later, when you include all those miracles on the way to 12-0.

Ryan Toyomura of Salt Lake has a more practical answer.

"I’m all-in for dumping kukui nut oil into the opponent’s Gatorade."

Maggie Steele, a former Makakilo resident now living on the mainland, said fans in Hawaii should appreciate the team regardless of predictions.

"Wasn’t ‘Believe’ the motto in ’07? Some have lost the faith, but true fans never stop believing."

Patrick Williams of Iwilei is stuck between reality and hope for now.

"Like they said on the X-Files, I want to believe."

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783.