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ANN ARBOR, Mich. >>
It was a joke.
University of Hawaii football coach Nick Rolovich spent Thursday explaining he was only kidding when he told television reporters Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh turned down a request to send video of the Wolverines’ practices. Michigan, which opens its season against UH on Saturday, watched the Rainbow Warriors’ nationally televised loss to California.
Rolovich said the comment was made in jest, and that he never asked Harbaugh for a video copy.
“I don’t think anybody would exchange practice films,” Rolovich said.
Rolovich’s explanation — and subsequent apology — did not come in time to stop the story from gaining national attention. He said he will let it be clear the next time he is being sarcastic.
That controversy was the only bump in an otherwise smooth start to another road trip. The Rainbow Warriors traveled non-stop by charter from Honolulu to Ann Arbor, arriving at 7 a.m. Eastern time.
“That may be the greatest travel this football team has ever experienced with that charter,” Rolovich said. “I know it’s not possible every time. But how those guys got off the plane, the comfort they had, I’m interested to see if it makes a difference on game day.”
He added: “It was enough space for the guys. There was plenty of room for everybody.”
The Rainbow Warriors used to fly charters during the 2007 season. But their carrier, Aloha Airlines, went out of business in March 2008. Since then, the Rainbow Warriors use charters only between mainland points.
After checking into the hotel, the Rainbow Warriors headed to Saline High School for a two-hour practice. Because the travel roster was limited to 64 players, the second teams served mostly as the scout players.
“We get a little better look, a little better speed, because we’re servicing with our 1s and 2s,” offensive coordinator Brian Smith said.
Smith said practicing a few hours after a red-eye flight is a way to get players “back on a normal schedule. Instead of having them nap all morning — which doesn’t get them a full night’s sleep, anyway, so they’re still tired for the day and they probably aren’t going to get to bed on time like they should — we’d rather just keep them awake, get them moving, get everything circulating though their body. And they’re ready for bed a little earlier.”
Rolovich said today’s itinerary calls for a stopover at Michigan Stadium, also known as The Big House.
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