About the 15-yard penalty they got for doing the haka before the game, JJ said:
“That was not the correct thing.” (HA)
HA Note: “The NCAA has rules against unsportsmanlike conduct, but none specifically mentions the haka, a Maori war chant the Warriors began doing last year before games. After receiving a complaint, the WAC circulated a notice of suggestion encouraging teams not to perform the haka during road games.”
Upset with the WAC deciding to try to prevent the haka from being done during road games, JJ said:
“The rule hasn’t changed since last year, and we were allowed to do it. For someone to micro-manage outside the NCAA rules, that’s not right.” (HA)
HA Note: “Jones said he conferred with officials before Saturday’s game. He said he was told the haka would be allowed as long as the Warriors were not on the playing field or facing the Louisiana Tech players.”
OL coach Dennis McKnight, who joins the players in the haka, defended the haka:
“It was never an intimidation thing. It’s a cultural thing for our fans and our players.” (HA)
About how they carefully chose a place away from the field to do the haka but still were penalized, JJ said:
“I checked. We didn’t do it on the field. We did it 75 yards away from the field. … It’s not (unsportsmanlike). It’s a cultural, spiritual thing. It’s unfortunate. There’s no unsportsmanlike issue in the book covering this.” (HA)
“We were 75 yards removed from the field, doing what we do – something that’s special to Hawaii and special to our fans. It was just an unfortunate situation I thought.” (AP)
“It’s a tough situation for the officials. We were 75 yards away from the field, facing our fans.” (HSB)
Upset with the WAC trying to stop them from doing the haka on the road, Colt said:
“I’m very disappointed and sad our conference would try not to allow it. That tears at what college football is all about. We’re representing a culture that is very unique. If it intimidates and scares a coach, that’s his problem.” (HSB)
“Alabama swinging their arms (like elephant trunks), everything like that. If we have to stop, every school should have to stop. But that’s not what college football is all about.” (HSB)
About their haka before the La Tech game, Keao Monteilh said:
“We got penalized for something we do before every game. There’s no sense in that. We were looking over the field. We didn’t make any gestures to (the Louisiana Tech players). We were pointing to our fans.” (HA)
About how other teams have their pre-game rituals but UH is being singled out, JJ said:
“Some teams hold up helmets in the huddle. Florida State does a march around their helmet. (Texas-El Paso coach) Mike Price comes down and sticks a pick in the end zone.” (HA)
About how his high school, Mater Dei, performed synchronized drills before the game, Colt said:
“That was something that was very traditional to my high school. We would be very offended and feel it was unfair if we weren’t allowed to do that. For us, they said we couldn’t do the haka on the field, so we went off the field. I think we did everything right. We shouldn’t have been penalized.” (HA)
JJ said that the haka should be celebrated as a cultural act that:
“is a positive thing for the conference. The haka has international recognition. It brings our conference identity. It’s talked about all over the world. There’s no rule to control what we do off the field, like they can’t control what we do in our locker room.” (HA)
Monteilh added:
“Maybe the next time we have to do it in our locker room. There might be a ref in there, too.” (HA)
About how they won’t stop doing the haka, JJ said:
“It’s not going to prevent us from doing the haka in the future.” (AP)
“It is special to Hawaii and the fans. We’re not going to change.” (HSB)
About the penalty for the haka, La Tech coach Dooley said:
“I talked to the officials prior to the game, because I know that was a point of emphasis this year. What the referee told me was that as long as we weren’t on the field, they can do the haka. I guess we were out there in pregame, and they did it, so that’s why they were flagged.” (HA, HSB)
“It’s something that’s probably a tradition for Hawaii, and they don’t mean it as disrespect. But at the same time, it’s important to be sensitive to the other team and how they view it. It’s like any religious or cultural event you may have. When you go to Japan, what’s a natural custom in the United States may be offensive to the Japanese. I think there certainly should be some sensitivity to that.” (AP, HA)
Karl Benson’s e-mail sent on 8/27 to all WAC teams read:
“If they are done in a way that’s directed toward the opposing team in a taunting manner – or if done to ‘incite’ the opposition’s fans – it does violate the policy and will be subject to penalties,” the e-mail said. “Should your institution have a team that performs some type of routine either before or after a game-match, it must be done while the opposing team is off the field or court and in their respective locker rooms.” (AP)
Benson’s e-mail also urged visiting teams to:
“not perform any type of routine whatsoever on the field-court of the home team.” (AP)
Benson said today that his e-mail was not to single out UH or the haka, but to remind schools of the policy:
“I respect the cultural relevance of it. I think it represents the Polynesian culture and I respect that.” (AP)
AP Note: “Benson then advised Hawaii not to perform the haka until an opposing team is in the locker room, and the Warriors complied. That is, until Saturday.”
Benson said that he spoke to JJ today and:
“I believe we’re on the same page. I conveyed to him that I was not in any shape or form trying to eliminate it. But rather than risk any chance of future penalty or conflict, why not do it when the other team is in their locker room? I’m anticipating that will be the case in the future.” (AP)
About how they will be replacing the haka (a Maori dance) with the Hawaiian war dance they were working on in training camp, Brad Kalilimoku said:
“We kind of wanted to change it, we’re not being forced. We want to do something that more represents Hawaii.” (HSB)
Hoping that their Hawaiian war dance will be ready for the game at UNLV, Kalilimoku said:
“We’ll probably be ready. We want to make sure it’s good before we do it and we’ll practice throughout the week. There are a lot of Hawaii fans who are going to be at the game, and a lot of people from Hawaii. We want them to be proud of where they’re from.” (HSB)
Note: I’d love for that to happen because I’ll be at the game!
About how the haka isn’t meant to intimidate the other team, Kalilimoku said:
“To us, it’s just representing where we’re from. Others may perceive it as something negative toward them. I don’t see what the big thing is. It’s not like we’re physically touching them.” (HSB)
