Granted: this complaint is coming from Fresno State fans, who have a reputation for being rambunctious and rude guests.We had found a parking spot and were making our way into the stadium. Of course we were all wearing red and were heckled a bit, which is entirely understandable and expected. Our seats were located in the visitor's section in the northwest corner of the north end zone. Like most stadiums, this section is surrounded on all sides by the opposing team's fans.What follows are a lot of details we can't print on here and obviously cannot verify. Fights. Foul language. Lax to non-existent security. Large men with children on their laps verbally abusing people. You get the picture. Take it or leave it (and frankly, some of it comes across as subtly racist - what does a Hawaii fan being Samoan have to do with anything?), but it's interesting if true.
Unlike most stadiums, however, sitting in this section means that you will be constantly verbally and physically assaulted for four quarters. Let me stress that I am no stranger to hostile athletic environments. I've been to games at LSU, USC, UCLA, Oregon etc., but I have NEVER seen visiting fans treated like we were on Saturday night.
Hawaii claims their recent success has made it difficult to lure non-conference visitors to travel across the Pacific and play them. Maybe, just maybe, word is also getting around that their fans don't make for great hosts? Aloha means hello, but it also means goodbye. Hmm ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-14-2007 @ 2:41PM
nikkicookers said...
I bet mclovin put hawaii on the map a little bit more. That might help with their success. no?
nikki
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http://www.fitconnect.com
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11-14-2007 @ 2:49PM
Chris M. said...
Hawaii will have to prove themselves next season when they travel to Gainsville to take on the Gators in their second game of the season. GO GATORS!!
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11-14-2007 @ 3:48PM
josh said...
Hawaii fans seem to be worse than Ohio State fans, as if such a thing is possible. No doubt both schools use t-shirt blasters to pass out diplomas. Colt must fit in perfectly there, you know, after getting kicked off of Colorado's team for getting drunk, entering a coed's room uninvited, exposing himself and fondling her.
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11-14-2007 @ 6:51PM
Scott Olin Schmidt said...
The FSU fan was lucky to GET a parking space. We were heckled for trying to park our car at Aloha Stadium because people were tailgating in the open parking spaces.
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11-15-2007 @ 7:16PM
Kamaainakid said...
If Riley were playing in the NFL he would have been ejected, been flagged for fifteen, been suspended for a week, and been fined $50K. The Fresno bench would would have had 8-10 guys with wallets 10K lighter for taunting. I have seen this play over and over, Riley led with his helmet, he made no attempt to use his arms, his shoulders only made contact after his helmet hit Brennan's helmet. It was intentional, it was flagrant, it was necessary, it was an attempt to injure Brennan, and it had NO PLACE in any football game. Any one who says otherwise is not paying attention. Hill may have realized that this situation needed to be defused, and it was good of him to make the trip to the UH locker room. As for any Fresno fans who contritely left the stadium mumbling apologies... if you still got hassled I am totally sorry and apologize. Any Fresno fans lipping off, and crowing about Brennan's injury... what else did you expect? Amazing that the denizens of the most hostile visitor environment in all of college football would be in tears about their treatment in Hawaii.
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11-15-2007 @ 5:25PM
Kamaainakid said...
Sorry, I obviously meant to say, "It was not necessary".
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12-04-2007 @ 2:38AM
Idahosharky said...
I just came back from the Boise-Hawaii game and I can say the comments about some of the Hawaii fans are on par; so it seems it is not just Fresno they don’t like. I hate the sound of it - but there was a silver lining in Boise loosing to Hawaii; I made it out of the game unscathed! There is little doubt that if Hawaii didn’t pull ahead in the third and more so win the game, I would have met with a few altercations before getting to the parking lot.
I was not aware of the altercations the Bulldog fans encounter with the Hawaii fans; I was just expecting a good game with friendly “cousins.” I had 50-yard seats in the Hawaii section (I was told they would switch sides, but they didn’t) great seats except my wife and I were the lone orange in a sea of green. After Boise's first score, it was clear I was not welcomed any more. Throughout the game there were a couple guys 6 seats away taunting me every opportunity. When I went to the rest room, one guy got on my case pretty good and tailed me out for awhile just itchy for some of his own action. There were five thugs standing close by our seats although they were not sitting in that section giving me the evil eye but when Hawaii got on top in the third, they went off to go party. (now a lot of fans were nice, don’t get me wrong however there were more than enough that brought the average way down.)
The stadium folks also allowed fans in the stadium to come down on the field and do push-ups after Hawaii scored each time to taunt the Boise folks. Usually when fans go on the playing field during a game the police take them to jail; but then they have to be around I guess.
I suspect the Fresno blog did get the Hawaii fans to have some restraint for the Boise game. Without it, I suspect there would have been a number of un-invited altercations.
This is the last time I see myself going to any football game in Hawaii, not worth the hassle. I’ll stay home in Boise and maybe watch the Bulldogs beat Georgia Tech.
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