Recently, my friend Dan listed some of his favorite UH athletes on Facebook. It was nice to reminisce. Then it got me thinking….

Who are the best athletes out of Hawai’i currently? Arguably, they would be golfer Michelle Wie, Olympian Brian Clay, World Series Champion Shane Victorino, and UFC Champion B.J. Penn.

Funny, but none of them are former University of Hawai’i athletes. Funnier, none of them are as beloved as Colt Brennan, Derek Tatsuno, the Fabulous Five, or the Wahine volleyball team (the “darlings” of the UH program.) There is a dynamic present here….

I believe that there is an affinity between Hawai’i and its university’s sports teams. They seem to “represent” us. It’s an “us against them” kinda thing (“them” being the mainland.) Shane plays for Philadelphia, but Colt played for Hawai’i. UH is the only “show” in town, but it’s more than that. Sports seems to be the only visible platform where Hawai’i competes against the rest of the world. If you play for the University of Hawai’i, you play for us. Fittingly, their slogan is “We play for you.”

The “legends” of UH sports lore will always have a place in our hearts. Unless another one of our Little League teams makes it to the World Series, UH will always be Hawai’i’s team…. “the home team.”