Hawaii Bowl 10 Year Reunion

[NOLABigSteve]

I'm somewhat more vocal about this since I was on the team, but here goes.

Several of us on the team voiced our thoughts early this year (6-8 months ago) on having a 10 year reunion for the football team at the homecoming game this past weekend, since we are 10 years out from the Hawaii Bowl season. A former player on the team (not me) also asked Cowen why we were not having anything special for the 10 year reunion of the team, and Cowen seriously replied “we can do it next year, nobody pays attention to that stuff anyways.” When he quickly realized how dumb his reply sounded, he said "I will talk to Rick about the ECU game."

Needless to say, Athletics/Tulane has nothing planned for the 10 year reunion. Money says that they will try and save face with some half ass last minute effort and throw something together. This is the type of gathering that is planned out way back 6-8-10 months ago (at the very least) so all those players can make plans for them and their families to come into town. Now if Tulane does do something, we will get a few days notice. Damn shame.

I also know of another player who had talks with a few people in athletics early this summer about a possible reunion, and nothing was done. We already have too many former players that don’t come back around Tulane, and this is just further alienating them. It's a damn shame that they will say Hurricane Isaac or the Devon Walker injury or not having enough employees sidetracked them, but the sad fact is this is the type of event would have/should have been planned out way before any of those events ever took place.

[tpstulane]

I happened to run into Brandt Quick http://www.bquickfitness.com/about-us.html at my gym in Covington last week. We talked about Tulane football.
He then asked me if I had heard anything about the 10 year Hawaii Bowl reunion for homecoming, I laughed and said it probably being kept a secret "under a cone of silence" because I hadn't heard anything.

[AugWave]

That's pretty f***ed up.

[sader24]

This is the type of sh*t that pi**es former players off as well as fans. Anybody want to bet that Cowen didnt even remember that bowl team and if he did he certainly had no clue it was the 10 year anniversary. That's pretty disgraceful on his part. If he truly cares about his student athletes he should know things like this, same goes for Dickson who should've been on top of this long ago considering we have 2 Bowl wins in the last 40 years.

[jonathanjoseph]

If there is something to screw up, Cowen/Dickson will screw it up. Freakin clockwork.

[Krewe of Ham & Eggs]

As my boss would say, those two are so dumb they could screw up a wet....well you get the idea

[Houma de Wave]

This is beyond sad but, unfortunately, expected from an administration of arrogance and self-righteousness. With that statement, he has verbally confirmed what we all have believed.

[Tulane72]

Yes they should have had a 10 year reunion for the Hawaii Bowl team. But Tulane has never care for it's former players. Next year it will be 40 years since we went 9-3 and beat LSU and ended the season rank 16th. Many of the key play makers are dead. It could be argued that season might have save Tulane football from being ended by Darwin Fenner and the Tulane board. He tried it in 1972. Once the Saints went to the Dome there were no revenue excuses for keeping football. But once we beat LSU he would have had a revolution if he ended football. Yet I heard nothing from Tulane. But you saw what Cowan said so don't be surprized. There needs to be an end to arrogance and ungratefulness from those that should care.

[JerseyWave]

The 2002 team had lots of talent. Still can't figure how we lost to Army in the Dome. Scelfo did his best coaching job beating USM and Hawaii that year.

[Krewe of Ham & Eggs]

The 2002 team had lots of talent. Still can't figure how we lost to Army in the Dome. Scelfo did his best coaching job beating USM and Hawaii that year.

Watching the game against army that year was a low point in my life. They were 0-9 coming into the game. I think we missed three FGs and had another blocked in that game

[Fred Dowler]

I'm somewhat more vocal about this since I was on the team, but here goes.

Several of us on the team voiced our thoughts early this year (6-8 months ago) on having a 10 year reunion for the football team at the homecoming game this past weekend, since we are 10 years out from the Hawaii Bowl season. A former player on the team (not me) also asked Cowen why we were not having anything special for the 10 year reunion of the team, and Cowen seriously replied “we can do it next year, nobody pays attention to that stuff anyways.” When he quickly realized how dumb his reply sounded, he said "I will talk to Rick about the ECU game."

Needless to say, Athletics/Tulane has nothing planned for the 10 year reunion. Money says that they will try and save face with some half ass last minute effort and throw something together. This is the type of gathering that is planned out way back 6-8-10 months ago (at the very least) so all those players can make plans for them and their families to come into town. Now if Tulane does do something, we will get a few days notice. Damn shame.

I also know of another player who had talks with a few people in athletics early this summer about a possible reunion, and nothing was done. We already have too many former players that don’t come back around Tulane, and this is just further alienating them. It's a damn shame that they will say Hurricane Isaac or the Devon Walker injury or not having enough employees sidetracked them, but the sad fact is this is the type of event would have/should have been planned out way before any of those events ever took place.

Ridiculous.

Like how many times has Tulane had a season in which the team had 8 or more wins and got to play in a bowl game at all over the past 60 years? You can count those seasons on one hand.

Coming from the same person who had boasted at one of the public forums in 2003 about the deliberations over the future of TU athletics that he had read all about the history of the school and then claimed that the year that TU had left the SEC in 1970 (it was 1965).

Come to think of it, they did nothing at all to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the bball team making it to the NCAA tournament for the first time ever.

[DrBox]

It would have had some solid symbolic value as, right after that, Cowen called for his review.

[greenie78]

That was a damn good team and brought alot of good memories, especially the Hawaii Bowl night. One of the funnest games I ever experienced. I also remember reading about Tulane recruiting every damn day that year.

Its a shame the school won't do anything special for that team. They deserve to be honored.

[DrBox]

Come to think of it, they did nothing at all to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the bball team making it to the NCAA tournament for the first time ever.

Now THAT was a big oversight.
At its best, the Hawaii Bowl team was very good. But they should have won 10 and ended up in the top 40. But they didn't. In the end, it was the Hawaii Bowl, perhaps the equivalent of a NIT team in basketball.
In general, you don't hold reunions for that.

[mbawavefan12]

I'm somewhat more vocal about this since I was on the team, but here goes.

Several of us on the team voiced our thoughts early this year (6-8 months ago) on having a 10 year reunion for the football team at the homecoming game this past weekend, since we are 10 years out from the Hawaii Bowl season. A former player on the team (not me) also asked Cowen why we were not having anything special for the 10 year reunion of the team, and Cowen seriously replied “we can do it next year, nobody pays attention to that stuff anyways.” When he quickly realized how dumb his reply sounded, he said "I will talk to Rick about the ECU game."

Needless to say, Athletics/Tulane has nothing planned for the 10 year reunion. Money says that they will try and save face with some half ass last minute effort and throw something together. This is the type of gathering that is planned out way back 6-8-10 months ago (at the very least) so all those players can make plans for them and their families to come into town. Now if Tulane does do something, we will get a few days notice. Damn shame.

I also know of another player who had talks with a few people in athletics early this summer about a possible reunion, and nothing was done. We already have too many former players that don’t come back around Tulane, and this is just further alienating them. It's a damn shame that they will say Hurricane Isaac or the Devon Walker injury or not having enough employees sidetracked them, but the sad fact is this is the type of event would have/should have been planned out way before any of those events ever took place.

I can't blame Cowen on this one, other then his dumb response of course, the guy has more pressing matters (at least I hope) this sort of thing absolutely should happen but it is Dickson's responsibility first and CJ second. Maybe CJ is just not up to speed but bringing these players back is important because 1) you guys earned it; 2) this brings you closer to the program and thus will help form recruiting bonds/pipelines; and 3) it shows the current players what Tu is capable of achieving. I know in my little northeast baseball program, so many quality players came through alumni pipelines in some form or another. Seriously, what does Dickson do all day that could keep him from organizing a well deserved reunion? Maybe they were afraid that the players would have some less then flattering things to say about Cowen, Dickson, the OCS etc.

[NOLABigSteve]

In general, you don't hold reunions for that.

I take issue more with the attitude of the Athletic department on this issue vs. actually having a reunion. In the scheme of things, no it's not that big of a deal. But it's just another example of their public indifference and not connecting with the fans and alumni.

[tpstulane]

Come to think of it, they did nothing at all to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the bball team making it to the NCAA tournament for the first time ever.

Now THAT was a big oversight.
At its best, the Hawaii Bowl team was very good. But they should have won 10 and ended up in the top 40. But they didn't. In the end, it was the Hawaii Bowl, perhaps the equivalent of a NIT team in basketball.
In general, you don't hold reunions for that.

I agree they should have won more games, but I disagree on not honoring those guys. Only the 2nd bowl win in the last 40 years, it was a bowl victory to build on until the crushing review.. Going forward with today's environment with bowl tie-in's for CUSA, that bowl would be the best thing anyone could hope for around here.
What's the big deal to have the team walk out on the field at haltime and host them in a suite? Perhaps those guys would boost their TAF donation because of something that easy.

[Eaglewave]

The 2002 team had lots of talent. Still can't figure how we lost to Army in the Dome. Scelfo did his best coaching job beating USM and Hawaii that year.

I think Cincy, who beat 2002 C-usa champion #23 TCU, finished 2nd in c-USA that season with a 7-6 record. The 2002 Wave squad spanked them in the dome, but not only lost to a auful Army team, but Memphis and ECU. The 2002 team looked good at times, but they were very inconsistent in a pretty bad C-usa. Still in all, a reunion is a good idea for the last team to make it to a bowl game. I don't care if it was the Hawaii Bowl.

[winwave]

Come to think of it, they did nothing at all to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the bball team making it to the NCAA tournament for the first time ever.

Now THAT was a big oversight.
At its best, the Hawaii Bowl team was very good. But they should have won 10 and ended up in the top 40. But they didn't. In the end, it was the Hawaii Bowl, perhaps the equivalent of a NIT team in basketball.
In general, you don't hold reunions for that.

I agree they should have won more games, but I disagree on not honoring those guys. Only the 2nd bowl win in the last 40 years, it was a bowl victory to build on until the crushing review.. Going forward with today's environment with bowl tie-in's for CUSA, that bowl would be the best thing anyone could hope for around here.
What's the big deal to have the team walk out on the field at haltime and host them in a suite? Perhaps those guys would boost their TAF donation because of something that easy.

+1

Steve that's a damn shame. You all should have been honored.

[TURVS71]

Unfortunately we have learned that Tulane has no vision.....it is ashame. Of course I have a bias in this situation , my family and I made this trip at a difficult time and I am glad that we did.

I just don't get the marketing thoughts or lack of thought in that athletic department! Not only should they honor our bowl teams, they should be honoring, each week, a former player. Find those players that have become successful businessmen, fly them and their family in on Friday, honor them on field, etc. Sure it will cost a little but if this person feels connected to the university he will probably contribute. It just makes good sense, but then, we seem to shy away from "good sense" ideas.