Representing

So tonight when I got home from my oil change, I was checking out some University of Hawaii Women's volleyball.
Wahine Volleyball:



Wahine being the Hawaiian word for woman.
Now this year, the football team is doing pretty well, we got a big game against BCS buster Boise State tomorrow morning for what may turn out to be the conference title.
Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
The football team doing pretty well I mean.
Being out here in the middle of the Pacific means recruiting is difficult and the team doesn't always get the exposure it deserves.
We here in Hawaii have deservedly been called bandwagon fans, only going to games when the team is winning.
The fan base is fickle to say the least.
Except volleyball fans.
I guess because of the climate or something, volleyball is big here.
I mean big.
Out draws men's basketball.
I'm watching it on TV, and I'm watching a replay.
Volleyball Mr. Flat Tire? Are you kidding me?
Athletic women beating up on each other, what's not to like?
Okay, okay, I only watch because of Brittany Hewitt:



Not that I have a thing for six foot three blonde giants.
She leads the nation in blocks don't you know.
Hawaii consistently draws what are called Fab 50 recruits(ranked high school prospects) so it's not about rebuilding, it's mostly reloading.
If you know what I mean.
Hawaii has four National Championships, though not since 1987 have they been able to hang a banner.
The thing is with Wahine Volleyball is that there are no ups and downs, just ups.
Eighty five percent winning record.
These women are in the chase every year.
So anyways, I'm watching tonight and they are playing one of the smaller local DII colleges here, Hawaii Pacific University.
Now HPU is no slouch either, they got a Division II Softball National Championship, but tonight, in women's volleyball, well, they are getting crushed.
Second set is like 25-7.
Not what this is about though.
I was watching/listening to the game while paying my penance trying to decipher de Maupassant when I looked up and saw the HPU mascot:



Now HPU's Sharkey has got to be the coolest mascot I've seen in a while.
Sort of a friendly menace.
Maybe it's the toothy grin or the idea of a fuzzy shark I don't know, but I like him.
At least I think it's a him.
More images of Sharkey here.
Now by the third set, UH had most of the reserves in so Sharkey had a little more to cheer about and by this point I admit I was watching just so I could get another glimpse of him.
It.
Whatever.
Sort of reminded me of Laurie Anderson.
Seeing him/it/whatever just makes you wanna cheer!
Never mind that they are called the Lady Sea Warriors and they got nothing to do with sharks.
Besides, in matches like this, folks start rooting for the underdog, especially when the odds are ginormously stacked against them.
They suit up, come out and take the floor with every intention of winning.
When teams come out and play like that, it's easy to cheer for them.
I mean they got Hawaii on their jerseys too.
Chapeau HPU for showing up and representing.
Oh, and Sharkey too.