Tuesday, May 13, 2008.

Not to beat the Hawaii subject to death (okay, maybe I am), but in case you haven't heard, the Warriors' "ha'a" routine will be alive and well when they play at Boise State October 17. That's the choreographed pregame chant Hawaii players perform at the end of warmups, the one that's caused some ruffled feathers at opposing stadiums. The ha'a is the UH football team's homemade variation of the original "haka", the Maori war chant the Warriors started performing in 2006 (including before their game at Bronco Stadium). New coach Greg McMackin wants to expand the ha'a this year to include the band and even get fans involved at Aloha Stadium. When the Warriors come to the blue turf for their ESPN game, Bronco Nation may have its own form of fan participation for the ha'a.

The developing debacle involving money and favors given to USC's O.J. Mayo has reopened the debate over players declaring early for the NBA. Many want the requirement to attend college increased from one year to two, but if guys like Mayo have no business being there, why bother? Just open up the NBA Development League to blue chip players coming out of high school who aren't equipped or have any desire to attend college. It would raise the talent level in the D-League and on the Idaho Stampede exponentially, but it would also increase the potential for off-court problems.

Despite the fact these are players just trying to get to the NBA, the Stampede have created an extraordinary family approach with their roster, avoiding any brushes with the law and resultant public relations black eyes. But an influx of 18-year-olds who have been pampered throughout their scholastic lives--then find themselves with money, be it the lucrative NBA windfall or the modest D-League paycheck--would inevitably brew an incident or two. The biggest scandal the Stampede have experienced in their two seasons of NBA affiliation didn't even involve one of their own players. It was during the D-League Showcase in January in Boise, when Iowa Energy guard and Chicago Bulls rookie JamesOn Curry was nailed for the infamous urinating in public.

One Idaho Stampede alumnus heretofore unmentioned in the NBA Playoffs is Utah Jazz guard C.J. Miles, who had a short but productive two-week stay with the Stamps in January of last year. Miles originally committed to play for Texas before entering 2005 NBA Draft and became the youngest player in Jazz history when he cracked the lineup as a rookie at the age of 18. He was sent to Boise during his second season but was quickly recalled by the Jazz after scoring 17.3 points per game. Miles, now 21, has scored just six points in five games in the postseason, averaging 2.2 minutes when he gets the rare chance to play. He had more of an impact during the regular season when he played 11½ minutes per game in 60 games and averaged five points.

The Boise Hawks will play their 20th season in Memorial Stadium this summer. The facility hasn't changed much since its hasty construction in the winter and spring of 1989, but current Hawks ownership is reinventing it as best it can. Tomorrow the team will unveil what it calls "the most coveted seats in the history of Memorial Stadium" in the new Diamond Club. It's a new seating area just 43 feet from home plate. Heavily-fortified, to be sure. The only thing I can think of similar to that is that little screened-in area behind the plate at Dodger Stadium. Is that still even there?

It's the season of discontent after a winter of high expectations in Seattle. The Mariners are in last place in the AL West and are a mess, and manager John McLaren's rants behind closed clubhouse doors hasn't yet had an effect. Former Boise Hawk Jarrod Washburn is symptomatic of the M's woes. In his third season after coming over from the Angels, Washburn was expected to break out this year, but he's been breaking up with a 2-5 record and a 5.68 ERA. He's allowed 21 earned runs in his last 26-plus innings. After two innings against the White Sox Saturday at Safeco Field, the 33-year-old lefthander was down 6-0. The 8-4 loss was Seattle's 10th in 11 games--make that 12 in 14 now after last night's 13-12 loss to the Rangers in 10 innings.

Congratulations to former Bishop Kelly football player Jeff Brunelle, who since made lacrosse his passion. Brunelle, a senior at Oregon, has been named first-team defender in the Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League. It's the highest level of club competition in the sport outside the NCAA. Brunelle helped the Ducks to three league titles in his four years, including a berth in the national championship finals last May.

This Day In Sports...May 13, 1976:

In the last ABA game ever played, Julius Erving scores 31 points to help the New York Nets overcome a 22-point third quarter deficit and beat the Denver Nuggets, 112-106, to win the final ABA title. It also marked the retirement of the league's signature red-white-and-blue basketball. The next season the Nets, Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers would merge into the NBA.

(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment Sunday nights at 10:30PM on KTVB's Sunday Sports Extra and anchors five sports segments each weekday on 1350 KTIK/The Ticket. He also handles color commentary on KTVB's telecasts of Boise State football.)

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