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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, November 6, 2009

HPD 'joke' piles on struggling Warriors


By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

The performance of the University of Hawaii football team has been criticized by many, but now the Warriors' play is being classified as criminal.

The 2-6 team is mired in a six-game losing streak and sits in the basement of the Western Athletic Conference. Hawaii hosts Utah State tomorrow in the homecoming game.

In a tongue-in-cheek police report left on a media highlight board this week at police headquarters, an unknown person described an incident in which a suspicious white powdery substance was found on the UH practice field on Oct. 30.

Police highlights list details of a case and usually are written by detectives investigating felonies, such as murders, assaults and robberies.

In this case, the highlight stated that UH head coach Greg McMackin suspended practice and the FBI investigated the suspect powder.

"After a complete field analysis," the highlight states, "the FBI determined that the white substance unknown to the players was the goal line. Practice was resumed when the FBI decided that the team would not be likely to encounter the substance again."

The story aired several times on the Perry and Price radio show yesterday morning as a genuine news story. But the station soon realized it was a hoax, said Chuck Cotton, KSSK general manager.

"As soon as we found that it was bogus, we stopped reading it," Cotton said.

The Warriors were actually in Reno, Nev., last Friday, preparing for a road game against the Nevada Wolf Pack.

Michelle Yu, HPD spokeswoman, acknowledged that the highlight was written as a joke.

"It appears that the information was meant as a joke and not meant to be given out to the media," Yu said. "We are looking into it."

She declined comment on what, if any, punishment the author of the bogus report could face.

HPD REPORT

Here is the complete text of the Honolulu police incident synopsis, dated Nov. 2:

"Football practice at U.H. Manoa was delayed on Friday for nearly two hours. One of the offensive players, while on his way to the locker room, happened to look down and noticed a suspicious looking, unknown, white powdery substance on the practice field. The head coach, Greg McMackin, immediately suspended practice while the FBI was called in to investigate. After a complete field analysis, the FBI determined that the white substance unknown to the players was the goal line. Practice was resumed when the FBI decided that the team would not be likely to encounter the substance again."