The Hawaiians (WFL)

The Hawaiians
Established	1974
Folded	October 1975
Based in	Honolulu, Hawaii
Home field	Honolulu Stadium (1974); Aloha Stadium (1975)
Head coach	Mike Giddings
General manager	Danny Rodgers
Owner(s)	Christopher Hemmeter and Sam Battisone (1974); Edward Sultan, Jr. (1975)
League	World Football League
Division	Western
Colours	Brown, Gold, Scarlet

The Hawaiians were a professional

Honolulu that played in the World Football League. They played two seasons, 1974 and 1975. Their records were 9–11 in 1974 and 4–7–1 in 1975. Their home stadium was Honolulu Stadium in 1974 and Aloha Stadium in 1975. The best known player to play for the Hawaiians was former Dallas Cowboys running back Calvin Hill, though quarterback Jim Fassel became better known as a head coach decades later. The Hawaiians' head coach was Michael Giddings^[1]

who guided the Hawaiians through both the 1974 and 1975 World Football League seasons.

The franchise was originally going to be called the Honolulu Warriors, but a local team had trademarked that name. As a result, the team was known simply as "The Hawaiians", although the press frequently mistakenly called them the "Honolulu Hawaiians" or the "Hawaii Hawaiians." They were owned by real estate developer Christopher Hemmeter for the first season. He was named league president in 1975, and sold the Hawaiians to jewel merchant Edward Sultan Jr.

Though lasting for less than two seasons of play, the Hawaiians represented a serious attempt to form a viable professional football organization, one that at least had the potential for success had the WFL been better run. They were one of only three teams that did not miss a payroll during the league's first season. (False accounts had said some players released from the team could not afford to get to the mainland.) Hemmeter and his original partner, Sam Battisone (who also owned the

New Orleans Jazz) were among the few owners thought to be capable of fielding a team in 1975.^[2]

It was the first and, to date, only major professional American football team to establish its home base outside the contiguous 48 states.

Schedule and results

Key:

Win

Loss

Bye

1974 regular season

Source^[3]

Week	Day	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
1	Wednesday	July 10, 1974	at Florida Blazers	L 7–8	18,625
2	Wednesday	July 17, 1974	at Southern California Sun	L 31–38	32,018
3	Sunday	July 21, 1974	Detroit Wheels	W 36–16	10,080
4	Sunday	July 28, 1974	Chicago Fire	L 29–53	12,608
5	Thursday	August 8, 1974	at Jacksonville Sharks	L 14–21	43,869
6	Wednesday	August 14, 1974	at Birmingham Americans	L 0–39	43,297
7	Wednesday	August 21, 1974	at Memphis Southmen	L 8–60	25,123
8	Sunday	August 25, 1974	Jacksonville Sharks	L 8–14	10,099
9	Sunday	September 1, 1974	Houston Texans	W 33–15	10,248
10	Friday	September 6, 1974	at Portland Storm	L 6–15	15,551
11	Wednesday	September 11, 1974	at Houston Texans	W 24–17	9,061
12	Wednesday	September 18, 1974	New York Stars	W 17–14	12,169
13	Wednesday	September 25, 1974	Philadelphia Bell	L 16–21	14,497
14	Wednesday	October 2, 1974	Birmingham Americans	W 14–8	12,039
15	Wednesday	October 9, 1974	at Philadelphia Bell	W 25–22	4,900
16	Wednesday	October 16, 1974	at Portland Storm	L 0–3	11,302
17	Wednesday	October 23, 1974	at Chicago Fire	W 60–17	20,203
18	Wednesday	October 30, 1974	Memphis Southmen	L 31–33	20,544
19	Wednesday	November 6, 1974	Southern California Sun	W 29–8	13,780
20	Wednesday	November 13, 1974	Portland Storm	W 23–0	14,245

Playoffs

Game	Day	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
Quarter-finals	Wednesday	November 20, 1974	at Southern California Sun	W 32–14	11,430
Semi-finals	Wednesday	November 27, 1974	at Birmingham Americans	L 19–22	15,379

1975 regular season

Source^[4]

Week	Day	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
1	Sunday	August 2, 1975	at Philadelphia Bell	L 15–21	3,266
2	Sunday	August 9, 1975	at Portland Thunder	W 25–24	7,709
3	Sunday	August 16, 1975	Southern California Sun	L 19–37	15,862
4	Sunday	August 23, 1975	Chicago Winds	W 28–17	10,313
5	Sunday	September 7, 1975	at Memphis Grizzlies	L 17–37	15,132
6	Sunday	September 14, 1975	Jacksonville Express	W 33–15	18,479
7	Sunday	September 21, 1975	at San Antonio Wings	L 11–30	10,871
8	Sunday	September 28, 1975	at Shreveport Steamer	L 25–32	21,348
9	Saturday	October 4, 1975	Birmingham Vulcans	L 16–29	18,894
10	Saturday	October 11, 1975	Philadelphia Bell	W 14–13	10,789
11	Sunday	October 19, 1975	Southern California Sun	L 7–26	15,905

References

^ "Head football coach". Football Digest. August 1974.
^ Marshall, Joe. World Bowl in crisis. Sports Illustrated, 1974-12-16.
^ "1974 World Football League Game Results". Retrieved 2015-11-11.
^ "1975 World Football League Results". Retrieved 2015-11-11.

External links

[1] "Head football coach". Football Digest. August 1974.

[2] Marshall, Joe. World Bowl in crisis. Sports Illustrated, 1974-12-16.

[3] "1974 World Football League Game Results". Retrieved 2015-11-11.

[4] "1975 World Football League Results". Retrieved 2015-11-11.

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