June Jones Prefers Hawaii ... Over Hardware?

As I write in this week's Dallas Observer column, SMU picked a bad year to have a good year. And now - on the verge of his school's first bowl bid in 25 years - Mustangs' head coach June Jones is picking a strange time to get homesick. Behind freshman quarterback...

By Richie Whitt

November 19, 2009

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As I write in this week's Dallas Observer column, SMU picked a bad year to have a good year.

And now - on the verge of his school's first bowl bid in 25 years - Mustangs' head coach June Jones is picking a strange time to get homesick.

Behind freshman quarterback Kyle Padron, SMU has won three straight, is 6-4 and poised not only for a bowl game but also a Conference USA Championship and the automatic berth to the Liberty Bowl. But the Hawaii Bowl is also interested in the Ponies.

Alas, we have a problem. And Jones might just have a conflict of interest.

Despite the Liberty Bowl promising more money and better TV ratings, seems Jones desires a return to the islands.

"The conference is going to dictate what bowl we go to, but obviously, I've told the guys we're going to Hawaii so that's where I want to go," Jones told Conference USA reporters this week. "These guys have never been to Hawaii. Plus, I think it would be way better PR for the school."

Que?

There's more. Unless I'm reading this news from PonyPride.com wrong, seems Hawaii wants Jones and his Mustangs too.

The halftime entertainment of this year's bowl game will be Grammy nominated singer Henry Kapano, who also just happens to be a former University of Houston teammate of one, you guessed it, June Jones.

If I'm an SMU fan, I'm just glad to be debating which bowl game my team is going to rather than sad rubbish like this. And, to be honest, the reason for SMU's success is Jones' eccentric ways - on and off the field.

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