Benedict Blue Bombs

Really?! Baby blue?

As an alum of the University of Colorado I tend to be a bit biased in my assessment of the young folks walking away from Boulder with a sheepskin in their hands. Yes, I’m an admitted homie. This weekend, however, has shaken my faith in the mental prowess of those graduating from Buffland in the next several years.

A SENIOR (who should know better), started a Facebook blue boycott against the current Buffs football coaching staff.  Taylor Rhode, an

Facebook tampering

 accounting major, wanted to send a message to CU officials by coaxing students to don baby blue t-shirts to the Texas A and M game in silent protest and to show the similarities of the losing teams that wore similar colored unis in the early 1980’s. While I appreciate the historical knowledge of Buff football, Taylor needed to think outside the Rocky Mountain box – like in the direction of southern California.

Taylor, think about this for a minute. Darrell Scott just left in midseason with the expectation that he will follow his uncle to UCLA and the current Bruins coach is ex-Buffs wunderkind Slick Rick Neuheisel. Do you know the colors that the UCLA Bruins wear? It is BABY BLUE and gold!  Unknowingly you made those that played your little dress-up game look like they support a university that could very well have three guys that dissed the institution you and/or your parents are spending thousands of dollars for you to attend!

After storming the field with the lame baby blues glittering brightly in another beautiful Boulder afternoon, hopefully Taylor and his army felt like the hypocrites they appeared to be on TV.  Try just slapping some corn cobs on your head and hitching up your overalls and call it a day next time.

Bored Sportswriters Find Story at CU

Sportswriters and sportscasters that cover the Colorado sports scene are obviously jonzing for some controversy.  The Broncos have started 6-1 to quiet the McKid bashing, the Nuggets are off to their best start as a franchise at 5-0, and the baby Avs lead the NHL in points.  Couple that with the fact no local pro players (e.g., Brandon Marshall and JR Smith) have gotten into any legal trouble recently and these guys are worried their lead stories will be follow-ups to the Buffs cross country team’s disappointing second place finish in the Big 12 Championships!  Oh, but there’s more gold in them there Flatirons.  Darrell Scott just laid a big palet of fodder at their collective doorsteps by quitting the CU football team in the middle of a challenging season. 

The sky is obviously falling on Dan Hawkins and the CU football program because Scott, a back-up running back, has decided to leave Boulder to return to sunny So Cal.  Those who are shocked haven’t been paying attention.  Probably the biggest factor for the five star recruit picking CU over Texas was the fact his uncle, Josh Smith, was a rising star receiver for the Buffs.  After Smith transferred this past summer, and Scott was not only injured but backing up Speedy, it is no surprise the kid bolted the Rocky Mountains.  I’m sure 2 feet of snow in late October along with a 2-6 record didn’t do anything to sway him towards staying.

It certainly isn’t a shot in the arm for this beleaguered football team, but college players are in and out of programs all the time.  Think about the lives of five star recruits - they are hormonal teenagers with huge egos that are blown-up bigger and bigger as major schools tell them how great they are and how each of them will be the star of their respective teams (Can you say Heisman?).  Scott was no different, but the problem was he didn’t see Speedy coming down the tracks.  There were other contributors to Scott’s unhappiness in the People’s Republic. 

•  The budding star transferred into another L.A. high school for his senior year, so loyalty to a struggling program is not in his repertoire. 
• Scott was out of shape when he came to CU as a freshman after missing camp because of academics.  That lead to a slow start and probably contributed to his injuries last year.
• Hagan was hard on Scott when he got here and told him to earn a starting spot by working hard. Don’t think anyone has ever told him he actually had to EARN a starting job.
• He missed the support of uncle Josh who transferred to UCLA during this past summer to pursue a degree in media arts (he wanted to study film production). 

Sometimes a kid needs a new start, so maybe he’ll be successful on Slick Rick’s sunny campus. Meanwhile, Hawk gets no credit for recruiting Speedy who was getting offers from D2 schools and has been an amazing back especially given the poor O line play.  He gave Speedy a scholarship and gave him a chance to start despite landing Scott who was supposed to follow Salaam onto the Heisman stage.  Giving everyone on the team a fair shake should give you the best opportunity to win.

I know the Colorado sports talking heads are twisting the story around to say that it will hurt Hawkins on the recruiting trail, but I disagree.  High school kids want to play in college and with Scott leaving any incoming freshman will have a good shot at eventually starting.  Good luck at winning a national championship at UCLA in the next three years.  CU still has good depth at tailback to finish off 2009 and I would like to see junior Demetrius Sumler get a chance to carry the ball again.  Sometimes divas are best left in Hollywood.

Time for Hawk to Soar

Can you say NutraSystem?

Coach Hawkins held a long press conference today in hopes of calming the pitchfork carrying mob at the gates of Folsom at least until after Turkey Day leftovers are eaten.  I’m not sure it worked, but I much prefered the Hawk Love approach to dealing with his team’s adversity versus Texas Tech’s Mike Leach blaming the cellulite challenged girlfriends of Red Raider players for the 52-30 loss to rival A&M last week.  To clarify, Leach was trying to make the point that he and his coaching staff were not getting through to the players and his young steeds were listening to people tell them how good they were instead of executing on the field. 

I don’t have an issue with calling out players behind closed doors or to the media if they go rogue and break laws/rules, but to try and make a point by insulting the female students who date ball players at Texas Tech is a little too Fred Flintstone for my tastes.  Hey Leach the Peach, you might want to check into signing up for Danny Boy’s NutriSystem for Men before you start grading the waistline of the student body.  Not sure if you’re a hunter, but don’t go out into the woods dressed in camouflage in late November someone might mistake that waddle for a potential Thanksgiving Day bird.

Now, let’s think about some excuses Mikey could’ve come up with that would have been much more entertaining and frankly more believable.

• Matthew McConaughey took a road trip  to Lubbock last week in his Streamline, snuck onto campus unnoticed, and poured a cocktail of aphrodisiacs into your boy’s Gatorade stash.
• Your wife’s Cosmo was the only thing to read while on the throne Sunday morning and your horoscope said, “Mercury conjuncts Jupiter and squares Saturn on October 24″, so that was why your team was embarrassed at home by the hated Aggies.
• You wandered in the desert on Saturday night guzzling agave margs and had an epiphany that it was “sex” NOT “football” that males in their late teens and early twenties think about every seven seconds!
• The skinny cheerleader told her boyfriend the waterboy, who told the equipment manager, who told the coaching staff that Tech was hosting Baylor on Saturday, so you were totally shocked when the Aggies ran out onto the field!

Red Raider fans and alumni must be so proud.  Dan Hawkins might not have the Buffs back on the winning track just yet, but at least he takes responsibility for his team and actions.  The Colorado coach said he had made mistakes, was frustrated and wanted the team to be further along in its development, but he was going to dig in and continue to work hard.  He’s no Superman, but he’s our Hawk and I’m pulling for the good guy to win in the end.

Rivalry Plays Out At Wash Park

On a gorgeous Colorado fall day the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference held its cross country championships at Denver’s Washington Park.  The course was set-up in the center of the park where volleyball nets and soccer balls rule during a typical summer weekend.  This past Saturday true college athletes competed for the love of the sport.  They don’t expect million dollar contracts when finished with school, but instead are studying to actually get a degree and go work for the man like the rest of us. 

There was great support from the local running community, family members and the student body.  It was inspiring for this “29 and holding” recreational runner to see these young men and women out there giving all they had whether fighting for a top finish or not to become the RMAC cross country version of Mr./Ms. Irrelevant.  If you haven’t been to a college competition in Colorado that doesn’t feature a puck, basketball or football you should add that to your bucket list.  Not only are most of them free, but you get see some of the nation’s top athletes compete right here in your own backyard. 

Adams State swept the men’s and women’s RMAC championships with Western State right on their heels.  The Grizzlies took the top three spots in the men’s race and 1, 3 and 4 in the women’s.  Western State showed they had more heart than any team out there.  After giving rival Adams State a run for their money and finishing a solid second in both races, the team loaded up and drove to Thornton to attended the funeral of assistant coach Lisa Thomas (23) who died in a one car crash last week.  Her energy and support was an inspiration to WSC on a beautiful fall day in Colorado, and one has to wonder if LT was out there running stride for stride pushing each one them down the home stretch.

Cardiac McKids

Ohhh, 6-and-0!

Jim Rome went on a tirade about the Broncos being for real at 6-0 and described McDaniels as “the smartest guy in the room,” so this team must be for real!  Most folks in Denver and all the NFL “experts” (except Rod Smith) should go buy some ranch dressing to dip that crow into and grab a cold Coors Light with the blue mountains to wash it down.  I admit that although I supported the changes in Dove Valley including trading of Cutler, 6-0 was beyond my wildest dreams. 

Last night some friends and I thought it would be fun to go out and catch the game at Chopper’s with a couple hundred of our closest fellow Bronco fans.  Behind at halftime 20-17, I told my hand wringing buddies not to worry because the Broncos will pitch a shutout or won’t allow more than one score in the second half by the Bolts.  The guys in brown didn’t disappoint led by Dawkins who left in the first quarter with a hammy injury.  The offense did its job too by making the necessary adjustments to score 17 after the break.  That was some sweet payback after the Broncos last trip to Shamu land.

Throwback socks were a blur on Royal

It seems like every week a different player steps up to make plays when the team needs it.  Scheff had the second 100 yard reception game of his career, Eddie tied a team record set back in the 1960’s with a return of a punt and kickoff for a touchdown in the same game, and DOOMvil had 2 of the team’s 5 sacks on Rivers.  These guys have been so exciting and fun to watch I’m going to have to go skydiving or free climb the first Flatiron to get my rush during this bye this week!

Type A’s Don’t Go Easy on Offspring

Still a hopeful Buffs fan

The much ballyhooed insertion of Tyler Hansen into last Saturday’s game against Texas in the third quarter has dredged up the issue of Cody being the coach’s son and accusations of nepotism.  Really?!  Do you people understand that an extreme Type A personality is a prerequisite to becoming a successful Division 1 college coach?  That means these guys demand pursuit of perfection in themselves, their coaching staff, players and offspring.  If you happen to be a player and a son on your father’s team you’re just asking for constant pressure and intense scrutiny!

Of course, these kids are usually as hard or harder on themselves as their dad’s are.  Just like every other child ever born on this planet (including you) these players crave approval and support from their parents, and unless there is abuse or abandonment, this continues into adulthood.   Don’t try to deny it, just nod in agreement and keep reading.  In addition, if said child plays for said parent/coach it is fairly typical that the coach will bend over backwards to NOT show favoritism which raises the bar even higher.

If you saw some of the interviews with Coach Hawkins after the Texas loss you might have caught the statement he made about being very upset with Cody throwing that INT that was run back for a TD in the third quarter.  That was a 14 point swing that the Buffs (a 32 1/2 point underdog) weren’t good enough to overcome and gave the Horns the momentum boost they desperately needed.  He basically said that Cody should’ve known better and if it had been Hansen, or any other player not related by blood, he probably would’ve left him in there.  Doesn’t sound like the kind of special treatment one would find in Aspen’s Little Nell, but rather in Florence at the Supermax. 

Lil' Hawk

Yes, Hansen lost his redshirt, but if he was the next Sanchez, McCoy, Ryan or Tebow the kid would already be on the field.  Frankly, I would rate out these two QB’s at even, with Cody better at running the offense and Hansen owning more raw talent.  Hansen had all of spring ball and fall camp to take the over the team, but failed to beat out Cody as determined by the offensive coordinator – not head coach who was busy coaching the WRs.  The Buffs actually have a bevy of talented freshmen QBs ready to fight it out once Hansen, who is a sophomore, graduates.  The question is will daddy Hawk be in Boulder to witness that competition?

CU is still a young team with an O line that hasn’t completely gelled yet despite having the size of an NFL front four.  The receiving corps has been decimated by transfers, ineligible players, injuries and disciplinary actions.  Cody can’t block, throw and catch the ball all by his lonesome.  The bright spot has been healthy running backs with Speedy and Scott carrying most of the load.  Also, the defense has started to trust each other and are stepping it up (they held a team which was averaging 208 yards per game to 46 on 25 attempts last weekend).  Don’t forget that the Buffs still have a chance to win the Big 12 North.  They are 0-1 in conference play and the only teams without a loss in the North going into this weekend are Nebraska and Kansas.  Don’t count the Buffs out yet and I predict a win over the Shuskers on Turkey Weekend!

Thanks for Another Rocktober

Mad and sad Rox season over

My friends and I went to both NLDS Rockies games and are still trying to recover, and thaw out, from the disappointment.  It was an exciting ride as Drew Litton captured so well in his rendition of Colorado’s season.  The guys had a great run and just ran out of luck, along with healthy arms, by the end of it.  For such a young ball team they handled the pressure really well, but I think being home and having the burden of producing another World Series run on their shoulders was too much to bear. 

Tulo is one of the best shortstops in the league, but putting that kind of pressure on a young guy can be daunting.  Yes, he came through in 2007 but by most accounts (and in Todd Helton’s opinion) he was too young to know better.  Hopefully he will chalk this up to experience and it will provide building blocks for years to come, but it sure is hard to swallow now.  Also, remember Houston Street is a young guy of 26 and may have come back too soon from his biceps tendon strain that occurred the beginning of September.  Streeter had 35 saves in 37 attempts coming into the postseason, but he seemed a little shaky since coming back. 

Tulo in warmer weather

For the most part this young team will come back in tact next year and be another year wiser.  Atkins will most likely not be tendered a new contract with Stewart moving into the starters role.  It is highly doubtful we’ll see Giambi back in purple pinstripes since he was a hired gun for the playoff run.  Francis should be back healthy and hopefully back in the ace spot.  Chacin and Smith will be given a shot at earning rotation spots in the spring.  Buckholz will be back after elbow surgery and Embree will be a welcome addition back.  The Rockies have a solid pitching staff when healthy and all the main position players are committed to contracts next year, so fans have a lot to look forward to next season.  In the mean time, fans have McKid’s Broncos, a solid Nuggets team and young feisty Avs group to help erase the sour memories of this week.  By March we’ll be talking about what a great year the Rockies had in 2008, and looking forward to spring snow and baseball at Coors Field.

Rockies Get No Respect

We stick out our tongues at the MLB

Our Colorado Rockies are back in the playoffs for the second time in the last three years – much to the chagrin of Major League Baseball.  Fox decided that the Rockies at the Dodgers game played on April 18 was worthy of a nationally televised game, but that was it.  Of course, that game was BT (before Tracy) and the Rockies lost 9-5 where the bats didn’t show up until the sixth inning.  If you recall the Rockies had exactly ZERO regular season nationally televised games during their 2007 World Series year.  I get the fact that the major market teams with long histories draw TV ratings, but I still think it stinks.  Does anybody outside of the northeast look forward to a regular season Red Sox/Yankee game anymore?  I’d rather Tivo that Joy of Painting guy on PBS that teaches you how to freehand landscapes!

Gold Glove Award

There was a video floating around the internet promoting the MLB Playoffs with Jon Bon Jovi belting into the microphone and spliced with season highlights.  Do you think there was one shot of the Rox in it?  Nope, nada, not a single one!  Back in 2007 Colorado broke the MLB record for team fielding percentage and not a single Rockie was awarded a Gold Glove.  If that had been the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs or Dodgers multiple players would have that shiny coated glove in their trophy case. 

I know we should be used to it with the dissing of Broncos in the Hall of Fame, the Buffs having to share the national title with a team from the then weak ACC Conference, and complete disregard for the Nuggets during the playoff run this past spring.  Let’s just think of it as giving our guys a little more motivation to win as underdogs than the big boys toting their oversized wallets.

Weekend Wrap-up

Best time of year!

There was too much to make note of after this huge sports weekend, so I’m just going to touch on everything today.  Unless you live in a cave outside of Boulder, you know the Broncos passed their first “test” of the season – as if playing any other NFL team is Powder Puff football.  And if  you are just a passing fan you should know that the Rockies didn’t win the West, but are in the postseason.  What you may not know is that the Rapids missed a chance to clinch a playoff spot, the Roller Dolls are off to Philadelphia, and the Avs remain undefeated.

The Crush is back!

Let’s start with Orange Crush Redux.  The Broncos passed their first real test, as the crow eaters are calling it, by beating the Cowboys 17-10 at Invesco Field yesterday.  The vaunted D gave up 10 points in the first half, but after the break shut down the league’s second leading rushing team and sacked Romo 5 times in the game.  After four weeks of competition the Broncos defense is ranked second in the NFL behind the Giants in total yards allowed.  Here’s something I bet you didn’t know, Denver’s running game is ranked fourth overall – just behind the Cowboys which dropped two spots after visiting Mile High.  Just a note to all you season ticket holders that still don’t believe – if you’re going to sell your tickets pawn them off to a Bronco fan instead of a visiting team fan.  It was embarrassing to hear the announcers say there was a large contingent of Cowboy fans in the stands yesterday and you could HEAR them! 

Toad isn't the only one with a ride.

Local baseball fans finally stepped off Mr. Tracy’s Wild Ride on Saturday night when the Dodgers beat the Rockies 5-0, after a Frankie Morales meltdown in the 7th, to win the NL West.  Colorado had the Dodgers back on their heels and wondering if they made a mistake waiting to pop the champagne in celebration of the postseason until they captured the division crown.  LA celebrated with the So Cal fans, but the Rockies shrugged it off since they had already sprayed their celebratory beverages.  The NLDS starts for the Rox Wednesday in Philadelphia at 12:37 PM Colorado time on TBS.  I’m guessing employers might see a spike in sick days this week or at least extended lunches.

If you have followed the Rapids since the team donned the green and yellow unis, then you are aware that the team hasn’t tasted the postseason since 2006 after six straight appearances.  Colorado could have clinched a spot in the postseason with three points this past weekend, but could only muster another tie.  The team (40 points) is idle this weekend and could be overtaken by New England (38 points) and drop into the eighth and final playoff spot with two games left in the season.  The Rapids have the ability to score, but seem to have gotten cold feet over the last four matches.  They all ended in ties and Colorado hasn’t found the back of net more than once in any of those games.  Get ready for another nail-biting end to a Colorado team’s season with the Rapids visiting Dallas and rival Salt Lake to finish the regular season.

WFTDA Nationals

For those of you that missed it, the Denver roller derby teams hosted the WFTDA West Regional tournament (Derby on the Rocks) this past weekend, and both Denver teams earned a trip to the National Tournament in Philadelphia to be held November 13-15.  Although the Oly Rollers from Olympia, Washington won the event the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls and Denver Roller Dolls took the #2 and #3 spots, respectively.  Only the top three seeds from each of the four regional tournaments are awarded a spot at nationals, so congratulations are in order for our Denver teams.  Good luck in Philly!

Again, unless you’ve been hanging out in a tent at RMNP the past week you know the Avs kicked off their season on Thursday (same day the Rockies clinched the WC spot) with a tribute to longtime captain and future hall-of-famer Joe Sakic that culminated with the raising of his number to the rafters of the Can.  The young team was so amped they went out and whupped up on the San Jose Sharks (last year’s Pacific Division winner) by a final score of 5-2.  Then Craig Anderson, the newly acquired 28 year-old net minder hailing originally from Illinois, pitched a shutout (3-0) against the Canucks on Saturday for the second Avs win of the season.  Colorado is 2-0 and leading the Northwest Division!

For sports fans in the Rocky Mountain region it’s another fun and glorious fall with playoff contenders fighting for titles and high hopes for teams early in their seasons.  Let’s hope the Rockies and Rapids can take us on another long wild postseason trip.  Although I didn’t mention the colleges, there is still hope for conference titles and bowl games in the young season.  Who needs a Disney ticket to catch a wild ride if you’re a Colorado sports fan!?

Buffs Don’t Look Close

Ummm, what's going on?

I’ve been watching football games off and on this afternoon while I made some yummy dark chocolate cookies, and can’t help but notice the difference in the skill and execution of top teams around the country versus CU.  I’m a BIG Hawk fan and want so badly for one of the good guys to succeed just once, but I’m having trouble seeing an improvement in the program over the last four years. 

The defense seems to be coming together a bit, but still lacks speed in the secondary and occasionally looks lost.  Brian Cabral will get his ’backers there like he always does, but it remains to be seen if Hawkins’ move to bring in his long time mentor Bob Foster for a one year stint to handle the outside linebackers will work out.  There’s no doubt that Coach Hawk is feeling some pressure to win and losing Mark Helfrich this past spring to Oregon definitely hurt.  He has had some stability with four guys he brought with him from Boise State still on the payroll, but there doesn’t seem to be continuity with the players.  I feel like Bill Murray in “Groundhog Day” with CU fielding a young team that has great potential but little roster depth each fall.

There are challenges being a head football coach at CU, such as intense scrutiny in regards to recruiting, citizenship and academics as a fallout from the Barnett era.  Another challenge is the limit by the state legislature of six long-term contracts that CU can offer at any given time.  That means an assistant coach on any CU athletic team has a better shot at winning Power Ball than getting a multi-year contract.  In contrast, Oklahoma State coaches can get up to a five year deal and Gary Pinkel didn’t lose a coach during his first seven years at Missouri.  Lastly, CU’s facilities now look outdated compared to other Big 12 schools.

2009 Buffs

There are some positive things on the field with Speedy Stewart being one of them.  He is sofun to watch!  The offensive line is very young and inexperienced, but we haven’t had big uglies taking up that kind of space since the Mac tenure.  Hawk’s experiment of getting in the trenches and coaching the receivers should hopefully end after one futile season.  Although this position has taken a beating with transfers, grades, suspensions, etc., the Buffs have some young talent that could provide decent targets for Little Hawk and Hansen next year.  CU is also loaded with young guns waiting for their shot at QB’g the team and to put up numbers as if Folsom had blue turf. 

CU fans need to give Hawk one more year to have a Mac-like breakout season, although this year looks like it will be painfully long.  Besides, Colorado can’t afford to buy the guy out!  Heck, they have people talking about privatizing CU to save the state money!  What?!  Anyway, it seems that the powers that be in all of the state supported institutions have addressed this nonsense with the legislature, but it still doesn’t change the fact that Hawk will finish out the length of his original contract in 2010.  Let’s hope his team plays well enough to warrant that two year extension the Regents gave him through 2012.