I've been continually impressed by Coach Boyle's honesty, both with the media and his team. Prior to the Oklahoma game he made no bones about the fact that CU needed the game for March positioning. This cry was echoed by the team, and every indication made it seem like the team knew that a re-hash of the struggles against Nebraska was unacceptable if they wanted to make the dance.
This is normally a big no-no for coaches. While you may think like that, you're never supposed to be honest to that extent. A coach is just supposed to sit in front of the media and spout platitudes like every game is important only in and of itself. Boyle's acknowledgment of the larger picture was refreshing. Some may say that this lead to a tight CU squad blowing a winnable game to a poor Oklahoma team; I would counter by saying that if the team can't get over its nerves for a January game against a below-average team, then it has no hope come March. In a way I think it was good for Boyle to test his kids in such a way; now he knows what he's dealing with.
Boyle continued with his honest style today by admitting that the team's performance over the last week "let our fans down," and that CU needs to get back on track to "reward them." Boyle is from Colorado, and he knows just how hard it is to get the stoners, the ski-bums, and the Bronco-slobs to pay attention to a college basketball program in January, and he realizes how damaging those two performances last week may ultimately end up being. He realizes the larger picture of his job; and it's not just to win games this year and occasionally make a headline or two. It's a constant battle to keep the fans engaged, and it can often be an uphill climb to get the program the respect it sometimes deserves. He was brought in to re-work the way Colorado thinks about college hoops, and back-to-back road losses to weak teams doesn't help that cause. His honesty is, again, refreshing; I'm really starting to like this guy, win or lose.
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