Monday Grab Bag: The Banana Stand comes through

We may suck at football, we may be struggling in soccer and volleyball, but those frozen bananas from the Cross Country Banana Stand are plentiful and delicious.  What football game?  This week it's all about the victorious runners.

Click below for the bag...




Winning -

 You can have football.  What we in Boulder care about is running, damn it.  And we happen to do it quite well.  So well in fact that this weekend we happened to sweep the team titles handed out at this little thing called the 2011 Pac-12 Cross Country Championships.  KA-BOOSH!

Despite not having a runner finish in the top-2 of either race, the Buffs placed enough of their top-5 finishers towards the top of the leader board to secure victory.  The men squeaked by the higher-ranked Stanford squad by 7 points, while the women out-paced second-place Washington by a much more comfortable 23 points.  Richard Medina and Shalayla Kipp were the top CU finishers in each race.

Sweet, sweet victory.  From: CUBuffs.com

In the old Big XII, the cross country meet was essentially a CU coronation, preceded by a consolation meet amongst the other 11 schools.  The Pac-12 is a whole 'nother cross country beast, and it's a testament to the coaching staff and the runners that they swept the team podium in their first try.  Congrats Buffs, you did us all proud!


We belong -

In a league that prides its self on it's Olympic sports ('twere it a country, the Pac-12 would've finished 3rd in the medal count at the Beijing Olympics), to kick start the Pac-12 era with dueling titles, even in an 'non-revenue sport,' makes a statement that CU does belong.  That, despite the football mishegas, the Buffs are on par with their new conference-mates.

Those are some mighty fine lookin' trophies you have right there.

Savor this.  Take a damn picture.  'Cause right now, the Conference of Champions standings in the 12 team era look like this:

CU: 2

EVERY OTHER FUCKING SCHOOL: 0

We have all the titles.  ALL THE TITLES.  God bless Mark Wetmore.


The football team doesn't like frozen bananas - 

Down the road from the Cross Country teams dual-championship awesomeness, the football team squared off against Arizona State.  This happened.  Didn't watch, didn't care.  I'm pretty sure the Buffs lost, and that some players may have not exactly been trying their best, but my attention was focused elsewhere... like my Xbox.  I also cooked up some damn fine burritos. 

Basketball in 11 days....


Meet the Buffs -

Speaking of basketball... I swung up to Boulder yesterday afternoon to take in the "Meet the Buffs" event at the CEC.   While the effort level wasn't the highest (this obviously didn't count, and they had just played in a closed-door scrimmage the night before in Omaha), I did take away some thoughts from the event. 

Shane Harris-Tunks, he of the bulky 6-11 frame and post defending skills, was the second mens representative in the 3-point shooting contest.  Wait, what?  Yes, Big Shane was shooting the 3's right alongside his fellow Australian Nate Tomlinson.  While Shane didn't have it in him to beat his fellow Aussie, it was interesting to see his outside shot get a little love; I wonder if that's just a practice thing, of if Coach Boyle really intends to let him shoot it from outside.

The dunk contest featured Shannon Sharpe making his teammates look foolish.  Nobody was too spectacular, but Shannon is far and away the best dunker on the squad.  'Dre didn't compete, however, and I wonder if he could've thrown something cool out there.

In the very brief 'scrimmage,' the Buffs showcased 5 minutes of sloppy basketball.  Coach Boyle, commenting during the event, compared it to the loose basketball played at an All-Star game.  Still, sloppy as it was, I did pay close attention to the freshman.  Askia Booker was a one-man fast break, weaving through defenders like it was his job, and constantly finding an open player on the wing.  Spencer Dinwiddie looked good on a couple shots, but wasn't as flashy as his class-mate.  Regardless, I hope things are cleaned up come next Friday.  I have no doubt they will be.


Notes from around Football Nation


College Football

Standford @ USC - The Oregon-Stanford Armageddon matchup is still intact; it took three overtimes, but the Cardinal survived.  USC can go back to not really caring this year.

Wisconsin @ Ohio State - I can't believe it happened to the Badgers again.  On the road, with time winding down, a team completes a Hail Mary to beat them.  Poor Wisconsin, you guys deserved better.

Oklahoma @ KSU - Reality came to Manhattan as the previously undefeated Wildcats lost by 41 to the vaunted Sooner.  *sad trombone*




NFL


Lions @ Broncos - Thank you, Detroit, you've done us all a service.  Yes, the Lions were mocking Tim Tebow Sunday.  Yes, the rest of football nation is laughing at you, Broncos fans, rather than with you.  Donkey fans got what they wanted; this is what happens when you let fans run the asylum.  This team blows; I thought it was all Kyle Orton's fault?

A bunch of Tebow apologists would like you to believe that it was all a result of poor gameplaning, that little Timmy was just fine.  Just keep telling yourselves that.  Really, the only thing keeping me from being a successful starting NFL QB is a good gameplan...

New Orleans @ St. Louis - That must be a mistake.  The Saints surely wouldn't have laid an egg so foul as to lose by two scores to the hapless Rams.  What's that?  They did?  Fuck, that's bad. 


Happy Monday!