Even considering the early (12:30pm) kickoff on Saturday, I was a little stunned to see Folsom half-filled (I'm being generous) at kickoff. While the fans eventually showed up by the start of the second quarter, I felt that the team, in acknowledgement of their success over the first third of the season, deserved to run out of the tunnel to full stands of applause.
Then, as the Buffs took full control headed into halftime, the late-arriving crowd began to leave early. I guess I understand, with the result well in-hand and the sun shining, that the lure of greater-Boulder would draw a number of those in attendance out of the stadium. Further, football games are unbearably long, especially if its a blowout. Still, after years of painful slogs against conference opponents, horrors too numerous to list here, I felt bolted to my seat in appreciation, and was surprised to see my fellow Buffs didn't feel the same.
Look, #TheRise is real, and deserves a fanbase equal to the matter at hand. My appeal is simple: show up on time, and stay in your damn seats for a full game.
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Today in the bag, I'm talking the win over Oregon State, how the rest of the Conference of Champions fared this weekend, and the start of basketball season.
Showing posts with label we talkin' 'bout practice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label we talkin' 'bout practice. Show all posts
Monday, October 3, 2016
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Tuesday Grab Bag: I've been watching weightlifting... yep, weightlifting.
This is not a drill, people of Boulder. The students are back in town as of tomorrow, as student move-in begins in earnest. Prepare for traffic, loud parties, and extended wait times for delivery pizza. Of course, while the start of the fall academic calendar comes with its share of downsides, it also comes some decided positives... like the accompanying start of the fall sports calendar. In fact, it will all get started this weekend, with women's soccer's kickoff in the Springs against Air Force (Friday @ 6pm). Before you know it, we'll all be treated to the start of football season, the even more exciting start of basketball season, and the throes of a winter of competition across all fronts. With the Buffs back in town, its finally time to bid summer an adieu, and welcome in the 2016-17 season. Let's get it on!
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Quickly, a big shout-out to ForeverBuff Emma Coburn for her bronze medal performance in the 3000m steeple chase. Her American-record run did all of BuffNation proud. Way to go, Emma!
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Only two topics this afternoon as we inch closer to fall. Today in the bag, I'm talking Saturday's football scrimmage and the pratfalls of closed door practices, before closing with the Olympics.
Click below for the bag...
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Quickly, a big shout-out to ForeverBuff Emma Coburn for her bronze medal performance in the 3000m steeple chase. Her American-record run did all of BuffNation proud. Way to go, Emma!
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Only two topics this afternoon as we inch closer to fall. Today in the bag, I'm talking Saturday's football scrimmage and the pratfalls of closed door practices, before closing with the Olympics.
Click below for the bag...
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Tuesday Grab Bag: Team Colorado Comes Up Short in TBT Finale
Just when I though the post-TBT landscape would be a doom of non-basketball sporting entertainment, here comes the Olympics, ready and willing to slake my thirst. I've been watching the Team USA blowouts, both men's and women's, from tip to final horn, not caring the slightest that barely any of the action has been the least bit competitive. If you, too, find yourself jonesing for some hoops, please, bypass the tired old gymnastics and swimming garbage and give the tournament a try.
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Today in the bag, I'm talking The Basketball Tournament final, a fresh new look for the CEC, and the start of fall camp for the football team.
Click below for the bag...
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Today in the bag, I'm talking The Basketball Tournament final, a fresh new look for the CEC, and the start of fall camp for the football team.
Click below for the bag...
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Tuesday Grab Bag: Closer, but still not there... yet.
I'd like to tell you all a story. It's a story about a pair of friends, let's call then 'Larry' and 'Terry' (to protect the innocent), who had planned on attending the CU/Oregon game Saturday night. Larry, specifically, had come down from the mountains with an eye towards watching Colorado football this weekend, and had lead the charge to pre-purchase tickets, make plans (including Half Fast!), and generally set their affairs in order -- they were going to this game. I saw them off Saturday night, planning to take my own route to the stadium with the group I was sitting with. We made loose plans to meet up at the stadium and afterwards, shared a 'few' beverages, and parted ways. This was at 5pm.
After winding my way across Boulder and up to Folsom, I headed over to the field house at about 7. Making a beeline for the nearest beer stand, I spied Larry and Terry over by a trash can, significantly more enhanced than they were a few hours previously. Their state of affairs was a little worrisome for that early in the evening, but I noted that they had, at least, made it to Folsom in time for kickoff. We shared some drinks, quickly talked over the weather, and generally shot the shit. I assured them we'd meet up afterwards, and told them to call me.
Well, of course, the weather opened up, delaying the kickoff and spilling many of the fans to the concourses. I'm rarely comfortable in tightly crowded situations, so I left Larry and Terry to their spiraling, drunken state, and forced my way outside into the pouring rain. Warnings of lightning in the area barely registered with me, as I took in the awesome sight of Folsom bathed in light and precipitation. As the game eventually got under way, I noticed my phone was really struggling with the moisture and slammed cell towers, so I put it away, and forgot Larry and Terry were even in the stadium until the 4th Quarter. As the end result of the game became clear, I remembered to turn on my phone again, but noted that L&T hadn't called. Figuring they were already out on Pearl Street, and no longer in the mood for revelry myself, I tightened my jacket, and trudged home.
Arriving at my door, I was surprised to find the TV and lights were on. Slipping inside, I was stunned to see the passed out forms of Larry and Terry, completely dead to the world (Larry had been staying at my place while in town, and had a key). I surveyed the house, finding the kitchen faucet full on and pouring into oblivion, the doors unlocked, and discarded wet clothes strewn about. Confused, but otherwise uncaring due to the late hour, I turned off the lights, television, and faucet, locked the doors, and went to bed.
In the morning, I found out the truth. Despite being safely in the stadium at 7, neither one of them had made it to the re-scheduled kickoff. The two had gone separate ways shortly after I had talked with them, and it had all gone south from there. Larry, frightened by the lightning reports, had given up early, and took off for home. Terry, whose phone was also on the fritz and couldn't contact anyone else to sit with, took off into the night, eventually purchasing a plate of curry at Tiffin's, and stumbling back to my house.
The point, I guess, is that a football Saturday is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourselves, accordingly. Don't be like 'Larry & Terry.'
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Today in the bag, I'm talking the action against Oregon, a look ahead to CU's next three opponents, and the first few days of basketball practices.
Click below for the bag...
After winding my way across Boulder and up to Folsom, I headed over to the field house at about 7. Making a beeline for the nearest beer stand, I spied Larry and Terry over by a trash can, significantly more enhanced than they were a few hours previously. Their state of affairs was a little worrisome for that early in the evening, but I noted that they had, at least, made it to Folsom in time for kickoff. We shared some drinks, quickly talked over the weather, and generally shot the shit. I assured them we'd meet up afterwards, and told them to call me.
Well, of course, the weather opened up, delaying the kickoff and spilling many of the fans to the concourses. I'm rarely comfortable in tightly crowded situations, so I left Larry and Terry to their spiraling, drunken state, and forced my way outside into the pouring rain. Warnings of lightning in the area barely registered with me, as I took in the awesome sight of Folsom bathed in light and precipitation. As the game eventually got under way, I noticed my phone was really struggling with the moisture and slammed cell towers, so I put it away, and forgot Larry and Terry were even in the stadium until the 4th Quarter. As the end result of the game became clear, I remembered to turn on my phone again, but noted that L&T hadn't called. Figuring they were already out on Pearl Street, and no longer in the mood for revelry myself, I tightened my jacket, and trudged home.
Arriving at my door, I was surprised to find the TV and lights were on. Slipping inside, I was stunned to see the passed out forms of Larry and Terry, completely dead to the world (Larry had been staying at my place while in town, and had a key). I surveyed the house, finding the kitchen faucet full on and pouring into oblivion, the doors unlocked, and discarded wet clothes strewn about. Confused, but otherwise uncaring due to the late hour, I turned off the lights, television, and faucet, locked the doors, and went to bed.
In the morning, I found out the truth. Despite being safely in the stadium at 7, neither one of them had made it to the re-scheduled kickoff. The two had gone separate ways shortly after I had talked with them, and it had all gone south from there. Larry, frightened by the lightning reports, had given up early, and took off for home. Terry, whose phone was also on the fritz and couldn't contact anyone else to sit with, took off into the night, eventually purchasing a plate of curry at Tiffin's, and stumbling back to my house.
The point, I guess, is that a football Saturday is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourselves, accordingly. Don't be like 'Larry & Terry.'
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Today in the bag, I'm talking the action against Oregon, a look ahead to CU's next three opponents, and the first few days of basketball practices.
Click below for the bag...
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Tuesday Grab Bag: The 'real' football season starts this Saturday
The Athletic Department is getting a little creative for this week's game against Oregon. For Saturday's 8pm kickoff on ESPN, they're asking those in attendance to either wear black (even numbered sections) or silver/grey (students and odd numbered sections).
With crowd numbers already estimated to be well into the high 40,000s and a prime time kickoff, Folsom is sure to be rocking. If those in the stands can follow the game plan, it'll create a nice backdrop and visual for those night owls tuning in.
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Today in the bag, I'm talking the win over Nicholls State, the weekly look forward to the upcoming schedule, and the unofficial start of basketball season.
Click below for the bag...
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| Hey, look! A handy guide! From: AllBuffs.com |
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Today in the bag, I'm talking the win over Nicholls State, the weekly look forward to the upcoming schedule, and the unofficial start of basketball season.
Click below for the bag...
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Tuesday Grab Bag: Getting closer...
If you haven't already, can I recommend you check out this video of BSNDenver's @RyanKoenigsberg interviewing new CU defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt from Boulder Creek:
I gotta say, I'm real damn impressed by Ryan's professionalism here. Leavitt's dousing of the prolific coif did nothing to dissuade Koenigsberg, and he started firing questions right away with nary an 'ummm.' Fine work.
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Today in the bag, I'm talking the lead up to game week, Steve Sarkisian, and the start of the season for the CU Women's Soccer Team.
Click below for the bag...
I gotta say, I'm real damn impressed by Ryan's professionalism here. Leavitt's dousing of the prolific coif did nothing to dissuade Koenigsberg, and he started firing questions right away with nary an 'ummm.' Fine work.
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Today in the bag, I'm talking the lead up to game week, Steve Sarkisian, and the start of the season for the CU Women's Soccer Team.
Click below for the bag...
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Tuesday Grab Bag: A Scrimmage Snoozer
It's freshman move-in week here in Boulder, and I'm ready to get the fuck out of town. Just so happens, however, that my day job has other ideas. Phrases like 'attendance is mandatory,' and 'bad traffic is no excuse' were thrown around, so here I am... stuck in the Valley as the horde of dotting parents descends.
You'd think I'd be used to this garbage by now, having been a devoted Boulderite for over a decade, but it's just something you can never get used to -- the glut of cars, the picked-clean aisles of Target, the impossibility of finding an open table at a local restaurant. Heaven help me, I love this town for 362 days a year, but this just ain't the week for me.
My advice to those who didn't realize, and were thinking of driving up to town over the next few days: why not try Broomfield?
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Speaking of freshman move-in, please consider this:
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Today in the bag, I'm talking Saturday's scrimmage, the Mayor's discussion on who was the best wide receiver in CU history, and the PGA Championship.
Click below for the bag...
You'd think I'd be used to this garbage by now, having been a devoted Boulderite for over a decade, but it's just something you can never get used to -- the glut of cars, the picked-clean aisles of Target, the impossibility of finding an open table at a local restaurant. Heaven help me, I love this town for 362 days a year, but this just ain't the week for me.
My advice to those who didn't realize, and were thinking of driving up to town over the next few days: why not try Broomfield?
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Speaking of freshman move-in, please consider this:
Dear incoming xc freshman,
Wetmore became the head coach at CU in 1995. He's been doing this longer than you've been alive. Do what he says.
— Shalaya Kipp (@ShalayaKipp) August 17, 2015
Remember: we are not a football school, we are not a basketball school. We are a Cross County (and Skiing) school. For his 20th year of dominance, at the onset of yet another national title campaign, we owe that man a statue.--
Today in the bag, I'm talking Saturday's scrimmage, the Mayor's discussion on who was the best wide receiver in CU history, and the PGA Championship.
Click below for the bag...
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Tuesday Grab Bag: Embrace the Ascendancy
If you haven't noticed - and, damnit, you should've - there's a new voice behind the content at CUBuffs.com. Former Boulder Daily Camera scribe Neill Woelk is back in Boulder as the new contributing editor at the school's site, and everyone in this fanbase is better off for it. Not that the great B.G. Brooks, who retired this past year, wasn't getting the job done, mind you, just that Woelk's consistent, knowledgeable, incisive, and passionate voice had been sorely missed over the past five years.
Glad to have you back, Neill, and I look forward to all the great content you're about to put out!
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Today in the bag, I'm talking the start of Fall Camp, a wrap-up of Pac-12 media days, and close of The Basketball Tournament.
Click below for the bag...
Glad to have you back, Neill, and I look forward to all the great content you're about to put out!
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Today in the bag, I'm talking the start of Fall Camp, a wrap-up of Pac-12 media days, and close of The Basketball Tournament.
Click below for the bag...
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Tuesday Grab Bag: Playing for check, rather than checkmate
It was good to be back with the band on Saturday, wailing away on my tuba, and putting as much noise in the ears of the Bruins as humanly possible. Still, I was laid low by just how absolutely exhausting playing at a football game is. I could barely sit up straight Saturday night, as physically beaten as I was by carrying that instrument all day. My shoulder swelled to five times its normal size, my back hurt, my neck turned into a solid block of concrete, my cheeks and lips were cut and bruised, and my head pounded from dehydration. All that without having to march full cadence, pregame, or the full halftime show; I even took multiple breaks, and *gasp* sat down a time or twelve throughout the action. The lesson here: I'm not 19 anymore.
Huge props to those kids who volunteer to pull that off seven Saturdays a year, all while juggling classes, homework, social commitments, and the rest of their lives. Looking back, I'm struggling to reconcile my ability to do that for four years with the realities of everything that gameday entails. What's more, after every game, most of them losses, those kids proudly march back to the music building, heads held high, ready to do it all again next week. Just incredible, when you think about it.
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Today in the bag, I'm talking the loss to the Bruins, the upcoming schedule, and the game of telephone that was me hearing about the basketball scrimmage.
Click below for the bag...
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| A grand view, even if I took a painful route to get there. |
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Today in the bag, I'm talking the loss to the Bruins, the upcoming schedule, and the game of telephone that was me hearing about the basketball scrimmage.
Click below for the bag...
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Tuesday Grab Bag: Throw it on the pile
The Pac-12 is next-level stupid right now. What does Week Six bring but another converted Hail Mary, major home upsets of the league's two presumptive juggernauts (hahaha, Oregon), and ridiculous scores all over the place. No other league in the country is this interesting. I don't even care what Katy Perry did in that bar in Mississippi, the Pac-12 was more captivating on Saturday.
Yeah, that Cal/Washington State game you turned off in the third quarter? That ended up 60-59, and featured the all-time NCAA passing record being set in a loss. Your division leaders? Fucking Cal and Arizona. The Wildcats, BTW, are the only remaining undefeated team in the league, and probably the only team on the West Coast with an honest shot at the national title (wut?). Whatever you though about this conference before the season started, I hope you wrote it down in pencil, because it's all wrong right now.
I get the feeling that we're all going to wake up in two months, and this all will have been on regional-sized acid trip. We've left the bounds of reason and convention, and are floating in clouds of absurdity. Can't wait for next week...
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Today in the bag, I'm talking the game against OSU, the upcoming schedule, and the start of basketball practices.
Click below for the bag...
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| Just another boring weekend in the world's dumbest league. From: 30 FPS |
I get the feeling that we're all going to wake up in two months, and this all will have been on regional-sized acid trip. We've left the bounds of reason and convention, and are floating in clouds of absurdity. Can't wait for next week...
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Today in the bag, I'm talking the game against OSU, the upcoming schedule, and the start of basketball practices.
Click below for the bag...
Monday, August 18, 2014
Monday Grab Bag: Football is in the air
This is getting serious. With two weeks to go before the start of the football season, it's hard not to ignore the excitement and focus in the air. The regular students will hit campus this week, the football team is now going behind closed doors to continue their preparation, and suddenly the Rocky Mountain Showdown seems to be impending, rather than distant.
It's official, the calendar has flipped. Baseball season has passed, football now takes the stage. This can mean only one thing: November is just over the horizon!
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Today in the bag, I'm talking Saturday's football scrimmage, some unfortunate injury news, and the fight against ALS.
Click below for the bag...
It's official, the calendar has flipped. Baseball season has passed, football now takes the stage. This can mean only one thing: November is just over the horizon!
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Today in the bag, I'm talking Saturday's football scrimmage, some unfortunate injury news, and the fight against ALS.
Click below for the bag...
Monday, August 4, 2014
Monday Grab Bag: I am Groot
I AM Groot!
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Quickly, before I get to the bag, it looks like the men's basketball non-conference schedule for 2014-15 was leaked on CUBuffs.com.
The key additions from the last time I saw an update are:
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Today in the bag, I'm talking college football, pro football, and one of the worst bullpens in the majors (nope, not the Rox).
Click below for the bag...
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Quickly, before I get to the bag, it looks like the men's basketball non-conference schedule for 2014-15 was leaked on CUBuffs.com.
The key additions from the last time I saw an update are:
- Drexel on opening night, 11/14
- Lipscomb on 11/30
- San Francisco on 12/3
- Northern Colorado on 12/13
Not a lot of red meat there, as, beyond the Drexel game, the adds are all potential RPI 250+ squads. The Northern Colorado game will make for a cool story, as Coach Boyle has them on the schedule for the first time since leaving Greeley for Boulder, but the rest are *shrug* worthy. I'll have more schedule analysis up later this week, when I imagine things will be finalized and made official from CU, but, for now, my take is that this is underwhelming, at best.
One final scheduling note, it looks like the Auburn game has been set for an 11PM tip-off time, as part of ESPN's tip-off marathon. You may want to get a jump on reserving Tuesday, November 18th off from work, as the Buffs will be playing into the early morning for that one.
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Today in the bag, I'm talking college football, pro football, and one of the worst bullpens in the majors (nope, not the Rox).
Click below for the bag...
Monday, August 19, 2013
Monday Grab Bag: Come on and slam, and welcome to the jam
Thanks to @Phyltopia, I went out of my way to watch Space Jam this weekend. So, in lieu of an actual intro, I now present the unheralded star of the accompanying soundtrack. The one, the only, "Hit 'em high (The Monstars' Anthem)."
LOL, Busta Rhymes. (Basketball season can't get here soon enough...)
Today in the bag, I'm talking Saturday's scrimmage, football recruiting, and an update on the women's basketball team's trip to Italy
Click below for the bag...
LOL, Busta Rhymes. (Basketball season can't get here soon enough...)
Today in the bag, I'm talking Saturday's scrimmage, football recruiting, and an update on the women's basketball team's trip to Italy
Click below for the bag...
Monday, August 5, 2013
Monday Grab Bag: Football is back
Finally, for the first time since my final year of college, I am a resident of Boulder, CO. Not Boulder County, or unincorporated Boulder, but proper City of Boulder... and I couldn't be more excited.
My new house is a short walk from nearly everything, including the Coors Events Center, and within a few minutes drive of everything else. Convenience, thy name is BoCO!
Of course, there are some drawbacks. My tax bill will go up, traffic - with students moving back into town - is already a nightmare, and nanny state weirdness (like a 10 cent fee per grocery bag) is pinging my BS meter. But, if that's the price I have to pay to live in the heart of the greatest town west of the Mississippi, then so be it.
I'm just so damn glad to be back!
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Today in the bag, I'm talking a new assistant for the basketball team, the start of football camp, and Clint Dempsey moving back to America.
Click below for the bag...
Monday, August 20, 2012
Monday Grab Bag: EuroTrip wraps up
Two weeks from today, I'll be wrapping up what will hopefully be the Buffs first win of the 2012 season. It's scary to think how close the start of football is. With the European trip wrapping up this afternoon in Holland, I'll be diving into 100% football talk by the end of the week.
Today in the bag, I'm talking the BasketBuffs double-dip in Belgium, the closing bell on the EuroTrip, and the recently completed football scrimmage.
Click below for the bag...
Today in the bag, I'm talking the BasketBuffs double-dip in Belgium, the closing bell on the EuroTrip, and the recently completed football scrimmage.
Click below for the bag...
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Webb is the QB
Remember last week when the coaching staff teased the possibility that the open QB competition could bleed into the first few games of the season? Well... about that...
Of course, it's not like this wasn't expected. Recent comments by the coaching staff had made it very clear who they were favoring. It was only a matter of whether the coaching staff would afford Wood the remaining time before the season to try and close the gap.
So, with a week and a half to go before the RMS, CU has their QB. But that doesn't mean everyone in Buff Nation is happy with the result. While the news was still digesting, noted Buff commentator Tyler Ziskin raised a few salient points.
Of course, I've been on the Connor Wood bandwagon since his arrival last fall, so I'm predisposed to agree with TZisk. I've always been enamored with Wood's measurables, and I just don't hold Webb's "experience" in high regard, having come in a program reeling through their own calamitous coaching era. While it's true that Wood had yet to see any of a collegiate field, his career, at least, isn't lousy with losing.
However, the decision has been made, and I'm nothing if not a CU homer. I for one welcome our new Jayhawk overlord, and wish him luck garroting the lambs on Sept 1st.
Buff fans do you like Sunflower Seeds?The Buffalo is the official animal of what state?Before I even got home from work, Coach Embree had sent out that tweet, cryptically signaling that the coaching staff had named their starter, and that it was Kansas transfer Jordan Webb. I commented yesterday that Buff Nation would know more after the upcoming weekend's scrimmage, but Coach Embree didn't even bother to wait for that live-fire test. So much for a long, protracted battle.
— Jon Embree (@JEbuffs) August 15, 2012
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| Anoint him with oils, he's been chosen. From: the BDC |
So, with a week and a half to go before the RMS, CU has their QB. But that doesn't mean everyone in Buff Nation is happy with the result. While the news was still digesting, noted Buff commentator Tyler Ziskin raised a few salient points.
Of Webb's 17 career losses... he's lost by 50+ points 2x, 40+ points 4x, 30+ points 4x...of his 17 losses only 3 have been by single digits
— Tyler Ziskin (@TZiskBuff) August 15, 2012
Webb has thrown for 200+ yards just 5x...only 3x vs BCS opponents.He has 1 career 300 yard passing game.He lost to 1-AA ND St in 2010
— Tyler Ziskin (@TZiskBuff) August 15, 2012
The depressing truth about new#Buffs QB Jordan Webb. He's 4-17 in his 2 years at KU, 1-16 vs BCS opponents.Last BCS win?9/11/10 vs GT
— Tyler Ziskin (@TZiskBuff) August 15, 2012
Jordan Webb hasn't had over 170 yards passing since Oct 8, 2011, a span of 7 games.All in lopsided losses, conducive to passing yardsNot exactly the stuff of legend, is it? His point, and it's a fair one, is that the staff put far too much importance on Webb's last two years as a starter.
— Tyler Ziskin (@TZiskBuff) August 15, 2012
Of course, I've been on the Connor Wood bandwagon since his arrival last fall, so I'm predisposed to agree with TZisk. I've always been enamored with Wood's measurables, and I just don't hold Webb's "experience" in high regard, having come in a program reeling through their own calamitous coaching era. While it's true that Wood had yet to see any of a collegiate field, his career, at least, isn't lousy with losing.
However, the decision has been made, and I'm nothing if not a CU homer. I for one welcome our new Jayhawk overlord, and wish him luck garroting the lambs on Sept 1st.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Quick Post: Has a front-runner in the QB battle been established?
QB competitions are always rife with speculation and innuendo. Throw in a blanket media ban on attending practices, and the guess-a-thon goes into hyper-active.
As the full-time battle between Connor Wood, Jordan Webb, and Nick Hirschman winds through it's 2nd week, the general assumption amongst the media is that a front-runner has been established, if not named. It's long been the fan consensus that, while Hirschman was the primary backup last year, and even grabbed a few snaps last year, the in-program QB was not really an option. It's transfers Webb and Wood that are considered "serious candidates for the job," and recent quotes may have hinted that the coaching staff is leaning towards one over the other.
The first quote came from QB coach Rip Scherer: "It's easier to make up 15 days of spring practice than it is 19 starts." The second, and probably the more eye-opening, was from Coach Embree in regards to Wood: "We need him to be more consistent in his decision making. He needs to continue to work his accuracy. He's sometimes erratic with his throws."
The coaching staff seems to be hinting that, not only are they swayed by Webb's in-game experience, but that Wood is not nearly impressive enough to overcome his playing-time deficiency. This feeds into a general narrative. It seems that every time that Coach Embree and crew discuss the QBs, they rave about Webb, using words like "experience." When discussing Wood, it's almost as if they're looking for reasons to doubt, adding qualifiers to his attributes. He's got the "big arm," and "has a good grasp of the offense," but he's "sometimes erratic."
Football coaches love intangibles. When one guy is being praised with words like "experience," "presence," "leadership" (not to mention being compared favorably to CU legend Koy Detmer), while the other is mentioned for his skill, but has his "consistency" questioned, it's easy to assume who has the lead.
The good news continues to be that this is a honestly open QB competition. During the Hawk years, the QB race was one in name only. The thankfully departed former coach would leave the race "open" more as a disinformation tactic than genuine search for a starter. Coach Embree and crew seem to be open minded about the race, and are leaving it open as a result of healthy competition. I don't see that indecision in August as a problem unless it begins to overshadow performance in September.
There's been plenty of talk that the competition may bleed over into the season, but I'm starting to feel that might not be necessary. Embree himself said that he's looking to this Saturday's scrimmage as an important milestone on the timetable. Buff Nation should know much more after the weekend.
As the full-time battle between Connor Wood, Jordan Webb, and Nick Hirschman winds through it's 2nd week, the general assumption amongst the media is that a front-runner has been established, if not named. It's long been the fan consensus that, while Hirschman was the primary backup last year, and even grabbed a few snaps last year, the in-program QB was not really an option. It's transfers Webb and Wood that are considered "serious candidates for the job," and recent quotes may have hinted that the coaching staff is leaning towards one over the other.
The first quote came from QB coach Rip Scherer: "It's easier to make up 15 days of spring practice than it is 19 starts." The second, and probably the more eye-opening, was from Coach Embree in regards to Wood: "We need him to be more consistent in his decision making. He needs to continue to work his accuracy. He's sometimes erratic with his throws."
The coaching staff seems to be hinting that, not only are they swayed by Webb's in-game experience, but that Wood is not nearly impressive enough to overcome his playing-time deficiency. This feeds into a general narrative. It seems that every time that Coach Embree and crew discuss the QBs, they rave about Webb, using words like "experience." When discussing Wood, it's almost as if they're looking for reasons to doubt, adding qualifiers to his attributes. He's got the "big arm," and "has a good grasp of the offense," but he's "sometimes erratic."
Football coaches love intangibles. When one guy is being praised with words like "experience," "presence," "leadership" (not to mention being compared favorably to CU legend Koy Detmer), while the other is mentioned for his skill, but has his "consistency" questioned, it's easy to assume who has the lead.
The good news continues to be that this is a honestly open QB competition. During the Hawk years, the QB race was one in name only. The thankfully departed former coach would leave the race "open" more as a disinformation tactic than genuine search for a starter. Coach Embree and crew seem to be open minded about the race, and are leaving it open as a result of healthy competition. I don't see that indecision in August as a problem unless it begins to overshadow performance in September.
There's been plenty of talk that the competition may bleed over into the season, but I'm starting to feel that might not be necessary. Embree himself said that he's looking to this Saturday's scrimmage as an important milestone on the timetable. Buff Nation should know much more after the weekend.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Monday Grab Bag: Tad Boyle's European Vacation
The big news this week is two-fold. Not only is the football program finishing up fall practice with its second full week, but the BasketBuffs are embarking on their long anticipated trip to Europe. Apologies to the football program, but my focus is on Coach Boyle's European Vacation.
Today in the bag, I'll be talking trip details, recapping my recent visit practice, and touch on the half-way point of fall football camp.
Click below for the bag...
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Quick Post: ... and then there were three
The 4-way battle for the #1 QB slot on the CU depth chart didn't even last a day.
Freshman Shane Dillon is still recovering from his February surgery to repair a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder. While cleared to practice, he's still very limited. In that light, Coach Embree announced yesterday that Dillon will likely redshirt, and is therefore out of the QB competition. The race is, be default, down to three.
This was not always a part of the plan. Many had, prior to the surgery, thought Dillon to be a dark horse contender for the QB crown. However, logic would dictate that, even when healthy, it'd take a pretty special kid to supplant a seasoned veteran (Webb), a high-profile transfer with plenty of practice time (Wood), or a returning in-program backup (Hirschman). I'm not saying that it was impossible, but, had a healthy Dillon won the job, I'd have been floored.
As it stands, three quality options remain for Embree and crew to choose from. With practices closed, progress reports will be slow to emerge, and even then tainted with a twinge of PR spin. (Case-in-point, the quote of the day from Coach Embree is that each of the three QB's "had their moments... this competition, I guess, is going to have to go at least two days." That's some deep shit right there.) Even with the media blackout, expect plenty of rumored developments to hit the waves over the next two weeks.
Freshman Shane Dillon is still recovering from his February surgery to repair a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder. While cleared to practice, he's still very limited. In that light, Coach Embree announced yesterday that Dillon will likely redshirt, and is therefore out of the QB competition. The race is, be default, down to three.
This was not always a part of the plan. Many had, prior to the surgery, thought Dillon to be a dark horse contender for the QB crown. However, logic would dictate that, even when healthy, it'd take a pretty special kid to supplant a seasoned veteran (Webb), a high-profile transfer with plenty of practice time (Wood), or a returning in-program backup (Hirschman). I'm not saying that it was impossible, but, had a healthy Dillon won the job, I'd have been floored.
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| Hirschman and the QB corps are battling it out this fall. From: the BDC |
Monday, August 6, 2012
Monday Grab Bag: Fall camp is open for business
Football is back. Officially. I'm serious, just look:
Today is the first full day of fall camp, and the CU Video team was kind enough to put together that nice short to pump everyone up. The video states "Believe and love what we are doing. Success will come." The coaching staff has stated that that success is a bowl trip. All that's left is for the team to live up to that guarantee, because that success train is long past-due.
Today in the bag, I'll be looking at the five storylines I'll be following as camp unfolds, talking the un-official start of basketball season, and running through some Olympics notes.
Click below for the bag...
Today is the first full day of fall camp, and the CU Video team was kind enough to put together that nice short to pump everyone up. The video states "Believe and love what we are doing. Success will come." The coaching staff has stated that that success is a bowl trip. All that's left is for the team to live up to that guarantee, because that success train is long past-due.
Today in the bag, I'll be looking at the five storylines I'll be following as camp unfolds, talking the un-official start of basketball season, and running through some Olympics notes.
Click below for the bag...
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