Kanavis comes out swinging

Kanavis McGhee has begun responding to the SI article that accused him of taking money from former NFL agent Josh Luchs. In the most uncertain of terms he has denied(post, bdc) the allegations, saying that they are comical in nature, and denies anything other than meeting Luchs after he had finished his CU playing career for approximately 10 minutes before shooing him away; without taking any money.

Specifically, McGhee said:

"There are people who have known me for 20 years, and I`ve never talked to them about my mother. I`m a private individual. To think that I would have asked this guy into my place, then brought up my mother after only a few minutes of knowing him -- that`s ridiculous. ... He has said I used my mother to extort money. I would not use my mother`s name in vain. ... What I want people to know is that it`s not about me. I want to make sure the public knows that CU guys don`t do this." -link

McGhee says that Luchs came off as inexperienced, and that he had no interest in communicating with him; that their meeting was appropriate, brief, no money was ever exchanged, and that they never communicated again after that initial meeting.

Additionally, yesterday on 104.3, it was revealed that the "teammate" accused in the article of following up and asking for further money out of Luchs was Alfred Williams, and he was P.I.S.S.E.D. Williams and McGhee flatly denied the allegation and Al specifically called the author George Dohrmann a liar. ("You called me last week with this crap, and I told you it wasn't true ... you are a liar, sir." - Big Al on the Fan; he screamed that, btw. Big Al is someone I definitely don't want screaming at me, whether on the phone or in person) Big Al had, before the article ran, flatly denied to SI that the events occurred as depicted, and yet the story ran as depicted by Luchs without acknowledgment of that denial.

I've heard both sides of this over the past few days. George Dohrmann points to the 9 players mentioned in the article that have confessed to accepting money from Luchs as being proof of the guilt of everyone mentioned in the article. McGhee, and other members of the CU family, have pointed to Kanavis' character and, in Williams case, personal observance as proof that he is innocent. Originally, I thought that the story must have some piece of truth. To lead an SI story with a tale as detailed as this on, and not just a passing reference, takes what I would assume to be some deep background source checking and follow-up with the subjects. As I've heard more and more about the situation, I'm realizing the opposite is true; they interviewed Luchs, got a few confirmations on other portions, and just assumed everyone else did it.

Essentially it comes down to who you believe. Kanavis says he was called, that at the time of the call he didn't remember Luchs, and asked for Dohrmann to call back later (he was at work at the time). Dohrmann claims to have tried a few more times and given up pursuit of a reaction from McGhee. I think that's weak tea. If you're going to lead a damning piece with a line like "you never forget..." you'd better get a clear reaction one way or another from the subject. That's the lead of the article, the juicy tidbit that gets you to read further; it better be fucking true. I understand Dohrmann's position; he's got this big story, and there have a bunch of big confirmations on important segments, and the opening paragraphs are necessary to grab the reader. I just wish he would have either stuck with Kanavis until he got a confirmation or denial, held the article for a week, or cut the opening paragraphs. With a denial as strong as Big Al's was, you had to at least dig a little harder to get Kanavis' side. Just because a dude doesn't answer a phone call and email doesn't mean you get to throw him under the public opinion bus. Work harder, damnit!

As it is, I'm going to believe my fellow Buffaloes when they tell me, in such uncertain terms, that this story isn't all true. I believe that McGhee did meet Luchs, but that the meeting did not go as described in the article. I believe Dohrmann was put in a tough position both by Luchs' story, his own ambition, and the slow response of McGhee (although Big Al's reaction, in my opinion, should've warranted further follow-up). I'm interested to see where this goes; whether there will be any further pursuit of this issues by either Kanavis or S.I. My gut tells me that S.I. will write a quick follow-up for next week noting the denials, and attempt to forget about it; miking the national opinion of the piece. I'm not sure what Al or Kanavis will do...

Friday Beer Post: Gameday Beer-o-the-week - Baylor Edition

Each week throughout the football season I'm going to suggest a good beer for the ubiquitous pre-game tailgate. Let's be honest, with tailgates it's not always top quality that you're looking for. To steal a phrase from the heinous beer terrorists at Budweiser, you want "drinkability." (or what a real beer connoisseur calls "a session beer") So, be warned, these may not be "the best" beers around. But, in the words of Dave Chappelle as Samuel L. Jackson "IT'LL GET YOU DRUNK!"

As we all know from watching Winnie the Pooh, Bears like honey. In that spirit I've chosen Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss as this weeks Tailgate Beer-o-the-week.

Read the disclaimer again, I warned you that I might pick some beers that are below average. And, really anything Leiny makes is going to fall into the "below-average" category; So be forewarned. I've always got the feeling that rather than brewing their beer with the special ingredients noted in the style, that Leiny just adds artificial flavoring (I'm looking at you, Berry Weiss). If true, that would be a totally douche brewing move. That said, Honey Weiss is drinkable.

Honey Weiss is a pale, sweet session beer. It's probably more of a summer style, but the honey angle was too good to pass up. It's crazy light, and it may not be as sweet as you might assume from the title. Leiny may not be the best brewery on the planet, but at least their stuff is cheap. All I'm really hoping is that the Baylor Bears get stuck in that damn honey tree this weekend.

Happy Friday! Go Buffs, Beat Baylor!

P.S. - We've got Texas Tech next week. If you can be the first one to guess what next week's gameday beer-o-the-week pick will be, I will personally buy you a 6-pack of that beer! (Hint: that's not a good thing)

Baylor Preview

Last weekend I threw my head up to the sky and rhetorically asked why we don't have a men's soccer team. With a men's soccer team, I figured, we could go and find someone, anyone, on campus other than Aric Goodman to attempt field goals. Apparently, the team was already 2 steps ahead of me.

Earlier this week it was announced that former soccer player Marcus Kirkwood would get the first kicking opportunities Saturday night. Kirkwood, a soccer player from high school, has never played a down of 'Murikan football in his life. He's also 6-6 and looks disturbingly like Lurch in his official CU photo.

(Not trying to be mean, just saying "hey, dude looks like Lurch." From: cubuffs.com)

It's hilarious to watch him answer reporters questions in the video on Buffzone; he obviously wasn't ready for, or expecting, the attention. He's absolutely surrounded by reporters in that video! That just shows the level of desperation the entirety of Buff Nation, including the media, feels towards our kicking situation. I don't know how the gigantor-lefty from Arvada will perform the first time he's in front of a football crowd; what I do know is that he can't be much worse than Goodman is/was. At least we're trying something new...

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Bear-ing Down


(Hey TubaJohn, you may not want to read the next few paragraphs; I'm going to whack your alma mater around a bit)

It's awkward that I'm looking forward to this game. Why should a CU grad give two shits about Baylor? CU has historically done 3 things well: 1) send shit into space 2)have hot girls on campus and (current difficulties aside) 3)play football. Baylor excels at precisely 1 thing: existing in an area full of crazies. When you think Boulder, CO you think mountains, hot chicks, all the marajuana you could possibly smoke, a general "librul" attitude, and a kick-ass school. When you think Waco, TX you think Dr. Pepper, one of the great shit-hole towns this country has to offer, and the ATF burning down those Branch Davidian people. You tell me who's got the better life?

Yet, here we are treating this game like a rivalry. It all stems from Baylor alum Buddy Jones getting his panties (little girlie pink ones too!) in a bunch over Baylor not being thought of in any conference realignment plan. In a series of emails Jones, a Texas lobbyist, whored himself and his school out to anybody and anyone who would listen in an attempt to keep Baylor significant. Buddy could see the writing on the wall. It's only by the grace of former Texas Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock that Baylor is even in the Big XII to begin with. He knew without immediate action, and without powerful friends in high places, that Baylor would've been left behind. So he decided to pick on the school with the fewest ties to Texas: CU.

Working behind the scenes, Mr. Jones, with the support of the Baylor administration, lobbied hard to keep the 6 Big XII South teams together. Jones goes and spins some bullshit (they pile it high in Texas) about how Baylor is better than CU in Women's Basketball (no one cares) and that Baylor's Baptist leanings should make them attractive to other conferences. (Baptist following? Did he honestly think the hippies in Berkley were going to think that was a selling point?) It was a lot of big talk coming from a school without a bowl appearance in the Big XII era. Additionally, somehow (*cough* Baylor *cough*), the news of our academic progress report got slipped to the press a few days early. Baylor was doing everything they could to stay remotely relevant (if you think being the local whipping boy is being relevant). They, along with the other small-fries of the conference, even offered larger cuts of the financial pie to UT, A&M and OU to stay.

In the end, UT decided to stay in the Big XII, and so the dissolution that Baylor feared never occurred. Let me make this clear: UT decided. This was about money and money alone. At no point in the process did UT ever consider Baylor's (or for that matter A&M or Tech) interests. What UT wanted, UT got; namely more money. I guess it worked out for Buddy, for now...

Still, fuck those guys. That piss-ant little private school can suck a bag of dicks. I thank God every day that I don't have to live in that God-forsaken shit-hole.

(TubaJohn gets a pass; he's the only cool thing to ever pass through Waco)

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The Game

Unfortunately for CU, in a game filled with prideful implications, we aren't playing your father's Baylor Bears. Somehow (I suspect with large bags of weed) Coach Art Briles has lured some talent to Waco. I watched them lose to Tech last week and saw a surprisingly big team with speed in a few key areas. This will not be an easy game for CU.

Offensively, Baylor relies on multi-talented QB Robert Griffin III. The kid is blazingly fast; he almost made the '08 Olympic team as a hurdler. Watching the Tech game Saturday, I was also impressed by his arm; much stronger than I had thought. RG3 can sling it with the best in the nation. He's improved dramatically as a passer from his freshman year; for the year he has 13 TD passes and only 2 picks. He is a special player, and can almost beat a team on his own. While CU has some speed in the linebacking corps that will help, no one is going to be able to keep up with RG3 on their own; it will take a team effort to keep him from busting the game open. If it's not Griffin, the Bears look to RB's Jay Finley and WR Kendall Wright to keep the chains moving; but, really, it's the Robert Griffin show.

(RG3 is legit. From: SI)

Defensively, the Bears can be gotten. In the two games in which they played offenses who knew what they were doing (TCU, Tech), BU gave up a average of 45 points. In that Tech game alone, they gave up 635 yards of offense (!). Tech hasn't even been Tech since the coaching switch, and they threw up those stats. You can find holes in Baylor's defensive backfield if you look for them. TCU and Tech QB's combined to complete 63 of 82 passes. As efficient as Tyler has been this year, he should be able to find open receivers all over the field. Safety Byron Landor, DE Tevin Elliot and LB Elliot Coffey make the Baylor defensive machine go.

Prediction Time
Speaking of Tyler, I think he will be real fired up for this game. Hawk slapped him in the face last week by pulling him for Cody, and I think Tyler is legitimately mad about it. I expect him to have a pretty darn good game; especially considering Baylor is susceptible to efficient passing attacks. You may not realize it, but Tyler is completing over 65% of his passes this year.

I also really like the way our defensive line is playing. Josh Hartigan is emerging as a good DE, and the boys up the middle, Pericak and Cunningham are playing really well together. Overall the defense has been good this year, and have been left out to dry by the special teams. Additionally, while Griffin has the potential to be an all-world QB, I think our fast defense has the potential to stunt him a little bit. Ron Collins is a good D-coordinator, and I'm excited to see what he has up his sleeves for this week.


(Puppies... that mean's there is depressing shit ahead...)

However...

I really don't like the injuries to Anthony Perkins and Brian Lockridge. Perkins would've been a huge help this week; keeping track of Griffin and helping in run support (whatever freshman ends up replacing him will struggle). Lockridge helps Speedy stay fresh and effective, and the move of Will Jefferson to RB isn't exactly making me do cartwheels in anticipation. CU needs that run game to keep the ball out of RG3's hands. Combine that with our piss-poor special teams, and I just don't like the Buffs chances.

You're not going to like this, but I think CU loses at home to Baylor.

Yes, CU plays better at home, and, yes, CU plays better in night games. But this won't be your typical night game. Usually CU plays marquee opponents under the lights who bring in large numbers of fans who would otherwise skip the game; for Baylor I'm expecting those fans to stay home and an otherwise under-whelming crowd. Additionally, expect a massive hangover from the Missouri game, and, unlike Hawaii, I expect Baylor to be able to capitalize on that hangover to put the Buffs in a deep hole early.

The chants of "Fire Hawkins" will be quite loud Saturday as the Buffs fall: BU 31 - CU 17.

I feel so dirty typing that...

GO BUFFS!

Kanavis McGhee, an agents pocketbook and the '90 champiohship team

I wanted to talk Tyler Hansen today, but some distressing news got in the way.

Barely over a week after the celebration and remembrance of CU's 1990 national championship team concluded, Sports Illustrated drops this bomb: 3 of the players on that team had taken money from an agent. That agent, Josh Luchs, has a tell-all article in next week's SI, and it starts with this story:

There are moments you will always remember, like your first kiss or your first home run or the day you met your wife. For me, the first time I broke an NCAA rule to try to land a client is just as indelible.

It was before the 1990 football season, and I flew from Los Angeles to Denver and drove to the University of Colorado to try to meet with Kanavis McGhee. He was a big, pass-rushing linebacker who was expected to be a high pick in the 1991 NFL draft. I was 20 years old -- the youngest agent ever certified by the NFL Players Association -- and had less than a year's experience, but for whatever reason I convinced myself that I had a shot with him.

I figured out where Kanavis lived, drove to his apartment and knocked on the door. No one answered, so I waited. About four hours later, Kanavis finally came home and I bum-rushed him at the door.

"Hey, Kanavis, my name is Josh Luchs. I'm a sports agent, and I flew here from Los Angeles specifically for you," I said. "You're a great player and I came a long way, and I'd really appreciate it if you would sit down and talk to me for a few minutes."

Kanavis said, "Sure, man. Come on in."

We sat on his couch, and I gave him my spiel. I told him about myself and asked him questions, trying to connect with him. After about half an hour, Kanavis said to me, "Josh, you seem like a pretty good guy, can I share something with you?"

"I need some help. My mom lost her job and she's sick and she hasn't been able to make her rent. If I don't come up with $2,500, she is going to get evicted from her apartment."

"I don't know," I said. "Let me think about it. I'll come by tomorrow and let you know."

That night I sat in my hotel room making a list of pros and cons in my head. Sure, it was breaking NCAA rules, but I would be helping Kanavis out. How would I feel if my mom was sick and I didn't have money to help her? I went through this for hours and finally decided to do it. The next morning I went to the bank, pulled out some of my bar mitzvah money, $2,500 in cash, showed up at Kanavis's door and told him, "Kanavis, I gave this a lot of thought, and I want to help you out. I know how I would feel if it was my mom."

"Thank you so much," he said. "You're my boy, man. You're really coming through for me."

I went back to my hotel and for a little while I felt good, but then the phone rang. It was a teammate of Kanavis's calling.

"Hey, man, Kanavis told me you're a pretty good dude," he said. "I got this problem, and I need some help. My father is really sick and he is losing his apartment and I need $2,500. Do you think you can help me out the way you helped Kanavis?"

My heart dropped. I hung up and got the hell out of there. The whole flight home I was kicking myself. How could I be so stupid? -link

Luchs, the agent from the article. From: SI)

I usually don't quote so liberally from an article, but I do so because the story is so damning. (I strongly encourage you to read the whole thing, because it is an interesting read) The article goes on to claim that 1990 team members Joel Steed and Greg Thomas took money from Luchs along with McGhee. (Thomas didn't respond to phone messages, Steed flat out denied the allegation, and McGhee told them to call back later.)

I'm not going to go into the agent-player relationship. The agent-college player world is one of seedy back room deals, often born because the NCAA keeps these players from earning any money off of their on field efforts. (In fact one player in the article says he'd do it again specifically because it meant food on his table versus going hungry) What I do want to talk about is what this means to the 1990 team.

While the main CU player referenced in this article, Kanavis McGhee, hasn't responded yet (everyone at CU, from Coach Mac to Dave Plati have denied the allegations. I think it would be weird if the McGhee story was untrue, however. Not only is it filled with detail, but others in the article have admitted and expounded on their money-taking. Innocent until proven guilty; yadda, yadda), and it would be imprudent to assume guilt before hearing his response, the implications of the story told in the article raise a few questions. Specifically, what would the NCAA do?

We've all noticed the NCAA's aggressive posture over the past year in going after violations. USC, UCONN, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Miami, Arizona, West Virginia, LSU, and Michigan (off the top of my head) all have been investigated, and have copped to, violations in the past year. I'm sure the list is longer. Considering that the NCAA is hell bent on making it look like rule benders and breakers are going to get caught, I'm sure they will go apeshit over this article. It's not like CU is the only team mentioned here; it's damn near everybody in the southwest! There's a lot to be investigated, and it will take time for them to both decide if and how they will go after the violations listed in the article.

What could happen to CU? When a player gets paid by an agent, that constitutes a "major" violation. Typically that player would be ruled ineligible, and, at the very least, all games that player played in after the violation would be stricken from the record (in the NCAAs peculiar method of attempting to forget anything bad ever happened... ever. That thing you saw happen was a mirage... wooooOOOOOOoooo). While a lot of time has elapsed, and I don't think they would "punish" the existing program, it's not unprecedented for the NCAA to go deeply into the record books to expunge rule violators (see: the Michigan fab 5). I could see them trying to erase 1990 from the books. While I don't see the AP re-voting on the season (hell, many of the writers in that poll are dead), it would put a giant band-aid over that national championship sign on the suites.

While I don't believe Mac ran a "dirty" program, if McGhee (and others) took money from an agent it would tarnish the championship team in my eyes. I can't sit here and lambaste the USC's and Miami's of the world for using ineligible players, and then turn around an look away when my school does the same. That would be SEC-level hypocrisy. It would be shameful if this ends up being a true account, and one CU itself should look into, especially since Kanavis is on the coaching staff.

Fuckin-a this fall is starting to go south...

In defense of Mike Bohn.

Ringo had an article today that got me thinking about the awesomeness of Mike Bohn. In the article Ringo talks about the swirling rumors that Mike would take a potential job offer from his alma matter KU. I don't know if Mike will or won't take a probable offer from KU, all I know is that if Mike leaves it would disastrous for CU athletics. I have numerous thoughts on Mike and the job he has done here. I've thrown them into 2 different parts. The first is a standalone thought-piece on his efforts at CU, and his continuing value to the university. The second is in defense of his oft-maligned coaching hires.

I should say that I have a personal reason for admiring Mike. Beyond his work helping recover the athletic program after the Tharp years, he also revitalized the connection between the athletic department and the marching band. During my senior season he stepped in and made the band one of his focuses; improving relations, ensuring we had a voice on the Buff Club Board, and engaging the band members face to face. From my perspective, having been part of the institution when it was largely ignored by Dick Tharp and his cronies, Mike's involvement was a breath of fresh air. (Tharp can suck a bag of dicks) So yes, I am biased to like Mike and his efforts, but so what.

Pt 1. Mike Bohn has been awesome for CU, and I'd be sad to see him go.

Mike Bohn's leadership in a time of financial and political hardship for the University as a whole has been stellar. Think of this: despite all of the on-field losing, despite the financial hardships, despite the state of the athletic department when he took over, and despite the general apathy (even disdain) the State outside of Boulder has for this University, the Athletic department has vastly improved since Mike came to CU.

Throughout his tenure he's helped raise the level of donations, fill seats in what should otherwise be (and what historically has been) an empty Folsom Field, improve our football, basketball and volleyball facilities (Seriously, the spring teams used to practice in a high-school gym across town), improve relations with the City of Boulder, renew a focus on integrating past stars into current promotions to build a sense of history, and help the department recover from the taint of the football scandal (as bullshit as that scandal may have been). When you walk into Folsom 1 week after being blown out by Cal and see an almost full stadium, including a full suite section (which was once embarrassingly empty), to see CU play a no-name Hawaii team, you know how good Mike is at his job.

For further proof, just look at the Pac-12 situation. A university down on its on-field luck, strapped for cash because of the never-ending cuts from the stat's budget, and without a marquee following was at the forefront of conference realignment. It still amazes me to this day how Mike and the AD staff was able to pull this off. While ADs and Presidents at KU, Missouri and Baylor ran around like 3rd-rate whores, sniping at rivals behind their backs and prostituting themselves to big-brother UT, Bohn and CU were already 10 steps ahead, and continued to handle themselves with grace and professionalism when others couldn't be bothered. It was a master class in how to work a situation to your advantage.

(Wait, how did we end up in the Pac-12 again? From: TRR)

In the end, Mike Bohn has done his hometown proud. He has reinvigorated the CU fan base even when there has been nothing to be reinvigorated about. While I desperately want him to continue his good work here, should the offer from KU come, at this point I feel he has earned the right to call his own shots. If he wants to go to his alma mater, he's earned that right, and I'll do nothing but tip my hat to him for a job well done.


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Pt 2. On Mike's coaching hires.

Many people attack his high-profile coaching hires, but what else could he have done? Sure, Hawk and K-Mac have been awful, and the decision to let RP coach for one more basketball decision was semi-idiotic, but he was kind of set up to fail in each of those cases. While I don't believe you can really blame Mike for wins and losses on the field/court (his job is to market and fund-raise, not coach), it is a valid topic of discussion. Here then is my defense of each hire:

Hawk was a prime head coaching candidate in the winter of 2005; anyone suggesting that Mike should've seen that Pederson was the genius at Boise St. has their head up their ass. Boise gets by with big wins of shitty programs, and has produced a prime coaching candidate that had flopped before (Dick Koetter). I'm still not convinced that Pederson would succeed if he had been hired, and I imagine he'd be another Boise St. coaching flop if he left the Broncos (Which is why I imagine he's not going to leave). Hawk was a good hire; we got him relatively cheap he was excited to be here, and it was a nationally recognized positive step. To look back and say "Oh, Hawk sucks so obviously Bohn didn't do his job right" is a bullshit reconstruction of past events. Anyone who uses Hawks hire against Bohn is an asshole. (I'll even defend the extension, but that's a whole separate issue)

K-Mac was going to fail regardless of he on the court exploits. She was following the winningest head coach in CU Women's Basketball history. Ceal Barry is an institution in Western Women's athletics and following her would be like following Chris Rock in a comedy club. Absolutely, a .500 record in conference would've been nice, but I don't think anyone could've succeeded as a Ceal Barry followup. Furthermore, do you really care about the Women's basketball team? Be honest.... At least with Linda Lappe you have a direct line to the Ceal Barry days.

The end of the RP era was a legitimate disaster. Letting him coach in '06-'07 was a mistake that even Bohn would admit was egregious. Unfortunately I think he might've been forced into the situation through the financial distresses of the time. Hawk had just begun to lose (The decision came on the heels of the 0-6 football start), and I wonder if Bohn had the money to re-sign Patton. In that situation, Mike now realizes he should've just fired him, rather than let the situation play out. That decision ultimately set the program back 2 years. But look at his replacement; Jeff Bzdelik was an excellent hire. We got a high profile head coach, on the cheap, who helped turn the program around. The absolute worst thing you can say about Coach Bzdelik's time in Boulder is that he left the program in better shape than he found it, and that's a hell of a thing to say when you're talking CU Men's Basketball. Good hire there, and a potential good hire in Tad Boyle. Overall, from better coaching to a VAST improvement in facilities, the men's basketball program is where CU has seen the most progress under Mike Bohn's tenure (not surprising coming from a KU grad).

(Mike with KU buddy, and new CU head coach, Tad Boyle. That KU focus on basketball has really helped us out. From: The BDC)

Monday Grab Bag: What else is there to say?

If Air Force had been playing anyone other than CSU, I get the feeling that the State of Colorado would've gone 0-fer this weekend. It was a rough weekend all around; Superior Liquor was even out of Arrogant Bastard (Rico, you gotta talk to your supply people). Sigh... Onto the bag...

Buffs shut out again in Columbia, MO: Going into the game I knew CU would lose, but I thought we'd score, possibly even compete. Instead the team once again shit, ever so dolefully, down it's leg. In two true road games this year CU has been outscored 78-7, and the annual series with the Tigers ends with CU having been outscored 203-40 over the last 5 games. It's fucking disgusting and disheartening to be shutout yet again by Mizzou, but did it really surprise you? When the first Tiger punt landed at the 2 yard line I knew the Buffs were in for it. Honestly, 2 minutes into the game, I already knew what was going to happen; while the defense had stood strong, the special teams had fucked up twice and the offense already had that "just got prison raped" look on their face.

(Another CU road game, another picture that speaks to the state of CU football. From: TRR)

Defense doesn't deserve this: What's weird about CU having a 78-7 road game deficit this year is that the defense isn't anywhere near that bad. The entire CU defense (yes, even Mahnke) played well enough Saturday night to win. Missouri never looked comfortable on offense, and had to keep scheming to get around the looks Ron Collins was throwing at them (Even throwing a fake punt at the anemic special teams to keep a drive alive). The defense has been solid yet has been routinely screwed over by the offense. Ringo came up with 5 touchdowns scored against CU on the road this year which weren't really the defenses fault. That's 35 points that you can take off of the defensive roll. Subtract that idiotic safety that Tyler took Saturday night and the defense has really only given up 41 points in two games. Any Big XII offense should be able to score 20-ish points in a game, even on the road.

Hell, late in the second quarter the defense gave their offensive teammates the ball on the Tiger 13 yard line only to have the O lose 9 yards and the special teams have their field goal attempt blocked. That series was indicative of both the defensive efforts to keep the Buffs in the game, and the offensive and special teams futility in support.

Penalties, Turnovers, and Special Teams Disasters: The same trio of bad football calling cards was evident Saturday: The offense committed 8 penalties, threw a pick, gave up a moronic safety and gave it up on downs 3 times. The special teams gave up a big return to start the game, had a punt blocked, allowed punts inside the 5 yd line twice, missed one field goal, had another blocked, and gave up a crushing first down on a fake punt. About the only bright-side for either unit was Toney Clemmons emerging with a few nice returns, and Speedy proving yet again that he can function as a lone back. What was particularly discouraging was that after the impressive lack of offensive penalties in the Georgia game, the offense regressed. Not only were there 8 penalties for 66 yards, but one lead directly to a safety, 2 killed a potential game saving drive to start the 2nd half, and 3 more in the 4th quarter conspired to help keep CU off the board in garbage time. They were big penalties, drive killing penalties, which directly contributed not only to the loss, but the shutout as well.

Goodman is a whole other issue. We all know that Goodman can't cut it as a kicker on a BCS school. He's under .500 for his career and has only one make in four attempts this year. Even though Castor has his first attempt blocked, I was excited to see Goodman miss the field. It was about damn time that his ass found the bench; the team needed to cut their losses with his scholarship 2 years ago. Apparently, Hawk hadn't learned anything as he insisted after the game that Goodman would be back. Does Goodman have compromising pictures of Hawk? Why else would he get this many chances? The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results. By this point in his career Aric Goodman is a known quantity; this isn't a streak of bad luck or a mechanical flaw, this is who he is. To keep sending him out there and expecting a change is proof positive that Hawk has lost his mind.

(Here's a picture of some puppies to help get you through this depressing bag)

WHY THE HIGH-HOLY FUCK DID CODY SEE THE FIELD?!!: I have no rational thoughts on this situation. My id takes over my thought processes and I begin to twitch violently. Regardless of the situation, Cody's entrance into a game is an embodiment of everythig that is wrong with the Dan Hawkins regime. For the mental health of all involved, his ass needs to stay on the sideline.

(More puppies...)

Hawk here for rest of the season and possibly even more: I got a text Saturday night asking for a list of possible replacements for Hawk. While it's premature to think about this (we don't know how prime coaching candidates will finish their seasons), I did include a short list in a comment thread a while back and I think that it still applies today. In the end, I do not believe that Hawk will be fired any time soon regardless of how the team fares over the next few weeks; it would just be too disruptive to fire him mid season. The week before Nebraska is still about the earliest we could see a change. My primary concern is that the team stumbles to 7-5 with a win in Kansas, and the administration forces Bohn to keep him to keep costs down. Hawk needs to go; the Mizzou loss Saturday night is indicative of the direction of the program much more than the Georgia win.

DirecTV decides to show me worst games possible: One of my weekly joys is watching the RedZone channel that is included with my Sunday Ticket package. While the NFL isn't necessarily my favorite cup 'o tea, the RZ channel is a blast to watch. Unfortunately this Sunday they decided to spend the majority of the morning slate of games focused on the Tampa Bay/Cincinnati and Jacksonville/Buffalo games. While they were the closest contests at the moment, they were terrible football games to watch involving teams I care nothing about. While other games were blowouts, they at least had fantasy implications. Whoever was running the RZ channel should've recognized that no one wants to watch Tampa, the 'Nati, J-ville, or Buffalo play.

Twins swept; there is a God: In schadenfreude news: the Twins got swept by the Yankees over the weekend. This is typical of the Twins M.O.; they are a team that plays hard no matter what time of the year it is, so they have nothing left to give once October rolls around. While that attitude may be endearing to fans, and win them an extra 5 games during the season, come playoff time, talented teams who generally coast for most of the season (Yankees, etc.) will take their lunch money. Some people cheer on their division rivals once their favorite team is eliminated, but that's just not me. The hatred I carry for Twins baseball just cannot be stymied once October rolls around, division affiliation be damned. I want to see them lose, regardless of the situation. I will never understand people who go from cheering against a team one moment, to cheering for a team the next.

Happy Monday!

Quick Post: The Hawk Twitter Jinx

Earlier today Hawk re-discovered his Twitter account (He has only one post since Sept 10th) and blasted to Buff nation: "Team lunch in 45 minutes and then off to Missouri! Go Buffs!!!!" While I certainly love the idea of lunch, and I obviously support the teams efforts tomorrow in Columbia, I wish he would've kept his thoughts to himself.

See, the last time he tweeted about game-day preparations was the day before the Cal disaster. Not for nothing, but since then he's won 2 games and discovered his run-game. Maybe the Twitter password should've stayed forgotten...