I'm deep into the writing of my 2014-15 Massive Basketball Preview. As always, the word 'massive' barely does it justice. For example, I've spent 1,000 words, so far, on Ski Booker alone (Spencer only got 650 last year, FWIW). 'Tome of excellence' is probably more apt, but I'm probably stuck with 'massive,' at this point... but, I digress. If you're eagerly awaiting the completion of this beast (why wouldn't you be?), look for the final release around November 11th. Til then, it's back to football...
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Today in the bag, I'm talking the letdown in Los Angeles, the upcoming football schedule, and the Banana Stand doing Banana Standy things.
Click below for the bag...
Monday, October 20, 2014
Friday, October 17, 2014
Friday Beer Post: 2014 Gameday Beer-o-the-week - USC 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!"
After a week off - both for the bye, and to recover from the Great American Beer Festival - I'm back with another alcoholic treat for the weekend ahead. While I was at GABF, I tasted many excellent beers (and a few duds), but one brew grabbed my attention in a way no others did. That beer, Bear Republic's Apex IPA, is this week's gameday beer-o-the-week.
After a night of palate abuse, where I threw beers from across the spectrum at my wanton tongue, Apex seemed to point true north towards what I most look for in a beer. Tasting this was a humbling experience, reminding me that, sometimes, the mouth wants what it wants, and maybe that uber-sour over there, while rare and interesting, isn't really for me. Apex showcases a bright reverence for the hop, without keeling over into a hammer-thrust of obtrusive bitterness. There's balance with the malts, without being too sweet. The finish is clean - lingers pleasantly before leaving you wanting more. It was joyous. Just a beautifully crafted 'Strong IPA.'
Needless to say, I went back at least (it gets a little hazy after 8pm) four times to grab an extra ounce. @DavidScarffe and I even went back to directly compare it to the other IPAs we had tried (like Ballast Point's Sculpin), and made the decision that Apex was the best use of hops in the room (no small feat, that).
Apex has been around for a while, having won a silver medal at the '06 GABF, but Bear Republic just recently started throwing it in bottles for a limited release. I asked at the tent, but they won't be distributing in Colorado. Having learned that, I'd be lying if I said I didn't consider a quick beer-cation to NorCal. For those in BuffNation traveling to California for the game tomorrow, do me a favor, and grab a few of these. I can live vicariously through your tailgating experience.
Happy Friday! Go Buffs, beat the Trojans!
After a week off - both for the bye, and to recover from the Great American Beer Festival - I'm back with another alcoholic treat for the weekend ahead. While I was at GABF, I tasted many excellent beers (and a few duds), but one brew grabbed my attention in a way no others did. That beer, Bear Republic's Apex IPA, is this week's gameday beer-o-the-week.
After a night of palate abuse, where I threw beers from across the spectrum at my wanton tongue, Apex seemed to point true north towards what I most look for in a beer. Tasting this was a humbling experience, reminding me that, sometimes, the mouth wants what it wants, and maybe that uber-sour over there, while rare and interesting, isn't really for me. Apex showcases a bright reverence for the hop, without keeling over into a hammer-thrust of obtrusive bitterness. There's balance with the malts, without being too sweet. The finish is clean - lingers pleasantly before leaving you wanting more. It was joyous. Just a beautifully crafted 'Strong IPA.'
Needless to say, I went back at least (it gets a little hazy after 8pm) four times to grab an extra ounce. @DavidScarffe and I even went back to directly compare it to the other IPAs we had tried (like Ballast Point's Sculpin), and made the decision that Apex was the best use of hops in the room (no small feat, that).
Apex has been around for a while, having won a silver medal at the '06 GABF, but Bear Republic just recently started throwing it in bottles for a limited release. I asked at the tent, but they won't be distributing in Colorado. Having learned that, I'd be lying if I said I didn't consider a quick beer-cation to NorCal. For those in BuffNation traveling to California for the game tomorrow, do me a favor, and grab a few of these. I can live vicariously through your tailgating experience.
Happy Friday! Go Buffs, beat the Trojans!
2014 USC Football Preview
The Buffs are officially onto the second half of their season, riding high on a wave of improvement-based optimism. However, the schedule gods were far from kind with the back-loaded portion of the slate that they are about to tackle. Over the next six game weeks, CU will play some of the best teams in the Pac-12, a set that boast a combined 27-8 record in 2014. When the national media said at the beginning of the year that the Pac-12 was the best conference in America, they weren't kidding. This bunch is loaded. As well as the Buffs have been playing recently, I'm starting to worry that all of this momentum could get drowned out over the next month and a half against the West's elite programs.
It's undeniable that Colorado Football is in a better position today than it was a year ago. Across the board, this program has improved. Dramatically. If you don't recognize that - whether through ignorance, resentment, or jealousy - your opinions are no longer welcome. Yet, with one fewer win on the books than this point in 2013, and a bevy of difficult games on the horizon, I'd be kidding myself to ignore the fact that a 2-10 finish is a real possibility. It sucks, but that's what could be on the table.
In a results based business, I'm worried about the impact that could have on the fanbase. The big question for me is how, exactly, will BuffNation take the results over the next few weeks. The Broncos are rolling, basketball is just around the corner, and ski season is about to ramp up. As exciting as the team has proven to be this campaign, will the fans stick with this bunch if results continue to mirror what we've seen to-date, or will the denizens grow distracted and disinterested, as they have in the past? Will the fans - alums, students, et al - still show up and help create a competitive atmosphere next Saturday against UCLA, November 1st against Washington, or November 29th against Utah? God, I hope so.
See, I've bought in. I've already committed to going to every game played in the state this fall, so I will be in attendance, hell or high water. I shouldn't be alone on this journey. For half a decade, the fan base - myself included - has been screaming for any sign of life from those in Black and Gold. Well, we finally have one, and we as a group need to vote with our feet and show up. The team sure has, now BuffNation needs to have their back. Make your plans now; show up next week, show up in November. Get it done.
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Kickoff from the historic LA Memorial Coliseum is set for 4pm MST. Televised coverage can be found on Pac-12 Networks, with the radio call on 850 KOA.
Click below for the preview...
It's undeniable that Colorado Football is in a better position today than it was a year ago. Across the board, this program has improved. Dramatically. If you don't recognize that - whether through ignorance, resentment, or jealousy - your opinions are no longer welcome. Yet, with one fewer win on the books than this point in 2013, and a bevy of difficult games on the horizon, I'd be kidding myself to ignore the fact that a 2-10 finish is a real possibility. It sucks, but that's what could be on the table.
In a results based business, I'm worried about the impact that could have on the fanbase. The big question for me is how, exactly, will BuffNation take the results over the next few weeks. The Broncos are rolling, basketball is just around the corner, and ski season is about to ramp up. As exciting as the team has proven to be this campaign, will the fans stick with this bunch if results continue to mirror what we've seen to-date, or will the denizens grow distracted and disinterested, as they have in the past? Will the fans - alums, students, et al - still show up and help create a competitive atmosphere next Saturday against UCLA, November 1st against Washington, or November 29th against Utah? God, I hope so.
See, I've bought in. I've already committed to going to every game played in the state this fall, so I will be in attendance, hell or high water. I shouldn't be alone on this journey. For half a decade, the fan base - myself included - has been screaming for any sign of life from those in Black and Gold. Well, we finally have one, and we as a group need to vote with our feet and show up. The team sure has, now BuffNation needs to have their back. Make your plans now; show up next week, show up in November. Get it done.
--
Kickoff from the historic LA Memorial Coliseum is set for 4pm MST. Televised coverage can be found on Pac-12 Networks, with the radio call on 850 KOA.
Click below for the preview...
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Tuesday Grab Bag: Bye week musings
Really glad to have the bye week in the rear view. I've grown accustomed to watching the Buffs play every Saturday, and my weekend was pointedly missing something with them on the break. Yes, I, the football denier, have become seduced by the young Buffs and their continuing climb to relevancy.
To date, it's been a story of near misses and should-woulda-coulda. I'm looking for the next step - a genuine, statement win in a game they aren't supposed to be competitive in. I'm not yet ready to call my shot for this weekend, but, given an extra week to prepare, I'm really interested to see what they bring to the table this weekend in Los Angeles...
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Today, I'm talking a shocker from the basketball recruiting trail, a really nice Sunday in soccer and volleyball, and a peek at the upcoming football schedule.
Click below for the bag...
To date, it's been a story of near misses and should-woulda-coulda. I'm looking for the next step - a genuine, statement win in a game they aren't supposed to be competitive in. I'm not yet ready to call my shot for this weekend, but, given an extra week to prepare, I'm really interested to see what they bring to the table this weekend in Los Angeles...
--
Today, I'm talking a shocker from the basketball recruiting trail, a really nice Sunday in soccer and volleyball, and a peek at the upcoming football schedule.
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...
Friday, October 3, 2014
Friday Beer Post: 2014 Gameday Beer-o-the-week - OSU 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!"
It's Great American Beer Festival weekend, and with it comes the return of both the Comic-Con of beer and my attendance to it. I scrounged, don't ask me how, a ticket to Friday's madness at a reasonable price (read: face value), leaving my coherence Saturday for the game and the tailgate a potential question mark. If you'll be spending this evening at the Colorado Convention Center, find the guy in the late-80s White Sox hat and say hello.
As for a beer pick, in celebration of the GABF and its center-piece status in Colorado's beer culture, I'm staying local. So local, in fact, that I refuse to leave the city of Denver for my selection, even going so far as to choosing a beer with 'Denver' in its name! That beer, Great Divide's Denver Pale Ale, is this week's gameday beer-of-the-week.
Oh how I love the brewing minds behind Great Divide. LoDo's craft heroes continually crank out some of the best beers around. DPA is one of their staples, an English-style pale ale that has never disappointed. It's not over-hopped like a lot of PAs, yet still hop-forward on the nose and tongue against a pleasing balance of malt. The finish is clean, the bitter flavor pleasing, and the golden color familiar and comforting.
Really, this is the whole package of what I look for in a true tailgate beer. The flavor isn't too extreme for inexperienced palates, it's not overly alcoholic (about 5.5% ABV), and goes well with almost all traditional junk foods. There are few situations were a DPA or two won't do you well. Certainly, this Saturday is not one of the exceptions. Hit up the local booze palace for some of the Mile High City's finest.
Happy Friday! Go Buffs, pound the Beavers!
It's Great American Beer Festival weekend, and with it comes the return of both the Comic-Con of beer and my attendance to it. I scrounged, don't ask me how, a ticket to Friday's madness at a reasonable price (read: face value), leaving my coherence Saturday for the game and the tailgate a potential question mark. If you'll be spending this evening at the Colorado Convention Center, find the guy in the late-80s White Sox hat and say hello.
As for a beer pick, in celebration of the GABF and its center-piece status in Colorado's beer culture, I'm staying local. So local, in fact, that I refuse to leave the city of Denver for my selection, even going so far as to choosing a beer with 'Denver' in its name! That beer, Great Divide's Denver Pale Ale, is this week's gameday beer-of-the-week.
Really, this is the whole package of what I look for in a true tailgate beer. The flavor isn't too extreme for inexperienced palates, it's not overly alcoholic (about 5.5% ABV), and goes well with almost all traditional junk foods. There are few situations were a DPA or two won't do you well. Certainly, this Saturday is not one of the exceptions. Hit up the local booze palace for some of the Mile High City's finest.
Happy Friday! Go Buffs, pound the Beavers!
2014 Oregon State Football Preview
I hope BuffNation heeds the call on Saturday afternoon. This team has proven deserving of our attention and attendance, certainly against a potentially beatable opponent on a gorgeous early-Fall day. If you're in the Boulder area, GET YOUR ASS TO THE STADIUM.
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Kickoff from the always beautiful Folsom Field is set for 2pm MT. Those without tickets can find coverage on Pac-12 Networks. Since the Rockies are finally, mercifully done flailing at the rest of the National League, the radio call will most definitely be on 850 KOA.
Click below for the preview...
--
Kickoff from the always beautiful Folsom Field is set for 2pm MT. Those without tickets can find coverage on Pac-12 Networks. Since the Rockies are finally, mercifully done flailing at the rest of the National League, the radio call will most definitely be on 850 KOA.
Click below for the preview...
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