Nebraska Sucks

Two days before the big game and I don't have much pre-game analysis outside of that. Nebraska sucks, I hate them. I was thinking of writing something about the keys to the game. How we needed to establish the run and push the pink shirts around, get pressure on Joe Ganz and force him to make mistakes, how we need Kevin Eberhart to not miss a field goal inside 40 yards.... But none of it matters. The only thing that matters is that I hate Nebraska. And hopefully all of our players share my sentiments. Really that's what this game comes down to. The players have been flat the last few weeks. Maybe the Freshman have hit a wall. Playing in the Big 12 can take a lot out of an 18 year old kid. But this is what they signed up for, and it's time for them to suck it up for one last game and play up to their potential. And for the Seniors, it's a chance to be redeemed for all of the shit they've had to endure during their time at CU. From the rape accusations, to Barnett's messy departure, to last season's shocking display of suckery.... they now have a shot at being the class that started to turn the program, that first team that got us back on track. They all have a lot to play for on Friday. We have a chance to finish the season .500 and be bowl eligible. We have a chance to knock Nebraska out of a possible bowl bid for only the 2nd time in nearly 40 years, and have them finish at the bottom of the Big 12 North. We have a chance to both embarrass the Bugeaters and salvage this once promising season. Looking back, at the beginning of the year I probably could have lived with a 5-7 season after last year's disaster. But not anymore. Not after the wins against Oklahoma, and on the road at Texas Tech. After a 4-2 start and a win over a top 5 team, this is a team that is good enough to be in a Bowl game. Anything less will be a disappointment. That said, I'll be there in Folsom Field on Friday morning.... freezing my balls off, drinking until I puke, and screaming until I'm horse. Here are some videos to get you fired up for the game: This may be my earliest Buff memory: And we can't have the CU vs. Nebraska game without reliving 62-36, the game that killed a program: GO BUFFS!!

State of the Buffs.... Settle Down Everyone.

That was one of the most depressing sports weekends I can remember in a long time. A couple of embarrassing losses by our football teams, now the Nuggs are on a 3 game skid..... But take it easy there Buff fans. As bad as the Missouri loss was for CU, we have to look at the big picture here. We are 5-5 right now. We have two winnable games left on the schedule, and only need to win one of those two to be bowl eligible. Now, after the disaster that was last season, if I had told you that the Buffs had to win one of their last two games against Iowa St. (2-8 record) and Nebraska (4-6 record, lost 5 straight) to go to a bowl game, you would have been ecstatic. I fully remember everyone saying that they would be very happy if the Buffs got to a bowl game at all this season. So let's all just settle down about the 55-10 loss. Yeah, it sucked. It was embarrassing and brutal to watch. But remember where we were at this time last season. Remember 2-10? Remember being mocked by CSU, Nebraska, and even Montana St. fans? Sure, watching Chase Daniels launch deep ball after deep ball on Saturday was surprisingly reminiscent of watching me play NCAA Football '07. In that game I have the QB mentality of the Sex Cannon, Rex Grossman. "I know that dudes are open in the flat, but fuck that shit I'm going long!" It was eery the way he repeatedly completed passes over 30 yards with ease, it was like watching my own thumbs. Sure, watching our boys try to tackle Mizzou TE Chase Coffman was like watching several chihuahuas trying to take down a charging rhino (Missouri has to lead the nation in the "players named Chase" category by the way. They have three). But let's take a deep breath. I know that the OU win raised the expectation bar, but remember this team is young. They are going to be up and down. CU is set to shatter the record for freshman starts in a season of 42. They are currently at 41 freshman starts. There have only been 3 other times in CU history that freshman have started 40 or more games, 1987, 1991, and 1998. Do the math. Three years after 1987.... 1990, National Championship, 3 first team All-Americans (Eric Bienemy, Joe Garten, Alfred Williams). Three years after 1991.... 1994, finished 11-1 and #3 in the polls. 20 out of 22 starters ended up in the NFL. Rashaan Salaam wins the Heisman. Three first team All-Americans (Michael Westbrook, Chris Hudson, Salaam). Three years after 1998.... 2001, Big 12 Champions. Three first team All-Americans (Daniel Graham, Andre Gurode, Roman Hollowell KR). I bet that just gave you a little tingle of excitement in your underbits, didn't it. Here are some facts to marinate on while your claiming that Cody Hawkins is no good: - Cody has already set or tied 9 CU records (5 Freshman and 4 School records). - Cody is on pace to throw for over 2,600 yards. Only four QB's in CU history have thrown for more than 2,500 yards in a season. - Cody's 15 TD passes this year are tied for the 5th most in CU history. with two games and a possible Bowl left to play. - Cody's 15 INT's are tied for 2nd most in school history. He's a freshman. As for the rest of the youngsters, CU has 5 players with a legitimate shot at the Freshman All-American Team. Cody, Kai Maiva, Ryan Miller, Josh Smith and Scotty McKnight. So let's give the fellas on the field a little time to develop. If history is any judge, we'll be pretty damn good for the next few years. Some other thoughts to give you hope for the next two games: - The next two games are both morning start times. This season, CU is 5-0 in day games and 0-5 at night. That's what you get for scheduling games after the Freshman curfew. - Iowa State is 2-8. I know they have played well lately.... but they are 2-8. They aren't that good. - Nebraska has lost 5 straight games, and has arguably the worst defense in the nation. - We only have to win one of those two games to be bowl eligible. - Recruiting is going very well, and rumors are running wild that Darrell Scott gave a silent commit to the Buffs after the Missouri game. For those of you who don't know, Darrell Scott is the #1 rated high school RB in the nation, and #4 overall recruit and he was in town to watch that disaster of a game on Saturday. Personally, I'm going to wait until I see a direct quote from him before I celebrate. But if he does actually end up at CU, you can be sure that Brainz and I will do one of those jumping hip bump things that are all the rage in football nowadays. - Another recruiting tidbit... the Buffs received a commitment from Texas HS safety Stephen Hicks (ranked #43 at his position in the nation by Rivals.com) this week. He was in town for the Missouri game too. Although, he has said he still may visit other schools so I guess he's not completely committed. At this point, consider him as committed to the Buffs as Bill is to Hillary. That said, if the 55-10 loss to Missouri ends up getting us Darrell Scott and Stephen Hicks as a result, than I'd say the anal raping was well worth it in this case. I guess what I'm saying is that we all need to calm down and remember that we are in the process of building this program back up. It may take a couple of seasons, but if it's done the right way, when we get back on top we should stay there for a long time. Oh yeah, and if we lose the next two games forget everything I just wrote. We'll start up a www.firedanhawkins.com site or something. One last thing; Congrats to Jordan Dizon on being named a Finalist for the Butkus award this season. He joins Matt Russell, Alfred WIlliams, and Ted Johnson as the only Buffs to be named finalists for the award. Williams and Russell went on to win it. By the way, I swiped this picture from someone at rivals.com. If you read this I hope you don't mind. It was too awesome not to steal.

Some breaking Buff news

The Buffs have landed Jon Major! Major had said he would announce his decision on Saturday, and at 1:09am in the morning he sent an email to rivals.com indicating that he is now a Colorado Buffalo. This Buff recruiting class is quickly developing into something exciting, and with Coach Hawkins getting the top in-state player the last two years over the national powerhouses, it's a sign that things are heading in the right direction. Congrats to Coach Hawkins and the Buffs on a great signing, and to Jon Major for his wise decision to join the Black and Gold! Go Buffs!

Buff Notes....

I don't really know what to expect out of tomorrow's game against Texas Tech. This year's team has been fairly inconsistent and tough to get a good read on. I guess that's to be expected out of a team that plays with more freshman than your average Girls Gone Wild DVD. On one hand, we haven't exactly been successful with pass oriented teams this season. Even Baylor was able to rack up huge yards against us in defeat. But on the other hand, one dimensional teams like Texas Tech are easier to shut down. Look at the game we played against them last season. We completely shut down the run, held them to a sub-par passing day, forced a few turnovers, and breezed to a 30-6 win for our first victory of the season. If we can play a similar game where we control the tempo, take care of the ball, and force some turnovers than we have a good shot at the win. But that's a pretty big if. Maybe it's a good thing that I don't have a great feeling about the game. After-all, every game I've felt good about we've ended up losing. I really hope we can pull it together tomorrow though. A win on the road in Lubbock would go a long way towards a bowl appearance this season. And that would be a pretty huge step considering where the program was last year. - I watched #1 ranked Columbine put a serious beat down on #4 Bear Creek tonight. CU commit Curtis Cunningham looked pretty dominant in the win for the Rebels. He was consistently in the Bears backfield, had a sack for a safety, punished defenders on the offensive side of the ball, and even looked decent as the Rebels kick-off specialist. It's always good to know that if a catastrophe hits your kickers, your defensive tackle can step in and handle some kick-offs. A couple of other Columbine players stood out. Wyoming commit Matt Birkeness was all over the field on defense. He'll play tight-end in college, but his size and speed really showed at LB for the Rebels. Might have been a nice recruit for CU at 6'4" 220 lbs with 4.6 speed. Another player who has stood out for Columbine all season is RB Orenzo Davis. I think he was listed at 5'10", but looked like he couldn't be more than 5'6". But he is a solid 180 lbs, and reminds me a lot of former Buff standout Roman Hollowell. I have heard he's mostly being recruited by 1-AA schools (or whatever the hell they're called now) but I'd like to see the Buffs at least offer him a spot as a walk-on. He looks like the kind of kid who could be a dangerous kick returner, and possibly see the field as a 3rd down type of back. Kind of like our own Glyn Milburn. - Bear Creek O-Tackle Jeremiah Sirles is an absolute beast. He's a 6'8" 290 lbs. Junior who will most likely be one of the nations top o-line recruits next season. It sure would be nice seeing him and Ryan Miller bookend the offensive line in the future for the Buffs. Unfortunately for Jeremiah, it looked like he injured his knee pretty bad in the first half of the game. I really don't know what to expect from tomorrows game. Every-time I feel like I have a read on this team and where they're headed, something new comes up. So I think my game-plan will be to get up in the morning, put a little Irish in my coffee, and watch the Buffs get a big W in Lubbock. Oh yeah, and hopefully we'll see a dude do this on national TV:

Recruiting Update from Boulder

Colorado received a commitment yesterday from 4* Running Back Ray Polk from Phoenix, Arizona. Polk is 6'0", about 200 lbs, runs a 4.47 x 40 and is the 11th ranked RB in the country according to Rivals.com. This is a huge signing for us. With Polk, Sumler, Lockridge, and PT Gates (the top Juco RB in the nation last year) enrolling in January, we are loaded with young talent at the RB position. And don't forget we are still heavily in the mix for the top RB recruit (and according to some the top overall recruit) in the nation Darrell Scott. Scott will be visiting for the Nebraska game November 23rd, and many believe that he is currently ours to lose. We've got some pretty big recruits in town this weekend for the KU game. The biggest name being LB prospect Lynn Kotoa from Salt Lake City, UT. Katoa is ranked as the #2 Inside LB prospect in the nation and #59 overall. According to this report from the Salt Lake Tribune, CU may have a shot at a commitment from Katoa this weekend: Colorado Covets Cottonwood's Katoa When it comes to pursuing the most highly recruited prep football player in Utah this season, Colorado coach Dan Hawkins apparently isn't going to take a backseat to the big dogs of the Big 12, Oklahoma and Texas. Hawkins recently made a trip to Utah to visit with Cottonwood linebacker Lynn Katoa and watch him play against East, several sources have told The Recruiting Trail. A month ago, Katoa said he had narrowed his choices to Oklahoma and Texas, after having visited both campuses. But last week he said Colorado is in the picture as well now, along with LSU and, possibly, USC, Miami, Wisconsin and Texas A&M. Katoa is scheduled to visit Boulder on Saturday to watch the Buffaloes play host to Kansas. From the way he has talked about Hawkins the past few weeks, I wouldn't be surprised if he makes a commitment while he's there. The recruit mentions the desire to play right away in college every time he talks about recruiting, and Colorado supposedly is using at least one walk-on at linebacker, sometimes two. "Coach Hawkins is a great coach and I believe he is a coach that will win a championship," Katoa told the Salt Lake Tribune earlier this week for a story that will be published Friday. Cottonwood plays Olympus on Thursday, and Katoa will leave for Colorado on Friday. He has a trip scheduled to LSU on Thanksgiving morning, and has also talked recently about wanting to visit Miami. Katoa would be an enormous signing for the Buffs if we can land him. Especially if we can get Jon Major as well. With our complete lack of depth at LB right now, and with Jordan Dizon headed to the bigs next season, we need people to play right away next year. And two of the top LB's in the nation would sure help. In addition to Katoa, 3* WR prospect Chance Blackmon from Tatum, TX will be visiting this weekend also. Blackmon has already committed to CU once this year only to de-commit later when other schools began to show some interest. Now Blackmon has said his final 3 choices are CU, Mizzou, and Florida (although Florida has yet to offer a scholarship to Blackmon). At 6'3" Blackmon definitely has the size that you want at WR, but I'd be pretty surprised if he didn't end up at Missouri. We also have 3* Athlete DeVonte Christopher in town this weekend. Christopher has played QB in HS, but the Buffs will most likely want him to be a defensive back. Christopher has said he'd like to play QB in college, but most of the big schools looking at him want him to play other positions. With all these prospects that have been visiting lately, it's time for us to get some commitments. We currently have 8 commitments for our 2008 class, with one likely to de-commit any day now (WR Corey Surrency). By comparison, Nebraska currently has 24 commitments for their 2008 class. Getting players like Polk (and hopefully Katoa this weekend) to sign with us will hopefully open up the flood-gates to get some of these other fellas to sign. Speaking of Nebraska, Mullen OT Bryce Givens has been starting to look around at other schools since committing to Nebraska back in April. With all of the turmoil surrounding the football staff at NU, Givens has said he'll most likely take a couple more visits including one to Boulder. It would be pretty sweet to swipe a 4* recruit away from Nebraska, especially a local kid like Givens.

Buff Notes:

As the lucky Colo"rad"o t-shirt looks to make it 4 for 4 this weekend, here are some thoughts from last week's game against Baylor and tomorrow's big game against K-State: - First of all, how retarded is the Big 12 TV contract? It is so unbelievably stupid that the local channels weren't allowed to pick up last week's game against Baylor. Sure it seems disappointing at first, but look at some of the other games we were able to watch: - KU vs. KSU (on Fox Sports Rocky Mtn) - ASU vs. Washington St. (on Fox Sports Rocky Mtn.) - West Virginia vs. Syracuse (on Altitude) - Northern Colorado vs. Idaho St. (on Altitude) - Florida A&M vs. Winston-Salem St. - Youngstown St. vs. Southern Illinois. - Illinois St. vs. Missouri St. - Wisconsin (Eau Claire) vs. Wisconsin (Whitewater) Thank God I had the ability to watch all of those games instead of our state's flagship University as they are turning the program back around.... - Against Baylor we played sloppy. Really sloppy. It was painful to watch... er, listen to Don Zimmer tell me about it looking sloppy. Anyway, it was pretty refreshing to have a CU team play poorly and still win easily. I wasn't too fired up about not completely finishing them off, but a 20 point road win when you don't play well isn't exactly a bad thing. - Tomorrow's game against K-State is huge. In fact, I'm going to give it the old "biggest game of the year so far" label. Which is the same label I've given to approximately every game of the season. But here's the deal, we are currently 2nd in the "others receiving votes" category of the Top 25. With a road win against a formerly ranked team who beat Texas two weeks ago, we have a good shot of jumping into the top 25 next week. Especially with the Florida St. loss last night. Who could have imagined that at the start of the season? Not to mention the fact that it gives us control of our own destiny for the Big 12 North. - I have a few friends who still argue that Gary Barnett was unfairly criticized while winning, and Dan Hawkins has been given a free pass, and even praised, while going 2-10 last season... but I don't think that anyone can say that we aren't better off right now than we were two years ago. I know that we were 4-2 at this same time back then (in fact, we were 7-2 until the nightmare letdown ending in the 70-3 ass shellacking in the Big 12 title game), but it feels like the program has a much brighter future than it did two years ago. - Ryan Miller is getting the start at RT tomorrow against K-State. (Columbine HS football rules!!) How crazy is it that we have two pure freshman starting on our O-Line and we are better off for it! This says a lot about the future of the program, especially on offense. We are loaded with freshman talent that will hopefully give us a few years of exciting football and be the building blocks of us finally bringing back that "return to dominance" we heard so much about several years ago. - The OU win isn't quite having the recruiting fallout that I had hoped it would produce yet. Although we did sign Boulder HS LB/TE Will Pericak, no other recruits in town that weekend made a commitment to the Buffs. That's not to say that it won't have a positive effect down the road though. Pretty much every recruit in town that weekend came away very impressed with the program. A win like that on national TV shows all recruits that the program is headed in the right direction, hopefully wipes out the Montana St. negative recruiting angle finally, and let's not forget that Jon Major was there watching the game with his final 3 down to CU, OU, and Wisconsin according to most reports. - At least the OU win impact worked for someone though. The basketball team signed 6'8" Toby Veal from Savannah, GA, the #39 ranked PF in the nation. Veal was visiting during the OU game and chose CU over programs like Tennessee, Auburn, Virginia Tech, Miami (FL), Florida St, UNLV, and CSU. He also cited Coach Bzdelik's NBA experience as a reason for signing. Prediction: The homer in me thinks that the Buffs should kill K-State. There's no logical reason behind this, it's just my homerdome coming to the forefront. The realistic part of me knows that this will be an extremely tough game, and a few things have me worried. Actually, it's really only one thing... defending the pass. Outside of the OU game we haven't exactly shown an ability to slow down passing teams too well, and a team that throws the ball as effectively as K-State could potentially have a field day against us. Usually I feel comfortable with Terrence Wheatley matched up against anyone, but the FSU game showed that he has trouble with bigger receivers, and KSU has Jordy Nelson who at 6'3" has a good half a foot on T-Wheat. Nelson already has 52 catches for 634 yards in only 5 games this season. Maybe we could try matching up the bigger 6'2" Jimmy Smith on him, but he's a pure frosh and I'm a little worried that he has too much Phil Jackson in him, and I don't want to see him 5 yards behind his man trying desperately to catch him from behind on his 2nd 50+ yard TD of the day. So we need to just line up our best guy against theirs and hope he can slow him down. With that said, I think CU wins this one in a close game. We have shown improvement each week as the young players gain experience, and this is too important of a game to let it get away from us. CU 27 - KSU 24. The Colo"rad"o shirt pulls through again.

Colo"rad"o

There are quite a few theories out there about the turnaround taking place with the football program up in Boulder. Some people think that Coach Hawkins has infused his players with his will to win. Others think that the outstanding play of our young freshman, and their continuous development is the reason. Some think that it is due to our staunch defense and their ability to shut down some of the most high powered offenses in the nation. But they're all wrong. It's because of me. In an unprecedented stroke of fan genius, I made a switch two weeks ago that has turned the tables of fortune for our beloved Buffs, and shocked an entire nation in the process. You see, for the past few years I have worn the same type of gear to basically every Buff football game. I'd either wear a white CU golf shirt, or maybe the occasional yellow Buff T. As we all know, this gear combo has not worked well for the mighty Buffaloes during this time stretch. So when heading up to the Miami (OH) game two weekends ago I had an epiphany. I was going to change things up for the Buffs for good with just a simple audible in game gear. Here's what I wore that fateful September day: On the way to Boulder with longtime Homer Wade, I told him of my plan. I informed him that I was taking things up a notch, that I would no longer sit idly by watching our Buffs lose while I did nothing to help institute change. It was time to be pro-active.... I was wearing a new t-shirt. Wade simply nodded, looked my shirt up and down and stated, "we're ready." He then sniffed the autumn sky and said, "there's a change in the air." Wade is a very wise man. That day things just clicked for the Buffs. For the first time in years, we thoroughly dominated an opponent, racking up 634 yards of total offense while shutting out the Red Hawks and holding them only 139 yards during the game. Granted, the "Red Hawks" sound like the name of a Pee Wee league football team, and maybe that day they were, but the Buffs had dominated an opponent and the only thing that had changed, that I could tell, was my choice of game day garb. Then this Saturday arrived, #3 ranked Oklahoma was coming to town and I knew I had to pull out all stops in order to keep this crazy stroke of genius going. I woke up early and made sure my Colo"rad"o shirt was freshly cleaned. It was. I had thrown it in a pile on the ground the night before, so it was pretty wrinkled, but I wasn't worried. This is no ordinary shirt.... it's pure cotton. 100%. And not that wuss cotton gently weaved by the hands of tiny Korean children, but pure 100% American cotton... made in America. Colorado is in America. This shirt is Colorado. I give this newfound harbourer of change a once-over, then I pull the shirt on and head out to watch the game. I'm watching this one with my family, nearly all of whom are Oklahoma graduates. Needless to say, none of them are intelligent and they cheat constantly at everything.... but that's neither here nor there. Shortly after halftime, with our Buffs down 24-7 and seemingly headed for yet another embarrassing loss to a top 5 team, I took a good look at my t-shirt and said to it, "come on shirt! Do you really put the "rad" in Colorado? Or is that all just a bunch of talk??" The response was immediate. The Buffs started to completely decimate the Sooners. Running the ball at will, getting key 3rd and 4th down conversions, forcing turnovers, and pulling off the upset. After the game I could be seen running throughout my mother's house, yelling to all who listened that I knew I could do it. I knew I could find the lucky shirt to turn the Buffs fortunes around. Needless to say I've found my new game day shirt. And it makes everything "rad". I still haven't heard from Coach Hawkins though. I was expecting a thank you call or something. Maybe he's not getting cell service right now. Go Buffs!

How big is tomorrow's game? Orca huge.

It's time for it to happen. I've been waiting for too long. For the past 6 years, CU has had nothing but bad publicity nationwide. There was the recruiting scandal, the rape accusations followed by the Katie Hnieda's book, the Big 12 title game blowouts, the student section being thrown out of the Nebraska game, Montana State, 70-3..... But nothing positive. Sure we won some Big 12 North titles, but we all know how people feel about the Big 12 North Champs.... that winning that title is like being the smartest kid with down syndrome. The last 6 years have been a slow decent into college football's abyss. We've become a sideshow... a punchline. An example of how far a once mighty program can fall. It's time for it all to stop. And it's going to on Saturday night. Tomorrow's game against FSU is the most important CU game of my adult life, and here is why: 1.) It is our last chance on national TV to make a statement. I know we play Nebraska on national TV at the end of the year, but by that time our season will pretty much be decided already. This game is a fresh chance to show people that we are turning the ship. It is a chance at a signature game. A game that shows everyone in the nation that CU isn't anybodies laughing stock anymore. 2.) The recruiting fallout. This is a huge game for us from a recruiting standpoint. Darrell Scott won't be attending because he hasn't taken his SAT yet, but local LB standout Jon Major will be here, 4* TE Ryan Deehan will be here, so will other big recruit prospects like WR's Ed Tinker and DL Moore, lineman Curtis Cunningham from Columbine HS (who's already verbally committed, Harold Bernard a WR/CB prospect from Arizona, and several others. It is rumored that as many as 15 recruits may be on the sidelines for CU during tomorrow's game and this is a huge opportunity to make a serious statement to them, and every other potential recruit, that CU is on it's way back. 3.) Florida State may not be what they once were, but they are still a huge name nationally. When the nation thinks of the Seminoles, they think of one of the greatest college football programs in history. They still have that aura. And they are absolutely beatable. This is such a huge opportunity for us to get a win against a nationally recognized program, on national TV. 4.) Ego booster for the young Buffs. This is the type of game that can help our key Freshman (Hawkins, Sumler, McBride, Josh Smith, Ryan Miller, etc.) develop confidence for the future. I think that FSU has more talent top to bottom, but we have a lot of things going for us in this game. The game won't be starting until 10:10 pm on the east coast. That means the FSU players will be playing well into the morning according to their internal time clocks. The altitude always helps when we play teams from sea level. And FSU QB Drew Weatherford is a meltdown waiting to happen. Like Brainz said earlier, I think this game will be a close one, and if we can pull it off it will be an enormous boost to the ego's of our young players. Here's the thing Buff fans, I'm tired of being average. I grew up in a time when CU football was a national power. Season after season we were in contention for a national title and I want that back. I want something to make me believe that it is possible and I don't think I'm alone here. That's why this game is so important. We have to win. It's time for us to get our signature win. Like beating Nebraska in 1986 turned the program, I feel like this game could have a similar impact. Sure, there will be other games down the road to make statements should we fall short here.... but this is a huge opportunity. I can feel it. It's a turning point. So let's all get out to Folsom Field tomorrow, put on your best black CU garb, and cheer for the Buffs. Because I have a feeling that this could be the start of something great in Colorado football. Let's go Buffs!

Buffs Ready Folsom for the Aged Bowden

Hello Friends - I am back after a week off to write up a Buffs contest. Yes, I took a week off due to my anniversary, but I really didn't have a feeling one way or another last weekend anyhow. Frankly, after watching my Tivo'd version of the ASU/CU debacle, I can see why I had no feeling. What a game to let get away... Onward, to Mr. Bowden and the Seminoles. Good stuff from Stewart Mandell of SI-fame today on the local KKFN 950 The Fan. Stewart basically couldn't understand why FSU was even ranked coming into this season and said South Florida is the better program right now. Nice. Jim Armstrong thinks that Florida State won't be able to compete with the other schools in Florida until Bowden retires or is fired. Again, nice. The reason I hate this kind of crap is that there are a lot of people in Seminole Nation worried to death about this game. It has upset written all over it. The late start time, the altitude, the somewhat improved Buff Football Program. But even if the upset occurs, everyone is preparing themselves locally to say "Yeah, but...they're not the old Seminoles!" Again, what are you going to do? I will be very happy to play a competitive game that isn't as dreadful as last weekend any day. A win will be gravy. Let's just see some nice improvement on the offense and get ready to get the full roster back for Miami of Ohio. Right? This is a super winnable game, team. FSU is down, Drew Weatherford isn't very good (read: sucks), Bowden is old, and they are apparently not even on par with the mighty Bulls of South Florida. The game is past Bobby Bowden's bedtime. Swear to god, read Kyle Ringo's blog from The Daily Camera and check it out: http://www.buffzone.com/blogs/buffzone-sports/2007/sep/12/bowden/ Better yet, why are the Buffs in a position to win this game that doesn't require picking apart an average Florida State team? For starters, two 4.4 guys are back in the lineup with Hugh Charles and Josh Smith ready to go. Hawkins reported that J-Fly has been "all world" in practice this week coming off a kidney laceration. Smith catches the two touchdowns dropped by Williams and Celestine, by the way, in that ASU game. Also, Cody Hawkins is a film-room whore. He's been watching film of that putrid performance all week. There is one thing that I am absolutely sure of about Cody Hawkins; he is the type of player who gets better every week and is always prepared. I also think you'll see Big Red this week for the first time, Mr. Ryan Miller. My fellow Columbine alum should be plowing through some undersized DTs (although very talented, I might add) and opening up some holes. I think he'll play RG, but would love to see him at RT soon with Edwin Harrison moving to guard. Really, I have a GREAT feeling about this game. That usually doesn't mean much, but it sure is going to be fun to check the old barometer against a mighty (mediocre but still BCS?) foe this Saturday in Boulder. My prediction, dear readers? CU 34 - FSU 31. A nail biter. Down to the wire. FSU has a chance to win the game on the last drive and misses the field goal, wide right. I think that may have happend somewhere before, right? Hawkins rebounds nicely with a 23-39 performance for 315 yards and three scores including a long one to the righteous #9, J-Fly. Ground game struggles, but is better than the ASU game and Sumler gains 50 tough yards and a TD and Charles picks up 75 or so on 15 carries. Dizon makes 20 more tackles. Burney gets a huge, and unexpected, pick, along with Walters. Wheatley never is challenged by the inept Weatherford. Ryan Miller will still have red hair and be massive. Glory, Glory, Colorado! May the Buffs be with you...and sleep well, Master Bowden. It's time to pass the torch...your too old to rock, no more rocking for you!!!! Peace. Brainz

Dear Friends of the Black & Gold...

Dear Friends of the Black & Gold - In less than a day, it will be the greatest day in the history of 2007. September 1st is about redemption. It is about vengeance. It is a turning point of a great comeback story. Say what you will about the Mighty Buffaloes of Colorado or the Big 12 North, but things haven’t been this good in a long while in Boulder. Here are the things we know: *The budget for the Athletic Department will top $40 million for the first time in history this fiscal year. Kudos to Mike Bohn and staff for running things like a real business up there, finally. *Construction is complete on fantastic renovations of Dal Ward and the locker rooms, and construction has commenced on a $3 million indoor practice bubble identical to the ones those rascals have down in Austin. *Dan Hawkins would like to someday enclose the North endzone of Folsom and expand seating to 70,000. *The media makes a big deal about all of the red shirt freshman and true freshman on the depth chart at CU. No kidding? That’s because the last two recruiting classes have markedly more talent than the final four of Gary Barnett’s era combined. The Buffs are inexperienced, but those kids are clearly better than the veterans. That is a good thing. *Speaking of recruiting classes…Last year’s was ranked 30TH in the nation. I personally think you need to rank classes four different times, however. 1) On signing day (the 30TH in the nation part), 2) after the NCAA clearinghouse finishes with the kids (Auburn lost 9 recruits to academics), 3) after their first year on campus, and then 4) again after they graduate. All those things considered, CU only missed on getting two kids in this fall. One will “grey shirt” and enroll this winter and the other is a super stud JUCO RB that will also enroll in January with two years left to play. I think it’s safe to say that CU’s recruiting class moved up at least five notches after the clearinghouse finished. *We have a much better QB than last year. *We have much better WRs than last year. *We are very thin at LB, which seems weird. *The top player in the country for 2008 is “leaning” toward Colorado. Darrell Scott would be the biggest name recruit to come to Boulder in the history of our football program. *Colorado A&M, as per usual with the Denver media, is vastly overrated and Sonny Lubick is two years away from being committed to a nursing home. He has been telling his boosters and fans all summer about how the Lambs will not only beat CU this year, but will destroy them and “blow them out”. Good stuff for Hawkins. Colorado A&M lost their last seven games in a row and barely beat the worst CU team in 20 years last year. Things we don’t know: *How Cody Hawkins will handle himself and this offense. Improved, yes. Enough to win games? We don’t know. *Will the defense be as stout against the run this year and improve against the pass? Remember, very thin at LB and a new CB starting opposite of T. Wheatley. *Will Kyle Bell be the old Kyle Bell or the broken Kyle Bell? If he is the old Kyle Bell, is that really anything to worry about? *Has Patrick Williams really learned how to catch a football? *Has new OL coach Jeff Grimes prepared his bunch to bust people in the mouth? Incidentally, Jeff Grimes was 3-0 at BYU against Colorado A&M as OL coach there. *Are the Buffs truly the “strongest team I have ever coached” per Dan Hawkins? Remember, this team went from having less than 10 guys power clean over 300 lbs. to having 60+ players pull it off this summer. IF they are that strong, then Jeff Pittman – S&C Coach – is the MVP of 2007. My prediction, my friends: CU 31, Colorado A&M 17. Cody Hawkins is efficient as hell and goes 18-25 for 215 yards and two TDs, one of them in the 1st quarter for over 40 yards. Hugh Charles and Demetrius Sumler destroy the Colorado A&M front seven with the help of our big uglies and the Buffs run for 300 yards. 500 yards of total offense and the game isn’t as close as the score would indicate. After the game, the local media discusses how CSU is probably overrated and Buff fans shouldn’t get too excited. It’s much easier to do that than to give Hawkins any credit. Are we ready for some football? Vital Stat: In the history of the series between CU and Colorado A&M, the Buffs lead 57-20-1. Bring on the Lamb Roast!!!! GO BUFFS!!! Sincerely, Brainz – University of Colorado Class of 1999

24 Hours To Go

Just a little something to help you get fired up for tomorrow's game.... GO BUFFS!

CU Football; Playstation Preview

With college football firing up this weekend, I was trying to find a legitimate way to make a prediction on how my beloved CU Buffs would fare this year. We are coming off one of the worst seasons in college football history, and I can't bear the thought of suffering through something like that again. So I turned to someone who's been getting me through football seasons since I was in college. My Playstation, and NCAA Football '08 and I started up a CU dynasty. So according to my first completed season, here is my Playstation Preview for the upcoming CU football campaign: Final Record: 14-0 - Big XII Champions - National Champions According to my Playstation Preview, CU will beat Tennessee 31-15 to win the BCS National Championship and complete a perfect season. Not bad for a team that went 2-10 last season. The team will be lead by Hugh Charles who will rush for 2,154 yards with 28 TDs, and recieve for 220 yards and 3 TD's. He'll also end up a First Team All-American, First Team All Big XII, and win the Doak Walker Award, the Maxwell Award, and join Rashaan Salaam as the 2nd player in CU history to win the Heisman Trophy. Not a bad little season in store for Hugh. The real key to the team's successes though, will be Freshman All-American QB Cody Hawkins, who will end up throwing for 2,973 yards and 29 TD's with 15 interceptions. Most of his damage will be to leading receiver Dusty Sprague who will finish the season with 1,063 yards and 10 TD's on 55 catches. Sprague will finish up the season as a first team Big XII selection and second team All-American. The defense will be highlighted by the play of the D-line. Big George Hypolite will end up with 9 sacks and a first team All Big XII spot, Alonzo Barrett will finish up the season with 12 sacks and a second team all conference nod, and Maurice Lucas will lead the nation with 16 sacks and end up first team all conference and second team All-American. He'll also have a little hardware, taking home the Bednarik Award at the end of the season. Terrence Wheatley will have an outstanding senior season, leading the conference with 6 INT's, 4 forced fumbles and two defensive TD's. He'll end up a 1st team All-American and Big XII. The rest of the Buffs who will make All Big XII are: 1st Team- Edwin Harrison - OL Daniel Sanders - OL Lionel Harris - FS 2nd Team- Devin Head - OL Brandon Nicolas - DT Ryan Walters - SS Kevin Eberhart - K Oh yeah, we also ended up with the #1 ranked recruiting class in the nation. I have a feeling that any CU fan will take this season. 2 award winners, 5 All Americans, 13 All Conference players, a Big XII title and another National Championship? I suppose that'll do. I think we have earned it after suffering through last season's debacle. I can sense that some of you are questioning the validity of this prediction. "How can you possibly believe that a team that was so terrible last year will win the national championship this year?" you are saying to your computer screen. Well, any fan who doesn't think their team can run the table and win the title in the upcoming season isn't a true fan. It's the job of a real fan to believe in his team.... but.... you also need a bit of realism. So to fulfil this need for "realism" (it was probably hard to see, but I was doing air-quotes as I typed that word), I decided to simulate the Buffs season also. I decided to simulate straight through the year with no changes but one, starting Cody Hawkins at QB instead of Bernard Jackson (who the game had starting). I threw cation to the wind and decided that injuries, NCAA sanctions, and player suspensions be damned, I was just letting it ride. Here is how it turned out: Final record - 8-6 Big XII record - 6-2 Big XII North Champions. We beat Nebraska in the season finale 38-35 to clinch the Big XII North title. We then lose to eventual National Champions Texas 31-28 in the Big XII title game, and lose in the Cotton Bowl to Georgia 29-26. Hugh Charles and Cody Hawkins lead the way again, with Charles running for 1,982 yards and 15 TD's and Hawkins throwing for 2,654 and 28 TD's. Charles, Daniel Sanders, Edwin Harrison and Terrence Wheatley ended up All Big XII. You know what? I think any CU fan would take this prediction also. A Big XII North title and Cotton Bowl appearance sounds pretty good to me after what went down last season. Either way CU fans, football season is finally back in swing, and it all starts with the CSU Rammies on Saturday. This season will be huge for the future of our program. Hawkins has some blue chip recruits seriously considering wearing the Black and Gold. If we win a few of these early non-conference games it could be enough to persuade them to sign up. So let's support the boys in Boulder and enjoy some football. Oh yeah. If you're wondering what the computer thought of the CU v. CSU game coming up this weekend.... CU 27 - CSU 0. I said, it sucks... to be... a CSU Ram! Go Buffs!

Surely you can't be serious. We are serious. And don't call us Shirley.

In just another example of the level of retarded incompetence that is the NCAA, they have announced that the University of Colorado will be placed on 2 years probation, and lose a total of one scholarship per year for the next three years for undercharging walk-ons for meals. How much did they undercharge you ask? Roughly $6 per meal. Granted it was over the period of 6 years and ended up being in the ballpark of a $61,000 total undercharging, but still.... $6 off a meal for walk-ons gets you these kind of sanctions? This has to be the most idiotic rule in the NCAA, and that is saying something. Makes you wonder who's in charge of the whole thing. According to the Daily Camera there were 133 violations. 86 in football, 29 in women's soccer, 9 in men's basketball, 6 in volleyball, 2 in women's tennis and one in women's golf. Here's what Mike Bohn had to say: "I want to say very clearly that this in no way reflects poorly upon our student-athletes. Rather, it represents a challenge to our athletic department leadership to more effectively understand and apply NCAA bylaws, and to better communicate these bylaws to our coaches and staff." Basically he's saying "this is a stupid rule, but we broke it." I'm not going to get into my whole problem with the fact that NCAA football and basketball players don't get paid to play when they bring in billions of dollars in revenue to the NCAA... so let's just look at this specific case. If being on the team can't get you a discount off a meal than what's the point of even being on the team? These walk-ons practice just as hard and as often as the scholarship athletes, they have the same academic and often the same travel requirements, yet they can't eat the same food? Or at least not without paying full price for it. And everyone who went to college knows that you have tons of excess money to spend while you're in school. I was once a walk-on before my scholarship, and I may have ended up with a few training table meals in my belly. But guess what? I was hungry, I didn't have any money, and I was tired of eating Top Ramen and hot dogs every day. So sue me. The NCAA sucks.

Catching up on CU recruiting

Well it's been a while. But that's what happens when former teammates come to visit. And when it's someone of Charlie Melvin's stature and notoriety, all you can do is take a few days off work, let your family know that you love them, tell your liver to suck it up, and let loose. We probably could have greatly helped out the Commish over at Slushy Gutter with his summer drinking quest. But we don't know him, and stayed on the south side of Denver the whole time. Sorry Commish. So I was out of contact with the sports world for several days and here's what I missed: - The final Finals game was boring. A french dude won MVP. What has happened to the NBA when a foreigner wins MVP of the regular season, and a different foreigner wins Finals MVP? What is going on with American hoops? (I'm looking at you HS basketball coaches.) Is it too much to ask to teach the kids how to shoot a jump shot, correctly feed the post with a hook pass, or to get into triple threat position? Oh well. At least our guys can dunk better than theirs. - The Rockies had another 4 game winning streak and even took the series on the road against the Red Sox. I'm telling you, we are going to be good enough to barely almost get in the playoffs this year! (I'm going to be the last one back on the Rockies bandwagon this season. I've just been let down too many times to completely believe. I love them, but sometimes I hate that I love them.) - A dude from Argentina won the US Open. This seems physically impossible to me as I had always believed the contact between club and ball would automatically cause all Argentinians to flop. Okay, so here's the main reason for my post. After perusing through the last few days of the CU recruiting message boards, it seems that recruit interest in CU is nearing an all-time low. In fact, one of our WR verbal commits (Chance Blackmon) de-committed last week, only to be begged back into a soft verbal. The problem was that after committing to us some bigger schools like Tennessee and Texas A&M developed interest and were able to talk him out of CU. How could they do that you ask? It's simple. They tell him that CU sucks. This is the problem we are going to have with recruits until next season starts. The damage done by last year's 2-10 debacle of a season goes beyond our embarrassment as fans. Coach Hawk can do an amazing job of selling recruits on the fact that we are building towards something special, that these kids can be a part of bringing CU back to national prominence, that they will play early and often and be a big factor in the process. It's all true. But then the next team can simply say "Why would you go to CU? They're terrible. Did you know that they were 2-10 last year and lost to a 1AA school?" And it works. How do you counter this? Hawk needs to land one huge recruit this off-season and that tactic will topple. Landing someone like Jon Major (who has CU in his top 10 list now, he is in the process of narrowing down his top 20) would help. Or even better would be Darrell Scott (#2 overall player in the nation according to Rivals, #1 RB) or Julio Jones (#3 overall player and #1 WR). Both are considering CU along with the top programs in the nation. By landing one of these three, other top players will look at CU with a more open mind. They would start thinking "If someone like Darrell Scott chose CU over Florida, USC and Texas than maybe I should consider them." It will only take one. If Hawk can't pull that off in the off-season, than the start of next season will be absolutely crucial. We can't afford another down season. We HAVE to beat CSU. Beating ASU on the road would be huge. Pulling off the home win against Florida State on national TV would be absolutely enormous. Win 2 out of those 3, and being competitive in all of them, will be a lot of ammo to use against opposing recruiters who will tell kids to look at last year's record. Personally, I'm a believer. We have interest from 10 players on Rivals top 100. We have a good '07 recruiting class and a year in Hawk's system. (By the way, have you heard how big Ryan Miller is now? He's up to 320 lbs and is about to grow out of his size 18 shoes! That man is going to be an animal for us for the next few years, so enjoy him!) Hawk is determined to rebuild our program. And as hard as it is for me to say this following last year's 2-10 disaster season, I'm extremely excited for football season to start. September 1st against CSU is going to tell us a lot about where our program is going. Now if I could just find something to do for the next 6 weeks to keep me entertained. **Update - Chance Blackmon has officially de-committed from the Buffs, citing distance from home as his reason. Whatever. Good riddance kid.

What's up in Boulder

During this extremely dull time to be a sportsfan in Colorado, we have some news from Boulder this week. The biggest news was the unveiling of the new football duds. Now don't get me wrong, I loved the CU uniforms, but I have always been a big fan of the uniform change. It has proven to be a successful way to harbor some good luck to your favorite team, especially here in Colorado. It is a little something I have dubbed "The New Uniform Corollary". Here's your evidence: -In 1997 the Broncos change their uniforms and what happens? Two straight Super Bowls. - The Nuggets do a complete overhaul to their uniforms in 2003/ 2004 and what happens? Four straight playoff seasons. Sure we lost in the first round every year, but we weren't making the playoffs at all for years before that. Need further proof? The Colorado Rapids change their uniforms this season and what happens? ..................um. I'm not really sure actually. A quick Google search shows that they are in second place in the Western Conference of the MLS. The Corollary holds true again. So now the Buffs are coming out with new jerseys to follow up a 2-10 juggernaut season. I predict they will improve. I know it sounds crazy, but trust me, "The New Uniform Corollary" is time tested and true. Here are my thoughts on the new look. I think we need to ditch the gold pants with the black uni's, and only wear the gold pants with the white uni's. White / gold and all black. The other combos look like ass. I am particularly unimpressed with the black uni / gold pant combo. I don't know why we ever wear those two together. I'm a little bias though as the all blacks will occasionally make me visually aroused... It's awkward when it happens, but they look that cool. In hoops news, Coach Bzdelik has driven off another player. Oops, I meant he has "granted another player a release from his scholarship". The only problem is that this time it looks like the player he is graciously granting a release to isn't happy about it. In fact, he had no idea it was happening. Here is what sophomore point guard Kal Bay had to say about being released in the Daily Camera: "It's not because I want to leave CU or leave my teammates," Bay said. "I don't know exactly what it is. "I got a call from coach Friday and he said, 'I've been thinking long and hard about this Kal, and I'm not going to renew your scholarship for next season.' He said I missed a meeting with an academic advisor and he wasn't going to tolerate that. "That's really all that I know. I haven't gotten any more explanation than that. This is all mind-boggling to me right now." As I've said before, I hope that Bzdelik takes our program to the next level at CU. But it is insane that Coach Patton was looked at so negatively for doing the EXACT SAME THING (losing scholarship players) and Bzdelik has been given a free pass. I'm not saying that Patton is in Bzdelik's class as far as X's and O's coaching chops, but they seem to have the same attitude. And it was Patton's attitude that resulted in him being less than loved by the media and fans. It just seems a bit hypocritical to me that Buzz doesn't get the same treatment. As bad as last season was, Bay was a bright spot from our freshman class and seemed like a guy who could be a pretty big contributor throughout his stay at CU. I'm pretty surprised by this move for a few reasons 1.) He was the starting PG last year, 2.) We are starting to run out of players and 3.) Transfers bring down the overall graduation rate, which could result in a loss of scholarships down the road. With this being the 4th transfer already since Buzz arrived, we've got to be teetering on the edge of disciplinary action. With that said, here are a couple of reasons not to worry too much about the loss of Bay. 1.) Marcus Hall will be back next year. As long as he can stay eligible he is a much better PG and player than Bay. He is a good leader, a good distributor, can score when it's needed, is a decent outside threat, and the level of speed and quickness between the two isn't even comparable. If Hall is a Ferrari than Bay was a Kia Sportage. Hall is an improvement in every way over Bay. 2a.) Word on the streets (and by streets I mean message boards) is that we are pursuing Juco All-American PG Omar Leary. Leary had signed with CSU but was released from his letter after a CSU coaching change and was now considering Colorado. He would be the first CU hoopster from Portland since Tyrone Manlove (I'm not sure what that has to do with anything, I just love to say / type Ty's name). Here's where this street information takes on the look of an inside tip from a crackhead.... Leary has already signed with Oklahoma. Now maybe this insider has some info that the rest of us aren't privy to, but it looks to me like he is out of the picture. But I guess you never know. 2b.) We are loaded at the 2 guard with Roby and Silas returning, and the addition of Colorado Mr. Basketball Levi Knudson and Corey Higgins. All of these players can handle the ball if needed and are legitimate scoring threats. So I guess what I'm saying is not to worry too much about losing Bay. He would have been nice to have, but we will get along fine without him. Moving on, it looks like we've solved the lack of height problem that developed with the transfers of Van Burck and Kowal. CU announced that 6'10" Casey Crawford is transferring to CU from Wake Forest. Crawford was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Kansas as a HS Senior and will have to sit out next season as a transfer. He will have four years to play three at CU. Addressing the height problem next season will be incoming 7 footer Caleb Patterson from Ringwood HS in Oklahoma. Patterson is a 3 star player recruited by Coach Patton who decided to honor his commitment to the Buffs after Coach P resigned. I'm not sure of the immediate impact he will have with the team, but he will most likely be forced into playing early as he will be the only scholarship player on next seasons active roster over 6'9" tall. Much like the football team, CU hoops has only one direction to go after last season's 7-20 finish. As a homer, I've got to believe that Bzdelik is making the right moves to help bring us back to the national picture. It's a long way away from opening tipoff, and all we can do is sit, wait, and argue about the state of the program. God it's a long way away.... I'm so bored. When does football season start?

You Know It's Amazing...3

You Know It's Amazing, a couple weeks ago, there was a poll on AM950 The Fan's website, and I saw the voting results and just had to comment. Here is the question they asked: Which school has had the best basketball team in the past 10 years? The choices were the 4 division one schools in Colorado. Air Force, Colorado, CSU, and DU. Air Force received 60% of the vote? Are you kidding me? Best team? That's one team in the last 10 years. Voters on that poll must have suffered from extremely short term memory. 100% of the vote should have gone to the 1997 CU BUFFALOES! And it isn't even close... It might be a close race for 2nd or 3rd, but sure as hell not first. Yes, I'm biased because I was a member of that team, but seriously there isn't another answer. Look at the rosters, strength of schedule, conference, wins on the year, performance in the NCAA tournament, players who moved on to play professionally, if the teams were to have been frozen in time and were pitted against one another in a simulated video game, whatever. In every comparison Colorado comes out first, and I can't believe anyone would argue otherwise. Was this a topic of conversation on AM950 while I was out of town that week? If I'm hosting a radio show I'd have to lobby for Third Person Thursdays. Forty deuce thinks tons of people would love to listen once a week to people talking in the 3rd person. Remember 'The Jimmy' from Seinfeld? Forty deuce thinks that a show like this might lead Forty Deuce to have split personalities. Forty Deuce just likes to think about an hour of 3rd person speakers honoring the great Rickey Henderson. Thank you Random Burrito for the Ricky Being Rickey section. Waiting until Thursday to start the NBA Finals is moronic and appeared to be 'the' topic of discussion on this mornings sports talk radio shows. Well, that and Roger Clemens' groin. To me, the NBA Playoffs are not as good as they used to be. The time between games just kills my interest level, especially these days as my patience level has drastically eroded over time. And what used to be a 'hard' foul in the NBA a few years ago is now grounds for a game suspension. What the hell happened to toughness, perseverance, and even patience? Ya Know, It's Amazing, 10-20 years ago you never heard phrases like fatigued groin, male depression, flagrant foul, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), it is what it is, micro-fracture surgery, qb rating, pitch count, Olympic bronze medal in basketball, and all the rest. We also didn't have entertainers checking in and out of rehab like it was the Bellagio. I'm here to tell ya, (if you didn't know it already) our society is officially soft. That doesn't mean that there aren't a few throwbacks living amongst the masses, but it does make me pretty sad.

Update from Boulder

I was out of town for the last week, so some of this isn't exactly breaking news, but here is what's been happening up at CU lately: Basketball - Coach Buzz has been busy evaluating talent since he came on board and has found three players wanting. Marc Van Burck, Sean Kowal, and James Inge have been told that it is very unlikely that they will ever play for Coach Buzz and the Buffs, so he is going to allow them to transfer to a school of their choosing. Or what is basically a polite way of saying "how the hell did you get a Big 12 scholarship?!?!" My question about this is; why is it that when players transferred under Coach Ricardo Patton they were "forced out of the program", yet when players transfer under Buzz it appears as though the media has decided he is being gracious enough to "grant them releases from their scholarships"? Look, I want Buzz to take the program to the next level as much as anyone. It's my program after all. Myself and Forty Duece gave blood, sweat, and tears to CU basketball for 4 years. We want them to succeed more than anything. But it is kind of suspicious the way that Patton was treated by the media compared to the way Buzz has been. I know we are way early in the honeymoon period, but Buzz seems to be similar in tact, work ethic and discipline to Coach P. So why do people love Buzz where they hated Patton? Was it Patton's attitude towards the media? Was it his skin color? Or were they just tired of each other? I don't know the answer. I just think it's funny that they say that Buzz is "granting" these kids a transfer, when we don't know that they actually want to be granted one. With that said, I do think it will help the team in the long run. Mainly because it breaks up the 8 man freshman class a bit from last year and helps to balance out the program. Hopefully he can find a couple of decent big men to fill up some open scholarships though. With no one on the team over 6'9" now, life could be tough in the Big 12. Buzz did sign up his first recruit this week. Cory Higgins, son of longtime NBA vet Rod Higgins, chose the Buffs over some bigger name schools like Cal, Georgetown, Marquette, Oregon, and Vanderbilt according to rivals.com. Rivals has Higgins as a 3 star recruit and scouts.com has him as a 75 grade and the #108 shooting guard in the country. Not a bad first recruit for Buzz. Higgins also has the endorsement of Chris Mullin, which is good enough for me. I was known to rock the flat top back in the day to show my love for my man Mully, so I trust him completely. Buzz also announced the rest of his staff this week. The most interesting name of the group is that of former Wyoming Head Coach Steve McClain. McClain was one of the most successful coaches in Wyo history, leading them to a couple of NCAA tournament births and recruiting a pair of All-Americans to the school also. He should be a great addition to Buzz's staff, and I believe it's also a good sign that Buzz isn't afraid or threatened by adding another talented, proven basketball mind to be his #2. It can only be better for the players and the team in the long run. Football - Coach Hawk added a couple new recruits to the 08 class, from the Daily Camera: Football recruiting Hawkins and his assistants have spent much of this month on the recruiting trail and have received four oral commitments for the 2008 recruiting class to this point. The three new commitments include four-star wide receiver Chance Blackmon from Tatum, Texas; linebacker Josh Berard from Torrance, Calif.; and place-kicker Jameson Davis from Eagle, Idaho. Five-star junior-college wide receiver Corey Surrency was the first commitment in the class several months ago. Of the three newest additions, Blackmon should be a contributor fairly early in his career, and Berard probably needs to add a little bulk to his frame, but the most important of them is probably kicker Jameson Davis. Judging from our Spring Game, we don't have much of an heir to the kicking throne with Mason Crosby gone the way of the cheeseheads, and Davis is supposed to be the real deal. As Mason proved during his career, a great kicker is an invaluable commodity. Hawk really seems to be shoring up the WR position though. It looks like he is doing everything in his power to make sure his son will succeed here at CU. He loaded up the O-Line with last years recruiting class, and it looks like he is going after some big fast receivers for him to throw the ball to this year. With Blackmon (6'3" 4.5 40 time), Sorrency (6'5" 4.4 40 time) and Markques Simas (6'1" 4.5 40) from last years class, (not to mention B-Jax) it looks like Lil' Hawk will have plenty of options throughout his career. Here's the good thing for CU fans, the better Hawk makes the team for his son, the better he makes the team. No matter what his motivation is, things look like they are turning around for us. It looks like we are in the running for several nationally televised games next season also. The CU vs. CSU game is always on national TV, we just signed up to have the home opener against Florida St. on ESPN, we are currently in negotiations to nationally televise the Arizona St. game, the Nebraska game will be on ABC, and the Oklahoma game could potentially be on the big screen also. When was the last time a 2-10 team had five games on national TV the next year? That is incredible! If we manage to win a few of them it will be a huge help for recruiting also. One last thing.... Thank God for the small victories. It appears as though the Great John Elway was offered a spot on Dancing With the Stars recently. And for the love of all things holy and pure, Elway turned them down, thus keeping his legacy intact. I just don't know if I could have handled the trauma and disappointment involved in seeing the greatest football player who ever lived.... my boyhood idol.... a Colorado icon.... my hero..... dressed like this......