CU Coaches Impressive at Coaches Caravan

CU Men's Basketball Coach Tad Boyle

Today I attended a coaches caravan lunch featuring University of Colorado head football coach Mike McIntyre, men's basketball coach Tad Boyle, and women's basketball coach Linda Lappe.  The lunch was hosted by Pasta Jay's in Lone Tree.  Some observations:

Coach MacIntyre (MM) was very impressive.  My wife, who is not much of a football fan, said afterwards "what a coach! I loved that speech."  MM talked about how he is getting the players to support each other as a team (more enthusiasm at practices, accountability groups, etc).  My wife's reaction tells me he'll be good with the Moms in recruiting.

MM said the Buffs are going to have 5 camps on campus this summer.  He said there are "10 or 11" BCS caliber players coming out of Colorado this year and coaches are visiting all those schools for the 2 allowed visits.  He was asked how he has been received by the former players and he said that is going very well.  He's going to have ex-Buff and New England Patriot Chad Brown speak to the team in June.

MM said he had an hour 45 minute lunch with Bill McCartney at Pasta Jays in Boulder recently where he picked McCartney's brain on how to be successful at CU.  Good to hear the original Coach Mac is still supporting the program.

Tad Boyle said the team will play 31 games this year.  He said they have 4 exempt games that count as 1 towards the ncaa limit.  One of those will be Wyoming at home, and he's working on the other 3.  He said Harvard will be coming to Boulder, and he mentioned the Oklahoma State neutral court game in Las Vegas as well as the Kansas game.  He said the toughest part of his job right now is scheduling, and not recruiting, because it's tough to get teams to come to Boulder with the Buffs recent success.  Tad had high praise for each of the incoming recruits and said "we won't miss a beat" because of the Roberson departure.

Linda Lappe seems to have women's basketball headed in the right direction.  Tad Boyle called her the "CU coach of the year" (other than the Buffs ncaa champion skiing coach).  I realized I don't follow women's hoops much - I didn't know the Buffs beat Louisville at home last season and that Louisville later made it to the ncaa women's championship game.  Lappe said the return visit to Louisville this year will be very tough. 

All 3 coaches were very personable, meeting with fans individually before and afterwards.  The coach's caravan is a good idea.  I've been to a few recruiting lunches before but I liked this event better as it was easier for the average fan to talk to the coaches.

ESPN's Cecil Lammey at the Bronco QB Club

Here's a copy of a post I wrote for the Denver Broncos Quarterback Club on our annual meeting with ESPN's Cecil Lammey. - Tim

Members of the Denver Broncos Quarterback Club listened to an excellent hour long presentation by ESPN’s Cecil Lammey at the club’s March 11th dinner meeting.  Cecil gave a thorough analysis of the Broncos 2012 draft class, the team’s free agent prospects, and the overall state of the team heading into the 2013 season.
First Cecil reviewed last year’s rookie class:

• Derrick Wolfe dl – He maintained a high motor through the end of the season.  He didn’t hit the rookie wall.  Wolfe gives up the middle pressure on the pass rush which is key in today’s pass happy NFL.
• Brock Osweiler qb – If he had stayed in school he’d be a top 15 pick in this year’s draft.  Manning has been a great mentor for him as well as Adam Gase.  When Osweiler came in he had bad feet and a low release point.  Gase fixed that.  Brock has also taken to the coaching of Peyton Manning.  Reminds Cecil of Roethlisberger without the off field baggage – Brock has great upside.
• Ronnie Hillman rb – People say he’s too small, but Hillman is bigger than Clinton Portis when Portis gained 1500 yards for the Broncos.  People say he’s poor in pass protection – but Hillman only gave up one sack this year.  He’s more than a change of pace back.  John Fox said at the combine Hillman can be an every down back.  Reminds Cecil of LeSean McCoy or Jamal Charles.  Hillman danced too much this year, but got better (with 83 yards on 22 carries in the Baltimore playoff game).  McCoy as offensive coordinator didn’t use the outside zone stretch play.  Cecil thinks Gase, the new offensive coordinator, will.  Manning loved that play when with the Colts.  Gase told Cecil “there will be changes to the run game.”
• Omar Bolden cb – good for depth
• Philip Blake center – Didn’t get a chance to show much in 2012 because of injury.  Nasty.  Will compete with JD Walton
• Malik Jackson dl – didn’t see much of him
• Danny Trevathan lb – can be better than Wesley Woodyard.

2012 free agents:

• Keith Brooking lb – people said he was washed up but he came to the Broncos and played better than Joe Mays
• Jim Leonhard safety – solid
• Trindon Holiday – what was Houston thinking? Dynamic returner.
• Dan Koppen c – better than JD Walton.  Great find off the scrap heap.

2013 draft prospects:

• Monte Te’o lb notre dame – Cecil always had him graded as a late 1st round pick but he was climbing up the draft boards before the “girl friend” incident.  Now Te’o is back to a late first round pick.  Te’o slimmed down and was much better in pass coverage this year (with 7 interceptions).  He can cover tight ends – something the Broncos need.  Has great on field intelligence.  Broncos defense hasn’t been the same since losing Al Wilson – Te’o can be that type of middle linebacker.  Te’o will be available at #28 Cecil says.  But Baltimore is looking at Te’o at #32 to replace Rey Lewis.
• Arthur Brown lb kstate – great human being.  Can play any lb position.  Almost better than Te’o.  Might be there in the 2nd round but still a decent pick in the late 1st round.
• John Jenkins dl Georgia – 359 pounds.  Great run stuffer.  Can play, quick initial burst.  Could still be there in the 2nd round but Denver may take him in the first.
• Ryan Swope wr texas a&m – a young wes welker.  Ran a 4.3 40, 2nd fastest at the combine.  A super charged Wes Welker.  This is a great wide receiver class which could drop Swope to the 2nd or 3rd round.
• 2013 draft strong in defensive tackles – 6 or 7 will go in the first round.  Denver could get one at the end of round 1, or draft g Jonathan Cooper

See Cecil’s mock first round at the espn denver site here.
Some other interesting comments:

• If the Jets cut Tim Tebow he could end up in Seattle as Russell Wilson’s backup.  Pete Carroll loves Timmy.
• Having Del Rio as d coordinator for a 2nd year is a huge advantage.  Broncos may lose him after this year but this makes the 2013 defense better.
• Adam Gase – brash, cocky, he will run the offense differently than McCoy
• Nate Irving lb – very smart, tends to be over aggressive and over runs plays.  Need to see more of him to determine if he’s the broncos future at middle linebacker.
• Zane Beadles g – got a lot better in 2012, walton at center didn’t
• At the Shrine game most scouts told Cecil “Denver was the best team last year”.  The best team doesn’t always win.
• Elway brings vision, leadership, and passion as the head of the Broncos.  Elway has an eye for talent , which he gets from his Dad.  Jack Elway was a huge fan of Drew Brees when other scouts were saying Brees was too short.  John Elway has football in his blood.
• Tyler Wilson is Cecil’s #1 quarterback in the 2013 class.  He wasn’t impressed with Geno Smith, even though Smith will probably go in the top 10 picks.
• Elway, when asked if the Baltimore loss was like the ’96 loss to Jacksonville, said “I hope so.  I don’t want the players to forget last year.  Don’t forget that feeling.”

Overall it was a great offseason rundown of the draft, the free agent possibilities, and the general state of the Broncos.  Cecil is one of the most knowledgeable and hard working NFL analysts around.  He attends the college all star games, the combine, and he is well connected to personnel experts and media around the league.  Cecil took questions from the crowd and stayed afterward to talk with fans individually.  It was a treat to hear his expertise for the second straight year at the Denver Broncos Quarterback Club, and we plan to make this an annual March event!  We have plans for more great meetings this Fall – join today so you don’t miss out.

Cold forecast for Denver/Baltimore brings back memories of 77 team

I've been to most Bronco home playoff games since the first one - a Christmas Eve victory over the Steelers in 1977. Tomorrow will be the coldest Bronco playoff home game since that magical AFC championship win on January 1, 1978 over the Raiders 20-17. It was 18 degrees that day and I was there. The coid didn't seem to bother a limping Craig Morton or Haven Moses (the M&M connection had 2 tds and Haven had 168 receiving yards).  I remember dressing warmly for the game and not being bothered by the cold much at all - the excitement of seeing the Broncos earn their first Super Bowl berth more than made up for the frigid temperatures.

On to tomorrow's game.  I think the 18 degree weather forecast plays to the Ravens advantage - they have a better power running game and the cold negates the Broncos passing advantage somewhat. That said Denver will be fine if they can get the lead and force the Ravens to play catchup. Like in the first game the immobile Joe Flacco and the Ravens o-line is no match for a strong Broncos pass rush. But if the Ravens can get ahead they can neutralize the Broncos pass rush and control the clock with a strong running game. The Broncos had problems with tight end Dennis Pitta in the 1st game and now the Ravens have Ed Dickson back, too, as another tight end threat. The Ravens have played well in road playoff games before ( last year's AFC title game in Foxboro was much closer than most expected). I still like the Broncos chances. I'll be there, sitting in the southwest corner of the North Stands.  Here's hoping Denver gets a quick early score like that legendary Broncos 77 team did vs the Raiders in 18 degree weather:

Top 10 Colorado Sports Moments 2012

I've been a fan of all the Colorado sports teams since growing up in Denver in the 60's.  Here are my top sports moments of 2012:

10. Colorado scores 17 points in 4th quarter to beat Washington State at Pullman 35-34.
Bet you didn't think a Colorado football moment would make it into the top 10!  It was an awful season for the Buffs but at least their ONLY win was an exciting one - coming back from 17 points down to beat Washington State on the road.  After losing 69-14 the week before to Fresno State, and losing their first two games to lowly CSU and Sacramento State this win was totally unexpected.  And much maligned quarterback Jordan Webb had his best quarter of the season in that 4th quarter - winning the game on a gutsy quarterback keeper as time ran out.

9. CSU beats Colorado in opener 22-17 after trailing 14-3 late in 1st half. 
I'm one of those rare CU fans who also roots for CSU except when the Rams play the Buffs.  While this game was disappointing for my CU interests, I must admit I was glad to see new CSU coach Jim McElwain celebrating with his team after this huge win in Denver.  Colorado is better off when both CU and CSU are fielding competitive teams, and this win was huge to get the McElwain era off to a good start in Ft Collins.  Now that I have a son going to CSU I'll be rooting for the Rams a little more, but just a little.  The Buffs are still my favorite college football team.

8. Todd Helton walkoff home run vs Arizona, April 14, 2012.  
Talk about disappointing seasons.  The Rockies joined the Buffs in having a terrible 2012 campaign.  But in the first two weeks there was a magical moment at Coors Field that made me think I was watching The Natural.  At the end of a cold, rainy 5 hour game Todd Helton was up with 2 outs in the bottom of 9th man, man on first, with the Rockies trailing the Diamondbacks 7-6.  Coors field was virtually empty as most fans had departed the cold weather long before the game got to the 9th.  Todd Helton hits a two run homer just inside the right field foul pole to give the Rockies the win!  This fan captured the improbable blast by Helton on video:


7. Avalanche beat Detroit 4-3 Feb 25th ending the Red Wings 23 game home winning streak
Remember the Avs?  With the NHL work stoppage the local hockey team has been pretty much forgotten this Fall, but the team did have some big wins early in 2012.  The best was a 4-3 victory in Joe Louis Arena to stop Detroit's 23 game home winning streak.  The Avs had some other big wins too, like beating the Rangers in NY, but then fell apart in the season's final 3 weeks to miss out on the playoffs.  There were moments, though, like this win against the hated Red Wings, that hinted the Avs could be back on the right track. (addendum: Vancouver actually ended the Wings long home winning streak with a win in a shootout Feb 23rd, but the Avs on Feb 25th were the first to beat the Wings in regulation in Detroit since the streak started)

6. Colorado wins Pac 12 basketball tourney, beating Arizona 53-51.
For most of my life there was not much to get excited about when it came to CU basketball.  I remember Cliff Meely when I was a kid leading the Buffs to a Big 8 title, and Chauncey Billups had his moments in black and gold in the 90's.  But CU basketball has mostly been a wasteland for the last 4 decades.  That's what made this improbable tourney run by the Buffs so sweet!  The victory over Arizona was the Buffs 4th straight in the tournament, and then they followed it up with a first round upset of UNLV in the Big Dance.  After Colorado's horrendous showing in football it was good to let the other Pac 12 schools know that the Buffs could be competitive in at least one sport (other than skiing!)

5.  Nuggets 126 Lakers 114 NBA playoffs game 5.
Denver sportscaster Vic Lombardi had this one pegged.  After the Nuggets lost game 4 at home to fall behind in their first round series with the Lakers 3 games to 1 most fans thought the Lakers closing out the series in 5 was a sure thing.  Not Lombardi, who said at the time he thought the Nuggets would win game 5.  And the Nuggets did just that, led by Kenneth Faried's 21 points and 15 rebounds.  The Nuggets won game 6, too, in a blowout before losing game 7 and the series at the Staples Center.  But at least the Nuggets gave their fans some post season thrills with 3 victories against the Lakers.

4. Broncos 31 Pittsburgh 19
This was the first Broncos home opener I had missed since 1966!  Away on a business trip in Alaska I could only monitor this game through scoring updates on my cell phone, but Peyton Manning's first non-preseason NFL game in over 600 days did not disappoint.  Manning hit Demaryius Thomas with a 71 yard td pass, Tracy Porter had a huge interception TD to clinch the game, and the Broncos beat the hated Steelers in the opener.  With Denver's tough schedule to open the season I saw this game as very important (even with this win the Broncos started off 2-3).

3. Tebow to Thomas beats Steelers in the playoffs
In only the third home playoff game for the Broncos in 11 years, Tim Tebow completes an 80 yard pass to Demaryius Thomas in the first play of overtime to lead the Broncos over the Steelers in the first round of the NFL playoffs.  This win was especially sweet for me, as I was in attendance for this and the last playoff game in Denver, a disappointing Bronco loss in the AFC Championship game in 2006.  Little did we know at the time that this would be Tim Tebow's last game in Denver as the Broncos starting quarterback.

2. Broncos Signing of Peyton Manning
When I first heard the Broncos were interested in signing Peyton Manning I thought, "Why???"  Denver had just come off an improbable playoff season led by crowd favorite Tim Tebow, and I was anxious to see what Tebow could do with a full off season of workouts that he did not have the prior year.  I also thought Manning was a huge injury risk.  But I trusted that Broncos President John Elway knew what he was doing.  The more I thought about it the more I wanted to see Peyton in Broncos Orange!  Peyton Manning turned out to be the best free agent signing of any Denver team since I've been a sports fan.

1. Broncos 35 San Diego 24
With a 2-3 record and trailing 24-0 at half time, the prospects of the Broncos having a good year looked dim.  But Peyton Manning led an amazing 2nd half comeback, outscoring the Chargers 35-0, to lead the Broncos to this huge win (their best Monday Night performance ever in my book).  Going into the season's final week as I type this, Denver would not lose again.  Perhaps the Broncos would have still rebounded had they lost this game and fell to 2-4, but I think this game was the key to the Broncos miracle season.
 

Wesley Woodyard at Bronco QB Club

Tonight Denver Broncos linebacker Wesley Woodyard met with 80 fans from the Denver Broncos Quarterback Club.  Like past QB Club meetings I got the chance to meet an NFL player and ask questions about his experience with the Broncos.

Woodyard was incredibly gracious with his time before speaking to our group.  Each fan in attendance could get a picture taken with Wesley ...

Or get a football signed ...

Or even get a hug!

My favorite part of the meeting was when Wesley got in front of the mike and answered questions from the fans.  Here's a sample of some of his answers:

How would you compare the three NFL head coaches you have played under with the Broncos (Mike Shanahan, Josh McDaniels, John Fox)?

Mike Shanahan was a class act.  He brought me into the NFL.

Josh McDaniels was very smart.  That's it.

John Fox is a player's coach.  He really builds team comraderie.

Did you watch the 49'ers/Patriots game last night?

I didn't see it but I was hoping the 49ers would win.  I hate the Patriots!

What's it like to be Peyton Manning's teammate?

Peyton is great.  He's one of the first in the building each day and one of the last to leave.  He jokes with everyone - just like you see him in those commercials.

Does Manning get ticked off like it appears on TV?

Oh yeah!  He goes off on the offense.  He gets fired up when something goes wrong.  Not like any other quarterback since I've been here.

Does John Elway visit practice and give his coaching tips?

John usually stays out of it.  He and Peyton are always talking, though.  Like they are teammates.

Who do you admire?

Champ Bailey.  Playing football as a kid in Georgia I always wanted to be like Champ.  He's been the same person since day one.  A great person off the field - one of my closest friends on the team.

How has Keith Brooking fit into the team?

Since Keith didn't go through training camp we didn't know how to take him at first.  But from his first day he had given us a lot of insight.  He tells us what we are doing wrong.  I tell him 'Dude, you are so old, I used to have a bobble head of yours in my room growing up!'

Is Knowshon Moreno a good teammate?

Knowshon handled himself great in the early weeks of the season when he wasn't playing.  He worked hard every week (on the scout team) to get the defense better.  The looks Knowshon gave us really helped.  Now that he's playing more he's always encouraging us.  Yesterday he told the defense, 'Get us the ball, man!  We are going to score!'

Why has the defense stopped the run better this year?

We don't want to piss Del Rio off! (laughs)  When we don't stop the run, we do.  Del Rio is a true player's coach.  Having been a linebacker in the league he can relate to us.  He's better than any of the other defensive coordinators I've had in Denver.

Wesley thanked the Quarterback Club for inviting him to speak and for supporting his 16ways foundation - a charity he sponsors to help kids.  QB Club members donated christmas gifts to Wesley to distribute to kids in his foundation (pictured above)

Wesley Woodyard is truly a class act.  He was very gracious with his time in patiently talking with each fan who wanted an autograph, a picture, or just a handshake.  He answered all of our questions with candor and humor.  He stayed at the end and personally delivered the many door prizes given out to fans.  Woodyard is not only a great football player, he's a great person who is wonderful representing the Broncos and the NFL in the community.

An Evening at Dove Valley

Tonight I visited the Denver Broncos Headquarters at Dove Valley to be in the audience for the weekly TV show "Broncos Huddle".  The Broncos invited myself and 49 other members of the Denver Broncos Quarterback Club to watch hosts Susie Wargin and Dave Logan discuss Denver's victory over Tampa Bay.

 

 Bronco championship banners hung above us as we waited to be escorted to the tv taping.

I especially liked the team's two Super Bowl trophies on display in the lobby.  I hope the Broncos make room for a third come February!

While walking outside the locker room we saw photo posters for all the team's victories this year.  These posters a reminder to players of what they've accomplished this season.

The Broncos Huddle set was in the middle of the team's indoor training room.  Here hosts Susie Wargin and Dave Logan prepare for the show.

The small crowd, consisting mostly of Bronco QB Club members, had a great view of the taping.

Broncos coach John Fox was the first guest.  Fox said he was happy with the win over Tampa but that the team isn't "operating on all cylinders yet."  He said the season turnover ratio is negative (-3); his Super Bowl team with Carolina had  a +9 turnover ratio.  Two of the Broncos drives yesterday were stalled by penalties.  Minimizing turnovers and avoiding penalties will be emphasized this week as the team prepares for the Oakland Thursday night game.

Broncos cornerback Chris Harris was the player guest.  Harris told the crowd how it was a thrill to make the Broncos as an undrafted free agent.  "Playing in the NFL is something I've always dreamed of," he said.  He joked that Von Miller took an interception away from him yesterday.  "I was ready to pick the ball Miller got - he stepped right in front of me!"  He said it was good to play with veteran Champ Bailey.  Bailey teaches him to forget a bad play.  "You play cornerback and you'll get beat.  You have to forget it and be ready for the next play."

As I exited the Broncos facility I saw their Christmas tree decorated right outside the main entrance.  Getting a chance to see Dove Valley at night, listening John Fox and Chris Harris up close, and seeing the behind the scenes production of a TV show was an early Christmas present for this Bronco fan.

Buffs were right to fire Embree

I'm a sucker for motivational speeches.  When I attended Jon Embree's first meeting with Buff fans to talk about the 2011 recruiting class I was excited (I wrote about that luncheon back then).  "The Buffs are on the verge of something great," former CU coach Bill McCartney told the crowd that day.  McCartney praised CU's move to the pac 12 conference, and the skills of Embree and the coaching staff Jon had assembled ("it matches up to any staff I had at CU" - Mac said).  "Bringing back successful coaches and players from Colorado's past to lead the Buffs into the Pac 12 is a good move," I wrote that day.  "I expect next season will have its struggles, but as Coach Mac said I think the Buffs have the right leadership in place now and fans just have to give them time."

Boy was I wrong! I now think CU made the right move in firing Jon Embree this week and not giving him more time.  What caused my 180 degree change in opinion?

On field performance.  Under Embree the Buffs had 4 wins and 21 losses over his two year reign.  Last season's 3 - 10 record was acceptable for Embree's first year given the downtrodden state of the program after Dan Hawkins 5 year term.  In 2011 the Buffs beat their instate rival CSU and finished the season winning 2 of their last 3 against pac 12 foes (including a big upset at Utah in the finale to end a long 24 game road losing streak).  Things were looking up.

It was this season that did Embree in.  Instead of building on 2011 the team got worse, much worse.  Losing to CSU and to Division II foe Sacramento State to start the season, followed by many blowout losses to Pac 12 opponents.  "I saw Colorado play 3 times this year. Folks, it's the worst Div. 1 football program in a major conference I've ever seen," said ESPN's Colin Cowherd on his show yesterday. Would Cowherd renew Embree for a 3rd year? "After two years, in a sport you HAVE to bring people into the stadium because it's the only sport on a campus that makes any money. Colorado football, at the end of this year is HOPELESS. No one is going to these games," he said.  It was obvious to anyone watching Buff football this year that the team had taken a big step back in 2012.

Embree now discounts the win/loss record.  "I get it, 4-21 is not good, but there is a lot that went into that,” he said in a radio interview, and went on to explain how he was doing other things to help the program.  The wins will come if you give him more time, according to Embree.  That's a different message than what he was preaching at that recruiting lunch in February 2011.  "Instead of hoping to win, expect to win. Even next year," Embree said that day, in how he was going to change the team's attitude.  It seemed to me the 2012 Buffs expected to lose before every opening kickoff.

Poor recruiting.  Embree only had a few weeks to recruit after he was hired in December 2011 and he came up with a credible "transition" class, including starting freshman cornerback Greg Henderson.  His February 2012 class showed promising signs, ranking #36 in the recruiting site Rivals rankings - a respectable showing after a 3-10 season.  This year, though, Embree's recruiting is trending downward (with a current Rivals national rank of #65).  Recruits do not want to play for a doormat, and Colorado's poor 2012 season no doubt has contributed to the Buffs having a hard time attracting talent.

This is disappointing to me because this coaching staff was hyped to be great at recruiting.  Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy was said to be one of the best recruiters in the nation when he was an assistant at Colorado and UCLA, and now with recent NFL experience (he was the Minnesota Vikings running backs coach) he was supposed to be an even better recruiter this time around with the Buffs.  The top high school running backs I expected to sign with Colorado because of Bieniemy never materialized.  Embree, too, was said to be a top recruiter at UCLA and at his former stint at Colorado as an assistant.

I followed the program closely during Coach McCartney's rise from a 1-10 season in 1984 to a National Championship only 6 years later.  During the down years I remember then Dallas Cowboys General Manager Tex Schramm saying "the one thing Colorado has going for them is Bill McCartney's recruiting."  Even though the results on the field weren't good yet, the recruiting experts of those days gave the Buffs high marks.  Not so in 2012 - Colorado's recruiting is getting worse, not better.

Bad decisions at quarterback.  The Buffs had a returning senior quarterback for the 2011 season in Tyler Hansen.  Hansen's play helped the team salvage 3 wins that year.  I attended a spring practice before the 2011 season and I thought Hansen looked great.  But what were the Buffs to do once Hansen graduated for the 2012 season?  I hoped that Embree had a plan.  His moves to shore up the quarterback position have not worked out.  One of his first signees, junior college transfer Brent Burnette, never played a down for the Buffs.  Texas transfer Connor Wood worked with the scout team in 2011 and reports were promising that he'd be the starter for 2012, but Wood was a disappointment.  Kansas transfer Jordan Webb won the starting 2012 quarterback job, despite only arriving on campus in July, and had a terrible year.  In the last game holdover Nick Hirschman looked to be the best of the bunch (leading the Buffs to 35 points vs Utah), yet Hirschman was buried on the depth chart for most of the season.

Embree did recruit promising quarterback Shane Dillion who redshirted this year.  If Dillion is the real deal he'll help the next coach, but I still think Embree could have done more to bolster the quarterback position in the short term.  Stevie Joe Dorman was another Embree recruit at quarterback who had no other offers from BCS schools (Dorman also redshirted this year).

Closed practices.  When Embree took the field in the Spring of 2011 he at first was open to having fans and the press view his team's practices (I attended one of the first workouts).  But soon Embree closed all practices to the public and gave the press limited access.  This was a change from Dan Hawkins who always opened a few practices for public viewing in the Fall followed by a public scrimmage in August in Folsom Field.

I remember as a kid watching the 1971 CU team scrimmage featuring many sophomore starters on TV before heading off to Baton Rouge to play LSU the next week.  Then coach Eddie Crowder was not concerned about giving away any secrets by having open scrimmages - his team upset LSU and ended up finishing #3 in the nation that year.  Embree had an almost paranoid attitude about his Buff teams, not wanting any practice reports to get out on the internet that might present a less than positive view.  The secrecy in the program did not help in building good will to the fans or with the media.

Race had nothing to do with it.  Earlier this week Coach McCartney accused Colorado of firing Embree for racial reasons.  "I believe black men have less opportunity, shorter time, if you will. It’s just like, Dan Hawkins got five full years. Why not give Jon Embree five years? You signed him to a five-year contract," Coach Mac said.

The Dan Hawkins comparison is not valid.  Hawkins' CU team went to a bowl game in his 2nd year, playing Nick Saban's Alabama team to a competitive game in the Independence Bowl before losing 30-24.  Hawkins 3rd year almost produced another bowl team (a last minute 57 yard field goal by Nebraska in the season finale prevented that). It was only in Hawkins' 4th year that cracks started to show (with a 3-9 record).  Hawkins should have been fired after that 4th year, but the school's financial state at the time prevented a buyout from happening.  Had Colorado had access to the 20 million/year Pac 12 TV money they now have, Hawkins would have never coached a 5th year in Boulder.

Racial discrimination is no doubt still a serious problem in this country, but the Embree firing is not a good example of it.  Floyd Keith, the director of the Black Coaches association, recognizes that Embree's on field performance was the reason Embree was fired.  "I'm disappointed for Jon because I thought he might get another year," he said. "I would have been pleased if he had gotten another year, but I'm also not blind. I think the thing that did him in was the loss to the FCS team (Sacramento State). What can you say about that?"  On the All Buffs CU fan message board, a minority media person from the South writes, "I find it MUCH more offensive that someone like Bill McCartney, and many others, former black players included, would not give me or anyone else of color the benefit of the doubt that we could decide on our own accord that it was the atrocities on the field that led to Embree's firing, not his color. I applaud Colorado for having hired a man with Embree's qualifications or rather, lack thereof, regardless of his race. LSU, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, etc. would NEVER do that." (read the whole post here)

In February 2013 I'll probably be attending another recruiting luncheon with yet another new Colorado coach spouting optimism about his plans for the team.  And I'll believe every word of it.  This time I hope it works out.  For a team I have followed since I was a kid in the 1960's, I miss the good old days of winning CU football.