CBS Sports: Colorado football tries to heal once again

[TDbuff]

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...21/colorado-football-tries-to-heal-once-again

A lot of good quotes in here, but as usual, a national writer gets the players mixed up(WR Christian Powell).

Gary Barnett, who coached CU from 1998 to 2005 and recorded the program's last winning season, said the struggles of the previous two coaching regimes have quelled expectations locally. Nationally, he said, people already knew how bad things had gotten. It took the firing of Embree, a former CU player, to make Colorado understand.
“There was so much belief for so long that all it took was a CU guy to come in and make it work,” Barnett said. “So many put the trust and belief in it. Now they are going, ‘You know what, that really wasn't the solution.'”
Before that, Hawkins “did everything to sort of mess up the apple cart,” Barnett said, changing so much that McCartney had built.

 

[Duff Man]

Barnett sure avoided taking any responsibility for the program's slide. Gary being Gary. Good article overall, but that stuff had me rolling my eyes.

 

[CUFan]

Barnett sure avoided taking any responsibility for the program's slide. Gary being Gary. Good article overall, but that stuff had me rolling my eyes.

+1. Just because we have been epically awful since D2 took over, doesn't mean we weren't dog***t by the time Barnett left.

 

[J.R. Ewing]

Mac Love?

"It's caring about people, loving people, realizing everybody's special, because they really are," said MacIntyre, a former San Jose State coach who became CU's target after a failed pursuit of now-Tennessee coach Butch Jones. "If you treat people that way, you can make life a lot better. People know you truly care about them."

 

[Duff Man]

The thing I like most about MacIntyre is how comfortable he seems in his own skin. I wish the last two head coaches had been more willing to unify the team because a clear part of our awful on-field play has been the dysfunctional locker room. I didn't believe for a second the reports from some corners that the locker room was not divided last season.

 

[Dark Bohner]

MM and Wood are very well spoken, and I love the message. I want to drink the kool-aid so bad, but I need tangible evidence. Talk has sounded great before. Still, that was not a poorly written article.

 

[J.R. Ewing]

MM and Wood are very well spoken, and I love the message. I want to drink the kool-aid so bad, but I need tangible evidence. Talk has sounded great before. Still, that was not a poorly written article.

Except this year the Kool-Aid only gets you to 4 wins.

 

[BuffClass90]

Except this year the Kool-Aid only gets you to 4 wins.

Things are so bad here I'd be okay with 2 wins and have all the games be competitive. I think Connor has been drinking the KoolAid though...he thinks they'll win 6 games! Yikes!!

 

[Duff Man]

Things are so bad here I'd be okay with 2 wins and have all the games be competitive. I think Connor has been drinking the KoolAid though...he thinks they'll win 6 games! Yikes!!

It would be more scary if the starting QB/captain wasn't thinking bowl game.

 

[WizzersGhost]

Barnett sure avoided taking any responsibility for the program's slide. Gary being Gary. Good article overall, but that stuff had me rolling my eyes.

Barnett even had the chutzpah to advise CU fans to tone down their expectations, basically because he got real lazy on the recruiting trail and was getting over-compensated just for showing up. When Bohn offered to renew Gary, putting an incentive-laden contract in front of him, GB disdainfully refused to sign it.

Then, "130-22" last three happened and GB was well-deserved toast! Gotta love his "Ever'body, but me" attitude! Typical.

 

[BuffClass90]

It would be more scary if the starting QB/captain wasn't thinking bowl game.

Good point. He's at least saying the right things...don't know if actually believes it though. None of us do.

 

[RalphieSpeaks]

MacIntyre doesn't see the need to rehash faded glory.

^This I agree with. The Mac era is so long ago I can barely remember it and I am not that old. Time to start a new chapter.

 

[DexBuffsteen]

... Time to start a new chapter.

This. Hawk took the program through an unguided trek through the wilderness and abandoned the CU football tradition. It seemed that relying on the old CU tradition was the only thing Embree knew. Glad to see Coach NewMac is charting his own course.

Barney always seemed to throw the players and asst coaches under the bus. He never took responsibility. Maybe if he'd paid more attention to details, we would have avoided the sex/recruiting scandals that started us down this road to obscurity.

 

[Dark Bohner]

Except this year the Kool-Aid only gets you to 4 wins.

If the Kool-aid got me to 4 wins...that might still be tasty. Kind of depends on how the season progresses.

 

[SpacemanSpiff]

If the Kool-aid got me to 4 wins...that might still be tasty. Kind of depends on how the season progresses.

Yep. Let's start with just being competitive and looking like a team that has a plan. That would be a welcome change.

 

[SuperD]

So I guess I'm going to be "that guy" and say that I have some...ummm...concerns about the possibility of recruiting guys who are showing up on anybody's lists.

 

[Joe Theismann's Leg]

So I guess I'm going to be "that guy" and say that I have some...ummm...concerns about the possibility of recruiting guys who are showing up on anybody's lists.

I don't.

Colorado's program has fallen on hard times, and now more than ever coaches need to think outside the box when it comes to looking for talent. If we're out there competing with USC, Oregon, and others for the 6'4'' 230 lb prototype QBs or the 5'11'' 180 lb WRs who can run a 4.3 40 we're going to lose most of those battles, beating our heads against the wall in the process.

Think of it like "Moneyball". Chad Bradford wasn't on anyone's list. Scott Hatteberg wasn't on anyone's list. David Justice wasn't on anyone's list. Scouts and executives had to get creative when it came to finding talent they could get. With the A's, they're limited by payroll and they've never won it all, but with CU, if we put together a few winning seasons we'd maybe start wrestling some of those prototype players away from schools with traditionally good football programs.

 

[FlatironsBuff]

That is is exactly. We are not going to win against the big boys for top talent right now. I hope se doesnt fill the class too early, because I think with 4 or 5 wins we will capture the itnerest of a higher level of player. If he pulls off a miracle and gets 6 wins and a bowl game, I definetly think there will be talk about CU and the recruiting will ramp up. I also think MM would not dump a lessor player for a higher one that wants to come on late, so that is why I hope we leave a few spots open for later in the year after people see a more competitive team.

 

[Duff Man]

It's not about getting 4* and 5* players. It is about landing the 3* PAC-12 level players. If the staff cannot consistently get those players, it will not work out.

I think to SuperD's post, I'm more concerned that Neinas is the one finding these players. Limited experience at the BCS level nearly two decades ago is not the type of experience that really validates his recruiting instincts.

 

[BuffSurveyor]

This. Hawk took the program through an unguided trek through the wilderness and abandoned the CU football tradition. It seemed that relying on the old CU tradition was the only thing Embree knew. Glad to see Coach NewMac is charting his own course.

Barney always seemed to throw the players and asst coaches under the bus. He never took responsibility. Maybe if he'd paid more attention to details, we would have avoided the sex/recruiting scandals that started us down this road to obscurity.

I agree.

Really the present state of the Colorado Football program is rooted back to November 23, 2001 when the complacency of the CU Athletic Department first started. They never took full advantage of the momentum handed to them in a hand basket that day.

 

[Mick Ronson]

Barnett sure avoided taking any responsibility for the program's slide. Gary being Gary. Good article overall, but that stuff had me rolling my eyes.

This. Hawk took the program through an unguided trek through the wilderness and abandoned the CU football tradition. It seemed that relying on the old CU tradition was the only thing Embree knew. Glad to see Coach NewMac is charting his own course.

Barney always seemed to throw the players and asst coaches under the bus. He never took responsibility. Maybe if he'd paid more attention to details, we would have avoided the sex/recruiting scandals that started us down this road to obscurity.

I agree.

Really the present state of the Colorado Football program is rooted back to November 23, 2001 when the complacency of the CU Athletic Department first started. They never took full advantage of the momentum handed to them in a hand basket that day.

well, they did build the stadium expansion on that season....which was a bit risky through the years. anyway....my dad who is a curmudgeonly as they come CU wise...still says the CU sports admins never took full advantage of the early 90's...football team was bigtime, ad was still a bunch of ski bums and fat cats from Cherry Creek. at that time, should have studied some other top 10 type schools of the same size, how their AD was structured....did things....we were on TV more than anyone else.....for a big stretch of years.....instead, our admin guys got fatter and had friday ski days. hence Dick Tharp at Dolan's all through the 90's having marg lunches.

guys at Bugeater and OU are working.

anyway, i like Barney but the guy was always a blameshifter. now, he did win two BCS conferences and i can't think of anyone else who has.....so maybe if i'm him, i think i'm pure perfect. schemes are sound, players don't execute....it's not the video game the internet fans (but not the boosters!) think it is, etc. all that is true, but a little abstract in a way.

 

[Buffenuf]

well, they did build the stadium expansion on that season....which was a bit risky through the years. anyway....my dad who is a curmudgeonly as they come CU wise...still says the CU sports admins never took full advantage of the early 90's...football team was bigtime, ad was still a bunch of ski bums and fat cats from Cherry Creek. at that time, should have studied some other top 10 type schools of the same size, how their AD was structured....did things....we were on TV more than anyone else.....for a big stretch of years.....instead, our admin guys got fatter and had friday ski days. hence Dick Tharp at Dolan's all through the 90's having marg lunches.

guys at Bugeater and OU are working.

anyway, i like Barney but the guy was always a blameshifter. now, he did win two BCS conferences and i can't think of anyone else who has.....so maybe if i'm him, i think i'm pure perfect. schemes are sound, players don't execute....it's not the video game the internet fans (but not the boosters!) think it is, etc. all that is true, but a little abstract in a way.

WHEN Tharp wasn't on the road watching his kids play sports! Tharp was no AD; he was merely the Liquor Mart shill who kept things cool. Don't underestimate the role of the Boulder Mafia out at BCC either. They always believed that it was a privilege to come to Boulder to first visit the Mall, then watch a game and made few fan accomodations for convenience or game day experience. Who needs to "market"? Cetainly not Boulder and CU!!!

Gary's two BCS conference championships? He was the huge beneficiary of each of the conference's power teams experiencing major turmoils, coaching and otherwise, UM, tOSU and MSU were all going through angst with their FB coachs, during his tenure in each conf. Plus, at NW, GB had Arnold Weber as Prez, who shrewdly recognized that certain major, academic concessions were required to secure true D-1 athletes at NW.

GB also suffered from massive over-loyalty to assistants who were friends first and coachs second. Okruch was not a D-1 level DC, Watson always over-thought everything and neither could motivate his side worth spit. We all love to refer back to "62-36", but Okruch's "D" was one fumble way from a NU comeback that would have killed the Buffs, rather than leading to the devastating loss from which NU has not yet recovered.

 

[Quattro]

WHEN Tharp wasn't on the road watching his kids play sports! Tharp was no AD; he was merely the Liquor Mart shill who kept things cool. Don't underestimate the role of the Boulder Mafia out at BCC either. They always believed that it was a privilege to come to Boulder to first visit the Mall, then watch a game and made few fan accomodations for convenience or game day experience. Who needs to "market"? Cetainly not Boulder and CU!!!

Gary's two BCS conference championships? He was the huge beneficiary of each of the conference's power teams experiencing major turmoils, coaching and otherwise, UM, tOSU and MSU were all going through angst with their FB coachs, during his tenure in each conf. Plus, at NW, GB had Arnold Weber as Prez, who shrewdly recognized that certain major, academic concessions were required to secure true D-1 athletes at NW.

GB also suffered from massive over-loyalty to assistants who were friends first and coachs second. Okruch was not a D-1 level DC, Watson always over-thought everything and neither could motivate his side worth spit. We all love to refer back to "62-36", but Okruch's "D" was one fumble way from a NU comeback that would have killed the Buffs, rather than leading to the devastating loss from which NU has not yet recovered.

For shame, the Big 10 was down in 1995! Look at these records!

#7 Northwestern: 10-2
#17 Michigan: 9-4
#6 Ohio State: 11-2
#12 Penn State: 9-3
#22 Iowa: 8-4

And then the Big 12 in 2001 must have been down as well!

#9 Colorado: 10-2
#8 Nebraska: 11-3
#5 Texas. 11-2
#6 Oklahoma: 11-2

Yeah clearly he was a beneficiary of the two conferences being down...

Seriously? :rofl:

 

[Duff Man]

Yeah, let's keep some perspective here. The 2001 team earned that championship by taking out two national title contenders (NU and Texas) in the span of eight days.

 

[sackman]

The Boulder mafia at BCC? This, I need to hear. Please explain.