Joel Klatt video on Folsom Field expansion

[The Alabaster Yak]

There are numerous threads of his slights right here on AllBuffs.

Is the below true? Because the amount of venom that has been/still is being spit at the administration and old AD (the one Klatt was ripping) on Allbuffs leads me to believe onealcd's entire post is accurate. Many people on this site like to proclaim they are "calling a spade a spade" by ripping the university and athletic department, so what makes Klatt so "in the wrong" when he does it? Other than the fact that he's far more knowledgeable and privy to the inner workings of the AD than anyone on this site.

Klatt said what many people on here have said about the administration. Grow up, he didn't try to erode the CU brand he called a spade a spade. He probably cares more about the program than any one on this site so he was probably twice as angry at what it had become.

 

[dio]

He didn't just rip the administration, he hinted at racism and was very emotionally upset about his bud getting fired.

 

[dply]

Klatt said what many people on here have said about the administration. Grow up, he didn't try to erode the CU brand he called a spade a spade. He probably cares more about the program than any one on this site so he was probably twice as angry at what it had become.

On purpose?

 

[sackman]

I think Klatt crossed a line with his comments. He wasn't criticizing the administration for their lack of commitment to the program. He was criticizing them for some imagined racial conspiracy. Had he kept his comments to a discussion on CU's commitment to athletics, it would have been perfectly fine.

However, it's water under the bridge now. Everybody has moved on and he's back on board. Time to put that ugliness behind us.

 

[onealcd]

He didn't just rip the administration, he hinted at racism and was very emotionally upset about his bud getting fired.

He got really worked up on the radio and probably "hinted" at something he shouldn't have but he didn't go full Bill McCartney. I don't think it was as much about his buddy getting fired as much as the admin not giving Embree the resources to succeed, not even close. And then even not giving him the resources they only gave him a year and a half. And BTW I am not trying to defend Embree, dude was the worst D-1 football coach I have ever seen but I am just saying it wasn't completely his fault and Klatt was pissed about it.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

Fair enough. I never heard those comments, but if he hinted at racism, then I understand the grudges being held. However, it's very dramatic to say he was eroding the brand. CU's brand was fully eroded by that point in time.

 

[sackman]

You could have handed Jon Embree the 1985 Bears and he still would have figured out a way to lose 10 games. For all the talk about the administration not giving him adequate resources, the fact remains that he was just a horrible football coach. The fact that he was hired in the first place was evidence that the admin didn't give a damn about that program.

 

[89BUFF89]

"as much as the admin not giving Embree the resources to succeed, not even close. And then even not giving him the resources they only gave him a year and a half." This is what I recall but I've moved on from it all. As I mentioned in another thread, read the book Buffaloed if you want to know how the CU Admin. allowed the football program to get knocked in the dirt (although a lot of critical admin. support went away even before the scandal when Gee left and then McCartney retired to Promise Keepers).

 

[Fight CU]

you say **** in a negative and vindictive way against an entity, in this case CU, you are tarnishing (is that a better word?) the brand. plain and simple.

 

[TimmyDUBs]

Video is good, but I just see everything he says as scripted and insincere. Klatt is out to promote Klatt, plain and simple.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

Video is good, but I just see everything he says as scripted and insincere. Klatt is out to promote Klatt, plain and simple.

I think you, and others, are very misguided on your views of how Klatt feels about the CU football program.

 

[Gary Indiana]

I think you, and others, are very misguided on your views of how Klatt feels about the CU football program.

I tend to agree with you. I see Klatt as a former player with a lot of pride who was downright embarrassed by the performance and management of the institution he loves. Things have taken a turn in the positive direction for CU since and I believe Klatt's attitude reflects just that.

 

[dio]

Again, he said much more than that on the radio. I remember they had Vic Lombardi on the morning show with him, and Vic had to ask Joel to calm down and said that Joel was WAY to close to the situation to look at it objectively. Joel was yelling at Vic during an interview.

 

[dio]

Also, didnt he show up at Embree's press conference (good one Plati) and ask some very inappropriate questions?

And yes, he was friends with Embo from the Buffs 4 Life group, which was integral in pushing Embree into the job in the 1st place.

 

[buffaholic]

Joel Klatt used his position on the radio and his then position heading up Buffs4Life to press hard for Jon Embree to get the job. Joel was extremely active and influential at that time within the AD. He spoke personally to a top 5 donor friend of mine and convinced him that the replacement had to be a BUFF from the McCartney era. These old folks bought into it hook, line and sinker. Return to Glory. Some really smart people got emotional and forgot about some things such as qualifications and resume.

When Embree got canned, he went crazy again, using his radio position to go way over the edge.

So he was wrong twice, very publicly and very loudly.

 

[Gary Indiana]

Joel Klatt used his position on the radio and his then position heading up Buffs4Life to press hard for Jon Embree to get the job. Joel was extremely active and influential at that time within the AD. He spoke personally to a top 5 donor friend of mine and convinced him that the replacement had to be a BUFF from the McCartney era. These old folks bought into it hook, line and sinker. Return to Glory. Some really smart people got emotional and forgot about some things such as qualifications and resume.

When Embree got canned, he went crazy again, using his radio position to go way over the edge.

So he was wrong twice, very publicly and very loudly.

So, f*ck him forever then? I think that's how you put it.

As much as we feel as fans and alums that we are emotionally invested in the program, imagine if you were a former player/star who actually suited up and played your ass off for CU. It would be tenfold. Have his emotions led him to say/do things he may regret, sure. But my guess would be they came from a well intentioned place. To write him off and basically tell him to get f*cked is crazy from my point of view.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

Whatever his stance was about the Embree hiring/firing and how he used his platform to push it on others, is one thing, and not something I'm arguing with anyone about. The statements against the administration not giving Embree the resources to succeed were 100% accurate and can't even be debated. Now, whether or not Embree was qualified for the job, in the first place, is obviously a questionable part of Klatt's POV. He wanted Embree to be afforded every resource that HCMM is currently getting, as well as the time to sink or swim. Instead, he got no resources and a year and a half. That was his point and why he was so emotional about it. I'm not saying I agree with him in any way, but it was his opinion and, as a radio talk show host, he's entitled to share it on the air. However, don't confuse him banging the table for Embree and saying some less-than-reputable things about the admin and AD, with "Klatt being out to promote Klatt", or him being insincere.

 

[WizzersGhost]

CU has never had that kind of fan base though. Even in our glory years we didn't regularly sell out Folsom. This is and always will be Bronco country. CU will always play (at least) second fiddle in its home market because of that.

Colorado remains a "transitory" state: people move here post-college, stay a few years to advance their careers and move on. Those goofballs in Ohio and Nebraska all live within five miles of where they were born and stay in their rat holes forever! If they do move here, they keep their old college allegiences and adopt the Broncos.

Plus, for years the Boulder Mafia running the AD, treated local fans like it was a privilege to attend CU games rather than as paying customers exercising a choice with their recreation dollars; thus the paying public had to put up with a lot of inconveniences if they were not from Boulder. I was just a great thing Burianek retired and took thatof that attitude with him. The "no beer-because we can't expose our innocent little students to alcohol" policy was also a killer. Thank you RG for adopting an adult attitude on that.

Add on top of that, all the alternatives to paying $50 a pop to watch a sketchy team remain. On game days, try to get a parking spot at Chautauqua trailhead or Park after 10:00 AM, if the weather is even half decent! Posters here like to pooh-pooh the "thousand other things to do" rationale, but I was shocked when I missed a game due to kid stuff held up at Chautauqua and counted a few thousand folks walking and hiking around up there, just enjoying the scenery.

 

[DBT]

hey man that's what he did and that's how I still feel

I understand where you are coming from. But you need to let it go. Klatt likely has a huge ego, but he's a national guy now and getting him on board, while it may not help all that much, sure can't hurt. Remember, he did go after Hawkins pretty ruthlessly and though we hated seeing Klatt throwing the program under the bus, he voiced many of Allbuff's opinion on Hawkins.

 

[sackman]

Klatt's a guy I can forgive. Yes, he's kind of an ego-maniac. Lots of media types are. In fact, I'd suggest that it's a prerequisite for the job. He said and did some things that I didn't appreciate. I'm not going to hate him forever because of it.

He's a far cry from pRick Reilly.

 

[onealcd]

Again, he said much more than that on the radio. I remember they had Vic Lombardi on the morning show with him, and Vic had to ask Joel to calm down and said that Joel was WAY to close to the situation to look at it objectively. Joel was yelling at Vic during an interview.

Yeah except for the fact that him being so close magnified his issues even more. He knew EXACTLY what was going on and was fed up with it. Oh and a couple months later Bohn was fired and things seemed to change. He might have went about it the wrong way but at the end of the day he was mad about everything that happened. His whole point during that interview with Vic was that he didn't think Bohn should be making his 3rd football head coaching decision and he was probably right. If Mac succeeds it is only pure luck on Bohn's part, nothing more, nothing less.

 

[unionbuff]

Klatt's a guy I can forgive. Yes, he's kind of an ego-maniac. Lots of media types are. In fact, I'd suggest that it's a prerequisite for the job. He said and did some things that I didn't appreciate. I'm not going to hate him forever because of it.

He's a far cry from pRick Reilly.

That's how I feel too. He is passionate and I have no doubt that once we are back in the Top 25 regularly, Klatt & some of our other notable alums will be out in full force supporting & promoting the program.

 

[dio]

Hey, I forgive him, he didn't say anything unforgivable ala Embree and maybe even Mac - but there is hardly any denying that Klatt is a huge douche

 

[slider]

I actually hold a bigger grudge for him wearing that ugly sweater

 

[Gary Indiana]

I actually hold a bigger grudge for him wearing that ugly sweater

It's called style, chief. Not all of us walk around in Ed Hardy sweatshirts.

 

[TimmyDUBs]

I actually hold a bigger grudge for him wearing that ugly sweater

Haha, I actually liked it.

He said something that is related to recruiting: "You want to go someplace that's going to give you the best chance to be the best version of yourself." That is pretty obvious but pretty good to keep in mind. For so long we've been a program that could squander your talent in various ways. Getting to the next step where it is clear that we not only highlight it but maximize your abilities is huge.

 

[GoonieBuff]

Closest approximation is Wisconsin, where the Badgers live in the shadow of Green Bay. Based on the experience of cheeseheadland, it is possible for a flagship university's football team to coexist and thrive in an NFL dominated media market.

Madison and Green Bay are over 2.5 hours away from each other, and both are small time and separate media market. Trust me, spending most of my summers growing up outside of Green Bay, it's all Packers, all the time. The Green Bay media is scary. You can pick a random day in June, and the news still starts with something about the Packers, and the University of Wisconsin news is way more minimal than you'd expect in Green Bay.

U of Minnesota and the Vikings share the same metro area in the same exact media market. That's probably a closer comparison, and parts of that market actually have to deal with Wisconsin supporters.

 

[Deleted member 807]

Madison and Green Bay are over 2.5 hours away from each other, and both are small time and separate media market. Trust me, spending most of my summers growing up outside of Green Bay, it's all Packers, all the time. The Green Bay media is scary. You can pick a random day in June, and the news still starts with something about the Packers, and the University of Wisconsin news is way more minimal than you'd expect in Green Bay.

U of Minnesota and the Vikings share the same metro area in the same exact media market. That's probably a closer comparison, and parts of that market actually have to deal with Wisconsin supporters.

I get your point with regards to the Vikings and U of Minn being geographically on top of each other, while GB and Madison are in different parts of the state. Of course Milwaukee is the big population center in that state, and is about 80 miles from Wiscy. Milwaukee is where large numbers of packers and badgers fans reside. The Badgers prove that it is possible to be successful in an NFL crazy state. The Michigan Wolverines out draw the Detroit Lions, but that model doesn't work well for CU because the lions have no where near the rabid support as the Broncos or packers.

The Minnesota Golden Gopher football team hasn't enjoyed the same degree of success as Wisconsin's badgers. CU does not want to model ourselves after Minnesota.

 

[Gary Indiana]

It's called style, chief. Not all of us walk around in Ed Hardy sweatshirts.

Apologies, rereading and that came across more dickish than intended.

 

[Deleted member 807]

I think it's a big of a chicken an egg scenario. A rabid fanbase wouldn't have allowed some of the leadership that we've had over the years to endure very long, but one of the reasons we don't have that rabid fanbase in the first place is we've never had a long sustained period of good leadership.

For whatever reason, the leadership quality seems to ebb and flow, and with it goes the football program. And worst of all, CU chose to have some of its biggest incompetency just as college football was jumping into the modern big money era.

I'm not at all of the opinion that there is a chicken and egg scenario. Leadership starts from the top. It is completely unrealistic to expect the fans to lead from the rear.

A scenario where fan leadership might work is where there is a single very wealthy fan that is embraced by the university, and that sugar daddy gets to call the shots. Think Boone Pickens or Phil Knight. Even this scenario isn't healthy, as shown by Joe Jamail and Red McCombs turning the Longhorns into an ineffective back slapping big cigar smoking country club environment that squanders talent and treasure.

CU has a leadership problem. The de facto guru of CU is Bill McCartney. That man hasn't been an employee of the university for a couple decades. Yet his ring gets kissed by every AD and coach that comes after. Big Mac is the prized key note speaker of recruiting luncheons, far out shining the Chancellor, the President, the AD, and various coaches who have come and gone. If Benson or DiStephano were even half as charismatic and passionate about the football program as Bill McCartney, this program would not have fallen so far, so fast.

No fan or fan affiliation can outweigh the leadership power of a Tom Osborn or Joe Paterno or Nick Saban, or Urban Meyer, or Bill McCartney. In each case, these great coaches had / have administrators who open up the checkbook and put a sustained premium on the importance of football success as the most visible symbol of university power and might.

Success won't take root with 50,000+ fans. Success requires a single focal point who can tell us who we are, where we are going, and what it takes to get there. It's the fans job to help the leader realize that dream.

Blaming the fans is just an excuse and a sure symbol that the people drawing the salaries are in over their heads.