Buff Madness
Okay, so it isn't quite dreaded "Mad Cow" disease, but "Buff Madness" has some less severe, yet substantial symptoms. We're talking of course of a coaching decision that appeared to have been made, then denied and now still moving in a direction that will secure a new football coach at the University of Colorado.
The symptoms of Buff Madness include media members rolling with single source facts (i.e., gossip for regular non-media folks), fans roaming in several unique packs and factions sniping at each other, former players meeting at all hours and rich donors threatening fewer dollars to the school if the search committee fails to meet the expectations that are wide ranging and tend to stray from reality.
Expectations range from an insistence to return former coach Bill McCartney back to restore the glory all the way to and including stealing LSU Tiger Les Miles away from the his BCS Bowl bound team in time to recruit new Buffs. Along the way, former Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti, current Air Force Falcon head coach Troy Calhoun turned down opportunities for interviews. Even wild man Houston Nutt included his name in the rumor pool, and CU didn't look his way. Oh, and some John Gruden rumors were started somewhere along the way, but he likes to tease all the schools while he awaits his next chance to go all Chucky on another NFL team.
The last few days of the madness have found the team down to one outsider and four family members. To clarify, a key Buff fan divide is outsiders (anyone far away from Boulder who will come in and fix everything) versus family (any former Buff who knows Boulder who will come in and fix everything). The last outsider standing is Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain. Late night rumors claim the Tide assistant didn't interview well or do his homework of pre-assembling a coaching staff, which is one of the requirements of a semi-controversial search committee. The committee controversy arising from a lack of anyone from the athletic department, or any former players, coaches or people that know anything more about college football than Ralphie V the buffalo.
The family members include interim head coach Brian Cabral, a member of the staff for over two decades, who more than recruiting and coaching great linebackers also managed a 2-1 stretch to partially salvage a brutal season. Mac, of course, the man, myth and legend who literally restored a dead program, captured back-to-back-to back conference titles and oh yes, the University's only football National Championship. Last, but certainly not least, we have the former Mac Buff players, Eric Bienemy and Jon Embree. Each were interviewed last weekend in Washington DC as their respective NFL teams, the Vikings and Redskins battled each other last Sunday.
Yesterday, Embree was named the head coach, presumably Coach Mac being the primary source, and then denied by Athletic Director Mike Bohn. Bohn being the fellow who hired Dan Hawkins and a substantive number of coaches who have accomplished very little across the board since his arrival. In fairness, every member of the media, and all of the bickering factions mentioned above absolutely loved the hire of Hawk, who was THE hot outsider of the day. History now suggests the Buffs nabbed the wrong member of the Boise State coaching staff.
All that aside, the acrimony among Buff fans wanting bigger names, bigger miracles may be missing the point. The Buffs don't have the cash to lure Les Miles away from LSU. Coach Cabral showed off a little Colorado tradition to the current team, and inspired two very nice wins against conference rivals. As we all know now "this ain't intramurals" and this is a team that can use someone who loves the game, the school and will have a little room to rebuild. If the rumors are confirmed, I think Jon Embree has the potential to top any big name out there, and if they go with EB, or better yet, find a way to get them both back in Boulder, all the better. Understanding the budget constraints and academic standards of Colorado helps a bunch coming in, and if those former players turned coaches are living proof of past glory, it may be enough to fire up new generations who seek their own days in the sun at historic Folsom Field. The madness will eventually subside, it has to, the PAC-12 is every bit as tough top to bottom, as the Texas Ten conference they're departing.
And hey, if they hire someone else completely different than anyone mentioned thus far before the virtual ink dries on this blog, it will allow for a whole new outbreak of crazy. Grab two footballs and call me in the morning.
The symptoms of Buff Madness include media members rolling with single source facts (i.e., gossip for regular non-media folks), fans roaming in several unique packs and factions sniping at each other, former players meeting at all hours and rich donors threatening fewer dollars to the school if the search committee fails to meet the expectations that are wide ranging and tend to stray from reality.
Expectations range from an insistence to return former coach Bill McCartney back to restore the glory all the way to and including stealing LSU Tiger Les Miles away from the his BCS Bowl bound team in time to recruit new Buffs. Along the way, former Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti, current Air Force Falcon head coach Troy Calhoun turned down opportunities for interviews. Even wild man Houston Nutt included his name in the rumor pool, and CU didn't look his way. Oh, and some John Gruden rumors were started somewhere along the way, but he likes to tease all the schools while he awaits his next chance to go all Chucky on another NFL team.
The last few days of the madness have found the team down to one outsider and four family members. To clarify, a key Buff fan divide is outsiders (anyone far away from Boulder who will come in and fix everything) versus family (any former Buff who knows Boulder who will come in and fix everything). The last outsider standing is Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain. Late night rumors claim the Tide assistant didn't interview well or do his homework of pre-assembling a coaching staff, which is one of the requirements of a semi-controversial search committee. The committee controversy arising from a lack of anyone from the athletic department, or any former players, coaches or people that know anything more about college football than Ralphie V the buffalo.
The family members include interim head coach Brian Cabral, a member of the staff for over two decades, who more than recruiting and coaching great linebackers also managed a 2-1 stretch to partially salvage a brutal season. Mac, of course, the man, myth and legend who literally restored a dead program, captured back-to-back-to back conference titles and oh yes, the University's only football National Championship. Last, but certainly not least, we have the former Mac Buff players, Eric Bienemy and Jon Embree. Each were interviewed last weekend in Washington DC as their respective NFL teams, the Vikings and Redskins battled each other last Sunday.
Yesterday, Embree was named the head coach, presumably Coach Mac being the primary source, and then denied by Athletic Director Mike Bohn. Bohn being the fellow who hired Dan Hawkins and a substantive number of coaches who have accomplished very little across the board since his arrival. In fairness, every member of the media, and all of the bickering factions mentioned above absolutely loved the hire of Hawk, who was THE hot outsider of the day. History now suggests the Buffs nabbed the wrong member of the Boise State coaching staff.
All that aside, the acrimony among Buff fans wanting bigger names, bigger miracles may be missing the point. The Buffs don't have the cash to lure Les Miles away from LSU. Coach Cabral showed off a little Colorado tradition to the current team, and inspired two very nice wins against conference rivals. As we all know now "this ain't intramurals" and this is a team that can use someone who loves the game, the school and will have a little room to rebuild. If the rumors are confirmed, I think Jon Embree has the potential to top any big name out there, and if they go with EB, or better yet, find a way to get them both back in Boulder, all the better. Understanding the budget constraints and academic standards of Colorado helps a bunch coming in, and if those former players turned coaches are living proof of past glory, it may be enough to fire up new generations who seek their own days in the sun at historic Folsom Field. The madness will eventually subside, it has to, the PAC-12 is every bit as tough top to bottom, as the Texas Ten conference they're departing.
And hey, if they hire someone else completely different than anyone mentioned thus far before the virtual ink dries on this blog, it will allow for a whole new outbreak of crazy. Grab two footballs and call me in the morning.
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