Thoughts on 2007 and thoughts on 2008.
As I sit here at work on my absolute favorite holiday I realize that I am really in no situation to complain, bitch or moan about having to work today or tomorrow. The year that I had in 2007 was the best of my life, and allowed me so many great opportunities that it would be totally wrong of me to end the year on a low note.
I had only a few goals heading into the 2007. All of which were accomplished, but all of which changed my life much, much more than I knew they would on this day one year ago.
My first goal was more of a conclusion, and was not completely accomplished during 2007. I graduated from CU in May, exactly four academic years after I enrolled. I was able to achieve much more in Boulder than I could have ever imagined. I learned more than I could have thought possible. I also grew to love the city of Boulder more than I ever thought I would. Most importantly of all, I found something that I really love to do and was able to get a degree in it. Whether I will use that degree fully I may not know for years to come, but I have a feeling I already have, and will continue to.
My second goal was to travel. Sometime last winter Andy and I came to the conclusion that we had similar ideas about a trip and the planning for our month-long excursion in Europe soon followed. NOLA and Vero/Miami for spring break, as well as some beach time in Cabo were also great trips.
Among other things, these breaks from reality made me realize that I love to travel, see new places, meet new people, and learn about new things more than I enjoy doing anything else in life. The experiences I had in Europe especially influenced a new-found desire to not stay in one place for too long, and not become too comfortable with any given situation. This desire actually gets to the point of frightening me at times.
The final goal I had was to find a job that would allow me to do something I liked to do, and would also allow me to support myself (defined in this case as rent, food, credit cards, insurace, bar tab clothing). I have pretty much found that job at Fox in that I'm doing something that I like to do and can support myself for the most part.
The one thing I didn't factor into the equation when I was hunting for jobs was the lifestyle job X allows you to have versus the lifestyle of job Y. The lifestyle I'm able to lead because of my job at Fox is the single best perk of the job. Rarely do I have to come in before noon, rarely do I get off past 10 p.m. and rarely do I dread that idea of going to work. All of which are much more important that I first thought. All are essestial one year out of college, and in the shitshow that is called "LA". This all leads me to wonder often how soon I want to jump into the Monday-Friday 9-5 atmosphere and career-driven lifestyle. Usually when I wonder this I quickly come to the conclusion that I really won't be ready for many years to come, if ever.
So my goals for 2008 are still being thought out and are really not concrete at all. I have no idea if they will continue to include LA, if they will involve a move back to the CO or someplace I haven't even thought of yet.
By the end of the year who knows where I will be, and what I will be doing. I like living in LA, except for the Hollywood gossip, and people that go along with it. I could do without the traffic, the struggle it becomes to run everyday errands, and the high cost of living. I enjoy living fairly isolated from all of that in the great town of El Segundo, and the weather is hard to beat. So just as I wasn't sure what 2007 held for me, I might be just as unsure what 2008 will hold. As I see it, 2007 worked out just fine, and so will the new year.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Happy Bowl Season
Being in LA for the weeks leading up to Xmas have obviously not been the same as the majority of my years. There is no snow, few decorations, no cold weather, no friends and family, no stoppage of school, really no gift shopping (due to lack of $$). In short, LA sucks during the Xmas season (except for the constant 70 degree weather). The one exception I found to this whole rant, was in Manhattan Beach the other night. Lights, decorations, people decked in cold-weather gear (even though it isn't cold at all), a festive spirit that is missing elsewhere. The homes in MB are absolutely gorgeous, and most were fully decorated. Together with the sun setting over the ocean in the background let me know that parts of So Cali have their own unique and one-of-a-kind way of celebrating the holidays.
Saw this article on Shaun White's run-in with the law in Breckenridge the other day...He doesn't really have a tough life.
My picks for the 2007 Bowl Season. These are my exact picks, including confidence points, for Sean's Metal Skool group. My team picks are the same for the Final Score office pool, with the confidence points varying just a little, but more or less exactly the same. In the FSN pool we have the ability to change the picks and confidence points up until 5 minutes before each game, not sure how that is going to work out.
One note: My picks with points 1-10 are total crapshoots, but these are the most fun to try and pick. For most games in this range I actually had a team I really thought would win initially, but that team is either not at all motivated to play in the game (Cal, GT), is missing a key player (New Mex), or are very up and down this year (OkSt, TT).
A few are very evenly matched: Clemson v Auburn, Oregon St v Maryland, Miss St v UCF.
Confidence--Winner--Loser--
1--Georgia Tech--Fresno St
2--Oklahoma St--Indiana
3--Memphis--Florida Atlantic
4--Nevada--New Mexico
5--Cal--Air Force (thought this was an 20-30 point pick, but apparently not)
6--Texas Tech--Virginia (maybe the most underrated game in terms of entertainment value)
7--Clemson--Auburn (another great game)
8--Oregon St--Maryland
9--Mississippi St--UCF
10--Penn St--Texas A&M (coaching change swayed this one)
11--TCU--Houston (same here)
12--Utah--Navy
13--Purdue--Central Michigan
14--Colorado--Alabama
15--BYU--UCLA
16--Wake Forest--UCONN
17--Cincinnati--Southern Mississippi
18--Boston College--Michigan St (will be closer than I initially thought)
19--South Florida--Oregon
20--Boise St--Eastern Carolina (E Carolina is pretty good, but are traveling way too far)
21--Kentucky--Florida St
22--Texas--Arizona St (Texas is better than advertised)
23--Tennessee--Wisconsin
24--Missouri--Arkansas
25--Rutgers--Ball St (The MAC is awful)
26--Tulsa--Bowling Green
27--Virginia Tech--Kansas (KU didn't beat ANYONE quality this year, and shouldn't be here)
28--Oklahoma--West Virginia (OU too big and too powerful on both sides of the ball)
29--Georgia--Hawaii (same goes here)
30--Florida--Michigan
31--USC--Illinois (same as above...but it could be closer than people think)
32--LSU--Ohio St (The SEC reigns supreme again)
I also think the SEC is the strongest, most skilled and most athletic football conference top to bottom every single year (including this year).
I don't truly feel that CU will beat the Tide because I think Alabama is the stronger, more skilled team and the game is in SEC country.
Hawk will have CU ready for the game, and we will still be riding high from the Nebraska win as well as the simple joy of playing in a bowl game. The fact that Alabama is one of the most storied programs in all of CFB history also bodes well for our motivation among other things.
The national exposure for two programs with great tradition as well as the fact that the game is the only bowl game on ESPN on Sunday night will help to shine positive light on the strides CU and Hawk are making. If things go well this could be a HUGE stepping stone for next year and beyond for CU. It would cement the fact that Hawk is heading in the right direction. It would show he can coach with the best of the best, and it would show the rest of the CFB world that CU is on the rise and will be a real force within a few years.
My biased prediction: CU 27 Bama 24 ---Kevin Eberhart hits a 29-yard game-winning FG with under 2 minutes to play in the 4th.
Saw this article on Shaun White's run-in with the law in Breckenridge the other day...He doesn't really have a tough life.
My picks for the 2007 Bowl Season. These are my exact picks, including confidence points, for Sean's Metal Skool group. My team picks are the same for the Final Score office pool, with the confidence points varying just a little, but more or less exactly the same. In the FSN pool we have the ability to change the picks and confidence points up until 5 minutes before each game, not sure how that is going to work out.
One note: My picks with points 1-10 are total crapshoots, but these are the most fun to try and pick. For most games in this range I actually had a team I really thought would win initially, but that team is either not at all motivated to play in the game (Cal, GT), is missing a key player (New Mex), or are very up and down this year (OkSt, TT).
A few are very evenly matched: Clemson v Auburn, Oregon St v Maryland, Miss St v UCF.
Confidence--Winner--Loser--
1--Georgia Tech--Fresno St
2--Oklahoma St--Indiana
3--Memphis--Florida Atlantic
4--Nevada--New Mexico
5--Cal--Air Force (thought this was an 20-30 point pick, but apparently not)
6--Texas Tech--Virginia (maybe the most underrated game in terms of entertainment value)
7--Clemson--Auburn (another great game)
8--Oregon St--Maryland
9--Mississippi St--UCF
10--Penn St--Texas A&M (coaching change swayed this one)
11--TCU--Houston (same here)
12--Utah--Navy
13--Purdue--Central Michigan
14--Colorado--Alabama
15--BYU--UCLA
16--Wake Forest--UCONN
17--Cincinnati--Southern Mississippi
18--Boston College--Michigan St (will be closer than I initially thought)
19--South Florida--Oregon
20--Boise St--Eastern Carolina (E Carolina is pretty good, but are traveling way too far)
21--Kentucky--Florida St
22--Texas--Arizona St (Texas is better than advertised)
23--Tennessee--Wisconsin
24--Missouri--Arkansas
25--Rutgers--Ball St (The MAC is awful)
26--Tulsa--Bowling Green
27--Virginia Tech--Kansas (KU didn't beat ANYONE quality this year, and shouldn't be here)
28--Oklahoma--West Virginia (OU too big and too powerful on both sides of the ball)
29--Georgia--Hawaii (same goes here)
30--Florida--Michigan
31--USC--Illinois (same as above...but it could be closer than people think)
32--LSU--Ohio St (The SEC reigns supreme again)
I also think the SEC is the strongest, most skilled and most athletic football conference top to bottom every single year (including this year).
I don't truly feel that CU will beat the Tide because I think Alabama is the stronger, more skilled team and the game is in SEC country.
Hawk will have CU ready for the game, and we will still be riding high from the Nebraska win as well as the simple joy of playing in a bowl game. The fact that Alabama is one of the most storied programs in all of CFB history also bodes well for our motivation among other things.
The national exposure for two programs with great tradition as well as the fact that the game is the only bowl game on ESPN on Sunday night will help to shine positive light on the strides CU and Hawk are making. If things go well this could be a HUGE stepping stone for next year and beyond for CU. It would cement the fact that Hawk is heading in the right direction. It would show he can coach with the best of the best, and it would show the rest of the CFB world that CU is on the rise and will be a real force within a few years.
My biased prediction: CU 27 Bama 24 ---Kevin Eberhart hits a 29-yard game-winning FG with under 2 minutes to play in the 4th.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Some news from the Daily Camera.
Sports editor Gary Baines decided to step down from his post as the Camera's sports editor after 25 years.
Gary gave me an opportunity to try my hand at real-life journalism (whatever that really means). I remember the first call that CU beat writer Kyle Ringo made to Gary to ask if I could write an article on CU football after a loss to Baylor in Oct. of 2006. I was thinking to myself "this guy is really going to let me write an article on CU football of all things. Before I have even auditioned in some other forum?" He didn't have to take a chance on me, he didn't have to trust me, but I am forever thankful that he did.
Gary was a wonderful person to work for. He was a great teacher, but in different ways than I've ever experienced. He was understanding, but had a quiet confidence about him that made you fearful of screwing up in any way. He was so calm and focused on deadline that it was almost impossible for me and everyone else in the room to feel the same way.
In my eyes he was underappreciated, as all employees at the Camera are, but Gary embodied a tireless jounalist. He was in the office before anybody else in the department, out long after everyone was gone for the night. Like it said in the article, he was concerned about the reader first. He made sure you as a reporter knew that, and what that meant to the particular story you were writing. He didn't give many guidelines about anything, but rather left it to you to figure things out on your own. A trait that forced me to learn more than I will ever know during my time there.
Great feature in the December issue of Esquire on a guy who decided to build his own boat by hand for less than 30K and sail around the world by himself. A really unfathomable undertaking the more you actually read about his story. He is keeping a blog of his journey.
The author and his colleague's thoughts on "just existing" versus "living your life" and experiencing things other people haven't are really well said.
He talks about the experience being "fundamentally new" and thus being impossible for anything he's done previously in his life to prepare him for his trip. I can relate to and think about this concept fairly often at this stage of my life.
In the end paragraph he speaks about the idea of not going on the voyage being "impossible to consider". This leads to him stating that he isn't doing the trip for fun, but "it does feel like who I am and what I'm doing. I feel fully engaged, which is the best part about living." Well said. I feel like being "fully engaged" is a pretty rare thing for most people. If you are not fully engaged in life there can't be much passion or care behind what you are doing. You are just floating through life.
Sports editor Gary Baines decided to step down from his post as the Camera's sports editor after 25 years.
Gary gave me an opportunity to try my hand at real-life journalism (whatever that really means). I remember the first call that CU beat writer Kyle Ringo made to Gary to ask if I could write an article on CU football after a loss to Baylor in Oct. of 2006. I was thinking to myself "this guy is really going to let me write an article on CU football of all things. Before I have even auditioned in some other forum?" He didn't have to take a chance on me, he didn't have to trust me, but I am forever thankful that he did.
Gary was a wonderful person to work for. He was a great teacher, but in different ways than I've ever experienced. He was understanding, but had a quiet confidence about him that made you fearful of screwing up in any way. He was so calm and focused on deadline that it was almost impossible for me and everyone else in the room to feel the same way.
In my eyes he was underappreciated, as all employees at the Camera are, but Gary embodied a tireless jounalist. He was in the office before anybody else in the department, out long after everyone was gone for the night. Like it said in the article, he was concerned about the reader first. He made sure you as a reporter knew that, and what that meant to the particular story you were writing. He didn't give many guidelines about anything, but rather left it to you to figure things out on your own. A trait that forced me to learn more than I will ever know during my time there.
Great feature in the December issue of Esquire on a guy who decided to build his own boat by hand for less than 30K and sail around the world by himself. A really unfathomable undertaking the more you actually read about his story. He is keeping a blog of his journey.
The author and his colleague's thoughts on "just existing" versus "living your life" and experiencing things other people haven't are really well said.
He talks about the experience being "fundamentally new" and thus being impossible for anything he's done previously in his life to prepare him for his trip. I can relate to and think about this concept fairly often at this stage of my life.
In the end paragraph he speaks about the idea of not going on the voyage being "impossible to consider". This leads to him stating that he isn't doing the trip for fun, but "it does feel like who I am and what I'm doing. I feel fully engaged, which is the best part about living." Well said. I feel like being "fully engaged" is a pretty rare thing for most people. If you are not fully engaged in life there can't be much passion or care behind what you are doing. You are just floating through life.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
State of CU football
A few things before CU football.
NBA--
A month or so into the NBA season and I've watched more games this season than I did all of last year. League pass and my job have obviously contributed to this.
My preseason NBA picks look terrible---
---Boston and Detroit are the favorites in the east with the Magic looming as a possible darkhorse. Jersey and Chicago (my Eastern Champ) look lottery bound thus far.
---My picks for the west didn't look as bad, because it is pretty hard to mess the top 3 up.
---The Nuggets look like a lost team and probably won't get to 50 wins but have a good shot at winning the division because Utah will hopefully struggle too.
---George Karl needs to go (Jeff Van Gundy is one name that comes to mind. Good discipline, teaches good D, could still use a running style). The Nugs continue to have injuries and an incredibly low basketball IQ. Difficult to watch this team play sometimes.
Although I thought the MVP would come out of the west with Melo or Nash, KG is the MVP front-runner right now, while Howard and LBJ are legit candidates. Duncan and Kobe finish out the conversation.
BOXING--- I think I'm more excited for the Mayweather Hatton bout than I was for the De La Hoya fight. The fight in May was overhyped and actually wasn't that great of a matchup. De La Hoya was getting older, not in his prime and Mayweather was way too fast.
---This one will hopefully be better because of Hatton's attitude and brash style. I think Mayweather will win in the end because of his quickness and ability to get away from Hatton's serious haymakers. I could see Hatton winning if he lands a couple of big shots early in the fight.
In the end they say you have to convincingly beat the "champ" in boxing to take his crown/belt. I don't think Hatton will do that.
Pick: Mayweather wins in a split decision 12 rounds.
COLORADO FOOTBALL---
Is the University of Colorado football program in better shape now than when I began my time at CU in 2003? Yes and No.
In 2003 we were just two years off of a Big 12 title and we had strong recruiting classes and a solid coach. In short we had the right "mix" of players and coaches etc., even in the midst of the crazy scandal, to win two Big 12 North titles. Keep in mind I am saying this based on the fact we did not know the program was going to go through a massive shitstorm during the next few years.
Had CU not endured that storm could we be talking about more success than we had? Maybe another BCS bowl? I don't know, but hearing about Gary Barnett from people in the media and CU's PR department it was probably a foregone conclusion that coach Barnett was going to screw up somewhere along the line. So who knows. I do know Barnett could recruit and coach with the best in the country. I don't think Barnett was/still is alone in bending some rules for recruiting purposes, and nothing illegal was EVER proven in court.
Although I do believe that we are soon headed for times that will far surpass anything Barnett was able to accomplish, the 2007 season was mediocre. 2008 will be just another step to regaining the tradition. There will be setbacks, and we are still two full seasons away from truly competing for a Big 12 title. Coach Hawk truly believes in his system, his ability to recruit and coach. I don't think that can be said off all coaches or programs. I think the improvement we have seen over the past 24 months has been remarkable. Getting the players to accept Hawk's beliefs, expectations, system, work ethic, weight program etc. etc. took longer than CU faithful would have liked. The culture and attitudes around the program were so out of wack from the Barnett days, the scandals, and the losing, it took Hawk a full season and offseason to straighten things out. I don't truly believe he had everyone on the same page until camp in Aug. of '07. The state of the actual players/program is heading for very bright days in the near future.
The fans and the culture surrounding the program are the only reason CU has a ways to go.
In my four years at CU the prevailing attitude shifted. Fans went from expecting a win in every game to hoping for a win. It then shifted from hoping to win to expecting to lose. As of 2007 we are on the way back to hoping we win. We need to be back to expecting to win. We will be soon, but it will take time for attitudes to change for the better.
In 2003 the students expected to win most, if not all games. The attitude was that we are a premiere football program and we will win much more often than we lose. Bowl games were a guarantee, Big 12 titles were within reach. 2003 was the last time this attitude was prevalent in Boulder. The allegations came out, the scandals started. All of a sudden instead of expecting to win games, we hoped we would win during the 04 and 05 seasons. We hoped some wins would douse the fire of the scandals a bit, but we no longer expected to win. This caused some painful games, and embarrassing losses. We didn't beat a ranked team during that span up until this 2007 season. The current crop of students never saw games where we expected to beat ranked teams. This created a culture of fans that doubted coaching and playing abilities on the field. Doubted whether the program would ever be turned in the right direction. Doubted when Hawk finished last season with ten losses.
The last crew of students that lived through those expectations and then the dark days are now gone, leaving only students who have come to know losing and think it their job to criticize. The criticism came from the years all we heard was how bad the university was, and how terrible things were happening all around us. It will take time until these students are gone, along with their attitudes formed by the media's perception of CU.
This acceptance of losing has never been more evident than the past two seasons. Fans not even showing up for games, rushing the field for what seems like every single win.
Two years down the line I believe CU fans will be back to expecting to win every game. The criticism will be gone, the bad behavior hopefully a thing of the past. Although I don't feel CU will ever have the tradition or die hard fans of other schools, Boulder is a place big-time football can succeed. For now it is still a work in progress.
NBA--
A month or so into the NBA season and I've watched more games this season than I did all of last year. League pass and my job have obviously contributed to this.
My preseason NBA picks look terrible---
---Boston and Detroit are the favorites in the east with the Magic looming as a possible darkhorse. Jersey and Chicago (my Eastern Champ) look lottery bound thus far.
---My picks for the west didn't look as bad, because it is pretty hard to mess the top 3 up.
---The Nuggets look like a lost team and probably won't get to 50 wins but have a good shot at winning the division because Utah will hopefully struggle too.
---George Karl needs to go (Jeff Van Gundy is one name that comes to mind. Good discipline, teaches good D, could still use a running style). The Nugs continue to have injuries and an incredibly low basketball IQ. Difficult to watch this team play sometimes.
Although I thought the MVP would come out of the west with Melo or Nash, KG is the MVP front-runner right now, while Howard and LBJ are legit candidates. Duncan and Kobe finish out the conversation.
BOXING--- I think I'm more excited for the Mayweather Hatton bout than I was for the De La Hoya fight. The fight in May was overhyped and actually wasn't that great of a matchup. De La Hoya was getting older, not in his prime and Mayweather was way too fast.
---This one will hopefully be better because of Hatton's attitude and brash style. I think Mayweather will win in the end because of his quickness and ability to get away from Hatton's serious haymakers. I could see Hatton winning if he lands a couple of big shots early in the fight.
In the end they say you have to convincingly beat the "champ" in boxing to take his crown/belt. I don't think Hatton will do that.
Pick: Mayweather wins in a split decision 12 rounds.
COLORADO FOOTBALL---
Is the University of Colorado football program in better shape now than when I began my time at CU in 2003? Yes and No.
In 2003 we were just two years off of a Big 12 title and we had strong recruiting classes and a solid coach. In short we had the right "mix" of players and coaches etc., even in the midst of the crazy scandal, to win two Big 12 North titles. Keep in mind I am saying this based on the fact we did not know the program was going to go through a massive shitstorm during the next few years.
Had CU not endured that storm could we be talking about more success than we had? Maybe another BCS bowl? I don't know, but hearing about Gary Barnett from people in the media and CU's PR department it was probably a foregone conclusion that coach Barnett was going to screw up somewhere along the line. So who knows. I do know Barnett could recruit and coach with the best in the country. I don't think Barnett was/still is alone in bending some rules for recruiting purposes, and nothing illegal was EVER proven in court.
Although I do believe that we are soon headed for times that will far surpass anything Barnett was able to accomplish, the 2007 season was mediocre. 2008 will be just another step to regaining the tradition. There will be setbacks, and we are still two full seasons away from truly competing for a Big 12 title. Coach Hawk truly believes in his system, his ability to recruit and coach. I don't think that can be said off all coaches or programs. I think the improvement we have seen over the past 24 months has been remarkable. Getting the players to accept Hawk's beliefs, expectations, system, work ethic, weight program etc. etc. took longer than CU faithful would have liked. The culture and attitudes around the program were so out of wack from the Barnett days, the scandals, and the losing, it took Hawk a full season and offseason to straighten things out. I don't truly believe he had everyone on the same page until camp in Aug. of '07. The state of the actual players/program is heading for very bright days in the near future.
The fans and the culture surrounding the program are the only reason CU has a ways to go.
In my four years at CU the prevailing attitude shifted. Fans went from expecting a win in every game to hoping for a win. It then shifted from hoping to win to expecting to lose. As of 2007 we are on the way back to hoping we win. We need to be back to expecting to win. We will be soon, but it will take time for attitudes to change for the better.
In 2003 the students expected to win most, if not all games. The attitude was that we are a premiere football program and we will win much more often than we lose. Bowl games were a guarantee, Big 12 titles were within reach. 2003 was the last time this attitude was prevalent in Boulder. The allegations came out, the scandals started. All of a sudden instead of expecting to win games, we hoped we would win during the 04 and 05 seasons. We hoped some wins would douse the fire of the scandals a bit, but we no longer expected to win. This caused some painful games, and embarrassing losses. We didn't beat a ranked team during that span up until this 2007 season. The current crop of students never saw games where we expected to beat ranked teams. This created a culture of fans that doubted coaching and playing abilities on the field. Doubted whether the program would ever be turned in the right direction. Doubted when Hawk finished last season with ten losses.
The last crew of students that lived through those expectations and then the dark days are now gone, leaving only students who have come to know losing and think it their job to criticize. The criticism came from the years all we heard was how bad the university was, and how terrible things were happening all around us. It will take time until these students are gone, along with their attitudes formed by the media's perception of CU.
This acceptance of losing has never been more evident than the past two seasons. Fans not even showing up for games, rushing the field for what seems like every single win.
Two years down the line I believe CU fans will be back to expecting to win every game. The criticism will be gone, the bad behavior hopefully a thing of the past. Although I don't feel CU will ever have the tradition or die hard fans of other schools, Boulder is a place big-time football can succeed. For now it is still a work in progress.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Platte River Rivalry
Back for my 3rd experience of the Colorado vs. Nebraska rivalry in person.
The Buffs were 0-2 with me in attendance before the 65-51 smackdown the black and goal handed down on a great football day in Boulder. It was really cold, but no so cold that you were uncomfortable. There was a blanket of snow over everything and it just felt like CU and Nebraska should be playing football.
History:
The earliest memory I have was in 1994 when CU and Nebraska played. CU was ranked #3 and NU was #2. NU won that day, and I absolutely hated them from that day forward.
My direct experience started my freshman year at CU in 2003. The game was great, and the crowd was intense, but we just didn't have the talent to overcome the Fuskers. That is one thing that I noticed my freshman year that I didn't know before. The crowd at CU vs Nebraska games is intense. This creates a very different feeling than the rivalry we have with CSU.
Going into the game in 2005 the winner knew they would win the Big 12 North outright, and have a chance to get bent over by Texas in the Big 12 title game. It was still probably the most hyped I've seen Folsom before a game. This may atleast partially explain the behavior of the CU students that day. We were beat 30-3 with a chance to play in the Big 12 title game. How does this happen? Against your most hated rival? How can any team explain that one? I guess it was the same team that went on to get beat 70-3 by Texas the next week with a chance at the Big 12 title on the line.
Note: An all-time low for CU football ever, and maybe even an all-time low for the University which had other non-football issues as well at that point.
But I guess that is what rivalries are about, nobody in Boulder expected to get ripped apart that day in 2005, and nobody in Nebraska expected CU to take the Fuskers down in 2001 by a score of 62-36 when NU was then ranked #1.
Thoughts on the 2007 game:
The 2007 edition of the NU vs. CU (or fill in a clever rivalry name) rivalry had more of a story line then it appeared at first glance. Two 5-6 teams battling for a possible shot at a bowl game doesn't exactly scream top-notch rivalry.
Note: Why doesn't this rivalry have a name and who creates the names of the rivalries? How about the Platte River shootout? My guess is that the PR or media guys or advertising companies who begin to use catchy names haven't come up with a good one.
A closer look at the '07 Platte River rivalry shows some intriguing stories.
1. The most obvious...the winner goes to a bowl and the loser does not. Two storied programs that bowl organizers would love to have not matter what they say.
2. Coaching lines...Bill Callahan most likely coaching his final game and Hawk desperately trying to show everyone that he actually is making progress with tangible evidence, even though I think it is pretty obvious we are headed in the right direction.
3. Not really a story line but it was the final game for Ralphie IV...sad to see her go...I've been going to CU games for a long time and don't remember a time before Ralphie IV. Hopefully V will see as many good things as IV saw in Folsom.
The actual game was probably the 2nd best game I've seen at Folsom behind only the 2004 edition of the Rocky Mountain Showdown (CU vs. CSU) which was the single most intense sporting event I've ever been to in terms of the actual game on the field. This game actually vaults to 1B because it is Nebraska and because of the way the game was won.
CU was down 11 at halftime and I honestly thought we might get blown out. That is how bad it has been over the past few years as a CU football fan.
Anyway, the 3rd quarter was the best run or turnaround I've seen in a long, long time. I don't know if there is a word for what the Buffs did. By the end of the 3rd quarter we had gone from "I hope we don't lose by more than 20" to "there is absolutely no way we are going to lose this game, shit how much can we win by!?!" I don't even know what to call it. A turnaround? Is there a word for such a change in fortunes in a game?
The two interceptions, by a freshman (Jimmy Smith) and a true sophomore (Cha'pelle Brown) and the blocked punt recovered by JDizon were the key plays, but it is hard to forget that Lil'Hawk and the O turned each turnover into points.
Final thoughts on the game:
----Hume noticed George Hypolite directing the band from the field. He would signal which cheers they should start during breaks in play. Really cool and really funny. Hypolite also directed the band after the win, something I've never seen, and also very cool.
----Jordan Dizon should book a flight back to Boulder so he can see his number 44 unveiled on the ring of fame next season. I read a few great articles on Dizon by KRingo+ the other guys at the Camera and although I knew most of his story I wasn't aware he came into camp at CU his frosh year with a shot to play running back, safety and linebacker. All of that despite the fact he was not highly recruited at all by other schools on the mainland.
----Dizon became the first freshman ever to start at LB his freshman year. He has never missed a game in four years. I remember watching him during his frosh year and he was as good as anybody else on the field, pretty amazing considering his situation. During his sophmore and junior seasons he flew under the radar for a few reasons. Lack of success of the team as a whole as well as the dominant presence of Thaddeaus Washington at the other LB spot. During those years he was as productive as ever and he definitely made the most out of his senior campaign. I never in my life thought people would talk about JD as the best LB in the country, but he has proven that he is just that.
----JD has always been a personal favorite and was the first interview I ever had as a reporter/intern for the Camera. From then on I knew I could go back to him if I was under-prepared, or just for a quick question. He is the most down to earth, humble and hard-working person I have ever been around and I am glad I was able to get to know him a little off the field and watch his work ethic translate into on-field success.
---Jordan went through a lot during his time here at CU, but he never backed down and never gave up. I usually take the stance that unless you came to CU in 2003 or before you really never saw the the way the progam collapsed and never could feel the lowest lows of this program. Jordan is an exception to this thought because he has been such a pillar throughout his time here, even when things were crashing around him. He and TWheat deserved a great win to end their careers, and they got it. A small reward for two great football players and even better people.
The Buffs were 0-2 with me in attendance before the 65-51 smackdown the black and goal handed down on a great football day in Boulder. It was really cold, but no so cold that you were uncomfortable. There was a blanket of snow over everything and it just felt like CU and Nebraska should be playing football.
History:
The earliest memory I have was in 1994 when CU and Nebraska played. CU was ranked #3 and NU was #2. NU won that day, and I absolutely hated them from that day forward.
My direct experience started my freshman year at CU in 2003. The game was great, and the crowd was intense, but we just didn't have the talent to overcome the Fuskers. That is one thing that I noticed my freshman year that I didn't know before. The crowd at CU vs Nebraska games is intense. This creates a very different feeling than the rivalry we have with CSU.
Going into the game in 2005 the winner knew they would win the Big 12 North outright, and have a chance to get bent over by Texas in the Big 12 title game. It was still probably the most hyped I've seen Folsom before a game. This may atleast partially explain the behavior of the CU students that day. We were beat 30-3 with a chance to play in the Big 12 title game. How does this happen? Against your most hated rival? How can any team explain that one? I guess it was the same team that went on to get beat 70-3 by Texas the next week with a chance at the Big 12 title on the line.
Note: An all-time low for CU football ever, and maybe even an all-time low for the University which had other non-football issues as well at that point.
But I guess that is what rivalries are about, nobody in Boulder expected to get ripped apart that day in 2005, and nobody in Nebraska expected CU to take the Fuskers down in 2001 by a score of 62-36 when NU was then ranked #1.
Thoughts on the 2007 game:
The 2007 edition of the NU vs. CU (or fill in a clever rivalry name) rivalry had more of a story line then it appeared at first glance. Two 5-6 teams battling for a possible shot at a bowl game doesn't exactly scream top-notch rivalry.
Note: Why doesn't this rivalry have a name and who creates the names of the rivalries? How about the Platte River shootout? My guess is that the PR or media guys or advertising companies who begin to use catchy names haven't come up with a good one.
A closer look at the '07 Platte River rivalry shows some intriguing stories.
1. The most obvious...the winner goes to a bowl and the loser does not. Two storied programs that bowl organizers would love to have not matter what they say.
2. Coaching lines...Bill Callahan most likely coaching his final game and Hawk desperately trying to show everyone that he actually is making progress with tangible evidence, even though I think it is pretty obvious we are headed in the right direction.
3. Not really a story line but it was the final game for Ralphie IV...sad to see her go...I've been going to CU games for a long time and don't remember a time before Ralphie IV. Hopefully V will see as many good things as IV saw in Folsom.
The actual game was probably the 2nd best game I've seen at Folsom behind only the 2004 edition of the Rocky Mountain Showdown (CU vs. CSU) which was the single most intense sporting event I've ever been to in terms of the actual game on the field. This game actually vaults to 1B because it is Nebraska and because of the way the game was won.
CU was down 11 at halftime and I honestly thought we might get blown out. That is how bad it has been over the past few years as a CU football fan.
Anyway, the 3rd quarter was the best run or turnaround I've seen in a long, long time. I don't know if there is a word for what the Buffs did. By the end of the 3rd quarter we had gone from "I hope we don't lose by more than 20" to "there is absolutely no way we are going to lose this game, shit how much can we win by!?!" I don't even know what to call it. A turnaround? Is there a word for such a change in fortunes in a game?
The two interceptions, by a freshman (Jimmy Smith) and a true sophomore (Cha'pelle Brown) and the blocked punt recovered by JDizon were the key plays, but it is hard to forget that Lil'Hawk and the O turned each turnover into points.
Final thoughts on the game:
----Hume noticed George Hypolite directing the band from the field. He would signal which cheers they should start during breaks in play. Really cool and really funny. Hypolite also directed the band after the win, something I've never seen, and also very cool.
----Jordan Dizon should book a flight back to Boulder so he can see his number 44 unveiled on the ring of fame next season. I read a few great articles on Dizon by KRingo+ the other guys at the Camera and although I knew most of his story I wasn't aware he came into camp at CU his frosh year with a shot to play running back, safety and linebacker. All of that despite the fact he was not highly recruited at all by other schools on the mainland.
----Dizon became the first freshman ever to start at LB his freshman year. He has never missed a game in four years. I remember watching him during his frosh year and he was as good as anybody else on the field, pretty amazing considering his situation. During his sophmore and junior seasons he flew under the radar for a few reasons. Lack of success of the team as a whole as well as the dominant presence of Thaddeaus Washington at the other LB spot. During those years he was as productive as ever and he definitely made the most out of his senior campaign. I never in my life thought people would talk about JD as the best LB in the country, but he has proven that he is just that.
----JD has always been a personal favorite and was the first interview I ever had as a reporter/intern for the Camera. From then on I knew I could go back to him if I was under-prepared, or just for a quick question. He is the most down to earth, humble and hard-working person I have ever been around and I am glad I was able to get to know him a little off the field and watch his work ethic translate into on-field success.
---Jordan went through a lot during his time here at CU, but he never backed down and never gave up. I usually take the stance that unless you came to CU in 2003 or before you really never saw the the way the progam collapsed and never could feel the lowest lows of this program. Jordan is an exception to this thought because he has been such a pillar throughout his time here, even when things were crashing around him. He and TWheat deserved a great win to end their careers, and they got it. A small reward for two great football players and even better people.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Dem Vegas Debate on 11/15
Over the past few years at CU and in journalism school my interest in politics has dramatically increased. I am fairly familiar with those running for the democratic nomination for president, but no so familiar with those in the republican party.
I also recently realized I don't know much about the entire nomination, campaign process, nor do I really know much about the issues being debated. I have tried to render this problem by reading as much as I can about these topics and will continue to learn as much as I can about these things.
I think it is pretty clear that one thing I don't need to spend more time learning about/watching/discussing is sports.
So here are some quick thoughts I jotted down on my phone after watching the Democratic debate on 11/15.
Hillary seems like she has the most balanced opinions compared to the other Dems. She has the knowledge and history of what it means to be president coming from her time spent around Bill.
She also made one of the best points in this debate about the lack of knowledge or blatant disregard that GW has about/for the way our Gov. was set up to run by the founding fathers. Possibly the most overlooked flaw in his administration. What I mean by this is that I don't feel GW has the respect for the intricate system set up 200+ years ago. He hasn't studied history enough to know why it is so imperative to respect it. Or he and his administration are so obsessed with power that they just blatantly disregard the system's important workings and abuse them for their own power. One of his many flaws.
Barack truly wants to change this country. He actually cares about what happens and believes we can change our situation for the better. I think some of his thoughts and answers have been influenced too much by the magnitude of this whole process. I can't say that Hillary has the same genuine feeling and desire for change.
John Edwards seems like he is trying to catch up to someone, or make up ground on issues. Again I feel like he might be pushing a little bit, similar to Barack.
The other candidates have some great ideas but are too extreme in some other aspects to truly "appeal" in a presidential sense to the general population. Sad we don't use some of these ideas from men who truly want change.
I also recently realized I don't know much about the entire nomination, campaign process, nor do I really know much about the issues being debated. I have tried to render this problem by reading as much as I can about these topics and will continue to learn as much as I can about these things.
I think it is pretty clear that one thing I don't need to spend more time learning about/watching/discussing is sports.
So here are some quick thoughts I jotted down on my phone after watching the Democratic debate on 11/15.
Hillary seems like she has the most balanced opinions compared to the other Dems. She has the knowledge and history of what it means to be president coming from her time spent around Bill.
She also made one of the best points in this debate about the lack of knowledge or blatant disregard that GW has about/for the way our Gov. was set up to run by the founding fathers. Possibly the most overlooked flaw in his administration. What I mean by this is that I don't feel GW has the respect for the intricate system set up 200+ years ago. He hasn't studied history enough to know why it is so imperative to respect it. Or he and his administration are so obsessed with power that they just blatantly disregard the system's important workings and abuse them for their own power. One of his many flaws.
Barack truly wants to change this country. He actually cares about what happens and believes we can change our situation for the better. I think some of his thoughts and answers have been influenced too much by the magnitude of this whole process. I can't say that Hillary has the same genuine feeling and desire for change.
John Edwards seems like he is trying to catch up to someone, or make up ground on issues. Again I feel like he might be pushing a little bit, similar to Barack.
The other candidates have some great ideas but are too extreme in some other aspects to truly "appeal" in a presidential sense to the general population. Sad we don't use some of these ideas from men who truly want change.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Fall Classic
A few thoughts on my trip back to the CO to see the Rocks in the World Series.
I can honestly say that my love for baseball as a sport has been renewed. For the first time in a long time I was sad to see the baseball season come to an end, not only because the Rockies lost, but because I have actually enjoyed watching baseball all season.
My thoughts on Game 4 are down at the bottom of the post.
A little history...
Being in attendance was something I didn't expect to experience until much later in my life. The Series has always been something that I've wanted to experience. The tradition, the history, the fall weather, the great stadiums, passionate fans. I could go on and on.
I've also always wanted to see a team clinch a title in each of the major sports. There is just something about winning a championship that resonates with me, and I assume fans as a whole. The way the players can celebrate without a care in the world. The way they reach the ultimate goal in their profession, the highest level. The way the team will be forever remembered, and the way the fans share the experience with them.
I've been a baseball fan for longer than I can remember. Longer than basketball and alteast on "I know the players, understand the game, and really enjoy it" level, football.
I've watched atleast every pitch of one game, during every World Series for as long as I can remember. Probably back to 1987 or 1988 is where I would draw the line. I remember players, games, and moments from every Series dating back almost 20 years. Although I remember every Super Bowl and every NBA Finals I've ever watched, something about the World Series gets me every year.
I think this attachment has a few reasons. The success in a close proximity with the Oakland A's and San Fran Giants during the late 80s are some of my earliest memories in sports. We had season tickets to the A's every year we lived in NorCal and went to a few Giants games too.
The second reason for the attachment are the stories my Dad would tell me about the Yankees when he grew up. Some of those stories about seeing and meeting great players in the 50s and 60s stick with me today. My Mom even has great stories about going to Series games in the late 70s.
In my family baseball was always the number one sport, and the Fall Classic was something I watched intensley at a young age.
When I moved to Colorado in the summer of 1991 I remember asking my parents if Colorado had a baseball team. "No not yet" was always the answer. Later that year when it was announced that Denver would get an MLB club, I remember being excited but couldn't understand why they couldn't start the following season.
Finally during the Rockies' inaugural season in 1993 and the following season 1994 my baseball interested peaked. I went to so many games that it was impossible not to be wrapped up in the game. I knew every player and almost every stat. Mile High became my favorite place to see a game, and not because the Broncos played there.
Then the strike during the 94 season started the process that would eventually lead me to turn my back on baseball in almost all forms. By the late 90s the football and basketball were taking up all of my time. I could probably count the number of regular season MLB games I watched on TV from 1996-2005 on one hand for each season. Something was always present during these years. I would always watch a few playoff games, and I would ALWAYS watch parts of the World Series no matter who was playing. But I remember thinking "if only the Rockies could just compete it would make this so much more exciting."
They did just that during most of the 06 and the 07 regular seasons. As the Rockies made their run and then swept the Phils I, along with everyone else, had a feeling they were going to be part of something special. I contemplated making arrangements home to see the NLCS games, but talked myself out of it on the premise that "if the Rockies go the World Series you are going to be really pissed you flew back for the NLCS." I could handle watching the NLCS on TV, but not the World Series. Not with the Rockies playing, not at Coors Field.
Although I knew getting tickets would be a long-shot I hinted at both parents with the plea that "this may never happen again." Both of my parents are big baseball fans and have been forever, but agreed but the outlook was grim.
Somehow on Sunday Oct. 28 there I was standing outside of Coors Field for the biggest sporting event I, or the city of Denver, had ever been a part of.
Note: The only others that came close would be AFC Championship games in 88, 90, 99 (Elway's last home game) and 06. The NBA All-Star game in 04 and maybe a Stanley Cup game or two in the 96-01 years come close. But nothing as big as the Fall Classic has ever been to the Mile High City.
Thoughts from the actual game:
1. I've never seen LoDo like it was before the game. I heard it was even crazier the night before.
2. There were more non-bandwagon/true fans, both Sox and Rox, than I expected.
3. The amount of money restaurants/taxi drivers/hotels/bars/everyone else involved made during this week is ridiculous. With the All-Star game people came to Denver, but nobody really cared or was getting psyched for the game. They were spending money, but it's different when the team support is behind it. The recent AFC title games were probably similar to the Series in terms of the rush to LoDo of money and fans.
4. The Sox 3-0 lead in the series gave created a kind of "we are pretty much fucked and we know it" vibe to the Rockies fans. It was like we collectively knew the Sox were going to clinch tonight.
5. Buying a beer at Coors ($6) was refreshing after going to a few Dodger games (10-15$). Even at the World Series fans should be able to reasonably enjoy the thing that goes best with baseball, beer.
6. The pre-game ceremony changed the fans' mood, and got everyone going. The combo of Hank Aaron receiving an award, an American flag as big as a football field, fireworks, the sun setting over the Rockies, perfect weather. I have to think that only at the Fall Classic can you get this feeling of tradition, history and the fact that this really is America's true pastime.
7. My desire to see a Sox game at Fenway dropped three or four notches sitting behind true Boston fans. They are just so easy to hate, even when your team isn't about to get swept by their team.
8. The realization that Boston, New York, Philly and Chicago are sports CRAZY towns and their tradition, history and passion will never be truly replicated in a city like Denver. Denver's fans are crazy and passionate but these fans have such a rich, painful and celebrated history that can only be duplicated by 100 years in existence.
9. Coors Field is the best stadium in Denver to see a sporting event in terms of seating, atmosphere, location, look, ease of entrance/exit and other similar criteria. I feel like Invesco and Pepsi Center could have more personality and offer more "bang for your buck" considering the years they were built. They seem to like they were rushed to completion. Pepsi Center is basically a 21st century version of The Big Mac, while Invesco pales in comparison to other NFL stadiums of its age.
Coors will also age better than both. In 30-40 years, assuming all teams are still here, Coors will be the stadium looking most similar and needing fewer upgrades. This may be a function of baseball stadiums in general but I think Coors is a special place. It's not overdone like some parks in AZ, Houston, Pittsburgh, etc.
This leads to a list of best places to see a game in Colorado list:
1. Folsom Field (surrouding, location, atmosphere etc., etc.)
2. Coors Field
3. Old Mile High (football and baseball)
4. Invesco
5. McNichols
6. Pepsi
7. Coors Events (ha)
8. World Arena (haha)
10. My final thought on my trip to the Series: Seeing a professional team clinch a title is like nothing I've seen in person. It was a surreal experience. The fact that it was the Sox was the worst and best team to see do this. The team's history is amazing, its real fans are second to none, and to see them win it was both gratifying and torturous. The look on the fans faces, especially the true Boston fans was priceless. Something I won't soon forget. The look on the true Rockies fans' was also amazing. We genuinely felt we had a shot at beating this team until D Pedroia smoked one over the Monster during the Sox first AB. The way the players genuinely didn't act like it was over until it actually was. The reaction of Papelbon/Ortiz/Manny when they knew they cemented themselves as possibly one of the two best teams in the past 20 years was something to see.
I can honestly say that my love for baseball as a sport has been renewed. For the first time in a long time I was sad to see the baseball season come to an end, not only because the Rockies lost, but because I have actually enjoyed watching baseball all season.
My thoughts on Game 4 are down at the bottom of the post.
A little history...
Being in attendance was something I didn't expect to experience until much later in my life. The Series has always been something that I've wanted to experience. The tradition, the history, the fall weather, the great stadiums, passionate fans. I could go on and on.
I've also always wanted to see a team clinch a title in each of the major sports. There is just something about winning a championship that resonates with me, and I assume fans as a whole. The way the players can celebrate without a care in the world. The way they reach the ultimate goal in their profession, the highest level. The way the team will be forever remembered, and the way the fans share the experience with them.
I've been a baseball fan for longer than I can remember. Longer than basketball and alteast on "I know the players, understand the game, and really enjoy it" level, football.
I've watched atleast every pitch of one game, during every World Series for as long as I can remember. Probably back to 1987 or 1988 is where I would draw the line. I remember players, games, and moments from every Series dating back almost 20 years. Although I remember every Super Bowl and every NBA Finals I've ever watched, something about the World Series gets me every year.
I think this attachment has a few reasons. The success in a close proximity with the Oakland A's and San Fran Giants during the late 80s are some of my earliest memories in sports. We had season tickets to the A's every year we lived in NorCal and went to a few Giants games too.
The second reason for the attachment are the stories my Dad would tell me about the Yankees when he grew up. Some of those stories about seeing and meeting great players in the 50s and 60s stick with me today. My Mom even has great stories about going to Series games in the late 70s.
In my family baseball was always the number one sport, and the Fall Classic was something I watched intensley at a young age.
When I moved to Colorado in the summer of 1991 I remember asking my parents if Colorado had a baseball team. "No not yet" was always the answer. Later that year when it was announced that Denver would get an MLB club, I remember being excited but couldn't understand why they couldn't start the following season.
Finally during the Rockies' inaugural season in 1993 and the following season 1994 my baseball interested peaked. I went to so many games that it was impossible not to be wrapped up in the game. I knew every player and almost every stat. Mile High became my favorite place to see a game, and not because the Broncos played there.
Then the strike during the 94 season started the process that would eventually lead me to turn my back on baseball in almost all forms. By the late 90s the football and basketball were taking up all of my time. I could probably count the number of regular season MLB games I watched on TV from 1996-2005 on one hand for each season. Something was always present during these years. I would always watch a few playoff games, and I would ALWAYS watch parts of the World Series no matter who was playing. But I remember thinking "if only the Rockies could just compete it would make this so much more exciting."
They did just that during most of the 06 and the 07 regular seasons. As the Rockies made their run and then swept the Phils I, along with everyone else, had a feeling they were going to be part of something special. I contemplated making arrangements home to see the NLCS games, but talked myself out of it on the premise that "if the Rockies go the World Series you are going to be really pissed you flew back for the NLCS." I could handle watching the NLCS on TV, but not the World Series. Not with the Rockies playing, not at Coors Field.
Although I knew getting tickets would be a long-shot I hinted at both parents with the plea that "this may never happen again." Both of my parents are big baseball fans and have been forever, but agreed but the outlook was grim.
Somehow on Sunday Oct. 28 there I was standing outside of Coors Field for the biggest sporting event I, or the city of Denver, had ever been a part of.
Note: The only others that came close would be AFC Championship games in 88, 90, 99 (Elway's last home game) and 06. The NBA All-Star game in 04 and maybe a Stanley Cup game or two in the 96-01 years come close. But nothing as big as the Fall Classic has ever been to the Mile High City.
Thoughts from the actual game:
1. I've never seen LoDo like it was before the game. I heard it was even crazier the night before.
2. There were more non-bandwagon/true fans, both Sox and Rox, than I expected.
3. The amount of money restaurants/taxi drivers/hotels/bars/everyone else involved made during this week is ridiculous. With the All-Star game people came to Denver, but nobody really cared or was getting psyched for the game. They were spending money, but it's different when the team support is behind it. The recent AFC title games were probably similar to the Series in terms of the rush to LoDo of money and fans.
4. The Sox 3-0 lead in the series gave created a kind of "we are pretty much fucked and we know it" vibe to the Rockies fans. It was like we collectively knew the Sox were going to clinch tonight.
5. Buying a beer at Coors ($6) was refreshing after going to a few Dodger games (10-15$). Even at the World Series fans should be able to reasonably enjoy the thing that goes best with baseball, beer.
6. The pre-game ceremony changed the fans' mood, and got everyone going. The combo of Hank Aaron receiving an award, an American flag as big as a football field, fireworks, the sun setting over the Rockies, perfect weather. I have to think that only at the Fall Classic can you get this feeling of tradition, history and the fact that this really is America's true pastime.
7. My desire to see a Sox game at Fenway dropped three or four notches sitting behind true Boston fans. They are just so easy to hate, even when your team isn't about to get swept by their team.
8. The realization that Boston, New York, Philly and Chicago are sports CRAZY towns and their tradition, history and passion will never be truly replicated in a city like Denver. Denver's fans are crazy and passionate but these fans have such a rich, painful and celebrated history that can only be duplicated by 100 years in existence.
9. Coors Field is the best stadium in Denver to see a sporting event in terms of seating, atmosphere, location, look, ease of entrance/exit and other similar criteria. I feel like Invesco and Pepsi Center could have more personality and offer more "bang for your buck" considering the years they were built. They seem to like they were rushed to completion. Pepsi Center is basically a 21st century version of The Big Mac, while Invesco pales in comparison to other NFL stadiums of its age.
Coors will also age better than both. In 30-40 years, assuming all teams are still here, Coors will be the stadium looking most similar and needing fewer upgrades. This may be a function of baseball stadiums in general but I think Coors is a special place. It's not overdone like some parks in AZ, Houston, Pittsburgh, etc.
This leads to a list of best places to see a game in Colorado list:
1. Folsom Field (surrouding, location, atmosphere etc., etc.)
2. Coors Field
3. Old Mile High (football and baseball)
4. Invesco
5. McNichols
6. Pepsi
7. Coors Events (ha)
8. World Arena (haha)
10. My final thought on my trip to the Series: Seeing a professional team clinch a title is like nothing I've seen in person. It was a surreal experience. The fact that it was the Sox was the worst and best team to see do this. The team's history is amazing, its real fans are second to none, and to see them win it was both gratifying and torturous. The look on the fans faces, especially the true Boston fans was priceless. Something I won't soon forget. The look on the true Rockies fans' was also amazing. We genuinely felt we had a shot at beating this team until D Pedroia smoked one over the Monster during the Sox first AB. The way the players genuinely didn't act like it was over until it actually was. The reaction of Papelbon/Ortiz/Manny when they knew they cemented themselves as possibly one of the two best teams in the past 20 years was something to see.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
NBA
In response to Will's and the noticeably similar Bill Simmons (just kidding) NBA preview here a few picks and thoughts.
I'm not going to pick the 3-5 spots in each conference because I really don't care where the Bobcats, Hawks, TWolves or Blazers finish in their division. I will just list the division winner and other teams that might have a shot at the playoffs or atleast making a run. I know I will probably be completely wrong with 75-80 percent of these picks, but who cares it's fun.
Pacific:
Suns--I think Grant Hill is a really good addition if he can stay healthy. Nash is still arguably the most important player to his team, and one of the most fun to watch.
Golden State
Sacramento--Because Reggie Theus on the sideline is pretty funny every time I see it.
Midwest:
Nugs--They win the division because I think they have a chip on their shoulder this year and aside from the Jazz this division is nothing special.
Jazz
Southwest:
Spurs
Houston
New Orleans
Central:
Bulls-- Seem to get better and more experienced every year.
Pistons--Seems that fewer people are talking about them with the everyone's thoughts centered on Boston right now.
Southeast:
Heat-- Is it me or is nobody talking about the Heat? Is it the collective health and age of Wade and Shaq? Is it the fact that everytime you look up P Riles is making moves that leave you scratching your head. I will still take D Wade and the Diesel more times than not.
Washington
Orlando-- Dwight Howard is sick.
Atlantic:
Nets-- The Celts are the easy pick here but I think JKidd has maybe one more good run.
Celtics
Raptors
Playoffs:
West-- Spurs over Suns in the Western Conference Finals
East-- Bulls over Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals
Finals--Spurs over Bulls---As much as I don't want to see it I think it is almost a given unless the Spurs all of a sudden realize they are too old or not motivated.
Random Thoughts--I think Melo has to be the favorite for MVP like Will said, because he somehow gets better every year. I also don't see any other guys having true MVP seasons this year. Nash would be my other pick. I could also see Melo winning the scoring title, which would be amazing with AI as a teammate, but would also be impossible without AI.
Durant is the easy pick for ROY, but I think Al Thornton and Al Horford will be good. I think Thornton is ready to play now, will get good minutes and will have Brand to mentor him. Was it just me or did everyone truly feel bad for Oden when the news came out he was done for the year?
I think the Nugs will win 56 games and will win the division. I also think they will get out of the first round because they will have a better regular season for the first time in the Karl-Melo era which in turn will give them a better first-round matchup.
I also think Melo and AI being together for an entire season will prove to be a big difference.
I don't think the Nugs can beat the best in the west (Mavs, Suns, Spurs) in a 7 game series for a couple of reasons.
1. Every time since Karl became coach I haven't felt good when the Nugs get past Melo, AI, Camby, and a healthy KMart. Linas Kleiza, Diawara, and whatever random guys Karl feels good about that night just don't do it for me. Over the past four years depth has always seems like our biggest weakness. I just don't think you can compete with the best with some of the guys we continue to try and win with.
2. George Karl. I just don't see why everyone loves this guy so much. Has he ever had a team where he did a really good coaching job? Every team he has achieves about to its talent level but never much more. I love George Karl as a person, but I think he is better suited as an analyst.
I hope I'm wrong, but it seems like the same problems never get fixed.
I'm not going to pick the 3-5 spots in each conference because I really don't care where the Bobcats, Hawks, TWolves or Blazers finish in their division. I will just list the division winner and other teams that might have a shot at the playoffs or atleast making a run. I know I will probably be completely wrong with 75-80 percent of these picks, but who cares it's fun.
Pacific:
Suns--I think Grant Hill is a really good addition if he can stay healthy. Nash is still arguably the most important player to his team, and one of the most fun to watch.
Golden State
Sacramento--Because Reggie Theus on the sideline is pretty funny every time I see it.
Midwest:
Nugs--They win the division because I think they have a chip on their shoulder this year and aside from the Jazz this division is nothing special.
Jazz
Southwest:
Spurs
Houston
New Orleans
Central:
Bulls-- Seem to get better and more experienced every year.
Pistons--Seems that fewer people are talking about them with the everyone's thoughts centered on Boston right now.
Southeast:
Heat-- Is it me or is nobody talking about the Heat? Is it the collective health and age of Wade and Shaq? Is it the fact that everytime you look up P Riles is making moves that leave you scratching your head. I will still take D Wade and the Diesel more times than not.
Washington
Orlando-- Dwight Howard is sick.
Atlantic:
Nets-- The Celts are the easy pick here but I think JKidd has maybe one more good run.
Celtics
Raptors
Playoffs:
West-- Spurs over Suns in the Western Conference Finals
East-- Bulls over Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals
Finals--Spurs over Bulls---As much as I don't want to see it I think it is almost a given unless the Spurs all of a sudden realize they are too old or not motivated.
Random Thoughts--I think Melo has to be the favorite for MVP like Will said, because he somehow gets better every year. I also don't see any other guys having true MVP seasons this year. Nash would be my other pick. I could also see Melo winning the scoring title, which would be amazing with AI as a teammate, but would also be impossible without AI.
Durant is the easy pick for ROY, but I think Al Thornton and Al Horford will be good. I think Thornton is ready to play now, will get good minutes and will have Brand to mentor him. Was it just me or did everyone truly feel bad for Oden when the news came out he was done for the year?
I think the Nugs will win 56 games and will win the division. I also think they will get out of the first round because they will have a better regular season for the first time in the Karl-Melo era which in turn will give them a better first-round matchup.
I also think Melo and AI being together for an entire season will prove to be a big difference.
I don't think the Nugs can beat the best in the west (Mavs, Suns, Spurs) in a 7 game series for a couple of reasons.
1. Every time since Karl became coach I haven't felt good when the Nugs get past Melo, AI, Camby, and a healthy KMart. Linas Kleiza, Diawara, and whatever random guys Karl feels good about that night just don't do it for me. Over the past four years depth has always seems like our biggest weakness. I just don't think you can compete with the best with some of the guys we continue to try and win with.
2. George Karl. I just don't see why everyone loves this guy so much. Has he ever had a team where he did a really good coaching job? Every team he has achieves about to its talent level but never much more. I love George Karl as a person, but I think he is better suited as an analyst.
I hope I'm wrong, but it seems like the same problems never get fixed.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Get On Before It Leaves
Watching the Rockies make their historic run into the playoffs over the past few weeks has (among other things) made me think about the nature of sports fans in Colorado and around the country.
When I was home during the weekend of September 13th the Rockies were in town and were something like six or seven games back in the west and four or five out of the wild card. The Marlins were in town and the Rox had just come off of a huge road trip in Philadelphia, winning two of four from the Phils who were also in the playoff hunt. The thing about watching the Rockies games from a distance since late July was that there have no fans in at the games. Coors has been close to empty all season.
Despite a huge sports weekend in Denver the weekend I was home (nationally televised CU vs. FSU football game on Saturday night and Broncos' home opener) the Rockies couldn't come close to a sellout or even attract extra fans who were in town for other events. The Rockies had lost three in a row at one point that weekend, and their playoff hopes were slim at best. Denver's collective sporting thoughts and attention had already turned to Mike Shanahan's late timeout and win against the Raiders.
Note just for the record: I didn't make it to a game while I was home that weekend, but I did make it to four regular season games this spring/summer, even thought I was out the state and country for more than half of the season.
Fast forward a few weeks and the Rox had won 11 games in a row. All of a sudden a seat at Coors Field was harder to come across than one at Wrigley Field of Fenway. All of a sudden the high-and-mighty Broncos who are normally THE story during late September in Colorado had taken a back seat for their important early season matchup against the Colts. The Rox were the story in Denver for their homestand against the Diamondbacks. The Rockies now had a
legitimate shot to get into the playoffs. I wasn't even in the state and I could tell that the Rockies took center stage on a weekend that CU pulled off an unbelievable upset and the struggling Broncos were lucky to be 2-2. Reading stories on the Rocky Mtn News web site and the Camera site the Rockies feel-good story was on the tip of everyone's tongue.
Were those season-ending games against the Diamondbacks any more important than the four home games just over a week earlier against the Dodgers? The bleachers and seats at Coors were desolate during that stand that featured a couple of the best games of the season. Were they more important than those Marlins games? How about games in April or May? How about games in mid-May when the Rox won seven straight? I was in Europe for that stretch, but remember coming home to the same mediocre attendance that I've come to expect for the past decade.
From memory, the only games the Rockies sold out all year before the DBacks games were: opening day, the three-game set against the Yankees and probably the games during the 4th-of-July series against the Mets. Even after the Rocks lost the opener of the Dbacks series on Friday, putting their backs against the wall, the crowd seemed half-assed on Saturday night.
So were the fans justified in only showing up for the last weekend of the season? After all the Rockies' record over the past 10 seasons hasn't been all that impressive. Quite simply the fans haven't had much to cheer about.
But throughout THIS entire season, while the Rockies have been in the race for the Wild Card the stands have been empty night in and night out. But on the last weekend of the season their the fans were, some holding "we believe" signs, others holding similar signs. Doesn't that contradict the general fans' attitude all season? If you believed why weren't you in the stands cheering in May, or when the club really needed a shot of life in August and early September? It just doesn't make sense to me, but you could see it coming over the past few weeks.
From opening day the support was there this year, more so that it has been in past years. But it was as if people needed something unfathomable, historic, and impossible just to get them out of there homes and back to the seats at Coors. Well the impossible pretty much happened and I think a ticket at Coors might be more difficult to come by next season.
I've seen similar band wagon "hook ups" happen with every sports team in Denver over the past 10-15 years.
Fans whole-heartedly jumped on the Nuggets train after the franchise drafted Carmelo Anthony in 2003, but were noticeably absent in the horrendous years leading up the current turnaround.
Average fans, including myself, jump on the Avalanche wagon when late April and playoff time comes around each year (I've tried to abandon this practice over recent years, but hockey has been tough for me to follow during the regular season). The Avs fans used to sellout pretty much every night, but the increase in "average" fans during the playoffs is incredible.
Finally, the Broncos fanbase is maybe second-to-none in professional sports when it comes to passion and support. But from my experiences during the past 10-15 Broncos seasons there always seem to be a clear surge in fans and support coming out of the woodwork when the Broncos are doing well.
I don't think Colorado is alone in these trends but I heard a comment the other day at FOX along the lines of "Why are fans in Colorado never viewed as fair-weathered?" It wasn't directed at me but when a co-worker asked what I thought it made me want to hash it out in writing.
Most of the people I watch sports with wouldn't fit into this category, (except for the mass increase in Nugs fans after '03) but the majority of the sports fans in Denver I would call fairweather fans.
I obviously don't live in, or claim to know fully about other cities and how fans treat sports teams across the country. But from my observation, cities like Chicago, New York, Boston, the Bay Area and yes even Philadelphia seem to consistently sellout games no matter how good or bad their teams are doing. I've been to regular season and a few playoff games in NY, the Bay and Philly and know how passionate these fans are. I would assume that the fan base in all of these areas swells during good seasons, runs and championships, and I know Denver is not alone. I don't know that the mentioned cities swell up and down, back and forth, as much as it does from year to year, season to season in Denver.
So as I watch the Rox continue their run I question the sincerity of the majority of the fans who will give the team support. Are they there because they want to see the team do well? Because they truly enjoy the sport, the players, or the experience of an MLB game? Or is it the talk of the town, the popular place to be, the top story on the news and at the watercooler? For sports teams and fans in Denver, I've unfortunately come to think it is more the latter than the former.
When I was home during the weekend of September 13th the Rockies were in town and were something like six or seven games back in the west and four or five out of the wild card. The Marlins were in town and the Rox had just come off of a huge road trip in Philadelphia, winning two of four from the Phils who were also in the playoff hunt. The thing about watching the Rockies games from a distance since late July was that there have no fans in at the games. Coors has been close to empty all season.
Despite a huge sports weekend in Denver the weekend I was home (nationally televised CU vs. FSU football game on Saturday night and Broncos' home opener) the Rockies couldn't come close to a sellout or even attract extra fans who were in town for other events. The Rockies had lost three in a row at one point that weekend, and their playoff hopes were slim at best. Denver's collective sporting thoughts and attention had already turned to Mike Shanahan's late timeout and win against the Raiders.
Note just for the record: I didn't make it to a game while I was home that weekend, but I did make it to four regular season games this spring/summer, even thought I was out the state and country for more than half of the season.
Fast forward a few weeks and the Rox had won 11 games in a row. All of a sudden a seat at Coors Field was harder to come across than one at Wrigley Field of Fenway. All of a sudden the high-and-mighty Broncos who are normally THE story during late September in Colorado had taken a back seat for their important early season matchup against the Colts. The Rox were the story in Denver for their homestand against the Diamondbacks. The Rockies now had a
legitimate shot to get into the playoffs. I wasn't even in the state and I could tell that the Rockies took center stage on a weekend that CU pulled off an unbelievable upset and the struggling Broncos were lucky to be 2-2. Reading stories on the Rocky Mtn News web site and the Camera site the Rockies feel-good story was on the tip of everyone's tongue.
Were those season-ending games against the Diamondbacks any more important than the four home games just over a week earlier against the Dodgers? The bleachers and seats at Coors were desolate during that stand that featured a couple of the best games of the season. Were they more important than those Marlins games? How about games in April or May? How about games in mid-May when the Rox won seven straight? I was in Europe for that stretch, but remember coming home to the same mediocre attendance that I've come to expect for the past decade.
From memory, the only games the Rockies sold out all year before the DBacks games were: opening day, the three-game set against the Yankees and probably the games during the 4th-of-July series against the Mets. Even after the Rocks lost the opener of the Dbacks series on Friday, putting their backs against the wall, the crowd seemed half-assed on Saturday night.
So were the fans justified in only showing up for the last weekend of the season? After all the Rockies' record over the past 10 seasons hasn't been all that impressive. Quite simply the fans haven't had much to cheer about.
But throughout THIS entire season, while the Rockies have been in the race for the Wild Card the stands have been empty night in and night out. But on the last weekend of the season their the fans were, some holding "we believe" signs, others holding similar signs. Doesn't that contradict the general fans' attitude all season? If you believed why weren't you in the stands cheering in May, or when the club really needed a shot of life in August and early September? It just doesn't make sense to me, but you could see it coming over the past few weeks.
From opening day the support was there this year, more so that it has been in past years. But it was as if people needed something unfathomable, historic, and impossible just to get them out of there homes and back to the seats at Coors. Well the impossible pretty much happened and I think a ticket at Coors might be more difficult to come by next season.
I've seen similar band wagon "hook ups" happen with every sports team in Denver over the past 10-15 years.
Fans whole-heartedly jumped on the Nuggets train after the franchise drafted Carmelo Anthony in 2003, but were noticeably absent in the horrendous years leading up the current turnaround.
Average fans, including myself, jump on the Avalanche wagon when late April and playoff time comes around each year (I've tried to abandon this practice over recent years, but hockey has been tough for me to follow during the regular season). The Avs fans used to sellout pretty much every night, but the increase in "average" fans during the playoffs is incredible.
Finally, the Broncos fanbase is maybe second-to-none in professional sports when it comes to passion and support. But from my experiences during the past 10-15 Broncos seasons there always seem to be a clear surge in fans and support coming out of the woodwork when the Broncos are doing well.
I don't think Colorado is alone in these trends but I heard a comment the other day at FOX along the lines of "Why are fans in Colorado never viewed as fair-weathered?" It wasn't directed at me but when a co-worker asked what I thought it made me want to hash it out in writing.
Most of the people I watch sports with wouldn't fit into this category, (except for the mass increase in Nugs fans after '03) but the majority of the sports fans in Denver I would call fairweather fans.
I obviously don't live in, or claim to know fully about other cities and how fans treat sports teams across the country. But from my observation, cities like Chicago, New York, Boston, the Bay Area and yes even Philadelphia seem to consistently sellout games no matter how good or bad their teams are doing. I've been to regular season and a few playoff games in NY, the Bay and Philly and know how passionate these fans are. I would assume that the fan base in all of these areas swells during good seasons, runs and championships, and I know Denver is not alone. I don't know that the mentioned cities swell up and down, back and forth, as much as it does from year to year, season to season in Denver.
So as I watch the Rox continue their run I question the sincerity of the majority of the fans who will give the team support. Are they there because they want to see the team do well? Because they truly enjoy the sport, the players, or the experience of an MLB game? Or is it the talk of the town, the popular place to be, the top story on the news and at the watercooler? For sports teams and fans in Denver, I've unfortunately come to think it is more the latter than the former.
Initial Thoughts
"If you are a writer, the assimilation of important experiences almost obliges you to write about them. Writing is how you make the experience your own, how you explore what it means to you, how you come to possess it, and ultimately release it."
I've long been an advocate for the benefits of writing thoughts down, but initially I didn't think this wouldn't be something I would like to try. The more blogs and columns I read or come across the more things I want to write down myself. Writing helps me to think through things and come up with conclusions I'm not able to get to in other ways.
I wouldn't actually call this a blog, but rather a place to just sift through some thoughts of randomness. Anything I come across or want to write about I will throw in here.
I came across Will's blog earlier in the summer and also across Derek's blog at some point. Both had some things I found interesting. I like the keep-in-touch factor without the over the top nature of facebook and myspace. If someone is interested they can check it out if not no big deal. I also like the idea of being able to look back and have my thoughts and other's archived.
I don't plan on many people seeing this, but figured if I'm going to spend time writing it I might as well share it. This is also much easier than actually hand-writing things down, which is a discipline all its own.
So...
I've long been an advocate for the benefits of writing thoughts down, but initially I didn't think this wouldn't be something I would like to try. The more blogs and columns I read or come across the more things I want to write down myself. Writing helps me to think through things and come up with conclusions I'm not able to get to in other ways.
I wouldn't actually call this a blog, but rather a place to just sift through some thoughts of randomness. Anything I come across or want to write about I will throw in here.
I came across Will's blog earlier in the summer and also across Derek's blog at some point. Both had some things I found interesting. I like the keep-in-touch factor without the over the top nature of facebook and myspace. If someone is interested they can check it out if not no big deal. I also like the idea of being able to look back and have my thoughts and other's archived.
I don't plan on many people seeing this, but figured if I'm going to spend time writing it I might as well share it. This is also much easier than actually hand-writing things down, which is a discipline all its own.
So...
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