Grays Peak: Trail Mix

Climbing a mountain can be a metaphorical and even a euphoric experience to lots of people. Reaching the top, surmounting the treacherous peak and “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves” is what summiting is all about.

That thought doesn’t cross your mind when your lungs can’t find air and legs get heavy.

Hiking the “easy” mountain was far from that description. We climbed some 3.5 miles up over 3,000 feet directed by piles of rocks to the top of an even larger pile of rocks.  The acme gave us miles of views surrounded by snowcapped mounts, the bluest blue skies and the friendliest PB & J a man could ever want.  

There’s a certain kind of camaraderie amongst people at 14,000 feet. Playing leap frog with a little lady with in a matching North Face jacket and hat seems like the only thing that keeps you moving. 

Upward and onward we moved. And the snow that starts falling in mid-August is what really motivates you. 

Trees are too afraid to come up this high. Clouds scrape themselves on the peaks like a 3^rd grader riding his speed demon without training wheels. The journey to14,278 feet was conquered without peanuts, M&M’s or raisins but a whole lot of ‘Trail Mix’ of emotions.

Rockies arguments 101: 'Their Due'

Baseball is a numbers game; baseball nerds can rattle off a player’s WHIP, ISOS, ERA, OWAR, BAbip or RC27 and then forget that same player’s name.

And the true beauty behind the game is that no matter what haphazard digit you look at there is an argument that arises indefinitely. A simple numerical value can split sides, tear families apart and divide a nation of fans and pundits alike.

And at the last two Rockies game we have seen the ‘Their Due’ argument in full force.

On Thursday night Colorado took on Ricky Nolasco and the Florida Marlins. Coming into the game Nolasco was a superfluous 5-0 against these Purple counterparts. He got touched up early and often, giving up 11 earned runs in just three innings of work and taking his first lose to the Rockies.

Then last night the Los Angeles Dodgers came to town with Hiroki Kuroda on the mound. Kuroda being the anti-Nolasco against the Rockies was a disheartening 0-5. He pitched 6 innings of 4 hit baseball and got some extra run support. Kuroda went on to take the victory; his first against Colorado.

Both pitchers were due for a change of luck against the Rockies, and both got what they had coming, Soprano style.

The sport is a never ending game of tiffs. People try to figure out the code if the streak is going to continue moving in the same direction or instantly change. Agree to disagree on all fronts.

Baseball statistics and determining what is going to happen on the next pitch, next at-bat or next matchup is like a game of Bop-It. No matter how you twist-it, pull-it or spin-it you have a good chance to win if you argue-it.

Tyler Hansen or bust

There is no doubt in everyone’s mind surrounding the Buffs program that senior Tyler Hansen is the man at the helm. The competition of attrition in years past is long gone, he was an obvious pick as a captain and #9 is the biggest BMOC (Big Man on Campus) in Boulder.

Fans, students, even Hansen knows that Colorado will go as he goes.

Let’s take out the time capsule; haven’t we all been saying that the last three years.

Dan Hawkins bleached his red shirt several times without warning or just cause. He suffered an injury that you couldn’t make up, a ruptured spleen, and is extremely tough to come back from. And with one year left, add a new program and new system to learn to the mix, as a Buff it’s his, and only his, time.

Hell or high water Hansen will be under center. It doesn’t matter if the Buffs go 13-0 or 0-13 this is his creation. Heisman hopeful or hippie hugger Hansen better be ready.

Stevie Dorman, Brent Burnette, and John Schrock are trying to win Rip Scherer’s crew of askew juggs machines. Nick Hirschman, in a medical precautionary boot, has a better chance of running the first team offense than any one of the trio.

Tyler Hansen is the Buffs quarterback and leader; we’re all in with Hansen.

Eric Bieniemy's Booth Box

Eric Bieniemy looked like the awkward cherry atop the lopsided sundae at the Buffs scrimmage Saturday.

And, boy, he was close to toppling the high-rise appartatus.

During games Bieniemy will be up in the booth calling the plays. In his coaching career he has alwasy been a sideline guy but he got his first taste of the eagle-eye view at the scrimmage. He was a little kid violently shaking a Snow-Globe from his lofty perch.

(And don't think the BuffVision camera guy joining Bieniemy in the crows-nest was enjoying the quaking ride over 40 feet about ground.)

Jon Embree appointed his former Buff teammate as the offensive coordinator to change a mentality in the Colorado program. His intense nature will only supplement the direction Embree wishes to see CU headed. Bieniemy, and Embree have said countless times they are going to be more ‘physical’.

But that was not the case in Saturday’s scrimmage at the lower practice fields in Boulder. What several hundred Buff faithful saw that day was not what ‘Garcia’ the Beanie Babies bear would call “physical” play.

Bieniemy will be in the booth for the first couple games. He’s not going to stay there.

Like a Mentos and Diet Coke experiment gone bad, Bieniemy isn’t going to be contained in that little box screaming into a, soon to be, batter and bruised headset.

He will be on the field before long. It’s going to happen.

Sunday Bloody Rockies Sunday

The 6-2 loss to the Cardinals, which happened to be broadcast on ESPN for the entire world to see, made it 17 straight losses on Sunday for the Rockies.

All the other days of the week you would just think it’s an unlucky coincidence. But on the ‘Day of Rest’ there must be something much more to it; something divine is occurring that we, humans, cannot explain.

Yesterday Jim Tracy and the Rockies must have re-unintentionally prodded the higher deity. In batting practice Colorado’s 3rd base coach Richie Dauer took a ball to the nose, on an errant throw nonetheless. He was bloodied up and taken to the hospital before the game even started. Dauer later returned, with a couple black eyes and a broken nose to see the Rockies lose.

But this is bigger than Richie.

The Rockies are not destined to win on Sunday; they just aren’t supposed to win on the first day of the week. There is Black Sunday, Selection Sunday, Cold Sunday, Super Bowl Sunday, Sunday Fun-day, ‘Gloomy Sunday’, and now there is “The Seventeenth Sunday”.

Colorado has two more chances to beat the streak before the end of the year; both come against the Los Angeles Dodgers later this month. Both are viable options for the Sunday skid to stop.

The Rockies can’t win on Sunday; maybe someone up there thinks its football season in Denver already by mistake.

PGA Tough-Guy

Like a Miss Congeniality sash in the UFC or a 'Most Popular' award at Comic-Con there is no such thing as a 'toughness' award out on the golf course. This even includes the four major championships. 

 

When Rory McIlroy took on a Georgia oak tree's root with a 7-iron you knew it wasn't going to turn out well for the Northern Irishman. (Don't ask how I'm so well versed in the golfer-foliage relationship, I just am.) This was only his 3rd hole in the opening round of the PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club, and he finished the 69 remaining holes in gallant fashion.

But that's beside the point. "It was a mistake in judgement," the 22 year old said.

It was a mistake to attempt to hit the shot, and it was an even bigger mistake to try to complete the tournament.

There’s a difference between playing through a sprained ankle in the final game of the NCAA Tournament (Maurice Cleaves); there’s a difference between going for it on fourth and short in the 4^th quarter of a seemingly meaningless NFL game to send a message to your team than what Rory did on Thursday, and then into the weekend.

A DNF would be embarrassing in the kindergarten obstacle course, or a game of Scrabble with your younger sister but not after a severe injury at the PGA Championship. Nobody would be disappointed if you err on the side of caution.

McIlroy has too much going for him to be grounded by a root.

Second String is Best For Tim Tebow

To some, the orange jersey Tim Tebow dons is awfully reminiscent of a jailbird. He’s stuck behind steel bars and a sole bearded man. His fans, ‘The Tebots’, thinks the starter in front of him is the 8th Deadly Sin; he’s undeniably and infinitively in the way of one man’s destiny.

 
But this could be the best thing that happened to Tebow, and his chorus of followers.

In two weeks of camp he looks shaky, at best, in throwing drills. He appears wary in 7-on-7. And in simulated game situations he’s Mr. Magoo.

Tebow lives for games. When the lights turn on, in the heat of the moment, he turns into a different person. A man willing his team in every aspect he can control

John Fox told the media earlier this week that the starters will play the first 12-15 snaps against the Cowboy. They’ll put on their NFL stipulated hats quicker than a bald man at the beach. Tebow won’t have time to finish his clipboard word search (“Ugh, I can’t find Tarkenton”), and he’ll be in the game before the end of the opening quarter.

An NFL game averages 130 snaps for both teams; that means 60-70 plays apiece. So the starter, Kyle Orton, is only going to play the first few and John Fox has probably seen enough of inept quarterbacks all of last year in Carolina so Brady Quinn won’t get many throws.

So it’s Tim Tebow’s time to shine. He’s going to play the majority of the game, and the more he’s on the field the better he is going to get.

It may not be the door he was originally hoping for in 2011, but it IS a door and it’s definitely AJAR.

Colorado Buffaloes Football Good 'Concerns'

Jon Embree doesn’t feel worried.

 He’s not feeling the heat of the first days of August practice. He’s not fretting taking over the Colorado Buffaloes after a tumultuous firing and season a year prior. He’s not bothered by joining what could be the toughest conference in America and thus 13 straight weeks of downright dogfights.  

The sweat on his brow is from none of these things; it’s from the lack of air conditioning due to a weak swamp cooler in the Dal Ward Athletic Center. (The upwards of 50 media members jam packed into a little press conference room probably didn’t help either.)

But that lack of concern is concerning.

With less than a month until his first game, and only 4 full days of practice as the head coach under his belt he shouldn’t be as snug as a bug. ‘This isn’t his first rodeo,’ but technically it is. He thinks that this job is just football, and its easy pickings.

As a fan, as a sportswriter, as a person who has seen this program struggle the last three years for numerous reasons this is not the kind of attitude I want to see. Strife, turmoil, upheaval should be the environment at CU; instead it’s nonchalant, harmonious, and relaxation.

The Buffs were the best when students were burning couches, throwing marshmallows and, most importantly, when the football team was unmercifully demolishing their opposition.

Be concerned, or get worried.

Boulder Creek Tubing; Not for the Weak

I'm not head over heels for the extreme sport of white water tubing; it was more of that in reverse. I was heels over head.

Boulder creek is possibly the highest, and fastest it's been in a long time. Up until a few weeks ago the creek turned rushed faucet of raging fury was closed to the public and it's faithful and unrelenting rubber, and once retired, torus'.

It's a perfect setting for a bank-side afternoon picnic. A troll would make a healthy living guarding a bridge for people to saunter across. And it's a great test for those willing to take on it's white water jaws.

This was, by no means, a 'lazy' river.

Were we overzealous? Maybe. Even cocky? To a point.

The creek stole my pride, ate my lunch and dared me to tell my mother what had just happened. It was cold, not cold hearted though, because you could tell it enjoyed the misery it was putting us through. It was rough, egging us to take on the next fall and swiftly removing that decision and dutifully turning it into an inevitable 'Here we go again' feeling.

I endured the struggle to stay causally abreast of my flotation device, which rarely, if at all, happened. I withstood the beating of undisturbed and, most of the time, ill place rocks on the bottom of the creek floor. And I couldn't help but have fun.

Boulder creek takes no prisoners; it's the thrill of the fight that keeps rushing the once innocent and untouched adrenaline-junkies back for more.

But in the end I left smiling and as I walk away the noise that is rushing water moving unscathed downhill doesn't seem so comforting. The once soothing resonance of the creek sounds more like, of all things, laughter.

Milwaukee Brewers; No Time For Sour Grapes

As August gets underway the darrrrrlings of the big leagues are the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are 54-54, which doesn’t seem all that good to most. But when you have 18 straight losing seasons and are .500 this late in the year it’s like winning the Indy 500 blindfolded on your step-moms Mo-Ped.

But the real team, the real team you should be paying attention to out of the NL Central aren’t the Bucos. The real team that is concocting, stirring and distilling a chance to go deep into October is the Brew Crew.

The Milwaukee Brewers are the real deal.

Ryan Braun is a fan favorite; he led the NL in All-Star votes…. The lean vegetarian Prince Fielder is hitting home runs into Canada… they signed Francisco ‘Blackjack’ Rodriguez… John Axford would look better with a leather vest than mit …. And Bob Uecker’s crazy antics in the booth.

The Brewers are playing good baseball. But they don’t necessarily have enough pitching to take on some other rotations when it matters most. Their roster is not stacked the way a Jimmy Kimmel prank is loaded. Their fan base isn’t so drastically hungry for a title it makes their Wisconsin cows dry.

And yet, this has all the makings for a perfect ‘Milwaukee’ story book ending. It’s just so crazy it could work.

NBAing Abroad

Every single person that I’ve known to go abroad to some European hillside bourgeoisie town wants to make their gallant return back as soon as possible. Their experiences were so undeniably unbelievable that dreaming about their time there only startles them awake at night.

NBA players aren’t this way.

Many of them want to sign these huge, million dollar European contract to go play while the American league is in lockout. They want to continue to earn money, and play basketball.

Brandon Jennings was so happy to come back to the NBA after a year overseas that his hair started growing straight up. Manute Bol came to America and actually shrank a whole inch, because he was going to play in the league. And James Naismith originally wanted to pronounce his game “basketball” [bas-kit-by-YA) like his European counterparts. (ALL are jokes.)

Once the NBA lockout ends (if that be in 2011 or 2012, the latter is more likely) the east coast airports are going to look like a mix ‘Coming to America’ and ‘Snakes on a Plane’.

There will be euphoria by the NBA players.

The talent overseas is widely overrated. The money abroad teams are rumored offering an American superstar is illogical. The European franchises checkbooks may have more hopz than the athletes themselves; expect a bounced check or two.

NBA players will venture across the Atlantic looking for games. But when, and if, the NBA lockout is lifted these players will be hurrying back home.  

Jon Embree's Staff will lead to Buffs Success

Any successful leader, any Superhero, any delicious Thanksgiving turkey is nothing without other essential parts.

And Jon Embree knows that.

He has surrounded himself with an ultimate assortment of talent and experience. He made a cliché buffet of assistant coaches that know college football and even more importantly PAC-12 football.

Greg Brown is the mad scientist; the defensive coordinator. He spent 15 years in the NFL. He’s coached the likes of the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers, along with several stints in Boulder in between.

Mike Tuiasosopo and Kanavis McGhee, also front the defense, are no-nonsense coaches that know how to get the most out of their players.

Eric Bieniemy is the wrecking ball that attended at CU; the offensive coordinator. He spent his last few years coaching ‘All-Day’. He coached Adrian Peterson with the Minnesota Viking, and knows the crucial nature of the running game on offense.

Rip Scherer and J.D. Brookhart lead the offensive charge. They are proven, and know what it takes to be successful at the highest level.

What do all these guys have in common? They are Buffs through and through, they know what it takes to reach the next level, their resumes are stacked with great experience, and they all have that winning-itch.

Embree may be inexperienced, he will be nervous this year; he may not even be the man for the job. But the one thing he’s already mastered is collaboration; “surround yourself with successful people then you will have no choice but to be successful.”

Ubaldo Jimenez is on the move to Cleveland

Great Rockies pitchers are as rare as a Wyoming vegan. They are found as often as a buried bone in the backyard.

Colorado ace Ubaldo Jimenez was traded to the Cleveland Indians for 4 prospects. He completed the first inning of his last start against San Diego then got whisked off to Cleveland off like the Homecoming Queen.

Jimenez is an Indian and Rockies fans should not be mad.

Colorado fans fell in love with the Dominican flame-thrower when he tore apart the majors for 15 wins before the All-Star game a year ago. They got attached to Jimenez after he threw the franchise’s first ever no-no. And now Rockies fans are as lost as that dog sniffing the ground for hours, and are never going to find the bone.

Ubaldo will be better off, and Rockies fans should be looking forward to the future with the bright young prospects joining the Rockies farm system.

There is no necessarily right or wrong in the trade. The Rockies management looked to the future when the season seemed out of reach. They found the right deal for the team, they made the trade even amid public strife and now they are sitting pretty if the prospects become something good.

Ubaldo won an Emmy in Colorado, he rounded into and out of form in 2010 showcasing his potential, and now he’s in Cleveland.

Good, now let’s move on.