A Speechless Embree

What can you say? What is there to say after your team, your alma mater loses by more than 30 points for the third time in four weeks?

“We have all talked about it, but it’s been all talk and no action,” said head coach Jon Embree after an all-too regular performance by his Buffs in Tempe, Arizona.

Embree has said the right things from the beginning of his tenure in October. Players and staff utter a statement of quality control improvements, but the translation to the field is worse than the instruction manual to a Chinese knock-off mahogany bookshelf. Fans are starting to get restless, and we can only get senses of what’s going on inside the locker room.

 “There are some guys who are just okay with wearing the jersey. That’s wrong and that’s what has to change,” said senior captain Tyler Hansen who showed his true grit and fire coming back after a concussion a week prior.

And that feeling seems to be a mutual one from everyone involved, and is trickling down from the man in charge. “The other ones that just want to be on the team, be around if it goes good and then decide to jump in the water when it’s not going good. We will just have to keep weeding them out,” said Embree.

Embree is realistic, optimistic and he seems to be truly aware of his team.

“You can find a million reasons why you can’t, the goal is to go out there and find the one reason you can and go out there and do it,” said Embree who, even after everything that could have easily torn down a lesser football coach, is still on the straight and narrow.

Embree wants, nay, demands big things of his players. He can articulate all he wants right now, but it will be interesting to see what happens when he gets players that care as much as he does. The coach may be naïve, inexperience and willing to take the criticism if it means success.

An image, or win in the Buffs case, could speak a thousand words but I doubt ‘satisfied’ will be one that Jon Embree uses.

Colorado's newest golf haven

When you unearth some of God’s green Earth on the links (even if fescue is nowhere natural in those back nine regions) you must replace your divot. It’s a reparation for your unruly and, more often than not, off-planed flailing of a golf swing.

But today in Erie, Colorado the University of Colorado golf teams will break this sacred code of the golfing world.

The 15^th and most devastating club in the bag won’t be a Jack Nicklaus 1-iron, but rather a shovel. They will be literally spearheading a new era in for the Buffs in the Pac-12 Conference, which is regarded as the best conference on both the men’s and women’s sides in America.

Today, they will initiate the process of building a 5,700 square foot practice facility located next to the practice range at Colorado National Golf Club. (Article on cubuffs.com) It will incorporate a 2,000 square foot short game room, several hitting bays and a state-of-the-art video system that will allow the Buffs to fine tune their skills all year round.

The George Boedecker, Jr. Golf Practice Facility is just another advancement that Colorado is doing to help their athletes prepare to perform at the highest level. The University continuing is solidifying numerous areas, not only in golf, that have lacked the necessary updates and renovations.

Colorado is making a genuine effort to bring the athletic department as a whole to the level and prestige it rightly deserves.

The women’s golf team, who is ranked within the top-25, and the men’s team, who unofficially won two tournaments in the fall season, will greatly benefit from this new addition. This building will just scratch the surface on the promising things to come for many Buff golfers in the Pac-12.

Go for it

This is the last time I ever say ‘NO’ to a sporting event. Ever.

You always remember the feeling when something really amazing happens. (Not so coincidentally mine involve sports.)  And for me I can go back in my mind on many sporting events that I will never forget about. The 63-36 shellacking of the #2 ranked Cornhuskers on a cold Boulder day, Game 3 of the NLC where the Rockies won leaving them one game from their first World Series birth or the double-OT thriller in the West Regional of March Madness; I remember them all.

And that brings me to my main point.

Within the last six months I have missed out on two of the most dramatic events I could possibly ever experience.

Over this summer I was offered a ticket the Indianapolis 500, the ‘Grand-daddy of them All’. All I had to do was find a way to get to the not-so rural town in the middle of Indiana and I would be in the in-field watching the historic race. Then this happened, “Indy Turmoil”.

I definitely missed out, and you’d think I learned my lesson.

Then this weekend my gracious uncle, whom is so dear to my heart, wagered, with the possibility of me being able to go to Game 4 of the World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers. I declined, and wouldn’t you know it history happened.

Derek Holland goes out and throws one of the best outings by a pitcher in a World Series game ever. He is only behind Don Larsen’s perfect game and Jack Morris’ game-7 shutout, not bad company; more than an honorable second runner-up.

It might be coincidence, you think? Yes, possibly. And next time if, and when, I get the opportunity am I going? Oh, yes!

Colorado is no match of #9 Oregon

The Colorado Buffaloes were outmatched, outplayed and out-schemed as they took on the number-9 team in the nation yesterday. The Ducks looked the part of the defending runner-up to the National Champion; they came out and didn’t disappoint.

“That is just how far we have to go,” said CU head coach Jon Embree, “I don’t think when you look out there you see a lack of effort or a lack of hustle or guys trying. We are just not at that level yet.”

The Ducks led by 29 points after the first quarter of play and let off the gas as much as they could. The much underappreciated Ducks defense barely allowed the Buff to cross into Oregon territory. The only points the Buffs could salvage was a safety on an uncharacteristic play by the OU lightning fast return man Cliff Harris. Oregon finished the game with a kneel down from the Colorado 22 yard line and a 45-2 victory.

“Disappointed about what happened to us, but hats off to Oregon,” said Embree in compliment of his opposing number and one of the best coaches in college football, Chip Kelly.

Oregon was classy and refined. They were the most talented, fastest and most well-coached team that the Buffs will see all year.  Colorado had no answers for the Ducks, who were even playing without their starting quarterback, Darren Thomas, and running back, LaMichael James.

The Buffs move to 1-6 and, realistically, no hope on the horizon.

“It is hard. I’m smiling because you have to smile to keep from crying,” Embree said. He is a true Buff believer, and he saw one of the lowest points in Colorado football history first hand in the early 1980’s. But he also saw the resurgence and the changing of a mentality in Boulder.

Now, Embree is in the forefront of the 21^st-century version of this same change. With 15 or 16 freshman getting substantial playing time and his first true recruiting class Embree will have his chance to make it happen.

“It is like what I have been telling them [younger players], ‘It is not where we are, it is where we are going to be,’ and that is what they have to stay focused on,” Embree said, emphasizing on looking toward the future of the program.

Tebow tops the Billboard Charts

A bye week isn’t the worst thing that can happen to Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos.

He’s a rockstar. He’s an instant classic.

The Broncos need help in a plethora of positions. They couldn’t stop a sludge mud-slide. The offense is as crisp as a waterlogged graham cracker. But the orange smush fans are continually convinced that Tebow will solve all the debacles.  

And what’s worse is that Broncos fans think they actually initiated it.

A billboard, the constant ‘We want Tebow’ chants and an overabundance of #15 jerseys scattered across the Denver-metro area on any given Sunday had no influence on John Fox’s decision to change quarterback. They were as empty as a single caloried boba.

Tebow jumped up in the depth charts. His groupees follow him religiously, but hey, so is he. We all sing his praises.

Tebow is #1 on the billboards, the popularity charts and the depth chart; but that billed-board had nothing to do with it.

Tebow Time in Denver

I eat tacos and you’ll catch me rolling my ‘r’s.

How, in your right mind, can you not be captivated by Tim Tebow? He has done more than anyone could ask. He is the one athlete that hype could not contain. He broke the rules, in the most benevolent and true way Tebow could.

The Denver Broncos are Timmy’s team.

Tebow can’t dice up a defense the way any normal quarterback would, but Tebow isn’t normal. He has this knack to find a way to will his team to victory. And don’t think for one second that Tebow coming into the game at half and the defense only allowing two field goals after intermission is a coincidence.

In the end, the Tebow and the Broncos just didn’t have enough time to make their comeback. They fell to San Diego by five, 29-24, but it felt like a win to many of the people that were in attendance.

Many orange-blooded fans were hot about not have him playing already this season. And they are finally getting what they want; todos Tim Tebow.

He may not be the solution to the Broncos problems. He may not win a Super Bowl. But this is his chance to shine. People believe in him, his teammates are already behind him, and he’s as ready as he’ll ever be. Right now.

It’s not Tuesday yet (John Fox is rumored to announce the takeover of #15 as the starting quarterback as soon as tomorrow), but it’s most definitely Tebow Time.

Baseball night in America; Overblown

Do you remember what a week ago was?

No, it wasn’t your birthday, and thus deserving of an ice-cream cake. It wasn’t the anniversary of the Spaghetti House Siege. (Well, it actually was, but that is completely beside the point.)

September 28, 2011 it was proclaimed the, “Greatest. Night. Of. Baseball. Ever.” by radio and television personality Jim Rome, and then Forbes Magazine wagered this article’s title, “Best Night of Baseball Ever: You Can Bet on It”.

It was not that. And a whole week later we could care less who made it into the postseason. All that matters now is who is going to take the last bathe of bubbly.

The night was extremely special to baseball fans, or disappointing to others, and it was sure entertaining. But the word historic is not a proper adjective.

The Red Sox went 7-20 in the month of September to lose a large lead in the AL Wild Card. The team they lost to in game #162, the Baltimore Orioles went 7-20 in July.

Then the Rays came back from 7 runs down to beat New York and put them in the playoffs. Tampa Bay came back from 8 runs down in a game in 2009. (Excluding the NL here.)

Nothing-extraordinary there.

A dismal Wednesday was highlighted by a dramatic comeback, both in the standings and on Tropicana Field. It took 162 games to define the 8 team, two-league playoff. In the matter of 3 hours we were a witness to captivation baseball and  fates that were written in front of our eyes. The night was fun, it was exciting, but IT. WAS. NOT the best night OF. ALL. TIME.

[Don’t baseball players live for October too?]

Buffs ill-timing proves costly in loss to WSU

Jon Embree doesn’t understand losing.

“I hate losing and I’m competitive and I expect these guys to win every time we go out there,” said the former Buff tight end and now head coach.

The way Colorado let a 10-point lead slip out of their grasp in the final minutes of play is beyond him.

Embree came into Boulder knowing that taking over one of the worst stretches in CU football history was going to be tough. But I don’t know if he thought it was going to be this hard.

“When are they going to get tired of losing?” said Embree who has not strayed away from the Buffs ineptitude to close out a ballgame, “When are they going to get tired of finding a way to lose because you know what, this staff, we’ve been here for five weeks and I’m tired of it.”

But it’s the way the Buffs lost this game, which also happened to be their very first in the Pac-12 that can make any black and gold fan need some high-quality antacid.

The Cougars blocked a Will Oliver field goal attempt early in the first half, which ended up being the winning margin for WSU. Throughout the game the Buffs were able to play Embree’s ‘physical’ game. CU’s offensive line found a rhythm and pushed Rodney ‘Speedy’ Stewart easily 100-yards on the ground.  Then, like looking in a mirror of years past, the Buffs proceeded to squander a 10-point lead with just over five minutes to play in the fourth quarter.

“‘When is it going to be enough? When is enough, enough?” said Embree as his almost lost gaze turned into something more along the lines of disgust, “You put in all of this work, you do all of this stuff that you have done from spring ball to training camp for this? This is what we did the work for? So when is it enough?”

This mentality change is slowly working its way around the Colorado locker room, but there is one man ready to make it a full-on epidemic.

“It starts with Jon Embree, no one else.”