Klatt seems to be enjoying The Rise a lot

[Leon Sandcastle]

I will never forgive Klatt and Coach Mac for the Embree incident. They put their own personal agendas above the good of the program. Plus Klatt was a total douche when he was here on local radio. And this is coming from a guy who attended CU during the Klatt years and was definitely a fan.

Get over it. You do understand that they had a problem with Bohn, right. Maybe their reaction WAS for the good of the program, no?

 

[JWP303]

I love that people talk about wanting to be a big time program, and then do small time **** like wanting to excommunicate anyone who dared to speak up about how they felt during a really bad time. Coaching changes are messy. Failure is messy.

Klatt and McCartney are Buffs. For life. As such, they are passionate about the program, but even more so about their fellow Buffs.

Given how things are shaking out for the Buffs now, it is pretty hard to argue that Klatt and McCartney "set the program back years".

Small time would be getting mad because he critiqued a coaching decision or something. He led a group of alumni in a national PR campaign AGAINST the program because of his allegiance to Embree. I am open to the idea that it's time to move on - but let's not pretend like it was just a minor disagreement and no big deal. He and Coach Mac deliberately hurt the reputation of this school.

Let's just all agree that the Embree era, for reasons in his control and well out of it, was the worst situation possible for him, the team, and the fan base. It sucked, and it was made all the worse by the way the alumni, both former players and non-players, turned on each other.

But, it's in the past, the Rise is real, and all should be forgotten and forgiven. Yeah, Klatt still can come off as a bit of an arrogant d-bag sometimes, but he was a hell of a tough SOB as a QB here, he bleeds black and gold, and he is representing us well nationally now.

Plus, his story is pretty inspiring, too. I have to admit that's what finally turned me around on him. My brother is an alcoholic, so I have a soft spot for guys that are living with that struggle daily.

I can appreciate all of this. I think you captured both sides pretty well here.

Lighten up, Francis. Literally nothing about CU football has been "national" for a decade or so. Embree's press conference amounted to a gnat's fart, it wasn't "destructive" in the least. Poll college football fans today and most couldn't tell you who coaches CU now, much less who the prior coach was.

This is straight up revisionist history and you are factually and objectively incorrect. http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...ffaloes-coach-blames-racism-jon-embree-firing

You lived through it?? How long ago do you think this was?

I was just responding this Schekler guy who was telling me that my subjective opinion is wrong. Like - I was there, guy - you don't need to tell me how it went.

Others have said this, but it wasn't that Klatt thought Embree was some awesome coach that deserved 4+ years to turn things around. The biggest issue he had was that Mike Bohn got to fire him AND THEN turn around and hire another coach. He, and many others, felt that Bohn should have been fired and not allowed to choose the next football coach. What AD gets to hire 3 different football coaches over the course of 7 years?

Again, this might be 25% correct, but it's revisionist. If it was only about Bohn picking the next hire, then why the **** did they play the race card? They chose to be loyal to Embree over the university - and if you guys are ready to forgive them I don't begrudge you - I just see things differently.

 

[BuffsNYC]

This is straight up revisionist history and you are factually and objectively incorrect. http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...ffaloes-coach-blames-racism-jon-embree-firing

Wait, so you found a story on the internet and that means Embree's firing was a national sensation. Get over yourself.

 

[JWP303]

Wait, so you found a story on the internet and that means Embree's firing was a national sensation. Get over yourself.

No, I remember it being a national story because, you know, it was, and I was alive to witness it. Even the most cursory of searches turns up any number of national outlets which disproves your point... But let's be honest - you don't have a point here other than you disagree with my take on Joel Klatt. That's fine - but just say so instead of trying to rewrite history.

 

[dyemeduke]

damn guys - I'm sure there are some good points made in this thread, but how in the midst of our most successful season in several years so far, is this thread getting so much traffic? It's been a week since I've visited this thread and it's still going on?! I mean, I can't stand Klatt from what I've observed in the media, and what I've heard from a few people that personally know him. I also know some people that are friends with him and would defend him. He is who he is, and unless someone knows him personally, why attack his love for the Buffs? I'm sure many of us on these boards would not like each other on a personal level, and our loyalty to CU and CU athletics is our common bond. Let's just appreciate that and stop bitching to one another.

 

[MtnBuff]

I love that people talk about wanting to be a big time program, and then do small time **** like wanting to excommunicate anyone who dared to speak up about how they felt during a really bad time. Coaching changes are messy. Failure is messy.

Klatt and McCartney are Buffs. For life. As such, they are passionate about the program, but even more so about their fellow Buffs.

Given how things are shaking out for the Buffs now, it is pretty hard to argue that Klatt and McCartney "set the program back years".

What Klatt said, how he said it, and when and where he said it were wrong but I understand him doing it. Klatt can be a pompous A-hole at times, it is almost necessary to reach the position he has. He also spend some sore, sweaty days in the Buffs locker room. Even though they were different eras he saw a "teammate" getting attacked and responded similar to how one of his O-linemen would have jumped to respond to a defensive player pushing him and shoving him on the field after a play. It was wrong but it was the response of someone who is a Buff inside.

Embree responded completely inappropriately as well but he should never have been hired in the first place so was set up. This is a guy who is a football coach who saw his one shot at the job he dreamed of being ripped away from him. No matter if it was being ripped away because he was completely unequipped to do it in the first place and had no answer when things fell apart. His heart was being torn out and he lashed back.

I was angry with all three (JE, JK, HCBM) at the time and still don't agree with what they did but I don't hate them for it. Instead my anger goes to the administration that caused the whole thing in the first place.

Be willing to fire Hawkins when it became obvious that it wasn't going to work. Put the money and the support into the program to have a competitive team that would appeal to quality coach then hire someone who is prepared for the job. Embree shouldn't have happened and didn't have to happen, I blame him for a poor reaction when it all did happen but I put the blame on those who set him up to fail.

 

[FlatironsBuff]

Others have said this, but it wasn't that Klatt thought Embree was some awesome coach that deserved 4+ years to turn things around. The biggest issue he had was that Mike Bohn got to fire him AND THEN turn around and hire another coach. He, and many others, felt that Bohn should have been fired and not allowed to choose the next football coach. What AD gets to hire 3 different football coaches over the course of 7 years?

None. Gotta say I love his last hire though.

I guess I am to play devils advocate. If Klatt doesn't cause such a **** storm do they fire Bohn? And if they didn't fire him then how would they end up with George? Without George we do not have the new facilities; we do not have this recruiting, and Mike McIntyre is probably not employeed by CU right now. And we are still a dumpster fire.

Maybe it worked out as it should have.

 

[aik]

This is unbelievable. For most people who stayed around football their entire career, their college playing days were some of the greatest times of their life and if they had supportive coaches then they will go to bat for those men often with great bias. The coaches certainly defend their players, don't they? Klatt was extremely close to the people involved and thought Barnett and Embree had been given a raw deal by the same athletic director. Good opinion or not, that Bohn was the public face of three firings and hirings is fact and Joel decided his alma mater and personal connections were too important to stifle on his media platform. I am sure he would admit privately that he overstepped here and there when going about it but he'd never withdraw the support he showed for his former coaches even at the expense of the school's image.

But also, nobody outside of Buffs fans cared about Joel Klatt the raving antagonist. All they knew was that Colorado was 1-11. Irrelevant beyond that. Joel who? The Rockies postgame guy? Nah, not important. Oh, Denver, well how about that John Fox guy, does he deserve another year, am I right?

What we can speculate about Joel Klatt is that he may have worsened mobility and memory issues later in life because of all he gave on the field trying to give us fans some CU wins to witness as the university system's institutional support imploded around the program. Years before anyone accused him of selling out his school for a career he was selling out his body to rally a team whose growing attrition and apathy in the wake of the Four Horsemen of Keenan, Simpson, Hoffman, and Tharp running scorched earth on Dal Ward yielded an era in which the Buffs would stop becoming competitive. Joel the football player saw more than two decades of Coach Mac's vision being eroded away and went down fighting. Please find it in your hearts to forgive him if he decided to fight a little more when he saw his former mentors needed an ally and everything his uniform represented was being watered down. I'm sure if he saw you in the cafeteria wearing a CU shirt he'd invite you to sit with him and share his plate of crow as you enjoy The Rise.

 

[Deleted member 807]

This popped up today on my facebook memories from 4 years ago. The Rise is real!

All 200 of those powder blue paperbag fans cutouts are greatful for Rick George.