Overall PAC12 football experience

[ahoelsken]

If you think Colorado is bad, try living in Omaha! Cold as **** in the winter. Hot as hell and humid as **** in the summer. The absolute worst drivers. The only things to do on a regular basis, cost an arm and a leg for admission...and you deal with obnoxious crowds.

I took it for granted while I was there, but I really enjoy the Grand Valley area. My wife and I were there for three weeks a few years back. It didn’t really hit me how much I liked it, until we were in the Denver area for the final week we were out in CO. I’d really love to live nearby the mountains, so Golden would be it for me if I could live in the Front Range...Manitou (west of Hwy 24) would be a consideration too. Glenwood Springs or Carbondale would be my ultimate happy place!

Estes Park did not excite me at all. I enjoyed our cabin, just a little east of the YMCA on Hwy 66. Other than that I’d rather goto Grand Lake!

I was good on living in Fuskerland the minute we gave up on trying to get the pictures of ****ing Herbie Husker out of our hotel room when we were there LY. My little brother's dated two women in a row who are from there-and he's going out there for Turkey Day. I'm sure the poor kid is going to have to suffer through watching them on Black Friday.

No, I’ve lived here all 34 years which is probably why I’m bored with it lol. I’m not saying Seattle is less brown or less crowded. I’m saying I enjoy what they have to offer more than Denver, but that’s probably because it’s different. I’d never live in downtown Seattle though, I’d probably move either more east towards Idaho where it’s more sunny or more north towards Vancouver, like Port Townsend. Somewhere where there’s an ocean, seafood, it’s quiet and cold is like 35 degrees lol.

There are good seafood restaurants in Denver-Pappadeaux is an hour-ish away from y'all, but its worth the drive. Probably my favorite restaurant in Denver. My bad on the Kate Upton picture-I thought that was you.

 

[SeanMSan]

I was good on living in Fuskerland the minute we gave up on trying to get the pictures of ****ing Herbie ****er out of our hotel room when we were there LY. My little brother's dated two women in a row who are from there-and he's going out there for Turkey Day. I'm sure the poor kid is going to have to suffer through watching them on Black Friday.

if it wasn’t for my in-laws, I think we’d have been out of here years ago. The whole “low cost of living” schtick is becoming less and less applicable. Taxes have always sucked. Now any historical area in the city is becoming a hipster suburb. This would be great, if it weren’t the same kind of bars mixed in with the same kind of 2-3 restaurants mixed in. To top it all off, the local music scene went to complete **** sometime in the late 00’s.

I do like my corner of the city. It was a no fly zone for so long that most people are still too cautious to make a casual visit. We were featured as the #1 neighborhood in some off-beat national publication a few years ago. Sadly, the city probably used that as an excuse to jack up the valuation of my house...

 

[CarolinaBuff]

I love the Pac-12.

I have issues with the conference leadership, both with Scott and the university presidents who give his marching orders and set the vision.

I also think we could use an infusion of a couple universities that disrupt the culture a bit by caring more than is healthy about winning in football and making money through athletics.

Definitely on the bolded part. The ACC is in a similar situation with too many schools that are less than enthusiastic toward football

 

[jizzrag85]

Where you live is basically the same as those places 30 years ago. I can see why you have a negative impression of Colorado. You live in an ugh suburb.

Colorado is one giant suburb.

 

[manhattanbuff]

Colorado is one giant suburb.

This is one of the dumbest things ever written on this website.

 

[GuySmiley]

Ogden? Going to check out a Weber State game?

To get back on topic I loved the Big 8 as that is what I grew up with. Expanding to the Texas schools totally destroyed a good thing, particularly UT and their "holier than thou" ego.

I guess I'll be the only one to say it, I miss the Big 8/12 road games. When going to a road game there you knew you were specifically going to a college town and going to a game where it was the main attraction in those towns so it had a certain atmosphere. With 2-3 exceptions you don't have that in the PAC, everything is located in the major cities, and sometimes I want to just get away from big city life once in a while. Plus there were several schools close enough where I could decide a day before that I wanted to go to a game and just hop in the car and go on a road trip solo or with anyone else that wanted to go. I can't bring myself to get a plane ticket at the last minute for several hundred $$$ to jump on a flight and rent a car.

I agree with your sentiment about missing Big 8/12 road games. It was all about football, which was nice. Now visiting Waco, Manhattan, Ames or Stillwater was not great on the eyes, but it was always football. I like the Buffs in the PAC-12 because they are a change of pace, much like in the Big 8. I am hoping that CU finds the same sort of niche in the PAC-12 for kids to play football in Boulder. The PAC-12 Network has been an unmitigated disaster, but competing against the Longhorn network would not be helpful. I am hopeful that if CU gets really good in football, CU will get more props from the PAC-12 network.

 

[jizzrag85]

This is one of the dumbest things ever written on this website.

Lol okay.

 

[Not Sure]

The move to the P12 was great for all CU teams other than football. Make no mistake, we were an absolute dumpster fire in 2011 when we made the move. I do wonder if we might have righted the ship a little faster in the B12, though. No way to know for sure.

 

[Creebuzz]

Colorado is one giant suburb.

If you spend much of your work life overseas as you stated, then I can understand your sentiment about the United States. Our communities are way too centered on the automobile (which is partially just bad luck in the timing of the country’s development).

Denver rates about middle of the pack in sprawl in the U.S. #92 out of 212. Boulder is really good at #16.

Study Ranks Metro Areas by Sprawl

A new report finds the most compact metro areas are on the coasts, and the benefits of avoiding sprawl could translate to higher economic mobility.

www.governing.com

I’ve always chosen to live in the true urban core, which is like living in a city within a city. I lived in Capitol Hill during my three years in Denver. I enjoyed it, although it was much more fringey then, but easy to get around.

 

[buffalo1]

Do people spend lots of non vacation time other places? I guess if you travel for work all the time. My problem is every time I go on vacation I go to Europe, Hawaii, Vancouver, Seattle etc and so then I come home to brown Colorado in the winter with all the chain restaurants and it’s very bland lol. Colorado is fine, it’s home, for now.

There are plenty of non chain restaurants up and down the front range. And not hard to find.
And I don't mean just the most popular trendy one-off restaurants.
Today's suggestion......Hideaway Steakhouse in Westminster near Northglenn.

 

[jizzrag85]

There are plenty of non chain restaurants up and down the front range. And not hard to find.
And I don't mean just the most popular trendy one-off restaurants.
Today's suggestion......Hideaway Steakhouse in Westminster near Northglenn.

have you ever been to a place like Seattle? Where you can walk down the street and not see a single chain? Every corner of Colorado is a bank, Starbucks and a McDonald’s. The beer is fantastic and the food scene is improving all the time here. There are some great places to go now that are very enjoyable. Colorado is still loaded with chain restaurants and establishments everywhere. Seattle obviously has Starbucks and Amazon and other things but you don’t have to go to Starbucks in Seattle, because you can walk 15 feet north and you’ll see 6 random coffee shops you can go to instead.

 

[Not Sure]

have you ever been to a place like Seattle? Where you can walk down the street and not see a single chain? Every corner of Colorado is a bank, Starbucks and a McDonald’s. The beer is fantastic and the food scene is improving all the time here. There are some great places to go now that are very enjoyable. Colorado is still loaded with chain restaurants and establishments everywhere. Seattle obviously has Starbucks and Amazon and other things but you don’t have to go to Starbucks in Seattle, because you can walk 15 feet north and you’ll see 6 random coffee shops you can go to instead.

I think you’re being a little overly critical of life in Colorado, but that’s fine. I wish more people felt like you do and would stop coming here.

 

[married2abuff]

I think you’re being a little overly critical of life in Colorado, but that’s fine. I wish more people felt like you do and would stop coming here.

BR85's view of Colorado is the Denver Metro area and surrounding suburbs. Colorado is so not that.

 

[jizzrag85]

I think you’re being a little overly critical of life in Colorado, but that’s fine. I wish more people felt like you do and would stop coming here.

Lol not really, I’ve said multiple times what’s good about Colorado. I’m just pointing out the differences, they are just observations. I agree though, they should stop coming.

for reference I’m sitting in a parking lot and I’m looking at 1 block of street. Wells Fargo, 1st bank, bbva compass, Chipotle, king soopers, hobby lobby, 7 eleven, shell, papa Johns, Floyd’s 99. Lol Colorado is just not a small business state, it’s very commercialized with chain stuff, it is what it is.

 

[married2abuff]

Lol not really, I’ve said multiple times what’s good about Colorado. I’m just pointing out the differences, they are just observations. I agree though, they should stop coming.

for reference I’m sitting in a parking lot and I’m looking at 1 block of street. Wells Fargo, 1st bank, bbva compass, Chipotle, king soopers, hobby lobby, 7 eleven, shell, papa Johns, Floyd’s 99. Lol Colorado is just not a small business state, it’s very commercialized with chain stuff, it is what it is.

Wait, you said this:

Colorado is one giant suburb.

 

[steph]

Yeah Snooze sucks.

Have a lot of you all been to Hawaii? I hear mixed things. I always expected it would be just great but some normal happy people I know didn't really love it to much.

I lived on the north shore of Oahu for 5 years and loved it. A lot of people get there and feel too isolated I guess.

I was born and grew up in CO and loved it, but haven't lived there since I graduated from CU. Going back to visit once a year is enough for me. Since then lived in Chicago, Dominican Republic, Hawaii, Seoul, and Georgia, and honestly have liked every place I have lived. The mountains are great, but there are parts of Korea, and areas in north Georgia where if you were taken there blindfolded you would never know you weren't in Colorado. The one place I always actively avoided was SoCal.

 

[Agent Dave Kujan]

Lol not really, I’ve said multiple times what’s good about Colorado. I’m just pointing out the differences, they are just observations. I agree though, they should stop coming.

for reference I’m sitting in a parking lot and I’m looking at 1 block of street. Wells Fargo, 1st bank, bbva compass, Chipotle, king soopers, hobby lobby, 7 eleven, shell, papa Johns, Floyd’s 99. Lol Colorado is just not a small business state, it’s very commercialized with chain stuff, it is what it is.

If it is any consolation
1st bank
Chipotle
King soopers
And I believe Floyd’s all started in Colorado

 

[jizzrag85]

If it is any consolation
1st bank
Chipotle
King soopers
And I believe Floyd’s all started in Colorado

I believe you are correct, was just pointing out what was around haha. King Soopers and Chipotle are both definitely Denver although Kroger now owns King Soopers and they’re in Cincinnati. The other 2 I think are correct though.

 

[Agent Dave Kujan]

I believe you are correct, was just pointing out what was around haha. King Soopers and Chipotle are both definitely Denver although Kroger now owns King Soopers and they’re in Cincinnati. The other 2 I think are correct though.

I do think many of your points are valid. What I can say is that when I was in college in the late 80’s and early 90’s this town was DEAD! For example, when you went downtown you just parked in parking lots and never paid because nobody ever checked them. There wasn’t enough people downtown to justify the effort. Those same parking lots are 20-30 bucks per day now.

Even with the growth and the sprawl it is a much better town now. I can’t imagine how much trouble I would have been in in the current environment with all of those great bars.

As a state we have drifted from our libertarian values a bit more than I am comfortable with but overall it is still an awesome place

 

[crosby87]

I lived there in the early-mid 2000s and I miss it all the time. Yeah the food in NYC is infinitely better but so what.

 

[Bread]

There are plenty of non chain restaurants up and down the front range. And not hard to find.
And I don't mean just the most popular trendy one-off restaurants.
Today's suggestion......Hideaway Steakhouse in Westminster near Northglenn.

Hideaway is sooooo good. Excellent suggestion.

 

[jizzrag85]

Hideaway is sooooo good. Excellent suggestion.

I’ll have to check it out! One other thing about Colorado that always annoyed me was that south of Denver you find more unique restaurants usually and north of Denver (Westminster, Thornton) it’s usually even more commercial than everywhere else in Colorado and I’ve always lived North of Denver, I like the area more. One nice thing about Firestone is that there are at least a few small restaurants to eat at that aren’t chain. One thing Fort Collins has is restaurants, I give them credit for that.

 

[jizzrag85]

I do think many of your points are valid. What I can say is that when I was in college in the late 80’s and early 90’s this town was DEAD! For example, when you went downtown you just parked in parking lots and never paid because nobody ever checked them. There wasn’t enough people downtown to justify the effort. Those same parking lots are 20-30 bucks per day now.

Even with the growth and the sprawl it is a much better town now. I can’t imagine how much trouble I would have been in in the current environment with all of those great bars.

As a state we have drifted from our libertarian values a bit more than I am comfortable with but overall it is still an awesome place

Downtown is significantly different now than when I was 21 and that was just 13 years ago! I was born in 85 and Colorado is not even close to the same place it was 30 years ago, it’s crazy different. No one in my family hates it here, but we all feel the same way. It’s gotten crazy expensive and insanely packed with traffic. One of my biggest issues is that we have all these people and none of the transit is fleshed out. Light rail is great if you live south of Denver otherwise good luck you’re stuck driving everywhere you go. RTD took all my taxes, built everyone else transit and gave the middle finger to everyone north of Denver, “oh maybe by 2050.” Driving to concerts at Fiddlers is a nightmare on Friday night concerts and going to sporting events is always packed on I-25. Other than that Colorado is fine, I probably don’t even take advantage of all it has to offer anyways. That’s admittedly my fault.

 

[hokiehead]

Denver has a surprisingly high number of dip ****s from everywhere. Reason #1 I hate this state, can’t even attend a sporting event without being overran by the opposing fanbase. I’ll never understand the obsession with moving here anyways, this place is not that great.

Wow. I've lived in 6 different states and spent >= 5 months in two other countries -- I'd rather live in CO than any other place.

• The climate (fück the east-coast humidity and fúck the slushy Midwestern snow)
• The National Parks
• Red Rocks
• The outdoors (even excluding the NP's)
• The music scene (even if we didn't have Red Rocks)
• The sports offering (not only does CO have a Pac12 school, but all four major pro leagues represented and three other FBS schools, counting Wyoming)
• Red Rocks!!
• And the climate
• The women with fit bodies

Beach is nice a few weeks each year, but unless I become ridiculously wealthy, I can't imagine a better place to live than the Centennial State.

 

[hokiehead]

What? Hawaii is phenomenal. Oahu is a little touristy but it’s a fantastic beach at Waikiki. Maui is great, better than Oahu, little more laid back.

Kauai though? I’d move yesterday. Kauai is a dream, it’s paradise. It’s what you envision when you think of a tropical paradise. ****, I miss that place so bad.

Agree on Kauai, but Oahu was meh. Could've been any big city on the coast, from a tourist POV, little difference from Miami or Myrtle. Lots of hookers and drug dealers -- literally, I was offered more illegal drugs in Waikiki than I was ever offered at Grateful Dead concerts.

 

[steph]

Agree on Kauai, but Oahu was meh. Could've been any big city on the coast, from a tourist POV, little difference from Miami or Myrtle. Lots of hookers and drug dealers -- literally, I was offered more illegal drugs in Waikiki than I was ever offered at Grateful Dead concerts.

Waikiki is kind of bizarre. At about 8 pm it transforms from Main Street Disneyland to east colfax.

 

[jizzrag85]

Agree on Kauai, but Oahu was meh. Could've been any big city on the coast, from a tourist POV, little difference from Miami or Myrtle. Lots of hookers and drug dealers -- literally, I was offered more illegal drugs in Waikiki than I was ever offered at Grateful Dead concerts.

yep lol. Oahu is a weird one.

 

[hokiehead]

Waikiki is kind of bizarre. At about 8 pm it transforms from Main Street Disneyland to east colfax.

I was offered more action in Waikiki between 4 - 6pm than I have been, in total, after at least 6 shows at the Ogden.

IMO, East Colfax is damn tame by Waikiki standards.

 

[ahoelsken]

have you ever been to a place like Seattle? Where you can walk down the street and not see a single chain? Every corner of Colorado is a bank, Starbucks and a McDonald’s. The beer is fantastic and the food scene is improving all the time here. There are some great places to go now that are very enjoyable. Colorado is still loaded with chain restaurants and establishments everywhere. Seattle obviously has Starbucks and Amazon and other things but you don’t have to go to Starbucks in Seattle, because you can walk 15 feet north and you’ll see 6 random coffee shops you can go to instead.

I want to send you to California for a few months and have you tell all them that hahahah

 

[WarBuff]

What? Hawaii is phenomenal. Oahu is a little touristy but it’s a fantastic beach at Waikiki. Maui is great, better than Oahu, little more laid back.

Kauai though? I’d move yesterday. Kauai is a dream, it’s paradise. It’s what you envision when you think of a tropical paradise. ****, I miss that place so bad.

Loved Kauai. Went there first in 1993 right after Fernanda had hit, so there was some amount of damage, but the stay was great. Took a dirtbike tour around with a guide which was awesome. The only thing that sucked was the soil. That red crap would pack a knobby in under 10' and I slid off of several curves because I misjudged how little traction I had.

Will never forget that ride though, nor how much more relaxing that island was compared to the others.