Thanks for the laughs Mr. Woelk

[Deleted member 807]

I wont be shocked if we go 0-12 this year, but it makes it easier when you start off a new season with some hope. All the negativity really pisses me off.

I respectfully disagree.

Fans don't need to act like some homogenous Borg.
The diversity of opinion is healthy, IMO.

The 3-9 campaign taught me is that blind optimism is not a critical fan base ingredient. The stronger attribute is a desire to show up and demand excellence. If that comes in the form of ticket purchases, donations, and a display of critisim on message boards, then so be it.

It's irrelevance and apathy that is the bigger problem here.

 

[Mick Ronson]

Here's a quote (my own, kinda bastardized from other ones) that I've lived my entire military career by:

Luck is a combination of skill and preparation.

Dude may be right, that 65% of football IS luck. But goddammit, you can MAKE your own luck.

Famous quote from Ben Hogan about the role of "luck" in golf, and Hogan says: "the more i practice, the luckier i get".

 

[BuffLuke80]

I dont care what anyone writes, what excuses are made, or what is said about luck or breaks. This is the year where that **** dont matter. It's either win or pack your ****ing bags. That is the beauty of this year, there is no where to hide. Every year is about results even more so this year though. Fair or unfair, being a head coach at this level is cutthroat and losing gets you fired period, excuses or not. Im am ****iing ready for kickoff, dont know about you guys.

 

[Deleted member 807]

Famous quote from Ben Hogan about the role of "luck" in golf, and Hogan says: "the more i practice, the luckier i get".

The college football equivalent involves more televised games, ticket sales, scheduled cup cakes, and five-star players plus bigger coaching salaries and state of the art facilities. The more you have of these, the luckier you get.

 

[BuffLuke80]

To me, we are gonna find out everything we need to know about Hawk, his staff, and this team this year. It falls on Hawk cause he's the head man. Clearly he's in a corner and he knows it. Only 2 things he can really do, back the **** up or get the **** in. Im hoping for the second part.

 

[Ruckus]

Only 2 things he can really do, back the **** up or get the **** in. Im hoping for the second part.

Heh.

 

[BlackNGold]

http://www.buffzone.com/ci_15651401

Some of these reasons were actually legit. But the LBs at #5? The depth? There are several spots on this team with serious depth issues. The last one is my favorite though. One of the primary reasons we have gone 16-33 is because of bad breaks? Really?

I read that and I have to say it is 50-50. Half the reasons are okay the other half are manufactured. 3, 5 , 7, 9, 10, 12 are pretty much in the spin zone...11 is also a reach.

I have to say the bad break one really has be scratching my head. What were the bad breaks that happened in the 3-9 season? I don't remember them.

 

[77buff]

I'm not saying bad breaks are the reason we've gone 16-33, but it does have a lot to do with some of the losses. Just like when teams are winning they need lucky breaks a lot, we have not had our share of luck recently.

Hell there were at least 5 BIG lucky breaks we got the year we won the national title. If those plays didn't go our way, we would be calling those bad breaks too and the woulda coulda shoulda.

And this is the big thing that is going right through a lot of the doubters minds like a hot knife through butter...


8. Experience. Finally, finally, Hawk will have a team with significantly more upper-classmen in the starting lineup than youngsters.
Last year, 18 players made their first career starts for the Buffs. It will be a surprise if CU approaches that number this year, as CU`s post-spring depth chart had just six sophomores and no freshmen listed as starters. Simply, most Buff starters have been there, seen that. If they can convert that experience into production, they`ll have the chance for a very nice year.

THINK ABOUT IT PEOPLE!!!!!

Every team that doesn't win can make the bad breaks statement - Nothing but an excuse.

 

[66BUFF]

ok, here's 12 reasons why we won't be any better than we were last year.

1. O-line still has yet to prove it can protect the quarterback and make holes for the
2. Running backs. No depth, limited talent. Speedy and block look fine in flashes, but have never shown the ability to churn out 25-30 carries per game.
3. New db coach.
4. New wr coach (probably a reason for hope, actually)
5. Lack of reps for hansen. If we believe that hansen is the guy - and just about everybody not named "dan hawkins" does believe this - then hansen needs to be getting as many reps as possible. That's not happening.
6. Unproven wrs. Other than scotty, who out of this group has done anything here? Simmons? Ummmm, no.
7. Special teams. Hard to say it could get any worse, but it could. There's nothing that indicates we'll be any better in this area. Hope, perhaps. Evidence? None. At this point, it's all pure speculation.
8. Db depth - we have none. Lose one guy and we're in a world of hurt.
9. Preparation and playcalling - nothing to suggest we'll be any better this year than we were last year in these categories.
10. Half the games are on the road. Guh.
11. Offensive identity? We still don't have one. Last year it was all about "downhill running". That worked out really well. No idea what kind of offense they'll try to put together this year.
12. Dan hawkins. There's only so much "get your horns out", "cinch it up", and "bring your lunchpail" that you can hear before the messenger becomes a clown. We've crossed that line. He is a fool. A football jester. It's hard to take somebody seriously when he tells you, with a straight face, that toledo just played an "awesome" game. No dan, they didn't, you just played really, really poorly. This deal is not "about to pop". The sooner you start working on actual football preparation and give up the witty platitudes, the better.

ymssr

 

[Creebuzz]

I seriously hope nobody takes Marcus J's advice (first post on the comments sections).

Some what agree about Tyler, but Hirschman may very well emerge as the number two man by the end of fall camp and if the 12 items above lead to CU having a winning season, Nick should/could get some playing time too. Hopefully mop up time, because all of the above came together for CU.

Please god, don't let us burn another redshirt for mop up duty.

 

[dyemeduke]

...I'm fully expecting to lose every game this year, but I am hoping that we win of course. The state of our program sucks...I hope CU has the balls to fire Hawk even if he gets us to a minor bowl game.

Reason #10 is ridiculous though. Greg Brown is the best DB coach in the business in my opinion, and even if Ambrose is a promising coach, I doubt he is a better coach than Brown at this point in his career. I do like Prince, although not my first choice, but I'm more glad Hawk isn't coaching a position. Kiesau has one more year experience, but what did he show last year that was promising? Hawk's best staff were the first two years he was here...Johnson sucks though, as does Riddle. Collins is horrible, and I'm still not fully convinced of Bandison. Hagan needs to improve his backs too. I'm not a fan of this staff as a whole...

 

[SoCal Bob]

What galls me after four years is the lack of preparation this team shows. I never believed that the OL would be so poor after Miller was recruited and Solder switched.

Above all, the OL has to play as a unit. They have to learn each others tendencies and rely upon each other. Denver Johnson is a huge disappointment. It speaks loads that he was not replaced. That platoon crap just made everything worse and convinced me Kiesau, Johnson and Hawkins do not have a clue. There is a lot of talent going down the drain not because of too many Frosh, not because we lacked seniors, not because of bad luck or breaks, but simply because we lacked cohesive sound coaching on the offense and lacked an effective consistent offensive scheme.

I just shudder that same coaches are still in control.

 

[LABuffalo]

Bad breaks like going for it on 4th down on you're own 45 yard line in the Iowa St. game. The Clones stuff the Buffs, get fired up come back score and win the game. Gee, those kind of bad breaks?

 

[White_Rabbit]

About 65% of football is luck, thats what a former player told me. Theres good luck and bad lucks, ruts and grooves.

65%... that's ridiculous. If football was that random you wouldn't see the same teams being successful year in and year out as well as the same coaches being successful. There's so much more to football than luck.. There was no luck involved that caused us to get ran over by Toledo. There was no luck involved to cause us to come out flatter than Calista Flockhart against CSU.

 

[Unleash Hell]

65%... that's ridiculous. If football was that random you wouldn't see the same teams being successful year in and year out as well as the same coaches being successful. There's so much more to football than luck.. There was no luck involved that caused us to get ran over by Toledo. There was no luck involved to cause us to come out flatter than Calista Flockhart against CSU.

He said it not me and he plays in the NFL, so I don't know. His comment surprised me too, but there are an aweful lot of breaks good and bad in football.
He said you would be surprised how many big plays are made on the plays not even called with people runnign wrong routes etc. And vice versa. Said it's really common.

 

[MiamiBuffs]

About 65% of football is luck, thats what a former player told me. Theres good luck and bad lucks, ruts and grooves.

Then the University of Miami must be one of the luckiest schools on the face of the Earth. That being said luck does favor the prepared. Which might be a strong commentary on where the Buffs are today.

 

[Unleash Hell]

Then the University of Miami must be one of the luckiest schools on the face of the Earth. That being said luck does favor the prepared. Which might be a strong commentary on where the Buffs are today.

yep, damn lucky they had coaches that tolerated a lot just to win.

 

[Unleash Hell]

Just about every team to win a championship in any sport ever has had some luck along the way.

 

[White_Rabbit]

Just about every team to win a championship in any sport ever has had some luck along the way.

This I agree with, but sorry I just don't agree with the guy that well over half of the things that go down in football can be chalked up to luck. Did this player play for Hawk btw? :smile2:

 

[CUBUFF80]

Just to play devils' advocate, what if the Buffs go a solid 8-4 and win a bowl game. Is Hawkins still an idiot? Do we still mock our player's 40 times? Is Neil Woelk still a sycophant?

 

[Duff Man]

Just to play devils' advocate, what if the Buffs go a solid 8-4 and win a bowl game. Is Hawkins still an idiot? Do we still mock our player's 40 times? Is Neil Woelk still a sycophant?

Hawkins can silence some doubters with a season like 8-4, but he needs to do more than that to get out of the hole he has dug himself. At this point, he probably needs to string together about three straight 8-4 seasons together to be able to say "I told you so". The onus is completely on Hawkins and his staff to prove themselves this year. Also, if they do go 8-4, I am quite sure Mr. Woelk will call it one of the greatest seasons in school history and be clamoring for an extension of Hawkins' contract.

 

[Deleted member 807]

Just to play devils' advocate, what if the Buffs go a solid 8-4 and win a bowl game. Is Hawkins still an idiot? Do we still mock our player's 40 times? Is Neil Woelk still a sycophant?

Then the resulting 24-37 would still require 13-0 to get to .500

 

[DBT]

I'm placing my hope in what I saw the last two games of the year. It looked like the team was finally beginning to get it. I thought the O-Line, especially was beginning to come around. Also, this will be the first year that Hawkins has had a significant number of upperclassmen. The biggest question: Hawkins has to prove that he can coach, which he hasn't done yet. He just cannot lose to the Iowa States and CSU's of the world. This team needs a convincing win to open the season.

 

[Sexton Hardcastle]

I'm placing my hope in what I saw the last two games of the year. It looked like the team was finally beginning to get it. I thought the O-Line, especially was beginning to come around. Also, this will be the first year that Hawkins has had a significant number of upperclassmen. The biggest question: Hawkins has to prove that he can coach, which he hasn't done yet. He just cannot lose to the Iowa States and CSU's of the world. This team needs a convincing win to open the season.

That's pretty sad that these are the only things that us fans can actually cling to.

I would be in your corner DBT, if Hawkins made some major changes with the coaching staff after last year. I would've fired Collins and handed the job to coach Brown. I also would've demoted Riddle. Let him coach the TE's and bring in another ST's coach. Riddle has proved year in and out that he cannot handle both jobs at once. The only reason that I'd let Riddle keep his job is because of the decent job he's done recruiting-wise. He has a ton of great contacts in the SD area. I also would've liked to see Hawkins bring in a Co-Offensive Coordinator. I think we tossed Kiesau to the wolves last season. It really showed when he panicked.

 

[rodrigo]

Woelk's stuff in the Hawkins era so often reads like undergrad papers where the author is clearly trying to write what they think you (instructor) want to hear....and think they are getting away with it.

Have to disagree 100%. I actually worked under Woelk while a J-school student at CU in the twilight of the Creedon years. Now that was a long time before Hawk, but Woelk was never one to pump sunshine without some reason. Not saying he's right, but unlike some sports writers, he actually works and isn't afraid to say what he thinks. The last thing I'd ever accuse Woelk of is kissing up.

 

[Mick Ronson]

Have to disagree 100%. I actually worked under Woelk while a J-school student at CU in the twilight of the Creedon years. Now that was a long time before Hawk, but Woelk was never one to pump sunshine without some reason. Not saying he's right, but unlike some sports writers, he actually works and isn't afraid to say what he thinks. The last thing I'd ever accuse Woelk of is kissing up.

i used to read the Camera when Woelk came up under Creedon, too. I used to think Neil was the best writer on staff with the most "critical" positions re: CU sports. Note that I qualify my statement to the Hawk era. If turns out Neil is right with his mostly unabashed support of Hawk (pumping sunshine with a reason) over the last 4 years, no one will be happier than me to admit they were wrong. but, i don't see it. Neil has lost a lot, imo.

before the set of mergers and juggling of the Camera by Knight-Ridder and Scripps when it produced a lot of it's own content.....the Camera had a very respectable sports page.

 

[rodrigo]

Gotta admit I'm a long way from Boulder, haven't seen or spoken to Neil in years and don't read the Camera or BuffZone all that often (preferring to get my info from the crazies who know best). If Neil's lost it, that's a shame.

 

[MiamiBuffs]

This I agree with, but sorry I just don't agree with the guy that well over half of the things that go down in football can be chalked up to luck. Did this player play for Hawk btw? :smile2:

Perhaps this person simply employs a broader definition of luck. :wink2:

I agree that luck is certainly part of the game. But most good coaches identify good players and bring them in and channel the strength of those players. Then they identify the weaknesses of the opposition and hammer them on that all day long when Saturday arrives.

 

[sackman]

Patrick Ridgell has left the Longmont Times Call. Shame. Dude was an excellent writer. They'll be hiring a new CU guy pretty soon, but Ridgell will be missed.

 

[Daaah]

Patrick Ridgell has left the Longmont Times Call. Shame. Dude was an excellent writer. They'll be hiring a new CU guy pretty soon, but Ridgell will be missed.

Aw man. That sucks. That guy was definitely the best CU reporter. Where'd he go?