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Letter to Rick George

Idot Buff

Guest
Dear Rick -

First of all, I commend you for returning to CU. It seems that you had several career opportunities because of your past successes. You could have picked an easier road with a higher probability of success, so thanks for taking the obvious career risk by returning to Boulder.

Like many CU graduates, I bleed black and gold. CU athletics have been my passion for 25 years. I was a freshman when Chuck Fairbanks was our coach. I recall the student section declaring victory if we made five first downs per game. The team was dreadful, but we knew there was something better down the road.

I see similarities to those days and today. Even though we are getting thrashed by most teams, there is a feeling that we can return to the glory days. Coach Mac says all of the right things, and his players seem to be buying into his system, although the severe lack of talent and depth handed to him by his predecessors will make his job difficult (and arguably impossible to turn around).

So, here is my point. Yesterday was like every other Saturday over the last many years when I looked forward to a CU football game. I had hope that we could pull out a victory, even though I am in the camp that believes a 3 win season is the best that we could expect. As I watched the game, I felt myself slipping into apathy toward the program. I am at the point that I do not see CU ever becoming a competitive program in the PAC12. We have fallen into a death spiral that could keep us from ever competing at a respectable level, let alone at a Top 20 level.

The way Bill McCartney pulled us out of the mid 1980s funk was by winning games. You win games, you excite recruits, you pull in donations, you improve facilities, you build a nationwide reputation as a top program. The difference for me is I get the feeling we are not going to win the games to start the rebuilding process. We are too far into a hole to climb out.

I am to the point where my interest level is near zero, and that is very upsetting. I know of other CU graduates who stopped caring about Buff football long ago. I thought I was one of those who would always stay passionate, but I am hanging on by a thread. It is not only losing games, but the way we are losing (we are not even competitive, and we are a joke in the national media). The complete mismanagement of the program over the last many years has driven away the people (ie, donors) that you will need to rebuild.

And perhaps that is where I am misdirected. Maybe my perspective is jaded. I suppose being a bottom feeder football program is ok for many schools, including CU. But if that is the case, you can count me out. I will still bleed black and gold, but my emotional and financial investment will go toward something else. And I will need to find something else to do on Saturdays.

Thanks.
 
I totally respect your well written letter, and I suspect many Buff fans are in your camp and have been so for a long time. I have a tendency to be one of the Kool-aid drinkers on AB (although I did only predict 3 wins this year) so take this how you want.

I see legitimate improvement in this team over last year. Fewer Moses sea parting touchdowns, players on D hitting harder, fewer missed assignments, fewer players breaking records against us (hell, we held Carey under his season average!). On O we have a ways to go beginning with our OL. But I think we have something go with our youth with Sefo and Adkins leading the way for something better in the future.

It feels like players are buying in and the team overall plays way better than they did last year and they don't appear to quit. I think we couldn't ask for much more in Year 1.

I know this has been asked for in years passed, but I believe we all need to show patience and give HCMM time to build the team and winning culture it takes.

If we are not in a bowl game by the 2015 season (2 more seasons) than maybe we should pack it in.
 
Our offense is a lot better. Our defense is somewhat better. What does Rick George have to do with any of this? I like pie.
 
I also agree with your letter.

After attending the game last night, on my drive back to Fort Collins I did a lot of thinking.

Attending a game is about a nine hour day for me. In addition to the tickets it another $75-$100 for food and beverages at a local establishment.

For the past 7 1/2 years, with the exception of about 4 games, (West Virginia, Oklahoma, Cal and Georgia). How can I say this politely, it has been a trainwreck. I believe it has been since the Cal game two seasons ago that we have been in a game late into the 4th quarter.

After watching the Arizona State game a couple of weeks ago, I was done. Went to the CSU game in Folsom last week and had a nice time. Even with this team I thought we would roll them and we did. Gave me a glimmer of hope for this week and we all see how that turned out last night.

I love my season ticket location but with what I have seen for the last 7 years it is getting tougher by the game to want to commit to another season. I have been a buff fan for 40 years and a season ticket holder for 18 of those years.

As of right now my solution is to continue purchasing my season tickets to keep my location, but not attend the games. CU still gets my money and I get 6 hours of my Saturdays back. I can watch the games on the tube.

The losers are the establishment in Boulder that doesn't get my money and me. For not getting to spend a day in Boulder but I just can't continue that same quiet, beaten down feeling on my drive back to Fort Collins anymore.
 
Our offense is a lot better. Our defense is somewhat better. What does Rick George have to do with any of this? I like pie.

Really. Rick doesn't have the power to do what needs done, and he was not complicit in the take down. This letter should be addressed to Benson, and it should be pointed out that until we replace DiStefano, no more donations of any kind will be directed to Boulder. It really is a death spiral, and it was initiated by the leadership of the school, not the AD. Anything short of focused direct support of the top administrators will require that any turnaround will be based on sheer luck. Start with PD, then we get rid of BB.
 
What is the letter asking for? It says you give up and they can't come back, nor do you ask for any action. What's the point? To discourage Rick George?
 
Not sure what the point is. To tell RG we will always suck and it bums you out?
 
Really. Rick doesn't have the power to do what needs done, and he was not complicit in the take down. This letter should be addressed to Benson, and it should be pointed out that until we replace DiStefano, no more donations of any kind will be directed to Boulder. It really is a death spiral, and it was initiated by the piss poor "leadership" of the school, not the AD. Anything short of focused direct support of the top administrators will require that any turnaround will be based on sheer luck. Start with PD, then we get rid of BB.
fify and ^this^ *1000
 
CU football has been malnourished by this CU administration (witness the obvious stadium disrepair) for many years prior to this season. CU football is also currently lacking a major benefactor(s) to emphasize a turnaround in our football fortunes. Having said that, the wheels are starting to turn in the right direction. Yes it is painfully slow! But some players are elevating, some of our new coaching strategy is sticking, and our new AD has had enough time to have conversations with people that matter.

Rick is a winner and he will identify a strategy to move this barge in the right direction.
 
(****ing) Baylor was a joke for almost 20 years, they are now ranked #5.

ANY program in a BCS conference can be turned around IF the right forces come together...... leadership, vision, an investment in the program, and time.
 
I am among those who is really finding it hard to to games anymore as well. Especially since I fly in from NC for them. But if someone told you at the beginning of the season we would be 3-4 who would have been upset? No one! It is a long rebuilding but hopefully moving right way. What concerns me more than anything is the fact we cannot for the life of us get more than 40k there. Looks bad to recruits, bad on TV, losing millions a year on tickets and concessions. Even a blackout game in amazing weather at night and we didn't break 40K. Students show late and leave at half...... keep in mind this game was NOT over at half. That in my opinion is the biggest issue here which RG needs to address. No commit worth a damn is coming to play in front of 30k people with an apathetic fan base and no students. RG needs to up his efforts on attendance and facilities. That is his concern as an AD.... Do that and keep HCCM in place and let him grow this team and we have a shot. But no matter how good RG is this program will never rebound without new facilities and butts in the seat..... THAT is RG's job. Not his fault this team sucks right now.
 
It keeps getting more and more difficult but I'll never stop caring or donating. Then, I'd feel like I was doing my own small part in this program's demise.
 
Not sure what the point is. To tell RG we will always suck and it bums you out?

The point is that except for the diehards, the fans (and donors) are walking away....Rick needs to know the sense of urgency, if he doesn't get it already. A "real" facilities announcement would be a good start.
 
The point is that except for the diehards, the fans (and donors) are walking away....Rick needs to know the sense of urgency, if he doesn't get it already. A "real" facilities announcement would be a good start.

I'm pretty sure Mike Bohn had a sense of urgency and wanted to make a "real" facilities announcement... You need to direct your letter higher up the chain.
 
I'm pretty sure Mike Bohn had a sense of urgency and wanted to make a "real" facilities announcement... You need to direct your letter higher up the chain.

Show me any successful BCS athletic program, and I will show you an AD who can put together a program to generate significant dollars from the alumni. That is his ****ing job, and it is why Bohn was fired.
 
Show me any successful BCS athletic program, and I will show you an AD who can put together a program to generate significant dollars from the alumni. That is his ****ing job, and it is why Bohn was fired.

You will also see administrative support.
 
People are forgetting just how bad we were last year. This team is better.

Baby steps. We're playing in arguably the best conference in the country, going winless in it wouldn't surprise me. (although I think we're going to beat Cal)

Attendance is going to be bad in the coming years, the students are not going to come to games, it may look like a Kansas home game every week. We need to accept that and plan for it financially.
 
Well CU's attendance was pretty good throughout the HaLk era, and through Embo's first year, it went off a cliff in Embo's 2d year. For seven years CU has abused the goodwill of it's fans by letting the FB team slide into mediocrity, then to comical depths. Dr. Phil, BB and MB are the culprits. That and the nepotism the ran the team for five years.
 
I am not ready to give up all hope. I see improvements and have faith we can be respectable in 3 years or so. But I totally get where you are coming from.
 
Other than bitching, what was the point of this letter? What is your ask? Your call to action? The thing needs a punch line other than you're pissed off we sucked this bad for this long. I'm pissed too, but let's direct the anger:

1. Facilities announcement. Now
2. Distef fired.
3. Commit to recruit, get guys on the staff that know how to get it done.
4. Comprehensive academic support plan. Get guys in.
 
Other than bitching, what was the point of this letter? What is your ask? Your call to action? The thing needs a punch line other than you're pissed off we sucked this bad for this long. I'm pissed too, but let's direct the anger:

1. Facilities announcement. Now
2. Distef fired.
3. Commit to recruit, get guys on the staff that know how to get it done.
4. Comprehensive academic support plan. Get guys in.
This.
 
Other than bitching, what was the point of this letter? What is your ask? Your call to action? The thing needs a punch line other than you're pissed off we sucked this bad for this long. I'm pissed too, but let's direct the anger:

1. Facilities announcement. Now
2. Distef fired.
3. Commit to recruit, get guys on the staff that know how to get it done.
4. Comprehensive academic support plan. Get guys in.

**** it....I would rather just bitch, bitch.
 
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