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TOUGH GOING FOR A TOUGH TEAM

Part I of 5: A Beautiful Day For A Football Game...

t was a gorgeous day for football in Boulder. The sun was shining and it easily was close to 70 degrees on the field. The stands at Folsom Stadium were packed and everyone was enjoying the spectacular weather. Thousands of fans participated in the pre-game ritual of tailgate parties and enjoyed food and beverages before the Big Game between the nominally-ranked University of Colorado Buffaloes football team and the despised and unranked Nebraska Cornhuskers.

I had not been to a college football contest in over three decades. There were years my college alma mater's team (Princeton) would have had trouble competing with my high school alma mater's team (Fairview High School in Boulder). Now, thanks to CU's Sports Information Director, Dave Plati -- for the biggest game of the season and one being televised nationally on ABC -- I was give access to every vantage point in the stadium -- from the stands to the end zone to the Press Box above the fray to the field itself, where I stood with the players.

I could tell the CU team was fired up but I was surprised when a group of them went over to the 50-yard line before the game started and shouted at the Nebraska players. They allegedly were "talking trash" to the NU team. That conduct struck me not only as unsportsmanlike but unwise, if not self-destructive. Why would anyone be undisciplined and dim-witted enough to get an opposing team fired up against his or her own team?

It reminded me of professional players who talked dismissively of opponents, who made winning predictions or who spoke in a derogatory manner before a game. You had to wonder about the professionalism, sportsmanship, and intelligence of these players. Such comments were used only to motivate the player or team being slandered. What was the point of giving your opponent and advantage?

I could see this being done by 10 year-olds whose coach had forgotten to teach them the etiquette and wisdom of keeping one's mouth shut and doing one's talking via performing on the field. To see college and professional athletes do this over and over again surprised me. Was it pure stupidity? Lack of control? An absence of discipline? Poor preparation? Was the point spread so great it made the Buffaloes overconfident or even arrogant? The CU team members struck me as a good group of young men. I hoped this wasn't representative of the team. Ultimately, however, was apocryphal.o

NEXT: NU And CU: The Return of "Freaky Friday"

Aaron Harber hosts "The Aaron Harber Show," seen Fridays at 9:00 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm on PBS Station KBDI-TV Channel 12. Please go to www.HarberTV.com for more information. Send your comments and topic suggestions for both columns and TV shows to Aaron@HarberTV.com. You also may view programs on a 24/7 basis via the “Broadcast Videos” section of the Website. Many of Aaron's columns also are available on the Website on the page entitled “Aaron’s Opinions.” You often can find them in The Colorado Statesman (www.ColoradoStatesman.com) as well as in The Denver Daily News (www.DenverDailyNews.com).

TOUGH GOING FOR A TOUGH TEAM

Part 2 of 5: NU And CU: The Return of "Freaky Friday"

Watching the supposedly superior and heavily favored CU Buffaloes play against the unranked, supposedly stumbling Nebraska Cornhuskers, with a coach whose job was in jeopardy that very day, reminded me of the movie "Freaky Friday." In "Freaky Friday," a mother and daughter accidentally change bodies and each has to live the life of the other until another freak event switches them back to normal. This Friday, while the switch between CU and NU clearly happened after only several minutes of play, it appeared the switch back never would occur.

For those who attended the Nebraska game, almost the entire game was stunning. Except for an initial CU drive which stalled and resulted in a field goal by arguably CU's best player - placekicker Mason Crosby (who many claim is kicking better than anyone in the NFL and who likely is headed to a multi-million dollar contract whenever he decides to "turn pro") -- and a 3-0 lead, the rest of the game was all Nebraska. What was astonishing was the flawless play of a team barely over .500 on the road against a team which had its seniors playing their final home game and who, with a win, would claim the Northern Division title of the Big 12 and automatically be invited to the league's Championship Game.

Most teams with this opportunity would be fired up. CU had almost two weeks to prepare for this game, Surprisingly, the team was as flat as a pancake and got further flattened by a Cornhusker defense which stymied everything the Buffs tried to do. To make matters worse, the Nebraska offense then spent almost the entire game running and passing the football at will. At times, especially when a Cornhusker receiver appeared to have only fans nearby, the CU team appeared absent in every sense of the word. Making matters worse were a number of thoughtless penalties called on the Buffs. Some of them killed CU drives, others kept Nebraska drives going, and all of them made fans wonder about the preparation, training, and discipline of the Colorado team.

For many fans, it was the worst whipping of CU they ever had seen. While there had been more lopsided scores in the past, what was strange about this game was CU had been favored by as much as two touchdowns and a field goal before the teams went on the field. Few fans expected CU's team to lose and all of them certainly thought the Buffaloes has a better-than 50-50 chance of winning.

If a blowout happened, the consensus was it would be CU -- not Nebraska -- on top. It appeared there was one Thanksgiving turkey left after that special day after all. Maybe CU was in a charitable mood, thanks to the holidays, and just wanted to establish a giving tradition. It did that by giving away field position time after time, fumbling the ball, and allowing the wrong team to catch it. It wasn't a pretty picture.

NEXT: The Permeation of Losing

TOUGH GOING FOR A TOUGH TEAM

Part 3 of 5: The Permeation of Losing

The issue of discipline at the University of Colorado has loomed large over the past few weeks. At the Nebraska game, players allegedly taunted opponents. While "talking trash" is accepted by many players, coaches, and institutions, it has no place in sports -- especially at the amateur level. CU players either hadn't been taught good sportsmanship or willfully ignored the instructions of their coaching staff.

During the game, CU set itself back time and time again with penalties -- many of them for unsportsmanlike conduct, such as late hits. There was no question the game was called poorly and, for the most part, was prejudiced against the Buffaloes. The bigger surprise was the players' inability to adjust and rein themselves in enough to avoid more penalties. Instead, they kept getting nailed.

Turnovers hurt CU, too. Although the Cornhuskers were outplaying the Buffs in almost every aspect of the game, giving away the ball was a killer. "An old-fashioned butt-whipping" was what everyone saw. It was enjoyed by the legions of red-clad Nebraska fans crowding the northern end of Folsom Stadium. What the turnovers was raise instructional and discipline questions.

In the Press Box, I could tell almost everyone was surprised at what was happening far below, on the field. The Press Box announcer was none other than Jim Conrad, who I got to know when he was at WB2 while I was doing political analysis for the Station. He was doing a great job and it was tempting to stay there and listen to him call the game. I sat next to former State Republican legislator Cliff Dodge and -- in a rare moment -- he was at a loss for words. I spoke with a Nebraska television station sports reporter, whose station was an ABC affiliate and was carrying the game. He was more surprised than anyone in the stadium. "They haven't played this well all year," he opined. It took him to the fourth quarter before he believed the Cornhuskers were not going to find a way to lose.

Sadly, the situation got worse as CU fans vented their frustration by throwing various objects on the field. It was understandable how disappointed CU fans were as they watched their team throw away what most thought was their only chance to get to the Big 12 title game but the fans behavior wasn't justified. The ignorance this behavior demonstrated was overwhelming -- along with poor sportsmanship. There seemed to be so little effort on the field, fans were ready to revolt but their own behavior was inexcusable. One could only guess it was alcohol-fueled, in part.

The afternoon was tragic as CU was being showcased nationally in the worst way possible. Its team beat itself with meager discipline, terrible attitudes, turnovers, and poor execution. That was bad enough. Now some of its students and other fans were expanding the horror as a national audience watched officials empty two complete stadium student sections of object-throwing fans before the game was allowed to continue. Again, the specter of poor sportsmanship, arrogance, entitlement, and a lack of discipline permeated the event.

As the game ended, I felt terrible for the team, for Coach Gary Barnett, for new CU President Hank Brown, and for the many people who support the University. I always like to see any Colorado team do well and this was the antithesis of what a football program should be all about.

NEXT: How To Make A Rout Look Good

TOUGH GOING FOR A TOUGH TEAM

Part 4 of 5: How To Make A Rout Look Good

Who would have guessed the 30 to 3 demolition of the Colorado Buffaloes football team by the unranked, stumbling Nebraska Cornhuskers on November 25th would look good in comparison to the total devastation wrought by the University of Texas Longhorns a week later, on December 3rd?

After the Nebraska game, the Colorado Buffaloes had thought their hopes for a Big 12 Northern Division championship were dashed by their devastating defeat at the hands of NU but just a day later new life was breathed into them when Kansas upset Iowa State in overtime. This allowed CU to back into title and the championship game in Houston a week later. Few CU players expressed excitement at backing into the championship game, however, and that foreshadowed the upcoming match between the Number 2 team in the country -- which already had thrashed CU during the regular season -- and the now hapless Buffs.

Indeed, the Texas game not only was worse than Nebraska, it was unimaginably horrendous for CU. Despite playing almost even statistically, at first, CU fell behind 35-3 before the second quarter was close to being over. Texas could do no wrong and the Buffs got pulverized by a final score of 70-3. It was one of the worst beatings ever suffered by a CU sports team and could only be described as a "total humiliation." Once again, CU failed to show up for the game.

In the space of one week, national audiences watched CU's football team lose twice by a collective score of 100 to 6. They saw a rash of penalties and turnovers as well as a large group of fans who went beyond being unruly. It was a bad week for those of us who think highly of the University and its many achievements -- especially those in the academic arena.

The week also had to be a terrible one for Coach Gary Barnett. Most people would assume it will cost him his job. The real question is, "Who do you get to replace a football coach at this level?" While Barnett's teams typically were not ranked in the Top Ten, he usually had a team which was ranked or nearly ranked at some time in most of his coaching seasons. Out of less than 120 universities and colleges with Division 1 football teams, only 8% or so have Top Ten coaches.

Finding a replacement for Barnett will be a bigger challenge than letting him go. And because of how Barnett's contract is structured -- he may have to be paid $2 million if he is fired now -- there is a real question of what CU actually financially can afford to do. These stunning numbers raise the question whether football is part of the University or if the University is part of football. With an ongoing investigation into Barnett's summer football camps generating additional negative impressions of the University, at some point the bleeding will have to be stopped.

These various numbers also may result in greater scrutiny of the entire football program and, perhaps, of all intercollegiate sports in general. Are CU's athletic programs any different than hundreds of others around the nation? Should universities and colleges be spending hundreds of millions of dollars on these programs? With some conferences and even individual schools cutting their own television deals, has the college sports world become solely about money? If so, would it make more sense to spin off these programs as separate business enterprises operated by colleges or other organizations?

NEXT: What Does It All Mean?

TOUGH GOING FOR A TOUGH TEAM

Part 5 of 5: What Does It All Mean?

The reality is that, after losing three games in a row, after displaying a lack of discipline on the field, after being unprepared for three consecutive "big" games, after failing to make game-time adjustments, after players admitted they were unmotivated and cannot seem to find a way to become motivated again, and after humiliating losses highlighted by atrocious fan behavior, someone has to finally admit something is seriously wrong at the University of Colorado. My guess is Hank Brown, CU's new President, knows all of this. His challenge is to figure out what to do.

Brown can't be happy with the Quadruple Embarrassment -- i.e., sequentially losing to Iowa State, losing badly to Nebraska, losing humiliatingly to Texas, and having the University's good name smeared by its own fans - with broadcasts of nearly all of this on national television. Brown, a CU alumnus and a former football player, knows what a good coach must do. A good coach has to successfully recruit top-notch players. A good coach has to prepare his team for a season and for each game. A good coach has to be able to make game-time adjustments. A good coach has to make sure his players develop as successful students and individuals. And a good coach needs to win.

Great coaches do most or even all of these, often today with the help of assistant coaches who specialize in a particular area. Finding coaches who can do most or all of these is no easy task for a Division 1 school.

Given the cost of football and other athletic programs and given the millions of dollars of resources directed to these programs, is it time to question why academic institutions such as the University of Colorado are so extraordinarily committed to these non-academic programs? Can we justify the value of the experience of playing on an intercollegiate team (which, indeed, can be an extraordinary life experience)?

An often ignored issue is the fact many players never are graduated from their schools. The schools are farm teams for professional leagues. Often student-athletes are isolated from the rest of a school's students. They don't have anything close to a normal campus life. Are schools exploiting players who they know are not academically viable? Are players exploiting schools with whom they have little association? Is everyone happy using each other? And where might athletic resources be otherwise directed if so much time and money were not spent on such programs?

CU will go to a nominal bowl game and, hopefully, will find a way to win. Win or lose, it's time for all of us to begin thinking more seriously about the role of intercollegiate sports, the problems they create, and the opportunities schools may be foregoing by allowing such an emphasis to be placed on those sports.