Plati-'Tudes: 2001 In Review And More!

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Don't Miss The Latest Edition Of Plati-'Tudes, Volume III, Issue I

Jan. 14, 2002

BOULDER - A bi-weekly notes column penned by David Plati, who is in his 18th year as Colorado's Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations.

Merry New Year, to steal a line from Eddie Murphy in Trading Places! ... My resolution one of many, including the usual one to shrink, is to be more consistent in bringing Plati-'Tudes to those of you who love it. Or print it out and use it for some kind of kindling...

TRIVIA QUESTIONS... CU --In the short five year basketball history of the Big 12, which conference team or teams do the Buffs own the best record against at home? Godfather -- Many of the scenes in Godfather II depicting life in New York City in 1917 were filmed where in Manhattan?

THE HESTERA PLAN... Former CU tight end Dave Hestera, now a local chiropractor, dropped by the other day. As we were catching up a bit, he floated out his plan for a college football playoff. Now either I've never heard this before, or I'm nuts and this has always been out there. But I'm thinking the former-Dave's idea is to play two weekend of playoff games-in early December-to feed the four BCS bowls. With the creation of a lot more money, there would be no league championship games, the first weekend in December, the top eight BCS schools play, with the four winners advancing to a second round the following week and the four losers being picked up by two of the four BCS bowls. Then the winners the following week meet in the national championship game, and the other two fill in the remaining BCS bowl. There you go, two weeks of playoffs setting up the bowl season and nothing else has to change. I kind of like it, though a few questions come up: where would the games be played, what's the motivation for a bowl game for the losers from the second round (and perhaps the first round), and could fans afford to follow their favorite team for three weeks around the holidays? On the plus side, that abbreviated playoff schedule has a minimal affect on academics. If in effect this year, round one would have seen No. 1 Miami vs. No. 8 Illinois, No. 2 Nebraska vs. No. 7 Texas, No. 3 Colorado vs. No. 6 Tennessee, and No. 4 Oregon vs. No. 5 Florida.

MONDAY NIGHT FICTION... Interesting broadcast Monday night (Jan. 14) on TNT - Monday Night Mayhem, the story of how Monday Night Football evolved at ABC. Except somebody forgot to check some facts. Start with one of the opening scenes, where it was circa 1968 and Howard Cosell was chatting with his wife on some penthouse roof. In the background in the distance, the World Trade Center towers, problem is, the first one wasn't completed until 1970 and the second until 1972. Beyond that, I just had to phone Keith Jackson about half way through to find out what, if anything, was portrayed involving him was true. He didn't' even know he was in it and asked if they had even mentioned his name. Oh, you were in it Keith, portrayed not too complimentary in my mind: he was on the broadcast team in the first year (1970), with Cosell and Don Meredith. I threw about five things I remembered from the part with him in it at Keith and only one was remotely true (his topcoat was stolen in Philadelphia). For example, he didn't find out he was being taken off the broadcasts at the registration desk of the Milwaukee Inn. Or that a wayward Cosell cigar set his pant leg on fire. And the traditional "Whoa, Nellie," always attributed to him that he says he has said one time: in a commercial (Doritos, I think). Ah, Hollywood and sports, always an interesting, and usually never 100 percent factual, mix. Best wishes to KJ, who undergoes two knee replacements this Wednesday (Jan. 16), sidelining him from golf for at least three months.

TOP TEN... So the Colorado football team's return to glory was the second top story in the state in 2001, according to the Associated Press, trailing the Avs and Ray Bourque's quest and winning of the Stanley Cup. Okay, I'll buy that. So with that in mind, here are 10 of my random thoughts to wrap up 2001:

  1. So four Big 12 teams rank among the nation's top nine at season's end, but the champion, which by far played the toughest schedule, was ranked last of the four. That's right, Colorado came in at No. 9, behind No. 5 Texas, No. 6 Oklahoma and most puzzling, No. 7/8 Nebraska. Nebraska, along with Florida, Florida State and Tennessee, are teams that rarely suffer enough after a loss, a testimony to their tradition, it's not meant as an insult. Nebraska probably should have dropped further after the 62-36 defeat to the Buffs, and despite losing by 23 to Miami, hopped over the Buffs in the final poll. Yes, I know Colorado lost by 22 to Oregon, but CU was in that game for a half while Nebraska was in theirs for a quarter. Some of the reason is that voters were encouraged to vote if they could while the game was in progress so the final polls could be released later that evening, meaning some may have chose not to penalize the Huskers in case they came back to make a game of it. But the most amazing thing to me was that while Miami was a unanimous No. 1, receiving every first place vote in both polls, Oregon was not the unanimous No. 2. What were those (few) voters thinking?
  1. Speaking of polls, one of my favorite mistruths out there is that the ESPN/USA Today poll is a sports information or graduate assistant poll, not the head coaches poll. I really kind of wonder where this started. My role with Gary's ballot is to coordinate it with him every Saturday night, the onus is on me to remember and to get with him, so it's one less thing he has to worry about. I think in two years of doing it, I might have recommended the 24th or 25th place teams a couple of times - after all, it's his poll. Even if there are SID's or GA's doing the voting, USA Today reserves the right to question or even kick out any ballot it deems unorthodox (i.e., if Colorado or Nebraska appeared at No. 21 on someone's ballot prior for the last regular season poll, that would have been called into question).
  1. Let's get the whining out of the way. The penalty that cost CU a touchdown in the third quarter probably could have went either way, it was close. But the general feeling is that the Oregon sideline called it, as the referee thus threw the flag from some 10-15 yards behind the play. I figure I can say this since David Parry, head of the Big 10 officials who was on hand in the ABC booth, said essentially the same thing during the broadcast. Did it matter? Who knows... maybe CU rallies, or maybe the final score is simply altered to 38-23. But as quarterback Bobby Pesavento said, that call seemed to deflate what emotion the Buffs had left at the time. And did anyone catch a most similar play in the NFL playoffs between Philadelphia and Tampa Bay? Joe Theisman pointed out that the ball has to be over the line of scrimmage, not the player...
  1. To the three Nebraska fans who bombarded this department and the Boulder Camera with grade school map drawings, general gloating and in one case, an advertisement in the Camera sports section, it's been a little over a week since the NU-Miami game-haven't heard from you. Are you okay? We're all worried about you. For those who didn't see the advertisement in the Camera, it said the following: "Dear Colorado Buffaloes. Thank you for an early Christmas present: The Heisman Trophy winner playing in the Rose Bowl for the National Championship. Sincerely, Nebraska Cornhusker Fans." Other than that not being eligible for a Pulitzer any time soon, you have to wonder what this person's point was.
  1. Boston's National Anthem at the Fiesta Bowl. They got together five days ahead of the game to rehearse the anthem, which quite frankly I didn't expect to be an instrumental until it was announced when the band was introduced. Had I known it was going to turn out the way it did, I would've gotten David Bowie (the rendition wasn't that bad, was it? We could only hear the muffled version through the press box windows).
  1. Have you noticed that the Buffaloes are a solid fourth in the Sears Cup Standings through fall sports? The Buffs scored points in four of five fall sports that completed their seasons as of Jan. 8 (men's and women's cross country, football, and women's volleyball). Colorado had 251 points, trailing Stanford (521), North Carolina (305) and UCLA (271), three perennial Sears Cup top fivers. Stanford already has more points than maybe 12-15 programs will have at the end of the season, thanks to two national titles (women's volleyball, men's water polo) and a second in cross country. U.S. News & World Report is in the midst of a study to determine what might be the best way to rank college programs around the country, they're skeptical of the Sears Cup. I tend to agree, since it's based on raw points and not points per sports competing in.
  1. The Issel affair. No one is going to say that Dan said the right thing, he didn't. But he is a good man and hopefully in the long run he won't be remembered for that one slip-up. But the overriding feeling by many of us in the business (on both sides - media and admin types) is that KUSA could have held off a day and went to Dan first to get his reaction before airing. They'd never agree with that - it was deemed an immediate story, though that is a matter of opinion. And they might have decided to air it because being the team's official station, the news side people never want to come off as playing favorites. But I guarantee if the shoe was on the other foot, that's probably what they'd ask for. Myself and a couple of PR colleagues one day jotted down indiscretions we knew about media people in this town, things generally not known publicly, and it wasn't a short list when we were done. People would be shocked at what a few of our locals have done (and no, I'm not publishing a list of what I know, but suffice it to say, I'd make some enemies very quickly). But a few of the "bubbleheads" proved worst in 2001, ranging from the Oklahoma City Fox reporter who called to see if I would confirm that the crash of one of three planes involving the Oklahoma State basketball team was the one carrying the starters (like that made it more of a story), to the local who had the audacity to ask if we were going to ask the police to hold off on an investigation until after the Fiesta Bowl. And that doesn't include one Denver TV station driving to athlete's homes at random to see if that's where a recruit party took place (waking them up on the first day of finals), or the ridiculous "copter chase" last week following Mike Shanahan around Denver while Florida was flirting with him to replace Steve Spurrier. Hey guys, you missed him at the drive-thru window at Wendy's (or did the overhang block the shot?)!
  1. The Boulder Camera's open records request for a CU athlete's name as it related to an on-going police investigation (but in which no charges have yet to be filed), and then in an editorial bashing CU for not turning it over. Bet would they provide that of any of their employees, many of who are public figures, if the situation was reversed? I know which way I'd bet (if the NCAA allowed me to). But we at CU are used to these kind of requests, you should see the list of frivolous things asked of this office. Someone actually asked for a copy of my personal calendar (and the athletic director's as well), demanding that it was a public document. It took the CU lawyers about 60 seconds to find established law where that wasn't the case. But in the long haul, it cost valuable time and money that could have been directed elsewhere.
  1. The question I've received the most since the bowl loss (and I'm not the only one to get this one) is what happened? I'm not the expert, and I might have more of a handle on the team than most, but my first thought is that Oregon came out with something to prove the same way we did against Nebraska. If you recall, we kept hearing for weeks that it was going to be a Nebraska-Oklahoma rematch in the Big 12 championship game, that played into our hands. Well, Oregon kept hearing for weeks about how hot Colorado was, how Colorado deserved to be in the Rose Bowl, how the Buffs were America's Team, etc., and the fact remained that BCS No. 4 Nebraska not only jumped No. 3 CU to get to the national championship game, it really leapfrogged No. 2 Oregon. I didn't think we came out flat, and everyone closely associated with the team felt we practiced as good as we had all year, Gary was beaming about that. The Ducks did prove to be fast, and the combination of stuffing eight and nine in the "box" against the run with the ability of their corners not to let our receivers get free stifled us most of the day on offense. And defensively, Oregon did a good job exposing some of our weaknesses that we had managed to hide for the most part all season. Though it stung, the bowl loss shouldn't tarnish the season or the memories the Buffaloes brought us in 2001.
  1. The JOA. The "Joint Operating Agreement" between the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News, that is, it eliminated the Saturday Post and Sunday News. So, did anyone else miss two Sunday papers during football season besides me? Most of us football junkies love to peruse several sports sections for the different takes, and with one less paper, some of that was missing. And the same is holding true in basketball, preps and colleges are suffering the most because they dominate the sports scene on Fridays and Saturdays.

BUFFS SCORE BIG RATINGS... Colorado's last two games of the 2001 regular season ranked 1-2 for the regular season for ABC. The CU-Nebraska game from Boulder on Dec. 23 drew a 6.4 rating and 12 share, reaching an estimated 6.4 million homes and 9.4 million viewers. The Big 12 Championship game against Texas from Irving also drew a 6.4 rating and a 12 share, with a 28 rating and 46 share in the Denver-metro area. What's a rating point? Straight from Matt Tatham of Nielson Research (and a P-Tudes fan): the total number of households in the U.S. for the 2001-2002 broadcast season is 105,500,000. Hence, a Household Rating Percent of 1 is equal to approximately 1,055,000 households. The share is the percent of the households using television (HUT) that are tuned to a specific program or station at a specified time. A share does not immediately tie back to an actual number, because it is a percent of a constantly changing number: TV sets in use. And in Denver, a rating point is 13,816 homes.

VIDEO LIBRARY... I haven't had time to check this out, but P-Tudes fan Chris Wilson (no, not our line coach) wrote in with the following information: "I wanted to let you know where people can find old CU classic games (Orange Bowl, Miracle in Michigan, CU v. NE 2001, Big 12 Champ., etc...). Here's the website: http://www.kinet.or.jp/caesar/football/college/colorado_buffaloes.html. If that doesn't work go to Google and search "colorado buffaloes videos." Then go to Colorado Buffaloes-football video list. Hopefully this will be a gold mine for those of you looking for old tapes!

FORMER BUFF OFF TO DUTY... Former CU football player Dale Bain, who married former marketing assistant Sue Mraz a few years back, sent this E-mail out a few days ago, I thought I'd share it with you in its entirety, especially since many of you know one or both of them:

"Dearest friends and family: Please forgive the form letter nature of this note. I am writing to let you know that I am thinking of you as I wrap up a few things here in Raymond, N.H. As you may have already learned, my Reserve unit, Headquarters Company, 25th Marine Regiment, was activated on Wednesday, December 12th. Beginning Monday, December 17th, I will be in a Military Leave of Absence status from work. Our activation is for a period of at least six months and can be extended to as much as two years. Fortunately, I will be home with my Sue, Tyler and Crista for the holidays, and the company will have plenty of time to gather up our equipment before shipping out to Marine Corps Base, Camp LeJeune, N.C. I appreciate the support and prayers that each of you has given us. My experience in the Marines has been that this is a small world, so I expect to "bump" into you somewhere along the line. Good luck and God Bless all of you and your families.

"There is a saying I read on a T-shirt or bumper sticker that I would like to share. It goes: Sleep safe tonight knowing that your Marine Corps is on duty. Take care of yourselves and each other. Semper fidelis, Major Dale W Bain."

Dale draws upon his experiences from his days on the CU football team, which he joined as a walk-on. "I used to tell people while I was on active duty, life in a peacetime that the military is like making the varsity squad, but the season has not begun. You train and practice, but there is no 'game' at the end of the week. Granted, risking men and women's lives is not at all a game, but for those who can appreciate the dedication and determination it takes to 'make the team,' it's the best analogy that I can come up with."

WHERE THEY ARE NOW... Jacques Tuz was in town over the Kansas weekend, catching up with the few of us left around from his playing days on the Buff basketball team. A 16-year resident of New Zealand, he officially has "the accent." Jacques played pro ball for a few years in Europe and in New Zealand (he is proud that he played a few games last year at the age of 41). He is coaching and teaching where he lives, about 30 miles northeast of Auckland on Waiheke Island, and is the father of three. He is just getting into this e-mail thing, so stay tuned for his address.

WHERE THEY ARE NOW II... Former Buff Reid Long, a center on the 1983-86 CU teams, recently wrote in with this update of what he's been up to: "I work for Citigroup doing Merger & Acquisitions, for the credit card group. I have been living in Dallas (Southlake) for three-and-a-half years, and have a wonderful wife and three future Buffs (Reid Jr. 6, Cade 3 and Lauren, six months). With the family and work I don't get back to Colorado much, but I watch what games I can and have been to a few away games over the years depending on where I was living at the time. I have spoken with Coach Mac a few times and have sent notes to a few former coaches as they have moved on to head coach positions around the country. Tell Coach Barnett hello and good luck!" Reid was a member of the '83 recruiting class, and with Barnett arriving a year later, the two know each other well. Thank for writing in, Reid (who wore No. 58)!

TSN MENTION... In the most recent issue of The Sporting News, the magazine ranked CU's offensive line second in the nation, behind Miami, Fla., and also gave its "Power Steering" award to the Ralphie Handlers, of they referred, "Colorado's raging, live buffalo mascot."

STRAUSS RECOVERING WELL... One of our own (from SID-land) is doing well after undergoing a liver transplant, as Mike Strauss, who worked here as a student assistant in the 1980s, underwent the surgery in early December but is now at home in Logan, Utah, recuperating. Strauss' travels after CU took him to the Big Eight office and then Oklahoma State before settling in as the SID at Utah State in the mid-90s. He recently sent an e-mail to about 100 of us who sent him well-wishes during his recovery, and particularly moving with the classic Strauss touch at the end of the note. He closed with: "Chapter 12 - Thanks. No matter what happens to me in my post-transplant life, whether I live to be 100 or die within a year, I want to thank everyone for the support, prayers and wishes. All of this made me push to go on and I know I didn't go through any of this alone. As I always like to say, "Thanks for your continued interest in the Program."

MORE NEBRASKA... Some letters from Nebraska fans have been printed in local papers regarding occurrences at this year's game, some of the points made were true, others grossly exaggerated, but that happens. CU fan Bill Trump of Manhattan Beach, who had this to say: "I was at the game and will carry my ticket stub in my wallet for a long time. Fantastic memories. And one very distasteful one. When the Colorado marching band was playing our alma mater, the Nebraska crowd did one of their cheers and tried to drown out the band. I was on the fifty in the east stands and watched their cheerleaders and plastic mascot lead the chant. They were in position ahead of time and I will always believe that it was planned. I have never heard an opposing side (Miami U excepting) do that in my 30-40 years of watching college games. I was and still am amazed that the folks from Nebraska did that." We did manage to end a two-game run where Nebraska took the field during our senior ceremony, but anyone will tell you that pregame timing isn't an exact science and I'd like to think that wasn't deliberate. But for those Nebraska fans that chimed in about how they were treated, maybe the cause was disrupting our alma mater. Can't we all just get along?

THIS WEEK'S NUMBER... 22. That was the margin of victory for Ceal Barry's Buffaloes last Saturday night over Oklahoma State in a 79-57 win. But would you believe that was only the fourth largest margin of victory for the CU women since Big 12 play started in January, 1997? And the three of larger margins all took place in January or February of '97. Nine of CU's 11 wins this year have been by 20 or more points, with the average margin of victory a stout 27.7.

TRIVIA ANSWERS.. CU -- Colorado is 4-1 against both Iowa State (the Cyclones come calling this Wednesday) and Kansas State. Godfather -- On 6th Street in the East Village between Avenues A and B... where my very own brother now has his apartment.