Plati-'tudes
Aug. 11, 2001
A bi-weekly notes column penned by David Plati, who is in his 18th year as Colorado's Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations.
Just when I was struggling to come up with a topic or two to discuss, the Denver Post announced it wouldn't call Invesco Field at Mile High by its official name... Great! Now I have a topic to chew on...
TRIVIA QUESTIONS... CU-As the major league baseball season hit the dog days of August, who was the last Buffalo to play in the majors? Godfather-It's well documented that there was a trade of sorts between production companies, when The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight traded Al Pacino to The Godfather for Robert DeNiro. But what part was DeNiro going to play?
POSITIONING TO BE KING OF THE HILL AGAIN... Some really good news quietly surfaced recently for our ski team. Both Maria Wik and Mari Storeng, listed as seniors last winter, have been granted an additional year of eligibility by the NCAA. Both started their collegiate careers late because they were pursuing Olympic dreams, something that is encouraged by the NCAA, it's especially good news for Wik, who missed most of last year after she suffered a broken leg in a freaky fall in an icy parking lot. The men, meanwhile, have gained the services of Jed Schuetze, a transfer from Utah. He finished eighth in the NCAA slalom in March and had several top five finishes on the year, including a third place slalom effort in the CU Invitational at Eldora. The Buffs won't host a meet this winter, as it's CU's turn to miss in the rotation. There are no meets that conflict with the Salt Lake City Olympics, and the NCAA West Regional and NCAA Championships will both take place in Anchorage, Alaska, between February 27 and March 9. The Buffs placed third in the 2001 NCAA meet, which came on the heels of a runner-up effort in 2000 that had followed back-to-back national titles in 1998 and 1999.
SAY WHAT? I thought newspapers were supposed to report the news, not make it. The Denver Post announced on August 7 that it will drop the Invesco Field "moniker" (as it referred) for the new Denver Broncos stadium and will continue referring to it as Mile High Stadium. The main reason given by the editor of the paper, Glenn Guzzo, was that the community still thinks of the new place as good 'ol MHS. Well, you know what, it's not, the simple fact is Mile High Stadium as we've known it will be torn down and will go the way of Ebbetts and Forbes fields, the Polo Grounds and Boston Garden. I worked game days for 20 years in the old MHS for the Broncos and spent one year with the AAA Denver Bears, and to me, Mile High Stadium is the place that sat on top of an old landfill, had a centerfield fence 420 feet from home plate (and something like 12 feet high), had the south stands completely detached from the rest of the stadium, and had nooks and crannies only those of us who worked or played there probably ever knew about. That's the Mile High Stadium I know.
I've never been big on having to attach corporate names to everything, but they do help pay a lot of bills (or reduce taxes in the case of new stadiums). Through the years, I would refer to it as the "FedEx Orange Bowl" in the initial reference, and then just "Orange Bowl" thereafter (unless the bowl carried the name of the sponsor, i.e., Insight.com Bowl). The sponsor does need the bang for the buck, and how many references to the name of the stadium ever appear in a game story? The average is probably one, and the Post has decided not to acknowledge it. Would the same decision had been made if the new stadium had been called Denver Post Field at Mile High? In my humble opinion, there is the "can of worms" potential here, not only from the sponsorship angle, but reporting based on what the community at large thinks. Let's see that one enacted when the community at large doesn't want to read about people's indiscretions or thinks a columnist is an idiot and should be fired. And no one has had a problem calling it the Pepsi Center and not McNichols Arena.
Personally, I usually refer to the place as the new Mile High when speaking, but in print, the first reference will carry Invesco Field in all our notes regarding the CU-CSU game. The new stadium is a new place, a different place and was given a different name. My two cents, for what it's worth,
OPEN vs. CLOSED PRACTICES... The issue that Coach Barnett decided to close practices to the media has been a topic of conversation this past week, as Boulder Camera sports editor Neill Woelk wrote basically a tongue-in-cheek column on August 8 about the subject. First, the scenario: practices are in fact closed to the media, however, the first 20 minutes are open for photography needs (or if a TV station can't get a camera for an extended period of time, we'd let them in at the tail end). Any legitimate media person can attend during this window, as long as they have been approved through my office. We also agreed back on July 30 at our annual beat media dinner that at least the first scrimmage on Aug. 11 would be open, so they can get a feel for things as well as making for better TV. Also, with the team day off shifting from Monday to Sunday, player interviews are again allowed on Monday, joining Tuesdays and Wednesdays, or increasing the opportunities to three days (hardly anyone ever showed on Sunday in the past, especially after road games). Want a comparison on availability? Kansas State's players are available once, and for only 30 minutes per week. We probably average 8-10 interviews a week alone that are 30 minutes by themselves.
There were comparisons to the NFL, but those are easily dismissed, as the entire NFL is open during training camp (and at most it would be impossible to conduct closed practices anyway). Around a third of the NFL teams close their practices during the season, however, according to Jim Saccomano, the Bronco PR director (and the best in the business).
The real truth of the matter is that when practices were open to the public, we'd average maybe 15-20 fans per session (though we'd get good crowds for scrimmages). That in my eyes is proof that there is no correlation to ticket sales, one of the arguments Neill made for open practices to the public, sure it's fun to attend (unless you have to go 100 times a year, then it wears off, trust me) and it is great PR, but times have changed. And without naming names, there are a couple of media members pleased that they don't have to attend most of practice and still get interviews, the meat of their job, before or after as in the past. We toyed with the Bronco policy that if we remained open to the media, they'd have to attend every minute of it, just like a coach or player, otherwise they'd be excluded the first time they missed any part of any session. But that made sense only if we were based in Denver, because we know the TV stations wouldn't spend two hours up here at practice.
Why did Gary want practices closed? There was no one reason or incident. We talked at length about it, and anyone who knows me I've almost always advocated open practices, but a few years back we had formation stuff shown on television that wasn't supposed to make it to the tube, and then it was written about and that sealed the deal in Rick Neuheisel's final year ('98). When Gary got here, we opened them back up to the media in the fall (spring has remained open), but with the Internet and people out there that feel a need to tell everything they see, and usually in an anonymous fashion, the days of open practices in the fall here are gone. And nationally, they are dwindling. There are still 46 schools that have open practices to the public this year (see survey results below), but a 1992 survey on the same subject conducted by Michigan, if memory serves, showed that 87 of the 104 I-A schools at the time had open practices. Most blame the internet and the lack of control they have of news getting out, and one theory that is pure bull is that we closed practices so incidents like last year's involving a helmet swinging incident wouldn't have gotten out. Our belief is it may not have gotten the play it did, but there's no way something like that doesn't get out. It had no bearing on our decision, so don't believe that mistruth. Gary wants to limit distractions at practice as much as possible, and part of that was to lower the number of people at practice: sometimes one might not be watching when a play goes their way, sometimes a photographer goes where he/she shouldn't, and many times they would talk to players on the sidelines, probably the biggest distraction in Gary's eyes. And let me say now that the majority of the media weren't guilty of any of this, but one sometimes ruins it for all. As an SID, you have to pick and choose your battles, and this is one I didn't get into with him simply because I fully understood his reasons and they made sense to me. He needs to conduct his practices in the best manner he feels suits his program.
We surveyed 112 of the 115 Division I-A schools this week and received 99 responses. Here's a sampling of what we go back (keep in mind most have some kind of access for photographers, and some are open for two-a-days and then close, below is the standard regular season drill):
Open to the public and media (46)-ranging from Akron, Boise State, Eastern Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Tulsa and Utah State to Arizona State, CSU, Oregon State and Stanford. Only two in the Big 12 are open (Kansas, Texas Tech).
Open to the media, closed to the public (19)-Alabama, Arizona, Auburn, Ball State, Boiwling Green, BYU, Central Florida, Georgia, Michigan State, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Southern Miss, Tennessee, Toledo, UCLA, Utah, Virginia Tech.
Limited to the media (selected practices open weekly, 8)-Boston College, Georgia Tech, LSU, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio State, Purdue and Texas.
Closed to the media (but allow some kind of access for photogs, 20)-Baylor, Cincinnati, Clemson, Colorado, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Iowa State, Kansas State, Miami-Fla., Minnesota, Nebraska, N.C. State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Rice, Syracuse, Texas A&M, West Virginia.
Closed to media (no access, 6)-Iowa, Michigan, Penn State, South Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin.
WHERE THEY ARE NOW I... He's alive! Former assistant basketball coach and Boulder's own Ralph Patterson is three years out of coaching and is now hosting his own sports talk show in Greenville, S.C., on WCSZ-Radio's "The Sports Zone" (1070am). The station is almost a year old, and has 50,000 watts of power to fuel its all sports format. He previously was doing the same for an all-sports station for year with Clemson. He has also done regional television on Fox Sports Net South and Comcast Sports Southeast (and is hoping for more gigs). His career trail? After five years at CU under Tom Apke, he joined Apke at Appalachian State for six seasons (1986-92), and then was head coach for seven years at Erskine College (in Due West, S.C.). He says Erskine's claim to fame is the mascot, "The Flying Fleet." From his Buff days, he still stays in touch with Alvin Gentry, a former a CU assistant who is now head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers. "He's got to like me...I'm the only sports talk host in the country whose favorite squad is the Clippers!" Ralph bragged. When prodded for his favorite Buff moment, he came up with the following: "My favorite moment may have been hearing Al Gentry sing both parts of Julio Inglesias' 'To all the Girls....'...that's right, both parts... Julio's and Willie Nelson's. It happened at a piano bar in Ames, Iowa, at the Gateway Center Holiday Inn, after losing at Iowa State in the last game of the regular season. We waited in there to get the word that we would travel back home, so that we could go back to Ames for the first round and WIN, yes WIN at Iowa State to go to Kansas City for the semis, where we eventually lost to Waymon (Tisdale) and Co."
Ralph took time to zing me: "Another highlight was watching you (Plati) fill out a blank box score sheet after the "Android Classic" between the athletic department staffers and student helpers, and having it be accurate. Note: You played in the game!" Geek-moment: I still have those in a file... just can't remember if it was the game I scored a career-high 10 points or one of the 0-5 0-0 0 games... Another of his moments included (golf coach) Mark Simpson's now-politically incorrect bachelor party, but we don't need to go there. He added, "My favorite Buff moments on the court would include Regis' Lonnie Porter wanting to fight me during a game (I didn't know that!), the first Events Center sellout versus Nebraska, beating Vegas in the finals of their tourney, winning at Kansas after Woody Mayfield correctly waved off an attempted buzzer-beater by Calvin Thompson.... many other favorites both on and off the court! He is the father of two boys, Reggie (11) and Ricky (9), coaching them all the time in little league stuff.
WHERE THEY ARE NOW, TWO... Former CU SID Mike Moran looks like he might leave his top position as the top spokesman with the United States Olympic Committee before he reaches 25 years with the organization. Mike recently said that he will most likely be leaving the USOC after the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, but for sure by the 2004 Athens' Summer games. "It is no secret that I have an option with the new YankeeNets Corp., the holding company that owns the Yankees, Devils, Nets and marketing rights to the NY Giants and Manchester United Soccer giant. That issue is soon to be settled, other plans are to write a book on my Olympic times and people with a well-known journalist, do a lengthy speaking thing for 2-3 years, and consult on crisis PR and management for institutions and others. I celebrate 23 years with the USOC at Salt Lake and started my Olympic gig before Juan Antonio Samaranch was even known to the IOC, in fact." Mike joined the USOC in January, 1979, departing CU right after Chuck Fairbanks was hired as head coach. He said he was motivated by the recent retirement of Boulder Camera sports editor Dan Creedon to reach a decision. Mike's one of the most respected men in the biz, and had the tough task of replacing the legendary Fred Casotti here at CU, he toiled as the SID from 1968-1979, after "The Count" had held the role the previous 16 years.
Mike more or less "recruited" me to CU, as going from greaser to golfer geek in high school, I managed to become my high school's SID my senior year. Sent my portfolio to five schools, but was destined to be a Buff from my grade school days in Colorado. The joke was that while I was a typical obnoxious high schooler bragging in New York that I'd landed a job with the athletic department, Mike's line out here was, "Great, we have some sucker from New York who wants to come out here and type our football stats." He nicknamed me "Stats," and told me I was destined to marry a woman named "Statisha" and even described our wedding. My funniest Moran moment was during a basketball game-yes, back n '78-79 we were still in Balch Fieldhouse, the copy machine broke often and one night he let it have it with his right foot and all the paper in the feed bin spread across the room.
AND A THREE... Matt Altman graduated back in December 1999 and took off for Hollywood before the Insight.com Bowl, and it appears to have paid off for the former CU placekicker. He is working for Eric Tannenbaum, the president of Artists Television Group who is also a partner with Michael Ovitz. He worked on five shows in his first year, and notes that they were all cancelled: The Street (FOX), Grosse Point (WB), The Steven Weber Show and the Fighting Fitzgerald's (NBC) and Madigan Men (ABC). He is working on four new shows set for debut this fall: The Ellen Show (CBS), Lost in the USA and Cedric the Coach (WB) and Dope (FX). He wished all well, particularly his fellow kickers, and laments that he should have enjoyed college more and should have gone for "the six year thing."
AND FOUR... Former Buff defensive back Ryan Chiaverini surfaced at practice last week, and he "reported" in with a new job - he is now with KTVQ-TV in Billings, Mont. He is not only a reporter, but the weekend sports anchor as well. Good luck, Ryan, we'll see you on ESPN in what, two years?
AND ONE OF OUR OWN... Former SID student assistant Jessica Peck is back in Washington, D.C. and is now working in the press office of Senator Fred Thompson (R-Tennessee). Jess interned in the nation's capital the summer prior to her senior year ('00-01), and has returned to work for Thompson and to attend grad school this September at Johns Hopkins. Thompson might be better known to America for his acting roles he had in Die Hard II, Hunt for Red October, In The Line of Fire and Cape Fear.
CUP OF SOUPY... Congrats to Jeff Campbell and his wife Stacy, who welcomed their first child to planet Earth on July 19 with the birth Blake Jeffrey in Denver (at Presbyterian St. Luke's). Mother and baby are doing fine, and good 'ol Soupy is fired up at his first at father hood. Jeff of course still holds several punt return records at CU, and was also a wide receiver with the Buffs from 1986-89. Wow-12 seasons since No. 84 returned two long punts to set up two key touchdowns in the 27-21 win over Nebraska...
A NICE SURPRISE... "Plati-'Tudes" was honored by my peers, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) for "Third in the Nation" in the 2000-01 Opinion/Editorial Writing category. As these things go, the certificate arrived in the mail the other day (from Clemson), but I didn't submit it for nomination and I don't know who or what finished in first or second. But I'll take the bronze and thank the academy...
CASOTTI TO BE HONORED AT SAN JOSE STATE GAME... Long-time athletic staffer Fred Casotti will be honored at halftime of the CU-San Jose State game on Sept. 8, where a commissioned plaque honoring "The Count" will be revealed before being permanently displayed at the school. To date, almost $67,000 has been raised in the leadership gift phase for the Fred Casotti Sports Information Scholarship Fund, established last fall in honor of Fred's 35-years of service to CU. Fred, 77, is recovering from a couple of strokes he suffered last fall and is doing well, as he has great days and not-so-great days as one would expect, but he is looking forward to his 50th consecutive year of watching CU athletics.
BB SCHEDULE... We released are basketball schedules last week, and the question arose why Wyoming wasn't on the men's schedule anymore? Two years ago, the Cowboys cancelled out of a return game in Boulder, according to assistant coach Terry Dunn, who coordinates the scheduling for head coach Ricardo Patton. Anyone who knows anything about scheduling knows that when a team cancels out on a return appearance, especially the back end of a home-and-home, generally there's no rush at resuming a series with that team in question. Let's just leave it at that...
HEY BIG & TALL GUYS... Kaufman's Tall & Big Store, which helps outfit the Buffs every year for photo day, is offering a new line of CU insignia wear. To start with, Sam (Kaufman), an ardent CU fan, will offer polo shirts and sweat shirts, and if sales are good, he will add to his line as times goes on.
CHAT/MESSAGING... We've been asked if we're going to get back into the chat room/message board business when we switch over to FansOnly later this summer. Most likely not, but we will try to have an interactive FAQ board where fans can come in and leave questions for those who really know what's going on -those of us in CU athletics who come to work here every day. We have no desire to get back into message boards or permanent chat rooms, we basically canned them because we didn't want to police free speech issues being at a University and all (one racist comment was the final straw, not several for months on end that has often been erroneously attributed). The most responsible message boards out there appear to be at BuffaloSportsNews.Com and Buffbackers.com: very few, if any, immature posts, rants or personal attacks, posters are registered, and the system ops are true supporters without personal agendas who yank the ridiculous stuff and personal insults immediately if they ever even make it up. We'll never like anonymous stuff when it fosters bad information or rumors, but at least these two sites are responsible and don't leave items up that can be damaging to the program.
THIS WEEK'S NUMBER... 27. The spot CU came in at in the preseason Associated Press college football poll, the oldest and still regarded as the most reputable of all the polls out there. The omen? CU was ranked in the preseason in '99 and '00 and CSU wasn't, and the Rams won, in '98, CSU was ranked as CU wasn't, and the Buffs won. Twilight Zone music, please...
TRIVIA ANSWERS... CU-Relief pitcher Jay Howell. Godfather-DeNiro was slated for the part of "Paulie," Clemenza's right hand man who set up the hit on Vito Corleone. Incidentally, in watching II the other day, did anyone else wonder why the Corleone's were surprised that Frank Pantangeli was still alive? I mean, hello, there wasn't a funeral!
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"Plati-'Tudes" features notes and stories that may not get much play from the mainstream media, offers CU's take on issues raised by those who have an interest in the program, answers questions and concerns, and provides CU's point of view if we should disagree with what may have been written or broadcast. Have a question or want to know CU's take on something? E-mail Dave at david.plati@colorado.edu, and the subject may appear in the next Plati-'Tudes.