SPORTSbyBROOKS

Audio: Ousted Hawkins Blows Off Final Interview

Brooks — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 04:52:39 +0000

The ASSOCIATED PRESS, Vic Lombardi of CBS 4 in Denver, Kyle Ringo of the BOULDER (CO) DAILY CAMERA and John Henderson of the DENVER POST report late Monday that Dan Hawkins has been fired as football coach at Colorado University.

CU will reportedly make the move official Tuesday at a press conference.

Henderson reports on the expected immediate replacement for Hawkins: (more…)

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Gandhi, MLK, Edison Cost Dan Hawkins His Job

Brooks — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 23:15:20 +0000

When he was coaching Boise State in 2003, Dan Hawkins said this after a victory over Tulsa:

“If we had knelt on the ball at the end of the game, wouldn’t that have been the end of the game. Yeah, it would have been. But Gandhi didn’t take a knee, Martin Luther King didn’t take a knee, Thomas Edison didn’t take a knee, and I sure as hell am not going to take a knee.”

Those words turned out to be eerily prophetic Saturday in Lawrence as had Hawkins’ Colorado Buffaloes merely taken a knee on all of their offensive plays beginning early in the fourth quarter, they would’ve still avoided blowing a four-TD lead to in losing to Kansas 52-45.

We know that thanks to a beleaguered Buffaloes fan at AllBuffs.com. He calculated what would’ve happened had Colorado taken a knee on every offensive play in the fourth quarter beginning after Kansas scored to make it 45-24 with 11:05 left in the game. (more…)

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Paging Passenger Hawkins. Last Call, Dan Hawkins

Brooks — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 22:35:05 +0000

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Source: McCartney Waiting In Wings At Colorado

Brooks — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 00:30:38 +0000

In the past three weeks, speculation has suddenly popped up about the possibility of Colorado football coaching legend Bill McCartney replacing Dan Hawkins as the Buffaloes current head coach.

It isn’t coincidence.

On Sept. 2, McCartney did everything but say he wanted Hawkins’ job in a column by Mark Kiszla of the DENVER POST. A selection of his quotes:

“A football coach is a football coach. I’ve been out of it 15 years, and it never goes away. I think maybe I can still do it. I think like a football coach. I smell like one. I never stopped missing football. If the game is in your blood, it never passes you by.”

Of being 70-years-old, McCartney added, “You know, my mom is 100. So the genes are good.”

Kiszla, who early in his piece noted that McCartney still lives near Boulder, wasn’t nearly as shy in making his intentions known, writing: “If the team truly wanted to win, the decision would be a no-brainer. Hiring Coach Mac would be a bonanza.” (more…)

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3 Yrs Left On Deal, Hawkins Requested Extension

Brooks — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:48:00 +0000

Appropriate that Colorado football coach Dan Hawkins calls Boulder home as the coach recently proved he has some series stones.

(No road wins in 147 weeks, 3-9 last year, 16-33 … okay, I’ll stop)

Kyle Ringo of the The BOULDER (CO) DAILY CAMERA reports that Hawkins, who is under contract until 2012 and has gone 16-33 in his career at CU - 3-9 last season - recently confirmed on the record that he had requested a contract extension.

In a meeting of head coaches in the Colorado athletic department earlier this summer, a senior staff member asked the Buffs` head football coach if there was one thing the department could do to help his program succeed this season, what would it be? Multiple sources in the room that day told the Camera Hawkins responded by saying the school could give him a contract extension.

Nearly as stunning as his tone deaf request was Hawkins confirming the conversation on the record. (more…)

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Colorado Fans! Your Official Pac-10 Merch Is Here!

Brooks — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 22:10:11 +0000

Whether it’s the 2014 roadie to Berkeley or a midnight spin to Krispy Kreme with co-Pilot Pete Coors …

… the perfect gift for the Colorado fan in your life! (With an acute sensitivity to light.)

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Nebraska, Colorado Big 12 Exit Fees Don’t Exist

Brooks — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:23:31 +0000

Much of the reporting on the financial conditions required to ensure the survival of the Big 12 has centered on potential buyout penalties to be paid out to remaining members of the conference by Nebraska and Colorado.

(Not one nickel)

Multiple outlets have reported that Nebraska and Colorado will be required to pay the league between $6 and $10 million for the privilege of leaving the league. It has also been widely reported that as part of the negotiation to keep the league alive, the Big 12’s five have-not schools agreed to hand over that alleged NU and CU buyout money to Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Texas.

Sounds like a plan! If only it wasn’t completely untrue.

As noted by Nebraska Chancellor Harvey Perlman this week, there is no existing Big 12 bylaw that states that teams departing from the league must pay out a penalty fee to remaining conference members.

Perlman noted on KLIN-AM in Lincoln yesterday that, “there is a liquidated damages provision that purports to make the existing members whole,” but that there is no pre-designated charge for leaving the conference.

That doesn’t mean though that there isn’t something in the Big 12 bylaws that will injure NU and CU financially. There is. And it’s the reason both schools are in such a mad dash to escape the league.

(more…)

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Pac-10 Announces Colorado Addition On Website

Brooks — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:42:07 +0000

Perhaps recognizes the volatility of the situation, the Pac-10 conference announced on its website today that Colorado has joined the league.

The Pacific-10 Conference announced today that the University of Colorado at Boulder has accepted an invitation to join the Conference as its 11th member, the first new member since July 1, 1978. (more…)

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Colorado Confirming Pac-10 Move Friday At 11am

Brooks — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:09:46 +0000

UPDATE: Colorado to the Pac-10 is official - announced on Pac-10 official website.

–

Kyle Ringo of the BOULDER (CO) DAILY CAMERA reports Thursday morning:

It’s a done deal.

The University of Colorado will announce at an 11 a.m. Friday press conference that the school will leave the Big 12 and join the Pac-10.

Multiple sources confirmed the deal to the Camera early Thursday, and league officials are scheduled to be in Boulder on Friday for the announcement.

Matt Hayes of SportingNews.com, Joe Schad of ESPN.com, and Jon Wilner of the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS also report today that Colorado will be the first Big 12 school to formally accept an invitation from the Pac-10.

That news has the Texas political machinery in high gear. (more…)

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NU Regents Chairman: Big 10 Reports ‘Inaccurate’

Brooks — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 02:28:32 +0000

Brian Christopherson of the LINCOLN JOURNAL-STAR reports Nebraska Board of Regents Chairman Bob Phares said Wednesday evening that he had no knowledge of the school receiving an invitation to the Big Ten and that, “a report being circulated this afternoon among sports media stating that the University of Nebraska Board of Regents ‘met informally’ today and have ‘agreed to move to the Big Ten’ is not accurate.”

Chip Brown of Texas sports website Orangebloods.com reported earlier today:

Nebraska regents have informally agreed to leave for the Big Ten. A formal announcement will come Friday.

More from Christopherson on NU Regents Chairman Phares:

I asked Phares about reports circulating through cyberspace that Nebraska’s Board of Regents have agreed to move to the Big Ten and that a formal announcement Nebraska is leaving will come Friday.

Phares answer: “First of all, there are several factual errors. No. 1, there’s been no vote by the board at all. No. 2, as I understand it, there are no invitations that are extended. You decide if you wish to make an application and then they react to your application.

ESPN.com reported earlier Wednesday, “a source close to the Nebraska program told ESPN’s Chris Mortensen that athletic director Tom Osborne informed some staff members within the past 24 hours that the Cornhuskers were going to make the move to the Big Ten conference.”

Christopherson revealed after Mortensen’s report Wednesday evening that, “The Journal Star has spoken to coaches from three different sports who said there has been no meeting with Osborne since last Friday.“

Phares added to the Journal-Star: “I heard that there were reports that Tom Osborne had advised all of his staff that it was a done deal. You can talk to Tom and see what his comment is. I would be immensely surprised if that was the case, because as I said there’s been no vote by the board and no formal decision.“

Also today, Orangebloods.com reported: “Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds and president Williams Powers gathered UT coaches today at 2 p.m. CT to tell them they did everything they could to save the Big 12 but that they were unsuccessful.”

The AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN’s Alan Trubow reported after that Orangebloods.com report: (more…)

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