For an area nuts about football, the beginning of the college football season in Colorado and Wyoming has drummed up about as much excitement and national interest as a city auditors election.
Of course there are plenty of stories. There’s a new look in Boulder with coach Dan Hawkins; Colorado and Colorado State play out an always chippy rivalry Sept. 9; Air Force hosts Notre Dame on Nov. 11 in what will be the last time the Irish visit Colorado anytime soon; Wyoming continues with the ever-quotable Joe Glenn running the show; and Northern Colorado will take its place as the area’s fifth Division I team. OK, Division I-AA.
But for the statistically minded among us, this college football season will be a chance to make history.
With a few bad bounces of the ball, it is possible that each major college football team on the Front Range could have a losing season.
A buzz kill, for sure. But a rarity.
Since the 19th century, the major local college teams have all shared sub-.500 records in only five seasons. Colorado, Colorado State, Air Force and Wyoming last reached the dubious achievement in 1979: the Buffs went 3-8 under Chuck Fairbanks; Sark Arslanian led Colorado State to a 4-7-1 record; Air Force kicked off the Ken Hatfield era with a 2-9 mark; and Bill Lewis ended his tenure at Wyoming with a 5-7 record.
The four teams also had losing seasons in 1974, collectively going 13-30-1. And in one 10-year span around World War II, the bug hit the state in three years – 1938, 1941 and 1947. But that was before Air Force started playing football.
It’s similar to what Clemenza says in “The Godfather”: These things happen every 30 years or so, to get rid of the bad blood.
Of course, it’s entirely possible the 30-year cycle will skip a generation. Find out when Saturday as four of the five teams host season openers. Montana State travels to Boulder to take on Colorado at 1:30 p.m. Northern Colorado starts with a 1:35 p.m. game against Cal-Davis. Wyoming is the only one of the local bunch playing a I-A foe, Utah State, at 2:30 p.m. And the Kyle Bell-less Colorado State Rams host Weber State at 3 p.m. on Ag Day, so get there early and bring your appetite. One week from Saturday night, Air Force opens its season at Tennessee.
The couch
On: With visions of Jimmy Connors’ memorable swan song run through the 1993 U.S. Open dancing in their heads, two sets of television executives at the USA Network and CBS have been on edge, hoping against all hope that departing veteran Andre Agassi would continue winning. Stateside tennis fans, too, seem to be in Agassi’s corner because he is one of the few chances an American might win the American grand slam. Agassi was set to play late Thursday against up-and-coming Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus. But fifth-seeded James Blake of the U.S. has already advanced. Play “Where’s the Yankee?” with a weekend full of tennis coverage on USA and KCNC-4, and check www.denverpost.com and www.usopen.org for schedules and results.
Off: If outdoors action is your game, try Sunday’s 22nd annual 10,000 Meters at 10,000 Feet run on Rabbit Ears Pass, a challenging trail run on singletrack and mountain roads with rough terrain. For information, call 970-879-0371. Or, if you would rather have access to pitchers of soda and beer with nachos and thrice-fried mystery hot dogs, take advantage of Brunswick’s seventh annual National Family Bowling Day. On Monday, all Brunswick lanes are offering free admission to children 12 years and younger when they bowl with an adult. It’s a fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Find more information at www.mda.org.
Weak in review
With attention still focused on Broncos first-round pick Jay Cutler, the heat this week was drawn away from another in a line of failed draft picks, this time cornerback Willie Middlebrooks. The first-rounder from 2001 was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in 2005, released, resigned by the Broncos in May, then cut again Tuesday. In the 21st century NFL, teams need to build through the draft. Good thing the Broncos can trade well.
What we’d like to see
College football could really make a dent in the Nielsen ratings beginning this weekend when Notre Dame travels south to take on Georgia Tech, a game airing Saturday on ABC (KMGH-7) at 6 p.m. The first week of the season can be messy, but it would work out real well if the Irish and Yellow Jackets could make a game of it – something more than likely with Heisman hopeful and prime-time player Brady Quinn in charge of the Golden Domers.
Around town
In honor of Bayfield’s 100th birthday, the small town near Durango is hosting a serious open-wheel race. Forget A.J. Allmendinger. The Bayfield 3000 Soap Box Racer Classic, run on a 3,000-foot track with varying grades and two difficult curves, will have drivers racing faster than 50 mph. The green flag goes up at 10 a.m., with heats for ages 8 to adult. Check www.doveranch.com for more information.
