AURORA — I don’t know that I’m necessarily an all-or-nothing guy, but I got to thinking about the state-sanctioned “voluntary” practice rule for the holidays, and it may have turned me into one.
Previously, we would have as many as 10 days of downtime, no contact. Winter coaches hated it. Who wouldn’t? Who wants their season interrupted?
But in the past month, after Christmas and before New Year’s Day, four days of optional practice were permitted. It should be noted that this was no small feat — for decades, Coloradans have adamantly shot down any notion of holiday practice, let alone games or events. It was about as big of a no-no as there has been in state history.
Now that we’ve gone through it, I’m not convinced it works.
While some programs were able to take advantage of the additional time, others weren’t so fortunate. Attendance in more than one case was spotty, and the stickler for me was unnecessarily putting the onus on competitors, even if this is supposed to be an educational environment.
And if this is the proverbial baby step toward eventually allowing holiday play, it was measured in millimeters.
I don’t deny it’s a process, such as larger schools finally landing 23 games in basketball’s regular season, but this one has real potential for trouble. All it would take to end it is one parent complaining that their son or daughter suffered backlash from a coach or teammates because a family trip or gathering over the holidays prevented the student from making a “voluntary” practice.
Maybe we’re evolving, maybe not.
But I state this: We either play over the holidays or we don’t.
The middle ground in this case is a poor attempt at tossing us a bone, and it’s insulting.
Fast Eddie.
We lost former boys basketball coach Eddie Reeves this week to cancer, marking the end of a four- year battle by the native Alabaman and sending many in Jefferson County reeling.
The 44-year-old was honored by family and tons of friends, former players and coaches at the Aspen Mortuary near Arvada West, where he coached for 10 years after a half- dozen more at Chatfield.
“He touched a lot of lives,” Green Mountain athletic director Jim Thyfault said.
Originally, according to former Columbine coach Dave Eicher, Reeves was drawn to the Rocky Mountains as a triathlete. His endurance was obvious in the fight that ended his life.
Reeves’ last season in command of the Wildcats was 2007-08, but his presence won’t soon be forgotten.
His remains were to be taken to his sweet home in Alabama.
“He was a great guy, a compassionate, competitive, intense guy,” Eicher said.
Footnotes.
Nduka Onyeali, The Denver Post defensive player of the year, has been named All-America second team by MaxPreps. The senior lineman at Mullen, which won consecutive Class 5A football championships and will take a 19-game winning streak into 2010, was part of a unit that permitted 80 points in 14 games. The 6-foot-1, 240-pounder, who has committed to Arizona State, had 15 sacks. . . . Steamboat Springs quarterback Austin Hinder and Grandview linebacker Chris Martin are set to compete in Saturday’s U.S. Army All-American Bowl at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Both have pledged to Cal. . . . And here’s to longtime Postie Charlie Meyers, who died Tuesday. Charlie skied virtually every known hill of consequence on this planet, hunted in places like the small town of Kim, and would regularly ask me about prep football and hoops. He was a Renaissance man if I’ve ever met one. RIP, my man.
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
