2014 came with the typical hope for our Colorado Buffaloes football team. It started out with a nightmare when CSU decided to take the ball the last quarter and a half and run the ball down the Buffs throat. Hope was lost for many. After a disastrous start to the UMass game and eeking out a victory, many believed the Buffs would get rolled by Arizona State and Hawaii may be our loan chance at 2 wins.
Funny thing is, after a disastrous start against Arizona State in a losing effort, some belief, hope and faithfulness was brought back in the CORE of the Buffs fan base. Buff fans saw a team that played a Top 25 program head to head the rest of that game. The effort put a scare in a Sun Devil team that would have beat the Buffs of the past into the ground and hung 45+ points and beat the Buffs by 30+ points.
After a ho-hum second half against Hawaii, again doubt crept in again. But, after a game the Buffs completely outplayed CAL in a heartbreaking 2 OT Loss and then the multiple officiating bullshit non-calls that cost the Buffs a victory against Oregon State, the Buffs faithful seem to finally be standing SHOULDER to SHOULDER again.
In consecutive weeks, we have seen heart breaking narrow defeat. The last time the Buffs had not lost by more than a score in consecutive weeks in conference play was 2010. In the Pac 12, we hadn’t seen such effort and opportunities in games. While Oregon State and Cal are the lower end of the conference, the simple fact is, even those teams often whooped up on the Buffs as evident by a 7-6 Oregon State team in 2013 and a non-qualifying Utah team controlling most of the game last year.n
Ufortunately 2014s second half gauntlet is upon the Buffs after this mid-season Bye Week. But instead of running away from it, the Buffs seem disappointed they have to wait a week to take on who’s next. This isn’t your decimated, down trodden 1-11 2012 Buffaloes that other than a last hurrah seemed like they just wanted the season over. To read what these guys are saying, no wonder MacIntyre is pissed and chased down the refs. They are fed up with getting disrespected, doubted and treated like shit by some of the “fan base”, the local media and at the university. This is a team that’s close to that next step.
I am not old enough to see the years it took Bill McCartney to turn around the program (born in 1981) but I saw the success and have heard and read plenty. Recalling history, I look at McCartney’s 3rd season in 1984 where they Buff went 1-10 to the 2014 team led by Mike MacIntyre. They took a step back record wise, but they started to come together as a group and get the guys and the mentality in that McCartney needed to compete.
That group believed they were going to be great. This group believes it. You can see the frustration, hear the frustration and feel the frustration when your coach has taken enough of the disrespect and getting so close he goes to bat for his guys and EARNS a $10,000 fine that I am sure the more wealthy FANS/boosters were happy to pay. This is a team that isn’t lying down. They have 6 games, they have HOPE and FAITH that they are going to be the TEAM that turns things around.
While the 2014 Buffs odds are stacked greatly against them making a bowl game, you can believe that they are going to fight the rest of the season to take that leap in 2015 to a bowl team that strikes fear into opponents. I have hope and belief they will get another win or two or maybe more, but even if they don’t I will stand shoulder to shoulder with this program like I have seen many of you finally start to do again, because we believe in this team. We love this team, we love this program and we love the fire that our coach and team are showing in 2014.
So instead of a "thankless job", some hack journalist like Mark "He Who Shall Not Be Named" says has affected him, I say and many of us say Thank You Mike MacIntyre for taking on this job and doing the things to show that all of OUR Buffs football team is improving. Thanks to Tad Boyle for going out of his way to show support and effort to the program after taking over the "thankless job" that was Colorado Basketball. Thank you to Rick George for having the vision and balls to do what it took to build an expansion to Folsom that will put the Buffs on a level playing field with MOST of the Pac 12 in football and other athletics by getting the support in such a short time. Thank you for listening to our complaints and rectifying them. The amount of things that get resolved within a week or two (concessions, beer gardens, etc.) have been worth a hand shake, man hug and clap at the least. Thank you to the young men that we cheer for and are proud to see join the fraternity of Buffs players. The effort it takes to play in a power conference college football program is unmatched by any sport or level. The effort to do so on a program that has had a losing culture and needed a complete reconstruct is even greater, but you persevere and fight to see the Buffs roam again.
I am proud to be a Buff fan and instead of being curious if we will see MacIntyre to the end of this contract before he is fired, I am more worried that in a couple seasons we will have to fight his hometown SEC boys from trying to pry him away from us after bowl games in 2015 and 2016. Great work, keep it going. Many of us hope, believe and have faith that the Buffs will return to the success of years past much sooner with the efforts you have all put in. Shoulder to Shoulder we will fight for the Buffs like you have for this program. THANK YOU ALL AND GO BUFFS!!!
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