Fans in powder blue rush the field following CU's win over Texas A&M. (CU Independent/Ilana Finer)
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They were off as fast as Madonna’s pants, jumping around in a pandemonium of powder blue and gold.
It wasn’t a Denver Nuggets celebration or a Clay Aiken concert. It was a protest — and a bad one at that.
After the Colorado Buffaloes 35-34 victory over unranked Texas A&M, many of the disgruntled fans who wore powder blue in protest in the student section savaged Folsom Field in celebration.
If you are wondering if I am playing the role of killjoy today, I am. It was a premature display of support.
Why?
For many reasons actually, including the disturbing reality that in college football, it is worse to have lunch with Deion Sanders than it is to attempt to gouge the eyes of a defenseless player, much like Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes’ attempt on Georgia running back Washaun Ealey. Oh, was it Florida, though? Oh, then that’s OK. It’s OK to try to wear someone’s eyeballs on your fingertips. Blindness has its perks.
See what I did there? I can rationalize like the NCAA too. Gimme a job…
Anyway, back to the case at hand. Here are a couple reasons storming the field sent the wrong message to athletic director Mike Bohn and company. For that instant, many Buff fans forgot:
– Head coach Dan Hawkins has been given more slack than any coach in Buffs’ history. If the Buffs lose one more game or aren’t invited to a bowl game, then Hawkins will be the first coach in the football program’s 120 years of existence to be without a winning season in his first four years at the helm. And yet, he once said, “I am going to be here a long time.” Is it just me or did anyone else hear muahhahahaha?
– Colorado has two wins on the road under Hawkins and the last one was two years ago. But Hawkins continues to ask for patience. But really, what part of football is patient? The game-winning drives? Rushing the passer? Beating the defender to the goal line?! Ah, yes, the delay of game penalty. Soothing.
– Rebuilding should not take four years. Hawkins’ two predecessors, Rick Neuheisel and Gary Barnett, both had this team consistently winning in four years. Neuheisel had three out of four winning seasons and he was fired. Barnett won four Big 12 North Division titles and he was fired. Hawkins has…well, fill in the blank for your own enjoyment.
The protest forgot the big picture for the future of this program, all in favor for a thus far meaningless win. From 1981-‘84, the Buffaloes wore powder blue and won a combined ten games in four seasons. But when those 80s teams won sporadically, there was no rushing the field or happiness among fans until they saw the program change for the best. There were only cries for change from the fans and local media.
It wasn’t wrong or slander, it was for the good of the school, the good of tradition and the good of all Buffaloes fans everywhere.
It frankly said we were not OK with being mediocre.
But on Saturday, the protest of the 80s powder blue stirred up a new meaning to Buffaloes fans everywhere. The meaning was nothing.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Brent Wilson New at Brent.new@colorado.edu.
