Seriously crazy year. The CU Program was all but written off for the year at about week 4 of the season. I will admit to buying into all the hysterical media press about the deplorable condition of the program and am now realizing that like so much of what passes for "journalism" these days had very little based in reality.
85 Kids had to listen to the Govenor of the State proclaim them as "an embarrassment to the State of Colorado" and then play their guts out when they could've folded tent. Barnett has been publicly crucified and after having let an Investigative Journalist spend the whole season with access to every meeting, closed door session, game preparation and locker room situation, the national media have no interest in printing what the guy learned. Which is nothing.
Two independent studies were conducted in regards to all the allegations which came out early in the season. One by the Colorado Attorney General's office. Over 400 previous recruits interviewed. The result? No evidence of any mass scale wrong doing. Yet, last week on Good Morning America cutsie Katie Couric still lumps in "the situation at Colorado University" in trying to figure out why Ron Artest is merely a victim of sports facism.
Anyway, I think more highly of Gary Barnett now more than I ever did in the past. To get that program anywhere this year is nothing short of a miracle. Hats off to the Buffs.
|