Colorado University Athletics
Brooks: Mayans Didn't Influence CU Hoops Schedule
December 20, 2012 | Men's Basketball, B.G. Brooks
That presents a couple of problems and also alleviates a few more. On the alleviation side, we won't need to concern ourselves with late Christmas shopping, how to ring in 2013, filing our 2012 taxes, or the fiscal cliff. (On the latter subject - yo, elected leaders, go ahead and stall and balk and put self/party above country . . . who cares?)
On a more practical, local front, I've been wrestling this week with whether a CU men's basketball story written in advance of Friday night's game against Northern Arizona was really necessary.
If whatever the Mayans foresaw occurs before tip time (6:30 p.m. MST), the Buffs finish non-conference play - I guess they finish, period - at 8-2. If the Mayans' prophecy occurs after tip time, we don't have to concern ourselves with a postgame story or the "hit" count on CUBuffs.com, do we? Just asking . . .
I've been told to "work smarter, not harder" and after years of trying to make words make sense, I'm thinking I only might have a couple more chances to put this into practice if the Mayans were on top of it.
Leigh Montville, who spent a couple of decades-plus at the Boston Globe, moved to Sports Illustrated and now writes for SportsonEarth.com, wrote a column a couple of days ago about what he would be doing in his final hours.
It's a nice, light end-of-times read and I thought excerpting several paragraphs here would be timely. To quote Montville:
"I know I should be gathered together with loves ones, maybe all of us huddled in the basement with some spring water and a bunch of AAA batteries, ready for whatever comes next, but I also know myself. What are the chances, really, the world is going to end? I will be watching the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl and my loved ones will be scattered as usual.
"The last words I hear probably will be from either ESPN sportscaster Dave Neal or ESPN analysts Desmond Howard or Andre Ware or from Cara Capuana, the ESPN sideline reporter. They will be describing some important moment in the game. Probably watching a replay.
"Neal: It's a great catch, but was hit foot in-bounds?
"Howard: It's only one foot that has to be in-bounds in college, remember. It's TWO feet in the pros.
"Ware: It looks like he has the foot down, but he's awfully close to that sideline. I'd like to see it again. And does he have full control of the ball? What do you think?
"I will be straining, looking at that crucial second replay angle. Dave and Desmond and Andre will be straining along with me. Cara, on the field, might not have a monitor. The slo-mo will show the ball arriving at the receiver's hands, his long fingers wrapping around it. His right foot will come down . . .
"Zap.
"Last thing I ever see. (I think the foot was in-bounds, too.) Last words I ever hear.
"See you later."
Unlike Montville, I'm not going to be watching the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl, which you obviously know matches Ball State (9-3) and Central Florida (9-4) in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Not that the Cardinals and Knights won't provide three-plus hours of possible end-of-existence entertainment, but I'll be looking for the same kind of thrill-to-end-all-thrills evening at the Coors Events Center. I'd likely be there even if I wasn't required to.
I'm betting coach Tad Boyle doesn't delve into Mayan prophecies in his pre-game address to the Buffs . . . "Guys, I want you to play like it's your last night on the court; let's get that assist-to-turnover ratio where it should be, OK?"
No, I'm thinking Boyle sticks to more conventional pre-game conversation with his team and emphasizes - what else? - defense, rebounding and getting to 9-2 before taking a brief Christmas break.
Several loved ones and many good friends will be in the CEC, so if things go south (and I'm not talking about whatever happens on the court) comfort will be taken in their presence. On a cheerier note, I am an optimist but I think I will listen to Bruce Cockburn's Last Night of the World, mainly because it's a fine song.
I don't know how Montville plans to spend Saturday afternoon - he's got the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas and a jillion basketball games to watch - but I'll be back at the CEC at 1:30 p.m. watching the No. 25 CU women play Utah Valley.
Like I said, I'm an optimist, and if Linda Lappe needs any pre-game speech ideas - such as, playing hard on the first day of the rest of your lives - I'm available. But I'm not holding my breath until I hear from her.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
