Colorado University Athletics
Brooks: CU Coaches Caravan Postcard - Day Two
May 14, 2013 | General, B.G. Brooks
DENVER - It might not have been planned, but really, could it have been done any other way? It was as natural as pickles on a burger, ketchup on fries: "Coach Mac" creating a Big Mac.
The Colorado Coaches Caravan, State Stampede circa 2013, came to rest on Tuesday under the Golden Arches. Well, at least figuratively.
Mike MacIntyre (football), Tad Boyle (men's basketball) and Linda Lappe (women's basketball) went behind the scenes - make that behind the counter, the cash registers and the drive-through windows - at the McDonald's at 1350 W. Colfax in Denver.
Despite the lunchtime intrusion, the burger (and more) biz at Geta Asfaw's McD wasn't disrupted. Asfaw was on hand and had ample help in instructing MacIntyre, Boyle and Lappe from Tom Carlson, Jr., also a McDonald's owner/operator in the Denver area.
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| McDonald's Owner/Operator Geta Asfaw hosted the CU Coaches Caravan at his West Colfax store in Denver. |
Asfaw's community spirit and generosity are legendary, surfacing in numerous ways at Thanksgiving, Christmas but not limited to the holiday season. Opening his restaurant on Tuesday to the band of Buffs offered CU's coaches an inside glimpse into a world where none of them had ventured.
With Carlson's help, MacIntyre's construction of a Big Mac was passable, as were Boyle's and Lappe's McWrap creations. MacIntyre called the experience "an eye-opener." The coaches also took turns taking and filling drive-through orders. It was all done to benefit the Ronald McDonald House.
The Golden Arches layover was Tuesday's third stop, following a private breakfast at the Denver office of CU President Bruce Benson and a visit to Denver Mayor Michael Hancock's domain. Next up were stops at the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, Channel 9 News and an afternoon finale at the Blake Street Tavern.
Hitting Tuesday's highlights (McNotes?):
- The breakfast at Benson's was at a reasonable 8:30 a.m., but Lappe offered a semi-apology to anyone who might not have been a morning person. She thanked the crowd of perhaps 100 for showing up and said when some of her players "walk into the weight room at 6 a.m. they became morning people."
- Benson said CU is "blessed to have high-quality coaches" and Boyle responded if his recruits "don't pass the character test we don't go to the next step."
- Top MacIntyre tale of the morning: When he was a young assistant coach at Tennessee-Martin, the school had football recruits on campus for a weekend basketball game. MacIntyre was in a halftime competition to win a new truck by throwing a paper airplane into the truck bed. He and three other competitors hit the mark. A drawing reduced the number to two, and to break the tie that pair was asked to throw a small ball through the hoop from beyond halfcourt. MacIntyre swished it, won the truck, then talked the dealer into throwing in a mini-van as a courtesy vehicle for his growing family. "I'm lucky," MacIntyre said, adding that's how he feels about landing the CU job. "I'm blessed to be here . . . it's an honor."
- MacIntyre said two of critical elements the Buffs took away from spring drills were a passion for the game and camaraderie. He said he saw little passion after the
spring's fifth scrimmage - but that changed team-wide. "We went from clocking in and out to having a real passion."
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock (with jersey) with CU's Mike Bohn, Tad Boyle, Mike MacIntyre, Linda Lappe and Nicole Kenneally. - That smell in the downtown Denver air? It's only mid-May but MacIntyre identified it as football. With Sports Authority Field not far from the Golden Arches, MacIntyre said, "I can't wait to play CSU (on Sept. 1) . . . I can almost smell the game."
- All of CU's coaches agree that altitude can be a huge home-game advantage. This might have been tongue-in-cheek from MacIntyre, but maybe not: In any sort of upcoming facility upgrade that includes new visitors' locker rooms, he wants them constructed "up a long flight of stairs." Sounds reasonable.
- This is a day old, but the idea is still fresh ? and it relates to playing at altitude: At Monday's stop at the Bolder Boulder store, Boyle picked up a T-shirt with "Sea Level Is For Sissies" splashed across the front. Might have given him an idea for a Buffs shirt.
- At the mayor's office, former Buffs defensive back Albus Brooks showed up to greet the CU contingent. Brooks is now a Denver City Council person, and according to Hancock, a star in the making. Brooks told me he wants to ramp up his involvement at his alma mater and get other former teammates to do the same.
- The Caravan features a pair of Chips traveling to every stop. The Chip who?drew the suited up duty at the McDonald's stop?might have drawn the short straw;?the temperature was 82 degrees. "It's about 40 degrees hotter inside the suit," said the non-suited Chip. That's not comfortable, but there's never a whimper from these guys.
- Here's a mental picture for you: MacIntyre at the McD's drive-through window wearing a headset - and he wasn't discussing Pistol plays with offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren. MacIntyre said if he stayed at the drive-through window too long chaos would reign in the parking lot.
- At the Anschutz stop, tour guide Jim Ellis told the CU party the health and wellness center offered well-researched info on fitness, diet and stress reduction. Boyle said coaches needed a large dose of the last offering. To which MacIntyre replied: "There's already a plan in place - it's called 'W's."
For Wednesday's public tour stops visit CUBuffs.com/coachescaravan.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
