You know, I was just thinking, "what's going on with UW football these days?" Not so much the Xs and Os as the Cowboys get ready for their season opener Sept. 3 at home against Weber State, but other football news.
So I opened the email today and bam! Not one, not two, but three press releases in a matter of minutes on UW football. Unfortunately, none of them had to do with football practice being open to the media.
Instead, the first email that I opened was to announce that Wyoming games will be heard in the Denver radio market on KDSP 102.3 “The Ticket." The station will carry all 12 UW football games and a minimum of 12 men’s basketball games during the 2011-12 season.
That's good for the Denver market. I consider myself an unfortunate part-time Denver resident with my wife in the hospital there since last December. And yes, I listen to "The Ticket" at times when I am there.
And this might be one of the best promotional quotes I've seen in a long time.
"We are very excited to again be the home for Wyoming football in the Denver metro market,” said Sean Brennan, Sports Marketing Director for Front Range Sports Networks. “Wyoming football is a regional institution and an extremely important part of the sports landscape in Colorado. We look forward to helping build the Wyoming football brand and helping promote the outstanding educational institution that is the University of Wyoming. Go Pokes!”
Love the Go Pokes at the end, the fact that he mentioned Wyoming football three times in the quote and that they will be promoting the outstanding educational institution that is the University of Wyoming. Awesome.
Two minutes before that release was sent out, I also received a press release about the Wyoming Football Kickoff Luncheon, which will be Monday at 11:45 a.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn Grand Ballroom in Laramie. Of course, it will be presented by Wyoming State Bank.
Head coach Dave Christensen and the “Voice of the Cowboys,” Dave Walsh, will preview the upcoming season. Wyoming players will be in attendance as well as the coaching staff.
Last but not least, two minutes before that release, came the reminder that the first episode of this year’s Dave Christensen Radio Show will premiere on Monday on Cowboy Sports Network affiliate stations, beginning at 6 p.m. Of course, American National Bank will serve as the title sponsor of the show and it will be hosted by, who else, Dave Walsh, the “Voice of the Cowboys.”
The show will also feature an assistant coach each week and two players. Fans are also encouraged to attend the show live at Altitude Chophouse and Brewery located at 320 South Second Street in historic downtown Laramie.
So there you go. All this before 9 a.m. My day is already complete.
Actually, now my day is complete with the release of the new Cowboys football fight song on http://www.coachchristensen.com/.
I'm a 52-year-old classic rocker and I couldn't name three rappers the kids listen to these days but I think this is OK. I know the old fuddy duddys will not like it, but to them I borrow a line from the Bill Murray movie, Stripes: "Lighten up Francis."
Here's the new Cowboy football rap: newcowboyfbrapsong
Friday, August 26, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Counting the days
Wednesday, Aug. 24
I often say to people, "Can you imagine lying in bed day after day for several months, not hardly able to move and not being able to see very well?"
That's been Teresa's life for the last 8-10 months at the Colorado Acute Long Term Hospital in Denver.
Add to that not having friends or family for much of the time to at least visit with. I'm in Denver on my days off from work, but that is the best that I can do at this time.
The other night Teresa called me at work. She was crying. She's done a great job with her physical therapy and for the most the part, the news has been positive for the last couple of weeks.
I was at first a little puzzled. I ask, "Why are you crying?"
"I'm just so lonely. I don't have anybody to talk to," she said.
All I can do is talk to her and remind her that it will be OK. I try to come up with things for her to do to keep her mind off of things; watch TV, watch a movie. Easy for me to say, especially when your eyes are so bad you can hardly see the television.
So we just talk some more.
As I said before, things are beginning to look up for her physically. Today, she got on the tilt table to build strength in her legs. She handled it pretty well. The doctors have hinted that if things go well, they could cut her loose in say, 2-4 months.
A little while ago, Teresa started counting on her fingers ... September, October, November, December ... and she said, "I'm going to be home for Christmas. No, I'm going to be home for Thanksgiving. Wait, I'm going to be home to hand out candy (for Halloween)."
I answered, "Darn right you are."
Under no circumstance was I going to say anything else.
I know my wife, but I also know how things have gone for us this last year. I know she has the determination to get better and I know she wants to just be home more than anything in the world.
In the back of my mind, though, I want to temper that enthusiasm ... not for Teresa, but for me. I'm afraid. I'm afraid that if she has another setback, that determination will dwindle.
A while back when Teresa was really sick with a 104 degree temperature, the doctor told me to "hope for the best, but prepare for the worst."
Of course, the only thing I took from that was "prepare for the worst." Naturally, I didn't handle it well.
Later on, though, I began to think about what the doctor had said. From a medical standpoint, it made sense. Teresa had two more bad temperature days after that and I heard much of the same thing from the doctors.
She battled and battled through it and we think we have a handle on the high temperatures. But we never know for sure.
I told Teresa after her last episode that we're no longer going to dwell on what could happen, but live and enjoy each day to the fullest. But how do you enjoy each day when you're lying alone in a hospital bed 150 miles from your family? I still don't have an answer to that.
All I can do is come down here on my days off and try to make her laugh. When she calls me at work crying, there will be nothing more important than just talking to her.
Teresa told the kidney doctor today that she was going to walk again by the time she goes home.
If that happens by Halloween, we're going to need a lot of candy. And Christmas is going to be the best ever.
I often say to people, "Can you imagine lying in bed day after day for several months, not hardly able to move and not being able to see very well?"
That's been Teresa's life for the last 8-10 months at the Colorado Acute Long Term Hospital in Denver.
Add to that not having friends or family for much of the time to at least visit with. I'm in Denver on my days off from work, but that is the best that I can do at this time.
The other night Teresa called me at work. She was crying. She's done a great job with her physical therapy and for the most the part, the news has been positive for the last couple of weeks.
I was at first a little puzzled. I ask, "Why are you crying?"
"I'm just so lonely. I don't have anybody to talk to," she said.
All I can do is talk to her and remind her that it will be OK. I try to come up with things for her to do to keep her mind off of things; watch TV, watch a movie. Easy for me to say, especially when your eyes are so bad you can hardly see the television.
So we just talk some more.
As I said before, things are beginning to look up for her physically. Today, she got on the tilt table to build strength in her legs. She handled it pretty well. The doctors have hinted that if things go well, they could cut her loose in say, 2-4 months.
A little while ago, Teresa started counting on her fingers ... September, October, November, December ... and she said, "I'm going to be home for Christmas. No, I'm going to be home for Thanksgiving. Wait, I'm going to be home to hand out candy (for Halloween)."
I answered, "Darn right you are."
Under no circumstance was I going to say anything else.
I know my wife, but I also know how things have gone for us this last year. I know she has the determination to get better and I know she wants to just be home more than anything in the world.
In the back of my mind, though, I want to temper that enthusiasm ... not for Teresa, but for me. I'm afraid. I'm afraid that if she has another setback, that determination will dwindle.
A while back when Teresa was really sick with a 104 degree temperature, the doctor told me to "hope for the best, but prepare for the worst."
Of course, the only thing I took from that was "prepare for the worst." Naturally, I didn't handle it well.
Later on, though, I began to think about what the doctor had said. From a medical standpoint, it made sense. Teresa had two more bad temperature days after that and I heard much of the same thing from the doctors.
She battled and battled through it and we think we have a handle on the high temperatures. But we never know for sure.
I told Teresa after her last episode that we're no longer going to dwell on what could happen, but live and enjoy each day to the fullest. But how do you enjoy each day when you're lying alone in a hospital bed 150 miles from your family? I still don't have an answer to that.
All I can do is come down here on my days off and try to make her laugh. When she calls me at work crying, there will be nothing more important than just talking to her.
Teresa told the kidney doctor today that she was going to walk again by the time she goes home.
If that happens by Halloween, we're going to need a lot of candy. And Christmas is going to be the best ever.
Friday, August 19, 2011
When a scrimmage is not a scrimmage
When a coach announces the cancellation of a scrimmage, one thought normally comes to mind: "We're too banged up to scrimmage."
That's not the case for the Wyoming Cowboys and head coach Dave Christensen. The Cowboys do have some injuries -- senior H-back Bryson Studnicka, senior linebacker Oliver Schober and sophomore running back Nehemie Kankolongo are all lost for the season due to injury and sophomore tight end Spencer Bruce will be out for at least two months. But that's football.
No, Christensen called off Saturday's fourth and final scheduled scrimmage because things are going well.
Are the Cowboys practicing too well?
Are they saying, "We don't need no stinking scrimmage."
No, I just wanted to write something that was similar to, "We don't need no stinking badges."
Back to the Cowboys. Christensen just feels that he has been able to accomplish some good things this preseason and now it's just a matter of fine tuning.
Besides, although he hasn't officially named freshman Brett Smith the starting quarterback, you'd have to be living under a rock to not know that barring injury between now and the season opener on Sept. 3, he'll take the opening snap against Weber State.
What Christensen actually said in a release was that he is pleased with where the team is at and where they’re at from a health standpoint.
"We put a lot of physical work into our early practices. That physical work included more live tackling than we had incorporated into either fall camp our first two years," he said. "Our kids have given great effort every practice, and because of that we’ve been able to accomplish a lot in each of our first 17 practices.
With players getting 125-150 live snaps each to this point, Christensen said they feel that they have a good handle on which players are going to be able to help them this year.
Basically, what it amounts to is the Cowboys are not too banged up and Christensen wants to keep it that way and avoiding one last scrimmage should help. What they will focus on, rather than scrimmaging, is to fine tune their gameday procedures.
"We want to rehearse what happens in an actual game -- substituting, signaling in plays -- we will try to simulate a gameday setting," he said. “I feel like we are where we need to be as we enter next week when we will start to focus on preparation for our first game versus Weber State.”
Ok, so instead of calling it a scrimmage, let's just call it is a rehearsal.
***
In other UW football notes, the Cowboys will name game captains each week this season rather than naming season-long captains. The first game’s captains will be released the week leading up to the Weber State game.
Christensen will also announce an updated depth chart on Aug. 29 at his first weekly press conference of the season.
In that press conference, Christensen will also announce the opening-day uniforms the Cowboys will wear versus Weber State. The opening-day uniforms will be determined by the vote of Wyoming fans, who have been voting throughout the month of August at http://www.wyomingathletics.com/. Voting for the opening-day uniforms will close on Aug. 25.
***
Because Saturday's scrimmage will just be a practice, this practice, which begins at 10 a.m., will be open to the public and the media. But don't get used to it. UW also released its media practice and interview polices for the season. It's the same as it has been ... media can watch the first 30 minutes and then go take a siesta until practice is over.
Hopefully, I remember to go.
***
I'll be interested in seeing how the Laramie High School football team looks tonight during its tune up for next week's season opener at home against Rock Springs. The Plainsmen will scrimmage at 7 p.m. Friday at Deti Stadium.
Unfortunately, I won't get to see as I have to work in Cheyenne. But if I could, I would. The Plainsmen are looking to battle back from last season's 1-8 record under head coach Bob Knapton. Starting quarterback Billy Hysong and starting running back Tanner Ibarra return for LHS.
Last fall was the first time in over 30 years that I didn't cover high school football, whether it was in Belle Fource, S.D., while in college, in Hot Springs, S.D., just after college or as a full time sportswriter at newspapers in Worland, Mount Vernon, Wash., or Laramie (followed by my website Wyomingsports.org in 2008-2009).
To put it bluntly, not covering high school football last year sucked. It still does.
That's not the case for the Wyoming Cowboys and head coach Dave Christensen. The Cowboys do have some injuries -- senior H-back Bryson Studnicka, senior linebacker Oliver Schober and sophomore running back Nehemie Kankolongo are all lost for the season due to injury and sophomore tight end Spencer Bruce will be out for at least two months. But that's football.
No, Christensen called off Saturday's fourth and final scheduled scrimmage because things are going well.
Are the Cowboys practicing too well?
Are they saying, "We don't need no stinking scrimmage."
No, I just wanted to write something that was similar to, "We don't need no stinking badges."
Back to the Cowboys. Christensen just feels that he has been able to accomplish some good things this preseason and now it's just a matter of fine tuning.
Besides, although he hasn't officially named freshman Brett Smith the starting quarterback, you'd have to be living under a rock to not know that barring injury between now and the season opener on Sept. 3, he'll take the opening snap against Weber State.
What Christensen actually said in a release was that he is pleased with where the team is at and where they’re at from a health standpoint.
"We put a lot of physical work into our early practices. That physical work included more live tackling than we had incorporated into either fall camp our first two years," he said. "Our kids have given great effort every practice, and because of that we’ve been able to accomplish a lot in each of our first 17 practices.
With players getting 125-150 live snaps each to this point, Christensen said they feel that they have a good handle on which players are going to be able to help them this year.
Basically, what it amounts to is the Cowboys are not too banged up and Christensen wants to keep it that way and avoiding one last scrimmage should help. What they will focus on, rather than scrimmaging, is to fine tune their gameday procedures.
"We want to rehearse what happens in an actual game -- substituting, signaling in plays -- we will try to simulate a gameday setting," he said. “I feel like we are where we need to be as we enter next week when we will start to focus on preparation for our first game versus Weber State.”
Ok, so instead of calling it a scrimmage, let's just call it is a rehearsal.
***
In other UW football notes, the Cowboys will name game captains each week this season rather than naming season-long captains. The first game’s captains will be released the week leading up to the Weber State game.
Christensen will also announce an updated depth chart on Aug. 29 at his first weekly press conference of the season.
In that press conference, Christensen will also announce the opening-day uniforms the Cowboys will wear versus Weber State. The opening-day uniforms will be determined by the vote of Wyoming fans, who have been voting throughout the month of August at http://www.wyomingathletics.com/. Voting for the opening-day uniforms will close on Aug. 25.
***
Because Saturday's scrimmage will just be a practice, this practice, which begins at 10 a.m., will be open to the public and the media. But don't get used to it. UW also released its media practice and interview polices for the season. It's the same as it has been ... media can watch the first 30 minutes and then go take a siesta until practice is over.
Hopefully, I remember to go.
***
I'll be interested in seeing how the Laramie High School football team looks tonight during its tune up for next week's season opener at home against Rock Springs. The Plainsmen will scrimmage at 7 p.m. Friday at Deti Stadium.
Unfortunately, I won't get to see as I have to work in Cheyenne. But if I could, I would. The Plainsmen are looking to battle back from last season's 1-8 record under head coach Bob Knapton. Starting quarterback Billy Hysong and starting running back Tanner Ibarra return for LHS.
Last fall was the first time in over 30 years that I didn't cover high school football, whether it was in Belle Fource, S.D., while in college, in Hot Springs, S.D., just after college or as a full time sportswriter at newspapers in Worland, Mount Vernon, Wash., or Laramie (followed by my website Wyomingsports.org in 2008-2009).
To put it bluntly, not covering high school football last year sucked. It still does.
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