[ad_1]
For Randy Kerns, memories brought tears to her eyes. Old tears. Tears from 1999, now that you talk about it.
"It tends to overshadow everything else," Kerns, a CU Buffs fan, laughed at Lot J at Broncos Stadium before the 2019 Rocky Mountain Showdown between CU and the CSU Rams.
"It has made me worse," said his friend Eli ImMasche, one of the CSU students, about the famous 1999 Showdown at Old Mile High Stadium that ended in chaos; a 41-14 Rams win punctuated by Denver police tear gas supporters after debris was thrown at officers and football team players exiting the field.
"Fortunately, I was not in this section," continued Eli. "It's a bit like stopping someone who could rob a convenience store. It's just trying to guess the intention. "
At this point, we still do not know when – or if – the Showdown will return to Denver, while the last match of the current contract between CU-CSU ends in Fort Collins next fall. However, we know that this series will no longer be an annual affair after 2020: it will put an end to 26 consecutive years of tear gas, peaks of helmets, vulgar speeches and pride.
And you know what?
It did not seem to bother Randy or Eli in the least.
"Originally, I was sad when I learned that it was going to stop," ImMasche said. "And I realized that every year we do something that is not as special as if there is free time."
"For me, not doing it every year is not bad," said Kerns. "Maybe they do it a little less often, so that makes them more special."
If the sports director of the CSU, Joe Parker, had his talents, the series would remain the annual rite of the end of the summer since the resumption of the showdown in 1995. But he also knows that it takes two to tango and that his CU contemporary, Rick George, is blocked by only three unconferenced windows per season, as well as a Pac-12 office that bows out over his strength.
"Conferences, regardless of their planning philosophy, should allow campuses to do what is best for their schools and circumstances," said Parker, whose Rams will face a two-year gap. before the return of the Showdown for a house in 2023. and 2024. In addition, two houses are tentatively scheduled for 2029-30 and 2033-34.
"You see that the Rocky Mountain Showdown has a significance in the state of Colorado," Parker said. "It seems self-evident to cut (cut) this and (say)," We will only focus on the opponents of the Power 5. "
That said, Parker and George continue to have an open and cordial dialogue. However, the CU administrator admits that the request to add Power 5 schools to the list of non-participants of the conference – the CU has series with Nebraska, Florida, Texas A & M, Missouri , Kansas State and Northwestern to come over the next 12 years – makes the situation more difficult. tighten the rams annually.
To a certain extent, it's a math problem – since the three Fall CU open dates fill out a lot faster than the four CSUs.
"We like to play CSU, we think the series has been good," said George. "(But) I do not think we will play them as we do now (like) the first game of the year."
And if you have a 2-in-1 concept, with CU getting both dates home, George said he'd be open to the idea. For Parker? It is a total non-starter.
"We have exchanges with Texas Tech, Washington and Vanderbilt," said Parker. "I do not understand why it would never be a thought to take into account. And I hope that CU will never put us in a situation that requires us. It does not mean anything. "
[ad_2]
Source link