Monday, March 3, 2014

Letter of Aggravation

I’m sure I’m not the only one here who received the letter from Head Coach Pete Mangurian this weekend that promised us a team we could be proud of and stated that “recruiting is going very well.”

Look, I get that Mangurian has to write this kind of stuff and that all his predecessors did the same.

So, I’m not criticizing him for writing the letter or anything he said in it.

But I’m already suffering from pre-emptive mental pain when I think of the inevitable pushback I and some other fans will get 8 ½ months from now when we accurately point to this letter and ask why none of these promises were kept.

At the top of the template for this blog are Mangurian’s statements from last year about how we should judge the 2013 team by its wins and losses. Well, we judged the 0-10 team for what it was, and yet the administration refused to do a thing about it, the Mangurian trolls decided to ignore it, and apparently the only important thing is that I called Mangurian fat.

I wish I could say “good for Pete for making bold and clear promises.” But I can’t, because when it comes to at least taking responsibility for breaking those promises, he’s been AWOL… other than taking a moment to blame me. And apparently some of his zealous employees/followers/family members are running some kind of absurd interference.

Anyone can feel free to attack me for telling it like I see it, but right now I don’t see how this team does better than 1-9 next season. 0-10 is actually more likely than not. Anyone who saw how far behind we were compared to every other team we played last season knows what I’m talking about. This is a program that’s 4-5 years away from being competitive even if Mangurian makes a lot of right moves from now on.


So forgive me if I just throw Mangurian’s letter away, because filing it away to use it as some kind of evidence against him in November won’t do any good. The administration and his supporters will attack me for using Pete’s own words and promises against him. 

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good one Pete, way to show some personality.

oldlion said...

Since the early morning practices seem to be such a downer does anybody know if Pete will be abandoning them and going back to an afternoon schedule? Also, has anybody heard anything about Spring ball?

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

According to this page, there is no staff listed for the 2014 season! Our prayers have been answered!

oldlion said...

Jake, a lot of your readers, myself included, would be interested in your view on whether we should lock arms and try to get behind the team for the upcoming season. While it is hard to quarrel with the dismal results to date, I am concerned about the welfare of the current players and the incoming recruits. Since this is year three of a four year contract, my question is whether we should try to get behind the program through the upcoming season, which would be my inclination after long reflection, or whether you are advocating no hiatus in the campaign to dislodge the AD and the HC. It seems to me that Pete is either gone if we have a repeat of last year, or he gets a one year extension if he shows appreciable improvement. Please advise.

Big Dawg said...

Oldlion, et al;
I can't speak for Jake or others, but from where I sit, there is a vast distance between the Team and the rest of these issues. I will always support and cheer on the team, as well as CU. To do otherwise is against our interest as well as our heart.
These individuals will come and go. Our support for the team won't accelerate/decelerate the process. Because we will also stay involved with our commentary and observations, and unless there is major improvement across the board, our numbers will grow.

Jake said...

We are getting behind the team by trying to liberate it from terrible coaching and A.D. management. It's as simple as that.

Tod Howard Hawks, Columbia College, Class of 1966 said...

I agree with oldlion.

Tod Howard Hawks CC 66

Anonymous said...

Darn, I thought it was a 3 year contract. Well, the season will speak for itself. Though for typical college football programs a coach would need a superb season to earn an extension. It would be catastrophic to reward Pete for anything less than a 5-5 record (and that is generous, should be 7 wins).

alawicius said...

Regardless of some who would call me a "troll" (terribly faddist, don't you think?), I maintain that despite last year's catastrophy, we serve our team well by getting behind Pete and Dianne for what I think will turn out to be a better-than-expected resurgence. Listen, I was there in '61 when we won our only title (and played with Bob Kraft on the then extant "sprint" team), so I know it has and can be done, despite the suffocating weight of all the naysayers. You have to understand that it's a metaphysical matter, i.e., our football karma, which, while it may take a mighty effort to change, is not beyond redemption. GO LIONS!!

WOF said...

The Karma will change when the admin decides they really want to commit to us winning a championship, us naysayers aren't convinced that is the case.

And PM has done an awful job serving as the face of CU football. You can't possibly dispute that.

It is hard to expect a resurgence with what we have seen the past year from both the admin and the coach

alawicius said...

WOF, "hard to expect a resurgence," I agree, but still possible. Great disaster is sometimes followed by great fortune...let's give it a chance. The 2014 roster just up shows all the players are back, I think that's a good sign.

WOF said...

I am with you, all we want is the for the team to field a winner and the admin to help that happen.

alawicius said...

I hope we can all agree on that, including the administration, and I think they do despite our misgivings. What's needed now is the help of the football gods, and we need a postivie attitude for that.

alawicius said...

Make that "positive" (which as you can see isn't easy, but press on we must).

Anonymous said...

It would be a completely different spin if the current coaching displayed aptitude but it has been mostly a horrendous display. I'm still stuck on the lack of game planning. They showed no willingness to change from game to game as if they believed they could execute what they pleased at their whim. Even if Nottingham was healthy, isn't it obvious opponents will figure out what you are doing? Are they that shallow they think they can ram it down an opponent's throat? Why do i ask why when it is obvious Pete is just out of place in the role of HC of this particular team.

I can forgive the bunker mentality if this staff showed competence. Not happening.

Biggest positive are a few excellent players on defense. Padilla for one. Too bad Ollinger is graduating.

alawicius said...

Just have to wait and see, and hope.