Dead-man-talking Dan Hawkins tries (and fails) to spin disastrous loss to Missouri

"I think we showed tremendous character in the way we got pulverized..."

CU Buffs coach Dan Hawkins certainly talks a good game. Trouble is, football is about making plays, not excuses -- something Hawkins didn't acknowledge in the wake of the team's 36-17 loss to the Missouri Tigers on Saturday (see lowlights below). In a post-catastrophe conversation with KOA's Mark Johnson, who called the game (and sounded like he was in intense pain during most of the broadcast), Hawkins started out by praising his squad for their performance in the second half, thereby transforming subsequent comments about a slow start into a virtual afterthought.

Okay, fine: At least the Buffs kept fighting. But showing life during extended garbage time after going into a 33-0 hole is, at best, a moral victory -- and we're several years past the stage when those mean anything. (By that standard, CU's 54-38 defeat to Toledo in September was a testament to the triumph of the human spirit, not a gruesome embarrassment.) Bottom line, the Hawkins experiment has failed. Now all that's left to determine is if the votes of confidence from athletic director Mike Bohn and chancellor Phil DiStefano were inspired by kindness intended to help Hawkins prepare for a dignified exit or certifiable insanity sure to leave alumni feeling homicidal. Good luck spinning that, everyone.