Ousted Colorado coach Dan Hawkins was in the house Saturday for the his former team's 34-14 win over Iowa State, its first game since Hawkins was given the ax in the wake of the Buffs' epic collapse at Kansas a week earlier. So yes, he can still find his way into Folsom Field on a game day, even if he has to don shades and a neutral hat to avoid being assaulted by an army of vengeful hacky sackers at the gate.But how would the faithful react to seeing the Hawk on the field again, in front of the crowd like a ghost returned to mock them one last time for enduring five straight losing seasons under his watch, including one almost no one wanted except the accountants? The environment could get a little awkward, at least, and nasty at worst. Which apparently has Hawkins considering skipping the Senior Day ceremony with his son, Cody, before Saturday's home finale against Kansas State:
BOULDER – Colorado quarterback Cody Hawkins told reporters Wednesday after practice that he is not sure whether his dad, recently fired CU coach Dan Hawkins, will walk Cody out on the field prior to Saturday's game for the senior-day ceremony.
"I don't know, if he wants to, he will," Cody said of whether his father will walk him out on the field. "We'll kind of see how it goes. I know my mom will be there, and that's all that matters."
Somebody suggested that Dan Hawkins belonged there with Cody. "Yeah, I think he does," Cody said. "But at the same time, I don't want to expose him to all the (negative) stuff that he has had to deal with."
Actually, the crowd may not be all that welcoming to Cody, either, considering the Buffs' 7-17 mark when he's seen significant action over the last three years, a dismal record that kept the younger Hawkins in fans' crosshairs and, increasingly, on the bench in favor of Tyler Hansen. Hawkins is starting his fifth straight game Saturday in Hansen's Saturday, and coming off one of the best efforts of his career in last week's win. But whatever ovation he gets will be strictly out of a combination of politeness, appreciation for making it out in one piece and relief that the leading players of the woebegone Hawkins era in Boulder are finally exiting the stage.
The day after his dad was fired, Cody said "he's going to be there" on Senior Day because "my mom's going to make him be there," and "it's going to be great." He then suggesting Dan dress up as Chewbacca or Inspector Gadget to foil the haters. If he actually goes through with that plan, I hereby resolve to take back every Innermurals brother!" joke to ever appear in this space.
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Hat tip: CFT.
Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.
John van den Berk Marnicq Bervoets Fritz Betzlbacher Dave Bickers Anthony Boissiere
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