How will Mamabird cope when Beau leaves the nest?

When Colorado takes the field in 2008 in their familiar yellow jerseys, one figure will be noticeably absent. Beau Kittredge, perhaps the most dominant player in college ultimate over the last four seasons, will not return to Mamabird. Beau twice finished in the top 5 in Callahan voting, was a huge part of Colorado reaching the finals three times in four years, and a player forced that opposing teams to change their defenses around to stop him. How can he be replaced?

He can't. But Colorado will be a better team in 2008 without him.

To anyone watching the 2007 College Nationals final, it appeared that, on defense, Beau was more of a liability than anything. Watching 6 determined Colorado defenders struggle to switch off and contain 7 excellent, speedy Wisconsin players while Beau parked himself in the middle of the field, waiting for a huck that never came, was painful. Beau's place on the field was well-deserved - at his best, he's Colorado's best offensive and defensive player. Even hurt as he was, torn hamstring and all, he was among Colorado's best 7 on offense and defense. But Colorado's "6 + Beau" defense was shredded by cutters like Jack Marsh. Colorado's zone was slightly more effective in containing Wisconsin, but nobody was going to stop them this year.

So how can I say that Colorado will be better sans Beau, after losing in the finals of Nationals to one of the best teams to ever hit the college series? And let's not forget that they're losing their other Callahan nominee, Rabbit, along with their most consistent handler of year (besides Jolian), Gonzo. How could they be better without winning Nationals? Yes, I'm done asking questions that I will answer in the course of the post.

Mamabird returns an incredibly strong lineup, especially with Jolian, Martin, and Mac Taylor all coming back. No doubt it will take time to adjust to the loss of Beau, especially when it comes to breaking down a zone defense or throwing hucks as far as possible. Colorado will have to learn to play a better brand of ultimate - but they have the personnel. I've learned over the course of the year that good handlers are everywhere, but great handlers are hard to find. Colorado still has Jolian, their great handler. Rabbit and Gonzo can and will be replaced. To borrow one of the oldest and most meaningless sports cliches of all time, they have players who know how to win.

Colorado will still be a team that makes people think twice about playing zone against them. Their willingness to throw hammers and their ability to catch them will become more and more threatening even without the possibility of a zone-breaking huck to Beau. They will bring up tested players from their B-team who can contribute right away, and they have hungry defenders itching for playing time. The system at Colorado is one of the best in the country, as speed and defensive intensity are the ways to make the A-team, and those are two things that will make any college team a threat to win Nationals. Catt and Juice are fearsome coaches that inspire incredible loyalty in their players.

The offense that was so feared, supposedly because of the instantaneous threat of a huck to Beau, will not be so radically different. Beau spent far more time behind the disc this year than he ever had before, and Colorado was able to score by working the disc, breaking the mark, and launching hucks to their other talented receivers. Don't be surprised if the Colorado team we see in the fall is radically different than the one that appears in the series. It will definitely take time to make the transition, but only a fool would bet on Colorado tanking without Beau.

The college ultimate scene will be radically different next year, as many teams are coping with the same issues as Colorado - losing their marquee players and team leaders. Not all of them will be able to rebound with the same level of success. Teams like Carleton and Oregon will be hoping to finally make it out of quarters as these "young" teams continue to age without seeing a hint of Nationals glory. Colorado is well-poised to remain at the top, as perennial contenders Stanford and Wisconsin will reload after graduations as well.

The true test remains whether or not the supporting cast from this year can make the transition to leading men. They'll have hungry players on their heels regardless, and Catt will expect nothing less than dominance from a Mamabird team that looks to take advantage of a seemingly wide-open 2008 College Series. If those role players can't step up, they'll remain role players, while rookies and B-teamers will be happy to fill the void and be a part of yet another successful Mamabird team. We know that Martin and Jolian can deliver - they've shown it time and time again. But only when the entire team plays well will Colorado be able to wear gold again at Nationals.

It's too early to say whether or not Colorado is the team to beat in 2008, but a fourth finals appearance in five years is definitely in their sights, Beau or no Beau.