My
2 Cents
10/7/07
Responses
The responses listed below are from my commentary of October 7, 2007 following the Missouri game. They are listed in reverse chronological order with the more recent response listed first.
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The
Iowa State fan is suffering from tunnel vision. They certainly do not
have better "fans" than the Huskers and they certainly do not
have a more knowledgeable fan base. What they do have, and what he sees,
are fans who are use to losing. There is going to be a percentage of these
fans in EVERY fan base. Nebraska certainly has their share and they probably
outnumber the Cyclone faithful. There will always be those who appear
to be satisfied with whatever form of entertainment which is provided
for them. Look how many are still thinking that Callahan and company are
going to suddenly become good coaches. There certainly is no background
that indicates such a thing will happen but , in some, hope springs eternal.
True, it is much easier to be a dedicated fan when the team is doing good
things but Nebraska's fan reputation goes back way before they were doing
any better than what Iowa State currently is doing. The fans back then,
and even many of them now, appreciated seeing good football. I can remember
the fans standing and clapping for a small Hawai team that came in to
memorial stadium big underdogs and layed a loss on the Huskers.(0-6) in
1955. That Hawaii team played their hearts out and the Husker fans applauded
them for it.
But the point here is that this writer has no clue where this Husker fan
reputation came from as it was "built" way before he was a gleam
in his fathers eye.
More importantly it was also built on the fact that Husker fans despite
not having winning teams were constantly filling up the stadium. Something
that very few teams, including the Iowa State cyclones, could claim at
the time or even to this day..
All teams in this day and age have their mix of fair weather, dedicated,
or it's the place to be, etc. type fans. Getting into a my fans are better
than yours discussion is pointless when the real issue is what should
one expect from a coach who gets 1.74 million a year. I happen to think
that we are not getting our moneys worth nor do I think that the odds
are in favor of this ever improving to a "standard" which Husker
fans and teams have come to expect.
Iowa State has been slow and overly patient with thier football program
and all this fan has is one game that he can dream about after a whole
lot of years. The saying is that you can expect what you inspect. If you
don't inspect why your program has suddenly become second class, then
you can expect to be second class.
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Who wins football games? The team with the
(1) Better strategy and/or
(2) Better tactical play calling and/or
(3) Better athletes and/or
(4) Better execution/coordination/teamwork and/or
(5) Better luck
I don’t think luck or athletic differences were involved in Nebraska
’s defeat to Missouri , so we can rule them out and conclude that
Nebraska lost as a function of its strategy and/or tactical play calling
and/or execution/coordination/teamwork. With respect to execution/coordination/teamwork,
while there were occasional dropped passes, missed blocks, missed tackles,
and missed assignments, on the whole, the team appeared to be “trying
to do” what was asked of it, so Nebraska mostly lost as a function
of its tactical play calling and strategy. Since almost everything Nebraska
tried from a play calling perspective didn’t work too well and there
were plenty of chances to figure out what plays would work, then one might
conclude that Nebraska lost due to the poor strategy it brought to the
game. Therefore, my guess is that whatever strategy it was that was brought
into the Missouri game was not one which had an ice cubes chance in hell
to succeed – i.e. almost nothing Nebraska did during the game suggested
any chance of winning – and if Nebraska wants to win more games
in the future, it better first figure out what’s going to work offensively
and defensively against the teams its going to play, coach the players
to execute these plans, and call the right play at the right time.
Hopefully, Big Red will play better as a whole as the season goes on,
but it will take more than just better player effort and execution to
win games down the road: A winning game plan correctly called and executed
will be required. Nebraska already has the athletes to play the game very
well.
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I get the impression that the defense is doing too much thinking and not
enough doing…Can’t someone in the “brain trust”
figure out that aggressive play will cover up a mistake better than being
a step slow and out of the play? I not talking about overrunning plays
or getting burned on misdirection but we got to make it simple. Let us
make it less complicated and forget the thinking. If they are thinking
at this point in the season instead of reacting they are still in spring
ball.
If the first teamers don’t have enough conscience to turn in their blackshirt like Bowman did, then I think we got an attitude problem…They must think they are entitled to it. It is more than a shirt, it is tradition and many that came before them bled and sweat to uphold the tradition and be worthy of a blackshirt…Perhaps this year’s defense may be “pretty in pink.” I think the only sweating these guys are doing is when they get off the bus.
I
am ready to see the youngsters and have the 1st teamers take a seat until
they decide whether they want to play or not….Am I out of line?
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David,
I heard Nebraska Athletic Director Steve Pederson speak during his Husker Nation tour a few years ago in which he introduced his new coaching staff. He said something that stuck with me, ?Nebraska football is about winning championships!? My heart sank. ?He doesn?t get it?, I thought. I don?t want to place all of the blame on one person; my point is simply that he truly doesn?t understand. The challenge is that I don?t think that we, Husker fans, can collectively point to the one thing that defines Nebraska football and which seems to be missing today.
I grew up in Nebraska, played high school football, went to the University. I was alive, although quite young, when Nebraska won its championships in the early 70?s. So for me, the Huskers and Tom Osborne were one in the same and their dominance in the mid-90?s was the pinnacle of a long journey that we took together. Sure I was frustrated when we couldn?t win the big one in the 80?s and early 90?s. But there was something about the Huskers that I could identify with?something that made them mine?made them ours as Nebraskans.
Like many Nebraskans, some of my life?s lessons came from the team, or more accurately, from their character. I carry that with me today. To me it wasn?t about championships. It was about an identity that reflected us as a state to the rest of the world. It was about a belief in something that everyone else thought was antiquated and can?t fit in the modern world. For the Huskers, it was a run-oriented style of smash-mouth football that wasn?t exciting and couldn?t possibly prevail. For the state, it was about a way of life and a set of values that wasn?t exciting and couldn?t possibly prevail.
The Huskers kept that belief regardless of what the rest of the college football world thought and achieved unparalleled consistency of 9-win seasons. And Nebraska fans embraced that as a mantra for their own lives whether they knew it explicitly or not. We would relish in the comments that it was an outdated style. More often than not, it proved to be effective. It was wonderful when the end of the game meant that the Huskers had worn the other team down and were manhandling them on their way to another victory. It was our identity. Championships, if they came were nice, but it was the consistency and adherence to a style, which we equated to our own way of life, that was the attraction to Nebraska football.
Sadly,
the Huskers don?t represent the same things any longer. You could say
that in their stated quest for championships, they are embracing a character
of greed that is not recognizable to many Nebraskans. The championships
and dominance of the 90?s represented the proof that consistency, hard
work and adherence to a belief pay off. The championships weren?t the
objective: in the deed, the glory. Unfortunately, success comes at a price,
which is an elevated expectation?and it?s time to pay.
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Pretty impressive writing. In a fairy tale. Nebraska fans are by far the
best fans in college football. Because they boo in one game makes them
not the best fans? Fans don't have the right to express their feelings?
Yes, win or lose, we still have the best fans in college football. You
can say what you want about supporting the Cyclones in their down years,
you had enough of them to get used to it, LOL. And yes, we can put any
10 victories that Nebraska has had against the 1 upset you are talking
about and still have as much pleasure as you had for your 1 upset. I still
recall those down years at Iowa State ( and I still consider them down
years, can't remember the last time they won a conference title in football,
hmmmm, I'll have to ponder that one for awhile ), but back to recalling
the down years, I can remember a lot of empty seats at their stadium during
a football game. That's what you call better fans than Nebraska's? Even
after the transition at Lincoln, and even after not going to a bowl game
for the first time in what, 30 some years, and even after seen horrible
losses to Texas Tech, Missouri, OK State and I'm sure there have been
more during Callahan's tenure, even after all that, Nebraska fans still
fill the stadium in support of their Huskers!!!! Write that in your little
commentary. The fans have the right to express their emotions, even if
that means booing. They are not booing the players, trust me. They are
booing the coaching staff. You can ask anyone that, and I guarantee they
will say that those boos are for the coaches. We will always be the greatest
college football fans ever. I'm sure every team has their 10,000 or so
fans that will support them no matter what, but I doubt every team has
70,000 plus fans ( and that's only because of maximum seating at Memorial
Stadium ) supporting them week in and week out.
To the fans, I say boo all you want! It's your right.
GBR, Always!!!
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At my first Cornhusker football game I saw Bobby Reynolds run about 120
yards to pick up a 40 yard touchdown against Iowa State. It was that long
ago. (1951?)
I've alweays been proud of Nebraska football. I still am. It is a legacy, to be treasured, and it goes back a long, long way. For instance, do you know that NU was the biggest blot on the record of Notre Dame's four horsemen? Look it up.
NU doesn't suddenly get better simply because we hired Bill Callahan, nor would we suddenly improve if we replaced him. We might just get a little better if the seats remain filled with cheering fans and if we remain proud of our football team.
There
will be down days... NU didn't win every encounter with Oklahoma (and
in th early post WW II( day, OU laid some heavy beatings on the Cornhuskers)...
Nebraska was headed slowly downhill, for a lot a reasons, for a long time.
Maybe we've reached bottom now and can climb up. Regardless, I'll always
be a 'Husker fan.
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Dear Mr. Max,
This is not hate mail—far from it.
I have been a Cornhusker fan ever since they brought this blustery Irish guy over from Wyoming. Back then, the expectation was a little lower. Every win was cause for a minor celebration, and even then there were a couple of mediocre years, the expectation for improvement remained. Back then my younger brother and I would get up before dawn and walk down from 14th & Superior to Memorial Stadium in order sell sodas in the stands. It was the only way to see the games for free, and we loved the atmosphere in Lincoln on game days. They kept adding more to the Memorial Stadium, and now it is bigger than many NFL venues, including Arrowhead Stadium here in KC.
Dr. Tom used to run a summer camp of sorts for kids. My first wife had passed on due to cancer, and being a single parent at the time, this program was an enormous gift, a real Godsend. My daughter and son (now both adults) got to hang out with Damon Benning, Aaron Graham, Tom Osborne, and a number of other really terrific people. Damon Benning took both of them to an Omaha Royals game, a thing they still talk about all these years later. This isn’t just a game, and this isn’t just a team; it’s part of the Nebraska community and identity.
My reasons for being a Husker fan are deep and quite permanent, no matter what.
That Iowa State guy, he just doesn’t get it. Iowa State fans are satisfied when they get all eleven guys on the field at the same time, in uniforms that happen to match. We’re talking totally different standards. Fans don’t boo for a game that is lost; fans boo when a great program that we all love is disintegrating. The same fans that boo were the same fans going ooh and ahh at the Red & White game when Joe Dailey threw on first down, for the first time, ever, like it was the Fourth of July. You can’t take either one too seriously.
What happened Saturday? The Husker Defense looked like eleven Washington Monuments. Chase Daniels, whose body is about as athletic as Babe Ruth’s, managed to run rings around these guys and complete passes, making the defense seem like it wasn’t even a factor. Right now, it’s unclear whether NU could even beat UNO, were such a match possible. Frankly, I couldn’t believe my eyes. But then I had to.
Iowa State fans would’ve been pleased had their team scored a measly six points. Nebraska fans, with different standards, are irritated that a great program has been ground into the dust. For us, it is not just a game; perhaps it should be, but it isn’t. It’s the crisp autumn breezes in Lincoln, a mangled burrito, a tailgate party with old friends and new, and an atmosphere like no other. It’s about managing to score the impossible-to-come-by ticket. It’s about going to Sidetracks after the game. It’s a million other things, something different but similar for us all.
Comparing an Iowa State fan to a Husker fan is like comparing a flashlight to the Sun. They just don’t get it, and moreover, they likely never will. Our blood runs Red for many reasons. Different standards apply. I don’t see the virtue in acquiescing to a 0-10 season, so I guess in Iowa that makes me a bad fan.
I now live in Missouri, surrounded by fans of the Tigers, Jayhawks, and some purple thing from Kansas. But I remain a Husker fan, permanently. I may have deep and serious concerns about the southerly turn the program has taken, but I’ll never boo, and I’ll continue to watch the Huskers play, whatever the outcome.
This does not mean I will never complain when the Coz’ fields another bonehead defense—which is probably the next game. We shouldn’t be in the practice of firing people when things go wrong, because the institution is far bigger than any single person. Besides, change for the sake of change only creates chaos, lest we forget that Dr. Tom, Bob Devaney, et al have all had their share of adversity, sometimes lasting for years. Give the guys a break.
Once KSU gets back to losing, and when Kansas reverts back to normal also-ran status with Missouri, all their “fans” will disappear as suddenly as they appeared. Not so for the Huskers. We may have our whiners, booers, and ninnies among us, but we all know that pigs will fly before Husker fans give up their tickets. The typical Husker fan would need some sort of twelve-step process in order to stop having Go-Big-Red-gasms.
Iowa State fans are found mainly in the various bars around Ames. Husker fans are found all over the globe—and sometimes off of the globe. Our standard as fans is “not the victory, but the action; not the goal, but the game; in the deed, the glory.” A Husker team that tries, even though they may fail, will always be honored.
Brighter days are always ahead.
GBR
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As a Nebraska Alumni, I am appalled by what has happened to our beloved
football program. Bill Callahan has been a miserable failure. The Oakland
Raiders got rid of him for good reason. The old pros saw through him.
They recognized that his theoretical and complex style doesn't win ball
games. He hasn't a clue about the momentum and dynamic of football on
the field. Look at him mull over his list of plays on the sideline and
pick them as though he's playing pin the tail on the donkey. Chancellor
Perlman and Steve Pederson are to blame. They've forsaken Nebraska traditions.
They unceremoniously got rid of the Solich staff after the Solich team
recognized a change was necessary and were in the process of making adjustments.
We lost one of the best defensive coaches in the process (Bo Pelini).
We lost what it meant to be Nebraska including our walk-on program. We
now have players who could care less about Nebraska and a coach that is
a miserable failure. Now we're being pedaled a snow job by smooth talking
Callahan and Pederson. Things aren't going to change and the pride of
Nebraska is disintegrating. Pederson & Callahan have to go.
SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY and restore our traditions.
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I don't believe that booing your program that is giving zero effort on
the field and embarrassing the state of Nebraska, the huge fan base, and
all of the former players and coaches because they flat out don't care
about blocking, tackling, or catching a pass.
In my opinion being a great fan means that you will always route for your
team through thick and thin, as well as being respectful towards your
opponents and their fans, (if possible). All booing is, the noise you
make when you can't tolerate what is going on. We still want success for
our team, and will continue to.
Basically, as fans, you are required to take crap from your team, you
just don't have to smile and enjoy it. Good luck to us winning another
game this year. My faith is gone, but I will still give the team a chance
every year to do something special.
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Hello to Husker Nation,
After reading an article a few days ago on Huskerpedia, I found myself
a little confused as far as perspectives go. So this is to the "
Former Nebraskan that now lives in Iowa and has become a Iowa State fan.
Maybe it is just myself that has this unnerving quest for excellence or
perhaps it was instilled from my upbringing and sharpened in the United
States Marine Corps.
MY STORY: I was born and raised in North Carolina. My mother informed
me later in life my first word was football. Not stuff that makes Momma
happy but you know dad is bragging to the guys. If not such a difficult
word to pronounce for a southern baby, I guarantee that the first word
would have had NEBRASKA in front. I became a fan from my father who grew
up in Nebraska before joining the Marine Corps to go and fight in Vietnam.
Yes, more so than now there were men who actually volunteered to risk
the ultimate sacrifice to honor their country and free people from oppression.
Upon return he met and married my mother from North Carolina. Enough of
that.
The former Nebraskan who is now a Iowa State fan makes a good point of
expressing cheer and backing your team when your team is winning. But
when things go bad, out goes the bandwagon bullies. That is what so many
fans have become. Find a winning program and find an instant fan. The
problem is we have been winning for so long that we have come to expect
this outcome. Now, is that the way Nebraska got the reputation of being
the greatest fans in College football. NO, they received this honor by
being humble in victory and respectful to opposing teams in defeat. Funny
that so many people have left Nebraska but never lost their loyalty to
the state and the program. For the gentlemen that decided to move from
his native land and start cheering for Iowa State, that is fine. I 100%
do not have any problem with that nor condone his actions. What I am saying
is that he is or can not relate to the truly dedicated fan base called
Husker Nation. This would not be acceptable.
THE REASON: Why are we so crushed, hurt, embarrassed, and shamed from
the recent years of this program. I will tell you why.
1.
Nebraska Football is more than just a program, more than just a football
team. It is a family of friends, neighbors, communities, and churches.
It brings all the people together from one state to show the rest of the
world "We Belong". My father pulled for the Cornhuskers, yea
the Cornhuskers not the abbreviated version as if were too cool, before
they knew what winning was all about. Still, he walked up to Memorial
Stadium and sat through some chilled November games to support his team.
That is what we have, not a pro team, not a state with two or more college
teams to pick from so that we can divide ourselves. (The former Nebraskan
had the opportunity to choose after leaving, between Iowa and Iowa State).
We have one team to unite over and could not fathom the idea of committing
mutiny.
2. If your not a winning program, how can you have expectation. Nebraska
went above and beyond the realm of success and sustained that level for
over thirty years. That my friend is phenomenal. That builds tradition.
Two great men came here and established one of the winningness football
programs of all time. With that comes respect from the rest of the football
community. I never remember the media covering Nebraska like some of the
other major teams. If we do not win football games, we will slip into
a dark media abyss. Never to be mentioned nationally again. Nebraska does
not have LA or NY. It does not have sandy beaches or snow capped mountain
peaks. What Nebraska has is a football team that represents more than
what normal people can comprehend.
3. I guess to make a long story short, here is my perspective of Nebraska
Football. As a former United States Marine, I understood the demands and
challenges set forth. I could only aspire to reach as far as my brothers
that walked this line before me. The pressure of excellence and discipline
can be overwhelming, but faith and hard work conquer all. These young
men need to know during the recruiting process that this is not Hollywood,
Ann Arbor, or South Bend. This is Lincoln Nebraska. A place were Football
is second to only oxygen. The demands of a program so rich in tradition
is no place for the weak of heart. As a Marine, I understand that man
for man we are not the strongest, the fastest, nor the biggest of the
elite fighting forces in the world. But when the day comes for battle,
our brothers that towed the burden before us, will give us strength to
march forward. As a unit, company, or battalion, there is no other force
on this earth as deadly in battle as the United States Marine Corps. Today
gentlemen, we leave it all on the field and together we walk away victorious.
That is my Nebraska Football team. A place where being conservative and
morality is still the norm. A place that holds true to it's beliefs as
sure as the sun rises. A place where our football team is used as a metaphor
to exemplify our way of life. This is a place called Nebraska.
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Well ..... the problem now is that "the fans" feel they have
been duped. ..... Coaches getting horrendous raises, ticket prices at
$52 a pop plus the extortion money to even have the privilege to buy them
(does Iowa State have $52 tickets?) and "their" team seems to
get worse every week. That is not the way it used to be and whether anyone
agrees or not people from the Midwest do not like change ..... period.
You also (still) have the state seemingly split between Solich and Callahan.
It 's no different than Republicans and Democrats and neither one is going
to budge. On top of that no one (probably) cares for Peterson. Outside
of his good 'ol boy circle you could probably count his friends on one
hand ..... Joe average doesn't trust and won't trust anything that comes
out of his mouth.
So "the fans" are not necessarily upset with the players .....
they are upset primarily with everything else.
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Better days are ahead but I dont believe they are with our current coaching
staff. I have never written in or responded to any comments from fans
or writters until now. I have and will continue to support the huskers,
but I have not seen any improvement since Callahan has been there. Sure
the recruting is better and we have better athelets but you have to be
able to coach them. I dont understand how some coaches can go to other
programs and have success early on without there own recuits...ex Steve
Spurrier, Nick Saben, Urban Myer just to name a few..Sure Saben has lost
some close games but at least he can say he's beat a top 10 ranked team,
Callahan doesnt have that. Urbans already won a title with Zooks players,the
coach that had his own website, fire Ron Zook.com...look what his done
at Illinois. I dont get it. Maybe you can explain this to me but I dont
think we have the right coaches in place to accomplish what Nebraska fans
want. Lets take action before we start losing donors and our record consecutive
sellouts, I would hate to lose that one.
Go Big Red