My
2 Cents
10/7/07
Responses Page 2
The
best defensive coordinator in college football coaches for LSU, Bo Pelini.
Maybe Nebraska can hire him back as head coach. He is a winner.
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Still a Husker fan after moving to Iowa in 1984, I have to disagree with
your statement that Iowa State fans are better because they cheer during
a 0-10-1 season? That is because they came to expect it. They have at
least become competitive over the past several years.
You can talk to nearly every sports bar or bar owner in Des Moines and you will find out that Cyclone fans will walk in, complain if an Iowa State game is not being shown, have the barkeeper change a channel, and leave long before they game is over?????
I
am not dissing the Cylcones. However to say that their fans are better….the
blood in your veins must becoming a slightly lighter shade of red.
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David:
I
am a proud Cornhusker graduate (Class of 1987) and lived in Lincoln for
all but the last 3 of my 43 years. Though I was only a season-ticket holder
while a student, I followed the Huskers closely throughout all that time.
The reality of the situation is that Steve Pederson changed the framework
(possibly forever) in 2003. Not that I thought Frank Solich being fired
was necessarily a bad thing, but the ensuing mess of chasing Houston Nutt
and finally settling on Bill Callahan – all while proclaiming we
would not settle for mediocrity – made Nebraska what I like to call
a “JAFT” (Just Another Football Team).
JAFTs come in all shapes and sizes, but they have a few things in common when compared to traditional football powers. They are driven by dollars and wins, not championships and legacies. They are corporate-based, not hometown-grown. They are loyal to no one. Notre Dame was a JAFT after Lou Holtz left. Charlie Weis was the right hire to reverse this trend and he is trying to rectify the situation and instill some of the old traditions, but this season is a fine indicator of how difficult that is. And how difficult it will be at Nebraska.
As for me, I was at the Ball State game. I did not boo, but I can understand those who did. JAFTs are simply a product to be bought and sold. Booing is an expected result when the JAFT does not perform well.
The Ball State game was the first game I had attended since the nailbiter versus Kansas a couple years ago. I don’t know when or if I’ll go again, but I can’t imagine it will be during the Pederson era. The reason for that is tied to the distinctions I drew above. The only way to effect change is to shake the core of the JAFT. Pederson will not alter course and attempt to resurrect the tradition of Nebraska football until people stop spending money.
To
recover, it is almost mandatory that some former Husker player eventually
be installed as head coach sometime in the future. I had hoped that Turner
Gill would succeed Solich, but now perhaps he can succeed Callahan or
Callahan’s replacement. Unfortunately, that will never happen with
Pederson running the show as it would be an admission of fault.
I will still cheer for the Huskers and wish the boys well, but I cannot
and will not support Pederson, Callahan, et al. To do so would not be
in the interests of the “best fans of college football” –
it would be to their detriment.
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Here’s my opinion, I bleed Husker Red as much if not more than any
other fan, even my 8 year old son is a die-hard and loves every aspect
of the Nebraska tradition. The problem lies completely when the administration
decided to go away from the Nebraska tradition of running the football
and winning the Nebraska way which was lining up mano-e-mano and after
4 quarters seeing who was more willing to leave everything on the field
for the team. There is no more of that, it’s now about whether we
recruit better athletes and have a more NFL style offense so kids will
get to that next level. Bottom line is if a college kid has the tools
to be in the NFL he will make it there regardless of where he plays. We
have basically scrapped the tradition on Nebraska for that of a Pac-10
or East Coast team who wants to sell merchandise off the shelves.
I played minor league football for 6 years and was lucky enough to have ex-Nebraska players coach and play with me such as Abdul Muhammed, Dwayne Harris, and Vershawn Jackson. All you have to do is listen to the stories of what was expected of them and told to them during games and practices and you can tell the difference in coaching mentality between then and now.
One particular story was how a offensive lineman missed a block and a particular coach told the then 20 year old “kid” , you are expected to do your job 100% of time or find yourself a new place to play next year, at Nebraska we get beat at 100% or you don’t play. That’s the type of work-ethic you expect out of these kids who play for a program who have the entire state support and have no other programs to compete against. You don’t see that kind of effort being put forth now.
When it was discussed that Nebraska couldn’t compete in the modern era running the option that was and is the most ridiculous statement ever made. The current systems that are run at Florida , Oklahoma , LSU, and many others are nothing more than variations of the option. Yes it might be from a shotgun with a belly read fake then the QB pulling out and moving around the end but none the less it’s a option.
I support Bill Callahan and staff 100% because I do see good things they’ve brought here, like the ability to move the ball quickly, and come back from a 2 touchdown deficit but as they are labeled as “professional” coaches I have to laugh. They cannot make the easiest of adjustments and continually fail to do so each game from week to week. When you’re LBs are out of place consistently it’s easy to know that they are thinking to much or lining up wrong, go back and watch tapes of the first 4 games, the LBs are within 3-4 yards of the LOS and getting caught up in the mix of the play, there’s no reading and filling a hole. That’s a simple fix…next look at the packages that Cosgrove tries to run, how can you have a different package from 1st and 10 to 2nd and 8? This is college football, 80% emotion and 20% talent. Put the best 11 players you have on the field and attack the offense and make them beat you by finding a mis-match, instead we try to match-up with each position on the field and substitute packages in where we don’t have the best athletes on the field at once.
From the beginning football championships are won with ball control and aggressive defense and you have to run the football to win games. Running the football motivates your offensive lineman when they dominate another player and it controls the clock. It also makes things harder for defensive lineman who get tired of getting hit by the aggressor on the play, Deliver the Blow, do not accept it. It takes ½ as much energy. I have no problem getting beat by a opposing player who beats you, but to sit back and watch players get beat by waiting for something to happen is ridiculous
Bottom line is Nebraska might not have the greatest fans in college football, but we have the greatest knowledge of the game because we saw it work 90% of the time for 30+ years. I would rather see a player beat a 4-3 aggressive blitzing defense than a player running by a 3-3-5 defense that is afraid to get mean and nasty. We would get beat on plays even in the good years, but it was a small % of the time and now we get beat a majority % of the time
In closing teams attitudes start from the top and filter down, and there’s no fire in the belly at the top.
Go
Big Red, I’ll root until my last breath, but play the Nebraska Way
I learned for the first 25 years of my 35 years here.
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I find this season to be very entertaining, not because of the play of
our team, but because of the overall reaction of the fans. It's easy to
be a fan when your team is winning. Nothing like rooting for a team that
wins most of the time. But the real challenge of a true fan is in how
they handle the adversity of a team that either isn't winning or is struggling,
like this year's Huskers. In listening to so many opinions of fans, and
pundits of the press, I cannot help but be amused. I was born and raised
in Lincoln and have been a loyal Husker fan since I was twelve, which
was Devaney's first year. I've lived through many a game and, win or lose,
I always kept my perspective as a fan. My role was to support and cheer
on my chosen team. I've enjoyed the highs and endured the lows. Life lives
on regardless if we win or lose. There are many more important things
in life than whether the Huskers win or not. It is, as the saying goes,
just a game.
Unfortunately, it's a game that isn't as fun as it used to be, not because
of the players and coaches, but because of the expectations of the fans.
We've been fortunate to experience several National Championships. Unfortunately,
because of that, we seem to expect to be National Champions every year.
That is not a realistic expectation.
Sure, we all want the Huskers to win and win convincingly. We want our team to dominate and humiliate the other team. It's what we've come to expect. So, the players and coaches try to live up to those expectations. And when they can't, boy do we let them have it. Bottom line, as a fan, I will always support the coaches and especially the players. No one wants to win more than the players. I'm not the one on the field playing the game. I'm not the one busting my butt day in and day out practicing to the point of exhaustion. I'm not the one who wants to have fun but cannot because so many fans are bitching and moaning about how terrible we are. Blame everyone but ourselves. It's the coaches fault. They can't coach. Blame the players. They aren't playing with enough emotion or intensity. Bull feathers. Everyone needs to lighten up and realize the coaches and players want to win. This talk about cutting back their support with their pocket book is crap. I'm so tired of listening to the fans who think they are owed something. If you're a genuine fan, always support your team. Just as the players are learning from adversity, so too should the fans. Stop all your bitching and moaning and support the Huskers in victory and defeat. I'm not ashamed of this Husker team, but I do feel ashamed of many of the Husker fans. Maybe their true colors are finally showing through. The "greatest fans" are just as fickle as most fans. When our team is winning, and winning big, we're happy. When we're losing, or playing poorly, we threaten to quit the team, or withhold our support. Personally, I'm tired of all the babble, babble, babble of our fans. If you can't support your team in a positive way during times of adversity, then quit. Or suck it up and support the Huskers with all your heart and enthusiasm. The team does not owe the fans anything. They only owe it to themselves to play the game they enjoy, compete, have fun and learn some lessons about life. Something we all need to do.
Go
Big Red!
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Good afternoon Mr. Max! I just read your post on Huskerpedia. It is helpful
to discuss within "the family" the quickly evolving disaster
that Husker Football is becoming, so thank you for your thoughts.
Being extremely disappointed at the state of your program does not mean
you have to consider relinquishing your title as the best fans in college
football. Husker fans give a lot to this program and expect a lot in return
- rightfully so. They will NEVER sit on their hands and watch the implosion
as programs such as ISU and Baylor have historically done - those fans
seem to be perfectly happy with mediocrity and a "big" win every
now and then. If all it takes to become "the best fans in college
football" is to have a winning program (as the extremely short sighted
and simplistic email you sighted from the ISU fan suggests) then why don't
we call any of the following fans "the best": OU, Texas, USC,
Ohio State, Michigan, FSU etc? All of these programs have a history of
winning and have won Nat'l Championships. We are mentioned as great fans
consistently by those who supposedly know such things because of our:
Football knowledge
Treatment of opposing teams players/coaches
Treatment of opposing fans
Dedication to following our team wherever they go
and Yes, treatment of our team
I think the arguments being waged among us are focused too much on wins
vs losses. What we should focus on is this teams lack of passion. If we
restore the passion, we restore the W's. Husker fans can tell when their
team lacks passion and this team lacks it BIG TIME - no team since my
birth in 1966 has shown such malaise and lack of interest. I blame SP,
BC and staff plain and simple. We have great athletes who are not buying
into this system. Very elementary offense, questionable strategy, defensive
and offensive schemes which do not emphasise our players strengths and
BC/SP not openly admitting there are problems have led us to this point
and fans will not put up with it any longer. You will see Husker fans
voice there opinions in many ways and they will be classy and above board.
Things need to change and that requires action and making difficult decisions.
Hopefully the Administration will see that. If not, get ready for ugly
before pretty.
While we all have our doubts about this team, I have no doubt that we
will soon have the right person running this program and will again rise
to national prominence and regain the respect we have lost. GO BIG RED!
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The point raised by the Iowa State fan's email raises a valid point but
his argument has more flaws than the Blackshirts. The "Greatest Fans"
tag is also about the knowledge NU fans bring to the table. Where else
but Lincoln are you going to hear a huge roar acknowledging the line surge
on a four yard run (fans knowing that it means longer funs later in the
game)? I've been to many games in Ames. Iowa State fans couldn't care
less about their football team. For them football games are an excuse
to drink and most of them admit it. Cyclone fans wander into the stadium
about midway through the first quarter and many never return after halftime.
The only time the place is full is during the Iowa and Nebraska games
and that's only because the visiting teams fill half the stadium. Appreciating
a win because you only get three of them per year is exactly why some
programs never advance. Should Ohio State and USC fans be happy with three
or four wins per year?
This point about Nebraska fans not being "the best" has surfaced many times during the Callahan era. What everyone fails to mention is that NU fans have to pay a lot more money just to BE fans thanks to the ever rising costs of supporting a national football power. Fans and boosters are being asked for larger contributions each year while the product on the field gets worse. Comparing the level of commitment between Iowa State and Nebraska is simply apples to oranges. Have you ever seen Iowa State fans follow their team to a road game outside of the state? As Notre Dame discovered in 2000, no fan base travels better than Nebraska and these aren't rich fans. These are people who plan their vacations around Husker road trips.
NU
fans know football and know a "good loss" when they see one.
If NU was at least competitive with ranked teams there would be a lot
less grumbling. Callahan and his staff had the support of the fan base
and they have lost that support by four years of underdeveloping this
program and casually killing off many of Nebraska's sacred cows (streaks,
records, etc.). And let's not forget that Callahan is failing in a down
Big 12 conference. If Callahan's teams were playing in the Big 12 of seven
years ago, his record would be much worse.
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Dear Dave,
I agree with your assessments that NU is looking for the best interest of the football team when Coach Bill was brought in, the coaching staff will work on making things better and the fact that Nebraska fans need to support their team win or lose. I don't believe that there is a coach out there that thinks that mediocrity will be sufficient. I believe that they will work on making the Huskers a power house again. I have to wonder if the booing is from the true fans out there, fans that just say that they are fans because they are at the game or even the students that are now at NU. Never the less I agree with the fact the booing needs to stop.
I do have to wonder about the defense in the fact that it looks as if they are almost always in some form of prevent. It almost seams that we are trying not to lose rather than to win. We always seem to rush 3 and get no pressure on the QB. I do understand I don't know all the particulars in what is in the mind of the D-coordinator Coach Cosgrove, nor do I get paid the kind of money that he does for what NU sees in him; however, I do coach first and second grade football in Arkansas at the boys and girls club. I know that if pressure gets back behind the line that the QB will try to rush plays and make mistakes. I have not been impressed with what I have been seeing or hearing from the football games, nor am I impressed with how the fans are acting either. I know it is not all of us fans but our fan base is defined and associated with maybe a few unsportsmanlike, crude, and pathetic behaviors out there. I know it is easy to sit on the sideline and reticule those that are out trying to accomplish something, especially out on the football field. I see this in parents and relatives of these first and second graders all the time. I use to think, "Thank God Nebraska fans are not like these people!" Now I can't even think that.
Here in Arkansas, I see how the fans are up and down with the razorbacks. I have taken a few friends with me to see Nebraska games in Lincoln and they all tell me the same thing, "There really is a difference in the atmosphere in Lincoln." I hear these same people tell me that now we see the true "FANS" coming out. And they do use quotes make by their fingers. I don't know what we as true fans need to do other than try to teach the younger Husker Nation of how to be a true fan by our actions and how we handle ourselves in troubling situations.
I think that the fun in being pulled out of the game. This is football! These young men get to go to school and get an education and PLAY FOOTBALL. That should be one of the most fun things that there are but you can see it in the players: How they act on the field and on the sidelines. I think if we can find a way as fans to help put the fun back in football for these warriors out on the field then we will start seeing a much better program. The program is not just the coaches and players out on the field but there is pride and honor in knowing that you are a Husker. Once the fun is gone then all you have is work and every man, woman and child can attest to the fact that hard work sucks and after a while it will start showing in how you perform. Imagine if you worked for someone and all they did was put you down or reticule everything you did. You would soon start not caring about your job or your performance; however, if you mess up and you had a boss that says "That sucks but keep your head up and try it again." Then you would try harder next time to get the job done and do it right even go out of your way to do the job better than you have ever done before.
Just my 2 cents.
Remember
that it is not what we SAY but what we DO that defines us.
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Hello-
I'm sure many emails you get from Husker fans start out this way, but I fee obligated to tell you that I am 28 years old and have been a huge Husker fan since about 3rd grade when I could understand football enough to be a real fan. I grew up in southwestern Iowa and my best friend and I lived and died by the Big Red growing up.
One thing I wanted to comment on was the idea that fans should show their disapproval with the current situation by not going to the games and, in effect, "donating" their money to the athletic department. There is one major, major problem with that proposition- the players don't deserve that desertion by Husker fans. This team has been beaten down badly, even though the Ball State and Iowa State games were wins. How terrible would it be for them to go through the tunnel walk, all jacked up and ready to play Oklahoma State this weekend, only to burst out of the doors and see spotty attendance? That would be devastating for a college athlete who is not paid for his play and also must juggle academics.
I'm sure the argument would be that other programs are having great performances from their football teams, so why can't the Huskers? They can, and maybe they will. I would guess that most real college football fans have figured out that high and low times come in waves. Fans of any team need to realize that their team will never be great EVERY season. I'm an eternal optimist, so I'm going to enjoy watching the Big Red be successful once again. Sure I would like that to be sooner rather than later, but if not, I'll still be there supporting Nebraska football until it happens.
Talk of not supporting this team is disappointing. I'm hoping that talk is just coming from fans blowing some steam before regaining their composure and realizing these players don't deserve to be tossed aside.
GO
BIG RED
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BRM,
I have to say, this is a tough year for Husker Nation. But I am disappointed in the leadership of the team, NOT the players! If I lived closer, I would be there rooting on the Mighty Big Red Machine!!! I would hate to see the true Husker Nation fans not fill the stadium and lose the only record that the fans can hold. I will be wearing my red on Friday’s and Saturday’s no matter if we have a W or an L. I am with the Sea of Red whether it is on TV, radio or internet!
It boggles my mind how Cosgrove can think he has earned the right to wear a black shirt on the sideline of any game!
What can I do to get a black shirt towel? I am in the middle of chicken
hawk and pussycat country and take a lot of flack over the year we are
having. I just smile and say I support a long tradition and ask them how
many of those national championship rings do they hold. This quiets them
down and they fade away. It is not the national championships that has
brought me to the Husker Faithful, it is the tradition of the program.
If we don’t win another game, so be it I will be here as I am sure
many of the other Husker Faithful will be. As long as the players are
there and giving 100% and not quitting, I am with them in spirit. Sometimes
I even wonder if they can’t hear me in Lincoln on Saturdays!
GO
BIG RED FOREVER!!!!
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I have a thot.... I call them brain farts. Call for the fans at the game
this Sat to wear black to show their dissatisfaction with the present
coaches and how things are going. We are the greatest fans in college
football and we deserve a voice of some kind.
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I think the "fans" are angry with Steve Pederson more than anything.
He's the one that was afraid we were slipping to mediocrity... well, we're
there. He chucked Frank & Bo on the ash heap... where was Steve's
loyalty. Now he's supportive of our coach now that it's HIS coach. Pederson
made a horrible mistake, fans see the mistake and they're angry. The Huskers
will be lucky to become bowl eligible this year. Do you see any gimme's
left on the schedule? Steve made it a BUSINESS decision when he fired
Frank so no one should be surprised that the fans are treating things
like business. Booing at the stadium??? That's not toward any of the players...
for Steve, Bill and the Cos. They're doing a crap job and should be booed.
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Everyone is missing the point?? We just don't have a very good team??
Maybe sometimes in certain games and certain weeks but not over the haul
of the last 5yrs...Every team wants to win!! It's that human nature to
do so..It's just as simple as tossing your napkin to the garbage can from
15-20 feet away and it goes in.. Someway you win..We all have that spirit,
0-12 or 12-0 It's just called winning..We as fans would like to see it
back some day and the day was yesterday and many ago..It's tough on us
all, being the kids the coaches and the coaching staff, the school and
program as a whole..Some digging deep to find what's down "N"
side to bring it out and play with that feeling is what some might need..How
bad is that feeling, and can it bounce back this year??
We all want someone's head over this years performance, then what?? We
make the revolving door at the Big Red House swing back and forth?? It
might be closer than you think...Bottom line is the Big Red Bully has
been pushed from the hill these few years or so. They have fallen from
ranks of dominance to the NOT feared school and program it once was..Lots
of BIG RED work to do..Lets hope for the best with what we have..I will
give you this, my thought.. It's just not the same..I don't watch the
games the same, I don't have the same feeling as before. "You Know
That Feeling" It just doesn't feel like Nebraska..The players feel
it as well..
Every school we play doesn't have that fear of the Big Red anymore. When
you have lost your fear of the team that dished it out, you can compete
with them everytime.. That's why it's a bigger game for other teams these
days...It's now become a fun game of payback and payback with authority....These
other schools feel that, they know that...It's fun for these other teams
now..I see it, the Husker Nation can see it...The National media can see
it...It's within one's "Heart" the answers.. Because if you
don't have it there then it's not up here...
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