Mike Riley on Blackshirt Tradition

Saunders

Saunders

Heisman Trophy Winner
“I don’t know yet for sure,” Riley answered in response to a question about when he’d be handing out the Blackshirts, “but I will tell you this: I’ve talked with Coach (Charlie) McBride about it, I’ve talked with Coach (Tom) Obsorne about it, I’m gathering information from people that know the history.

“I love the whole idea. I found out how it really got started and what it was all about, so (we’re) probably going to copy very closely what they once did when they first started with the Blackshirt tradition.”

http://hailvarsity.com/news/football-news/mike-riley-on-the-blackshirts-tradition/2015/02/
Click to expand...
 
I'm not surprised by this Riley has had a knack for always saying the right thing so for, still good to officially hear though.

I'm glad to hear he talked to McBride and TO too.

 
I will give coach Riley credit so far he seems to get the history part I never really felt Callahan did, and Pelini was good with some things, but I always felt this wasn't one of them.

 
Any time I hear a coach say he went back to the old dogs, sought the opinion of the experts on something instead of just doing things his way, I get pumped up about it.

As long as Bo Pelini thought he'd been doing this, he told us all the time how long he's been coaching, his head coaching experience wasn't sh#t compared to many guys out there including Mike Riley's. Riley's been at it a long time but still isn't too proud or stubborn to seek advice and knowledge from people who have been there and done it.

Big time respect for that. Who better to ask than T.O. and more so, McBride. I really like Coach Riley's approach.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Dont care how we handle the passing out of the blackshirts as long as we play good defense. Being a blackshirt used to mean a lot because you beat out some of the best players in the country to earn a starting position for a top ranked unit. We need to establish an identity as a defense and recruit to talent to fit that identity to re-establish the blackshirt tradition. You dont fix the tradition by finding the right timing to hand out a shirt.

 
Quite honestly the last thing I'm worried about when it comes to the new staff. How it's handled, how Bo handled it, none of it matters to me. Just put a product on the field worthy of the name. I guarantee as far as the fans go, if you put out a great defense, you can hand out pink shirts.

 
Woot. I did rather tire of the whole reward after game X, take away after a bad performance system it had become.

The defense are the Blackshirts. Receiving them is only the start of the honor; living up to the greats of the past is the rest of it.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
RunMickeyRun02 said:
I'm not surprised by this Riley has had a knack for always saying the right thing so for, still good to officially hear though.

I'm glad to hear he talked to McBride and TO too.
Click to expand...
Glad to hear that too. Nothing wrong handling it close to how it once was, which seemed to be OK.

 
Honestly, this shouldn't be as big of a deal as it has been. It means a lot to the players. It shouldn't be such a huge deal to the fans on how it's done. The way bo did it made it a controversy every year.

Hand them out in fall camp and be move on.

 
New Nebraska coach Mike Riley is about to do the fan base and Husker defenders a kindness by returning the Blackshirts tradition to what fans long understood it to be: That the black jerseys worn by NU starters are handed out just before the season — when starters are picked — and donned throughout the season as an identity for said starters and motivation for their backups.

http://www.omaha.com/huskers/restoring-the-blackshirts/article_7e086cee-c0fe-11e4-83f7-e31930994901.html
Click to expand...
 
saunders45 said:
New Nebraska coach Mike Riley is about to do the fan base and Husker defenders a kindness by returning the Blackshirts tradition to what fans long understood it to be: That the black jerseys worn by NU starters are handed out just before the season — when starters are picked — and donned throughout the season as an identity for said starters and motivation for their backups.

http://www.omaha.com/huskers/restoring-the-blackshirts/article_7e086cee-c0fe-11e4-83f7-e31930994901.html
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
What a novel idea.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top