The Niles Paul Thread

I agree to some extent but when you sign on to play FOR Nebraska, you sign on to take the good with the bad. As a player, they need to understand they have to have two things: thick skin and broad shoulders. But do me a favor next time you see them. Tell them thanks for their efforts and to hold onto the damn ball.

 
You didn't post a vid on Youtube about Brittany Spears did you? j/k

Everyone is guilty of knee jerk reactions after a tough loss. But some of the criticism was blatantly obvious. 8 missed passes, ? missed tackles which make fans and coaches very unhappy. Yeah, got hosed on some calls too, but Ut did also, I think :D Most people get over the loss fairly quick and look forward with bated breath for the next game.

Now if some knucklehead confronts them and casts aspersions or their lineage, that fan is either stupid or a Navy Seal :cheers

GBR

 
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:facepalm:

They are young men. They are not children, and they are not going to cry themselves to sleep because the naughty people on the internet said a cross word at them. When they play like dog a$$ they have a reasonable expectation to take some flak for it.

Posts like this just baffle me. What do you think the fans are going to do? Be happy our team played 200% below the level of ability we know they have? Do you really think we're not going to cry in our beer a little bit? Do you really think the players that had bizarre mental lapses which cost us the game aren't going to be discussed? If so, you have an entirely unrealistic view of the world.

Further, I recommend you take some time, google some message boards for other teams, and see how those fans discuss their players and coaches after losses. If what you're seeing on HuskerBoard bothers you, you're going to flat-out have a conniption when you see how other fans react to their team's losses. Better have some paramedics standing by.

EDIT - This goes for anyone reading the boards: If you see a post where a player or coach is unreasonably attacked, report the post. The Mod team will look at it, and take action if necessary. Maybe I'm missing some posts where the criticism goes over the top. So far, I haven't personally seen them, but I don't read everything on these boards.

Mostly I just follow Fro around and read his stuff.

 
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just my $0.02,

Those players choose to go to a big time university. They choose the lime light. Is it okay to threaten, berate and stalk players, no. They are students. But on the other hand 'fan' is short for fanatic. And clearly these players were partly sold on NE because of their fanatics. You cant love the attention and bask in the worship that NE fans will give when things are well then complain when you get the opposite. Play well and you are a god here, play poorly and you are a goat. Thats that way it is at any major program. Hell its that way at MU and there are not nearly as many crazies there as there are here.

Point is, it goes both ways. Do the fans sometime take it too far...yeah they do. But that is what the players signed up for. If you want nobody to care if you play good or bad, then you should have went to kansas.

 
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I actually agree with the OP on this 100%. For those hardcore fans like us, we take these losses hard, MUCH harder than we should, it's a game. We're totally hinging our moods and how we go about live on 18-23 year old kids, which is just silly. You can say all you want about "signing up to play for a big time program" or "it all comes with playing for Nebraska" or whatever. BUT, you simply can't force kids that age to immediately grow up because of that, you just can't do it. Try to remember back when you were that age and in college, then pile on that notoriety and fame and the pressure that comes with college life. I guess my point is, put things in perspective, it's sports, it's not life and while that's hard for those of us that live and die with sports, it's just a fact, ESPECIALLY with college kids.

The thing that has changed, obviously, over the years and even since I graduated in 2000 is sites like this. It's so easy to get worked up after a game and come to a 100% anonymous website and put your thoughts into cyber space where anyone can read them. I'm sure coaches tell the kids to stay off of these sites and stuff, but you know they do, I know I would if I was in their shoes.

I guess maybe I'm getting soft in my old age, but it would be a tough thing to live with if my son was playing for Nebraska and had a couple drops that cost them a game. Not only would THAT be hard enough, but then to open a paper or open a website and see the hatred thrown towards him from our own FANS, fans that were so nice to us during the recruiting process and made a HUGE impact on us and became one of the main reasons we chose OUR school, that would be tough to take.

I'm one of the worst at living and dying by these kids and it really hurts when we lose, BUT, in the past couple of years I've really tried to put it into perspective. I just hate to see stuff written and said about kids like this, I know I sure wouldn't want things like that said about my son.

Anyway, I think we're all GREAT fans and will do anything for our team, sometimes our hearts get in the way of our heads, it's not limited to Nebraska, that's for sure and it's not going away. But, sometimes it does some good to just take a step back and realize that hinging your life on a bunch of 18-23 year old kids is just plain silly.

GO BIG RED!!!!

 
I think that the players feel a lot of pressure, but that is going to be the same at any big time program. I'm pretty sure the players at Alabama or Ohio St. are feeling some pressure, too. Maybe not as much, since the Huskers are the only game in town.

I agree about the all the negativity, that there is too much of it. I think this could affect recruiting as well. Would you want to come and play here with all this venom spewed at you because you tried too hard to win.....for those from whom the venom spews? It was a close game, we shouldn't release all of our frustrations from the past UT games at these particular players. I could speculate as to why Texas plays out of their azz when they play us and why we always play tight, but that would take more time than I have available.

I support this team.

All sports, at the very heart of competition, are really just entertainment. It's enjoyable to watch the very best at any particular endeavor compete against each other. Whether it's golf, auto racing, the olympics football, etc etc..... There will be winners and losers in every competition. That's just the way it is. Hopefully these players are learning that it's not the end of the world if they lose, but are learning to keep getting back up and keep learning how to get better.

 
I wouldn't be giving Niles Paul so much gruff right now if he didn't completely bring it on himself with his notorious attitude, and the article in the OWH.

 
Husker Z said:
I actually agree with the OP on this 100%. For those hardcore fans like us, we take these losses hard, MUCH harder than we should, it's a game. We're totally hinging our moods and how we go about live on 18-23 year old kids, which is just silly. You can say all you want about "signing up to play for a big time program" or "it all comes with playing for Nebraska" or whatever. BUT, you simply can't force kids that age to immediately grow up because of that, you just can't do it. Try to remember back when you were that age and in college, then pile on that notoriety and fame and the pressure that comes with college life. I guess my point is, put things in perspective, it's sports, it's not life and while that's hard for those of us that live and die with sports, it's just a fact, ESPECIALLY with college kids.
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There is no "but" about it. These guys know what they're getting into when they come here. If they don't they've failed themselves and they've been failed by their parents/coaches/counselors. This is big-time college football. It's not a place where you go if you're unsure of your commitment to the game, the school and the fans.

It is entirely reasonable to expect that a kid who accepts a scholarship at the University of Nebraska, a flagship school in the college football world, plays like they belong there. It is MOST CERTAINLY reasonable to expect that of our Seniors. It is also reasonable to expect that if they do not perform as they should, they should take some flak for it.

If they want to play for a school where they're not going to be called on the carpet by the fans for asinine play, they went to the wrong school. Bottom line, end of story.

 
knapplc.. that really hurt...

not really.. but i have no desire or care to go on other teams forums. as for Internet-haters thats not the problem. im sure most of you have seen husker players out in the "real world" and have had the courage to say hi, shake their hands and say thank you and somewhat wanna brag you met a local celebrity.. but lets see you say the things to them that you say on the forums to their face.. you would never! dont act like you would.. i am ashamed of how they are treated when they are not in jerseys. all i am saying is respect the guys, but if you guys can't do that..im sorry your parents didn't teach you that.. they are playing for you! take your 2 hands and put them together, repeatedly. over and over.. thats what they call a clap.. support em!

GBR!

 
huskerfan21 said:
knapplc.. that really hurt...

not really.. but i have no desire or care to go on other teams forums. as for Internet-haters thats not the problem. im sure most of you have seen husker players out in the "real world" and have had the courage to say hi, shake their hands and say thank you and somewhat wanna brag you met a local celebrity.. but lets see you say the things to them that you say on the forums to their face.. you would never! dont act like you would.. i am ashamed of how they are treated when they are not in jerseys. all i am saying is respect the guys, but if you guys can't do that..im sorry your parents didn't teach you that.. they are playing for you! take your 2 hands and put them together, repeatedly. over and over.. thats what they call a clap.. support em!

GBR!
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Would you?

 
knapplc said:
Husker Z said:
I actually agree with the OP on this 100%. For those hardcore fans like us, we take these losses hard, MUCH harder than we should, it's a game. We're totally hinging our moods and how we go about live on 18-23 year old kids, which is just silly. You can say all you want about "signing up to play for a big time program" or "it all comes with playing for Nebraska" or whatever. BUT, you simply can't force kids that age to immediately grow up because of that, you just can't do it. Try to remember back when you were that age and in college, then pile on that notoriety and fame and the pressure that comes with college life. I guess my point is, put things in perspective, it's sports, it's not life and while that's hard for those of us that live and die with sports, it's just a fact, ESPECIALLY with college kids.
Click to expand...
There is no "but" about it. These guys know what they're getting into when they come here. If they don't they've failed themselves and they've been failed by their parents/coaches/counselors. This is big-time college football. It's not a place where you go if you're unsure of your commitment to the game, the school and the fans.

It is entirely reasonable to expect that a kid who accepts a scholarship at the University of Nebraska, a flagship school in the college football world, plays like they belong there. It is MOST CERTAINLY reasonable to expect that of our Seniors. It is also reasonable to expect that if they do not perform as they should, they should take some flak for it.

If they want to play for a school where they're not going to be called on the carpet by the fans for asinine play, they went to the wrong school. Bottom line, end of story.
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I can't disagree with that, but I'll throw in another "but". These are still just kids, they take the losses harder than we do and they DO read these boards and they DO take these shots personal. That certainly doesn't mean that they should be excluded from any criticism at all. My point is simply, when making these comments, just remember who you are making them to, these aren't seasoned professionals, they are simply college kids playing a game.

Losses suck, flat out!

 
aspeedlin4589 said:
huskerfan21 said:
knapplc.. that really hurt...

not really.. but i have no desire or care to go on other teams forums. as for Internet-haters thats not the problem. im sure most of you have seen husker players out in the "real world" and have had the courage to say hi, shake their hands and say thank you and somewhat wanna brag you met a local celebrity.. but lets see you say the things to them that you say on the forums to their face.. you would never! dont act like you would.. i am ashamed of how they are treated when they are not in jerseys. all i am saying is respect the guys, but if you guys can't do that..im sorry your parents didn't teach you that.. they are playing for you! take your 2 hands and put them together, repeatedly. over and over.. thats what they call a clap.. support em!

GBR!
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Would you?
Click to expand...

i guess for my 2 posts of what ive said about the players...yes

 
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