What is it about football fan psychology?

[carlfense]

Why is it that a significant portion of any given football fanbase attempts to excuse or deflect blame from their favorite program? Sometimes facts are facts. We don't have to be happy about them but they still exist.

I saw it from Missouri Tiger fans who tried to blame a girl who was sexually assaulted/raped by MU's starting running back.

I saw it from Iowa Hawkeye fans who still frantically claim that there was nothing wrong with a workout that sent 13 players to the hospital with potentially life threatening conditions.

Now I see it from Nebraska fans who excuse hiding news of coaching changes from recruits until after they have signed on the dotted line.

Why?

Admittedly, the Nebraska example is not nearly as serious as the first two but I still see it as an issue. I'm glad Bo Pelini is the coach at Nebraska and I think he has done a good job on average, but there are some problems here.

As a side note, my fiance and I are getting a bit of an insider look at NU's facilities and doing a meet and greet with the coaches tomorrow. Bo was supposed to be there but now I'm not sure he will make it. I've seriously thought about asking him "so what staff changes are going to be made . . ." I'm not sure he would think it is as funny as I do. I guess we'll see what tomorrow brings.

 

[da skers]

If he shows ups ask him but do it with a smile on your face. He'll laugh. He's a very laid back, approachable individual. I bet he'll be there unless he's interviewing someone somewhere.

 

[Hunter94]

If he shows ups ask him but do it with a smile on your face. He'll laugh. He's a very laid back, approachable individual. I bet he'll be there unless he's interviewing someone somewhere.

yep, we know he is a different cat on the sidelines......(pisses his pants, yells at refs and in the face of his own players)......ask him how that anger management class is coming along......

 

[RockyMountainOySker]

Why is it that a significant portion of any given football fanbase attempts to excuse or deflect blame from their favorite program? Sometimes facts are facts. We don't have to be happy about them but they still exist.

I saw it from Missouri Tiger fans who tried to blame a girl who was sexually assaulted/raped by MU's starting running back.

I saw it from Iowa Hawkeye fans who still frantically claim that there was nothing wrong with a workout that sent 13 players to the hospital with potentially life threatening conditions.

Now I see it from Nebraska fans who excuse hiding news of coaching changes from recruits until after they have signed on the dotted line.

Why?

Admittedly, the Nebraska example is not nearly as serious as the first two but I still see it as an issue. I'm glad Bo Pelini is the coach at Nebraska and I think he has done a good job on average, but there are some problems here.

As a side note, my fiance and I are getting a bit of an insider look at NU's facilities and doing a meet and greet with the coaches tomorrow. Bo was supposed to be there but now I'm not sure he will make it. I've seriously thought about asking him "so what staff changes are going to be made . . ." I'm not sure he would think it is as funny as I do. I guess we'll see what tomorrow brings.

Because that is the definition of being a fan. It shouldn't be too surprising.

 

[carlfense]

Why is it that a significant portion of any given football fanbase attempts to excuse or deflect blame from their favorite program? Sometimes facts are facts. We don't have to be happy about them but they still exist.

I saw it from Missouri Tiger fans who tried to blame a girl who was sexually assaulted/raped by MU's starting running back.

I saw it from Iowa Hawkeye fans who still frantically claim that there was nothing wrong with a workout that sent 13 players to the hospital with potentially life threatening conditions.

Now I see it from Nebraska fans who excuse hiding news of coaching changes from recruits until after they have signed on the dotted line.

Why?

Admittedly, the Nebraska example is not nearly as serious as the first two but I still see it as an issue. I'm glad Bo Pelini is the coach at Nebraska and I think he has done a good job on average, but there are some problems here.

As a side note, my fiance and I are getting a bit of an insider look at NU's facilities and doing a meet and greet with the coaches tomorrow. Bo was supposed to be there but now I'm not sure he will make it. I've seriously thought about asking him "so what staff changes are going to be made . . ." I'm not sure he would think it is as funny as I do. I guess we'll see what tomorrow brings.

Because that is the definition of being a fan. It shouldn't be too surprising.

I guess I try to not fit the definition of a fan then. So be it.

 

[knapplc]

Carlfense, you've got a legal mind. What about the possibility that Sanders' issue is legal, and therefore not a matter of public record right now? Don't you think we'd have to hesitate talking to the recruit at that point?

It cannot be stressed enough that Jackson said he'd still have come to Nebraska had he known. That's probably a knife that cuts both ways, but it's pertinent. It minimizes the impact a great deal.

 

[Husker_x]

Until the full details of exactly what's going on emerge––and that may sadly never happen––it's difficult to determine whether what Bo did was the right thing or not. We don't have all the facts. Personally I don't feel the need to condemn or defend the program. I just don't know enough about the situation or the extenuating circumstances that might have made going public with the Sanders deal a problem.

Honestly I don't think this is a big a deal as people are making it.

 

[carlfense]

Carlfense, you've got a legal mind. What about the possibility that Sanders' issue is legal, and therefore not a matter of public record right now? Don't you think we'd have to hesitate talking to the recruit at that point?

It cannot be stressed enough that Jackson said he'd still have come to Nebraska had he known. That's probably a knife that cuts both ways, but it's pertinent. It minimizes the impact a great deal.

It's possible. A wink-wink, nudge-nudge, to the recruit can communicate great volumes without getting the University in trouble. It looks suspiciously like they intentionally kept it under the rug to keep the class together.

I could very well be wrong. That certainly happens often enough. However, as the saying goes it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck.

 

[HuskerNMO]

Carlfense, you've got a legal mind. What about the possibility that Sanders' issue is legal, and therefore not a matter of public record right now? Don't you think we'd have to hesitate talking to the recruit at that point?

It cannot be stressed enough that Jackson said he'd still have come to Nebraska had he known. That's probably a knife that cuts both ways, but it's pertinent. It minimizes the impact a great deal.

You could say, Charles, we can't discuss specifics, but Coach Sanders has some personal business to attend to and we don't know his status for the upcoming season.

 

[carlfense]

Honestly I don't think this is a big a deal as people are making it.

Realistically, it might not be that big of a deal. That said, I give it 24 hours or less before national news is running with it. That's not because they are out to get Nebraska . . . but rather because it's a juicy sounding story. All the better because they can run a picture of Bo yelling on the sideline with the articles.

 

[Husker_x]

Honestly I don't think this is a big a deal as people are making it.

Realistically, it might not be that big of a deal. That said, I give it 24 hours or less before national news is running with it. That's not because they are out to get Nebraska . . . but rather because it's a juicy sounding story. All the better because they can run a picture of Bo yelling on the sideline with the articles.

We shall see.

 

[carlfense]

Honestly I don't think this is a big a deal as people are making it.

Realistically, it might not be that big of a deal. That said, I give it 24 hours or less before national news is running with it. That's not because they are out to get Nebraska . . . but rather because it's a juicy sounding story. All the better because they can run a picture of Bo yelling on the sideline with the articles.

We shall see.

Indeed. I hope they don't.

 

[NUance]

First of all, does anyone really know that this information was kept from all recruits? Does anyone here know the recruits personally? Have you talked to them? Or are you just assuming it was kept from them? Maybe some of them *were* in the know, in the days leading up to NSD. Perhaps not every detail. But some may have had a heads up that staff changes could take place in the near future. None of us really know for sure, do we?

Second, let’s say Bo heard accusations against a position coach a month or so ago that would likely lead to that person’s dismissal. Was Bo obligated to call a press conference and go public to the world on this issue? I hope you realize that this would have unleashed a shark-like feeding frenzy of other teams’ recruiters pulling our 2011 class away from us. Remember the recruiting class of 2008 when we went through a staff change? It would have been like a mini-version of that. Would this have been best for the program? For the assist coach(es)? For the recruits?

Perhaps the path Bo took, while not perfect, was best for the situation. Perhaps it was better to find out all the facts first, and in the meanwhile be discretely finding a replacement——just in case the accusations proved true and heads would roll?

It seems like some fans feel they are entitled to horn in on every little sordid detail of these people’s lives. But that’s not what fans are entitled to. Or newspaper reporters.

 

[carlfense]

First of all, does anyone really know that this information was kept from all recruits? Does anyone here know the recruits personally? Have you talked to them? Or are you just assuming it was kept from them? Maybe some of them *were* in the know, in the days leading up to NSD. Perhaps not every detail. But some may have had a heads up that staff changes could take place in the near future. None of us really know for sure, do we?

Second, let’s say Bo heard accusations against a position coach a month or so ago that would likely lead to that person’s dismissal. Was Bo obligated to call a press conference and go public to the world on this issue? I hope you realize that this would have unleashed a shark-like feeding frenzy of other teams’ recruiters pulling our 2011 class away from us. Remember the recruiting class of 2008 when we went through a staff change? It would have been like a mini-version of that. Would this have been best for the program? For the assist coach(es)? For the recruits?

Perhaps the path Bo took, while not perfect, was best for the situation. Perhaps it was better to find out all the facts first, and in the meanwhile be discretely finding a replacement——just in case the accusations proved true and heads would roll?

It seems like some fans feel they are entitled to horn in on every little sordid detail of these people’s lives. But that’s not what fans are entitled to. Or newspaper reporters.

We certainly know that it was kept from the ONLY corner back in the class . . . which just so happens to be the position that Sanders coaches.

We'll learn more as this unfolds. It's starting off poorly.

I disagree with your sordid details comment. The reporter asked about staff changes. He did not ask about any coach's personal life. Nor have I, for that matter.

 

[Roark]

Why is it that a significant portion of any given football fanbase attempts to excuse or deflect blame from their favorite program? Sometimes facts are facts. We don't have to be happy about them but they still exist.

I saw it from Missouri Tiger fans who tried to blame a girl who was sexually assaulted/raped by MU's starting running back.

I saw it from Iowa Hawkeye fans who still frantically claim that there was nothing wrong with a workout that sent 13 players to the hospital with potentially life threatening conditions.

Now I see it from Nebraska fans who excuse hiding news of coaching changes from recruits until after they have signed on the dotted line.

Why?

Admittedly, the Nebraska example is not nearly as serious as the first two but I still see it as an issue. I'm glad Bo Pelini is the coach at Nebraska and I think he has done a good job on average, but there are some problems here.

As a side note, my fiance and I are getting a bit of an insider look at NU's facilities and doing a meet and greet with the coaches tomorrow. Bo was supposed to be there but now I'm not sure he will make it. I've seriously thought about asking him "so what staff changes are going to be made . . ." I'm not sure he would think it is as funny as I do. I guess we'll see what tomorrow brings.

Because that is the definition of being a fan. It shouldn't be too surprising.

I disagree. One can root for a particular team, follow them closely, be happy when they do well and still be objective about things surrounding that team... However, that person may not be very popular amongst the majority of the fanbase who live in blinding denial of anything they perceive as making the program appear negatively.