icedavis

Very compelling video. However the meteorologist in me is horrified every time I see video like this. While yes, we live for weather and video like this can be collected for research, seeing so many videos pop up on youtube of ANY tornado, let alone large ones, is proof that people aren't seeking shelter like they should be. And that is not to mention the highways that are becoming more and more clogged with "storm chasers" (aka anyone daring enough to drive to see a tornado). Luckily the death toll was small and these people were able to seek shelter and stay safe.

LOL A buddy tweeted it to me and my wife last night because she has a habit of bruising belches like this. I watched it on my phone upstairs on one end of the house. My wife (who happened to be loading the video at the same time) heard it over her tv show that she was watching downstairs. She said she doesn't burp like that, which she doesn't because she doesn't need to force it like the girl in the video, but they sure sound the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdUVQzlqNVE

There was a similar play to the downed kick in the Gopher game against Penn State and the commentators clarified the ruling. It was a brilliant athletic play, same as the one in the game today. Basically they explained it this way: Once the ball crosses the plane of the endzone, then it is a touch back. It doesn't matter if a player from the kicking team is in the endzone in any manner, so long as he keeps the ball from crossing the plane and then he or one of his teammates downs the ball in play. Here is the best replay of the Gopher kick I can find quickly:

Michigan State wearing custom thigh pads today. Kentucky was the first to wear them, in the last week or two.

Solid explanation. I only ever saw the highlights replay which just shows the one or two angles. I didn't even know his stick was up to deflect the shot. Had I seen those extra couple of angles, my analysis would have changed. I still would have maintained his required knowledge of proximity to the goal, direct hit vs glancing blow and as they say in the video the lack of an outside steering force. I like the breakdown of the impact and arm position, something I was trying to figure out and extrapolated on based on video and hits.

Louisville going red chrome logo outline on black chrome. Looks pretty cool. More here: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1851848-louisville-introduces-black-chrome-helmets

I love watching the Brick by Brick vids. The school doesn't have a HuskerVision-like quality yet, but each season they get a lot better. I have said it before (I dont remember if i have on here) that Coach Kill and his staff have a lot of Nebraska-like qualities that we are all looking for. He has that Tom Osborne air about him. His teams always improve and have a ton of fun doing it.

The slo-mo made it look worse than it really is. Backstrom was ill before the game started and also contributed to his leaving the game. Like you said, he knew exactly what he was doing. Just gonna hard prove. Thing is though, if nothing is done, it sets a bad precedent, and any douchebag can just careen into the goalie, and only get a couple mintues in the box... This.

I don't think it's that hard to mostly come away from watching that with the idea it was intent. These guys are pros. They know where they are at on the ice. Guy like that turns the corner to pick up a rebound knows what he is in for when he charges and won't hesitate to get his shot. He has at least a stride or two going towards the goal while looking at the goal. There's no real effort to stop and/or avoid Backs and his stick is in the air so he's not in there to actually get a rebound, just cause chaos with his body. He isn't being hit by a Wild player, so the fall is on his own and his arms move through the goalie in a manner that appears to be intentful. Now that doesn't 100% prove intent but given the circumstances (mostly the first handful of sentences) it is enough for me. Shanahan should know well enough the intent on a play like that. Maybe I saw the replay too many times, who knows.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3bh2kGik64

I disagree with this. If you know anything about Joe Mauer's mysterious "bi-lateral leg weakness" injury of 2011, and how it was handled and communicated, you would know that is the weirdest sports injury. But T-Mart's might be a close second.

Omaha is in the same conference with the Sioux for not even 5 seasons and they already self proclaim a "rivalry"? And I thought all the non-Gopher MN school's self imposed rivalries (other than Dueloot) were bad. It was fun during my time at SCSU, but come on, we all know its not real.

So what??? whats your point??? Dances will get us winning? We are toooooooo far gone here people. Too far gone. Haha. All this conversation and you draw out of it that "Dances will get us winning"? Well done, sir, well done.

I have $20 in my pocket, will that help? Here is the "Do the Gopher" video for this season. and one from last season: shoot, just youtube "Do the Gopher" there are some pretty entertaining ones on there...the things people do when they see they are on camera. Like I said, its fairly ridiculous but clearly fun and all the fans (not just the student section) get into it.

I was just texting a buddy about the Gopher game atmosphere. He drove up from Wyoming for the game and he was saying how he loved the atmosphere and was saying how much more exciting and entertaining it was. I live in MPLS and have seen it on more than one occasion so it was not new to me but still as enjoyable. They've done the towels handout thing a few times, the "first down" thing for years and the music (a la Jump Around at Wiscy) started not too long ago. Hell there have been a couple of times each season that Coach Kill has walked around handing out tons of free tickets. Now the motive may be in question behind that but the accessibility of such a personable guy, handing out free tickets was a HUGE hit. The newest is "Do the Gopher". My buddy didn't quite get into it but even something as corny as that Caddyshack Gopher dance has also been a huge hit with the fan base here. I was also commenting how in between the 3rd and 4th quarter when they do the "Jump Around" thing, the players really get into that too. I have a youtube video from a season ago showing it from the upper level opposite side of the field in a game against Michigan. If I remember right the game was out of reach for the Gophers based on how they were playing that day (they weren't losing big but just couldn't move the ball well against the Wolverines) but during that break, the music blasting, the fans were into it and the players were having a great time. You could tell that even in a loss they were having fun and still really loose. https://www.youtube....h?v=A8sNcmsAm9w I have a video with a closer view to give anyone who hasn't seen it a better idea. I can post it later if I find it.

I should specify too...this is obviously a post resulting from the loss but I have an interesting perspective on it. People are using terms like "debacle" to describe the loss to the Gophers. But I feel that is very introspective in that it was like losing to the worst team in the land or something like that. Apparently no one in Husker Nation really knows the potential of this Gophers team. Remember the Gophers were 5-2 going in (with their only "proven" win against Northwestern) and was in a bowl game last season. That doesn't guarantee a win but they have been steadily improving the past 3 seasons under Coach Kill and are no longer your walkover kid brother. Sure they have a bad loss this season against Iowa but that is part of the growth process. They may not have been the successful Gophers of way back in the day but it was only a matter of time before the Gophers started getting higher profile wins. Being that I live in the Twin Cities and frequently attend/watch the games, I probably can see that easier than most. I thought going in the Huskers would win but each season the spread in my mind grew pretty close, this season they just played above that expectation. I think the Huskers didn't play well but I also viewed it from the Gopher fan perspective that the Gophers played really well, finally living up to the potential. I disagree. The comparison is pretty relevant. Sure the decades between them are evident but the root of the comparison lies in that its their first 6 seasons as head coach for nebraska (2 of which were in their first head coaching job). There is a learning curve there that they each had to overcome and the stats are showing they are of fairly equal comparison with respect to their football generation and the adjustments that need be made. It shows that Pelini falls in line with the two coaches the Nebraska fan base holds in pretty high regard yet fans are calling for Pelini's head. The statement about a game "we should win" sort of solidifies my point above in that people think this is an easy win and I don't believe that to be true. Plus you can't really quantify "should wins" as we have all learned in "should win game" blowout losses to teams like Texas Tech and Colorado in the past. Its all a matter of perspective. Perspective that I don't think husker fans have a good angle on right now. Sorry, back on topic now...

First, I see where you are going, but that doesn't answer the question at hand. Second, is it Pelini's job and only Pelini's job to get the kids to focus? No, it's also the entire staff's job AND most importantly the player's job to get focused. Third, how do you resolve lethargy? If they are sluggish perhaps they were tired from working too hard/too much over those two weeks? Everyone thinks its always because they didn't work hard enough, there is another side to that coin. I can't say anything against point #3, if he was injured, I don't see many valid reasons why he gave the Huskers the best chance to win. TA was doing fine the past couple games. Point is, the above is all rhetorical (just presenting the other side of the coin) and you should only answer the questions posed in the initial post.

Given the current turmoil, I am curious to know: When Pelini was hired on, what were your short term expectations? Long term expectations? As seasons have passed, how have those expectations changed? Did you expect a national title every year, conference titles and a bowl win (50/50 bowl win-loss?), just conference titles and bowl appearances with no determination of W/L, perennial top 10 ranking, etc? I expect snarky responses but at least put an honest response too. I am interested to hear where people had set the bar when Pelini took the helm. I feel like this season specifically people have had high expectations which may not have been entirely realistic or had reasonable expectations but as the season progressed and the awfulness ensued that people maintained those high expectations when it wasn't as obvious the team could reach them anymore. It's one thing to support the team to that level, thats fine but it's another to entirely ignore the situation at hand. I feel like people have rightly criticized the team but also kept that bar at that high level when it should be brought down a little. Might just be my perception of the discussions between people I have talked to though. I have always been dis-interested in the "Fire x-coach" talk because I think it frequently is an over-reaction. So, with that I present some statistics that may be of interest. In 5 complete seasons, plus one partial, (1st head coaching job) Bo Pelini's stat line: 54 Wins 22 losses. 31-22 conference record. 0 conference titles, 4 Division titles. 6 Bowl Games with a 3-3 record. 0 National titles, 1 Unranked season (with potential for another this season). Highest ranking 14th with an average ranking of 20th. In his first 6 full seasons (first head coaching job) Tom Osborne stat line: 55 Wins 16 losses 2 ties. 30-11-1 conference record, 2 conf titles, 6 Bowls with a 4-2 record, 0 National titles, 0 unranked seasons, highest ranking 7th with an avg of 9th. In his first 6 full seasons (second head coaching job): Bob Devaney stat line: 53 wins 12 losses 2 ties, 34-8 conference record, 4 conference titles, 5 Bowl games with a 2-3 record, 0 National Titles, 2 unranked seasons, highest ranking 3rd with an avg of 5/6th. While its not complete apples to apples because of conference alignment, existent/nonexistent divisions, etc, you can still see that Bo is not far off from the "Holy Ones". I am sure I could have left off names and certain statistics like #of conf titles or whatever and many wouldn't be able to quickly identify which stat line belonged to which coach. That is not to mention that it took Devaney 3 more seasons and TO another 16 seasons to get that National title ball rolling. So this is why I guess I am curious of everyone's previous expectations for success and where you all set the bar. Obviously hindsight is 20/20 and people can BS but I am being honest here when I say I thought that the Huskers could have been a perennial conference title contender and say a once every 5 year top 5 team (maybe national title appearance) and while I am disappointed with how it turned out in 6 seasons so far, I am also not in the fire-pelini camp...yet, because I tend to be more impatiently patient and I think that while setting a bar is good, the season is so dynamic that it can be really hard to reach that bar. Maybe that is my "tough season, we'll get them next year" mentality showing through after going through so many terrible seasons in support of MN Twins baseball. What say you?

Being that I live in MPLS, the Gophers have become my second team and I have been to many football games the past 6 years. I have to say that in all of the games I have attended at TCF, this one was the worst. Worst is a relative term though. All experiences have been positive, even when I've attended as a Husker fan. It seems as though the section I was in for this game had a higher percentage (again relatively speaking) of fans that had a terrible hatred for the Huskers. I don't know why or what it was but man there was some hate being spewed. It's not like they really have much to hate the Huskers over...although there is a large contingency that remembers the blowout in '83 like it was yesterday. I have never experienced that from Gopher football fans, ever (Iowa and Wisconsin notwithstanding). It was weird. I attribute some to the alcohol, it was obvious by the number of bottles and the river of beer flowing from their seats past our feet. I write them off though because I often heard things like "I didn't know the Gophers were good" and things like that, which I believe a true Gopher fan wouldn't say. I think a true Gopher fan would say they know the team is good but just way too inconsistent in such a tough schedule. Anyone paying attention will see they have steadily improved in many areas the past 3 seasons and Kill has them going in the right direction and that their are few conference foes they can't beat/dont have a chance against. Outside of that the fans were the typical good fans I am used too. I was happy to hear the stadium erupt on game turning plays and have such overwhelming support for their team. The Husker cheers were drowned out by Gopher cheers for once. Iowa games and Wiscy games have a different tune because of the existing rivalries but to hear the support in a game like this was much needed for this Gopher system. All things considered, they deserved to have that "storming the field moment". Of course it sucks that the Huskers lost but I am happy for the Gophers too. There was a guy in front of me that was saying that he believed this was a "Signature win" for the Gophers. I wouldn't go that far because I think the Gophers are better than perceived and I don't think the Huskers are as good as perceived. I will parrot the sentiment though that it was obvious that a lot of Gopher fans dont know how to handle winning in this capacity, which is sad. I love going to games at TCF for many reasons. There is not a bad seat in the house (that I have found yet). Tickets are pretty abundant and relatively cheap depending on the game. Lots of great food options. Great, mostly knowledgable fan base itching a return to success. Easy to talk to, Minnesota Nice. Hell the Monday Night Football game in the snow a couple years ago was fun even though the commute from work was horrendous in the snow (2 hours to go 20 miles) and the Vikes got blown out. Plus, The views are great and make for some awesome photos.

A really good but tough drill I learned for speed/distance putting is to take a bag of balls on the practice green, hit the first one a few feet out and then each consecutive ball you have to hit no more than a foot farther. You aren't hitting at a hole or anything, just working on the same line and distance control. You eventually work your way out to some pretty long putts and can gain feel of speed/distance pretty quickly. Since you don't want to miss short during a round, getting this distance control allows you enough speed to bury the putt and if you miss, easy tap in. Every time I play a new course, during warm up, I do a scaled down version of this (depending on how many real rounds or range rounds I have in the bag already that season) to get a handle on speed and how my normal feel for distance is affected.

First, don't expect much more than cold weather from these Canuck Wannabees. Second, why would you go to a Viking game?