Best message to send to Callahan, Pederson, is the silence of your money clip

[Eric the Red]

Husker Fans Need to Rise Above Profanity

Best message to send to Callahan, Pederson, is the silence of your money clip

by Samuel McKewon

 

October 08, 2007

 

Let's keep this short, sweet and simple: If you don't like what you're seeing out of the Nebraska football team, there's one effective (and respectful) way to scream it.

 

Close your wallet.

 

Turn off the television. Don't go to the Big Red Breakfast. Stop trying to win the auction for the signed football. Resist the urge to buy this weekend's pay-per-view option for the Oklahoma State game. Give your tickets to poor kids who have never been to Memorial Stadium.

 

In short: Stop tithing 10 percent of your take-home pay to Athletic Director Steve Pederson and the NU football program. Shut off the money supply and force Pederson to make some tough choices. Your absence will speak much louder than your curses, threats and idiotic "fireanybody.com" Web sites.

 

Are you embarrassed by the Huskers? Did it bother you that Missouri looked like the Harlem Globetrotters on Saturday night, with Chase Daniel running the weave? Were you appalled that the Tigers actually had the time to run a double-reverse, flea-flicker pass? Are you confused about why a smart man like Bill Callahan is seemingly unable to design more than three running plays?

 

Fair enough. Log off the message boards, get a grip, read a book and drink some wine. See a movie. Pray. Whatever. Just wait out the storm. If enough fans are really that angry, it won't be long.

 

You know, I considered devoting 2,000 words to the extraordinary collapse of this talented, troubled football team. Wrote it, too. It was not a glowing assessment.

 

The Blackshirts look like they're trying to locate the kidney on a dissected frog. They lead the nation in "aw, shoot!" gestures following missed tackles, mental gaffes and surrendered yards. It's hard to watch. They've been lobotomized by God knows what.

 

The offensive line regresses weekly. Can't create a two-yard hole.

 

Quarterback Sam Keller blames himself for the offense's performance Saturday night, when his coach ought to let Keller off the hook and point the finger everywhere else.

 

The problems go much deeper than a group film session can solve. NU has no identity, definitive leader or excitement.

 

But I'm choir-preaching, right? You already know this.

 

And yet NU's response has been woefully inadequate. Callahan continues to be vague and undeterred aboard the Husker Hindenberg. The team follows his lead. As for Cosgrove? Well, he's a quiet, private man going through the worst season of his professional career. There is no great pleasure in watching him struggle.

 

Either way, they both make a lot of money to be the masters of their profession. Let them earn their paycheck in peace.

 

Just don't lower yourself with gross, profane metaphors about Missouri's treatment of the Huskers. Don't get boozed up and boo your heart out when Nebraska takes the field against OSU. Don't rip the team all week, then stand on Stadium Drive and demand face value for your end zone ticket. Don't cheapen your citizenship as a fan. Express your dissent appropriately and rise above it.

 

Catch a Nebraska Wesleyan game. Check out UNO's football team. Take the kids to the playground. Watch Kansas and Missouri pursue once-in-a-lifetime seasons.

 

By doing so, you'll be sending the loudest message any athletic director is hired to hear: We don't like your product. Makes changes, or recall it entirely.

[doombob]

I am a Husker Alum living in the Kansas City area. I'm not going to actively search out to watch the games for the rest of the season. If it's on TV at home, fine, but I'm not going to try and go to any Husker watch party. In addition, the money that I've been saving for seeason tickets are now going to go to the general scholarship fund at UNL. I still think that it's the best education that I could have afforded and I would like others to be able to go there too.

[Chef K]

I've already bought my authentic jersey and tee-shirts for the year. So it's safe to assume I'll not be buying any Husker stuff the rest of the season. I just wish there's something else that'll have substance in my displeasure on how things are going.

[adc7236]

I am not up for boycotting attendance as some have suggested but I would not mind doing my part in suggesting we need change...no PPV for me this weekend.

[huskernation20]

Couldn't agree more...I will NOT watch or listen to the game this weekend.

[adc7236]

Couldn't agree more...I will NOT watch or listen to the game this weekend.

I cannot go that far....I will listen to the game. It will not have a direct financial benefit to NU as watching PPV would.

[DJR313]

Great article. I agree with it, pretty much 100%. I will not be purchasing the OSU game this weekend. I may go to a bar and watch it, but I will not pay any money for it. There are some problems right now in Lincoln. I have tickets for 2 of the remaining home games and I will go and have a good time. If I didn't have tickets in hand already, I'm not sure if I would be going to these games. Money talks, bullsh#t walks. Not giving them your money is going to make more of a statement than a pleasefireanyone.com site.

[junior4949]

I have a 2 year old daughter. I don't care if the money goes to the program or not because she will be wearing NU red this Christmas. However, I will not be purchasing PPV games and will not be attending any games this year. This sucks that we have to boycott just to get rid of friggin Pud. I can't believe we let this used car salesman have the power he has. I never thought in my lifetime one person would have this much power within this organization. To me, having to boycott is more sickening than actually watching this team self destruct!

[captain obvious]

Some of this argument makes sense, but I still feel that we need to support the players. Unconditional devotion is one of the things that sets us apart from other fan bases. The administration should definitely be held accountable, because at this point in the "experiment" there should not be this much confusion and failure on the field. I still think there are ways to put some fire under the AD without boycotting game attendance, though.

 

I still believe we will beat Okie St. That's all the reason I need to watch the game at a bar on Saturday. I won't be buying any merchandise or forking over 30 bones for PPV games the rest of the season, though. Things don't look good at this point, but we are only half way through the season. It's a little early to bail on the Husker Hindenburgh, although I do agree with the majority of the blunt, unpleasant assessments that have been offered up by the LJS in the last couple days.

[np_husker]

I'm all for supporting the players when I feel like they are giving their all and playing with heart and right now that is not happening. I'm not jumping on the "Solich shouldn't have been fired bandwagon" so don't take it that way, but even when we were losing with Solich I don't remember the motivation leaving the team. We may have had less talent, but we were trying!!

 

Good article, by the way.

[Touchdown Tommie]

It may send a message not purchasing items and games, but will SP actually see this??? In all reality, he could give a shi*t about what any of us think. He just doesn't care and doesn't want to realize it.

My big question is, have the players given up on this coaching staff? If the answer to this question is yes, then the university is in BIG, BIG trouble.

[mbhusker13]

If I get my hands on some tickets (13th is my Birthday) They are going to some poor kids outside the stadium. NO PPV but I will listen to it.

[Hunter94]

Okie State will beat us by 21 points or more. i really think the kids have given up on the coaches, sure looks like it by the play on the field.

[newenglandhusker]

Couldn't agree more...I will NOT watch or listen to the game this weekend.

I cannot go that far....I will listen to the game. It will not have a direct financial benefit to NU as watching PPV would.

I agree. I will not be going to the Husker bar here in Boston to watch the game. Listening to it is fine with me, at least then I can't see how horrible things are.

[Hunter94]

Husker Fans Need to Rise Above Profanity

Best message to send to Callahan, Pederson, is the silence of your money clip

by Samuel McKewon

 

October 08, 2007

 

Let's keep this short, sweet and simple: If you don't like what you're seeing out of the Nebraska football team, there's one effective (and respectful) way to scream it.

 

Close your wallet.

 

Turn off the television. Don't go to the Big Red Breakfast. Stop trying to win the auction for the signed football. Resist the urge to buy this weekend's pay-per-view option for the Oklahoma State game. Give your tickets to poor kids who have never been to Memorial Stadium.

 

In short: Stop tithing 10 percent of your take-home pay to Athletic Director Steve Pederson and the NU football program. Shut off the money supply and force Pederson to make some tough choices. Your absence will speak much louder than your curses, threats and idiotic "fireanybody.com" Web sites.

 

Are you embarrassed by the Huskers? Did it bother you that Missouri looked like the Harlem Globetrotters on Saturday night, with Chase Daniel running the weave? Were you appalled that the Tigers actually had the time to run a double-reverse, flea-flicker pass? Are you confused about why a smart man like Bill Callahan is seemingly unable to design more than three running plays?

 

Fair enough. Log off the message boards, get a grip, read a book and drink some wine. See a movie. Pray. Whatever. Just wait out the storm. If enough fans are really that angry, it won't be long.

 

You know, I considered devoting 2,000 words to the extraordinary collapse of this talented, troubled football team. Wrote it, too. It was not a glowing assessment.

 

The Blackshirts look like they're trying to locate the kidney on a dissected frog. They lead the nation in "aw, shoot!" gestures following missed tackles, mental gaffes and surrendered yards. It's hard to watch. They've been lobotomized by God knows what.

 

The offensive line regresses weekly. Can't create a two-yard hole.

 

Quarterback Sam Keller blames himself for the offense's performance Saturday night, when his coach ought to let Keller off the hook and point the finger everywhere else.

 

The problems go much deeper than a group film session can solve. NU has no identity, definitive leader or excitement.

 

But I'm choir-preaching, right? You already know this.

 

And yet NU's response has been woefully inadequate. Callahan continues to be vague and undeterred aboard the Husker Hindenberg. The team follows his lead. As for Cosgrove? Well, he's a quiet, private man going through the worst season of his professional career. There is no great pleasure in watching him struggle.

 

Either way, they both make a lot of money to be the masters of their profession. Let them earn their paycheck in peace.

 

Just don't lower yourself with gross, profane metaphors about Missouri's treatment of the Huskers. Don't get boozed up and boo your heart out when Nebraska takes the field against OSU. Don't rip the team all week, then stand on Stadium Drive and demand face value for your end zone ticket. Don't cheapen your citizenship as a fan. Express your dissent appropriately and rise above it.

 

Catch a Nebraska Wesleyan game. Check out UNO's football team. Take the kids to the playground. Watch Kansas and Missouri pursue once-in-a-lifetime seasons.

 

By doing so, you'll be sending the loudest message any athletic director is hired to hear: We don't like your product. Makes changes, or recall it entirely.

 

 

good article, glad someone has the balls to write it.