Cy the Cyclone Trivia

[Cy the Cyclone]

You can always tell the great players by the type of nickname they go by….”Tom Terrific”, “Danimal”, “Johnny the Jet”…great names like that. I was reminded last night by an old acquaintance that I, too, had a nickname that perfectly described my style of play and which, for your enjoyment, I will now relate the origins of:

 

ISU got rid of Donnie Duncan in 1982 and hired Jim Criner to coach the Cyclones. Criner was a real work of art…beside being a total a**hole, I don’t think he could ever remember who his players were and he was always on the practice field looking at his clipboard and yelling out people’s full names…”Throw that ball David Archer!”, “Finish that route Tracy Henderson”….(if you listened close enough you could usually hear a few muttered “Eat sh*t Jim Criner”s floating back off the practice field). All the time, first and last name. A totally annoying habit…one of many that Criner had.

 

That went on all spring and summer of 83 up to our first road trip to Tennessee where we had to play Vanderbelt (which we lost by the way…big surprise). They were handing out the list of room assignments at the team meeting that week. I was sitting in my usual group with the rest of the TE’s and other worthless appendages on any Criner coached team and the guy next to me…a goofy JC transfer who I didn’t talk to all that much…turns to me and says

 

“Hey Stu…who’s this Cy guy I got to room with? I don’t think I ever seen him before…?”

 

I look at the guy and say “Who the hell is Stu?”

 

“You’re Stu man….Coach is yelling out at you all the time at practice…”

 

I gave him my patented blank stares and said “What in the f*ck are you talking about?”

 

“You know…catch the damn ball Stu Pidass! Block somebody Stu Pidass! What the hell are you doing out there Stu Pidas? Coach is yelling your name at you all the time!”

 

General hilarity breaks out in the meeting room….at my expense. Thanks Coach Criner….

 

I went through the next two years with that fine "Stu" nickname and apparently became quite famous because of it as total strangers are, 25 years later, still yelling out “Hey Stu Pidass!” at me all the time…especially while I’m driving.

 

This true insight into Cyclone football in the 80's brought to you by me...Stu Pidass.

[AR Husker Fan]

 

Thanks for sharing, Stu!

[Blackshirtsguru]

You da man "Stu"!

[BIGREDIOWAN]

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

Hilarious story Mr. Pidass!!!

[sea o' red]

LOL Nice. I have a story similar to that that has just recently happened. As you probably dont know I am 16 and go to a small D-2 school called Coleridge in northeast Nebraska. Our girls bball team recently made it to state (and plays tomarrow). We are taking our band up to play at Lincoln because we do everything in band for instance a couple years ago we marched at the Memorial Day Parade in DC (and I got to lay a wreath at the tomb of the Unkown Soldier). Well there was a little blue sheet to sign up to ride the bus down and during choir yesterday a girl in my class named Savannah walks up to it and theres a name someone jokingly put on there. The name was Mike Oxbig (my c$%ks big) so she looks at it and says, " Mike Oxbig? Who is Mike Oxbig? Anybody know Mike Oxbig? Does anybody here know Mike Oxbig?" By this time Im dying out laughing.