Eric the Red Posted March 27, 2005 Share Posted March 27, 2005 Panico getting booed LINCOLN - Santino Panico extends his hand and says thank you for not insulting him. He wasn't going to do this, talk about himself, until at least next fall. He wanted to accomplish something first. "Pops" tells him it's OK to talk. If you don't say anything, 'Tino, how will they know how you feel? Panico rubs his shaven head and says he doesn't want anybody to feel sorry for him. "It comes with the territory," he says as he sits in a near-empty meeting room at South Stadium on Saturday. "Everybody's going to have their say with whatever they want to talk about. But until you're out there and you experience it . . . You can't really say much." Here's what can be said about Santino Panico's 2004 football season - he was booed at home, criticized in the news media and took a share of the heat in Nebraska's first losing season since 1961. He was a true freshman punt returner. Panico says the talk "went in one ear and out the other," and that he's ready to fight for his spot this spring as at least four players, including I-back Cory Ross, vie to become the new return specialist. "I've got a lot of pride," Panico says. "So I go in with the attitude that they've got to take it away from me." Critics say Nebraska's special teams need to move forward with somebody else. Panico averaged 3.1 yards a return last season, and the Huskers finished 107th nationally. They averaged 9.7 yards or better on punt returns each of the past nine seasons before 2004. Cornerback Cortney Grixby moved ahead of Panico as the No. 1 punt returner on the pre-spring depth chart. Nebraska Coach Bill Callahan defended his freshman returner this week, saying that Panico would've had more opportunities if the Cornhuskers had better protection for him. Panico refuses to point fingers and says some of the struggles had to do with his indecisiveness on the field. His father, Anthony, says his son was told to do one thing when he was pulled out of a redshirt to help the struggling special teams. Secure the ball. Panico managed that in 22 returns, but was booed in the final home games of the season. "He would call me after games and obviously be a little down on himself," says Anthony, whom Santino calls "Pops." "He was just wondering why people would be like that in Nebraska. "He went through a lot, but to be honest with you, I didn't feel sorry for him. I just talked to him like he was a man. He's a fighter. He's going to give everything he has." Santino never talks about quitting. Playing major-college football was his dream growing up in Chicago. He was relatively unknown in Chicago suburban circles as a junior at Libertyville, but played his way into the Army high school All-America game as a senior. To show his dad how serious he was about football, Panico gave up sweets at the age of 10. He indulgences in the occasional soy chocolate milk, but that's as decadent as it gets. He's put on roughly 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason and is serious when he says he'll give Ross and Marque McCray and whoever a fight for the punt-return spot. At least he's talking. Before Saturday, Panico had declined interview requests since his arrival at Nebraska. He didn't think a freshman should talk until he'd done something. He became the topic of conversation anyway. "You have your ups and downs," he says. "But in life, there's never a bad day. When you think about it, the day is broken off into eating, sleeping and going to the bathroom. So it can't be that bad." Quote Link to comment
kramer Posted March 27, 2005 Share Posted March 27, 2005 I still can't believe fans were booing him in games. That is absolutely ridiculous. No college player should be subjected to that kind of treatment PERIOD! Hopefully the greatest fans in the world can support him next year. Quote Link to comment
Eric the Red Posted March 28, 2005 Author Share Posted March 28, 2005 Yeah I don't know what to think of this. Fans should be allowed to boo, but if your Nebraska and consider yourself the greatest fans is this behavior appropriate??? Quote Link to comment
DaveH Posted March 28, 2005 Share Posted March 28, 2005 Yeah I don't know what to think of this. Fans should be allowed to boo, but if your Nebraska and consider yourself the greatest fans is this behavior appropriate??? Is it appropriate for the "greatest fans", no not at all. It directly opposes, IMO, being a fan in the first place. Sure Nebraska fans are great and all, but lately (the last 2-3 years or so), I have come to realize that when it comes down to it, we are pretty much like any other group of fans. We have some people who think they know it all and could solve all the teams problems looking from the outside in. These guys boo. Always have, always will. We also have people who are just fans of the program, plain and simple. Sure, they get disgruntled when things don't go well but what fan doesn't. That doesn't mean you add to the bad play/game/whatever by booing your own friggin team! As far as booing, I would never really boo my own team at a game. It doesn't make sense to me and can do nothing to help the team that you want to do well. Quote Link to comment
Pedro Guerrero Posted March 28, 2005 Share Posted March 28, 2005 Crap the Big Red fans booed Frost back in 96. Lord and Dailey were booed also. I've never bought into the "Greatest Fans in America" crap. Quote Link to comment
skersfan Posted March 28, 2005 Share Posted March 28, 2005 I would bet a months pay that all that booed were not good enough to hold his jock when they played, or if they ever played the game. I would imagine we have a (F)ew (F)ans on here that have joined the chorus. We could not afford any more turnovers. His job was to catch the punt period and protect the ball. I think things will be a little different this year. Quote Link to comment
junior4949 Posted March 30, 2005 Share Posted March 30, 2005 Actually, the most disgusting of the booing happened at the first home game back in 1995. Frazier was starting at QB, and the game was pretty much in hand. TO took Frazier out and sent in Berringer who for all practical matters led NU to the championship in 1994. The fans booed Berringer as he walked onto the field. I know. I was there in the student section! What was even worse than that was how the fans fell over themselves sending cards and calling Brook one of their own when he died in the plane crash. I would say that maybe NU fans are the biggest bunch of hypocrits! It's one thing to boo a player when he sucks, but it's entirely something else when you boo a player who delivers you a championship. Panico had better get used to the booing because unless he stuck a rocket up his ass this winter, he'll always be inept as a punt returner. As one other poster mentioned booing Frost. He won a championship 50% of the time. Hardly a reason to boo a guy. Quote Link to comment
craigsker Posted April 3, 2005 Share Posted April 3, 2005 The so-called "greatest college football fans in the country" booing a college kid?....Makes me sick....I cannot for the life of me believe we are booing college student-athletes! Shame on the Husker Nation for a classless and disgraceful act which does not reflect well on the fans. Quote Link to comment
Benard Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 Yeah I don't know what to think of this. Fans should be allowed to boo, but if your Nebraska and consider yourself the greatest fans is this behavior appropriate??? I wasn't booing panico necessariy, more like callahan for keeping in the worst punt returner in nu history. Quote Link to comment
diehard Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 I swear a lot under my breath but I never boo. Quote Link to comment
skersfan Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 You think your booing would surprise anyone schestev? Quote Link to comment
joshuavacek Posted April 5, 2005 Share Posted April 5, 2005 Yeah I don't know what to think of this. Fans should be allowed to boo, but if your Nebraska and consider yourself the greatest fans is this behavior appropriate??? Is it appropriate for the "greatest fans", no not at all. It directly opposes, IMO, being a fan in the first place. Sure Nebraska fans are great and all, but lately (the last 2-3 years or so), I have come to realize that when it comes down to it, we are pretty much like any other group of fans. We have some people who think they know it all and could solve all the teams problems looking from the outside in. These guys boo. Always have, always will. We also have people who are just fans of the program, plain and simple. Sure, they get disgruntled when things don't go well but what fan doesn't. That doesn't mean you add to the bad play/game/whatever by booing your own friggin team! As far as booing, I would never really boo my own team at a game. It doesn't make sense to me and can do nothing to help the team that you want to do well. I agree totally with both of you. What purpose does booing your own team serve. Quote Link to comment
Eric the Red Posted April 7, 2005 Author Share Posted April 7, 2005 You think your booing would surprise anyone schestev? sweet!!!!!!!!! gotcha Quote Link to comment
Eric the Red Posted April 7, 2005 Author Share Posted April 7, 2005 BTW Panico hasn't been at practice for a few days due to "personal reasons" Quote Link to comment
Benard Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 BTW Panico hasn't been at practice for a few days due to "personal reasons" any more info on that? Quote Link to comment
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