Shatel's column

[np_husker]

Shatel: Bo fans flames evading question

 

• As expected, the e-mails from readers runneth over. Several were critical of Bo Pelini blowing off a question after Saturday's loss at Virginia Tech by saying, “You saw it. It was obvious.'' That's good. Fans don't usually care if the media gets its question answered, but I've always felt that they should. If the coach shuns the question, he is, in effect, shunning the fans. Pelini is an emotional guy after games and he doesn't crave press conferences, but they're part of the job. He's the CEO and voice of the program. People have the right to want the head coach to answer to what happened in a game and explain his and the team's actions, good or bad. Besides, Bo, never assume that anything is obvious to the media.

 

• Inquiring fans want to know: Why punt on fourth-and-one at the Hokies 37 late in the game instead of going for the first down and the clincher? Because if your defense is playing like Nebraska's at the time, you punt every time. Every time.

 

• On Monday's Big 12 call, Pelini seemed to infer that he should have asked for a replay of Menelik Holt's “bobbled'' touchdown catch that was ruled incomplete. It seems that Pelini asked an official after the play if they were going to replay it and was told no, because Holt had bobbled it. The NU assistants in the booth didn't have a clear view, either. But on Monday Pelini intimated that the film showed Holt had control. Maybe if you aren't wasting timeouts on other things, you don't mind asking for a replay.

 

• Interesting note from a fan named Craig, who said he fell to his knees when Virginia Tech completed the 81-yard pass, “but one thing made me smile. I realized I hadn't felt this way in a long time, couldn't remember when a loss hurt so bad. Then I realized that I am once again 100 percent emotionally involved in Nebraska football. During the (Bill) Callahan era, ... I got numb to the bad losses and poor coaching.''

 

• Paging Mr. Castille, Mr. Quentin Castille. Nebraska's “red zone'' offense misses you. Sure, Roy Helu had a breakthrough day as a workhorse back. But when you get near the goal line, you need a horse, period. Castille “was'' that guy for NU.

 

http://www.omaha.com/article/20090921/SPORTS/709219840

[n.e.husker]

I dont agree with the redzone play calling either.

We need to find a way to finish drives, especially

when their D is giving up the run to us. I didnt

understand the play calling from Watson.

 

Our D was playing really well, so i guess i dont

have a problem with the 4th and 1 punt, but we

could have tried to draw them off sides or RUN

the ball.

[knapplc]

Lots of dead horse beating here. I expect this to be a turn-the-corner game for us. We're doing a lot of looking behind us - missing Castille, lingering Callahan-era attitude, etc. From this loss I expect the team to take the fact that they can beat tough teams, even on the road.

 

We'll look back on this game, and the questions that come from it, as reasons why we're returning to respectability. Book it.

[np_husker]

Lots of dead horse beating here. I expect this to be a turn-the-corner game for us. We're doing a lot of looking behind us - missing Castille, lingering Callahan-era attitude, etc. From this loss I expect the team to take the fact that they can beat tough teams, even on the road.

 

We'll look back on this game, and the questions that come from it, as reasons why we're returning to respectability. Book it.

 

I wouldn't call it "dead horse beating". It was an upsetting, heart breaking, confusing game and people want to talk about it. Isn't that a sign that people care about a program?

[Igetbored216]

But how long are we going to talk about it? I can see one, two, and maybe three days after the game, but c'mon. Enough is enough. Like I said and I will continue to repeat as long as other repeat questions about the game and : we still have nine games left - eight of which are in conference and the real games that will define our season.

 

Let it go!

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

But how long are we going to talk about it? I can see one, two, and maybe three days after the game, but c'mon. Enough is enough. Like I said and I will continue to repeat as long as other repeat questions about the game and : we still have nine games left - eight of which are in conference and the real games that will define our season.

 

Let it go!

Agreed. This poor horse is no longer a horse but instead a can of Alpo

[Apathy]

There is only one thing that I will agree with this newspaper article which is this:

 

Interesting note from a fan named Craig, who said he fell to his knees when Virginia Tech completed the 81-yard pass, “but one thing made me smile. I realized I hadn't felt this way in a long time, couldn't remember when a loss hurt so bad. Then I realized that I am once again 100 percent emotionally involved in Nebraska football. During the (Bill) Callahan era, ... I got numb to the bad losses and poor coaching.''

I felt that exact same way over this game than I have for the past losses in the last 5 years.

 

Other than that I thought that the article was pretty negative and beating a dead horse. Lets get over it and move on. Its done and over and we can only get better.

[jjamuss]

Lots of dead horse beating here. I expect this to be a turn-the-corner game for us. We're doing a lot of looking behind us - missing Castille, lingering Callahan-era attitude, etc. From this loss I expect the team to take the fact that they can beat tough teams, even on the road.

 

We'll look back on this game, and the questions that come from it, as reasons why we're returning to respectability. Book it.

winning isnt everything... but losing sure does suck. The only thing to do is learn, win and look back and understand why we lost to VT when we had them beat. Once that sinks in, our swagger is back!!

[holvy83]

There is only one thing that I will agree with this newspaper article which is this:

 

Interesting note from a fan named Craig, who said he fell to his knees when Virginia Tech completed the 81-yard pass, “but one thing made me smile. I realized I hadn't felt this way in a long time, couldn't remember when a loss hurt so bad. Then I realized that I am once again 100 percent emotionally involved in Nebraska football. During the (Bill) Callahan era, ... I got numb to the bad losses and poor coaching.''

I felt that exact same way over this game than I have for the past losses in the last 5 years.

 

Other than that I thought that the article was pretty negative and beating a dead horse. Lets get over it and move on. Its done and over and we can only get better.

 

[NoLongerN]

But how long are we going to talk about it? I can see one, two, and maybe three days after the game, but c'mon. Enough is enough. Like I said and I will continue to repeat as long as other repeat questions about the game and : we still have nine games left - eight of which are in conference and the real games that will define our season.

 

Let it go!

 

I believe the game ended around 5:30 PM, your post was around 8 AM today, Tuesday ... so that puts your post and the one's before at about 2 1/2 days ... half way to 3 days. You've obviously moved on further than others ... good for you. It's not like it's late to post a thought on the game is it?

 

My hope is that the team can answer it's own questions in their minds ... find the answers ... lay it to rest and move on ... but I understand fans still strugglin' with it.

 

SheepdogMark

[knapplc]

I don't think anyone is saying we can't talk about the game. We'll be talking about this game all season, maybe even next year. We'll talk about it when we travel to Washington next year, I'm sure.

[AllTheGoodNamesAreTaken]

It was a measuring stick game, and it did exactly that. We now know where we stand. It doesn't, however, define the season.

[Igetbored216]

It's great to talk about a game, but not when there are a million posts about the same exact thing. It gets repetitive and in the end, it accomplishes nothing. All the "what if" scenarios are getting ridiculous. Unless someone can control the time continuum, I suggest we let it go.

[Street Novelist]

How many people are going to start new threads concerning the VT game? Don't we have enough already? Does it do any good to continually question Bo's decision making? It's over! Move on!

[knapplc]

How many people are going to start new threads concerning the VT game?

People start new threads any time an idea pops into their head. They never seem to bother glancing on the front page, even.

 

There was a time in the week or two before the season started that we had four different Cody Green threads on the front page, three of them within the first 15 topics. Apparently a lot of computers these days don't come with the Control+F function.