Nebraska Football Show.....Bo calls out the fans

[Pedro Guerrero]

is football different than most sports? I understand the crowd being really involved towards the end of pregame/tunnel walk. However, I was watching the Memphis BBall game last night and noticed that the crowd really only got into the game when big plays (steals, dunks, 3-pointers, etc) were happening or long scoring runs. I started to think about other sports and came to a similar conclusion.

 

The best crowds are into it the whole game. Example: Duke Basketball

[corncraze]

Why the crowd was less than average

 

NO exciting plays

We were playing one of the weakest opponents on our schedule

We barely scored on one of the worst teams in the country

&

It was cold

 

 

 

I think this was why the crowd lacked the normal spirit

[Fuzzy]

Why the crowd was less than average

 

NO exciting plays

We were playing one of the weakest opponents on our schedule

We barely scored on one of the worst teams in the country

&

It was cold

 

 

 

I think this was why the crowd lacked the normal spirit

 

Holding a team to under 100 yards total offense wasn't exciting? The fact that it was the best Blackshirt performance under Bo Pelini means nothing? Niles Paul surpassing Matt Davison in career receptions and recieving yards? What about the 6 sacks the Huskers had during the game, the best so far this season? Dennards return to the field after his concussion to record his 4th INT for the year? Or how about the fact that Huskers have rushed over 200 yards for the 9th time out of the 10 games we played this year? Or Alex Henery overtaking Eric Crouch's career scoring total bring himself within 15 to beat Kris Brown? What about Lavonte David being the first Husker since Barrett Ruud to crack over 100 tackles for the season? Or Jared Crick moving to 10th place in career sacks with 16?

 

No exciting plays? You must not have been paying very much attention.

 

And barely scored soungs like the final score was Huskers 3 - Kansas 0. Last time i checked we put 20 points on the board, i hardly call that barely scoring.

 

We better start getting used to the cold for football season, no more trips down south to visit Big 12 South teams, starting next year it's all Big 10 nation.

[NoDoubt]

I'm with Bo, the crowd was lame. You could hear a pin drop at times even when the D was on the field between plays. I invited my friend to his first Husker game and I was actually embarrassed by the atmosphere. It shouldn't matter who we play or how we play, the stadium should be rocking until we have a 5 TD lead and even then it should be louder than it was.

 

I also think there were somber/awkward feelings watching us play against one of our all time greats, I dont know, it was a weird game and I'm glad we dont have to play Gill and KU anymore.

[knapplc]

Holding a team to under 100 yards total offense wasn't exciting? The fact that it was the best Blackshirt performance under Bo Pelini means nothing? Niles Paul surpassing Matt Davison in career receptions and recieving yards? What about the 6 sacks the Huskers had during the game, the best so far this season? Dennards return to the field after his concussion to record his 4th INT for the year? Or how about the fact that Huskers have rushed over 200 yards for the 9th time out of the 10 games we played this year? Or Alex Henery overtaking Eric Crouch's career scoring total bring himself within 15 to beat Kris Brown? What about Lavonte David being the first Husker since Barrett Ruud to crack over 100 tackles for the season? Or Jared Crick moving to 10th place in career sacks with 16?

 

No exciting plays? You must not have been paying very much attention.

 

And barely scored soungs like the final score was Huskers 3 - Kansas 0. Last time i checked we put 20 points on the board, i hardly call that barely scoring.

 

We better start getting used to the cold for football season, no more trips down south to visit Big 12 South teams, starting next year it's all Big 10 nation.

 

Wow. That sounds like the greatest game since The Game of the Century! I wish I was there to witness this incredible feat of athletic fortitude..... oh, wait! I WAS there!

 

Let me tell you what I saw: I saw a defense KICK ASS. I saw the crowd scream and holler for the defense. I saw the North end zone make a hell of a lot of noise pretty much every time KU had the ball, and specifically when they kicked their field goal (the only real scoring threat they had). I saw a lot of hootin' and hollerin' for all the sacks, hits, Dennard's INT, etc.

 

I also saw a Husker offense playing WAY below their talent level against an obviously overmatched opponent. I saw us go three-and-out on our first two possessions, running the same/similar plays over and over and over despite a stacked box. I saw a very conservative game plan, an O Line doing pass-pro like their QB was made of crystal (and he was), and overall not a lot of sparks on offense. I saw Niles make some crucial, awesome catches, and I saw the crowd respond accordingly with true praise. I saw some real excitement for Taylor when he was allowed to run more freely in the second half, and I saw some great fan appreciation of the team as they walked off the field.

 

But let's not kid ourselves, here. Let's not for a second pretend that our offense, even with a banged-up QB and basically nobody behind him, played well. Let's not pretend that we did as well as we could. This Kansas team stinks, and we all know it. They didn't just play the game of their lives, we most definitely played like crap. We missed blocks, we failed to get open in patterns, we didn't run tough, and we didn't show the same energy we showed against Missouri.

 

It is absurd to blame the fans for this. That performance was entirely on the team and the coaches, and the fan response was indicative of what we saw on the field, just as the fan response was indicative of what we saw against Missouri.

 

You cannot feed a crowd filet mignon one week and expect the same reaction the next week when you feed them oatmeal. We are not robots, pre-programmed to respond in a certain way. You play well, we cheer loud. You play like crap, we don't cheer as loud. This isn't rocket science.

[np_husker]

Holding a team to under 100 yards total offense wasn't exciting? The fact that it was the best Blackshirt performance under Bo Pelini means nothing? Niles Paul surpassing Matt Davison in career receptions and recieving yards? What about the 6 sacks the Huskers had during the game, the best so far this season? Dennards return to the field after his concussion to record his 4th INT for the year? Or how about the fact that Huskers have rushed over 200 yards for the 9th time out of the 10 games we played this year? Or Alex Henery overtaking Eric Crouch's career scoring total bring himself within 15 to beat Kris Brown? What about Lavonte David being the first Husker since Barrett Ruud to crack over 100 tackles for the season? Or Jared Crick moving to 10th place in career sacks with 16?

 

No exciting plays? You must not have been paying very much attention.

 

And barely scored soungs like the final score was Huskers 3 - Kansas 0. Last time i checked we put 20 points on the board, i hardly call that barely scoring.

 

We better start getting used to the cold for football season, no more trips down south to visit Big 12 South teams, starting next year it's all Big 10 nation.

 

Wow. That sounds like the greatest game since The Game of the Century! I wish I was there to witness this incredible feat of athletic fortitude..... oh, wait! I WAS there!

 

Let me tell you what I saw: I saw a defense KICK ASS. I saw the crowd scream and holler for the defense. I saw the North end zone make a hell of a lot of noise pretty much every time KU had the ball, and specifically when they kicked their field goal (the only real scoring threat they had). I saw a lot of hootin' and hollerin' for all the sacks, hits, Dennard's INT, etc.

 

I also saw a Husker offense playing WAY below their talent level against an obviously overmatched opponent. I saw us go three-and-out on our first two possessions, running the same/similar plays over and over and over despite a stacked box. I saw a very conservative game plan, an O Line doing pass-pro like their QB was made of crystal (and he was), and overall not a lot of sparks on offense. I saw Niles make some crucial, awesome catches, and I saw the crowd respond accordingly with true praise. I saw some real excitement for Taylor when he was allowed to run more freely in the second half, and I saw some great fan appreciation of the team as they walked off the field.

 

But let's not kid ourselves, here. Let's not for a second pretend that our offense, even with a banged-up QB and basically nobody behind him, played well. Let's not pretend that we did as well as we could. This Kansas team stinks, and we all know it. They didn't just play the game of their lives, we most definitely played like crap. We missed blocks, we failed to get open in patterns, we didn't run tough, and we didn't show the same energy we showed against Missouri.

 

It is absurd to blame the fans for this. That performance was entirely on the team and the coaches, and the fan response was indicative of what we saw on the field, just as the fan response was indicative of what we saw against Missouri.

 

You cannot feed a crowd filet mignon one week and expect the same reaction the next week when you feed them oatmeal. We are not robots, pre-programmed to respond in a certain way. You play well, we cheer loud. You play like crap, we don't cheer as loud. This isn't rocket science.

 

Well said.

 

It seems most people in Huskerland are willing to close their eyes and ears to anything Bo does as long as he wins. I don't think expecting our coach to show class with the media and with the fans is too much. I like Bo and I think he's a good coach and maybe some day a great coach, but calling out the fans, at Nebraska?

 

We'll be there each and every week, win or lose, and that should never be taken for granted.

[holvy83]

Pelini will hear plenty of crowd noise at A&M if that is what concerns him these days...

I don't think that Bo really meant to come across like that, I really don't, but at times he just wears his dislike for the media on his sleeve and starts spitting out nails before he thinks, and that is when we get comments like that...

[Enhance]

Holding a team to under 100 yards total offense wasn't exciting? The fact that it was the best Blackshirt performance under Bo Pelini means nothing? Niles Paul surpassing Matt Davison in career receptions and recieving yards? What about the 6 sacks the Huskers had during the game, the best so far this season? Dennards return to the field after his concussion to record his 4th INT for the year? Or how about the fact that Huskers have rushed over 200 yards for the 9th time out of the 10 games we played this year? Or Alex Henery overtaking Eric Crouch's career scoring total bring himself within 15 to beat Kris Brown? What about Lavonte David being the first Husker since Barrett Ruud to crack over 100 tackles for the season? Or Jared Crick moving to 10th place in career sacks with 16?

 

No exciting plays? You must not have been paying very much attention.

 

And barely scored soungs like the final score was Huskers 3 - Kansas 0. Last time i checked we put 20 points on the board, i hardly call that barely scoring.

 

We better start getting used to the cold for football season, no more trips down south to visit Big 12 South teams, starting next year it's all Big 10 nation.

 

Wow. That sounds like the greatest game since The Game of the Century! I wish I was there to witness this incredible feat of athletic fortitude..... oh, wait! I WAS there!

 

Let me tell you what I saw: I saw a defense KICK ASS. I saw the crowd scream and holler for the defense. I saw the North end zone make a hell of a lot of noise pretty much every time KU had the ball, and specifically when they kicked their field goal (the only real scoring threat they had). I saw a lot of hootin' and hollerin' for all the sacks, hits, Dennard's INT, etc.

 

I also saw a Husker offense playing WAY below their talent level against an obviously overmatched opponent. I saw us go three-and-out on our first two possessions, running the same/similar plays over and over and over despite a stacked box. I saw a very conservative game plan, an O Line doing pass-pro like their QB was made of crystal (and he was), and overall not a lot of sparks on offense. I saw Niles make some crucial, awesome catches, and I saw the crowd respond accordingly with true praise. I saw some real excitement for Taylor when he was allowed to run more freely in the second half, and I saw some great fan appreciation of the team as they walked off the field.

 

But let's not kid ourselves, here. Let's not for a second pretend that our offense, even with a banged-up QB and basically nobody behind him, played well. Let's not pretend that we did as well as we could. This Kansas team stinks, and we all know it. They didn't just play the game of their lives, we most definitely played like crap. We missed blocks, we failed to get open in patterns, we didn't run tough, and we didn't show the same energy we showed against Missouri.

 

It is absurd to blame the fans for this. That performance was entirely on the team and the coaches, and the fan response was indicative of what we saw on the field, just as the fan response was indicative of what we saw against Missouri.

 

You cannot feed a crowd filet mignon one week and expect the same reaction the next week when you feed them oatmeal. We are not robots, pre-programmed to respond in a certain way. You play well, we cheer loud. You play like crap, we don't cheer as loud. This isn't rocket science.

/thread

[Hskr86]

my two cents…

 

I will tell ya guys, this is nothing new. There are berserk games, to be sure. Always have been. In the 80’s, the stadium shook for Oklahoma, UCLA, and whoever the latest Big-8-pretender was that year… But on the whole, Nebraska has always been a fairly workmanlike place when the game is in hand.

 

I remember some coach (can’t remember who?) describing the Huskers like business men, who would show up, open their briefcases, proceed to kick you’re a$$, and then pack up and go home. Wasn’t TO famous for telling his guys to “act like you’ve been there before”?

 

In the early 80’s, as a college student, I remember going to a game in ‘The Swamp’ in Gainsville… it was Western Kentucky, or somebody like that. I remember thinking at the time, “How the hell can these guys stay completely nuts over every little thing, in a game that was never in doubt, and didn’t mean a thing?” To me, it smacked of ‘bush league’, compared to my Husker home…

 

I like berserk as much as the next guy… Henry’s 57 yarder against CU will always rank as one of my favorite few seconds in this life, but c’mon, all games are not all the same. It should be about real emotion – not a manufactured event.

 

[beanman]

Holding a team to under 100 yards total offense wasn't exciting? The fact that it was the best Blackshirt performance under Bo Pelini means nothing? Niles Paul surpassing Matt Davison in career receptions and recieving yards? What about the 6 sacks the Huskers had during the game, the best so far this season? Dennards return to the field after his concussion to record his 4th INT for the year? Or how about the fact that Huskers have rushed over 200 yards for the 9th time out of the 10 games we played this year? Or Alex Henery overtaking Eric Crouch's career scoring total bring himself within 15 to beat Kris Brown? What about Lavonte David being the first Husker since Barrett Ruud to crack over 100 tackles for the season? Or Jared Crick moving to 10th place in career sacks with 16?

 

No exciting plays? You must not have been paying very much attention.

 

And barely scored soungs like the final score was Huskers 3 - Kansas 0. Last time i checked we put 20 points on the board, i hardly call that barely scoring.

 

We better start getting used to the cold for football season, no more trips down south to visit Big 12 South teams, starting next year it's all Big 10 nation.

 

Wow. That sounds like the greatest game since The Game of the Century! I wish I was there to witness this incredible feat of athletic fortitude..... oh, wait! I WAS there!

 

Let me tell you what I saw: I saw a defense KICK ASS. I saw the crowd scream and holler for the defense. I saw the North end zone make a hell of a lot of noise pretty much every time KU had the ball, and specifically when they kicked their field goal (the only real scoring threat they had). I saw a lot of hootin' and hollerin' for all the sacks, hits, Dennard's INT, etc.

 

I also saw a Husker offense playing WAY below their talent level against an obviously overmatched opponent. I saw us go three-and-out on our first two possessions, running the same/similar plays over and over and over despite a stacked box. I saw a very conservative game plan, an O Line doing pass-pro like their QB was made of crystal (and he was), and overall not a lot of sparks on offense. I saw Niles make some crucial, awesome catches, and I saw the crowd respond accordingly with true praise. I saw some real excitement for Taylor when he was allowed to run more freely in the second half, and I saw some great fan appreciation of the team as they walked off the field.

 

But let's not kid ourselves, here. Let's not for a second pretend that our offense, even with a banged-up QB and basically nobody behind him, played well. Let's not pretend that we did as well as we could. This Kansas team stinks, and we all know it. They didn't just play the game of their lives, we most definitely played like crap. We missed blocks, we failed to get open in patterns, we didn't run tough, and we didn't show the same energy we showed against Missouri.

 

It is absurd to blame the fans for this. That performance was entirely on the team and the coaches, and the fan response was indicative of what we saw on the field, just as the fan response was indicative of what we saw against Missouri.

 

You cannot feed a crowd filet mignon one week and expect the same reaction the next week when you feed them oatmeal. We are not robots, pre-programmed to respond in a certain way. You play well, we cheer loud. You play like crap, we don't cheer as loud. This isn't rocket science.

 

Well said.

 

It seems most people in Huskerland are willing to close their eyes and ears to anything Bo does as long as he wins. I don't think expecting our coach to show class with the media and with the fans is too much. I like Bo and I think he's a good coach and maybe some day a great coach, but calling out the fans, at Nebraska? We'll be there each and every week, win or lose, and that should never be taken for granted.

 

I'm sorry, but I think it's warranted. Every game I go to I'm disappointed with the crowd. Every time something goes wrong our crowd sits and pouts. It's lame. I don't even like going to games anymore because I get sick of being the only one yelling. It's not just old folks either, there's plenty of younger people that sit there as well. And it's not just against teams like Kansas. Missouri was the exception. I swear our fans will bitch about anything. Pretty soon Bo will get fed up with our whiny fanbase and move on. Then we'll get stuck with another Callahan. Then you'll have something to bitch about.

[Nebula]

I would hope that you wouldn't be scared, as it's the internet and we are all free to make our points and argue them accordingly! But what I'm generalizing (admittedly, I can't say this specifically to you as I don't know you) is if we can call out (example) Barney for not performing last year with an o-line that could barely field 5 for practice at times, those people should show up to games and cheer regardless of how they are "feeling."

 

I admit to you that, no, it wasn't the most exciting of match ups. I just don't accept poor offense is an excuse for not being loud (as has been mentioned here, in this very thread). Bo called it like he saw it. No, he's not the most seasoned coach. A more seasoned one might have not made that comment, you are right. I, however, enjoy honest people and appreciate that Bo is Bo no matter what or where. It's those same qualities that turned a program that was in abysmal shape into one that now has three consecutive 9 win seasons and is on the verge of playing for in its second consecutive conference championship. It's those same qualities that make parents want to send their kids to play for Bo, or agree to make the trip out here where they can experience the passion our fan base has. Those same qualities that make his players practice so hard.

 

When the day of the game finally arrives our fans have one job, and that's to cheer loud and make Memorial Stadium a tough place to play. If we want players/coaches to execute no matter what the circumstances, I think (regardless of "how it is"), it's not unfair to expect the fan base to do the same. We buy tickets and support our team better than anyone else, but I think decades of beating the crap out of everyone and the expectation to blow out every team that we as fans don't think is "good," make us kind of prone to sitting on our collective butts when our opponents are not "worthy."

 

Like anything here, it's just something to think about. I am most annoyed with the offensive bias when it comes to cheering, I think. Defensively, the game against Kansas was the equivalent of our O hanging 60+ on them. so I'm not buying that the product on the field was not worthy of making noise for.

 

I felt pretty bad when I saw Bo try to pump us up from the sidelines and the crowd responded with a whole lot of nothing. For as much as people read into what Bo thinks or doesn't think about Husker fans, the fact that he makes those comments and tries to pump us up should let us know that we matter, and what we bring to the atmosphere on game day is important. I think everyone is taking this the wrong way. You matter, and he just told you. You may not like the way he went about it, but that is Bo, and sometimes it doesn't hurt to take people for the way they are and just appreciate everything they bring to the table.

I remain unconvinced that Bo's comments were warranted, but I walk away from your post impressed with your ability to make a persuasive argument. And your opening sentence made me chuckle. Good post, good response.

[knapplc]

I'm sorry, but I think it's warranted. Every game I go to I'm disappointed with the crowd. Every time something goes wrong our crowd sits and pouts. It's lame. I don't even like going to games anymore because I get sick of being the only one yelling. It's not just old folks either, there's plenty of younger people that sit there as well. And it's not just against teams like Kansas. Missouri was the exception. I swear our fans will bitch about anything. Pretty soon Bo will get fed up with our whiny fanbase and move on. Then we'll get stuck with another Callahan. Then you'll have something to bitch about.

 

It is not warranted. Bo put oatmeal out there and expected a filet mignon reception. They scored 20 points against Kansas, they bumbled around, and the crowd was subdued when the offense was out. It is unreasonable to half-ass it and expect us to scream full-bore.

 

What kind of message does this send his team? "We're going to put the reins on the offense, but we expect our crowd to cheer our mediocre production." Great message! Half-ass it, but expect full praise.

 

I agree with Bo on 99% of things, but I most certainly do NOT agree with this. He's flat-out wrong. And if you think the crowd's reaction to that vanilla offense is going to cause Bo to move on, you misunderstand Bo completely.

 

Our offensive line isn't injured, are they? No depth issues, no hidden problems, right? Then where were the pancake blocks? Where was the push? This is the 110th-rated rush defense in the country, and we managed zero 100-yard rushers. That is a lack of effort, pure and simple.

[jsneb83]

Well we won't have to worry too much next year about playing overmatched teams that we expect to win by 30 when we move to the Big 10.

[Nebula]

 

Bo called it like he saw it. No, he's not the most seasoned coach. A more seasoned one might have not made that comment, you are right. I, however, enjoy honest people and appreciate that Bo is Bo no matter what or where.

 

This is probably the only thing I took umbrage with. When my wife was 8 1/2 months pregnant, she looked at me with hormone crazed eyes and asked me how she looked. How did she look? The same way every other swollen, sweaty, 8 1/2 month pregnant woman looks like. My response, though, was (naturally) "Honey, you look beautiful."

 

I consider myself an honest person, and I too enjoy honest people. Sometimes, though, being honest doesn't make you a faultless beacon of purity and truth. It makes you kind of a prick.

[Malth]

Last week's game was incredibly boring and uninspirational. Yea the defense played well, but Nebraska had the ball the majority of the time and didn't really do anything.

 

I get worked up and cheer even when sitting at home alone, but I was seriously about ready for a nap by the 3rd quarter for that game