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

[WYHusk]

 

Just some thoughts. Bo's here to win. I understand that. I'm sure as hell glad he's doing it, compared to where we were just a few years ago. But would it kill him to have a little more respect, to be, well, a little more Nebraskan?

 

GBR!

Like Devaney???

 

 

 

 

 

Oh wait......

 

Devaney was charismatic. Personality goes a long way.

[knapplc]

 

Just some thoughts. Bo's here to win. I understand that. I'm sure as hell glad he's doing it, compared to where we were just a few years ago. But would it kill him to have a little more respect, to be, well, a little more Nebraskan?

 

GBR!

Like Devaney???

 

 

 

 

 

Oh wait......

Devaney may not be the perfect example. Uncle Bob didn't last here 30 years because he didn't fit in.

[Fuzzy]

Everyone has their own expectations. But I don't ask for filet mignon every time, it gets boring after awhile.

I ask for wins from Bo Pelini, no matter how they come.

[Saunders]

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.

 

So, making sure your only QB that with experience that can play isn't broken in a game against a bad team is "half-assing it?" Bull freaking crap.

 

The entire offensive gameplan was geared towards getting TM reps, while also keeping him safe. We're gonna have to chuck the ball next week to have any shot at a W. Lee is done for the year. Green was borderline concussed, and wasn't going to play. If TM gets knocked out, it would have been Zac in handoff only mode, and either the Rex Wildcat show, or walk-on Ron Kellogg.

 

Martinez had the clamps put on him for the first half, and he begged to run some in the second. It's called getting a W in a body bag game, and making sure your QB makes it through ok.

[knapplc]

Everyone has their own expectations. But I don't ask for filet mignon every time, it gets boring after awhile.

I ask for wins from Bo Pelini, no matter how they come.

But tell me honestly, were you cheering the same at the Missouri game as you were at Kansas? Exactly the same?

 

 

 

Or think of it this way. Do you have a dog? If so, do you enjoy playing with it? Do you love to run around, wrestle, chase and do all that kind of stuff? It's great, isn't it? But if you went out to play, and your dog was listless, didn't run like usual, wasn't that excited, wouldn't you be worried? I would, and I think it's only natural if you love your dog. I think that's what happened Saturday. I think people expected to see huge runs up and down the field, and they got worried when we got stuffed twice early, and never really mounted a consistent offense. That's what I attribute the listless crowd to, mostly.

[Saunders]

 

Just some thoughts. Bo's here to win. I understand that. I'm sure as hell glad he's doing it, compared to where we were just a few years ago. But would it kill him to have a little more respect, to be, well, a little more Nebraskan?

 

GBR!

Like Devaney???

 

 

 

 

 

Oh wait......

Devaney may not be the perfect example. Uncle Bob didn't last here 30 years because he didn't fit in.

 

 

Bo doesn't fit in?

 

Please.

 

Just because some fans got all butthurt because they were sitting on their asses doesn't mean Bo's an outsider. When the Tom Dick & Harry announcers on a crappy ass PPV broadcast say something, then it's a problem.

[corncraze]

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.

Thank you!

[knapplc]

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.

 

So, making sure your only QB that with experience that can play isn't broken in a game against a bad team is "half-assing it?" Bull freaking crap.

 

The entire offensive gameplan was geared towards getting TM reps, while also keeping him safe. We're gonna have to chuck the ball next week to have any shot at a W. Lee is done for the year. Green was borderline concussed, and wasn't going to play. If TM gets knocked out, it would have been Zac in handoff only mode, and either the Rex Wildcat show, or walk-on Ron Kellogg.

 

Martinez had the clamps put on him for the first half, and he begged to run some in the second. It's called getting a W in a body bag game, and making sure your QB makes it through ok.

So when Taylor handed the ball off to Helu and our line not only got zero push, but got stuffed, that's OK with you? I have no problem with the kid gloves for Taylor. I have no problem grasping the tenuous nature of our QB situation. But that does not explain everything we saw. That was clearly a team taking it easy, and if that's acceptable for the team it's acceptable for the fans. We don't have two standards here.

[Hercules]

Was Sam the guy at the press conference today that kept egging Bo on about the comments Bo made about the fans?

 

Bo said that the crowd wasn't very loud at the Kansas game. Guess what? IT WASN'T. Bo didn't analyze why he thought the crowd wasn't very loud, he didn't go into any depth, he just said, "The crowd wasn't every loud."

 

The reason there's all this fuss about it? Because EVERYONE knows that he's right. And fans, especially the ones who aren't normally loud, are now getting all defensive about how they aren't the ones at fault, that it's Bo's and the team's fault that they weren't loud.

 

Nebraska fans aren't entitled to anything just because they're Nebraska fans. They paid $50 or so to go to the game, and they get to see the game. They're not entitled to anything else. If they want to walk around calling themselves "The Greatest Fans in the Universe," then I don't think it's too much to ask them to make some NOISE (their one and only job on gameday) during the football game that they're watching. Whether the team is performing well or not has nothing to do with this. You're a great fan? Then wear red, and be LOUD.

[Saunders]

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.

 

So, making sure your only QB that with experience that can play isn't broken in a game against a bad team is "half-assing it?" Bull freaking crap.

 

The entire offensive gameplan was geared towards getting TM reps, while also keeping him safe. We're gonna have to chuck the ball next week to have any shot at a W. Lee is done for the year. Green was borderline concussed, and wasn't going to play. If TM gets knocked out, it would have been Zac in handoff only mode, and either the Rex Wildcat show, or walk-on Ron Kellogg.

 

Martinez had the clamps put on him for the first half, and he begged to run some in the second. It's called getting a W in a body bag game, and making sure your QB makes it through ok.

So when Taylor handed the ball off to Helu and our line not only got zero push, but got stuffed, that's OK with you? I have no problem with the kid gloves for Taylor. I have no problem grasping the tenuous nature of our QB situation. But that does not explain everything we saw. That was clearly a team taking it easy, and if that's acceptable for the team it's acceptable for the fans. We don't have two standards here.

 

It's hard to get a push when the KU D knows what's coming. We ran like what, 10 plays? We got a lead and sat on it, by design. Is that taking it easy, or playing it safe? It was extremely obvious, which is why I don't get the "they weren't trying" crap. Supposedly the Nebraska fanbase is knowledgeable.... but it sounds like we're a bunch of babies.

 

 

Edit: Please note that I'm not calling you out Knapp. I'm just sick of the whining. I've been to a few different stadiums, even non-Nebraska games. I've seen small fanbases cheer on crappy teams, and it just bothers me that some people feel "entitled" to a blowout or they aren't cheering. You haven't said this, but I've pretty much seen it said in multiple places.

[knapplc]

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.

 

So, making sure your only QB that with experience that can play isn't broken in a game against a bad team is "half-assing it?" Bull freaking crap.

 

The entire offensive gameplan was geared towards getting TM reps, while also keeping him safe. We're gonna have to chuck the ball next week to have any shot at a W. Lee is done for the year. Green was borderline concussed, and wasn't going to play. If TM gets knocked out, it would have been Zac in handoff only mode, and either the Rex Wildcat show, or walk-on Ron Kellogg.

 

Martinez had the clamps put on him for the first half, and he begged to run some in the second. It's called getting a W in a body bag game, and making sure your QB makes it through ok.

So when Taylor handed the ball off to Helu and our line not only got zero push, but got stuffed, that's OK with you? I have no problem with the kid gloves for Taylor. I have no problem grasping the tenuous nature of our QB situation. But that does not explain everything we saw. That was clearly a team taking it easy, and if that's acceptable for the team it's acceptable for the fans. We don't have two standards here.

 

It's hard to get a push when the KU D knows what's coming. We ran like what, 10 plays? We got a lead and sat on it, by design. Is that taking it easy, or playing it safe?

Whether it's taking it easy or playing it safe, the end result is it's boring football. And you cannot expect the fans to cheer like we're in a dogfight when we're playing boring football.

[WYHusk]

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.

 

So, making sure your only QB that with experience that can play isn't broken in a game against a bad team is "half-assing it?" Bull freaking crap.

 

The entire offensive gameplan was geared towards getting TM reps, while also keeping him safe. We're gonna have to chuck the ball next week to have any shot at a W. Lee is done for the year. Green was borderline concussed, and wasn't going to play. If TM gets knocked out, it would have been Zac in handoff only mode, and either the Rex Wildcat show, or walk-on Ron Kellogg.

 

Martinez had the clamps put on him for the first half, and he begged to run some in the second. It's called getting a W in a body bag game, and making sure your QB makes it through ok.

So when Taylor handed the ball off to Helu and our line not only got zero push, but got stuffed, that's OK with you? I have no problem with the kid gloves for Taylor. I have no problem grasping the tenuous nature of our QB situation. But that does not explain everything we saw. That was clearly a team taking it easy, and if that's acceptable for the team it's acceptable for the fans. We don't have two standards here.

 

It's hard to get a push when the KU D knows what's coming. We ran like what, 10 plays? We got a lead and sat on it, by design. Is that taking it easy, or playing it safe?

Whether it's taking it easy or playing it safe, the end result is it's boring football. And you cannot expect the fans to cheer like we're in a dogfight when we're playing boring football.

 

It's playing it safe, imo. And therefore, unsurpringly, boring. Frustrating, even.

[knapplc]

It's hard to get a push when the KU D knows what's coming. We ran like what, 10 plays? We got a lead and sat on it, by design. Is that taking it easy, or playing it safe? It was extremely obvious, which is why I don't get the "they weren't trying" crap. Supposedly the Nebraska fanbase is knowledgeable.... but it sounds like we're a bunch of babies.

 

 

Edit: Please note that I'm not calling you out Knapp. I'm just sick of the whining. I've been to a few different stadiums, even non-Nebraska games. I've seen small fanbases cheer on crappy teams, and it just bothers me that some people feel "entitled" to a blowout or they aren't cheering. You haven't said this, but I've pretty much seen it said in multiple places.

 

No worries. We're just chatting.

 

I think the knowledge of our fanbase is a two-edged sword, though. We know what good football is, and we know bad football when we see it. We saw it against SDSU and Texas, and it looked like we were seeing it against Kansas for those first couple of series, and that took a lot of the wind out of our sails. Those first two series were huge in my opinion, when it came to the fan noise. It's like momentum in a game; it's hard to get back once you lose it.

[Nomaha]

I've thought a lot about this issue even before Bo said anything. After thinking some more and reading media and fan responses, this is what I think:

 

I was at the recent KU game. I drove to Ames with some buddies for the game before that. I was at the Iowa State game last year.

 

Guess which game it was easiest to be loud at? Not the KU game, not the home Iowa State game...yes, it was the away Iowa State game. I think the reason for this is crowd mentality. At ISU I was with a pocket of Husker fans who were standing and cheering the whole game. During the Kansas game I was several rows behind the Kansas fans. I did my best to make noise every time KU was on offense. The people around me did not. The KU fans were making as much or more noise per person than the Nebraska fans and they were watching the same "boring" game, and losing it.

 

When people around you are cheering its much less awkward to cheer yourself, plus human nature pretty much dictates that when lots of people are cheering more will be inclined to do it: simple mob mentality. I have heard a lot of excuses and this is my answer to them:

 

(1) It was a boring game: NU fans are boring fans then

(2) It was too cold: It's a lot warmer if you get your butt up, move a bit and cheer

(3) The offense didn't score points: the defense allowed 87 yards and had 6 sacks! What do you want? Jeez

(4) I don't want the people behind me to yell at me: this one kills me! First of all if you and the people around you are cheering and standing, it changes the situation for the crabby guy behind you. Get up and help the guy next to you who is trying to cheer! There needs to be more "cheering cohesion" among fans; again mob mentality. Secondly, crabby guy: go home. You make NU games less enjoyable for other fans, players, coaches, recruits, etc.

(5) They won't sell beer: Option A - who cares, I can cheer without drinking. Option B - mini liquor bottles - cheaper and stronger than stadium beer. Option B also serviceable as a solution to complaint (2).

(6) Too many old people: C'mon, lots of old people are cool. A lot of them will cheer, especially if you will. For those old people who will not cheer at all and get crabby, see crabby guy above in complaint (4).

(7) The opponent was bad: As Bo pointed out, it was not a scrimmage. This one counted guys, and a bad opponent can still beat NU. See ISU 2009. You think a little crowd energy gets a lineman a little more excited to block just a little better which makes the hole a little bigger, which springs the runningback for a few more yards, which gets NU in field goal range, barely, which gets NU the lousy 3 points it needed to be 11-3 instead of 10-4? A lot of ifs, but wouldn't you feel better if the fans had at least tried?

(8) I pay money to go to games and act how I want: THIS ISN'T ABOUT THE MONEY!!! THIS IS ABOUT BEING A GOOD FAN!!!

 

NU fans whine and complain about the Nebraska team's lack of consistency. This is hypocritical if it is coming from a typical Memorial Stadium goer. Up for Missouri, down for Kansas...

 

What I hope comes from this? I hope that NU fans start encouraging each other to stand and cheer by word and example. Right now they are encouraging others to sit. I also hope the student section is put back where it belongs...by the field. McKewon is right about this.

 

Until things change, remember: "Through these Gates pass the Greatest Fans in College Football" - Maybe it should read: "Through these Gates pass the most Polite Fans in College Football" I think that would be more appropriate until things change a bit.

 

Kobe Bryant isn't the classiest player in the NBA by most perspectives, but he is indisputably a great basketball player. Stats don't lie, but then neither do decibels.

 

This is something I wish NU fans were better at, but the good news is I think it is more fixable than people might think.

[knapplc]

Again, you have the cart before the horse. The team isn't there to be entertained by the fans. The fans are there to be entertained by the team. If the team performs poorly, the fans cannot be expected to cheer loudly. It doesn't work that way anywhere. If Kobe plays bad, LA fans leave.

 

To answer your points:

 

(1) Tell me the last time you were super-excited to read the phone book. Never? Then don't chastise fans who don't go apesh#t over a team playing significantly below their talent level.

(2) I wasn't cold.

(3) The fans were cheering quite loudly for the defense. The fans don't typically cheer for the defense when the offense is on the field, though. Your point here makes no sense.

(4) (5) & (6) No personal experience with any of these. Can't comment.

(7) If our team relies on crowd noise to make them play well, we have a terrible team. This is a ridiculous assertion - that the team can't play well if the crowd isn't loud.

(8) Perhaps your most incorrect point. That $50 the fan paid for their ticket in this economy most certainly gives them the right to complain. People have a right to send their $12 pasta dish back at the restaurant if it's not done properly. They have a right to expect that if they're paying top dollar for a meal, that it's a good meal. If they're paying top dollar for a football ticket, they have a reasonable expectation that the team will give them their money's worth. It is NOT incumbent on the diner to cheer on the chef so he can make a proper steak; the chef is there to cook, and he'd better damned well cook and do it right or he's going to get canned. Same goes for a football player being watched by fans who pay more for those tickets than they'll pay for any other sports ticket in Nebraska. You charge me top dollar, you play top-notch. No excuses.

 

Because our fans "don't cheer loud enough" doesn't make them bad fans. It means they have nothing to cheer about.

 

I hate how the team plays like crap and the fans get thrown under the bus for it, by the coach and other fans. Give me a break.