Team Captains & Blackshirts

[308_Husker]

The Blackshirts may not even be handed out this year.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I say you have permanent captains for the season and they have to earn the blackshirts. They don't deserve them yet.............

[Malth]

Prior to the start of the season, I was leaning towards just giving them out before the first game. Now I'm thinking it's better to make them earn it.

 

I think permanent captains may be a better idea. Someone like Burkhead who is an obvious leader should be the captain every single game. Or maybe have one or two permanent captains, with one or two rotating

[krc1995]

permanent Captains and the Blackshirts given out before the 1st game. I understand the reasoning behind earning them, but I also think we need to set our team in the beginning of the year and show them we have faith and confidence in them. A few others can be handed out throughout the year for injuries or if someone really steps up

[The Duke]

I have a very strong opinion about the captains. They should be elected by their teammates. 2, 3, 4, 5 however many they deem worthy. Team captains should not be appointed by the coaching staff. The players themselves have a much better idea of who these true team leaders are. Maybe there is a senior "Rudy" type who busts his hump every day but just isn't that gifted. Captains are not necessarily your top stat guys or starting QB. They should be the guys everyone else respects for their work ethic and attitude. If Pelini or other coaches are simply plugging in 4 new names every week, that alone could explain a whole bunch of problems. Maybe they should give them participation ribbons while they're at it. Next thing you know it will be equal playing time for everyone on the team.

 

I agree with you. After thinking about it for the past day I think the players would have much more of an ownership in the program if they themselves were allowed to select the team captains at the beginning of the season, and that they would know that these would be the team leaders for the entire year. I think the way Bo is doing it right now, where he is handing out team captain status to 3 or 4 new players every week is almost like one of those cheap "Student of the Week" things you would get back in Middle School.

 

On when the Blackshirts should be handed out, I have tossed this around too, and I think there could be a way where you combine both the way Osborne & McBride handed these out to the way Bo does it today. My suggestion would be at the end of Fall Camp Bo and the defensive coaches would get together and decide who would be the starting 11 on defense going into Game 1. Whoever those starting 11 are will get the Blackshirts hung in their locker. Now after Game 1 if a few players didn't measure up to the Blackshirt tradition than they would be stripped of their starting role and Blackshirt status for Game 2 and new players would take their place wearing the previous starters Blackshirt. It's a combination of both ideas: You want to be one of the starting 11 on defense for Nebraska....earn it! Earn it every week!

 

What do you Husker fans think of this combined approach for handing out the Blackshirts?

[JJ Husker]

On when the Blackshirts should be handed out, I have tossed this around too, and I think there could be a way where you combine both the way Osborne & McBride handed these out to the way Bo does it today. My suggestion would be at the end of Fall Camp Bo and the defensive coaches would get together and decide who would be the starting 11 on defense going into Game 1. Whoever those starting 11 are will get the Blackshirts hung in their locker. Now after Game 1 if a few players didn't measure up to the Blackshirt tradition than they would be stripped of their starting role and Blackshirt status for Game 2 and new players would take their place wearing the previous starters Blackshirt. It's a combination of both ideas: You want to be one of the starting 11 on defense for Nebraska....earn it! Earn it every week!

 

What do you Husker fans think of this combined approach for handing out the Blackshirts?

 

I like the idea. If our defense is to be known as the blackshirts then the starting unit should have them. I don't think we can get wrapped up in the subpar play of the whole unit and simply say no one has earned it yet. I realize it is a team game but there are those who are deserving of the blackshirt right now. The "blackshirts" should be the 11+ best we have to offer and should not have to meet some subjective criteria compared to other teams or group results. If our top defensive unit is not very good then it will simply tarnish the mystique of the blackshirts. Some non-starter situation players and substitutes may also be deserving. But, if you slack off and don't earn it every week then it goes to your replacement.

[Hunter94]

David is the only guy who should get a shirt so far this season.....that's it. i would say Crick, but not sure how he is really grading out with double teams, etc.

David's play is obvious, Dennard still not 100%.

[The Duke]

I like the idea. If our defense is to be known as the blackshirts then the starting unit should have them. I don't think we can get wrapped up in the subpar play of the whole unit and simply say no one has earned it yet. I realize it is a team game but there are those who are deserving of the blackshirt right now. The "blackshirts" should be the 11+ best we have to offer and should not have to meet some subjective criteria compared to other teams or group results. If our top defensive unit is not very good then it will simply tarnish the mystique of the blackshirts. Some non-starter situation players and substitutes may also be deserving. But, if you slack off and don't earn it every week then it goes to your replacement.

 

Exactly! I really wish Bo would consider this, and it's not that big of a deviation from what he wants to accomplish in how he is handing them out currently.