The Awarding of the Blackshirts

[GM_Tood]

IMO it's Bo's team and he can do what he likes with the Blackshirts. Win games>butt hurt fans

[ShawnWatson]

Remember that one time when JP talked about how things were at Nebraska when he played?

 

Hes like that guy you know that graduated from high school 20 years ago and still talks about how he helped his fooseball team win districts. Give it a rest.

 

It's an ex player talking about his glory day yes. But it's his opinion just like I stated mine above. If you don't like it don't pay attention to it. Some people want to hear what current coaches and players have to say along with ex coaches and players. Why do you think they invite ex players to be on Big Red Wrap Up on Tuesday nights.

 

Sorry I did not clarify my earlier post better. I have no problem with former players chiming in on whats going on, its just that JP has taken it to an out of this world new level. He brings any conversation back to his old playing days and how things were done back then.

 

 

...and if you were a former blackshirt...so would you...

 

I don't see any other former blackshirts doing it?

[wildman]

To me Jason doesn't really have an argument any more cause the blackshirt tradition was lost when Charlie Mcbride left. To me since then the blackshirts have become nothing more than just a different practice jersey.

 

Actually that is the origin of the blackshirts, as a practice jersey. Bo uses the awarding of the blackshirts as a motivational tool, to get guys playing at their best. I haven't seen a list of the players, but I'm guessing that the number is based on the different defensive packages they play.

 

If Charlie McBride is okay with how Bo is using the Blackshirt tradition, then I'm okay with it.

 

Yes i'm aware it started of as just a black practice jersey to help tell the starters from second and third string. But since that day which I believe occured before a Minnesota game, it grew into more than just a practice jersey. It became a tradition a mentality, something to admire for fans and players and something to fear for opposing players. I think it was Jason Peters who said his freshmen year seeing those guys with the black shirts at practice coming out of the tunnel inspired and intimidated him. Those defenses under McBride played with pride and passion. They played not only to win but to punish and destroy the opposing team for stepping onto the field with them. My junior year in highschool we had a couple blackshirt players come talk to my football team. One of our defensive guys asked why they always seem to go for the qb's head in the 90's. I can't remember who it was but he stated the week of the game the starters would put in money into a pot. Who ever knocked out the qb for the game got the money, if no one did then it rolled over to the next week. Now I can't proove it was ever said or actually happened as i've never been in the Husker lockerroom the week of or during a game. But when you go to youtube and look at videos of Jason Peters where he looks like he wants to kill someone in a pregame pump up video. It kinda makes me think there could be some truth to what we were told what goes on in the locker room.

 

To me that mentality is what makes a blackshirt a true blackshirt defense. I have not seen that type of mentality from our defense in years. Now I know times change and mentality of the players are different. Can Bo and Carl make an awesome defense. You bet they can, but the style of play, menality does not seem to be a defense that should be called the blackshirts. Which is why I said it's just nothing but a practice jersey now.

[307husker]

I'd certainly hope that a Blackshirt was about far more than dirty tactics and attempts to intentionally injure the opposing team...

 

Intensity is one thing, while playing dirty is quite another.

[wildman]

I'd certainly hope that a Blackshirt was about far more than dirty tactics and attempts to intentionally injure the opposing team...

 

Intensity is one thing, while playing dirty is quite another.

 

I agree the intensity and mentality of what I grew up knowing as a blackshirt defense I love. The dirty tactics not so much, but looking back at those games. They do seem to go for the qb's head quite a bit. But a lot of that was also during the time when you could showboat and celebrate some and not be penalized for it. So it was a different era of college football.

[Joe_5700]

Remember that one time when JP talked about how things were at Nebraska when he played?

 

Hes like that guy you know that graduated from high school 20 years ago and still talks about how he helped his fooseball team win districts. Give it a rest.

 

It's an ex player talking about his glory day yes. But it's his opinion just like I stated mine above. If you don't like it don't pay attention to it. Some people want to hear what current coaches and players have to say along with ex coaches and players. Why do you think they invite ex players to be on Big Red Wrap Up on Tuesday nights.

 

Sorry I did not clarify my earlier post better. I have no problem with former players chiming in on whats going on, its just that JP has taken it to an out of this world new level. He brings any conversation back to his old playing days and how things were done back then.

 

 

...and if you were a former blackshirt...so would you...

 

I don't see any other former blackshirts doing it?

What other former blackshirts have the same forum that Jason does? Grant Wistrom seemed to have the same opinions that Jason did every time he was on his old radio show.

[huskerscott]

Remember that one time when JP talked about how things were at Nebraska when he played?

 

Hes like that guy you know that graduated from high school 20 years ago and still talks about how he helped his fooseball team win districts. Give it a rest.

 

It's an ex player talking about his glory day yes. But it's his opinion just like I stated mine above. If you don't like it don't pay attention to it. Some people want to hear what current coaches and players have to say along with ex coaches and players. Why do you think they invite ex players to be on Big Red Wrap Up on Tuesday nights.

 

Sorry I did not clarify my earlier post better. I have no problem with former players chiming in on whats going on, its just that JP has taken it to an out of this world new level. He brings any conversation back to his old playing days and how things were done back then.

 

 

...and if you were a former blackshirt...so would you...

 

I don't see any other former blackshirts doing it?

What other former blackshirts have the same forum that Jason does? Grant Wistrom seemed to have the same opinions that Jason did every time he was on his old radio show.

 

When did Wistrom have his own radio show.

 

Even when JP had his own radio show on 1480 in Lincoln he would go on these 10 minutes rants about the football team. They all would start with this phrase, "I remember when I was playing back in 94 with Charlie McBride..............." After about the 3rd week I was just really turned off by it, so were alot of people maybe thats why it got canned.

[Joe_5700]

Remember that one time when JP talked about how things were at Nebraska when he played?

 

Hes like that guy you know that graduated from high school 20 years ago and still talks about how he helped his fooseball team win districts. Give it a rest.

 

It's an ex player talking about his glory day yes. But it's his opinion just like I stated mine above. If you don't like it don't pay attention to it. Some people want to hear what current coaches and players have to say along with ex coaches and players. Why do you think they invite ex players to be on Big Red Wrap Up on Tuesday nights.

 

Sorry I did not clarify my earlier post better. I have no problem with former players chiming in on whats going on, its just that JP has taken it to an out of this world new level. He brings any conversation back to his old playing days and how things were done back then.

 

 

...and if you were a former blackshirt...so would you...

 

I don't see any other former blackshirts doing it?

What other former blackshirts have the same forum that Jason does? Grant Wistrom seemed to have the same opinions that Jason did every time he was on his old radio show.

 

When did Wistrom have his own radio show.

 

Even when JP had his own radio show on 1480 in Lincoln he would go on these 10 minutes rants about the football team. They all would start with this phrase, "I remember when I was playing back in 94 with Charlie McBride..............." After about the 3rd week I was just really turned off by it, so were alot of people maybe thats why it got canned.

 

I never said that he did... If you listened to Jason's old show you would know that Grant called in on a number of occasions. Now Carlos Polk has stated his dislike of the number of blackshirts handed out. Not everyone agrees with Jason, but he is brutally honest and I like that about him. What is so wrong about comparing things to a gold standard? Are we doing things better now than then? I mean what makes a stronger argument than actual on the job experience? His opinions about Nebraska football are a million times more valid than any of ours.

[huskerscott]

Remember that one time when JP talked about how things were at Nebraska when he played?

 

Hes like that guy you know that graduated from high school 20 years ago and still talks about how he helped his fooseball team win districts. Give it a rest.

 

It's an ex player talking about his glory day yes. But it's his opinion just like I stated mine above. If you don't like it don't pay attention to it. Some people want to hear what current coaches and players have to say along with ex coaches and players. Why do you think they invite ex players to be on Big Red Wrap Up on Tuesday nights.

 

Sorry I did not clarify my earlier post better. I have no problem with former players chiming in on whats going on, its just that JP has taken it to an out of this world new level. He brings any conversation back to his old playing days and how things were done back then.

 

 

...and if you were a former blackshirt...so would you...

 

I don't see any other former blackshirts doing it?

What other former blackshirts have the same forum that Jason does? Grant Wistrom seemed to have the same opinions that Jason did every time he was on his old radio show.

 

When did Wistrom have his own radio show.

 

Even when JP had his own radio show on 1480 in Lincoln he would go on these 10 minutes rants about the football team. They all would start with this phrase, "I remember when I was playing back in 94 with Charlie McBride..............." After about the 3rd week I was just really turned off by it, so were alot of people maybe thats why it got canned.

 

I never said that he did... If you listened to Jason's old show you would know that Grant called in on a number of occasions. Now Carlos Polk has stated his dislike of the number of blackshirts handed out. Not everyone agrees with Jason, but he is brutally honest and I like that about him. What is so wrong about comparing things to a gold standard? Are we doing things better now than then? I mean what makes a stronger argument than actual on the job experience? His opinions about Nebraska football are a million times more valid than any of ours.

 

There is nothing wrong with comparing things to the gold standard. But I have a problem with these former players always refering to how it was in 90s. Its like they dont realize the game has changed within the past 20 years. Nebraska cant recruit the type of players it once did with the 85 scholy rule and no partial qualifiers.

 

The only former player I enjoy listening to is Damon Benning. He gives very insightful break down and has realistic expectations of our team.

[zoogs]

I think Bo has completely changed a tradition that we all hold dear, so from that standpoint I dislike it. But on the other hand, look what Bo has done with the defense. Whatever his motivational tactics, they are working. The Blackshirt tradition we used to have wasn't of Bo's creation. Future coaches should not have to abide by old traditions when they have their own ways of working.

[Landlord]

I think Bo has completely changed a tradition that we all hold dear, so from that standpoint I dislike it. But on the other hand, look what Bo has done with the defense. Whatever his motivational tactics, they are working. The Blackshirt tradition we used to have wasn't of Bo's creation. Future coaches should not have to abide by old traditions when they have their own ways of working.

 

 

 

What's more important; the tradition itself or what the tradition represents? I don't see any inconsistency with Bo's way of handling the Blackshirts in terms of what they represent, and thus I have absolutely zero problem with it.

[ladyhawke]

Charlie McBride was on 1620 yesterday discussing this and he doesn't have a problem with the way they do it. The defensive philosophy is different now and so many guys rotate in that there are more than just starters involved.

Charlie said that same thing in that article that Dirk wrote. I was against it when I initially posted this but now that I know that Charlie is ok with it-so am I.

[ladyhawke]

I think Bo has completely changed a tradition that we all hold dear, so from that standpoint I dislike it. But on the other hand, look what Bo has done with the defense. Whatever his motivational tactics, they are working. The Blackshirt tradition we used to have wasn't of Bo's creation. Future coaches should not have to abide by old traditions when they have their own ways of working.

 

 

 

What's more important; the tradition itself or what the tradition represents? I don't see any inconsistency with Bo's way of handling the Blackshirts in terms of what they represent, and thus I have absolutely zero problem with it.

I agree. We are still honoring the 'Blackshirt' history by giving them out to the boys who are deserving of the honor. I think Bo made a very strong statement when he took them away initially and basically said, 'Earn them.' That, IMHO, isn't much different than what Charlie did. Again, Charlie McBride himself, said that there isn't a wrong way or a right way to give them out.

[It'sNotAFakeID]

College football has changed dramatically since the 1990s. It is no longer the constant 1st strings on the field with the exception of the occasional break. The defense we have seen for the past 9 1/2 quarters has been a team defense, and team defense is definitely a lot more than 11 people. You don't just credit the starters for things that the defensive unit as a whole has done. So if not giving the blackshirts to just the first team is "ruining tradition" to some, then that is something that some'll just have to deal with.

 

But is it really "ruining tradition". Is who gets the blackshirts the tradition? Or are the blackshirts, in and of themselves, the tradition. The significance of the blackshirts, to me, is what the tradition is. And to me, the blackshirts signify the exact same thing today as they did back in the 1990s. I'm sure the players think just the same of the blackshirts today as the players who played back in the 1990s did.

 

I have a problem with saying Crick doesn't deserve a blackshirt. That guy has given his heart and soul to this defense and he would've earned the blackshirt just like everyone else who earned theirs.

[zoogs]

I think Bo has completely changed a tradition that we all hold dear, so from that standpoint I dislike it. But on the other hand, look what Bo has done with the defense. Whatever his motivational tactics, they are working. The Blackshirt tradition we used to have wasn't of Bo's creation. Future coaches should not have to abide by old traditions when they have their own ways of working.

 

 

 

What's more important; the tradition itself or what the tradition represents? I don't see any inconsistency with Bo's way of handling the Blackshirts in terms of what they represent, and thus I have absolutely zero problem with it.

 

What I'm trying to say is Bo has changed the Blackshirts and what they mean but I don't really care about it because it seems to be working, pretty well.

 

They used to represent winning one of the top spots on the defense at the end of fall camp or something like that, and now they are an award given to near the entire 2-deep after some point during the season when the team has proven themselves on the field. Two very different takes on it.

 

College football has changed dramatically since the 1990s. It is no longer the constant 1st strings on the field with the exception of the occasional break.

 

Uh, I won't argue with the first point, but I do not believe that teams didn't substitute in the 1990s. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

I'd also add - if I were a former Blackshirt, I would be very disappointed in the evolution of the tradition. That's understandable.