I'm Finding a New Team to Cheer For

[Landomatic]

Whenever I complain about anything relating to Nebraska football, I'm told over and over again that "if you don't like it, then you should just find a different team to cheer for" or the always classic, "then you're not a real fan". I've never really understood this mentality. Why can't I voice my concern/displeasure without other fans telling me I'm a bad fan or I should just take my fandom somewhere else? But something occurred to me this year and maybe I get it now. Honestly, if I don't like it, there's nothing I can do about it. I'm not going to be able to change it and if I really don't like it that much, then my only real choice is to "take my business elsewhere".

 

I have found myself less and less on board with the direction of the Nebraska football program lately. I do not like Bo Pelini. I never have. He's nothing like what I've grown up knowing and loving about Nebraska as a state, a school or a football program. He showed this when he was Solich's D-Coordinator and he has continued to show it many, many times since. He's an embarrassment to Nebraska football...both as a coach and as the face of our once proud program. I was tolerant (at best) of him as our coach in the beginning but I just have a hard time getting behind pretty much everything regarding the football program under his tenure. I have found myself in increasing disagreement with so many things like player development, recruiting, coaching hires, playing time, dealings with the media/fan base, personnel choices, and on and on and on, and on and on and on. The guy is a disgrace and everyone outside of Nebraska knows it. Don't believe me? Go read other team's message boards or look at the commentary/coverage from just about every media source out there. He is running this program into the ground even more than Callahan. And at the end of the day it has taken the wind out of my sails as a fan over time.

 

The problem is, the general mentality of Husker nation is that he wins 9 games so you have to keep him around. I don't entirely disagree with this line of thinking as I think it is hard to justify firing a guy who wins 9 games. But most Nebraska fans have their heads buried in the sand so far that they can't or won't see that this is bigger than winning and losing. They can't get past the 9 win seasons and see the forest for the trees. They are so worried about the possibility of having a losing season that they don't realize the program is getting flushed down the toilet right under their noses. All things point toward much darker days ahead for Nebraska football. But until then, I'm just supposed to live with it until Bo starts losing enough games for people to realize it and he gets fired? Boy, that sounds like a great way to spend my time as a fan.

 

 

I've been a Nebraska fan pretty much all of my life. Nebraska is my alma mater and I was lucky enough to have attended school there during 2 of their National Championships and live in Omaha for another. Nebraska gave me 30 plus years of some great football memories and my fandom for NU grew stronger every year throughout their time in Big 8 and then most of the Big 12 and even after I left school and moved away after graduation...through Solich, through Pederson and through Callahan. So the thought of switching teams seemed crazy at first. It's just not in my makeup to even consider something like that. There are a lot of bandwagon fans out there who jump from team to team and never really get behind one program for very long. Well, I'm not one of them. I'm an all or nothing kind of guy so this really seemed like an impossibility at first glance. But the more I thought about it and the more I was told by "real" Nebraska fans that I wasn't a "real fan" for disagreeing with state of the program and "if I didn't like it then I should find another team to cheer for", the more I thought why not? I really have no other choice, right?

 

So, at the end of this season, for the first time ever as a Nebraska fan, I found myself at a crossroads. Given that I have no control over who Nebraska hires as a coach and he may not be going anywhere anytime soon if he just keeps beating the teams he is supposed to beat, I am left with really only two options. I can either live with my dissatisfaction or I can find a new team to cheer for.

 

For me, life's too short to just sit back and take it and I'm a college football fan to be happy, not miserable. So I've decided to find another team to support. I get it now. I'm not a real fan despite the thirty plus years and tens of thousands of dollars I've given to the program. That's fine with me. I really don't care anymore and I'd rather not be associated with a program as long as Bo Pelini is the coach. Best of luck to all of you and thanks for providing a nice place to discuss my former team. Good luck with Bo...you'll need it.

[NUance]

This has the makings of an epic thread.

[GSG]

[bigpulve]

What a crappy coach to hold his players and their development as men above the fans and media. Ugh such a pathetic excuse for a college coach.

[default_28]

See ya.

[HANC]

Wow, and I thought it was going to be a 'ho-hum' day on HB. As much as his logic makes sense, I could never do this, but then again, this is why sports are great.... everyone is entitled to their opinions, and have the right to say and cheer for and against whomever they choose.

 

I may like or dislike the direction of the program, but I could never see myself rooting against my alma mater. I grew up an NU fan, attended UNL, have given tens of thousands of $$$, traveled around the country, have Husker tatoos, personalized plates, basement.....etc..... and YES, when I feel the need to express my displeasure..... I DO !!!

 

If anyone ever calls me "not a real fan", that is their opinion. They have no idea how much I (and many, many of you on the board) have gone through with the program.... I always answer that "Yes, I am a real fan and also a REAListic fan". I can be happy with 9 wins or I can be pissed with 9 wins.

 

BUT, I can never, never root against the NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS !!!!!.. or wear anyone else's colors. " I CHEER FOR NEBRASKA"

[GSG]

[kchusker_chris]

that's a lot to take in. i share a number of similar concerns, though I still support Pelini as best I can. I can't imagine not cheering on the Huskers, but it seems like 3-4 times a season I see Pelini during a halftime interview - or a post-game interview - or during the game, and I think "man I'm embarassed to be a Husker fan". I live in Big12 country, w/ good friends who cheer for Mizzou, KU, and K-State. They ridicule me constantly over Pelini - and most of their opinions are understandable so there is little I can say. I live next door to an Ohio State guy who's constant jabs at Pelini make me think twice about wearing red. I work with an Iowa fan that thinks is hilarious that Nebraska has him as the face of our program. It's universal throughout the country - outside of Nebraska and outside of the die-hard fans...that he's become somewhat of a joke. It's difficult to even talk football with someone outside the "circle" because they conversation quickly leads to Pelini.

 

He came in on a white horse, after 4 years he's riding around on a donkey.

[clyde_40]

There's a difference between voicing concerns you have for the program and complaining about it. We're not behind that desk day-to-day I can't say what the right or wrong answer is to keep us from GOING 14-0 AND WIN A BOWL GAME EVERY YEAR LIKE GOD (Tom Osborne) DID (sarcasm). Of course there are things I'd like to see but I'm not on the practice field everyday. Nobody I know expected us to win 9 games most people I know thought 7-5. We are all entitled to our own opinion but I don't think it's right sitting back and complain everyday about everything about Nebraska football and what the coaches should and shouldn't do. There's a reason I'm not a coach for the Huskers. They don't come in and tell me how I should do my job.

[austinhusker]

Good Riddance....

[NUpolo8]

I bet it was really hard to type that out what with his hands nailed to that cross and all......

[GM_Tood]

[bshirt]

Oh, you'll be back soon enough. BigRedMachine addiction has never been hacked by anybody. It's ok......

 

GBR!!

[jamrinelli]

it is to bad that you feel this way. I am sure everyone has felt many of the similar feelings that you shared, but the difference is remmbering the tradition and how it felt in "good" times. I am a husker til I die!!!!!! GBR

[robsker]

Whenever I wear my Husker gear anywhere (out of Nebraska) if a person stops to talk college football, like Landomatic stated, almost every time the person will ask something along the lines of "are we embarrassed about Pelini," or "what is the view regarding Pelini as coach among Husker faithful (with their notion being that they would expect by now we are calling for his head)."

 

The bottom line is that the majority of fans elsewhere view Pelini very, very negatively and many of them are, generally, pro-Husker (that is always encouraging how so many fans of other teams are generally respecting of NU) --- in fact, very often they are basically hedging towards a mindset of "... man for the sake of NU, I hope you guys get a new coach soon."

 

I can see where Landomatic is going. Under this regime, it is pretty hard being a Husker fan...

 

By the way, some of the posters here seem to think that Landomatic was suggesting that he would somehow root against NU --- I did not get that sense from what the OP stated (though I cannot get into his head) --- it seems to me that he is simply stating that until Pelini is gone, he would rather not associate himself with the FB program and that he would follow other teams (not, necessarily, wishing ill upon NU). In fact, if I read the OP rightly, he wishes well for NU and is asserting that what would be best for NU would be for Pelini to move on ... sooner rather than later so that the damage is minimized. Again, landomatic can clarify if need be.

 

Anyway, it is embarrassing having Pelini be the face of the program. Like landomatic, I am hedging away from NU too... not replacing them with a different program but rather hedging away from college football altogether. When NU gets a fresh start with a new staff, that will likely change. I will always be an NU alum and feel privileged to have gone to school there --- I count the people of Nebraska as being simply wonderful, generally speaking, and can never view NU (the university) in any way other than in an overwhelmingly positive manner --- but, for now, allegiance to the FB program is difficult. Hopefully, that will change soon.