Jump to content


Begin the season as The Blackshirts?


admo

Recommended Posts

I am wondering what everyone thinks about the idea of our coach handing out the Blackshirts at the start of the season, this year? In all fairness, it's a young and pretty inexperienced unit. I think it would be pretty neat thing to do, and let them be the Blackshirts no matter what happens. Something different, something that used to be traditional and honored. Might even have a huge impact on how the defense rallies together and builds a toughness throughout the year. I know it can be a touchy topic, and a lot of it comes from very high expectations of earning it and all. I just don't think there is a better precise time to hand them out. At least for this season, all I'm saying is that I think it would be ideal at the start and let them get going out of the gate so that when the UCLA game rolls in, there will be no uncertainty or question - we are the BLACKSHIRTS Defense. Thoughts? And I could be alone in this so try be somewhat nice.

Link to comment

I'll be nice but I disagree. I think the Blackshirts tradition has almost become somewhat of a joke the last few years. It makes me sick to say that when I think of what McBride once had this defense playing like. The reason I think so is because Bo has been holding onto them until he felt the defense was ready. Then even after he felt they were ready, he handed them out and we got our teeth kicked in. He should have held onto them until we saw consistent defense, and unfortunately we were anything but consistent last year. So, no, absolutely no way should we hand them out before we see anything at all. Hell, I don't care if they don't get em all year. If you don't look like a Blackshirts defense then you shouldn't be wearing em. It would only sh#t on the tradition even more than we already sh#t on it last year.

Link to comment

I agree with you. Blackshirt are traditionally handed out to the first string D. Over the course of a few yrs, the name blackshirts became so much more, the proud tradition of wearing a black shirt in practice became legendary. It has nothing to do with how good you are as a D, it's that you are the First String Defense for the University of Nebraska, even if you aren't as good as some before you. We're spoiled by years of success with BD, TO. legendary coaches aren't replaced easily. This D will be the most improved in the B1G this year. If the season begins and you're starting D, you should get a blackshirt. Pride has been know to win games at times. GBR

  • Fire 5
Link to comment
I agree with you. Blackshirt are traditionally handed out to the first string D. Over the course of a few yrs, the name blackshirts became so much more, the proud tradition of wearing a black shirt in practice became legendary. It has nothing to do with how good you are as a D, it's that you are the First String Defense for the University of Nebraska, even if you aren't as good as some before you. We're spoiled by years of success with BD, TO. legendary coaches aren't replaced easily. This D will be the most improved in the B1G this year. If the season begins and you're starting D, you should get a blackshirt. Pride has been know to win games at times. GBR

I agree with this. Historically, they were given to the first team defensive players. They weren't necessarily "earned" but they could be lost to an up and comer from lower on the depth chart. Sorry to say it but Bo waiting until they are earned or deserved has not worked. Sadly recent defenses have not lived up to the blackshirts tradition of excellence. I say motivate the first teamers by handing them out at beginning of season and make them individually fight to hold onto that starter status. Giving them out in week seven when they still suck does more damage to the rep of the blackshirts so that practice needs to stop.

  • Fire 3
Link to comment

I agree with you. Blackshirt are traditionally handed out to the first string D. Over the course of a few yrs, the name blackshirts became so much more, the proud tradition of wearing a black shirt in practice became legendary. It has nothing to do with how good you are as a D, it's that you are the First String Defense for the University of Nebraska, even if you aren't as good as some before you. We're spoiled by years of success with BD, TO. legendary coaches aren't replaced easily. This D will be the most improved in the B1G this year. If the season begins and you're starting D, you should get a blackshirt. Pride has been know to win games at times. GBR

I second that. It started out as to id the D from the O players in practice during the Bobfather era.

  • Fire 1
Link to comment
I agree with you. Blackshirt are traditionally handed out to the first string D. Over the course of a few yrs, the name blackshirts became so much more, the proud tradition of wearing a black shirt in practice became legendary. It has nothing to do with how good you are as a D, it's that you are the First String Defense for the University of Nebraska, even if you aren't as good as some before you. We're spoiled by years of success with BD, TO. legendary coaches aren't replaced easily. This D will be the most improved in the B1G this year. If the season begins and you're starting D, you should get a blackshirt. Pride has been know to win games at times. GBR

 

I believe the tradition may have started as the entire first team defense getting them but I think the tradition has evolved since the beginning. I think the Blackshirts mean much more than that now. It has evolved into a representation of something fierce and powerful. An intimidation factor in ways.

 

Plus, if I'm not mistaken, isn't Bo himself the one who changed the tradition by not handing them out to the starting defense? So in that itself it has clearly evolved, from the Osborne era and again in Pelini's short time here.

  • Fire 1
Link to comment

Thanks for the opinions so far. I agree with both views (actually three). They might not be dominate enough, or solid enough week in and week out. With ups and downs type of play. I definitely don't considerate it as a "just-because" trophy. I like the idea that the starters would earn it going into game one, thus becoming the blackshirts defense and building off of it each week after that. They definitely haven't played like past traditional "vaulted blackshirt" defense as the TV crew would say. But I do think some pride comes with it when you wear them in practice day in and day out. I don't know. Maybe they won't get them at all this year? I still lean towards the start of the season as a good idea though.

Link to comment

I think we need to go back to the first string gets them. They are the #1 for the Huskers that week and that should be the standard. If the #1 needs to get better than it is on the coaches. Maybe it would strengthen the unit when the players and coaches all know that they will define what a black shirt is as a team each week and they can't hide by saying oh well that's why we did not hand out the black shirts.

  • Fire 2
Link to comment

Good civilized discussions. I don't really want to put it on the coaches, because I believe a coach's job is to teach, motivate, and help develop. The players will earn their spots and the coaches will know who the starters are. Blackshirts going into game 1, that's pretty good motivation.

Link to comment

I agree with you. Blackshirt are traditionally handed out to the first string D. Over the course of a few yrs, the name blackshirts became so much more, the proud tradition of wearing a black shirt in practice became legendary. It has nothing to do with how good you are as a D, it's that you are the First String Defense for the University of Nebraska, even if you aren't as good as some before you. We're spoiled by years of success with BD, TO. legendary coaches aren't replaced easily. This D will be the most improved in the B1G this year. If the season begins and you're starting D, you should get a blackshirt. Pride has been know to win games at times. GBR

 

I believe the tradition may have started as the entire first team defense getting them but I think the tradition has evolved since the beginning. I think the Blackshirts mean much more than that now. It has evolved into a representation of something fierce and powerful. An intimidation factor in ways.

 

Plus, if I'm not mistaken, isn't Bo himself the one who changed the tradition by not handing them out to the starting defense? So in that itself it has clearly evolved, from the Osborne era and again in Pelini's short time here.

 

I think he was even the first DC in 03 to take them away as a motivational tool.

Link to comment

I definitely think that they should be handed out before the season. I remember seeing a quote once that said that opening your locker to find a blackshirt was one of the greatest feelings ever, while opening your jersey to find a yellow shirt, where there once had been a blackshirt was devastating. That fear of losing the blackshirt at any time; after a game, after a bad practice, etc. I think is a motivator in itself. Handing them out before the season starts with the implication that they can be lost at any time, I think is the way to go.

  • Fire 2
Link to comment
I agree with you. Blackshirt are traditionally handed out to the first string D. Over the course of a few yrs, the name blackshirts became so much more, the proud tradition of wearing a black shirt in practice became legendary. It has nothing to do with how good you are as a D, it's that you are the First String Defense for the University of Nebraska, even if you aren't as good as some before you. We're spoiled by years of success with BD, TO. legendary coaches aren't replaced easily. This D will be the most improved in the B1G this year. If the season begins and you're starting D, you should get a blackshirt. Pride has been know to win games at times. GBR

 

I believe the tradition may have started as the entire first team defense getting them but I think the tradition has evolved since the beginning. I think the Blackshirts mean much more than that now. It has evolved into a representation of something fierce and powerful. An intimidation factor in ways.

 

Plus, if I'm not mistaken, isn't Bo himself the one who changed the tradition by not handing them out to the starting defense? So in that itself it has clearly evolved, from the Osborne era and again in Pelini's short time here.

 

You're right that the tradition has changed over time, but that doesn't necessarily mean that every change has been for the better.

 

I think the biggest problem with Bo's policy is that it is fickle, and the last few seasons have undercut the symbolism that he's trying to convey. He's attempted to turn the blackshirts into something that must be earned over time, with great defensive performances on gameday that live up to the great Blackshirt defenses of the past. That was cool in 2008-2010, when Bo's defenses got better each week and actually had great performances against great teams that did live up to the Blackshirts of the 70's-90's.

 

However, in 2011-12, they just handed out blackshirts after the first game where the defense looked halfway decent against a respectable opponent (in 2012, a Bellomy-led Michigan squad). The idea that the defense had somehow "arrived" in that game was later completely blown apart as they gave up an average of 30.5 points per game the rest of the season.

 

If Bo's only going to hand out Blackshirts once they have supposedly been "earned" by on-field performance, he better be willing to take them away when those standards aren't met, and he better be willing to go entire seasons without distributing Blackshirts (2012 should have been one of those).

 

I'd prefer a return to the old tradition. If you're on the #1 Defense, you wear a Blackshirt. You're expected to perform like a Blackshirt from day one, not starting halfway through the season. I also love the stories from former players about their first fall camp and seeing the top defense in those things, setting the tone from day 1. THAT'S intimidating.

 

Over the current policy, I'd even prefer they hand out individual Blackshirts as those players earn them, even in Fall Camp. Ciante Evans should have one from day 1. That might be a nightmare in reality though, practicing with a unit of guys wearing different colors.

  • Fire 2
Link to comment

I can appreciate the thought that they should be earned and represent something bigger. But, IMO that approach has not worked out too well for Bo, the guy who introduced that approach. I simply feel going back to the way it used to be would serve many purposes. 1- Everyday there would be 11+ blackshirts that would have to be earned and defended and striven for by lower level players. I think that may provide more incentive and motivation than Bo's current system. 2- I think it would reducethe recent trend of making an even bigger mockery of the tradition by handing them out after some mid to late season mediocre performance simply because they are running out of time, and then pretending that they were earned and that a blackshirtesque defense has arisen.

  • Fire 1
Link to comment

I personally now would like to see them handed out at the beginning of the year. I used to be one the "Bo can do whatever he wants with the tradition" standpoint. But after the last two seasons, I personally think it's time to change it back. Give these guys a bit of an edge and swagger to start the year. Get it out of the way-so to speak. You have to believe that the way it is, the guys play with blackshirts on their mind, week in-week out. Maybe if we reward the guys deserving of such right away, it would be a positive change. I just feel it's time to try something new, with regards to the way Bo has done it all 5 years. He changed his team captains philosophy back to the conventional style.

  • Fire 2
Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...