An open letter to the person or persons who released the Bo Pelini recording to Deadspin

[knapplc]

Dear person,

 

Today you chose to submit, unsolicited, a recording of Bo Pelini ranting against members of the local media, and most damning, ranting against Nebraska fans. Pelini can be heard threatening to leave Nebraska, and seemingly gleefully so. This recording was made in 2011, in the aftermath of a very difficult, emotionally draining game, and after a very difficult week. Pelini will have to own his words, and he'll suffer the consequences of his candor.

 

This is precisely what you intended.

 

It is not lost on anyone, anywhere, why you did this. You dislike Pelini. You have an agenda. You chose the moment of this release purposefully, with malice aforethought, and you intended it to have consequences for Pelini - perhaps for the football program as a whole.

 

The utterly transparent nature of this act is going to work against your intent. Once the anger at Pelini dies down, once the shock wears off, more and more eyes are going to turn your way. Blame is a fickle thing, and while plenty will (rightfully) blame Pelini, plenty more will blame you. This base attempt at destroying a man when he's at his lowest flies in the face of what Nebraska fans respect most.

 

You've misjudged the fans at Nebraska. We are not a sneaky bunch. We are not a people who respect perfidy. Had you stood up in front of a camera and released this tape the day it was made, the reaction would be very different.

 

But you didn't. Instead, cloaked behind anonymity, you purposefully waited until you felt Pelini was vulnerable.

 

You waited too long. You waited through obvious changes Pelini has made to his character. You waited through too many examples of his steadfast loyalty to his players. Most embarrassingly, you waited through the 2013 Spring Game, where Pelini orchestrated one of the most heartwarming sports moments in recent memory.

 

Unfortunately, for you anyway, you've missed your mark.

 

Perhaps Pelini will be fired from Nebraska. There's certainly ample reason for angst among the fans, on-field trouble that could lead to his ouster. But by waiting two years, by being so obvious about your ugly intent, you may have inadvertently bought Pelini even more time.

 

You've very publicly stabbed a man in the back for a wrong he did two years ago, and for which he has already made many amends.

 

 

Nobody, anywhere, respects that. And that lack of respect for your message removes much of the sting.

[GM_Tood]

Kudos knapp. Well written.

[NUpolo8]

I'm never doing any banking in North Platte, that much I can guarantee you.

 

I'm sick over this. The Nebraska Way and the family motif has been preached for decades, and some guy who likely bought into that, and saw fit enough to donate large amounts of money for that decided he'd wipe his ass with those beliefs for a personal axe to grind,

 

It's a sad day to be a Husker alum/booster/Club member. I would know, I'm all three.

[ADS]

Well said, my friend.

[BigRedBuster]

I agree that the person who did this is a slime ball and really has no regard for the program, players and fans.

 

Completely wrong time to do this.

[MLB 51]

+1 knapp

[StPaulHusker]

Nice job, Knapp

[HuskerNation1]

I agree that the timing of this tape is suspect, but it still does not take away from Pelini's performance as a coach, and his inability to demonstrate progress and show he's able to move his teams in the right direction. In 2008 and 2009, Pelini had the program on the rise, and successfully turned it around from the Callahan years. But since 2010, he's had the program moving sideways, it not downhill. That is why Nebraska should consider a coaching change. If the person releasing this tape was hoping for that outcome, perhaps he or she should have chosen to do so after the humiliation in the Big Ten championship last December, and allowed the administration time to find a qualified replacement, and the team to accept their new leadership and move on.

[Husker_x]

Can't disagree with much here. Like I've said, this tape doesn't affect my opinion of Pelini one way or the other. His on-field results are far more troubling than a moment of speculative anger after a really long, though week. A few f-bombs don't alter his results.

 

I also don't see this as the straw that breaks the camel. It will feed into a narrative. It has and will cause more divisiveness, but let's be honest, the meat of the case against Bo Pelini has been made by Bo Pelini--his record, his hiring decisions, his standoffish attitude towards the media and fans before and after this incident occurred.

 

This was a hit job, no question. But I doubt it will alter circumstances much. Pelini has built up enough ill will without this guttersnipe's help.

[Blackshirts007]

I'm never doing any banking in North Platte, that much I can guarantee you.

 

I'm sick over this. The Nebraska Way and the family motif has been preached for decades, and some guy who likely bought into that, and saw fit enough to donate large amounts of money for that decided he'd wipe his ass with those beliefs for a personal axe to grind,

 

It's a sad day to be a Husker alum/booster/Club member. I would know, I'm all three.

Those comments were taken out of context in that joke of an article. Mr. Jacobson does not have bad intentions. I have met him before.

[Ziebol]

Dear person,

 

Today you chose to submit, unsolicited, a recording of Bo Pelini ranting against members of the local media, and most damning, ranting against Nebraska fans. Pelini can be heard threatening to leave Nebraska, and seemingly gleefully so. This recording was made in 2011, in the aftermath of a very difficult, emotionally draining game, and after a very difficult week. Pelini will have to own his words, and he'll suffer the consequences of his candor.

 

This is precisely what you intended.

 

It is not lost on anyone, anywhere, why you did this. You dislike Pelini. You have an agenda. You chose the moment of this release purposefully, with malice aforethought, and you intended it to have consequences for Pelini - perhaps for the football program as a whole.

 

The utterly transparent nature of this act is going to work against your intent. Once the anger at Pelini dies down, once the shock wears off, more and more eyes are going to turn your way. Blame is a fickle thing, and while plenty will (rightfully) blame Pelini, plenty more will blame you. This base attempt at destroying a man when he's at his lowest flies in the face of what Nebraska fans respect most.

 

You've misjudged the fans at Nebraska. We are not a sneaky bunch. We are not a people who respect perfidy. Had you stood up in front of a camera and released this tape the day it was made, the reaction would be very different.

 

But you didn't. Instead, cloaked behind anonymity, you purposefully waited until you felt Pelini was vulnerable.

 

You waited too long. You waited through obvious changes Pelini has made to his character. You waited through too many examples of his steadfast loyalty to his players. Most embarrassingly, you waited through the 2013 Spring Game, where Pelini orchestrated one of the most heartwarming sports moments in recent memory.

 

Unfortunately, for you anyway, you've missed your mark.

 

Perhaps Pelini will be fired from Nebraska. There's certainly ample reason for angst among the fans, on-field trouble that could lead to his ouster. But by waiting two years, by being so obvious about your ugly intent, you may have inadvertently bought Pelini even more time.

 

You've very publicly stabbed a man in the back for a wrong he did two years ago, and for which he has already made many amends.

 

 

Nobody, anywhere, respects that. And that lack of respect for your message removes much of the sting.

 

+1 sir

[wiuhusker]

Knapp you may have just changed my opinion on this whole situation.

[Dr. Mantis Toboggan]

Very well said sir! I am very upset with the state of our program and have jumped the Pelini ship, but I agree 100% with this.

[HuskerFunk]

I agree that the person who did this is a slime ball and really has no regard for the program, players and fans.

 

Completely wrong time to do this.

Hilarious. The person who says "Eff you, fans!" isn't called out for having no regard for the fans; rather, it's the person who released the recording who has no regard for those fans! Priceless. You guys have Stockholm Syndrome -- a classic case if I've ever seen one!

[QMany]

I'm a past, present, and future Bo Pelini supporter, and this was spot f'n on.