knapplc
International Man of Mystery
From the get-go, understand that I love that Kenny Bell plays for Nebraska, and I wouldn't trade him for two Jared Abrederisseseses. I love that he wears the blue Scout Team jersey under his pads every game. I love a lot of the things I know about KB - but this, this one thing... not so much. I'm gonna use Kenny as the example because he's the biggest name to come out of this latest mess, but he's not the focus, nor is he the only player to bring about the words below.
Kenny isn't wrong in disliking those "fans" who spewed nonsense at the players after that Minny loss. We all, no matter our disappointment, fans and players and coaches and boosters and administrators alike, hurt on some level after that loss. But there's a constructive way to express that hurt, and those people aren't constructive in any way.
They also happen to be the minority, and if you don't believe that you'd better look at all the chapters of "[insert state name here]'s For Nebraska" across the country. There are dozens, if not hundreds of alumni chapters, and they are the people who fill the stadiums across the country wherever Nebraska travels. Those people aren't a minority, they're a huge majority, and they, like those of us lucky enough to live within spitting distance of Memorial Stadium, represent a vast support network for this school and these players. And while they may not call in or tweet support for the players after a game like last weekend's, they sure aren't represented by those morons we've all heard about, that Kenny (and other players) responded to.
And that brings me to the crux of my thoughts...
Here's what I don't understand from Kenny's responses to the "fans" who spewed that nonsense - did he not understand that Nebraska is The Big Stage? When he signed up to play here, did he not realize that he was volunteering for a career under the microscope? And that with that vast of a viewing audience, inevitably there's bound to be the occasional asshat? Or that, asshattery aside, even the casual fan is not going to be pleased with the performance Nebraska put on against Minnesota? Because we're not, and we shouldn't be, and it's entirely appropriate for that disappointment.
The best analogy I can think of is Lollapalooza. You've got umpteen side stages of various importance, but you've got the main stage, the big area, the focus of the event. The biggest rock stars play that stage. If they didn't want to, there's plenty of other stages they can play on, but they determined to take that gig, they put themselves out there.
Understandably, that main stage has the brightest lights, and the loudest speakers. You go out there, the people standing there are expecting the best show. They could just as easily be watching some pissant band trying to cut their teeth on the side stages, but they're here because you're supposed to be good enough to entertain them. That's the whole point of that stage - the headliners play there.
Nebraska is legitimately one of those foundational programs, and should remain one of them, and that's neither narcissistic nor unrealistic. It's necessary.
It's big-time football with big-time expectations. These articles that are written lately saying that we expect too much and we should ramp that down are idiocy. I've read the posts here referring to them but I couldn't be bothered to give them the gift of my eyeballs because they're wrong. Not only is Nebraska a Big Time football school, it should be, and it needs to be, or this sport dies. We need Notre Dame to be Big Time, and Michigan and Miami and Texas and USC and all the other blue-bloods because when they all go, the sport goes. Every edifice needs a foundation, and these schools are that foundation.
Kenny and his teammates knew that, or should have known that, when they came to Nebraska. While there's some slack to cut a 17- to 18-year-old kid making a life decision in High School, there's still room for expectations that the kind of kid that will put themselves on that stage will also prepare and play like they belong there. It is not inappropriate to demand a level of excellence in keeping with the expectations they accepted, they chose, and they said they wanted when they signed their LOI. We, the fans, aren't putting those expectations on them, they are, they did, and nobody forced them to. They could have as easily chosen a side stage, with lights less bright, but they didn't.
Now that they're here, by their choice, it's not unreasonable for the media and the fans to expect that they perform to the levels that they said they would perform at. If they cannot or will not, it is not the fault of nor the unreasonable expectations of the fans that is to blame.
I could go on and on. There's a huge disconnect between the fans and these players right now, and I don't think it's just at Nebraska. Maybe it's a cultural thing, some societal impetus for which these kids aren't to blame, but are caught up in all the same. Who's to say? Bottom line is, any player that's going to put on that uniform and expect those fans to cheer for them, whether things are going well or not, had damned well better be giving everything they've got for 60 minutes each Saturday.
I'm not going to bother ending with some drivel about "forgiving" Kenny Bell or any other player who publicly talked about the fans, because there's nothing to forgive. They didn't do anything wrong, and they're welcome to their opinion. But they need to remember the lights on this stage are lights of their choosing, and if they get too hot, it is not the fans who are to blame.
Kenny isn't wrong in disliking those "fans" who spewed nonsense at the players after that Minny loss. We all, no matter our disappointment, fans and players and coaches and boosters and administrators alike, hurt on some level after that loss. But there's a constructive way to express that hurt, and those people aren't constructive in any way.
They also happen to be the minority, and if you don't believe that you'd better look at all the chapters of "[insert state name here]'s For Nebraska" across the country. There are dozens, if not hundreds of alumni chapters, and they are the people who fill the stadiums across the country wherever Nebraska travels. Those people aren't a minority, they're a huge majority, and they, like those of us lucky enough to live within spitting distance of Memorial Stadium, represent a vast support network for this school and these players. And while they may not call in or tweet support for the players after a game like last weekend's, they sure aren't represented by those morons we've all heard about, that Kenny (and other players) responded to.
And that brings me to the crux of my thoughts...
Here's what I don't understand from Kenny's responses to the "fans" who spewed that nonsense - did he not understand that Nebraska is The Big Stage? When he signed up to play here, did he not realize that he was volunteering for a career under the microscope? And that with that vast of a viewing audience, inevitably there's bound to be the occasional asshat? Or that, asshattery aside, even the casual fan is not going to be pleased with the performance Nebraska put on against Minnesota? Because we're not, and we shouldn't be, and it's entirely appropriate for that disappointment.
The best analogy I can think of is Lollapalooza. You've got umpteen side stages of various importance, but you've got the main stage, the big area, the focus of the event. The biggest rock stars play that stage. If they didn't want to, there's plenty of other stages they can play on, but they determined to take that gig, they put themselves out there.
Understandably, that main stage has the brightest lights, and the loudest speakers. You go out there, the people standing there are expecting the best show. They could just as easily be watching some pissant band trying to cut their teeth on the side stages, but they're here because you're supposed to be good enough to entertain them. That's the whole point of that stage - the headliners play there.
Nebraska is legitimately one of those foundational programs, and should remain one of them, and that's neither narcissistic nor unrealistic. It's necessary.
It's big-time football with big-time expectations. These articles that are written lately saying that we expect too much and we should ramp that down are idiocy. I've read the posts here referring to them but I couldn't be bothered to give them the gift of my eyeballs because they're wrong. Not only is Nebraska a Big Time football school, it should be, and it needs to be, or this sport dies. We need Notre Dame to be Big Time, and Michigan and Miami and Texas and USC and all the other blue-bloods because when they all go, the sport goes. Every edifice needs a foundation, and these schools are that foundation.
Kenny and his teammates knew that, or should have known that, when they came to Nebraska. While there's some slack to cut a 17- to 18-year-old kid making a life decision in High School, there's still room for expectations that the kind of kid that will put themselves on that stage will also prepare and play like they belong there. It is not inappropriate to demand a level of excellence in keeping with the expectations they accepted, they chose, and they said they wanted when they signed their LOI. We, the fans, aren't putting those expectations on them, they are, they did, and nobody forced them to. They could have as easily chosen a side stage, with lights less bright, but they didn't.
Now that they're here, by their choice, it's not unreasonable for the media and the fans to expect that they perform to the levels that they said they would perform at. If they cannot or will not, it is not the fault of nor the unreasonable expectations of the fans that is to blame.
I could go on and on. There's a huge disconnect between the fans and these players right now, and I don't think it's just at Nebraska. Maybe it's a cultural thing, some societal impetus for which these kids aren't to blame, but are caught up in all the same. Who's to say? Bottom line is, any player that's going to put on that uniform and expect those fans to cheer for them, whether things are going well or not, had damned well better be giving everything they've got for 60 minutes each Saturday.
I'm not going to bother ending with some drivel about "forgiving" Kenny Bell or any other player who publicly talked about the fans, because there's nothing to forgive. They didn't do anything wrong, and they're welcome to their opinion. But they need to remember the lights on this stage are lights of their choosing, and if they get too hot, it is not the fans who are to blame.
