Some questions about this board, this team, these fans, Dirk, Tommy, Bo, expectations for this year, and the future

[knapplc]

I haven't been posting much lately but I haven't been away from the board. I've been lurking and reading and just in kind of a state of amazement for the last couple of days.

 

I haven't read everything. I've skipped over a lot of B.S. - you know, kinda like most people do when I post some 900-word diatribe that a smarter person could have summed up in one sentence. A lot of what's been posted here has been just people blowing off steam and not worth the read (but nor your posts - you know I read every one, and was amazed by the points you were making just don't tell anyone else 'cause they'll be jealous).

 

So after 48 hours or so have passed, and this board is still busily consuming itself from within, I have a few questions. P'raps you all could help me out with some answers.

 

 

Why is HuskerBoard made up of pretty smart, pretty reasonable, pretty decent folks, but after a loss they all turn on each other and start bickering and griping at each other? Misplaced angst?

 

Why does so much of what's posted just turn into this cyclone of rehashed, reheated old conversations? Do we just not read each others' posts and focus on our own brilliant points? Or do we not care, and just go through the conversations as a matter of exercise... something to do?

 

Why does traffic quadruple after losses around here? Why are we so much better at voicing our displeasure than our joy?

 

Why are the positives from Michigan State (and there are TONS) being ignored in the larger self-flagellation multiconversation going on right now?

 

Where are all the threads praising that Offensive Line for playing their asses off, despite more injuries than cats have lives, despite facing the toughest defense they'll see all year? That's a really, real, serious question. Where the hell are the "Holy Crap, we just rushed for more yards than Michigan State's last five opponents combined, and we're the only team to rush for more than 100 yards on this team all year!!!1!1!!" threads?

 

Where the hell is the love for Ameer Abdullah? Why isn't the fact that he had 100 yards rushing in three quarters against a team that hadn't given up a 100-yard rushing effort all season being gushed about?

 

How about some praise for the fans, who, after witnessing a disastrous three-turnover performance in the first ten minutes of the game, were still making a hell of a lot of noise deep into the fourth quarter? I haven't been looking at the Twitter - have any players come out and thanked the fans, most of whom stayed until after the final gun, for their support?

 

Why is Dirk Chatelain the only reporter named by name on this forum?

 

Does anyone think Dirk (or the OWH) is employing someone to post about his articles, especially when we lose? Isn't it just a bit odd?

 

Is Dirk the harbinger of Husker doom? Doesn't it seem like Sam McKewon and Sipple tend to write, and write very well, about the team when things are going well, but when the chips are down, that's when Dirk shines? It's not about "is Dirk right/wrong," but that's an observation I think worth making.

 

Tell me that's not odd.

 

Does anyone else really not care that Tommy is having a rough go of it as a Redshirt Freshman only six games into his career (for all intents and purposes)?

 

Does anyone else get a deja vu feeling about watching Freshman Tommy play, kinda like another Freshman Tommie back in the day? No pressure of unreasonable expectations here, just a serious question.

 

If this is Tommy at his worst (5-1 and a few ugly turnovers), am I the only one who's unreasonably excited for this kid's future? Like, screw-this-season-and-all-its-woes-excited?

 

Speaking of the future, is Bo a part of it, and if so, how much support will you give him? If he's here next year, how many conditions does that support have? Who has to go?

 

How easy do you honestly think it will be to replace Bo?

 

How much pants-pooping will be going on in Husker Nation if Bo takes a job of his own accord in December, leaving Nebraska to search for a coach not by our own choice, but his? Those of you who truly want Bo gone, do you want him gone under our volition or his? Or as long as he's gone, that's all that matters?

 

Isn't six years really long enough to get this mess figured out, even if it is your first-ever head coaching gig?

 

Isn't a 71% winning percentage pretty decent?

 

Isn't six years long enough to figure out how to not have massive meltdowns on nationwide broadcasts?

 

Speaking of the future, with the kids you're watching play football for Nebraska right now, are you more or less excited for next year, and the year after, than you were in July of this year?

 

How realistic is it to expect Nebraska to be a top-ten contender on a regular basis in today's college football climate?

 

If Boise State can do it, why can't we?

 

Are four losses a year bad enough to jeopardize the Sellout Streak?

 

What were your expectations for this season, how realistic were they, and do you think they should be modified based on the evidence we see on the field?

 

What would this team's record be, right now, with 2011 Taylor Martinez starting every game? Would we have lost to Michigan State?

 

Are you going to continue to be a Husker fan if Nebraska loses four games a year for the next ten years, and at least one of them is a blowout loss?

 

If 'yes' to the above, how many losses a year, and for how many years, would it take for you to say "enough?"

 

 

 

 

 

All things considered, right now, are you glad you're a Husker fan?

[Malth]

900 words, you say?

[In the Deed the Glory]

I will always be glad I'm a Husker Fan.

[C N Red]

Got thru about half, then my reading machine broke from reading so many questions.

[GBRedneck]

Is there a multiple choice version?

[RedDenver]

Great post, knapp. There's too much in there for me to answer it all so here's a smattering:

 

I'm really, really excited for next year. We've got most of the pieces in place for a really good season. We were clearly the more talented team on Sat. and only the 5 turnovers (all 5 involving freshman players) even allowed MSU to make it a game. The scheme and effort and talent on display on both sides of the ball is very encouraging.

 

That OL is freakin unbelievable!! Maybe not to the production level of the days of yore, but our OL has played with as much heart and tenacity as any I've seen in almost 40 of being a fan. Hats off to Garrison (and Cotton?) and the whole OL.

 

Put Ameer in there as a true Husker Warrior. What a game he had! What a season he's having! I don't think Husker fans truly appreciate that Ameer is having as good of a year as Ahman Green did in 1997. He's the best IB we've had since the Orborne era, IMO. And he's another reason next year could be special.

 

What is going on with the punt returns? This is the biggest glaring area of weakness year after year that Bo has seemingly even tried to fix. At least they've addressed the fumbling and turnovers, even if they haven't fixed it yet. Punt returns are a mind-numbling ridiculous circus out there.

 

While I enjoy McKewon's writing, I don't care what he, Sipple, Dirk, etc. have to say. They're just monkeys who relay the words of the coaches at press conferences to us. I wouldn't be surprised if they're replaced by coaches answering e-mails from the fans directly over the next decade or so. Why do the fans care what these guys have to say any more than anyone else? Form your own opinions.

 

As for Bo, I think he's earned another year. I really didn't see him coming back when the defense was atrocious week in and week out. But now they've suddenly transformed into a really good defense. I'll wait to see how we play against a good offense before thinking they could be better than good this season. The future looks really, really bright on that side of the ball though. Besides, if we got rid of Bo, we'd be competing against the likes of USC and possibly Texas and Florida for a HC. In what delusion do we get a top guy in that scenario? We'd basically be hiring another unknown and hoping for the best. And I doubt we can bring in someone new and do as well next season as we'd do with Bo.

 

Bo leaving on his own was something I hadn't considered. That'd definitely suck the heart right out of Husker nation. Especially if Bo goes to greener pastures like Texas or Florida where recruiting is much, much easier.

[walksalone]

I'm not glad to be a Husker fan, I'm proud. I wish I could say the same for those that only magically show up after a loss to throw dirt. I took a 48 hour hiatus myself, because I knew the jackassery would be at Defcon 1.

 

What I don't get is people are happy to see their team lose because they hate the coach? Even when Clownahan was here, I hated him with a passion, but I wanted to see the team win. When they lose all the f'tards show up, cause the "mod's" to work overtime, somebody will get warned/banned for replying to some moron who just signed up 10 minutes after the loss, and with a general state of malaise infecting the board and fanbase.

 

I don't usually write long, drawn out diatribes, because that affords me too many opportunities to look like an d*pshit, and nobody reads them anyways.

 

Many Husker fans are spoiled. Plain and simple. They see the Alabama's, Oregon's, and they don't understand that we just can't get some amazing coach, wave a magic wand, and it's 1995 all over again. AA is having a hell of a season, the banged up O line did a damn good job against a highly regard defense, and the Defense played amazingly well for having their backs pushed up against a wall on numerous occasions...

 

If you've read this, and think, "I'm not spoiled", you probably are...

[Scratchtown]

Great post Knapp. I quit reading after the 71% mark. Only because that was when a comment popped into my head. So I will answer your question with another question.

 

Why do we count Bo's wins vs the SDSU's and Wyomings? If we have 3 of those a year times 6 seasons, then thats 18 wins inflated to the record.

[walksalone]

Why do we count Bo's wins vs the SDSU's and Wyomings? If we have 3 of those a year times 6 seasons, then thats 18 wins inflated to the record.

 

Why do you count Saban's wins against Western Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Tenn-Chattanooga, etc...

[Landlord]

Great post Knapp. I quit reading after the 71% mark. Only because that was when a comment popped into my head. So I will answer your question with another question.

 

Why do we count Bo's wins vs the SDSU's and Wyomings? If we have 3 of those a year times 6 seasons, then thats 18 wins inflated to the record.

 

 

Because we count everyone else's wins against those teams too.

[Ratt Mhule]

I really didn't set any expectations for the team this season because of the new starters on defense. I guess I was hoping the offense could carry us for half the season while the defense got some experience and started to improve. I didn't expect the defense to be as bad as they were at the beginning of the season, but I knew they wouldn't be championship caliber either. Once TM got injured, I knew there would be some rough waters ahead with a QB coming in with no D1 experience also. And now the defense is starting to improve just when I thought they might (but the offense is stagnant because of the injuries) and Blake Lawrence even said on BRW that it took him six games to feel comfortable in the system. I just wonder how this team would have turned out had the entire offense stayed healthy and now that the defense is improving every game.

 

I know we are in this predicament with a mostly freshman/sophomore defense because Pelini's first two RC sucked. As a brand new HC, I expected him to make mistakes and he did with those classes. The past three classes have been better, so he fixed that problem. Now he needs to fix the turnover issue and special teams problems.

 

As for next year, we are already ahead of schedule with TM injury. TA is gaining valuable experience with eight games under his belt before he takes his first snap next year. One of those games in front of 110,000 hostile fans in the Big House. Had TM stayed healthy, we'd be going into next season with an experienced and talented defense that returns mostly everyone, but a QB with no experience. Now we have that experienced, talented defense with an offense returning a QB that started eight games the previous season, an OL that has plenty of experience, receivers that are some of the best we'd ever had at Nebraska and a senior RB that could be a Heisman candidate next season.

 

So in summary, people expecting a B1G championship with this inexperienced defense were pretty delusional to begin with. And even more delusional for still expecting one after TM was injured. Next year there is no excuse. With the division we move into, a birth in the CCG is a must with our returning players.

[Scratchtown]

Why do we count Bo's wins vs the SDSU's and Wyomings? If we have 3 of those a year times 6 seasons, then thats 18 wins inflated to the record.

 

Why do you count Saban's wins against Western Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Tenn-Chattanooga, etc...

 

I don't know. I know its a statistical thing, but, I guess my point in asking the question was along the lines of justification. What is the record vs BCS conference opponents? Is that good enough to you as a fan?

[NUpolo8]

Why is HuskerBoard made up of pretty smart, pretty reasonable, pretty decent folks, but after a loss they all turn on each other and start bickering and griping at each other? Misplaced angst?

 

 

For me its a place to vent off because I don't get to talk to people around town about Nebraska the way I got to when I lived there.

 

Why does so much of what's posted just turn into this cyclone of rehashed, reheated old conversations? Do we just not read each others' posts and focus on our own brilliant points? Or do we not care, and just go through the conversations as a matter of exercise... something to do?

 

--The old conversations stir up because there's never been definitive answers to them for many. Plus the anonymity of message boards lead to distrust, even if they get the right answer. Hell, I just got done getting a reply from a big poster here that he has a first degree relative who's in the know at Boise St just to settle an argument out of nowhere. True or not (I'm going with not) things like that here are hard to take at face value.

 

Why does traffic quadruple after losses around here? Why are we so much better at voicing our displeasure than our joy?

 

--If Nebraska had success, actual success, like a conference championship or better, this board would crash just as quickly if not quicker.

 

Why are the positives from Michigan State (and there are TONS) being ignored in the larger self-flagellation multiconversation going on right now?

 

--Because, for me, its another game where Nebraska had superior talent and gameplan, yet still lost. For like the umpteenth game in a row. And they're fundamental problems that average high school teams figure out. If I had a 15 year old that could do calculus but still wasn't potty trained, I'm guessing I'd know what other parents would talk about.

 

Where are all the threads praising that Offensive Line for playing their asses off, despite more injuries than cats have lives, despite facing the toughest defense they'll see all year? That's a really, real, serious question. Where the hell are the "Holy Crap, we just rushed for more yards than Michigan State's last five opponents combined, and we're the only team to rush for more than 100 yards on this team all year!!!1!1!!" threads?

 

--I've spent more time on here recently than I ever have, or what is healthy, and I think there's credit there is credit being given. Again, fumbly fumble mcfumbles probably holds sway with most. And losing. Losing kinda sucks

 

Where the hell is the love for Ameer Abdullah? Why isn't the fact that he had 100 yards rushing in three quarters against a team that hadn't given up a 100-yard rushing effort all season being gushed about?

 

--Dude's an NFL talent. No idea

 

How about some praise for the fans, who, after witnessing a disastrous three-turnover performance in the first ten minutes of the game, were still making a hell of a lot of noise deep into the fourth quarter? I haven't been looking at the Twitter - have any players come out and thanked the fans, most of whom stayed until after the final gun, for their support?

 

--That's cool, but a fanbase that openly calls themselves the Greatest Fans probably should do this.

 

Why is Dirk Chatelain the only reporter named by name on this forum?

 

 

--This board loves the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Dirk has made an entire career out of stirring the pot and creating strife about NU, whether it was there or not. I remember his articles when he was honing this little trait when he was a NU student. And there wasn't a lot to complain about back then, at least by the past decade's standards.

 

Does anyone think Dirk (or the OWH) is employing someone to post about his articles, especially when we lose? Isn't it just a bit odd?

 

--Nothing would surprise me on how newspaper companies or their writers misallocate their money.

 

Is Dirk the harbinger of Husker doom? Doesn't it seem like Sam McKewon and Sipple tend to write, and write very well, about the team when things are going well, but when the chips are down, that's when Dirk shines? It's not about "is Dirk right/wrong," but that's an observation I think worth making.

Tell me that's not odd.

 

--Hope springs eternal here. Like I said, Dirk figured out long ago how to get cheap heat from Nebraska folk. Probably a reason why he's never branched out. McKeon is a flat out great writer. Always has been

 

Does anyone else really not care that Tommy is having a rough go of it as a Redshirt Freshman only six games into his career (for all intents and purposes)?

-This is the first time since I don't even know when the future actually got reps he needed to prepare for the show. We're talking pre-Frost

 

Does anyone else get a deja vu feeling about watching Freshman Tommy play, kinda like another Freshman Tommie back in the day? No pressure of unreasonable expectations here, just a serious question.

 

--He's got something. That's for sure

 

If this is Tommy at his worst (5-1 and a few ugly turnovers), am I the only one who's unreasonably excited for this kid's future? Like, screw-this-season-and-all-its-woes-excited?

 

--I'd agree but I fear change is afoot.

 

Speaking of the future, is Bo a part of it, and if so, how much support will you give him? If he's here next year, how many conditions does that support have? Who has to go?

 

 

-You know my opinion on this and why. So no. But he's the coach of my alma mater until he isn't. Until then, I want this team to win. But I'll bitch when they lose.

 

How easy do you honestly think it will be to replace Bo?

 

-Infinitely easier than most on this board think. To think otherwise is defeatist and completely the opposite of what Devaney and Osborne taught. Grinds my gears I tell you.

 

How much pants-pooping will be going on in Husker Nation if Bo takes a job of his own accord in December, leaving Nebraska to search for a coach not by our own choice, but his? Those of you who truly want Bo gone, do you want him gone under our volition or his? Or as long as he's gone, that's all that matters?

 

--Oh the meltdown would be epic. I also think its the most likely outcome outside of Bo staying. and I'm coin flip between the likelihood of the two.

 

Isn't six years really long enough to get this mess figured out, even if it is your first-ever head coaching gig?

 

--yes and its a whole lot more than other programs have given or would give. I truly think the fear of moving on is the fear of being wrong 6 years ago when Bo was hired and the 4 previous​

 

Isn't six years long enough to figure out how to not have massive meltdowns on nationwide broadcasts?

--see above

 

Speaking of the future, with the kids you're watching play football for Nebraska right now, are you more or less excited for next year, and the year after, than you were in July of this year?

 

--There's real talent here. Whomever the coach is in 2014, there's no train wreck in sight.

 

How realistic is it to expect Nebraska to be a top-ten contender on a regular basis in today's college football climate?

 

--A lot to very. Bad years could look like this one every now and again if there was just one in the top 8 or higher every so often I bet. It just hasn't happened. For a long time. Like "NUpolo8 used to have hair the last time it happened" long.

 

If Boise State can do it, why can't we?

 

--Getting to the root on why I've been so persnickety lately. There isn't a tangible reason other than those in charge appear to be not as competent as Chris.

 

Are four losses a year bad enough to jeopardize the Sellout Streak?

 

--Moot point. We both know the dept would buy up any open tickets to keep the streak somewhat alive. And I think it would take complete collapse to see visible shards of the stadium empty at kickoff.

 

What were your expectations for this season, how realistic were they, and do you think they should be modified based on the evidence we see on the field?

 

-Indy or bust. Cards fall where they fall against Ohio St, but a non embarassment would have been nice. Beating UCLA would have been neat too. And it should have happened, even with the injuries I think. The fatal errors were mental.

 

What would this team's record be, right now, with 2011 Taylor Martinez starting every game? Would we have lost to Michigan State?

--I probably would have gotten my wish

 

Are you going to continue to be a Husker fan if Nebraska loses four games a year for the next ten years, and at least one of them is a blowout loss?

 

--These colors don't run, Hoss. But as you know, I have expectations about this program that I feel are unnegotiable. This school's image is in indelibly linked to its football teams performance. They need to be successful, hardworking, intelligent and embody the creeds the leaders of this school set forth a long time ago.

 

If 'yes' to the above, how many losses a year, and for how many years, would it take for you to say "enough?"

 

--Boy I'd really hate a 2-8 season, but it doesn't change who I am and where I went.

 

 

 

 

 

All things considered, right now, are you glad you're a Husker fan?

 

--Going to NU and living in Lincoln for five years changed my life for the better. I'm not the person I am today without the University of Nebraska. It goes deeper than fandom for me, and I know I'm far from alone in that feeling. Its ultimately why we all hurt so much when things get a little choppy

[tschu]

Honestly, nearly everything mentioned in knapplc's OP comes back to one thing: Nebraska has an expectation of competing for conference championships, and Nebraska has not won a conference championship in 14 years.

 

Every year, the thumbscrew gets twisted just a little bit further and the fanbase takes one step just a little closer to the ledge. When a loss, an ugly loss, happens to a big ranked opponent in a huge game - and as a result, that ultimate goal for the season goes completely out the window - that makes it pretty difficult for people to take, especially when the frustration has been building for 14 year. I think there's a little bit of hopelessness mixed in - we have seen Nebraska come so close, yet be so, so far away time and time again. What gives us any confidence that we can win a conference title under Pelini going forward? I don't know that you can point to anything in the past 3 years or so and say, yes, we can hang our hat on THAT. If we just stay the course, we'll be showering in confetti in Indy. We see the rubber band being stretched back again next year. And the next year. And the next year. Sometimes the disappointment is mellowed out - we all (most of us) will be fans no matter what, and there's nothing greater than tailgating and joining 90,000 friends at Memorial Stadium on fall afternoons. But that overarching disappointment can surface, usually after a particularly indicative-of-futility loss (Minnesota) or a loss that rips the magic carpet out from underneath the season (MSU).

 

I think Dirk gets a bad rap because he's a little too honest at times. He says things that people don't want to hear. Can he be a bit negative at times? Yeah. But he's tame compared to the big-headed self-centered "journalists" that you can find elsewhere in the country. Truth is, times have changed and Nebraska's program is in a different place, and Dirk usually writes pretty candidly about this and puts things in nice perspective. He is also consistent, honest, and admits mistakes. Do I particularly like him? No, but I appreciate his work. Reading Sipple all day is...well, you can only take so much sunshine pumped up your ass. (I also think that the McKewon comment is a bit unfair - he writes both positive and negative articles. He's even written a scathing one or two but nobody called him out for it...)

 

I believe that Bo gets another year. I'm pretty sure of it. Whether he deserves it - I don't want to comment, mostly because I don't know. Glad it's not my call. If he finished 8-5, this year, with those players, with that schedule...

 

Finally, I'll say that much like everything else in the real world, the negative will always receive more attention - it's just human nature. Maybe in the end that's a good thing since it drives justice, technological advancement, education, etc - recognition and critical analysis of things that go wrong often result in improvements and fixes. Obviously, nothing we say on a message board is going to fix anything, but this part of human nature combined with our shared passion for this program result in the meltdowns that you see. Why is there more traffic after a loss? Well, after a win we're all out partying

[TheSker]

I don't know that you can point to anything in the past 3 years or so and say, yes, we can hang our hat on THAT.

There definitely is.