Definition of a Real Husker Fan

[MLB 51]

Apparently to be called a true 'Bama fan, you have to shoot and kill someone for not being too upset over losing to Auburn.

Sad.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/10070271/deadly-shooting-was-alabama-crimson-tide-loss-victim-sister-says

[skersfan]

I agree the negativity is not good, but this is a message board, not a worship board. This program has problems, starting at the top, and I mean above the Head Coach. We need to be behind the staff and the players, but calling a spade is a spade. Fix the problems that seem obvious to many, and the attitude of the fans will get better. I think these kids are spoiled rotten, from the day they play the first game of football. Sugar coat everything for them does not seem to be the answer.

 

These kids see their coach get roasted when they make mistakes. Others of their same age see their friends and those in charge die for errors. They are not special, they are lucky to be where they are and they damned well should appreciate 90k going out of their way, spending lots of money, sacrificing a lot just to watch them play a game, that in the grand scheme of things means absolutely nothing.

 

Support the team for sure, but when things are wrong, the only way to correct them is get them out in the open and fix them. That is the teams and the staffs job, not mine or anyone on this boards. Fix this mess, the fans are behind you still. I did not hear a chant of fire Pelini over the TV. I heard Fire Kiffen at USC. We are good fans overall, idiots among us just like anywhere else. Hell Saben caught hell over his loss already.

 

If you do not want your feelings hurt stay off Twitter and face book. Take it with a grain of salt, forget about it and move on. Do things right. There has always been and always will be bullies, a lot easier behind a key board. Most would not have the guts to say the things they get by with on social media to anyone's face. Cowards to me.

[JJ Husker]

I guess I'm strongly of the opinion that players and coaches should stay away from twitter, message boards, facebook, social media if they are not mature enough to ignore the things that might bother them. It is one thing if some asshat "fan" tracks them down and targets a message at them (but that is a somewhat expected eventuality when a player uses twitter) and another thing completely if that coach/player comes on a public message board and happens to see something that offends them. If they go looking and find it, it is nobody's fault but their own and they need to be able to not let it bother them or they have no business stumbling around looking for it. Sorry GBredneck, I think you're about as wrong as can be on this issue and I would be very surprised if you weren't in an extreme minority on this.

[Flood]

This IS a fan forum. And fans have differing opinions. I think we can all agree on that. Anyone who has played sports, at any level, simply has to be aware of this fact. It is such a simple given, that you'd think players would know better than to even look at sites like HB.

 

Maybe they have (or should have) an internal site or message board where the players of a team/conference, etc, can do the same thing privately. Maybe that just opens a big can of worms, I don't know. The world has changed so much, with social media and new media everywhere, 24/7. It is impossible to escape, even for minor celebrities and wanna be's.

 

In any event, if a player checks out a site and sees something they do not like, that is squarely on their shoulders. They know from a very young age that there can be and usually are polarizing views about even simple events when connected to such a high profile sport.

[beanman]

Apparently to be called a true 'Bama fan, you have to shoot and kill someone for not being too upset over losing to Auburn.

Sad.

http://espn.go.com/c...tim-sister-says

 

People up here take football too seriously. People down there take it to the crazy level.

[Glendower]

I could afford club seats in West Stadium if I had a dollar for every time I've read the phrase "real Husker fan" in the past few days.

 

Only thing is, there doesn't seem to be a definitive concept of what that "real" fan is, or does, or believes, or how they feel, and we need to get cracking on this crucial line item if we're ever gonna move forward.

 

Here's the start of a list I made a while back. Please add to it, so we can nail down what a "real" fan is. This is important. Be for real on this.

 

 

A True Husker Fan is someone who thinks what I think, who disagrees with the things I disagree with, who likes my favorite player and who wants to bench the same player I think should be benched.

 

A True Husker Fan is someone who echoes my sentiments after a loss, who agrees with my take on the team's flaws, and whose rhetoric matches mine while discussing both.

 

A True Husker Fan shares my taste in runzas, Valentino's pizza and Fairbury hot dogs.

 

A True Husker Fan stands when I stand, shouts when I shout, sits when I sit and stays quiet when I stay quiet.

 

A True Husker Fan shares my opinion of Lil' Red.

 

A True Husker Fan shares my opinions on Nebraska's rivals, which conference we belong in, and which team we love/hate the most.

 

A True Husker Fan agrees with me on that call that one ref made - you know the one, in that one game, the one that changed the game? Yeah, that one.

 

A True Husker Fan is someone who knows who the greatest QB, RB, WR and Coach at Nebraska is, and I don't even have to mention names of who I think it is, because they know.

 

Thank you so much for this.

 

Let's not forget that the root of "fan" is "fanatic." It just means people who care *a lot* about a team-- are, now stay with me here, fanatical. They'll go through some emotional extremes, they might call for a head or two, they might love people you don't, but it's all with the same end goal-- to see their team win.

 

The opposite of a fanaticism is apathy. A "real fan" (unsarcastically ) just cares a whole heckuv a lot. This might manifest itself in a variety of ways. I think that if someone is here and offering a solution for a perceived problem and wants to discus it, that person is a fan.

 

Let's not try to draw lines between who is "real" and who isn't-- no one here gets to be the arbiter of others' devotion for the team.

 

"Well, well, let's get on with it." -Sartre

[Flood]

"Let's Get It On" -Marvin Gaye

[HUSKER 37]

Even if you could "censor" all negative comments from being heard or read by the players and coaches, would you really want to?

 

Learning to deal with controversy is part of the growing process...Makes them stronger. Maybe why coaches like Bo feel like yelling and screaming at the players might eventually work.

 

In semi related news...(Speaking of the making of a "true Husker Fan") ..The transformation of my Husker/Buckeye Hybrid seems to be complete...He Started rooting for Nebraska a couple of seasons ago after a decade as a Moma's boy..(His Mom couldn't even say the word "Michigan" without adding "Ptuey" at the end)...And just last Saturday, I swear I caught him rooting against tOSU in their one point win over Meechicken..If only there was some way of breaking the news to his Mom without losing the kid's trust, .....I'd probably get full custody.

[GBRedneck]

So, in your opinion, there is no place on HB for criticism of anything pertaining to coaches or players? It is more our (posters) responsibility to not post anything negative than it is for the players or coaches to not come looking for it here?

 

You're sure entitled to that opinion but I think that is jacked up. That only leaves the possibility of praise and back slapping, one side of the equation. Hardly a glowing referral to come here and have any kind of meaningful discussion about what may be right or wrong, good or bad, about the state of Husker football. But, I actually think there are a fair number of posters who would agree with that approach. They are often referred to as sunshine pumpers and they seem to be the ones who get bent the most when anything negative is posted.

 

Let me be clear, I do not want to be negative. I just think there are a plethora of viable opportunities when it comes to some areas of Pelini's coaching actions, results, history, or anticipated future. What are we going to discuss if it can only be sunshine and roses?

 

No, from post #24 in this thread: Nothing wrong with constructive criticism, but there's really no reason for shrill, whiny, incessant, hateful negativity. And it's really not hard to tell the difference.

I agree, there is plenty to criticize. Just take some care in how you word it. Be aware that the players/coaches/recruits might be reading it.

[Hujan]

 

So you think positivity hurts the team???

 

That's what you got out of what I said?

 

I was referencing the differences in opinions between the two different sides, the "haters" and the "sunshine pumpers".

 

But that is the main difference. One hurts the team, one doesn't.

 

But the decrease in performance by the team preceded (and, in fact, caused) the negativity. Thus, it's difficult to say the negativity is hurting the team's performance much if at all. Fan negativity had nothing to do with this:

 

http://espn.go.com/n...ameId=323360275

 

More importantly, as a fan, I am concerned more with the team's long-term best interests than the short-term interests. I no longer fear a 4-loss season or a blowout on primetime TV. Callini have desensitized me to that. My nightmare is that Pelini is still the coach four years from now and we are in the exact same place: mediocre wins, blowout losses, and not a championship crumb to be found.

 

In my opinion, I've seen enough in these 6 years to know that that's exactly what's going to happen if we retain Pelini. He's stubborn, arrogant, and has surrounded himself with inexperienced sycophant coordinators who are in over their heads. Meanwhile, he's alienated the fan base, the media (national and local), and the administration. Quite frankly, the only thing that can be said for him is that the players "love him," which is one of the most completely unremarkable demonstrations of Stockholm Syndrome I've ever seen, since virtually every player in college or professional sports has or would express the exact same sentiments about their respective coaches. In my opinion, I think anyone who disagrees is in denial or is so completely unaware of how far their own standards and expectations have fallen, that even an above-average coaching staff at Nebraska will come down on them like a cold bucket of water.

 

By expressing my disappointment with Pelini, I hope that my voice will join with other voices who do not want to see us continue to wallow in mediocrity indefinitely. I hope that those with the power to make the decision will hear our words, wake up, and make the change that needs to be made. Might this "hurt" the team in the short term? Perhaps. But if the difference between negativity "hurting" the program is a 9-3 season and an 8-4 season, I'll take that risk if it hastens the dawn of the day when we can close the lid on the Pelini experiment and move on with someone who actually has a chance of delivering on what he's promised.

[GBRedneck]

 

So you think positivity hurts the team???

 

That's what you got out of what I said?

 

I was referencing the differences in opinions between the two different sides, the "haters" and the "sunshine pumpers".

 

But that is the main difference. One hurts the team, one doesn't.

 

But the decrease in performance by the team preceded (and, in fact, caused) the negativity. Thus, it's difficult to say the negativity is hurting the team's performance much if at all. Fan negativity had nothing to do with this:

 

http://espn.go.com/n...ameId=323360275

 

More importantly, as a fan, I am concerned more with the team's long-term best interests than the short-term interests. I no longer fear a 4-loss season or a blowout on primetime TV. Callini have desensitized me to that. My nightmare is that Pelini is still the coach four years from now and we are in the exact same place: mediocre wins, blowout losses, and not a championship crumb to be found.

 

In my opinion, I've seen enough in these 6 years to know that that's exactly what's going to happen if we retain Pelini. He's stubborn, arrogant, and has surrounded himself with inexperienced sycophant coordinators who are in over their heads. Meanwhile, he's alienated the fan base, the media (national and local), and the administration. Quite frankly, the only thing that can be said for him is that the players "love him" one of the most completely unremarkable demonstrations of Stockholm Syndrome I've ever seen, since virtually every player in college or professional sports has or would express the exact same sentiments about their respective coaches. In my opinion, I think anyone who disagrees is in denial or is so completely unaware of how far their own standards and expectations have fallen, that even an above average coach at Nebraska will come down on them like a cold bucket of water.

 

By expressing my disappointment with Pelini, I hope that my voice will join with other voices who do not want to see us continue to wallow in mediocrity in perpetuity. I hope that those with the power to make the decision will hear our words, wake up, and make the change that needs to be made. Might this "hurt" the team in the short term? Perhaps. But if the difference between negativity "hurting" the program is a 9-3 season and an 8-4 season, I'll take that risk if it hastens the dawn of the day when we can close the lid on the Pelini experiment and move on with someone who actually has a chance of delivering on what he's promised.

 

And you ignore the fact that the odds are much greater that we would get someone worse than Pelini and it would be detrimental to the program in the long term.

 

But you obviously need to rationalize your desire to spew negativity, and no one can really stop you from doing it, so don't let me slow you down.

[Hujan]

 

So you think positivity hurts the team???

 

That's what you got out of what I said?

 

I was referencing the differences in opinions between the two different sides, the "haters" and the "sunshine pumpers".

 

But that is the main difference. One hurts the team, one doesn't.

 

But the decrease in performance by the team preceded (and, in fact, caused) the negativity. Thus, it's difficult to say the negativity is hurting the team's performance much if at all. Fan negativity had nothing to do with this:

 

http://espn.go.com/n...ameId=323360275

 

More importantly, as a fan, I am concerned more with the team's long-term best interests than the short-term interests. I no longer fear a 4-loss season or a blowout on primetime TV. Callini have desensitized me to that. My nightmare is that Pelini is still the coach four years from now and we are in the exact same place: mediocre wins, blowout losses, and not a championship crumb to be found.

 

In my opinion, I've seen enough in these 6 years to know that that's exactly what's going to happen if we retain Pelini. He's stubborn, arrogant, and has surrounded himself with inexperienced sycophant coordinators who are in over their heads. Meanwhile, he's alienated the fan base, the media (national and local), and the administration. Quite frankly, the only thing that can be said for him is that the players "love him" one of the most completely unremarkable demonstrations of Stockholm Syndrome I've ever seen, since virtually every player in college or professional sports has or would express the exact same sentiments about their respective coaches. In my opinion, I think anyone who disagrees is in denial or is so completely unaware of how far their own standards and expectations have fallen, that even an above average coach at Nebraska will come down on them like a cold bucket of water.

 

By expressing my disappointment with Pelini, I hope that my voice will join with other voices who do not want to see us continue to wallow in mediocrity in perpetuity. I hope that those with the power to make the decision will hear our words, wake up, and make the change that needs to be made. Might this "hurt" the team in the short term? Perhaps. But if the difference between negativity "hurting" the program is a 9-3 season and an 8-4 season, I'll take that risk if it hastens the dawn of the day when we can close the lid on the Pelini experiment and move on with someone who actually has a chance of delivering on what he's promised.

 

And you ignore the fact that the odds are much greater that we would get someone worse than Pelini and it would be detrimental to the program in the long term.

 

But you obviously need to rationalize your desire to spew negativity, and no one can really stop you from doing it, so don't let me slow you down.

 

So you stick with a mediocre coach solely out of fear you might do worse? That, to me, is cowardice, plain and simple.

 

Not to mention that you act as though Nebraska is going to be stuck with Pelini's replacement for the next 25 years, like it or not. If the next guy sucks too, we can move on again. That's the nature of the beast. Coaching hires are not like timeouts; we don't have a finite number.

 

Take a look at UCLA. Bob Toledo was coach from 1996 to 2002. He went 49-32. He was replaced by another mediocre coach, Karl Dorrell, who coached from 2003 to 2007 and went 35-27 over that span. He was replaced by another mediocre coach in Rick Neuheisel, who coached from 2007 to 2011 and went 21-29. UCLA replaced Neuheisel with Jim Mora, whom all would agree has that program on the definite upswing.

 

That's four (4!) coaches in a 15-year span before finally finding what appears to be a good coach. Nebraska can do the same if that's what it takes to find a winner.

 

 

There's also a flaw in your logic since you take for granted that I have "desire to spew negativity." Why would any Husker fan have a "desire to spew negativity" about the team unless it was a justified response to the product on the field? Do you think I (we) woke up one morning and decided to hate on the team we love just for sh#ts and giggles? I'd much rather have been on here celebrating a win over Wisconsin and talking about Kenny Bell's block or Taylor's TD run (in that order) than expressing doubts about Pelini's leadership after (another) blowout loss. To dismiss fans like myself as simply wanting to "spew negativity" is as simple-minded and reductionist as it comes, which is exactly what I'd expect from someone in denial.

[GBRedneck]

And you ignore the fact that the odds are much greater that we would get someone worse than Pelini and it would be detrimental to the program in the long term.

 

But you obviously need to rationalize your desire to spew negativity, and no one can really stop you from doing it, so don't let me slow you down.

 

So you stick with a mediocre coach solely out of fear you might do worse? That, to me, is cowardice, plain and simple.

 

Not to mention that you act as though Nebraska is going to be stuck with Pelini's replacement for the next 25 years, like it or not. If the next guy sucks too, we can move on again. That's the nature of the beast. Coaching hires are not like timeouts; we don't have a finite number.

 

Take a look at UCLA. Bob Toledo was coach from 1996 to 2002. He went 49-32. He was replaced by another mediocre coach, Karl Dorrell, who coached from 2003 to 2007 and went 35-27 over that span. He was replaced by another mediocre coach in Rick Neuheisel, who coached from 2007 to 2011 and went 21-29. UCLA replaced Neuheisel with Jim Mora, whom all would agree has that program on the definite upswing.

 

That's four (4!) coaches in a 15-year span before finally finding what appears to be a good coach. Nebraska can do the same if that's what it takes to find a winner.

 

No, you have it wrong again. We stick with Pelini because he IS a winner. We already found one. You want to can him and take a wild chance at finding a better winner because of some unknown emotionally subjective reasons, while ignoring all of the obvious objective facts about the situation, as well as the history of the last 50 years of Nebraska football.

[Hujan]

And you ignore the fact that the odds are much greater that we would get someone worse than Pelini and it would be detrimental to the program in the long term.

 

But you obviously need to rationalize your desire to spew negativity, and no one can really stop you from doing it, so don't let me slow you down.

 

So you stick with a mediocre coach solely out of fear you might do worse? That, to me, is cowardice, plain and simple.

 

Not to mention that you act as though Nebraska is going to be stuck with Pelini's replacement for the next 25 years, like it or not. If the next guy sucks too, we can move on again. That's the nature of the beast. Coaching hires are not like timeouts; we don't have a finite number.

 

Take a look at UCLA. Bob Toledo was coach from 1996 to 2002. He went 49-32. He was replaced by another mediocre coach, Karl Dorrell, who coached from 2003 to 2007 and went 35-27 over that span. He was replaced by another mediocre coach in Rick Neuheisel, who coached from 2007 to 2011 and went 21-29. UCLA replaced Neuheisel with Jim Mora, whom all would agree has that program on the definite upswing.

 

That's four (4!) coaches in a 15-year span before finally finding what appears to be a good coach. Nebraska can do the same if that's what it takes to find a winner.

 

No, you have it wrong again. We stick with Pelini because he IS a winner. We already found one. You want to can him and take a wild chance at finding a better winner because of some unknown emotionally subjective reasons, while ignoring all of the obvious objective facts about the situation, as well as the history of the last 50 years of Nebraska football.

 

Really?

 

0-3 in conference championship games

2-3 in bowl games

6-12 against ranked opponents

4-15 against teams that finish in the top-20

 

Do me a favor: Stick your fingers in your ears, close your eyes, and say, "Nah, nah, nah; I'm not listening." It suits you.

[knapplc]

Hujan, over the past six years, who has a better record in those categories? What school do they coach at, and what would it cost to get them here?