Tom Osborne Press conference

[Blackshirt]

Id like to hear some of your thoughts on TO's PC. Did you get to listen to it?

Here are some highlights from the OWH recap.

 

Osborne said he had no advance warning from Pederson, Nebraska's athletic director, that Solich would be fired. He said the thing that pushed him over the edge was the firing of seven assistants in early January, many of whom had Osborne ties.

 

He said the coaches didn't get a serious look to join Head Coach Bill Callahan's staff.

 

"We lost something in the process," Osborne said. "The program was built on a sense of loyalty and continuity. That sense of loyalty and caring permeated everything we did."

 

"What I'm not trying to do is whip up another firestorm," Osborne said.

 

"I've listened to everybody," Osborne said, "I've heard all sides of the story. And I just don't see anything that maybe we couldn't have sat down in one room, maybe 45 minutes to an hour, hashed it out and had it back on track

 

"It also pained me to have those consequences to assistant coaches," Perlman said. "I felt bad about that, and I still feel bad about that."

 

What do you guys think about all this? Will this slow the healing process of Husker Nation? Will this hinder the progress of the program in the short or long term? Did he have every right to say the things he did, or should he have kept them private like Solich has? Whether you agree with his comments or not, I think we can all agree it was a good thing this occured AFTER LOI day!!! Hopefully it doesnt affect any other potential recruits decision. Thoughts??

 

Full art: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_np=0&u_pg...38&u_sid=997871

[RedCountry]

Yes I heard it. You bet it was within his right!! If anyone has a right to speak out it is TO. He has more than earned it. There are alotta hacks making a big fuss about some of the things he said, but to them i say PULL YER HEADS OUTTA YOUR FRIGGIN HOLES!! Are you kidding me? Think about what your complaining about here!! Bottom line Tom WAS deceived by Steve Pederson, and manipulated into agreeing into attaching his name to the project. Steve hamstrung him with the decision, and led him to believe that Solich would still be around, when he knew damn well what he was planning to do with him. Oz mainly agred to append his and Nancy's name to help Solich and staff. Steve betrayed him and TO has a right to feel a bit jerked. and to tell everyone about it!! The same schlux that criticized Oz for not being outgoing and speaking out enuf are the same jerkoffs banging him for finally speaking his mind. Good for you Tom. I support you 100%. B/c you have earned it. No one else has within the current Husker admin as of 11:23 CST Feb 6 2004. and I dont see it happening anytime soon. Thanks for everything Coach Osborne. Salud!!

[AR Husker Fan]

While it may have some short term effects, I have to agree with the right to state it. Tom made a very significant point - the break with continuity. If Nebraska means anything, or meant anything, it was an unbroken line of sorts. What has occurred has been a seachange of monumental proportions.

 

I'm not saying that it won't work out over time...nor am I saying that fans should abandon the program. What I am trying to say - albeit not very well - is that NU, unlike other schools, had a tradition that was more than winning seasons. It had a kind of feel of family. That's what it symbolized for me. There was a sense of sucession throughout.

 

Tom was a significant part of the creation and the maintenance of that feel. I'm sure he has always viewed NU in that light - once a Husker, always a Husker, and to be a Husker meant more than just winning. He wanted to support that, and I have no doubt he feels betrayed.

[Pile]

T.O. has every right to say this... With out him Bob might never win those two national champs and then NU does not continue at top level for 25 years... Tom is University of Nebraska football. With out him the 2 greatest college football teams EVER would not exist!

 

What he did for our beloved football team gives him the ability to say as he pleases. Infact I figured he would want his named removed for the practice facility... and I would not have faulted him one bit...

 

Its funny to me... on another board they have had 10 pages worth of post about this subject... and soooo many people bashing T.O. for saying what he said. This is a classic example why I love this place... We dont get the morons who dont think about everything and just post it seems to see their # of post go up...

 

You dont have to agree with what I think but I know almost anyone who post here would not disrespect T.O. and say that he does not allowed to have his opinions heard. I think we all can agree that without this man, are team would never have been near the same...

 

 

THANK YOU TOM!

[NU Era]

I 4th the above comments. Although Im one to say "lets move on" and am ready to accept this change and support the new regime (hence my name!), as I think you are all ready to do as well - but I still recognize who got us here for crying out loud!! Ive also heard some of the banter going on about Tom speaking his mind. Phooey. What a bunch of hogwash.

 

Like on of the earlier posters said, he gets bashed for not being outgoing for so long, then when he is he is bashed again. Darned if ya do....

 

Would you guys have wanted NOONE to have publicly decried Steve and his shennanigans??? When the majority of Husker Nation was ready to string Steve up, and now it seems many are saying "Tom how could you!??". Gimme a break. Fickle. Fickle hypocritical and you know what, they arent TRUE NU fans either. True Husker fans realize that the Godfather is privileged soul. That the Godfather would never do anything to harm Husker Nation. Tom did nothing crass or out of line, and for crying out loud he is still endorsing the freakin Stadium and project with his and his wifes names!! Even after YES he was bamboozled by Steve a bit.

 

So to all these fans that moaned for weeks about Steve P, and now finally someone with some authority has the podium and expresses a valid counterpoint, in a very respectable manner (he still said "you should cotinue to support the program") and now this isnt good enough either!?? My goodness what do some of these "fans" want????

 

Go Coach Osborne first and Go Big Red second. Because right now Im a bit embarassed to be associated with some of the "fans" of Husker Nation.

 

NU Era

[hack]

What he did for our beloved football team gives him the ability to say as he pleases. Infact I figured he would want his named removed for the practice facility... and I would not have faulted him one bit...

ditto. bob devaney laid the foundation, but tom osborne built the freakin' house. he put more than a quarter century into nebraska football and has ever right to speak his mind.

[Guest Cornshucker]

Amen to all the comments above. I enjoy this board because the contributors I've read during my short time logging in appear to be intelligent thinkers. We all know that we all wanted the program returned to it's previous strength. That sentiment was felt no less by Frank, TO, and Pederson. We all know that it was strange that Ped didn't consult with TO. And that TO felt intensely hurt and slighted was well understood far before this press converence. He has every right by virtue of 'manifest domain'. It will probably never be known because TO is intelligent, loyal, and not one to harp on what could'a or should'a. But I would give $5,000 to have a transscript of the thoughts that he would have contributed in that 45 minute to 1 hour meeting that he said may have turned things around!!! Those same thoughts may have been worth millions or priceless to NU football. However, Frank did have regular telephone conversations with TO. Frank destroyed many of Nebraska's records. Ped destroyed Nebraska's staff with Nebraska ties and coaching traditions. Because I suffer from Husker disease, I have to be optimistic about the new staff and approach. One thing about it. If Nebraska football doesn't reach it's traditional pinnacle, it will be much easier to boot this staff as we enter the arena of 'musical chair' coaching changes which is the normalcy of many and most programs in the nation.

[BigRedMachine]

Good points guys. I agree that most of the members around here felt it wasnt necessary to say "Tom had every right", b/c to us it was obvious. The thing with the other boards is that they get so big, and the law of averages says the bigger the crowd the higher the chance of idiots being in that crowd. Not to get cheesy, but this place is more like a small family a la Lincoln NE. All the major topics are still covered, just not 100 times over and like Pile said, posting just to hear themselves post.

 

Sure we definitely dont want a completely homogenous environment around here, and want diverse opinions, but like Pile said

You dont have to agree with what I think but I know almost anyone who post here would not disrespect T.O. and say that he does not allowed to have his opinions heard. I think we all can agree that without this man, are team would never have been near the same...

 

Well put.

 

The only thing I want to add is that Tom probably felt it was his "duty" to stand up for his guys. Like he said, many of these GREAT coaches rearranged their lives to be a part of Husker Nation and a stable program. And then the rug was pulled out from under em in one year. Not right. Tom would never speak out if he didnt think it serves great purpose, we should ALL know that by now. What he did may buckle some knees around Husker Nation, and appear as if we are a fractured group; however, I think this will do more good for the program in the long term than we will ever realize.

NU Era wrote

Would you guys have wanted NOONE to have publicly decried Steve and his shennanigans???

Agreed. A devils advocate is very healthy for a successful program, and although there were more than enough "devils" decrying Steve, no one of Toms stature ever stepped up. And guess what, this has been a long time coming. Dont you think this has just been brewing inside of Tom for quite some time? What respect and dignity he showed by yes waiting until after our recruits were stabilized, so as not to command attention away from what was important. Yet people still complain. Tom couldve done this a month ago you know. But he put the programs interests over his. As usual.

 

So I say its good for HN. Its good for us. And its most certainly GREAT for Steve Pederson. He needs to recognize that there is more to Husker Nation than the superficial coat of gloss he just got done spreading over the woodwork. And he also needs to not forget that there is a very powerful man in Coach Osborne that has the integrity of the program in mind, and has a better grip on tradition than Steve ever will.

 

So thank you Tom. I respect you more now than I ever did before.

BRM

[Husker_fan_in_KC]

Most of what I was going to say has been covered but I wanted to add something. What I really respect out of this is that TO seems to understand how much sway he holds over Husker Nation still. He knows his words carry serious weight with the fans who watched him in the 90's and before so he kept his thought to himself untill he thought he wouldn't damage the recruiting. He knows he still has a lot of loyalty with the fans and always weighs his words carefully because he knows that he could start a firestorm if he choose to. He is the purest form of a coach and a Husker in my mind.

 

Also i did like what he said about the program in that loyalty should be > all. I like to win as much as the next guy but when you lose your identity to do it then what have you won?

 

Oh well its good to see TO speaking up on it one way or the other because I think most fans wanted to know what he thought about the way it all went. I think SP may have some serious issues in the future if he doesn't have TO on his side.

[Fanatic]

I agree with all of you guys, and I am glad that TO spoke out. But I would also like to say that even tho I am sad about alot of husker traditions being thrown out the window and a lot of husker coaches with deep roots in Nebraska leaving, I think it is being done for the right reason, to keep the biggest husker tradition of all, and that is WINNING!!!

[Redout]

Most people you can tell, including T.O., when most people are sincere when they speak and when their BS. You could he was, I don't know if its pissed off, but rather dismayed but it all. In a daze and finally coming out of it with his press conference. He was shook up, almost a lose for words. I think when and if more alumni (football and general) get a hold of this press conference, there is going to be a bit of an uproar. You know especially some of those players who are just so faithful to him. Guys that would run through a wall if TO asked.

 

I don't think, beside the '95 events with LP have we seen him like this

 

redout

[johnnyredshoes]

Very good points guys. I ditto most all of it.

Glad to see at least the people around here have some intelligence. Keep it up.

[Blackshirt]

FYI, here's a link to watch TO's press conference.

http://www.theomahachannel.com//video/2828...959/detail.html

[DaveH]

I agree with most of what is said in this thread, although I am not so sure SP needed

to absolutley consult TO before he got rid of Frank. I am not disputing what TO has

done for the program or anything. That speaks for itself. However, he did retire from

the game and he should not have a huge say in how the program is run now. If he

wants that, he shouldn't have retired. Granted, I would have probably asked him

for some advice if I was SP, but I wouldn't just do whatever he said because he is

TO. Then he really isn't doing his job and just doing what he is told. He was hired

to do a job and that's what he is doing. That's all I'll say about that because I would

just end up diving into all that again

 

I believe he had to say something because of his name being put on the new complex.

As typical, there were a lot of rumors flying around and needed to be addressed.

If that weren't an issue, I wouldn't have expected him to hold a press conference

about what he thought. He would have done that a lot sooner if that was the case, but

I think he knows that he isn't in direct control of the program anymore and respects

that. He was in a position to pull his name and support from the new project and

that was it. He explained his decision and why he made it based on the events of the

last couple months and that's it.