How to bring the sides together?

[hack]

I won't go into whether I know for sure if Pedey offered the job to NUTT or not......but rest assured that Pedey "even" considering NUTT for the job concerned me!

yah, i remember when Pud keep on going on and on about bringing someone into the program who would bring the 'wow' factor into nebraska football.

 

nutt wasn't it. unless he wanted people to say, "wow... you gotta be kiddin'!" or "wow, that's the best you can do?"

[BigWillie]

Frost is right in a sense, we all cheer for Husker football and in the end, that's all that matters.

 

BUT he is wrong to an extent. Anyone is allowed their right to criticize, that's a given. After the Kansas loss, if you didn't question the offense and the program, you were either drunk or stupid. HOWEVER, the extent we (the media and fans) brought it to was simply uncalled for. The constant berating of coaches, calling for the firing, criticizing talent and how they used it, criticizing the AD, it does nothing to bring the program up. People like Frost in the media who constantly are taking pot shots at the new regime do nothing to help the perception of these fans.

 

If we get outplayed, outcoached and you feel the need to question something going on and can do it in a civil manner, that's fine. But when the team does something good, you better be willing to man-up and admit that as well. Don't drink the hateorade and wait for a chance to run your mouth (or keyboard for most of us) only when a dark day comes. That's what ALOT of Husker fans do.

 

Now as a player, I respect Frost. I respect him because I know he loves the University and I know he loved the past regime. I know that's why he isn't willing to accept the new regime completely yet and I can understand that since it he has his loyalties. But as a journalist, you have to put your loyalties aside and report from an unbiased viewpoint which he DOES NOT do everytime he writes in his blog. Moreso, he finds something, almost anything to nitpick at which makes his POV worthless. That's what gets him in trouble with alot of fans.

 

Like any part of life, constuctive criticism is great, but the media and fans need to leave the program along rather than cause the mess we did midseason again. Let the program take it's bump in the road from transition in stride rather than going the doom and gloom route every time something doesn't go perfectly.

 

All in all, just accept the program for what it is. Our 2nd year in an offense unfamiliar to almost all of the players and we are already playing and beating the Michigan's of the world. We'll have our setbacks like Kansas, but even Rome wasn't built in a day.

[StuckinChicago]

So much of this "distrust" around the state is due entirely to the media. If this had happened back when devaney was around, not only would you and I know absolutely nothing outside what was said of the resume of the incoming coach, but there sure as hell wouldnt be dramatic pressure to bring in someone that the fans like, instead of who would be best for the team, there wouldnt be pieces on the seven oclock news asking joe morton from neliegh nebraska what he thinks about Pederson, and you probably wouldnt know what the ad looks like. None of this has to do with how Pederson conducted himself, because if you believe that the hiring process before was that public, your crazy. Where are the pieces on the seven oclock news asking soccer fans how great an idea it was to move the team to campus and how much they like Pederson. Where are the reaction pieces to the new expansion project? The media doesnt feature these pieces because frankly it's more profitable for channel seven news if the state hates Steve Pederson. If you guys have been bothering to watch espn for the last five years or so, you would see that responsible journalism has gone out the window, and if you guys are gullible enough to think that you know Pederson based on what the media is telling you, than your an idiot, and certainly have not taken a look at all of the information that is displayed 56 minutes into the news broadcast...you know, after the headline piece where Steve Pederson is smirking at a question... Quit being so nieve.

[formerfan]

So much of this "distrust" around the state is due entirely to the media.

Ive stayed pretty quiet, but I have to play the BS card here. The distrust comes from pud telling the entire Husker nation for weeks that he was not going to fire Solich, then going out and firing the guy, then blaming it on the media for leaking the story. It comes from him "not offering" Nutt the job, yet he flew Nutt to Lincoln on a chartered flight, and had many "discussions" (interviews??) with him. It came from saying that he "interviewed" Pelini and Gill for the job. It comes from him saying that Wake was the game that he backed out of the Houston game for, even though if he wouldnt have backed out the the Houston game, NU would have played Houston on Thursday night and Maine on Saturday............

 

It comes from saying that billy c was his "first choice" for head coach, even though it was pretty obvious that he was pretty far down the line. And before you ask "how do you know that" well, it was public knowledge that billy c was gonna be fired by the Raiders. Im sure that they would have not stood in the way of him leaving on his own if he really was puds top choice. It comes from him saying that he made the change to "win championships now," but while NU was going 5-6 he started talking about "progress," finally after the CU game he said that "this is why I did what I did" You did this to beat a team that had folded up for the year and went out on a 4 game losing streak????

 

Bottom line the guy is a proven liar, when many people say (multiple times) that the guy is a liar, and he has contradicted himself in many ways, it shows a credibility problem.

 

Im the last person to defend the media, but you cant put this on them. You can kiss puds butt because he opened up the Devaney Center for you watch the volleyball game, but there is a good reason why he was voted the most hated man in the state.

[Roy CO HSKR]

road rat: When you say that BC should have had a coach in place when he let Solich go then 2 scenarios are at play, possibly:

 

1) Pederson would have had a coach of his choice already comitted in "secret" by time of the last season game in Boulder, which, of course, wasn't the case. Since almost no coach could have had interviews without press scrutiny, Solich would have known what was coming before he was fired. How cruel would that have been! This scenario is ridiculous!!

2) Pederson would have searched in secret while keeping Solich on through the bowl game and during that recruiting period. This is also silliness, since again the media would know and, therefore, Solich would know.

 

Your assumption is that the impossible could have taken place! I'm still challenging any of you to explain how Pederson could have avoided your many objections to how he so poorly handled the situation. In my subjective personal opinion, Pederson could not have resolved the coaching dilemna in a way that would have satisfied all the fans.

[StuckinChicago]

Would you tell the media that you were going to fire the head coach... in the middle of the season? EVERY AD DOES THAT. Do you know that Pederson offered Nutt the job, or did he just interview him for it, and was close to offering. Until there is paperwork, there is no offer. HE HAD TO GIVE PELINI AND GILL INTERVIEWS BECUASE STUPID FANS WHO DONT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IN THE LOCKER ROOM OR ON THE FIELD IN MOST OF THEIR CASES WERE GOING TO AXE MURDER HIM IF HE DIDNT. Do you not think that Maine cant be rescheduled for a week earlier if Wake Forest cant or doesnt want to play that week? Maybe Callahan was his first choice, but in case you didnt know, NFL COACHES DONT TAKE CALLS FROM COLLEGE ADS WHEN THEY ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON AND STILL EMPLOYED. He was doing this thing called coaching, I think you have probably heard of it. Was Michigan a team that folded up? Our 10-3 tremedous team that you keep pointing to would have been killed by that Michigan team. WE WOULD HAVE BEEN LUCKY TO SCORE ONE TOUCHDOWN. He is a proven liar because you see what you want to see. Frankly, we dont have to trust the damn athletic director. Why is it so easy for you to dismiss EVERY SINGLE GOOD THING THAT PEDERSON HAS DONE, INCLUDING MAKING MORE SEATS AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO SIT IN AND YELL AT CALLAHAN ABOUT HOW MUCH HE SUCKS, but so easy to be pissed about whether we are playing fricken HOUSTON! Who the hell cares if we play houston. Who the hell cares whether Callahan was his first choice or his fiftieth, because in the end, WE GOT THE BEST COACH. Who gives a rats ass whether or not he considered Pelini or Gill for the job, you would think he allready knew what they were capable seeing as they were allready on the coaching staff. Who the hell cares if he fires a mediocre coach who is a poor recruiter? Oh that's right... half the people in Nebraska do.... Gives me a whole lot of faith in people's priorities around here Probably the same people who cared about Clinton's sex life.

[TheKiD]

Winning heals all wounds.

[huskerinark]

I have been a Husker fan for over 35 years and it saddens me to see our fans acting like this towards each other. That being said, I understand how all of us are not going to agree with everything that happens and probably never have. It's just in todays world with internet and message boards, we all have a chance to express our feelings without having to be responsible for anything we say. I have been banned from a couple of boards because I did not always agree with what was being said. I also think that the gap betwen fans will close some if Callahan turns this team around and starts to propduce 9 and 10 win seasons most every year. In todays game a few off years should be expected. We will never again see forty years of greatness like in the past. There will always a some gap with Pederson as AD. Makes no differance what he did to upset them, he did and that will always cause a problem. My biggest problems with his search for a new coach was that he led Pellini and Gill on making them think they had a realistic chance at the job and he never intented to hire either one. He let old staff think they had a chance to hold onto their jobs until after the bowl game and then pulled the rug out from under them. Just my opinion. that is history and nothing is going to change what happened. If Callahan proves to be a winner, he will win over the intire Husker fan base but nothing Pederson does will ever make some like him.

[DaveH]

I don't think he pulled the rug out from under the old assistants as to whether or not they would be able to keep their current jobs. That would be up to the whoever was hired as head coach. Per the usual, Callahan brought his own guys in. I can't see how the assistants would expect they would keep their jobs considering that usually happens whenever a new head coach is hired.

 

And as far as interviewing Turner and Pelini, well, Turner stayed. Pelini did the hothead routine.

 

Oh and welcome to the board. All opinions are welcome. We just ask that you follow the rules, which are pretty basic. See the links in my signature.

[clone]

As for bringing the sides back together........were they ever together? I suspect there has always been a divide but the circumstances simply brought them to the fore front these past years. IMO, it really isn't a concern because everyone will continue to do what they deem is right in their eyes. I know I will.

 

 

 

 

Weasel

 

Exactly.

[Roy CO HSKR]

TheKid has the right answer. Winning heals all wounds. Although perhaps a poor analogy, The Broncos' fans were upset when the uniforms were drastically changed (back in maybe '97). I felt then that if the Bronco won the super Bowl, their would be no more clatter. Guess what? If the uniforms were charteuse with bright pink spots and they won the ultimate prize, the fans could almost tolerate it.

 

In 2 years, BC will be everyone's coach and the talk will be about winning the Big 12, not this other garbage. Pederson will be praised for not only turning football around, but other sports,as well. He will be thanked for the grat improvement in facilities and everyone will be happy again. Well, most everyone!

 

My suggestion is that we all stop derdging for the negative stuff and look to constuctively criticize and comment on the program and it's changes, rather than personalities and what could have been.

[Pedro Guerrero]

Husker Nation will never be unified. Winning doesn't cure everything because if you remember when we were winning National Championships people were complaining about Berringer or Frazier. There was also the outcry over the thugs that were playing. In 96 people wanted Frosts head even though we only lost 2 games that year. Crap people wanted to run TO out of town up until 1993. People will always find something to complain about. It is what we do as AMERICANS.

 

As far as the whole coach search crap went. Nutt got a raise, Saunders got a raise and a new job title. Zimmer from the Cowboys got a raise as well. It seems all the teams that employed the guys Pud was after didn't want to lose them so they gave them more money. Money Pud wasn't going to match. I thought Pud wanted Mike Stoops first but AZ beat him to the punch. Pelini got the interview he should have. Gill is the only one that kind of got the shaft. But I guess if Frankie wouldn't hire him as his OC then why should Pud give him the Head job? What year is it again?

[DJR313]

What year is it again?

 

[HuskersGJ]

this isn't exactly the first rift between Husker fans. some folks STILL get heated up over Newcombe vs Crouch!

 

My biggest problems with his search for a new coach was that he led Pellini and Gill on making them think they had a realistic chance at the job and he never intented to hire either one.

I agree with most of what you said Ark but as far as the interviews with Pelini and Gill-- it was mostly for show, for the fans. And i think Pelini and certainly Gill knew that as well as anyone. I'm not defending what were basically "mock interviews" but its not leading them on when they probably knew its just for the fans.

 

as for Pederson. obviously fans can be on whatever "side" they want to with him without being labeled as a "real" or a "bad" fan. I don't mind the guy but i can certainly see why many fans don't like him.

though i will say (mini-rant), i do draw the line when so-called "fans" actually BOO'd when Bob Brown simply said Pederson's name during what was obviously an emotional speach. as happened during the CU game in 2004 when Brown's # was being retired.

i think some of those who were booing maybe thought it was funny..? i don't know. but that was by far the most embarrassing thing i have ever seen from fans in Memorial Stadium. you hate the guy, fine, but please save it for the message boards, blogs, editorials, bars and the water cooler.

If bashing former players/coaches for what they say (on either side) is bad, then what is it when you boo one of the program's greatest players because he simply says the AD's name??

 

maybe others felt this way about "real" vs "bad" fans when Frost was being boo'd in 1996? another example of a rift gone past.

[huskerinark]

Thanks for the nice welcome. Everyone I am sure has their own opinion on how the coaching search was handled. I don't know if it would have been better to name a new coach before the game and let the old staff coach the bowl game or wait until after the game to basically let the old staff go. I know a new coach is going to hire his own people and so does everyone else including the staff at that time. I am sure most of them knew when Callahan was hired that they were gone but my question at the time was if the staff thought that Pelini or Gill had a real shot at the job or did they all pretty much know someone outside was coming in. If they knew someone outside was getting the job and most of them would be out of work, I applaud them even more for the job they did in the bowl game thinking it could be their last game at Nebraska. Of course hiring a new coach before the game and letting the old staff finish the bowl game didn't work well for Colorado or Boise State so who's to say which way is best.