Is HuskerNation divided more than ever

[knapplc]

We are positive in the same way you were 100% sure that Bo was never going to win anything at nebraska Hedley. For the last two years the Bo haters have been on here bashing every loss, coach and playcall. Now it's our turn to question everything your coach does. Sounds like he is already off to a good start with the hiring of Banker and Read. It's not a good sign when the Oregon state play by play guy says they suck.

No.

 

The absolute last thing this board needs are people offended by how the last coach was treated coming in here and "showing you what it's like." Legitimate discussion and football criticism is fine. Using this forum as a weapon to get back at the people who wronged you in the past is not what HuskerBoard is for.

[JJ Husker]

I fall into groups 1 and 2. I am more excited about Riley than literally any other coach you mentioned as being a better option. Gruden, Harbaugh, etc. all pipe dreams, it was never going to happen. The main problem with the group 3 fans is twofold; 1- Most didn't/don't realize that it was past time for Bo to go. 2- They were delusional about possible replacements. They either wanted coaches that were never realistic or they wanted coaches that, quite honestly, would've been like the Callahan hire. Or, they wanted guys with Nebraska ties that simply are not ready yet or are not good enough.

 

Is the divide wider or deeper between Husker fans? IDK, it just appears to me that the group 3 folks are being a bit unreasonable. When you start with fairly unrealistic expectations and then are unwilling to give it enough time, we'll it just gets kind of crazy. People need to relax, give it some time, and see what happens. There will be plenty of time to circle the wagons. For now, it would be really nice if the zany group 3 folks could join the supportive fans group and leave goofsville behind.

[suh_fan93]

I am firmly convinced that there are only two camps in Husker Nation.

 

1. People who like being optimistic and see good things happening.

 

2. People who will always find negativity in everything related to Husker Football.

 

It makes no difference who the coach is.

 

It most certainly makes a difference who the coach is. The only problem is that this discussion now and in the past has only reflected upon 2 coaches. Bo Pelini and of course our new coach.

 

I want to be optimistic but at the same time I'm not going to bullsh$! around when it comes to Husker fb. I get trying to look on the bright side of things but for me I look at the reality. We just handed the keys of Husker nation over to someone who wasn't even on other schools radar and then suddenly in the brink of just a few days after being contacted is our new head coach. A lot of people don't see this as an upgrade at all. Not even close. You're going to have a divided fan base with that kind of hire.

 

I seriously think all the people who were in love with Bo Pelini before and I'm talking more about this board are now the one's who are the total optimists now when it comes to Riley. I'm still just shaking my head at that and the whole Mike Riley hiring but all I can do is sit back and watch. I'll always be a Husker fan but that doesn't mean I have to be a fan of the coach or their decisions too.

[Scratchtown]

I am firmly convinced that there are only two camps in Husker Nation.

 

1. People who like being optimistic and see good things happening.

 

2. People who will always find negativity in everything related to Husker Football.

 

It makes no difference who the coach is.

I dunno if it's completely that black and white...this season I definitely fit into the Grey area

[NU5XChamps]

I would really like someone to tell me what BO did that was so incredible that Mike Riley can't do. I don't want to hear 9 wins. I am being SERIOUS!!! Bo took at bad and made us respectable again, that is all he has done in 7 years. Then he would hurt us with his immature emotional outburst on the sidelines.

 

Give Riley a chance to see what he can do. I would be willing to bet, that the team at NU is twice as talented as the one he had at OSU.

[dvdcrr]

To the OP: There is a fourth category. Those who are tired of sideways hires and want to get this thing rockin again.

 

And I need to quit doggin on Riley. He's a hell of a coach we will see what happens. GO BIG RED!

[Scratchtown]

I would really like someone to tell me what BO did that was so incredible that Mike Riley can't do. I don't want to hear 9 wins. I am being SERIOUS!!! Bo took at bad and made us respectable again, that is all he has done in 7 years. Then he would hurt us with his immature emotional outburst on the sidelines.

 

Give Riley a chance to see what he can do. I would be willing to bet, that the team at NU is twice as talented as the one he had at OSU.

Not just this year but more talented than his teams that went 10-3 or 9-3

[commando]

Bo brought the "us against them" mentality to husker nation....that mentality has fully bloomed and is doing fine now.

[Dr. Strangelove]

 

It seems that an even greater rift is occurring in Huskerland. There was a Bo-leaver vs Bo-liever split but this hire seems to have made the division even wider. There appear to be 3 general groups:

 

1. Kool-aid/eternal optimist group. They believe that this is a good hire and the future is bright. Their main argument is that he did not have the resources at OSU that he will at NU. Or they just hated Bo and MR is a "nice guy".

 

2. "Wait and See" (probably the biggest group). They want Dear Old Nebraska U to succeed. Maybe don't know a lot about MR, uncertain but hoping for the best.

 

3. Downgrade hire. I fall into this group. The reason we are unhappy is because we care about Nebraska and feel this hire sets us back 5 years (1-3 until he's gone, another 1-3 to turn it back around) just to get back to where we are now. I am highly confident that this will be the case. I therefore have very little hope for the next few years. That is depressing. Maybe he will prove me wrong. But I said the same thing the day BC was hired and it was an extremely long and painful 4 years.

 

 

Whichever group you fall, this could be considered a bad hire simply b/c of the division created. SE could have united HuskerNation with a different hire:

1. A proven successful coach, Jon Gruden, Jim Harbaugh, even Jerry Kill, Lance Leipold. Everyone would see a history of success and have hopes for the program. Riley obviously does not have a history of success.

 

2. A Nebraska tie. Turner Gill or Scott Frost. Each would have questions; Gill success at Buffalo and Liberty but not at Kansas, Frost inexperience. But both hires would have the full fan base behind them, some would be unsure but all would be excited to see the future. Riley has no connection to NE.

 

3. Nebraska "style". Paul Johnson, Troy Calhoun, Jerry Kill would have a lot of Husker fans remembering the dominant option/power running years. Riley's west coast offense will not peak interest a significant group of Huskers.

 

I think Riley already has a big group with serious doubts and will quickly lose the fan base with a loss to an inferior team. The other hires would have more backing and longer leashes. He must have immediate success to get everyone to believe in him. We have a lot of talent returning so should not take a step back. A new coach/system would be another excuse. Good coaches know how to best use their talent.

 

 

Reasons I'm not optimistic:

Mike Riley had 14 years at OSU to change the program. He brought a bad team to a mediocre team but not above that. Making excuses for having a bad team is very disappointing. Good coaches will find a way to win and improve the program, WITHOUT EXCUSES. There are many cases of good coaches lifting bad programs to good programs (KSU, Mizzou, TCU, Miami, FSU, Baylor, Boise State, etc...). MR never improved the program to above mediocre, never increased the interest, the coaching, the recruiting. He has never even won his division. Heck, Dennis Erickson coached Riley's players to more success than MR.

 

MR coached the San Diego Charger to their WORST RECORD IN FRANCHISE HISTORY! Good coaches simply do not do that. The Chargers do not have less resources than all other NFL teams. He just has a long history of non-success.

 

Why would anyone have confidence in SE to know football coaching? He has never hired a football coach. He never coached football. He didn't play in the NFL. Where is all of this football knowledge you speak of? He played at UW-Whitewater so he must know everything? All he has done in regards to football coaches is extend the contract of Al Golden, who went 6-6 this year with the Miami Hurricanes. And many Miami fans would like to see gone but it's more difficult b/c of his contract that SI extended. SE is a lawyer with no previous ties or cares for Nebraska. I repeat, he is a lawyer.

Good grief. You just don't get it, and likely never will.

I thought his post was well organized and thought out...

 

Anyway, im in the camp that wanted Pelini to go, but was unsure about the Riley hire initially. I did hold out hope for some of the assistants to come on board before I issued judgement.

 

However, no monster recruiters have been hired. The DC is underwhelming. Im still hoping that a big name will join the staff but that seems unlikely.

 

So, instead of being optimistic for optimism sake, im going to evaluate the new staff for what it is: underwhelming. Resources can only do so much, ask Michigan and Florida.

[Scratchtown]

How can anyone judge how great a recruiter they are when they have been working in Corvallis Oregon, and that program....

 

Baffles me. Some recruiters are better than other simply due to what program they are at, why can't this be the case now? Oh...because negativity is flowing hard here

[BRV920]

Not what I mean Knapp. I'm going to give Reilly a chance but I'm not going to pump sunshine over this hire.

[Kernal]

We are positive in the same way you were 100% sure that Bo was never going to win anything at nebraska Hedley. For the last two years the Bo haters have been on here bashing every loss, coach and playcall. Now it's our turn to question everything your coach does. Sounds like he is already off to a good start with the hiring of Banker and Read. It's not a good sign when the Oregon state play by play guy says they suck.

 

I hope your post is meant to be sarcastic. It perfectly illustrates the "us versus them" attitutude that defined the Bo Pelini era and created the toxicity around the program that led to everyones' misery and Pelini's dismissal. Pelini wasn't fired for only winning 9 games, he was fired for fostering this divide in the program.

 

If Pelini had spent more time managing the team and less time worrying that officials, administrators, media, conference officials and bad fans were out to get him, he probably would have had more success on the field and would likely still be the coach

[RunRedRun]

We are positive in the same way you were 100% sure that Bo was never going to win anything at nebraska Hedley. For the last two years the Bo haters have been on here bashing every loss, coach and playcall. Now it's our turn to question everything your coach does. Sounds like he is already off to a good start with the hiring of Banker and Read. It's not a good sign when the Oregon state play by play guy says they suck.

so that means bo-haters gave him 5 yrs to prove himself.....how about you do the same, instead of 5 day.....

[NUinID]

When BP was hired in 2007 I thought Mike Riley would have been a great hire for the job. He would have been in my 5 choices. If NU was going to go out and get someone that was a non Nebraska guy I thought he was a great choice. The only thing that has changed is that he is 7 years older and has had some poor seasons in between.

 

Anyone else give any thought to the rise of Oregon also coinciding with the down turn in fortunes for the beavers. Oregon really took off in the last 7 years. All the support in Oregon goes to the Ducks. Unless you are a farmer in Oregon you are not a beaver fan. Any kid that is really any good in the state of Oregon goes to Nike U.

 

I know that sounds like an excuse, but it is a major factor. I live right next to Oregon no one gives the beavers much thought.

 

As far as the Husker nation being divided more, no I don't think so, but it is funny to me that the die hard Pelini supporters have now turned into Rileavers.

 

You have to give Riley a chance. Put the torches and pitchforks away at least till he loses a game.

[IvabigN]

 

We are positive in the same way you were 100% sure that Bo was never going to win anything at nebraska Hedley. For the last two years the Bo haters have been on here bashing every loss, coach and playcall. Now it's our turn to question everything your coach does. Sounds like he is already off to a good start with the hiring of Banker and Read. It's not a good sign when the Oregon state play by play guy says they suck.

 

I hope your post is meant to be sarcastic. It perfectly illustrates the "us versus them" attitutude that defined the Bo Pelini era and created the toxicity around the program that led to everyones' misery and Pelini's dismissal. Pelini wasn't fired for only winning 9 games, he was fired for fostering this divide in the program.

 

If Pelini had spent more time managing the team and less time worrying that officials, administrators, media, conference officials and bad fans were out to get him, he probably would have had more success on the field and would likely still be the coach

 

he was fired because Perlman didn't "like" him plain and simple- if TO were still AD does anyone think Pellini would have been fired? take all your emotions about Pellini out of it, the answer is very pellucid- and it is no