Is HuskerNation divided more than ever

[HuSkeRooNz]

Fact is, you can list all these different "camps" everyone might be in but really there's only one camp.

 

The wait and see camp. You're all in it. There's nothing you can do to change that.

I'm with you on this one. We have to wait and see. Riley may not have been first choice but likeable guy and willing to support him. Can't change the hire. I guess we'll wait and see what happens in the spring. I wish him well and hope we get good results. I don't think it will happen overnight and don't think it would with any coach.

[Kernal]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With all due respect to the OP, I believe the last time Husker Nation wasn't divided was 1997.

Good Point. Maybe just less hope now than ever?

If you have less hope going into this season than the last one, you only have your loyalties to the former coach to blame. Move on

Wrong. Many of us have less hope because Riley has never won a conference championship or proven he can recruit effectively with the challenges that Nebraska has. These are very reasonable apprehensions. I thought we definitely needed a change, but your "move on" statement further displays your disdain for the former coach and nothing more. It looks like we could not get our hands on a big time coach with the timing of Pelini's firing. If I were in charge, I would have timed the firing with the ability to get our hands on a big time PROVEN/YOUNGER/HUNGRIER coach. With the Riley hiring, this did not happen. We probably fired Pelini a year too late OR too early... So quit telling people to move on while you flapped your gums tirelessly about your disproval of the former staff.

Well you aren't in charge.

And I don't think you could contradict yourself anymore in your statement even if you took on an alternate personality.

Neither are you. How did I contradict myself?

I am in charge, they don't hand out Dodge Stratus sedans to just anyone.

 

"I think we needed a change"

 

"We fired Bo too early, or may be too late"

 

"Mike Riley doesn't know about recruiting at a disadvantage" (actually this is more just laughably wrong then a contradiction,my bad)

 

Plus your whole history of telling me to just shut up and deal with the coach and now you're all too happy to jump in because you have a sad.

 

Congrats!

 

My point was we needed a change and that cannot be argued. Whether it was keeping Bo and flushing DC or OC or Bo gone, take your pick. There was not contradiction. You need to more carefully read and NOT misquote me. I said " or proven he can recruit effectively with the challenges that Nebraska has". I never said he didn't know about recruiting in a challenging place like OSU. Duh. Total misquote! He hasn't exactly had any stellar classes as far as rankings at OSU right? That was my point.

 

What I meant by the firing of Bo too early or too late was there may have been better coaches available in 2013 or there could be in 2015. Riley to me seems like a good enough or safe pick. We took what we could in 2014 and perhaps it was bad timing...

 

So you can tell us to "move on" which is essentially saying shut up and it's A-OK? Hypocrite.... We got rid of Pelini. Fine. All I am saying is we could have done much, much better. I hope I am dead wrong and Riley has our team playing lights out. So 9 wins or more next year no excuses.

 

 

That may be true but nobody will know for a few years. It's worth mentioning it would be the same waiting game with almost every potential coach- we wouldn't know how successful they would be at Nebraska after five days, either.

 

The Riley hire by Nebraska has gotten nearly universal praise in the media.

[IvabigN]

 

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

 

this board flipped from 30/70 in favor of Pelini to 80/20 against in a matter of 3 games. he was likely getting fired after Wisconsin regardless, Minny sealed the deal. TO would have done the same thing, if not the program was going to implode on itself.

 

thank you for your opinion- I don't think TO would have fired him so we have a difference of opinion, however I also think TO wouldn't have fired Solich - but the fact remains that Perlman hated him - and that may not be the ONLY reason Bo was let go but it was a major reason- BTW I don't know many people (other than message board fans) who thought it was a good idea to fire a coach who had a 9-3 record- oh well, there is nothing to learn from history

[MRhuskerMS]

 

 

Fact is, you can list all these different "camps" everyone might be in but really there's only one camp.

 

The wait and see camp. You're all in it. There's nothing you can do to change that.

I'm with you on this one. We have to wait and see. Riley may not have been first choice but likeable guy and willing to support him. Can't change the hire. I guess we'll wait and see what happens in the spring. I wish him well and hope we get good results. I don't think it will happen overnight and don't think it would with any coach.

My only real questions are

1. Why bring in another WCO guy when the first was such as abysmal failure here?

 

2. Does Riely honestly believe that the staff he is assembling is the best for winning big games and a championship in huskerland. What makes him think so?

 

If I get decent answers to those questions in the next couple of months I'm in.

[admo]

Mike Riley said there is an uncertainty with a new coach and that it takes time to build up the trust. He was speaking in regards to the team, but it seems it carries over to the fan base as well. He understands all this and I have no doubt he will do his best to gain everyone's trust and hopefully support along the way.

 

I am in full support of Riley. He has a different plan of action. He talks about working hard, discipline, teaching, opportunity and support. He brought over 4 guys or so that he trusts because they are on the same page with him, and he believes they are good people that know what they are coaching about. He still needs to round up the rest of the staff, but I think the ones they have right now are already out there recruiting the best they can.

 

He also talks about recruiting and how much work they need to do. He doesn't know this team. He'll probably watch film and then continue to evaluate with hands on approach. I think this is a great time for the Husker team to come together and compete, regardless if you are a returning starter or nephew or son of a coach.

 

He also talks about learning lessons when you win and when you lose. He is constantly trying to teach and provide support and help these student athletes along the way towards post-college football.

 

And if he understands history, tradition and the importance of walkons as he says, then that tells me he wants to work with all the players to determine who can help this team win.

 

He mentions how important the quarterback position is - the most important. He has said he doesn't ask players to do something they are not good at, but makes adjustments to utilize them that benefits their strengths.

 

I only know what I see on him in videos and articles. I think he is more than just a good guy. I think he is an experienced coach, a teacher, and a football lifer. I am glad he is here and I believe he will be successful. And I believe the players will respond better. And all the talent on this team will finally show consistency and become the team they are capable of.

 

If you are divided or against him, I will try to understand, but ultimately I hope y'all can muster up a little bit of trust as a starting point and go from there. It's a new beginning.

[74Hunter]

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.

I don't think that anyone is saying that Bo did an incredible job, there are some who rightfully question whether the new guy is actually an improvement over Bo.

 

His record states otherwise.

[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.

Wait. I thought that the narrative from the Bo~leavers was that if we canned Bo and opened the check book that we could get pretty much anyone we wanted.

 

Anyone "we" wanted is not necessarily the same thing as anyone "you" wanted. I think that fact has been made abundantly clear.

 

I am not over excited about no big OC or DC announcements to this point in time but I am willing to give Riley and the staff HE picks a chance to do their thing. There are no more guarantees with naming Ogeron or Frost or Steele to the staff than there are these guys he has brought along from OSU. We are going to have to wait and see how any of them perform before really knowing what kind of staff has been assembled. I just happen to think it is counterproductive and a little crazy to go bouncing off the walls at this early date over each and every position coach. And I happen to think we got a very good head coach prospect in Riley, probably the best option we truly had a shot at. And, I am not concerned in the least that Pelini is out. That is where the real disconnect lies for some of you. You wanted to keep Pelini and that was/is just an insane position after seeing, for 7 years, what he had to offer. This program was going nowhere with Bo in charge. Some people were satisfied with 9 lackluster wins over the little sisters of the blind, some of us reasonable people weren't. It's that simple. If you can't afford the new guy at least one season to prove what he can do without throwing a tantrum, well, you run the risk of people thinking you're being unreasonable and, let's be honest here, that ship has already sailed so now you are into the territory where people are questioning much more than your reasonableness.

[Blackdeuce]

 

He has said he doesn't ask players to do something they are not good at, but makes adjustments to utilize them that benefits their strengths.

 

 

 

I like hearing this. I think this philosophy is what makes coaches like Bill Snyder great. He gets the best guys on the field and uses them in the best way possible.

[Bowfin]

I think "fragmented" is a better term than "divided", and yes, Nebraska fans are "fragmented"...

 

...but so what? No one HAS to support and / or watch Nebraska football. If you are okay with what has transpired, then okay. If not okay with it and still want to be a Husker fan, okay. If not okay with it and want to put your time, energy, and money somewhere else next 1-5 seasons, even that is okay.

 

This is America...do or don't do what makes you happy! Just don't expect someone else to do or don't do something that will make you happy. That's not America, that's a make believe world.

[kchusker_chris]

I don't think that anyone is saying that Bo did an incredible job, there are some who rightfully question whether the new guy is actually an improvement over Bo.

His record states otherwise.

 

if you turn it ever so slightly as you are with Riley's - so does McElwains @ CSU, and Bielema's @ Arky, and Rich Rod's @ Michigan, and Art Briles @ Houston, and Dantonio @ Cincinnati, and Paul Johnson @ Navy, and Mora @ Seatle, and Graham at Pitt/Tulsa, and Anderson @ Utah St....

 

...so almost every single coach that was considered or is currently in the top 20 with previous coaching experience. They all had sketchy prior records at suspect programs. 4-8 is a common number among the people above - yet they all have teams ranked well ahead of Nebraska.

[BigRedBuster]

 

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.

I don't think that anyone is saying that Bo did an incredible job, there are some who rightfully question whether the new guy is actually an improvement over Bo.

 

His record states otherwise.

 

Why get all frustrated and pissy about it now before he has even completed his staff, coached a game or even coached a practice?

[Hunter94]

i think there is significant consternation regarding the assistants and coordinators he is dragging with him........

[True2tRA]

 

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

 

He was fired because his teams didn't show improvement, kept getting utterly embarrassed on national TV, and because he refused to make the necessary changes to his staff and scheme to move this team forward.

 

The fact that Tom Osborne would have kept him is a knock against Osborne.

 

Harvey Perlman has become the go-to boogieman for a lot of people. Whether Perlman was our Chancellor or not, Pelini still should have been fired. He should have been fired last year, after the Iowa debacle.

It is a knock against Osborne, truly it is. This is coming from a guy that idolized TO and thinks very highly of his opinion.

 

Aside from the obvious things you listed, the let downs we witnessed with our own eyes, it's the things behind the scenes that I've been concerned about for quite awhile. The us against the world mentality, the leadership issues, and the lack of focus in areas where focus was required, all while focusing on the negatives far too often.

 

We as fans may never know the depth of it but we are slowly understanding it. Tom Osborne surely knows far more about the ugliness of the mindset the was being infectious in this forme coaching staff. The fact that he stood behind that coach does bother me a bit.

[JJ Husker]

 

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.

I don't think that anyone is saying that Bo did an incredible job, there are some who rightfully question whether the new guy is actually an improvement over Bo.

 

His record states otherwise.

 

I must have missed something. Please point me in the direction of the game tapes where Riley coached players/games with the Nebraska brand behind him and Husker recruits on the field. Links please? Without that, your "his record" bullsh#t is just that, bullsh#t. Give the guy a f'ing chance, or continue being ridiculous- your call.

[Guy Chamberlin]

If I may take the Husker Nation Divided question to slightly different territory.

 

I live in California. My brother lives in Lincoln. Not only does my brother think Bo Pelini should not have been fired, he thinks Bo represented everything good about college football (players love him, graduation rate, clean program.) I was relieved by Pelini's dismissal without even knowing his replacement. My brother was appalled by this.

 

He sees a divide between In-State Huskers and Out-State Huskers. His friends who moved away disliked Bo for two or more seasons, considered him a black eye to Nebraska. My brother's friends in Nebraska were far more apt to defend Bo. My brother contends that EVERYONE he talked to in Lincoln thought the firing was a huge mistake, hates Eichorst (Perlman puppet), and thinks the team is doomed to another Callahnesque era. He claims Lincoln's high school football coaches are considering not funnelling players to UNL, they're so disgusted. He says every article in the Lincoln Journal was critical of the firing, every conversation with strangers either sad or angry.

 

My brother exaggerates like a billion times more than I do, but I'm also well-aware that Internet bulletin-boards don't represent the silent majority.

 

Do in-state Nebraskans tend to circle the wagons and defend Bo Pelini against perceived outsiders more? And do your casual conversations with real people match up with HuskerBoard trends?

 

Do out-of-state Nebraskan take their cues from national media sources, missing out on the local scuttlebutt? Is one perception more valuable than the other?

 

Is this post pellalucid or willful obfuscation?

 

 

For what it's worth, my brother has really warmed up to Mike Riley in the past 72 hours.