Everyone in this whole situation just needs to take a breath...
Take a deep breath Bo
...you too Dirk & Lee
...and yes, we fans need to take a deep breath also.
One thing this week is true....at some point or another everyone involved in this fiasco has been wrong.
Let's start with Bo:
Is Bo Pelini the best example for how a head coach should handle the media? No. Bo is who he is, which is he is pretty black & white, and yes sometimes his hard edge, no-nonsense, old-school attitude has rubbed people the wrong way. From the media, to the fans, to opposing coaches, heck even some of his own players have been pushed to the limit by Bo's style. But does this make Bo a bad coach? Does this brash personality mean that he is not cut out for being a head coach? I say no on both counts.
Yes, Bo has work to do with handling the media, especially the ones that get under his skin (umm...paging Dirk Chatelain & Lee Barfknecht) Bo has to realize, and I believe he is beginning to that the media will write what they want, and they will speak their minds...sometimes sheepishly disguising their articles as "well this is what the fans want to know." More often than not Bo must rise above it. However, when someone deliberately goes on a personal attack of one of his players by concocting an erroneous story or by asking childish and unprofessional questions at a press conference, then I believe Bo has every right to stand up and defend his player, and his program.
When it comes to the media Bo has not always been in the right, but on Saturday night Bo had every right to react the way he did to Dirk Chatelain's article and line of questioning.
Let's move on to Dirk Chatelain & Lee Barfknecht...or this week they should be known as (Dumb & Dumber):
Where did they go wrong? There is a hidden line in journalism that defines what type of journalist somebody is. Most journalists stick to the facts, report what they see and hear, and do not interject themselves into the story itself...they just report on the story. Then there are journalists who are on the other side of the line who tend to blend what is fact & what is fiction, and they become part of the story themselves. In some circles this could be known as tabloid journalism, and Dirk & Lee...you crossed that line this week.
Now I understand that columnists are opinion writers, and they are entitled to their opinions. But when columnists blend what is fact & what is fiction, when they write articles thatimply that someone said something when they really didn't, and when they stoop below the expected level of their profession then it is a cause for concern for the general public.
Overall, I have had no problems with Dirk or Lee in the past. I have enjoyed reading some of their previous articles. But Dirk's writings and actions over the past weekend, and then Lee's obvious article in defense of Dirk were at the least...childish & petty. It has been a disappointing thing to witness, especially from what most consider to be a highly respected institution in that of the Omaha World Herald.
Dirk & Lee know better and they were in the wrong this week. I hope those with higher authority and more professional clout at the Omaha World Herald will at least consider reigning in this type of classless journalism.
Finally, we the fans:
Where did we the fans go wrong? Over the last decade or so we the fans have had a tendency of being too personal when it comes to our concerns towards how our favorite team is playing. Maybe it is due to the rise in social media, but there has been a portion of us who at times forget that these players which we voice our concerns and angst are young college athletes...and they are college students first! They are young 18-22 year old men who are playing the sport that they love, and they are trying to do their best every time they step on the field. Do they always play up to their talent level every-single-play of every-single-game? No, of course not! But yet, many times we as fans forget this.
It is ok for fans to cheer when their team is playing well, and it is ok for fans to boo when their team isn't playing well. That is their right as fans. But let's leave all of these personal and sometimes nasty cheap shots towards the players out of the discussion...it isn't necessary.
In Conclusion:
Bo knows fair journalism when he sees it, but he will call out cheap attacks on his program every time. Bo knows that he is not always the most gracious with the media, and this is an area where he can improve.
Dirk & Lee know that they can get a rise out of Bo and the fans by what they write. But doing it just for the sake of getting attention towards what you write is petty & unprofessional. Go ahead and keep writing your opinions, but stop blurring what is fact & what is fiction.
Finally, the fans know that we LOVE our Huskers, and sometimes that passion that we have for this team, both good & bad, can go overboard at certain times. We have to learn to leave the personal attacks of the players and coaches on the sidelines.
So...take a breath Bo
...you too Dirk & Lee
...us too Husker fans.
Let us all regroup, enjoy this bye week, and get ready for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
I'm going to go take a deep breath.