Blackshirts: More than a Slogan

TGHusker

TGHusker

Heisman Trophy Winner
Excellent article and even better attitude.  This is making me hopeful for the future and please pass me a lot of :koolaid2:

Some points from the article. 

1. Blackshirts have to be earned 

2. Blackshirts can be taken away - so must keep earning them

3. Won't judge the D players by last year's results. Won't look at film (except the Wisc game).  

4. There are no starters - everyone gets a fresh start and will be evaluated based on today and not last year

5. Blackshirts is a tradition that has to be protected

6. Best of all: Blackshirts will be a privilege it will be an honor once again.  :bonez :throwdabones1:

https://nebraska.247sports.com/Bolt/Scott-Frost-impresses-mother-of-Caleb-Tannor-by-helping-out-at-her-school-114928418


 


Chinander wants Blackshirts to be more than a slogan again



The coach understands the special meaning that goes with being in charge of Nebraska's defense.




Erik Chinander was waiting for his name to be called, in the line of Husker assistant coaches about to be introduced at a Nebraska basketball game. The crowd was going to cheer loudly, of course, because the new defensive coordinator at Nebraska is always a source of great hope for the loyal fan base before the first down has been surrendered.

But you know what would really get those fans going? Throw the bones. That's what he was told. Raise the arms, cross them, rep the Blackshirts.

"I did, and I kind of felt weird about it," Chinander shared with a group of fans in Grand Island on Thursday night. "Because I hadn't earned that yet."

It can't just be a slogan. Chinander has talked to some people over at North Stadium and feels like that's what it has become.

"And that's not what it's going to be anymore," he added. "It's going to be back to the Blackshirts. ... It's the greatest tradition in all of college football. And I talked to some of those kids, and they said, 'Coach, how many Blackshirts?' Or, 'Who's got the Blackshirts on the team?' I said, 'This is how many Blackshirts we got, boys.'"

Zero. Right now, zero.

"That's something that has to be earned and it can be taken away at any moment. But I want you to all know that that tradition is going to be back and that's going to be something that's going to be held accountable. That's going to be an honor and a privilege to wear that Blackshirt. You guys are going to be proud of those guys again."
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The tradition is to give black jerseys to the starters, period. Not if the starters are winning every game. Not if the starters are winning half the games. If they're starters, they get it.

If they want to do it the way Pelini did, that's fine. I don't really care. But the tradition is that if you start, you're a blackshirt. Period.

 
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husker98 said:
I think you had to earn the black shirts under Bo too? 

Anyway sounds good to me.
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I believe Pelini started the new "tradition" of having the Blackshirts earn them at some point mid season after they played well enough. I don't recall what Callahan did because I blocked those years out.

Mike Riley's teams did it the actual traditional way. They just didn't play up to the name. I believe they gave a few more than 11, but that made sense since there were different personnel depending on which formation they were in at the start of the game.

Maybe Pelini's way was the better way. But it's not the way it was done in "the good ol' days"

 
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Moiraine said:
I believe Pelini started the new "tradition" of having the Blackshirts earn them at some point mid season after they played well enough. I don't recall what Callahan did because I blocked those years out.

Mike Riley's teams did it the actual traditional way. They just didn't play up to the name.

Maybe Pelini's way was the better way. But it's not the way it was done in "the good ol' days"
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Riley did change back the timing and methodology to the original tradition, but he also gave out 16 last year. McBride would only give out 12-13 each year.

 
caveman99 said:
Riley did change back the timing and methodology to the original tradition, but he also gave out 16 last year. McBride would only give out 12-13 each year.
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True, but that may have been more to do with how many formations the defensive coaches ran, and the era. Offenses are different now.

I'm not any kind of expert on that stuff but if there are 16 possible starters depending on the defensive package, it makes sense to have 16 Blackshirts, and I disagree with Chinander (I think it was him) saying they were handed out "like candy." They were handed out the way they were traditionally handed out, imho. So then traditionally they were handed out "like candy." Also, if they want to give one to a great punter I'm fine with that.

I'm fine with him waiting until midway through the season, or however he decides to make them "earn" them.

It just irritates me a tiny little bit that he says the tradition will be brought back. The traditional way of handing out the black shirts was there. Their play just sucked.

 
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Moiraine said:
I believe Pelini started the new "tradition" of having the Blackshirts earn them at some point mid season after they played well enough. I don't recall what Callahan did because I blocked those years out.

Mike Riley's teams did it the actual traditional way. They just didn't play up to the name. I believe they gave a few more than 11, but that made sense since there were different personnel depending on which formation they were in at the start of the game.

Maybe Pelini's way was the better way. But it's not the way it was done in "the good ol' days"
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Ah thank you, that's what I vaguely remember. 

I don't know which method I favor but either is fine so long as we get a better result.

 
Husker_Bohunk said:
I've felt like all it was is a slogan for quite a few years now. Players and coaches didn't truly understand the tradition or what it meant to be a blackshirt. Hopefully that changes with this staff.
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Yes, to the point of Gerry effn Dinardo (essentially) saying that we shouldn't use the term any more.

 
To be honest I’m not sure how I feel about it anymore because it has been just a slogan for too long. All I know is I don’t like the way the blackshirts have played or how the whole deal was handled by any of the coaches since Frankie was here. Give them to the starters, wait until they earn them.....doesn’t matter until the play improves (which I think it will). What will be really neat and what I expect to happen is for them to be finally, truly earned in the off season and awarded prior to the first game and then for the team to play with a nasty disposition and fly to the ball. If we don’t have some disqualifications due to overzealous play I will be disappointed. IMO you can’t play the type of defense we need to without incidentally/accidentally crossing the line nowadays.

 
Moiraine said:
The tradition is to give black jerseys to the starters, period. Not if the starters are winning every game. Not if the starters are winning half the games. If they're starters, they get it.

If they want to do it the way Pelini did, that's fine. I don't really care. But the tradition is that if you start, you're a blackshirt. Period.
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Earning a Blackshirt may have started as being a starter.  But it evolved into something much deeper than that.  It's about unity, attitude, and giving your all every single snap.  Those are concepts Nebraska's defense hasn't had or understood for probably the last 10-12 years at least.  Pelini and Banker may have handed out Blackshirts, but neither one of them understood, enforced, or even cared what those jerseys truly meant.  

 
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How much of Nebraska history has the Blackshirts been more than a slogan? Were we known for aggressive, dominant defense in the 60's, 70's, and 80's?

 
Landlord said:
How much of Nebraska history has the Blackshirts been more than a slogan? Were we known for aggressive, dominant defense in the 60's, 70's, and 80's?
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Rich Glover and Larry Jacobson led strong D’s in the early 70s. There were definitely some strong D’s in the 80’s, but the Blackshirts phenomenon and fan enthusiasm about it caught on in the 90s. That’s when the defense would do the “3 and out” hand gesture and throw the bones, and the crowd would join in. 

 
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The thing that is going to make the Blackshirts "more than a slogan" is the depth and roster count that Frost plans to carry.

The part of Husker football that has been gone way too long is having three guys behind you trying every day to get your spot.

No player under Riley was concerned about losing his position due to depth.

 
Basically we have 2 traditions. Giving black jerseys to the starters and having a good to great defense. The black jerseys, other than in the Pelini era, existed whether the defense sucked or not. Obviously Chinander is most concerned with having a good defense, but he's implying that he wants to "bring back" the jersey tradition, which was already there. I'm guessing he'll do something like what Pelini did.

And yes I'm just being nitpicky but it's the offseason. And if the coaches are going to take these little shots at how it was before I'd prefer if they were accurate. Things were bad enough that you don't have to be inaccurate or say no one ever did a squat, etc. Everyone knows the defense and team needs a ton of improvement.

 
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