Definition of a Real Husker Fan

[It'sNotAFakeID]

But that is the main difference. One hurts the team, one doesn't.

I agree with this.

If we're going to discuss the impact positivity and negativity have on the team, the impact of negativity FAR outweighs the impact of positivity.

Not really. Saban is obsessed with keeping his guys from getting complacent due to all the positive stuff being heard throughout their media. He wants his guys to show up to play hard every week, even if the opponent is crap. Complacency is a huge reason for teams not showing up and dominating teams they should.

You're telling me that fans being supportive of the team is as destructive as fans hurling vitriol at the players? You can't be serious.

I thought we were talking about the media, not fans spewing sh#t on Twitter. In my opinion the media laying nothing but praise on the team can be just as bad. Like I said, complacency is a bad thing. Saban is a master of getting his teams up to play week in, week out. To me that's his biggest success story, not just the Xs and Os. Sorry I mis-understood what we were talking about. I only skim through since I'm "working" all day.

After looking at your sig, I'm thinking that Bo just doesn't like the number 3

 

[Hujan]

Hujan, over the past six years, who has a better record in those categories? What school do they coach at, and what would it cost to get them here?

Not going to play that game. The coach that might take Nebraska where we want to go might be a coordinator at the moment or have a short coaching history at an under-the-radar program. Gus Mahlzahn would not have met the standard you just outlined. Nor would Gary Anderson. It's just like recruiting; Pelini can't just pull up the ESPN 150 and hit the trail. Those are the obvious targets; he's got to find the under-the-radar recruit. So it is with us and coaches.

In any event, is that what this has become? Sticking with a demonstrably mediocre coach because we are afraid to try and find a good one?

 

[knapplc]

This is a practical matter, and as a matter of practicality, you have to think along those lines. It's fine to be upset with the guy - he's given us plenty to be upset about. But if we're going beyond simply being upset and actually factually wanting a change, you MUST think about who the replacement is.

I'm beyond the "support Bo at all costs" phase and, as noted elsewhere, he has a LOT of ground to make up with the fans. He's burned bridges and turned back to relight the embers. That can earn him a ticket out the door, but rationally, you have to think about what happens next.

 

[Redux]

Hujan, over the past six years, who has a better record in those categories? What school do they coach at, and what would it cost to get them here?

Not going to play that game. The coach that might take Nebraska where we want to go might be a coordinator at the moment or have a short coaching history at an under-the-radar program. Gus Mahlzahn would not have met the standard you just outlined. Nor would Gary Anderson. It's just like recruiting; Pelini can't just pull up the ESPN 150 and hit the trail. Those are the obvious targets; he's got to find the under-the-radar recruit. So it is with us and coaches.

In any event, is that what this has become? Sticking with a demonstrably mediocre coach because we are afraid to try and find a good one?

Sometimes the devil you know is better than the one you dont. Besides I think the point is that others are looking past the shortcomings and seeing the positives he brings to the table plus the potential the squad he currently has can become. Giving up is the easy way out and when has Nebraska ever taken the easy way. If we cant get it done next year then maybe we mive in a new direction. But what we have in place right now is capable of some pretty fgreat things. Patience is key but too much patience can be bad too. Next year will be telling.

 

[GBRedneck]

Not going to play that game.

"Nah, nah, nah; I'm not listening."

 

[knapplc]

It's not just looking at the positives Bo brings, because every coach is going to bring similar things to the table. Hujan is looking for someone who's going to instill solid fundamental football into these players, 12 games a year, four quarters a game. As an added bonus, the guy Hujan is looking for won't act the asshat so much that there's a camera pointed at him all game, every game because the TV guys are praying for yet another eruption. Or a guy who can handle questions at a presser without becoming insane.

These are justifiable things to expect from the Nebraska Head Coach, and we're not seeing them right now. So he has a point, and it's pretty incontrovertible.

 

[Hujan]

This is a practical matter, and as a matter of practicality, you have to think along those lines. It's fine to be upset with the guy - he's given us plenty to be upset about. But if we're going beyond simply being upset and actually factually wanting a change, you MUST think about who the replacement is.

I'm beyond the "support Bo at all costs" phase and, as noted elsewhere, he has a LOT of ground to make up with the fans. He's burned bridges and turned back to relight the embers. That can earn him a ticket out the door, but rationally, you have to think about what happens next.

Fair enough, but it's foolish to think you can predict with any certainty how a coach is going to do. You hire a person who you think is going to give you good odds of success, who's a good fit, etc. You give them their shot. If they make it, great! If they don't, on to the next one. But the reality is it's just a guessing game.

Look at Pete Carroll. A washed up NFL coach that was the fourth or fifth choice? Turned into one of the best college football coaches of all time. The point is, even the people that do this for a living can't say with any certainty whether a coach is going to "do better" than his predecessor.

All any university can say is that the current guy is not working and its time to give someone else a shot in hopes he can. Thus, rather than a comparative analysis which would be inherently speculative, the analysis should simply be, "Is the current guy getting it done?" If not, you move on. It really is that simple.

 

[Hujan]

Not going to play that game.

"Nah, nah, nah; I'm not listening."

I actually responded to his point, I just refuse to be boxed into the issue as he framed it. You, on the other hand, have conspicuously shut up (and thankfully so) after I pointed out the objective shortcomings of your beloved.

 

[GBRedneck]

It's not just looking at the positives Bo brings, because every coach is going to bring similar things to the table. Hujan is looking for someone who's going to instill solid fundamental football into these players, 12 games a year, four quarters a game. As an added bonus, the guy Hujan is looking for won't act the asshat so much that there's a camera pointed at him all game, every game because the TV guys are praying for yet another eruption. Or a guy who can handle questions at a presser without becoming insane.

These are justifiable things to expect from the Nebraska Head Coach, and we're not seeing them right now. So he has a point, and it's pretty incontrovertible.

He wants a perfect coach. And doesn't even know if one exists.

It's like he has a 70 carat diamond but he wants to find a 100 carat diamond, so let's start digging!

 

[knapplc]

Nah, you're making it more simple than it is. You have to think about who you're going to get. Sure, my question up there about current records is a bit loaded, and the list of guys better than that is tiny.

The risk is yet another coach like Pelini, mired in this same mess, five years from now. You've blown $7million buying out Pelini & payed who-knows-what to get the new guy, and here you are in 2018 doing it again.

Maybe I'm just more conservative than you here, but I'd like at least some semblance of certainty in the next hire. If we're going to have Pelini winning 8-10 games a year, that's better than Joe Schmoe maybe winning 8-10, but quite possibly missing a bowl game.

 

[GBRedneck]

Not going to play that game.

"Nah, nah, nah; I'm not listening."

I actually responded to his point, I just refuse to be boxed into the issue as he framed it. You, on the other hand, have conspicuously shut up (and thankfully so) after I pointed out the objective shortcomings of your beloved.

You mean where you pointed out how after the Callahan debacle of two losing seasons out of four, Bo has made it to 3 conference championships and hasn't missed a bowl game, winning 2? (And I'm not ignoring the fact that he has a worse record against ranked teams than unranked teams . . . just like every other coach.)

 

[GBRedneck]

This is a practical matter, and as a matter of practicality, you have to think along those lines. It's fine to be upset with the guy - he's given us plenty to be upset about. But if we're going beyond simply being upset and actually factually wanting a change, you MUST think about who the replacement is.

I'm beyond the "support Bo at all costs" phase and, as noted elsewhere, he has a LOT of ground to make up with the fans. He's burned bridges and turned back to relight the embers. That can earn him a ticket out the door, but rationally, you have to think about what happens next.

Fair enough, but it's foolish to think you can predict with any certainty how a coach is going to do. You hire a person who you think is going to give you good odds of success, who's a good fit, etc. You give them their shot. If they make it, great! If they don't, on to the next one. But the reality is it's just a guessing game.

Look at Pete Carroll. A washed up NFL coach that was the fourth or fifth choice? Turned into one of the best college football coaches of all time. The point is, even the people that do this for a living can't say with any certainty whether a coach is going to "do better" than his predecessor.

All any university can say is that the current guy is not working and its time to give someone else a shot in hopes he can. Thus, rather than a comparative analysis which would be inherently speculative, the analysis should simply be, "Is the current guy getting it done?" If not, you move on. It really is that simple.

Good thing you weren't in charge in '68. Or '78. Or '91.

 

[knapplc]

He wants a perfect coach. And doesn't even know if one exists.

No, not perfect. That's hyperbole.

It's like he has a 70 carat diamond but he wants to find a 100 carat diamond, so let's start digging!

Yes, kinda. Less hyperbolic and I can agree with this stance. And that's where I'm coming in with the practicality of the situation and the risks inherent in that digging. You might find a diamond anywhere from 30-100 carats, and the digging is going to be expensive.

This athletic department has quite a bit of money, so it's not like we're incapable of buying Bo out. But is it practical to do so and roll the dice on a new guy? That's a real question.

 

[sd'sker]

This is a practical matter, and as a matter of practicality, you have to think along those lines. It's fine to be upset with the guy - he's given us plenty to be upset about. But if we're going beyond simply being upset and actually factually wanting a change, you MUST think about who the replacement is.

i know what you are saying, but that it really an unfair question for a fan. we have very limited information. we do not know how much the AD is willing to spend, if he has put out feelers, his connections with other coaches, so on and so forth. furthermore, no one really knows the type of coach we could get until we try to get a different one. hopefully eichorst has a good idea of what is out there and who he could reasonably pursue, but no one here is privy to that information. and maybe the coaching pool is shallow and interest is low and that is why bo is staying. we just have no idea.

but we can gauge the performance of bo and his teams and reasonably believe it is time for a change.

 

[knapplc]

This is a practical matter, and as a matter of practicality, you have to think along those lines. It's fine to be upset with the guy - he's given us plenty to be upset about. But if we're going beyond simply being upset and actually factually wanting a change, you MUST think about who the replacement is.

i know what you are saying, but that it really an unfair question for a fan. we have very limited information. we do not know how much the AD is willing to spend, if he has put out feelers, his connections with other coaches, so on and so forth. furthermore, no one really knows the type of coach we could get until we try to get a different one. hopefully eichorst has a good idea of what is out there and who he could reasonably pursue, but no one here is privy to that information. and maybe the coaching pool is shallow and interest is low and that is why bo is staying. we just have no idea.

but we can gauge the performance of bo and his teams and reasonably believe it is time for a change.

It isn't unfair because it's not a binding conversation. Hujan can come up with any practical or hare-brained concept he wants in reply, and spend some time defending the position. Either way, neither he nor I (or anyone else partaking) is going to be "right," we're just going to have opinions.

Hujan has some inarguable, salient points. But that doesn't mean there isn't room for conversation around the practicality of removing the coach.