Martinez Legacy

Abdullah the Butcher

Abdullah the Butcher

Banned
http://m.espn.go.com/general/blogs/blogpost?blogname=bigten&id=88982

Mitch Sherman: Despite his statistical greatness, Martinez failed to embrace a leadership role until his senior year. And even that, at times, seemed forced before the injury situation simply turned everything into awkwardness. A lasting quarterback legacy in Lincoln also involves signature victories, and Martinez fell short there, too. The Huskers lost two conference-title games and three bowl games with the offense under his guidance. Fair or not, he'll be remembered as much for the shortcomings as his inventory of records.

 
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Sorry Mitch Sherman but you don't know what you're talking about and can stop with your conjecture about our guy.

I will remember Taylor for what he was and what he accomplished - not for what he wasn't or didn't. A gutsy, confident, electrifying, shy kid that grew into a man and gave everything, including his health, for this program.

That's enough to be an all-time great in my book.

 
I don't have any issues with what Sherman wrote about Martinez. I am a big Martinez fan, but there is something missing from his resume that keeps him from his top level of QB. There is a top level of Nebraska QB that are reserved for guys that won conference championships and competed for National Championships. To me, these guys are Tagge, Gill, Frazier, Frost, Crouch. There is another level of QB like Gdowski and Steve Taylor that led great NU teams. There is another level of QB where guys were extremely talented like Lord and Martinez.

Martinez put up huge numbers and had amazing speed to create those numbers. However, his resume is not as good as those top guys because of the team success under Martinez.

 
Landlord of Memorial Stadium said:
Sorry Mitch Sherman but you don't know what you're talking about and can stop with your conjecture about our guy.

I will remember Taylor for what he was and what he accomplished - not for what he wasn't or didn't. A gutsy, confident, electrifying, shy kid that grew into a man and gave everything, including his health, for this program.

That's enough to be an all-time great in my book.
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I don't see where he said anything derogatory or untrue in the article. He talks about the great ability and the impressive numbers he put up in his career. He also talks about the fact that he did not in fact win the big games, which is also true. I thought it was fair.

I'll remember TM much like Jamal Lord, a guy who played hard his entire career, gave it all he had, and stayed classy through some tumultous times.

 
3rd and long said:
Landlord of Memorial Stadium said:
Sorry Mitch Sherman but you don't know what you're talking about and can stop with your conjecture about our guy.

I will remember Taylor for what he was and what he accomplished - not for what he wasn't or didn't. A gutsy, confident, electrifying, shy kid that grew into a man and gave everything, including his health, for this program.

That's enough to be an all-time great in my book.
Click to expand...
I don't see where he said anything derogatory or untrue in the article. He talks about the great ability and the impressive numbers he put up in his career. He also talks about the fact that he did not in fact win the big games, which is also true. I thought it was fair.

I'll remember TM much like Jamal Lord, a guy who played hard his entire career, gave it all he had, and stayed classy through some tumultous times.
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Martinez and Lord are very good comparisons. They were both great athletes, who struggled to throw the ball at times. They gave their all for the team and university during tough times. It's not 100% their fault for the struggle of the team.

 
I'll remember him hopefully a few years down the road here when all is well as one of the guys through pure heart and determination helped keep the ship afloat when it wouldve been far easier to just pack it in and call it a year. Look back at all the come-from-behind victories as well as wins rebounding from disasterous performances from weeks prior that have been guided by Taylor over that past couple seasons. He may not have hardware or rings, but he'll have some accomplishments that looking back on in a few years that may have served a higher purpose.

 
Martinez and Lord have something else in common too. Both were forced into the QB mold. Martinez wanted the QB job. Lord may or may not have, I can't recall. But both would have been better served to play some other position.

What I will say about T-Mart is that he seemed destined for injury, especially his ankles. His legs always looked fragile to me.

 
3rd and long said:
I don't see where he said anything derogatory or untrue in the article.
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The bit at the beginning about not having a leadership role on the team got under my skin, I guess. He's been a leader as long as the team has given him a chance to be - don't know what was expected of a shy, introverted kid as a freshman being given the starting role much to the displeasure of a group of seniors that thought Zac Lee was their guy and undermined the unity of the team.

Don't ever forget the locker room speech after Ohio State Taylor's sophomore year, where Bo was giving out game balls and couldn't get further than, "We've got a quarterback who..." only to be interrupted by one of the players screaming, "WE'VE GOT THE BEST QUARTERBACK IN AMERICA."

 
I think ColoradoHusk put it the way I would. I'm proud TM played for Nebraska and I'll always remember that excitement he delivered in 2010 and the feeling we all had of holy crap - this kid still has another three years to play here!

I'll admit, I thought he would have won bigger games and led us to a title, so I do believe that diminishes his overall legacy not having even a conference title. But, I still think he was an electrifying and entertaining QB to watch.

 
I agree with Mitch's assessment. The amount of butthurt some seem to have when even mild criticism of Martinez is aired is getting pretty tiresome.

He put up some great numbers. He made some amazing plays. I don't know him personally, but he seems like a decent kid. I have no doubt he did his best and played through pain and injuries.

But he was wildly inconsistent. He made some terrible decisions. He seemed to have a low football I.Q. He never seemed to be a real leader of the team. He never led the team to a legitimately big win or a conference championship.

He was a mixed bag as a quarterback. That's why he's so controversial. And that's what Sherman's assessment reflected.

 
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