Callahan is one issue - you can discount Pilkington, et al, as sour grapes or what have you. But keep in mind, Charles Wooden and Tim Brown were saying the *exact* same things in Oakland. Although, they were summarily ignored- that's just normal Raider back office crap, right? Stories of players having to be restrained from going after BC were exaggerated, etc. Guess that happens when you play on the "dumbest team in America".
But compounded with more recent accounts, the credibility of their claims starts to firm up a bit. And I'm still not convinced we know the whole story on why Gill left.
The only benefit of the doubt BC gets in my mind is that I don't know him personally and no one really knows what goes on behind closed doors in Lincoln, so it's hard to say with certainty what's happening. I'll stand my ground as a betweener until at least midway through next season, though if performance doesn't improve (regardless of wins or losses, they need to at least be competitive), or the defections continue, then I would have to say BC was a bum deal full of more hype than substance.
The saddest thing about this, I think, has been the response by some to this thread - and I'm hoping it's the minority. I almost can't believe what I'm reading here at times.
These players don't matter because they won't see playing time? Doesn't that suggest that, perhaps, NU has turned from a tradition rich school with a desire to win to the archetype of the "Football Factory"? If a player can't produce in the Wine & Cheese Offense or BC doesn't have a spot for them - either because he didn't recruit them or he's not skilled enough as a coach to use the personnel he has - the player is now expendable?
What exactly constitutes the team anyway? The players that will dedicate 4 or 5 of the most important years of their lives to a school or coaches who will pull a Two-Faced Petrino or a Rick Neuweasel in a heartbeat? I doubt Callahan is the stick-to-it type - this isn't a Joe Pa in the making. Once the heat goes up a bit in Lincoln, I would wager a few heavy coins he's hitting the job search trail.
Of all the things that makes Husker football special, the first things that pops into my mind is family. Brothers and sons playing on the team over the years - that really makes it special. The continuity of coaching has been incredible until Callahan came and that's the thing that's led to the team's long-standing success, I believe. Remember, there's a learning curve for coaches as well as players.
If he wins with class, I'll be happy to say I'm wrong - but don't be an Uber-homer and think that everything's hunky-dorey in Huskerland, because it's not.
IRISH!
