Abdullah the Butcher
Banned
I’ve bugged you about Bo Pelini before, and at the end of the regular season you were of the opinion that Pelini should probably go (after his sideline show against Iowa). But if you look at these numbers, Pelini has placed himself among a small group of some very well-known and successful coaches. I and many other Huskers fans are looking forward to what he does this season and beyond. Do you think AD Shawn Eichorst was wrong in keeping him on board? Or do Pelini’s numbers warrant his staying?
– Michael Schultz, Curtis, Neb.
While I salute the writer for the immense research he undertook, his piece also shows the folly of historical numbers. So Pelini is one of only eight coaches to win nine games in each of his first five seasons? That’s admirable, but it omits the fact that Pelini coached 13, 14, 14, 13 and 14 games, respectively, in those years. By comparison, Barry Switzer, who the author cites as another member of that club, did so in two 11- and three 12-game campaigns. Pelini supporters love to bring up the fact that the revered Tom Osborne got off to a similar win-loss start in his eventual 25-year tenure. But again, he coached fewer games. The two starts are not remotely comparable. Osborne’s sixth Nebraska team finished No. 8 in the AP Poll, his fifth top-10 finish. Pelini’s sixth Cornhuskers squad finished unranked, and his highest finish to date is No. 14.
So, yes, I’m baffled as to how Pelini remains in charge in Lincoln, mostly because I can’t believe how far Nebraska’s standards have fallen. This is a program that once considered national titles and top-10 rankings as its birthrights. Now, the Cornhuskers are just tickled to beat an 8-4 SEC foe in the Gator Bowl. For this modest level of production, the school is also apparently willing to excuse Pelini’s very un-Nebraska-esque tirades. Just think about this for a second: Over the course of last season, Pelini A) was heard on a tape cursing out the entire fan base, and B) all but asked the school to fire him at his postgame press conference following a loss to Iowa. And yet, our undeterred reader is merely “looking forward to what [Pelini] does this season.” Nebraska, what the heck happened to you? You’re like a former supermodel now slumming it as a B-list actress. You can do better. But hey, I’m not complaining. The longer Pelini stays, the longer @FauxPelini stays relevant.
http://m.si.com/3828290/sizing-up-northwestern-players-attempt-to-unionize-more-mail/#ixzz2rp2OJ4sg
– Michael Schultz, Curtis, Neb.
While I salute the writer for the immense research he undertook, his piece also shows the folly of historical numbers. So Pelini is one of only eight coaches to win nine games in each of his first five seasons? That’s admirable, but it omits the fact that Pelini coached 13, 14, 14, 13 and 14 games, respectively, in those years. By comparison, Barry Switzer, who the author cites as another member of that club, did so in two 11- and three 12-game campaigns. Pelini supporters love to bring up the fact that the revered Tom Osborne got off to a similar win-loss start in his eventual 25-year tenure. But again, he coached fewer games. The two starts are not remotely comparable. Osborne’s sixth Nebraska team finished No. 8 in the AP Poll, his fifth top-10 finish. Pelini’s sixth Cornhuskers squad finished unranked, and his highest finish to date is No. 14.
So, yes, I’m baffled as to how Pelini remains in charge in Lincoln, mostly because I can’t believe how far Nebraska’s standards have fallen. This is a program that once considered national titles and top-10 rankings as its birthrights. Now, the Cornhuskers are just tickled to beat an 8-4 SEC foe in the Gator Bowl. For this modest level of production, the school is also apparently willing to excuse Pelini’s very un-Nebraska-esque tirades. Just think about this for a second: Over the course of last season, Pelini A) was heard on a tape cursing out the entire fan base, and B) all but asked the school to fire him at his postgame press conference following a loss to Iowa. And yet, our undeterred reader is merely “looking forward to what [Pelini] does this season.” Nebraska, what the heck happened to you? You’re like a former supermodel now slumming it as a B-list actress. You can do better. But hey, I’m not complaining. The longer Pelini stays, the longer @FauxPelini stays relevant.
http://m.si.com/3828290/sizing-up-northwestern-players-attempt-to-unionize-more-mail/#ixzz2rp2OJ4sg