Comish
All-Conference
With respect to all the volleying arguments of the pro-Bo and anti-Bo discussions, given that the change is now reality……. (Exclusive of the obvious w/l record, recruiting, organizational and delegating skills, etc. on-going debates)………what are the potential extra benefits?
I’d suggest (even though a lot of folks are mocking the “Nice Guy" moniker) bestowed upon Riley, that in actuality …..That is a fairly significant Bennie.
Being honest, Bo had become THE FACE of Nebraska football.
Espn dedicated targeted cameras on him at all times…..hoping for another volcanic eruption. That morphed into the national symbol of the program.
By hiring Riley, (defacto, the antithesis of Bo), the PROGRAM gets a makeover opportunity. If he is, as described by most… humble, thoughtful, flexible and measured…….that alone is a positive.
Just like research has shown that attractive people have a built- in favorable bias in hiring/promotions/opportunities in the “real” world, so it would seem that “perceived” stable, rational coaches would benefit as well.
(Notice that you don’t find ethereal, vastly respected intellectual repositories of cerebrosidal gridiron knowledge in sideline reporters. But you DO find such reporter’s personal appearance more reflective of a Model rather than those who might boast a personal vitae comprising stints such as………lets say… a Secretary of State)
So how does this distill into a benefit? I’d suggest a amalgam of smaller bits coalescing into a larger, friendlier IMAGE that can impact everything from officiating calls; to recruiting; to national reporting more likely to focus on positive developments rather than personal antics. (If you are a sideline judge and have a judgment call, does the fact that a scythe-like swing of a ball cap might impact a juggler vs. a modulated adversary asking for clarification make a difference? Theoretically no, but in reality……yes). Does a national story talking about the positives aspects of a program (academic rates, historical excellence, leading brain impact/concussion research, pediatric research funding, etc. rather than the sideline demeanor of the head coach make a difference? Absolutely. Do stories about an ascendant program rather than the drought between conference championships/ record vs. ranked teams/ rehashing past blowouts/ etc. make a difference to inquiring recruits and parents? I’ve got to believe it does.
Now, having said that, it doesn’t erase records or some dismal facts currently trending, but I’d argue that this hire gives us a unique opportunity to change the dialogue and perception. And that is a benefit we shouldn’t take for granted or underappreciate.
I’d suggest (even though a lot of folks are mocking the “Nice Guy" moniker) bestowed upon Riley, that in actuality …..That is a fairly significant Bennie.
Being honest, Bo had become THE FACE of Nebraska football.
Espn dedicated targeted cameras on him at all times…..hoping for another volcanic eruption. That morphed into the national symbol of the program.
By hiring Riley, (defacto, the antithesis of Bo), the PROGRAM gets a makeover opportunity. If he is, as described by most… humble, thoughtful, flexible and measured…….that alone is a positive.
Just like research has shown that attractive people have a built- in favorable bias in hiring/promotions/opportunities in the “real” world, so it would seem that “perceived” stable, rational coaches would benefit as well.
(Notice that you don’t find ethereal, vastly respected intellectual repositories of cerebrosidal gridiron knowledge in sideline reporters. But you DO find such reporter’s personal appearance more reflective of a Model rather than those who might boast a personal vitae comprising stints such as………lets say… a Secretary of State)
So how does this distill into a benefit? I’d suggest a amalgam of smaller bits coalescing into a larger, friendlier IMAGE that can impact everything from officiating calls; to recruiting; to national reporting more likely to focus on positive developments rather than personal antics. (If you are a sideline judge and have a judgment call, does the fact that a scythe-like swing of a ball cap might impact a juggler vs. a modulated adversary asking for clarification make a difference? Theoretically no, but in reality……yes). Does a national story talking about the positives aspects of a program (academic rates, historical excellence, leading brain impact/concussion research, pediatric research funding, etc. rather than the sideline demeanor of the head coach make a difference? Absolutely. Do stories about an ascendant program rather than the drought between conference championships/ record vs. ranked teams/ rehashing past blowouts/ etc. make a difference to inquiring recruits and parents? I’ve got to believe it does.
Now, having said that, it doesn’t erase records or some dismal facts currently trending, but I’d argue that this hire gives us a unique opportunity to change the dialogue and perception. And that is a benefit we shouldn’t take for granted or underappreciate.
