The way it used to be

C N Red

C N Red

All-American
If i remember correctly, back in the 90's the Blackshirts were handed out before the first game usually. Now, I understand back then our defense was basically always good so this was probably easier to do.

I was just wondering if anyone thinks this will ever be the norm again. Will we ever return to the point that our defense will be good enough that the Blackshirts will be handed out before the first game on a yearly basis?

 
I have a hard time justifying Suh not having a Blackshirt. I get that it's a team game, but this is bordering on ridiculous.

 
Why not let the returning blackshirts keep theirs. Then you have some leadership and at the start of season you award the other starters. Charlie McBride was said to threaten to take them away from time to time when his kids were slacking. And as far as different defensive packages...whatever players are in there during 1 vs 1's gets a blackshirt.

 
I understand where Bo is coming from, dont get me wrong we have had 2 games in a row where our Defense has shown flashes of greatness. But they have yet to put it together 60 mins of mistake free time. I understand we shut out UL but they moved the ball on us because of mistakes on coverage. I think you will see the Black shirts handed out either at the end of this year or when the team play's mistake free for an entire game. Not saying I agree with it but that is what I think he is waiting for, Mental Mistakes = Bo's BAD side.

 
Even if the D is not great they should be handed out before the first game. How do you know if a D is good before the season anyway? A coach has to have faith in his team and players have to have pride in what they stand for.

 
HuskerMack said:
I understand where Bo is coming from, dont get me wrong we have had 2 games in a row where our Defense has shown flashes of greatness. But they have yet to put it together 60 mins of mistake free time. I understand we shut out UL but they moved the ball on us because of mistakes on coverage. I think you will see the Black shirts handed out either at the end of this year or when the team play's mistake free for an entire game. Not saying I agree with it but that is what I think he is waiting for, Mental Mistakes = Bo's BAD side.
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Well the D is light years ahead of last season and yet Bo handed them out during the year last season. I think they get them in a couple of weeks.

 
irafreak said:
Why not let the returning blackshirts keep theirs. Then you have some leadership and at the start of season you award the other starters. Charlie McBride was said to threaten to take them away from time to time when his kids were slacking. And as far as different defensive packages...whatever players are in there during 1 vs 1's gets a blackshirt.
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I agree with you. If you have them at the end of the year you should get it back to start the season. Now new starters, etc should have to earn theirs but I do like returning Blackshirts should keep theirs. If they are not producing I don't have a problem with it being taken away either.

 
When Bo says it is time, it is time, not a second before.

He sets the standards for his team. Not us or anyone prior to him.

He wants them to mean something to his team. It is not bubble gum to him.

 
skersfan said:
When Bo says it is time, it is time, not a second before.

He sets the standards for his team. Not us or anyone prior to him.

He wants them to mean something to his team. It is not bubble gum to him.
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I agree and I disagree.

Bo has been a Husker for what? Three years now, including his DC stint in 2003? Yes, he's gotten a crash course in All Things Husker from Dr. Tom, and I'm sure he's spent time with former players to understand the culture around here. But this is still not an intuitive thing for him. He's not 100% Husker, not yet.

There are folks on this board who were Husker fans when Bo was in diapers. I was a Husker fan when he was in Kindergarten, that's for sure. I'm thinking our opinions, ineffective to the reality of when the Shirts come out, aren't far off from what this program is all about.

I'm not trying to get "more Husker than thou" on Bo here. I'm just saying there is validity to the concern about the way he's handling a tradition that is as cherished by the fans as it is the players.

 
I was on my way back to Vietnam when Bo was in diapers.

I just think we are paying too much attention to something that really is not important to wins or losses.

It turly has no baring on how the team has performed or how they will perform.

It is just in fact a Tshirt that really nobody sees.

I can see the history of it and the tradition, but new traditions can be made. Better traditions based on something more than being able to tell the difference between the defensive starters and 2nd string.

My guess is that Bo has the blessings of Coach Osborne on this. He has a set of standards that need to be met, and my guess is each and every player knows those requirements. None of them are complaining about the situation it appears. I see no reason for us to think it is sacrilidge in any way.

The Black Shirts have been a shadow of what they once meant to some. We never want to fall back into that hole, and maybe he is just making it harder for that to happen.

Patience young grasshopper, the master will do it when it is time. Have faith.

 
I know everyone is into the blackshirts. I've given this alot of thought. I think blackshirts mean a whole lot more, and might even be a great new tradition, to pass them out for the final regular season game (and have them for the conf. championship and bowl game). For one, it gives the players a ton of motivation all year. Secondly, it makes the blackshirts actually "mean something" as opposed to being handed out early, mostly based on last year's results.

Don't get me wrong, I'd like to be talking about the Blackshirts as much as anyone. But we have to understand Bo Pelini is a different cat. No one is EVER going to be handed anything on this team, for as long as he is here. He is clearly not swayed by media pressure, as he has been asked about it since after the FAU game.

Based on Pelini's body of work, I will NEVER second guess or question anything he says on the defensive side of the ball. I've never seen results more directly tied to a coach showing up, leaving and then showing back up again as the Nebraska defense has been tied to Pelini. Maybe Urban Meyer at Florida, but lets face it, UF's offense was just fine before Urban got there.

 
I think the shirts meant something before. I think it helped encourage competition to fight for a shirt. That said it does seem to conflict with a lot of the articles coming out explaining in the assisstant coach's own words that they don't want to single out starters too much so no one gets comfortable. Just a thought.

 
If you listen to the games, the commentators call the defense black shirts any way. No one out side of most Husker fans, no that there not handed out yet any way.

GBR!!!

 
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