Eric the Red
Team HuskerBoard
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What Brings 'em "N"?
Sunday, Feb 8th 2004
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California has the good weather, Florida’s got the beaches, Northeast has the big cities, Colorado has the Rockies...and escort services, Texas has high schools like football factories and Nebraska has … uh … well …Nebraska has…you know…uhhh…don’t know do ya. What draws recruits? Let’s take a look at this, shall we? I think I may have an idea. Try this for starters.
You know when someone looks at a million dollar painting and says this is magnificent, yet others view it and it reminds them of a bucket of piss and sh#t? Some people view the Green Monster in Fenway as a historical monument and others view it as nothing more than a waste of colored dye.
It’ a very fascinating thing to ponder, but then you have to remember you’re dealing with 17 and 18 year old kids. Recruits can be fickle. After all they are human. Comments made by recruits can be as varied as the Nebraska weather.
So what is it that draws potential athletes to Nebraska?
One recruit said, "When I was on the plane, we were flying over the stadium and it was huge.” There, you see it’s the stadium. Right? No wait there’s more. “And when we got off the plane, that's all you could see was the stadium with that big 'N'. Aw man, it was beautiful.” Ahh, the letter “N.” This one’s seen Sesame Street.
Where else, except Nebraska, does the letter “N”, bring about such an awe inspiring gasp? Could it be the red in the “N?” Everyone wants a “red” corvette. But then again, red is also the color of police car lights in front of Richie Incognito’s house. Can’t be that. Can it?
In an article, “What seemed to catch (the players’) eyes were the NFL championship rings that both Callahan and Blake had on. The recruit said ‘The big NFL championship rings they were wearing really got my attention.’”
Ah, maybe it’s the bling in the ring. Possible, but everyone has bling these days.
A third explains, “They (Nebraska) have great academics.” Yeah right, what 18-year old is going to pick books over bikini girls year round on South Beach, next.
A recruit from the island of Ineverleavemyhouse said, “I just couldn’t get over the whole city of Lincoln, the atmosphere … It was too much to turn down."
Lincoln, Nebraska??? Is that what he said? The town with two seasons, one so-called skyscraper, no professional teams and zero pizzeria’s to pick up a pie or slice.
Finally, “… when the name Nebraska came up, it really made him light up."
What made him light up? What could it be?
Nebraska must have something unique, something different, something artsy……. It must be the, yes I believe it is - aesthetic beauty???? Yes, aesthetic beauty.
Some people look at the glass half full, others half empty. Some people appreciate the fact there isn’t the roar of planes in the sky every 10 minutes buzzing the tops of houses. Others will and can learn to find the culture and life in any town, any size once they peel through the layers a bit. These are the kind of men Nebraska recruits. And these are usually the men who are hard working, blue collar type individuals who you want on your team anyway. One’s that don’t care for the pampering.
Nebraska’s recruiting class is full of them. Callahan did what he could, in the time he had. I don’t grade his class based on him having three weeks though. I do it as if it were regular time. Because like these recruits and Nebraska football, I expect the best. I will rate it around a “C.” I don’t rate a class based on effort, but what they signed, therefore, I won’t even go near an “A.” Maybe one playmaker, no standouts. USC is an “A.” And I won’t go near an “F” either because like that million dollar painting, that would be a bucket of piss and sh#t. And, of course, that has no aesthetic beauty.
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I remember most recruits after their visits say "wow they sure have impressive facilities" and "man.. so thats how they get so big!". I think they view this as their ticket to the bigs.