It hasn't been a week for good news in Nebraska football circles, but I'm not so sure that's a bad thing for the Cornhuskers first-year head coach.
Back in the (brief) halcyon days of Bill Callahan's tenure at Nebraska, the rallying call of the day was "Restore the Order." Maybe it still is but the shirts Callahan had printed up referred to the Big 12 pecking order. (Or, perhaps, the natural state of the universe which, of course, features Nebraska as one of the best teams in the country.)
Bo Pelini now has a chance to restore a different kind of order. While Pelini has curried much favor with Huskerbloods by getting back to the "Nebraska Way" on a couple of different fronts--walk-ons, promises of competitive practices, actions speaking louder than and/or in place of words--given Nebraska's recent bum rush of the Fulmer Cup standings, the new coach is faced with his first official decision as the BMOC.
As Darren noted on the Big Red Network last summer when we were awaiting disciplinary action on Mo Purify, talking about what Pelini "should" do is pointless and pretty dangerous. What's important here is not how Bo handles the situations but rather the fact that now, barely 100 days into the job, he has to handle the situation.
What's the old line about losing that never consoled anyone? Losing doesn't build character, it reveals it? Yeah, this is one of those sort of moments.
Up to this point, Pelini's tenure could best be described as wiping the slate clean. Now, or in the near future, Bo's going to have to pick up the chalk and write. Ultimately, the words that end up on the blackboard probably won't matter much but I suspect that the process certainly will.
It's officially your team now, Bo.
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Sorry I'm a couple of days late on this one...but I've been having computer problems as of late and just recently got them corrected, so I'm just starting to catch up on making the rounds.
Anyway, here are some of the postings in the LJS blog story on Lee getting the boot (Zing!) that was linked on EDSBS this morning...
http://www.journalstar.com/blog/huskers.php?title=dismissed_from_the_team&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
(They dovetail into a general discussion of recent Husker lawlessness and then further fork off from there into the strange tangent of whether or not Pat Tillman should be voted to the NFL Hall of Fame):
But you'll be glad to know that it took just 6 comments before the revisionist historians joined in...
6. Comment from: joe9wicket
"Unlike last time we went through a change, I'm pretty sure these kids know why and how they are no longer on the team, just a hunch."
(Yeah, I'm pretty sure that a majority of them know why they quit the team for the obscurity of the Northern Iowa's and Northern Colorado's of the world...)
10. Comment from: NostraDumbAss
"Bo needs to lead with a strict hand. We are not Floirida (sic) or Florida State."
(I mostly wanted to include this because I thought "NostraDumbAss" was funny, but seriously, isn't this cute little nugget just so late-20th century? Step up your cliches NostraDumbAss, it's all Illinois, PSU & Bama nowadays!)
12. Comment from: Red in West
"The one thing I LOVE about these bad situations is the deceissiveness (sic) in which Pelini is acting.
The message, "Do the right thing"
The ship is sailing well under Capt. Bo"
(And I'm gonna sound like I'm questioning Bo here, which I don't intend as I fell he's really done nothing particular in his handling of these separate events to be called into question...but how exactly has he displayed his "decisiveness"? Was it in the way that he chose to take the "wait & see" approach with a high-profile projected-starter who's been charged with several embarrassing and serious crimes and just boot another relative unknown player without giving any reason whatsoever? Again, I'm not suggesting that Bo is wrong in either case, but what has he seriously done to demonstrate any great "decisiveness"? But the steadfastness that some state their assuredness in "Capt. Bo" is eerily akin to how some were so proud of how "Presidential" President Bush presented himself following the events of 9/11/01...Oh, you think he's acting really "Presidential"? Shit, that's great! He is the president, after all!
To which another poster replied...)
13. Comment from: Jackson
"What did Daniel Lee do to get kicked off the Team?
A Christensen is charged with 1st Degree Sexual Assault and resisting arrest and he has ONLY been suspended."
(Then came this...)
25. Comment from: Islander/Husker
"Maybe the old sheriff, allowed certain things to happen, and gave players a freer reign. Well we now have a new sheriff, different rules and policies. Bo will make our players accountable."
(I don't disagree that Bo will hold the players accountable and judge their actions fairly...but what I'd like to know is what in the hell did Callahan ever do to demonstrate that he was ever soft in the discipline department?! Wasn't he the guy who kicked off a potential All-American after about 6 weeks on the job? Say what you will about BC--and I have--but I cannot criticize his job performance in running a clean program and treating those that ran afoul in a fair but firm manner. Yet the buttressing of the whole "Bo's more Nebraska Way™" BS continues...)
35. Comment from: Just Me
"At least Bo is actually DOING his job. Unlike Callasham who just considered his players to be doing college kids things.
Seems we are getting back to the basics of the Devaney, Osborne and now Bo era. If you don't want to play by the rules and represent the Huskers, yourself and the people of Nebraska the pack your bags and head on down the road."
(Now, I lived in Lincoln in the Osborne era--back when he used to lock weapons that were used in his players misdeeds in the drawer of his desk--so you're gonna have a tough time putting that line of garbage over on me. However, I didn't live in Lincoln during the Devaney era, but an astute commenter offered...)
42. Comment from: huskerhannah
"Back in the Devaney era...Devaney had one player who robbed a gas station and was caught with marijuana...he stayed on the team and was awarded the Heisman...."
(And another...)
43. Comment from: NorCalSFbayHusker
"Comment from: Just Me
Ummmm, Lawrence Phillips"
(Followed up with a similarly astute...)
58. Comment from: NorCalSFbayHusker
"I find it a bit funny that everyone’s complaint was
that old players were not invited to be around the athletic department in the past four years, and now it took only two months for incidents with past players and current players to materialize.
Ironic"
Then it sort of devolves into an examination of whether or not one should feel justified in defending a given sexual assault charge on the basis of what outfit the victim happened to be wearing at the time of the incident in question--you know, standard stuff for a Nebraska paper's online blog entry regarding the dismissal of an unknown kicker...but I've digressed enough already.
Anyway, like I said before, I'm not faulting Bo in any way for his handling of the crime wave that's been crashing down on the program...My main beef is:
Why can't we just let Bo be Bo? When will we free ourselves from this collective obsession in passing on this legacy of "Devaney...TO...whoever" and passing on this fictitious mantle that accompanies the halo we've placed over the heads of our winningest coaches?
But I think Bo's handling it all real well...as least as well as can be expected and didn't mean to imply otherwise. You said it best, the PR blitz is over, time for Bo to go to work. I have faith that he'll earn his keep. Time will tell if I'm right, I guess...
But I just wanted to chime in and say good stuff, as always. I'm going on another 3-week hiatus here next week, but I'll hope for more good stuff to get my gears turning when I return!
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