My Perspective on Marlon Lucky
5 comments so far
February 15, 2007 by
This week I've gotten a lot of requests via e-mail and voice mail asking my take about the Marlon Lucky health situation. I've even had a few people anxious to see a post about it. I can't speak for Steve, Jason, Renny or any other BRN posters. But, for me personally, this is a topic about which I'm reluctant to post. It's the kind of item that contains more speculation than fact, and has little to do with football. It is the kind of thing that Internet posting boards and talk radio listeners live for. It floods e-mail boxes and blows up on text messages. But, the mission of BRN is to inform and advance the conversation about Husker football. And, aspects of this story speak to the environment that surrounds Husker football, so that merits discussion. Finally, there is a football side of this that might be worth mentioning.
More Rumor Than Fact
By in large, I guess most fans just need to accept that we don't know what happened with Marlon. But, our need to know or feel like we are somehow "in the tent" drives us to speculate. It's like we're driving by an accident and taking guesses at what the cause was. (ice, drunk driving, etc.) The site of that wreck can stay with you for a while.
I've heard or read no less than three speculative statements about why Marlon Lucky was hospitalized. All of them were citing un-named, third-party sources supposedly in the medical field. It's all rumor. We know that this young man was taken to the hospital, was put in to intensive care, and now he is recovering. The school and the player's family are not under any obligation to tell anyone anything else. Nor should they have to come out and say what did not happen. It is the very definition of a private situation. No, we don't need to know. No matter how much we may pay for season tickets.
I'm not calling out media people about health care privacy laws or their reporting so far. They are filling a perceived need for news. It's a supply and demand curve for information. And, it's not against any laws to speculate or report other people's speculation. It is just a bit irresponsible, in my opinion. I prefer to know that news sources report fact or their clearly-designated opinions on those facts.
Players as Public Figures
This gets to the heart of one cost of being a Husker football player (or an Ohio State Buckeye, or Florida Gator...). The profile and expectations on these very young men essentially make them public figures. It is especially true in a fishbowl like Lincoln, where football reigns 24/7. As such, we as fans expect some sort of detailed knowledge about their personal lives, or even their health. We post pictures of Stew Bradley at parties and marvel at Nunn's playmate girlfriend. How does the Lucky situation differ? It's about his health. Those other things are trivial by comparison. If it were your child you would not want that kind of speculation about their health.
Yes, these kids sign up for this in some sense. They are more than happy for the celebrity and notoriety when it helps them. But, keep in mind that they pay a very steep price for their fame when they land on the wrong side of the law. If Joe College vandalizes a parked car, it doesn't lead the sports news. It is just hard for me to chalk this kind of loose talk about Lucky up to some sort of "buyer beware" clause for current or future Husker players.
That's my take. I'm sorry if you don't agree with some of it. I wouldn't have posted had some folks not literally asked for it.
About Football
Big Red Network strives to be - mostly - about football. And, the situation with Marlon does present a football angle.
Let me just say that we need to stop thinking about Marlon Lucky in a football sense. This isn't about getting more good reps out of this young man. We can only hope the best for his personal health. Any thing after that is a luxury.
That said, his situation compounds Brandon Jackson's early departure for the NFL and Cody Glenn's injury and offers another whammy to NU's depth at running back. Healthy backs could be pretty sparse for Spring football. This might hinder the development of a potentially great offense. It is just a reminder of why quality depth is so essential at every position. Three months ago, we were worried about how they would share carries. We can only be glad it is February and not August.
One person who may benefit from a lighter running back roster is freshman Marcus Mendoza, who graduated from high school early and is on campus for conditioning and Spring football. So, he may get to experience the scrutiny that comes with being a Husker a little earlier than his mates in the class of 2007. My advice, play things close to the vest, young man.
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Tyler Feb 16 07
Superstition-Coincidence? It's just weird:
We have all these RBs one day and then we struggle to have enough. It's almost hard to remember how we made it through a season with only one featured back in the past.
Not that I'm superstitious but the other day I was thinking "I hope the OWH doesn't come out with a best-ever type article for the ladies basketball team." They did, and the ladies lost the next game.
So I'd rather have more backs and have Randy J deal with the egos, then promise the program to an up-and-comer (Lucky or Castille) and then have the train derail when an injury or something freak like this incident occurs.
Grant Feb 16 07
Nicely done, Darren. I'm just glad Marlon is returning to the football team. I'm glad he's back to normal and will remain a Husker. I'm glad the media, by large and part, did respect the wishes of privacy. That does not happen all the time.
Now....it's back to football!
James Moore Feb 16 07
Marlon deserves the benefit of ANY doubt that may be out there. He never grumbled in public about playing time, worked his way up the depth chart, and showed a lot of development in all aspects of the game since his arrival. This is a testament to someone who listens to his coaches, practices & plays hard, and is a good teammate. We've never heard too much about him off the field (frankly I can't recall any specific incident) and he deserves our thoughts and prayers. Spot on Darren, we should worry about his family and his health. Not implying that anyone here is not giving him the benefit of the doubt, but he deserves it. May God Bless You Mr. Lucky and may you make a full recovery.
Gregory Feb 17 07
Once again, you (and your crew) have an ideal perspective on the situation.
I'd like to see Lucky prosper and succeed at "our" special little environment. He made a logical, thought out choice, when he came to Nebraska. (Nebraska being a clear alternative to USC). He came with a plan and a purpose, when just about everybody offered him. If a "big timer" has that, then Nebraska becomes an ideal place to prosper as a student athlete.
My concern, having lived away from Lincoln lo these 25 years, is; has Lincoln started to become a toxic environment?
Like the big city I live in?
DT Feb 19 07
I don't post very often, but I just wanted to say that this is some the most well-reasoned commentary on the Lucky situation that I've seen.
Like I said, I don't often take time to comment, but I've been a regular reader for a while now...so I also wanted to let you all know that I think you guys have done a great job on your blog, keep up the good work!