An Unavoidable Topic
14 comments so far
April 4, 2007 by
Typically, Spring brings new life and optimism. It's true in nature, religious symbols, and yes, even Husker football. Hope springs eternal in April. So, why then has a story as old and unsavory as last season's snow-drenched wet leaves taken such a hold on both the mainstream media (newspapers, radio) and the "new media" (blogs and posting boards) to become an almost unavoidable topic.
I'm talking about the ridiculous golf-outing standoff between the Husker Letterman’s Club and a group of former players hosting an alternative event on the same day. This ugly and intentional scheduling conflict unnecessarily brings back the specter of an unpleasant recent history, places Tom Osborne squarely in the public crosshairs, and should (please, for the love of Pete!) serve as a call to mend fences to people on both sides.
The Facts
The Letterman's Club (operated by the athletic department) has a golf outing on the 13th, the day before the Spring game. Another group of former Huskers is holding a separate event the same day, billed as "Fun, the Original Husker Way", and serving in part as a tribute to recently-fired trainer Doak Ostergard. Tom Osborne has said he will attend the alternative event, and Frank Solich is trying to clear his schedule to attend as well. That is where facts end, and opinions and speculation begin.
A Nasty Scar
I had honestly hoped not to have to address the topic of the rift in Husker Nation on BRN. But, more than one of our readers has asked for our take directly. And, I hear and value them.
This reminds me of having a cut on your body, in a place where it is visible. It has scabbed over more than once. But, if you don't stop picking, it won't heal right and leaves one ugly scar. That's what this whole Pederson-Solich-Callahan-Osborne-Doak BS has the potential to become, one nasty-looking scar.
Let me start by saying I don't blame former players for wanting to have things the way they were, or how they think it should be. I really don't. People develop strong relationships and certain expectations. But, you know what? You never put your foot in the same river twice. It just flows on. You have to move on, too. And, if you want to have a good 'ol boy's event, or even support Doak, that's fine. Go ahead. But the choice to intentionally schedule it to conflict with the athletic department's event is divisive and unnecessary. It's small, and petty, and shows they are about the name on the back of the jersey (certain players or coaches), more than the name on the front (NU).
And, Lee Barfknecht should have had the good sense not to make this news, for the same reason I am reluctant to talk about it now. It validates the "anti" crowd, by giving them more publicity than they deserve. I really don't think that everyone involved in the event wanted this to be a big deal in the public's eye. I'm pretty sure there was a second or even third agenda within that group, trying to make things more difficult for Pederson by going to the papers.
Osborne's Role
It is a bit disheartening for me to see Tom Osborne mixed up in all of this. No, I don't expect him or want him to blindly follow the athletic department (Pederson's) lead. But, I do expect him to be the icon of the Husker football program. Icons don't get mixed up in this kind of mess. If you pressed him, I'd be willing to bet that Tom would fall back on personal relationships as his reason for attending the alternative event. He has and always will value former players and coaches (Frank Solich included).
While that is tough rhetoric to argue with, I think it is naive for any fan to think that Tom doesn't know the exact message he is sending by attending the other event. The man worked in Washington DC, for goodness sake. He knows the ramifications. Heck, maybe he doesn't know when to leave a topic alone. He did lose the race for Governor. Regardless, I would have preferred to see him take some high ground on this, and encourage people on both sides to consider the consequences of their actions.
Time To Mend Fences
So where is that high ground? It is time for everyone on both sides to take a look at what can be done for the greater good of the program. That includes Steve Pederson. His need to control everything (the athletic dept took over the Letterman's Club when he arrived) is at the root of this. As Athletic Director, he's the curator of what being a Husker means. Don't believe me? Just ask him. He'll tell you (wink). But sometimes preserving what is right means enduring a big dose of humility, too.
I don't believe that there is a huge negative segment of the Husker population. I think it is a noisy group of dissenters on the fringe. Isn't that how it is with most groups? But Pederson can't afford to wait around for that group to get over their hurt feelings, because there are a few of them with some very deep pockets. Pederson is going to have to "eat it" with a couple of them to get their money flowing back in to athletic department. And, he's going to have to wake up and realize his name and face are fire starters for the public. He needs to be seen and heard from less.
On the fan and former player side of things, mending fences starts with accepting that the nature of college athletics has changed, and NU with it. Pederson happens to be the guy doing the changing for us. Sorry, Husker fans. You didn't get to be "in the tent" on how the new coach was hired. That doesn't make Callahan bad, Solich good, or Pederson dumb. It means you don't have the influence you deluded yourselves in to thinking you had. It is a bitter pill to swallow, but it's true. And for this minority of former players who are basically "against" the current athletic department, maybe it is time to remember that you are part of something bigger than yourself, or at least bigger than the guy who helped rehab your knee or tape your ankle.
If people on both sides don't stop picking, we're going to have a nice ugly scar for everyone to see.
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Gregory Apr 04 07
Frankly, living a few miles away from "home", I'm taking a "let those people handle their own business" viewpoint. After having formed an opinion of someone (Osborne) over the course of 32 years, I don't want to shade it, this far into his and my life.
The "has been" jocks taking part in the alternative, (some of whom were my heroes in the '70's) don't arouse much empathy, or interest.
It looks from the outside like a "small fish acting relevant in a small pond". These people are just a little too self important.
DT Apr 05 07
I hear what you're saying about wanting to ignore this. But just think of it: Early April...NCAA Hoops tourney...Opening day...And also in the news: the scheduling of a Football-alumni golf outing!
Gotta love it!
But seriously, I think that TO's time in DC may have helped him to develop some world class fence-straddling skills. But the big vote is coming up and it's time to get off the fence. As far as I can recall, TO walked away and the next thing I knew we were getting blown out by K-state at home...so the loyalty excuse only goes so far with me. Like you alluded, it'd be nice to see a little loyalty for the name on the front of the shirt from a lot of these people. (Doak Ostergard must have his name on the front and back, as near as I can tell.) I feel sorry for TO for the position that all sides have put him in, but I agree that it'd be best if he'd tell the "anti's" to get over themselves. I'm not saying they have to pledge their full support and undying devotion to Steve P...but they don't have to be pricks about their obvious inability to get over their hurt feelings either (which is how they're coming off now.)
We could always fall back on the Wisdom of Solomon and cut TO in half. But if we did that, Barfknecht's next column would be about how the Doak party was getting the shaft because they're getting the left half and the right half (the half that TO wears his championship rings on) was going to the Pedey party...and that's just not true to the Original Husker Way!
So let's just keep that as a Plan B for now.
Great read--As usual...right on the money.
Brad Apr 05 07
Great article. Appreciate you addressing this difficult topic.
The motives of the alternative event are nauseating and transparent. It sickens me that Tom Osborne became involved. It sickens me even more that a man who received so much benefit of the doubt from the public for Lawrence Phillips and Christian Peter now can't extend the same generosity to the current coach and athletic director.
Can Pederson fix this? No. He can stay out of the limelight and thereby reduce the tension, but he can't fix this because some people will hate him no matter what he does. Osborne, and Osborne alone, is the one man who is capable of fixing this. If he genuinely extended his hand and signalled that it was time to forgive and forget, his band of noisy dissenters would come back to the fold.
Will Osborne do it? Will he extend his hand to Pederson? Well, he should, being that he also played a part in this division by side-stepping an actual coaching search and placing his underqualified buddy in the head coaching position.
AustinHusker Apr 05 07
For the most part I would have to agree with Darren. It would be nice to not be talking about this, but I guess old wounds are hard to heal. Every time something like this comes up though there is always one persons name mentioned, Steve Pederson. There is just something about this arrogant person that doesn’t sit right with traditiona Husker Fans. I will always be a fan of the Huskers, Devaney, Osborne, etc. But Peterson just has a way of thinking he is better than anyone else and it doesn’t sit well with me. I didn’t even know who Doak was until this incident it reeks of the same time of thank you and gratitude that Peterson has shown since he got to NU. Callahan had a bit of that when he showed up but he is at least trying and beginning to understand what the Husker Nation is all about. I agree it is time to move on and let wounds heal but if you ask me to choose sides between Peterson and Dr Tom it will be a short discussion. In today’s society there is still something refreshing for this Husker fan about commitment to people that helped you get where you are and TOs players have certainly done that. Besides look how Peterson has treated Osborne over the years, would you have sided with him, high road or not.
Steve Apr 05 07
Darren,
Thanks for taking on this lightning rod topic. I echo your thoughts about not wanting to make things worse by picking at the scab. This is the classic example of how perception influences reality and vice versa. If the Husker Nation said a collective "So What" to the two tournaments, there would be virtually no fallout. Instead, by allowing ourselves to be affected, we give the alternative tournament a damaging power it wouldn't otherwise have.
The true damage comes if we allow this to scare recruits or scare away Pederson, Callahan, or valued assistants. Understand where the athletic program was when Pederson arrived. We were simply trying to hang on, and little was happening to prepare this program for the future. Sure, Solich had reshuffled his assistants but the recruiting hadn't appreciably improved nor had the team shown itself to be competitive with the better teams in the Big 12.
Enter Pederson. Look at what the facilities have become. Look at what Callahan has done. Not only did he put the Huskers back in the Big 12 title game, but Nebraska nearly beat Texas and outgained OU. They swept the North for the first time this decade. Since Solich's 38-9 loss at home to Kansas State, no one has come into Lincoln and beat a Callahan team by more than 7 points. That's progress.
Right now the greatest threat to further progress is not Bob Stoops or Mack Brown, it's the Husker Nation creating a hostile environment for its own coaches and players. We need to get over the 60-3 record from 1993-1997 and realize that Solich was never going to take us back there. Callahan probably won't either, but he's taking us to a better place. That it hasn't happened overnight doesn't alter that direction.
There are no guarantees. Things may not work out the way we'd hope, but let's wait and see how things play out rather than undermine further progress by declaring the sky to be falling. Husker fans, we are our own worst enemy right now. UCLA fans scared off Larry Brown after he got them to the final game of the NCAA tournament. Was Larry Brown a great coach? Yes. Was he John Wooden? No. The reward for UCLA fans? Fifteen years without a Final Four appearance while they got to watch Brown build a National Champion at Kansas in half the time. Let's get out of our own way as fans and accept the present, embrace the future, and let thing like competing golf tournaments pass with a collective "so what".
Katie Apr 05 07
Could not agree more. We all (as a Husker Nation) need to move on from this. We pride ourselves in being a close knit family, then just like other families we need to kiss and make up. Things change -- The longer we keep feeding the fire on this topic (scheduling conflicting golf outings) the worse it is going to get.
Tom needs to be the head of our household and not pick sides, he needs to do what is best for his Husker Family. While I agree with Darren he probably did not intend to pick sides, he simply wanted to golf with his friends. Maybe he should have said "I have a meeting in Washington to talk about ethanol fuel that particular weekend and that comes first in my life now, not Husker football". A wise person once told me a good way to stay out of tough situations like this is to never enter them. I am not sure how he thought something good could come of this!
I think our program is heading in a positive direction. I am ready to purchase my Big 12 title game tickets for San Antonio--- 5 years ago that was not in the plan. Like it or not this is where the Husker Train is going. I can't believe we have to go over this bump again to honor an athletic trainer. Heck there was not this much comotion when Turner Gill was "let go". It just feels shady- little to do about golf and getting together with old friends and more to do about an OLD BEAT TO DEATH topic.
Come on Husker Fans -- We need to back OUR team-- Looking forward to the spring game!
Bart Apr 05 07
I heard the old and new cheerleaders are going to have competing wet T-shirt contests, Peterson and Solich have been invited to throw buckets of water at their respective supporters.
Husker Mike Apr 05 07
I find it a little tough to blame Tom in this situation...after all, he wasn't even invited to the "official outing". In many respects, this is a symptom of the larger problem that is festering. Former players and coaches don't feel like they are welcome anymore. Whether that is justified or not is irrelevent... that feeling is out there and it needs to be addressed. Tom Osborne is spending time consulting with Creighton and Iowa Western; they welcome his input.
Why not at UNL?
You put the man's name on the building, why not get him INTO the building? Bob Stoops won a lot of hearts at Oklahoma by embracing Barry Switzer when he arrived, yet Stoops has no interest in running the wishbone. That doesn't mean that Osborne should run the place, but that means that he should be welcomed as a sounding board.
Going back and rehashing the old ugliness from 2003 isn't getting us anywhere, that's picking at the scab as well. Trying to diminish criticism as being from a "lunatic fringe" isn't going to help either, especially since there is another "lunatic fringe" at the other extreme.
Both sides of the family feud are to blame...problem is that this problem has festered so long it's more than 60-3, 38-9, 62-24. It's more than 70-10, #5, #19, or whatever Rivals thinks our recruiting ranking is. It became personal. Husker football is personal to the fans, players, and coaches. And the hurt feelings aren't going away, and the longer this thing festers, the worse it's going to be.
I used to think this would go away with wins. Then I thought it would go away if Steve Pederson went away. Now I'm not sure if it will ever go away, at least with the current entrenchment inside of the new Osborne Complex.
darren Apr 05 07
Wow, lots of great feedback and input in these comments. Thanks folks.
Thank you Bart, for injecting much-needed humor. And thank you Husker Mike for a thoughtful perspective. BRN regulars need to consider looking at Mike's blog if you aren't already. We respect that guy a bunch over here.
Jason Apr 05 07
It has been four years since Solich left, so time isn't healing all wounds. What would help? (I'm asking sincerely.)
Does Osborne have to show up at practice?
Does Peterson have to go? Callahan? The entire staff?
Would winning the Big 12 fix it?
My guess is a national championship would make people forget. (We forgot about the 80's after we won in 93.) The trouble is, national championships are a bit tough to come by. I hope there's an easier solution.
Short of a NC, there's probably no silver bullet. But if you're unhappy with the program, what would it take to fix it?
kalthalior Apr 05 07
I wasn't aware of this controversy until visiting today. While it is certainly in bad taste to schedule such an event the same day as an "official" university function, the former players and coaches have selectively (some seem to be welcome at specific times, others - well, not so much) been "frozen" out of the program. I do not blame Coach C for this but the man most responsible for the mess in the first place, the AD. It really all boils down to the way he has chosen to run things and his attitude. He's achieved some significant accomplishments, but he has not endeared himself to anyone in the state by the way he's chosen to do things. I'm an alum, and the things I hear fellow alums and other people in the state say about him makes me fairly certian he will be asked to move on eventually, fairly or not, whatever his talents.
DT Apr 05 07
I totally agree with Darren's initial statement that some fans find Pederson's name and image to be grating.
But that being said, Pederson has actually done a lot more to bring fans into the fold than many would care to admit:
-The introduction of the annual "Husker Nation Tour" in an effort to bring the coaching staff and players to several meet & greet events, showing gratitude to the small Nebraska communities who have supported NU football for (oh, let's just say) several dozens of years prior to the inception of such an event. Fans like the 1,500 who turned out here in Scottsbluff were a testament to the warm reception that this event was received with.
-The offering of the "Husker Pavillion". Personally, I've never been (I like to drink beer and visit with old friends before and after the game.) But this family-oriented event provides kids (who largely seem to have an inability to entertain themselves nowadays) an outlet for fun activities on game day.
-The content and materials available for fans on the Huskers.com official athletic department website have increased tenfold since Pederson took charge of the NU AD. Basically any and all information that was previously only available via a media guide is now available online...as well as streaming audio of live events, downloadable video highlights of past games, and more trivial features like the "hangin' with the Huskers" player profiles are all examples of how NU's internet presence has grown by leaps and bounds under Pederson's stewardship.
-He has approved the hanging of signs above every possible entry to the stadium, proclaiming the greatness of every NU fan who walks beneath them.
-None of this includes the spectatular new facilities (that Steve and others have already mentioned) that Pederson has overseen.
So, kalthalior, I must respectfully disagree with your remark that "he has not endeared himself to anyone in the state by the way he's chosen to do things." I think that the mythos that's been pushed by Pederson's detractors that "he doesn't care about the fans" is well contridicted by the points that I mention and other actions that I've failed to include. I'm an alum too...so is Steve Pederson. Until your prediction of his imminent dismissal comes to pass, I'm going to give the man the benefit of the doubt that he holds all of our best interests at heart.
I will be the first to admit that I can see how some are put off with Pederson's apparent smirk and can understand how they may find his personality to be smarmy and smug. It'd just be nice if these folks could actually cite some examples which detail why they feel the way they do about the man when they make attacks on his "attitude" and supposedly arrogant character. It's easy to lob out chestnuts like: "But Peterson just has a way of thinking he is better than anyone else and it doesn’t sit well with me." (AustinHusker) without actually examining why it is you feel that way.
If it's because he fired Solich and Frank was your drinking buddy and he had to move away to Ohio and you never get to see him anymore...that's fine! If it's because you don't agree that Doak's bosses are justified in letting him go for whatever reasons they may have and he should have been allowed to keep his job forever and ever, because he's a "True Husker" (whatever that means)...that's great too! But please, just try to be a little more cognizant of why you feel the way that you proclaim to...and a little more eloquent as to whatever concrete foundation exists beneath your venomous hatred for the man.
Ted B Apr 05 07
I know I am going to get blasted for saying this, but I LIKE STEVE PEDERSON A LOT AND I LOVE WHAT HE IS DOING HERE.
Callahan, whether Pederson stumbled into hiring or not, was a great hire (though many think he is an idiot for a bad call here or there). He is turning us into a recruiting hotspot for kids with NFL aspirations. Anyone who read Sean Payton's recent comments realizes this. He also is working hard at integrating himself in Husker Nation. His overall momentum forward is palpable.
Doc Sadler, I believe, is also a great hire. I am encouraged by the work Person did a Pitt as well in turning the program around. The coach he hired made it to the final four the last two years.
Furthermore, I am amazed that this fringe group seems to regard Solich as a heroic martyr. Complete amnesia. Solich sucked at coaching and recruiting, and he drove our program into the ground with incredible speed. Wasn't five years long enough for a guy who only got the job because he was friends with Tom Osborne? Isn't that loyal enough?
I am excited about Nebraska's future now, and I wasn't at all before Pederson arrived. What happened to Solich and option football needed to be done sooner or later, and face it, some of our fans were going to hate whatever AD had the balls to do it.
Thank you Steve Pederson and Bill Callahan. Please don't let the egos from Nebraska's past scare you away!
andrew Apr 06 07
DT,
Very well said, you had to think that one out!
This is also the first time I am hearing anything about this, and all I can say is that it is in bad taste. Bad taste........