Nebraska...not feeling Frosty anymore

[entropy]

http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=205238091

Huskers Lunch with Bo

[Wild Hoss]

I think ent hit most of the major points.

In essence, he was a really smart, disciplined, competitive guy. In his own way he was also a great motivator, even though his personality is not that which we normally associate with such people. (He had a lot of John Wooden in him, and often cites Wooden in his books) His players and staff worked hard out of fear of disappointing him, which IMO lends itself to a sustainable pattern of leadership, and more importantly, kept ego issues under wraps. There was very, very little of the drama that we so often saw in other programs...it was almost cult-like. Players that didn?t buy in didn?t last long.

He also had the benefit of hiring two excellent assistant coaches in Milt Tenipir (OL) and Charlie McBride (DC) who were both very similar to himself; great coaches in their own right, but also father-figure type leaders. Due to the lack of ego issues foster by Tom, both stayed around for a very long time and were the backbone of a consistent and unified program.

I agree with ent that Tom was a better recruiter than he?s given credit for, but not a great one. I think he and his staff were among the very best there ever were at identifying players rather than talent, and did a remarkable job at getting the most out of what they had. Both at the individual level, and what they had on the roster overall. While there were always legions of walkons that you never heard of, we used to get contributions out of a very high percentage of our scholarshipped athletes, which was important, because we didn?t sign very many. There wasn?t much waste...Tom ran a pretty damned efficient ship overall.

I think he had great natural ability as a coach, but as a leader he was able to maximize Nebraska's potential.

[entropy]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L4uhx5qRaM"]‪Bugeaters (The Official Movie Trailer)‬‏ - YouTube[/ame]


Thursday, August 11th, 2011 7:30 p.m.
The Grand Theatre
Grand Island, Nebraska

Sunday, August 14th, 2011 2:00 p.m.
Prairie Theatre
Ogallala, Nebraska

Sunday, August 28th, 2011 7:30 p.m.
The Majestic Theatre
Wayne, Nebraska

Sunday, September 11th, 2011 2:00 and 4:00 p.m.
The Rivoli Theatre
Seward, Nebraska

Saturday, September 17th, 2011 5:00 p.m.
Estes Park Film Festival/Historic Park Theatre
Estes Park, Colorado



WHAT: Omaha premiere screening.
WHERE:Omaha Community Playhouse, Hawks Mainstage, 6915 Cass St.
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
TICKETS:$9, at the door or online.

If you think you're good at Husker trivia, you're about to have the chance to get better.

Did you know, for example, that the University of Nebraska football team never officially had the nickname Bugeaters?

"Bugeaters" is the title of Omaha filmmaker Jim Fields' documentary about the beginnings of Husker football from 1889 to 1900.

The 65-minute low-budget documentary about the first decade of football at the university, will premiere Thursday at the Omaha Community Playhouse. Fields serves up a treasure trove of Husker lore.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20110725/LIVING/707259983

[SeanB]

Fields serves up a treasure trove of Husker lore.

Yawn........;)

[entropy]

From first day of practice:

[entropy]

Shatel: Meyers could be next CEO of NU

When Tom Osborne finds a sunset he wants to ride into, Paul Meyers would be honored to serve as the athletic director at the University of Nebraska.

"Absolutely," Meyers told me Friday. "I love Nebraska. I think it's a dream job.''

That's good to know. I'd never heard Meyers declare it emphatically. His friends haven't, either.

The topic comes up because Meyers is everywhere these days, everywhere that big things are happening for NU athletics.

As the point man for the fundraising arm of the department, he's in the middle of the facilities renaissance at NU and is leading the east Memorial Stadium expansion project.

He came up with the idea for the Husker Athletic Fund lunches. At the first lunch, last Wednesday, Meyers appeared on a video and introduced the next big thing: the idea of a $5 million to $10 million sports institute, as part of the East Stadium.

Meyers, who came up with the idea for the Ultimate Athlete Lab with Doak Ostergard (NU Outreach Director), told the lunch crowd the lab would be a cutting edge tool, like NU's weight program under Boyd Epley.

Meanwhile, Meyers was also in on the move of the Big Red Breakfasts to the Bo Pelini Foundation. And, helped re-energize the Husker Air Force program.

UNO Athletic Director Trev Alberts has written headlines this year. But the uber-popular Meyers has quietly positioned himself as a formidable candidate for the heir to Osborne's throne.

And to think, Meyers almost walked away from it all.

This was in back in 2007. Steve Pederson was in charge. Meyers was his fund-raising lieutenant, the man in the trenches, taking the hits for Pederson.

One day, Meyers had had enough. He up and resigned. It sent shock waves across the state.

Meyers, a Westside High boy, had been at NU since 1983 — as baseball player, assistant baseball coach and assistant AD. In his words, Nebraska has been his life.

"It was an extremely hard thing for him to do,'' said Ron Nebbia, a close friend and former Westside football teammate of Meyers. "He agonized over it for a couple years before it happened. Nobody loves Nebraska more.

"He is such a people person. He didn't like the way things were going. He had to make a stand, a personal decision. He knew if he walked away, he may never get to come back.''

But he did, and would do it again. Ultimately, Meyers had to be able to live with the guy in the mirror.

"I couldn't ask people to invest in something I didn't believe in,'' Meyers said.

"I was uncomfortable with asking people to give to something that I wasn't committed to. At some point, you have to support yourself and what you stand for. I'm not saying the way it was done was wrong. I just didn't believe in it.''

Which was?

"I was raised with the idea that you treat people right,'' Meyers said. "I very much believe in the Nebraska Way. The way things were going then was very un-Nebraska-like.''

Meyers' resignation was a major red flag that led to Pederson being fired. The man has clout with Husker Donor Nation. Serious clout.

He returned to serve as Osborne's right-hand man and chief fundraiser and heir apparent. Then Alberts was hired by UNO and another horse entered the race.

If Chancellor Harvey Perlman and Osborne one day anoint a son of Nebraska as the next AD, and there's every reason to assume they will, Meyers and Alberts are the two logical places to start.

Alberts has earned more attention. He's done a lot of heavy lifting in remaking UNO's image. He's been out front. He's been controversial. He's liked and hated. He's shown he can make tough calls.

A note about Trev: while he took a lot of heat for how he handled the Mike Denney situation, and rightfully so, know that the regents and Osborne ultimately supported the moves.

Alberts is getting real, live on-the-job training and scars. But it would be a mistake to put Meyers second in the race.

In fact, he's looking stronger all the time.

Maybe, then, that's why he appears to be jumping all in now.

In the past, Meyers has treated the Nebraska AD situation with polite, political correctness. He's let Osborne have his distance. As he should.

But now Meyers sounds excited, invigorated with the idea of becoming the next AD.

It's the sort of approach Meyers fans want to hear. At times, some of us have pigeon-holed him as the perennial best man, the glue, the chief of staff.

When I asked Meyers if he thinks of himself as a CEO, he didn't hesitate.

"Absolutely, yes, I do,'' Meyers said. "I've been lucky enough to have served under four athletic directors, all four of them with their own strengths, and I've learned something from each one.

"I feel confident that I could be a good leader, someone who would make a difference as an athletic director.''

Told of that, Nebbia said, "I'm glad to hear him say that. He must feel good about what he's done. He should.''

One of Meyers' major strengths — and I think he'll appreciate this — is that he's very similar in style to Bruce Rasmussen, the brilliant AD at Creighton.

Rasmussen has incredible people skills. He fits in at the country club or the fish fry. It comes in handy in raising money. But also, Rasmussen has created a family environment for Jays' athletics and fans.

Meyers has those skills. Besides keeping football fat and sassy, that has to be the top priority in a state like Nebraska. Creating an "all in'' environment for the fans.

He hasn't had to do a lot of heavy lifting, but by the time Osborne leaves, most of the heavy furniture will be in place. It will be time to manage.

If there's a hole in the resume, it would be that he didn't coach or play college football. Does experience at corner at Westside count? Let's ask an expert.

"If you're an athlete at the level he played at, you know what goes into it,'' Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said.

"Paul does a great job. I enjoy working with him and being around him. What he does for this department is unbelievable. I think he would be a great choice. But that decision is made way above me.''

Speaking of Osborne, the former football icon once sent Meyers a birthday present: a photo of Meyers playing baseball, with the inscription: "Thanks for not choosing football.''

Thanks to Osborne, for bringing him back.

[entropy]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20110806/BIGRED/708069826

Can Anyone comment on the big ten and corner play compare to the big 12?

See end of article....

[whodean]

Bubba Starling?

[Wild Hoss]

Gonzo.

[entropy]

bo's statements after a baseball analyst said Bo pushed Bubba out..


“As I discussed Saturday, Bubba Starling, his family and I are all on the same page, and have been throughout this entire process," Pelini said. "Bubba has a lot at risk. We are all aware of that, and everyone involved is comfortable with how the situation is being handled.

“I have a complete understanding of how this situation works, and from the outset we have supported Bubba and his family as they make a very difficult decision. All of our interactions as a staff with Bubba and his family have been nothing but supportive, and have been very respectful from both sides. Any information contrary to that is not accurate. It is disappointing that media would comment on the situation without talking to any of the primary parties involved.”

[entropy]

Ladies start practice this week. Should be a good year. Having them play PSU twice a year will be great for college Volleyball.

In reply to:

As Nebraska volleyball practice begins Tuesday, interest is maybe the highest it's been.

New conference. One-third of the players are freshmen. A much-anticipated home match against four-time defending NCAA champion Penn State. There aren't many fans giving up their season tickets and a long list wanting in on the action. As the Huskers roll into two-a-day practices, here are some things to watch:

1. Brooke Delano. The Huskers were unbeaten during the spring exhibition season and played well, but something was missing while Delano sat out following offseason shoulder surgery. On the eve of practice, Nebraska coach John Cook said the 2010 first-team All-American has been swinging since June and feels strong. The only player expected to miss practice is middle blocker Allison McNeal, who will not practice this week because of a medical condition.

2. The five freshmen. During the spring, freshman libero Lara Dykstra showed she was up to the challenge of taking over for Kayla Banwarth. Others in the class are libero Shelby Winkelmann, middle blocker Cecilia Hall and outside hitters Taylor Simpson and Alicia Ostrander. During offseason testing, the freshman class showed its athleticism with several top performances. "It's maybe the most athletic freshman class we've ever had," Cook said. Only Ostrander, an outside hitter from Gordon, is a certain redshirt candidate. Hall was the last of the freshmen to arrive on campus after finishing high school in Sweden. Athletically, the reviews on Hall are great. Now it needs to be seen how quickly she can adjust to the speed of the college game and playing at Nebraska.

3. The starting lineup. Gone from last year's team are Sydney Anderson, Banwarth, Lindsey Licht and Tara Mueller. Others may have picked up more awards, but Banwarth will be the toughest to replace. After running a two-setter system last season with Lauren Cook and Anderson, the Huskers will likely go back to the one-setter system NU ran in the spring with Cook in control. Other players in the best position to get a starting nod heading into the preseason are Hannah Werth, Gina Mancuso, Jordan Wilberger, Morgan Broekhuis, Dykstra and Delano.

4. Lingering thoughts from 2010. Last season ended with Nebraska's quickest exit from the NCAA Tournament in seven seasons when the Huskers lost to Washington in the Seattle Regional semifinals. Nebraska finished 29-3 and won the Big 12 championship. With new players, new roles for others and new assistant coaches, Cook says there hasn't been much looking back. With all the changes, Cook senses the players are looking toward the new adventures of this season, as opposed to being disappointed about how last season ended.

5. The Red-White scrimmage. Nebraska is taking a break from the AVCA Showcase, the early season tournament that was held in Omaha the past four seasons. Penn State is hosting this year. The new schedule means Nebraska won't play a regular-season match in the state until Sept. 8. The Huskers' first match is Aug. 26 at the Lobo Classic in Albuquerque, N.M. A longer-than-usual wait to see the Huskers at home and starting spots up for grabs may create added interest for the annual scrimmage Aug. 20 at the NU Coliseum.

6. The buildup to the Big Ten. Life will be different in the Big Ten, with more Friday-Saturday matches during conference play. Plenty of tough teams, too, with several league teams expected to be ranked when the first poll is released. The most-anticipated match is when Penn State comes to Lincoln on Sept. 21. Is that match fast approaching or a long time away? "I just know there is going to be a lot of hype," Cook said.

[entropy]

http://www.lafootballmagazine.com/categoryblog/457-jesuit-linebacker-deion-jones

Nebraska's newest commit

[WM Wolverine]

Is he going to play the peso?

[entropy]

who? Bo?

[WM Wolverine]

Nebraska's newest commit... I was actually more interested in knowing about any recent changes in Nebraska's defensive scheme.