-
You do not need to register if you are not going to pay the yearly fee to post. If you register please click here or log in go to "settings" then "my account" then "User Upgrades" and you can renew.
HuskerMax readers can save 50% on Omaha Steaks .
Locked due to no posts in 60 days. Report 1st post if need unlocked Have the Blackshirts ever been rehanded out?
- Thread starter Skunkman1
- Start date
- Status
On balance, I would prefer to keep the tradition in hard times than to dump it entirely. Now, apparently, the defensive players no longer have the incentive of a black practice shirt and the associated prestige to keep them motivated. Think about it: their generation spends a great deal of time playing video games and virtual games in which they receive tokens and rewards for their efforts. Do you think they keep playing those games if the rewards are no longer attainable?
i agree with you to an extent, but in my opinion, a lot of things in the program became stale when bo took over. i'm not saying i completely agree with his way of handing out the blackshirts, but i also don't think it's a crime punishable by being drawn and quartered either
True, I would not recommend drawing and quartering! Actually, he is the coach and I am just a fan from a time zone away. His viewpoint on the matter is much more immediate and informed than mine. That being said, I wish this tradition had been a priority, since it speaks to some of the team's basic identity.
but he saw it firsthand in 2003; of course those were kids recruited by someone else but still....
or
I am the judge
Being a starter isn't enough, I'll make the decision
I am in charge
I am the head coach
No one shall speak to the media but me (or is it I).
Bo would know as he was an Academic All American
somehow the 'honor it' part has been forgotten
first time trying to post a video so i hope it works, but at 2:10 when christian peter talks about the blackshirts he describes it to perfection imo.
Last edited:
Look, the whole blackshirt controversy is just another example of poor leadership on Bo's part. He got here and really didn't like the blackshirt tradition, even back in 2003. I remember some stories about him reluctantly as DC "observing" the tradition, but not digging it. Remember, the blackshirt tradition is really a "team" or "team-building" award, despite individuals earning the award...they were always awarded to the first-string defense as a TEAM. Bo has his own ideas about defense and likely got his ideas about rewards from Ohio State where they are big on individual awards (bucknut helmet doodad's) rather than a team-related award (defensive team). That may be why he decided to convert the award to an individual "you earn it" type of an award...completely missing that fact that a blackshirt had already been "earned" by the individual by making the first string defense. By doing this, he lost the team-building component of the award, THAT was a big mistake in leadership and decision-making. He had the ultimate tradition, one that created both individual and team pride in accomplishment, and he dishonored it. Sad, but heck...maybe he'll give us the skull and crossbones doodad's for our hats next year?
Last edited:
Playing sound, attacking defense is also a tradition that has been quashed at Nebraska.
Sadly, it doesn't have to be lost. IMO, the pieces are in place to play aggressive blackshirt defense next year, if Bo will let them. I'd like to see Bo "restore the blackshirt tradition" and unleash the most aggressive defense in CFB next year. Of course, he'd have to make changes to do that, so it's just a dream at this point.
Last edited:
These two posts back-to-back are almost too funny!
I had a conversation recently with a former player of mine. We were talking about whether coaches should be blamed or if players should be blamed when a team isn't as successful as they'd hoped. I suggested that it is almost always a combination of things. People don't like to say it, but sometimes players just aren't good enough to get it done. At the same time, coaches need to make sure they are putting players in situations in which they can be successful. For example, when Peyton Manning throws an interception, it's kind of hard to blame a coach. But if Peyton Manning is told to run the option, that's a coaching problem.
There have been times over the last few years where I felt coaches could have made better decisions. Our first Big Ten game against Wisconsin in 2011 was a great example. Beck shouldn't have been trying to force things with Martinez throwing the ball late in the first half. There are times where it is perfectly acceptable (though maybe not popular) to run some clock and go in at halftime thankful that a game is where it is. Instead, Beck essentially made things worse. Those INTs were partially on Martinez, but mostly on Beck, IMO.
- Status
