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Two
fold query: (1) do you perceive the Husker fan community
to be more fractious and divided than in the past?; and
(2a) if not, will the departure of the current staff render
it so? ; or (2b) if so, is the schism likely long-term,
and what factors, if any, will exacerbate or remedy the
problem(s)? |
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To
answer the original question we would first have to establish
what is meant by the past. With that in mind I am assuming that
the questioner means the pre-Callahan era. I would say that
there has always been a split in the Nebraska fanbase, going
back to the programs’ inception. Though it has probably
never witnessed the gaping hole, the parting of the Red Sea
if you will, that was developed when former Athletic Director
Steve Pederson fired Frank Solich as coach of the Cornhuskers.
Many were upset at how Pederson handled that situation, regardless
of their feelings for the product being put on the field by
Solich and his staff. From that point Bill Callahan was never
going to get a fair shake from certain fractions of the fan-base.
So yes and no; the Cornhusker faithful have never been fully
united - in the truest sense of the word. Yet that division
has seemingly never been as deep as the current divide that
we are witnessing.
I believe that the vast majority of the fanbase think that it
is time to move forward, and that that direction includes removing
Bill Callahan as the head coach of the University of Nebraska.
Though there are some that believe the wheels have already been
set in motion and that there is no turning back - regardless
of their feelings on coach Callahan and his assistants.
It seems that most folks trust in Dr. Tom Osborne’s steady
hand and his ability to lead this program back in the correct
direction. His appointment as the interim Athletic Director
was the first sign of the healing that is yet to come. Remember,
Tom does not need Nebraska - it is Nebraska that needs him.
There is already a different culture permeating the Athletic
Department offices as Dr. Osborne has brought back that family
atmosphere and down home feeling that Nebraskans have been famous
for almost since the dawn of time. Folks that have previously
left are beginning to return, other former players and coaches
are also offering a helping hand. The wounds of the past four
years are beginning to heal, but as with most things - it is
going to take some time.
Tom Osborne is the one man that will not crumble to the big
money boosters, or the media, or public perception or be held
hostage by a coaching staff; he is the one man that will let
his faith guide him as he embarks on taking an entire state
on a journey back to unification. That is the stated goal; time
will tell if Dr. Osborne once again delivers. History has a
tendency to repeat itself, and it seems as if we have been at
this crossroads once or twice before. |
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| Jacob
Mann Jones |
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At
the beginning of the season, the answer to this would have been
yes. But since this question was asked now, at the end of a
5-6 season, I believe the answer is no. The recent failures
of Bill Callahan and this coaching staff have galvanized the
fan base, for the most part. There are always a few people out
there who are of differing beliefs, but for the most part the
fans are back on the same side.
2) I don't believe that the departure of this staff will hurt
the fan base. I think it will help. If the right coach is brought
in, someone who understands passionate fans, then Husker fans
around the country will be squarely in his corner and even more
united. There will never be a time when all fans agree with
each other 100%, and to hope for such a time is crazy. Tom Osborne
had his detractors, even in the great run of the 90s. Time heals
all wounds (and so does getting rid of the people who created
those wounds). |
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| Jeremy
Ryan |
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Bryan-
1) I honestly do not think Husker fans are more unruly than
in the past and I certainly don’t see them as divided.
If you consider how divided we all were on the Frank Solich
firing compared to how united Husker fans are now in wanting
Callahan and some other coaches fired it is like night and day.
We may have never been more united! As far as being fractious,
there will always be a few bad apples and that applies to pretty
much everything in life. Of course, those bad apples tend to
cause groups in general to be lumped in together and that is
the bad thing. All Husker fans will get grief and be blamed
for the Cozgrove threats. But I think the VAST majority of Husker
fans are pretty civil people and have no need to stoop to the
level of causing trouble.
(2a) I just cannot drum up a reason the current staff being
let go would cause too much strife in the community of Husker
fans. A few may get their britches in a bunch if all the coaches
are let go (and they may not be wrong for doing so as there
are some quality coaches on the staff who could be a benefit
to the team if retained under the new head coach) but not to
the point of causing trouble or a major division between the
fans.
(2b) Again, I don’t believe there is any kind of division
among the fans. If there were the one thing that will unite
those divided is a solid hire and with folks like that they
may want a Husker guy which would almost have to be Turner Gill.
The only things that could cause any division to worsen would
be a bad hire (in their minds). |
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| Bryan
Smith |
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I
don’t believe that there is a deeper divide between “Fire/Keep
Callahan” factions than existed between “Fire/Keep
Solich” factions a few years ago. However, the “Keep
Callahan” faction is microscopic, so though there is certainly
a profound polarization between the “Fire/Keep Callahan”
ends of the spectrum, the sheer numerical disparity simply renders
the point moot.
The departure of the staff itself won’t cause a great
deal of disagreement between the majority of Husker fans, since
such a huge majority want a change. The fervor of their desire
ranges all the way from a passive end - “I’ll support
whoever Tom chooses” - to the tent-revival fanaticism
we see expressed all over the 'net.
The greatest potential for schism to occur will be realized
if the search process drags on for more than a couple of weeks
following the Colorado game. This schism has little to do with
Callahan, but rather with his successor at NU. Some folks want
to see the return of former Husker players and coaches to Lincoln
- Pelini, Gill, Sanders, Rathman, Albin, Brown, et al, with
a real apprehension about any “outsiders”. Others
want someone, particularly the Head Coach, to come from outside
the NU family tree - Johnson, Muschamp, Kelly, Leavitt, Edsell,
Venables, etc. Some want a few of the current staff members
retained, most often for recruiting purposes, while others want
the entire current staff rooted out. There are any number of
mix & match scenarios among these and other schools of thought.
There exists the potential for very divisive rifts to form if
uncertainty is allowed to percolate through the situation for
too long.
However, I believe that a sizable majority of Husker fans instinctively
trust Tom Osborne, and if his decision comes down quickly and
decisively, (which is very likely, as the search has been well
underway for some time), the potential for schism will be minimized.
Whatever rumblings that exist will be minor, and would only
gain traction if the new staff stumbled miserably out of the
gate. Conversely, “winning cures all”, and with
the relatively abundant, (though heretofore woefully under-coached
and under-utilized), talent that will await the new staff, it
is entirely possible that a 9-win season could come about in
2008. That will mean a deliriously happy and quiescent Husker
fanbase. (I have declared a self-imposed moratorium on the continued
use of "Husker Nation™” for describing fans
of the Big Red).
This new staff will enjoy far more patience than any other in
recent history, as they will have the following advantages:
1) Solid talent and depth, 2) Expectations that are somewhat
lowered after the Callahan staff’s crash and burn, 3)
Free-flowing donations to the department following the ouster
of a polarizing Athletics Director and unsuccessful staff, 4)
the endorsement of being Tom Osborne’s hire, and 5) the
available mentorship of one of college football’s greatest
coaches.
Simply stated, Nebraska will start winning again almost immediately,
and will be back among the nation’s elite programs VERY
quickly. |
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| Mark
Solomon |
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We
are a more partisan and contentious bunch than in the past.
There are myriad reasons for this. Changes to the fan community
and an inflammatory “topic of conversation” seem
to be among them.
What do I mean by changes to the fan community? Back in the
day, Nebraska fans were largely Nebraskans, living in Nebraska.
NU football was homegrown and a tad provincial in its character.
Lofty expectations were tempered by years under the thumb of
one team or another.
Despite prior Championships, I think it was the Championship
run of the mid-‘90s that changed all of that. Thankfully,
new fans, far and wide, were drawn into the fold by the success
and character of the program. In addition, some young fans would
grow up knowing only the outstanding success of that period.
Lofty expectations rightly flourished and thrived.
Add to the mix some broader cultural shifts, and the NU fan
base did some growing up. It’s no longer homogeneous,
homegrown and provincial. Big, active booster groups are in
every state and every major city. We’re a much larger,
more diverse group as a result. Naturally, we have a healthy
divergence of views about all sorts of things.
Along the way, though, our memory of the program’s history
has shortened a little. Our collective measure of “success”
has been raised a lot, but not everyone uses the same yardstick.
For some, what might have been tolerable in the past cannot
be tolerated going forward. For others, the opposite is true.
Those disparate expectations added heat to fan conversations
following a .500 season. They brought them to full boil after
the coaching swap.
For nearly six years now, with only brief lulls, the collective
psyche of the fan base has fixated on the topic of change --
if, when, how and why change should take place. As we know,
the debate rages. That debate has created fissures in the base.
It often involves largely intractable issues like philosophies,
tradition, loyalties, personalities, ethics and motives. Our
views on those sorts of things are formed by our respective
experiences, values and biases. Those views are closely-held,
and have everything to do with what we think is important, not
just in football, but in life. They carry with them a great
deal of emotion.
An agreeable conversation between fans who share the same view
is pretty tame; a disagreement between fans who are diametrically
opposed can escalate rapidly. That’s when the combativeness
shows up.
Regrettably, it’ll likely go on this way for a while.
AD Osborne simply cannot make a decision which will satisfy
100% of our broad, diverse fan base. For the near term, it’s
inevitable that we’ll stay on topic, and recycle the same
sorts of quarrels that we’ve been having. They’ll
continue to be combustive exchanges.
Winning games wouldn’t hurt. But merely winning games
won’t heal the fractures in the fan base. Winning won’t
alter personal values and beliefs. The debate will continue
to be less about winning games, and more about the nature of
the change we’re going through.
To stop the arguing, we’ll have to somehow switch the
topic. |
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| Mike
Boohar |
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| Contributors |
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| John
Carter is one of the original Husker commentariest and co-founder
of BIGHUSKERFAN.COM. Some of his greatest Husker memories are of spending
Saturday afternoons with his father watching Johnny Rodgers race down
the field for six. A lifelong Nebraskan, he lives in Western Nebraska
with his wife and children. Johnny is also a great fan of the Wiener
Slinger. |
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| Jacob
Mann Jones is currently an executive for a St. Louis based acquisition
and venture capital firm. He was born and raised in the large shadow
cast upon the great state of Nebraska by the Cornhuskers dynasty built
by the legendary Bob Devaney and perfected under the watchful eye
of Dr. Tom Osborne. He has resided out of state for the last decade
with his wife and three children, although he continues to live by
the old adage that home is where the heart is. |
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| Jeremy
Ryan is a sports writer and message board administrator at BIGHUSKERFAN.COM.
He is currently a graduate student at the University of Illinois studying
bacterial genetics. An alum of UNL and was born and raised in Nebraska.
His grandpa bought season tickets to the Huskers when they put the
south endzone on Memorial Stadium, and he started taking him to games
when he was 7 years old. |
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| Bryan
Smith is a sports writer and message board administrator at BIGHUSKERFAN.COM.
He has been a Husker fan since as long as he can remember. Growing
up playing football in the streets of his hometown (Omaha) while listening
to Lyle Bremser call football games from his hand held transistor
radio. He has been a member of BIGHUSKERFAN.COM since January of 2003
and began writing articles and moderating the message boards shortly
thereafter. |
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| Mark
Solomon is a lifelong Husker fan. Mark played football for 13
seasons through college, then served as a defensive graduate assistant
for one season. He has been a University of Nebraska donor and season
ticket holder since 1989, and founded the Greater Omahans for Nebraska
NU Alumni Association Chapter. Mark is involved in medical research
at UNMC and is a total college football geek saying, "I love
the strategy - the game behind the game." Mark has served as
an editorialist at BIGHUSKERFAN.COM since 2004. |
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| Mike
Boohar and
his family moved to Lincoln in 1967. He became an ardent Cornhusker
when Joe Orduna signed his baseball glove after Little Chiefs practice.
A small, timid youth, he was regularly beat up by future Big Red lettermen,
thus helping them develop aggressive tendencies. He’s proud
to know he contributed to the Husker program in this significant way.
A UNL alum (Class of ’82), he and his wife reside in Des Moines,
where he serves as in-house counsel for a bank holding corporation. |
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