Nebraska...not feeling Frosty anymore

[iam416]

I trust that Pelini will make it all work like a well-oiled machine.

[Wild Hoss]

the 2 biggest things that stand out about that group of 17 signees... only 2 OL and I'm not sure why UNL felt like it needed another RB with the log jam they have right now. Yes, I know one of them is moving to DB, but there still plenty of RB talent on the roster. He also seemed slow and I'm not sure he'll be anything more than a FB. Surely UNL could get some farm kid to do that.

Apparently they felt they needed a "big back" for short yardage, even though nobody but junior-high kids actually believe in that false premise. They already have a great short-yardage back...they need to get better backs, period, and block better in those situations.

Added only one quarterback to a precariously thin position as well, and completely whiffed at safety.

Outside of Seisay, CB looks real iffy too...another position of need.

DL haul looks really good.

No. 1 priority for 2013 is cutting some dead weight and working hard to sign a good class of 22+.

[whodean]

Nebraska on probation?

[iam416]

Infernal cheaters.

[entropy]

The class isn't bad, but it's not great. Then again, Nebraska has never been a recruiting heavy weight.

[entropy]

The NCAA is a joke. The right response was to decrease the self imposed penalty to show doing the right thing is good.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/7529423/ncaa-puts-nebraska-cornhuskers-probation-allows-fine

[entropy]

I am 100% supportive of the BIG walking away from NCAA... Fuck them

[entropy]

Walkon list


Blum, Jared DE/TE 6'04" 230 Gretna NE Gretna
Collins, Carson FB 5'10" 220 Omaha NE Burke
Chvatal, Cole WR 5'11" 175 Wahoo NE Bishop Neumann
Dzuris, Ross DE/TE 6'03" 225 Plattsmouth NE Plattsmouth
Foltz, Sam ATH 6'02" 190 Grand Island NE Grand Island
Foster, Trey TE 6'02" 230 Lincoln NE Southeast
Frazier, King RB 6'00 200 Kansas City, Missouri
Fyfe, Ryker QB 6'03" 195 Grand Island NE Grand Island
Hoffman, Taylor LB 6'00" 200 Oakland NE Oakland-Craig
Janovich, Andy FB 6'01" 215 Grenta NE Gretna
Johns, Garret OL 6'01" 275 Aurora NE Aurora
Lindsay, Spencer PK 5'10" 195 Kearney NE Kearney
McCann, Mitch LB 6'01" 225 Omaha NE Burke
Nabity, Graham RB 6'01" 205 Omaha NE Elkhorn
Nelson, Jordan RB 5'08" 175 Omaha NE Burke
Painter, Robby OL 6'06" 270 Centennial CO Grandview
Reilly, Brandon WR 6'02" 180 Lincoln NE Southwest
Simpson, Brad LB 6'00" 195 Omaha NE Ralston
Utter, Dylan OL 6'02" 300 Papillion NE Papillion-LaVista

[entropy]

Nebraska's national recruiting:

1 Utah
2 Ohio
1 PA
2 Texas
2 CA
1 Neb
1 GA
1 LA
1 Arizona
1 MO
1 VA
1 Colorado
2 Ill

[entropy]

Randy York

Come on, admit it. You’re one of countless Nebraska football fans who turned on your TV set or computer Wednesday and watched high school seniors announce who was in and who was out … which team gets that heroic signature and which ones do not. The Huskers found themselves on both sides of that equation during the 2012 recruiting season, and it’s difficult to determine how many cheered one decision and jeered another a few hours later.

That’s the way it is for BCS schools across the country, but that does not mean Nebraska coaches and administrators support the style apparently favored by television networks and NCAA officials. We offer up three shared points of view – one from Nebraska’s head football coach; a second from the school’s newly named recruiting coordinator; and a third from an athletic director who recruited his share of superstars as a Hall-of-Fame coach. This much is clear: When it comes to recruiting announcements, all three prefer simplicity over showmanship.

“I know one thing. In my house, there was going to be no grabbing a hat,” head coach Bo Pelini said Wednesday. “I signed (his letter of intent), and my parents grabbed me and said: ‘Get your butt to school!’ That’s the way it happened there, and it’s the way it should be.”

Ross Els, Nebraska’s linebacker coach, special teams coach and recruiting coordinator, also prefers humility and honor over pomp and circumstance, even though he would never let his style interfere with recruits and parents who feel otherwise. “Some kids like having a press conference,” he said. “They like the notoriety. Across the country, that’s the way it is with a lot of kids. That’s the way the NCAA works, and until they give us an early signing date, that’s the way it’s going to be.”

If ESPN has a chance to elevate its audience with a highly publicized recruit, that will continue to be the name of the game. “Kids want to be on TV, and parents want to see their kids on TV,” Els said. “I’ll never be blessed to have that good of an athlete, but if I did, I guarantee you, my kid would not be on TV (for his national letter of intent signing).”

Having said that, each family “can do what they want to do,” Els said. “They’re not breaking any rules, and they’re not going any longer than the signing date.”

We may live in a TV-driven world, yet even when television was not the major force bringing extra attention to an important decision, Tom Osborne remembers being a bit player in a prominent recruit’s self-choreographed moment of media drama.

Go back to a Signing Day morning when Osborne and Charlie McBride were invited to the home of a certain highly recruited offensive lineman from a well-known Kansas City high school. Nebraska’s head coach and defensive coordinator arrived at the designated time and were quickly shuttled to a room which seemed to be off the beaten path. Shortly thereafter, they both realized why.

In another room, at the same time, was the head football coach from the University of Texas. Like Osborne and McBride, he, too, apparently, had no idea that others were invited to be part of this “memorable” morning.

Awkward does not even begin to describe that situation. I still remember talking to Coach Osborne on the phone that day when a self-centered player and his family cost a head coach the opportunity to connect with even more prominent recruits who had been committed for months. Fortunately, those recruits kept their word and had no desire to seek special attention. Like Bo, they were more interested in getting their rear ends to school, so they could dive into all the hard work that’s required to play.

This week, I asked Osborne if he remembered that weird episode in Kansas City, and sure enough, he could recount specifics with his usual photographic memory.

Once I heard his response, I didn’t even ask Coach Osborne what I intended to ask him in the first place – if he preferred old-fashioned, non-ceremonial signings to all the theatrics built into what so many young men are staging today?

You know the answer to that one, and by the sheer tone of Osborne’s voice, you knew exactly where he was coming from as well.

[entropy]

Some N.C.A.A. rules are so stupid that even the N.C.A.A. admits they are stupid. Earlier this week, it put the University of Nebraska on “probation” for two years, and fined it $38,000 for what the N.C.A.A. described as a “major” violation of the rules. Apparently for some years the university bookstore had been giving the school’s athletes not just the books that were required for their courses, but also the books that their professors recommended as helpful reading for their classes. Incredibly, the organization that insists on calling college football players “student athletes” does not allow them to get anything but the required books under the terms of their scholarships. Giving them the recommended books is against the rules. Although my “stupid rules” contest is going to run into next week—and we’ve gotten some great entries!—this one is going to be hard to top. Truly, it defies belief.

The two documents the N.C.A.A. issued about the University of Nebraska case are priceless. The first is a press release, which includes an amazing little sidebar. After outlining the violations and the punishment (including “public reprimand and censure!”), it adds a side note that reads, in part, “N.C.A.A. President Mark Emmert and members have recognized that numerous rules, such as those stating athletic scholarships can be used to purchase mandatory but not ‘recommended’ textbooks, are overly prescriptive and do not support our values.” In other words, the rule is so idiotic that even the N.C.A.A. can’t defend it. In that same side note, the N.C.A.A. says that it is in the process of rewriting its rule book. Can’t wait to see the results.

The second document is the 10-page “Infractions Report.” It is worth a read to give you the full flavor of an N.C.A.A. proceeding. Filled with phrases like “legislation,” “summary disposition process” and “findings,” it is a parody of a judicial ruling. Which makes sense, since N.C.A.A. investigations are themselves parodies—bad ones—of the judicial process.

A number of readers have suggested that I should start doing a better job of naming the people who are involved in decisions like this. I agree. At the bottom of the Infractions Report are the members of the N.C.A.A. infractions committee. They are:

Britton Banowsky, commissioner of Conference-USA. (Committee chair.)

John S. Black, a Kansas City-based attorney, whose practice includes assisting sports-related nonprofit organizations.

Roscoe Howard, a former U.S. attorney who has a D.C.-based practice focusing on white-collar criminal matters, corporate compliance and ethics issues.

Gregory Sankey, associate commissioner of the Southeastern Conference.

Melissa L. Conboy, senior deputy athletics director at Notre Dame.

James O’Fallon, a law professor and faculty athletics representative at Oregon and a former fellow at Harvard.

Rodney Uphoff, a law professor at Missouri and a former criminal defense lawyer who defended Oklahoma City federal building bomber Terry Nichols.

Dennis E. Thomas, commissioner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Eleanor W. Myers, a law professor and faculty athletics representative at Temple University.

Christopher Griffin, a Tampa-based commercial litigation attorney.

[entropy]

And yes, the NCAA is messed up... Stupid stupid rule that misses the big picture

[entropy]

http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=1&SPID=22&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=205372796&DB_OEM_ID=100

Bo's press conference

[entropy]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20120204/BIGRED/702049802/-1#shatel-bo-looking-for-a-smoother-ride

Shatel article on Bo looking for a smoother ride

[Mike]

UNL attempted to gain an obvious competitive advantage by purchasing extra books for its football players. What highly valued recruit wouldn't be swayed by additional reading material? Books that he wouldn't have to pay for out of pocket, no less. If ever there has been a more overt circumvention of the rules, surely this observer has never witnessed it. I hope Nebraska takes a long hard look in the mirror and reevaluates the role it plays in a student-athlete's life.

In fact, they should send a hand-written note of apology to the other 11 conference members whose hard and fast adherence to the rules is an example to the rest of the country. Especially in ohio where they had to assign multiple coaching staffs this past fall/winter to assure recruits were getting the proper attention they deserved. Were it not for rouge programs such as Nebraska's, the ohio's and SEC schools of the world would not have to prostitute themselves as they do. UNL has opened a Pandora's Box with this latest chicanery. Only time will tell if this leads to further NCAA violations such as teaching football players to read, write, add, and subtract.