One Year After the End of the Pederson Error

Yesterday, Tom Shatel of the Omaha World-Herald noted that today is the one year anniversary of the firing of Steve Pederson. Some fans even view October 15, 2007 as the sixth greatest day in the history of Nebraska football.

That's almost as bad as what Pederson did to the program. Even one year later, there's nothing to celebrate. While there is a renewed sense of optimism around the entire athletic department, there's no need to "dance on Pederson's grave". Not with the football program still trying to dig itself out of the hole Pederson dug.

I mean, at this point, we're still hoping that Bo Pelini is the answer to the Huskers' problems. I see little signs that the program is back on the right track, but progress is much slower than I had hoped. Certainly the Huskers have been much more competitive this season than last, even if the record doesn't necessarily reflect it to this point. We don't know if there will be another regression, much like Meechigoon's loss to Toledo last week.

The reconstruction effort has scarcely begun in Lincoln. It was inappropriate to celebrate one year ago, and it's inappropriate to celebrate today.

Pitt Rehires Steve Pederson; Beano Cook Rejoices

Well, I'll be...

When I first heard the news that Pitt had rehired Steve Pederson today, I could only laugh. I mean, after the way he mismanaged the Husker athletic department ever since he was hired, I felt that Steve Pederson would never work again at an athletic director at a major institution.

I was wrong. Maybe he'll take his "management consultant" along with him, and maybe the folks at Pitt will find it productive.

Pederson had a shot back at his critics in Nebraska:

"I think managerial style depends on how many games your teams win."

Touche, Steve. You lasted nearly five years at Nebraska without addressing any criticism. You always changed the subject or dismissed the source of the criticism. (In some cases, the dismissal was an actual dismissal...see Gary Sharp, John Bishop, or Kevin Kugler...) I especially liked the time when you called a critic at a booster luncheon an "Oklahoma fan". It looks like Steve Pederson hasn't learned anything from his experience at Nebraska.

I had to chuckle at the response from Beano Cook:

"Christmas came early for the Panther faithful today. Steve Pederson saved Pitt athletics the first time he was here. Now, like Grover Cleveland, he returns to the office where he belongs. All Pitt fans should thank Santa Claus -- and Mark Nordenberg -- for this early gift."

Hey...how can I top Beano?

More from Pittsburgh:

• Panther Rants blog
• Pitt Blather blog
  

End of an Error: Steve Pederson Fired

Ok, I'll admit it... I was happy when Steve Pederson's firing was confirmed this afternoon ... but mostly for the wrong reasons. Don't get me wrong, I think it was a desperately needed move for Nebraska athletics.

But is it really a day to celebrate? Only for selfish reasons. I called for his firing twice, most recently last week. Should I really be taking enjoyment out of someone else's misfortune? Certainly, Pederson wonders where he'll go from here, though is $2+ million dollar severance will cushion the blow to him personally. And it's not like he's an innocent victim; he earned his title of Nebraska's Enemy of the State.

And it's not like this suddenly solves all of the Huskers problems. It's not like Pederson's firing is going to suddenly mean that the Huskers are going to suddenly be able to tackle an opponent or score a touchdown while the game is still in doubt.

What this means is that very soon we can close the whole sorry chapter of the Steve Pederson Error. Next month, Nebraska will fire most, if not all, of the football coaching staff, who have lost just about all of the players on this squad. A new athletic director will once again select a new head coach. The future of Nebraska football looks very unclear at this point.

Change does not mean things will get better, it just means they will be different. Let's look at our rivals to the south, the Oklahoma Sooners.

When their legendary coach left, they handed their program to a long-time trusted assistant, who did an OK job, but never reached the success of their legendary coach. So their athletic director made a bold decision, and hired an outsider who had taken another team to surprising heights once.

Bill Callahan is very much like Howard Schnellenberger. He came in with grandiose plans to remake the Sooner programs ... and failed miserably. Schnellenberger "restored the order" briefly, even got the Sooners into the Top 10 before collapsing down the stretch. He never accepted Sooner history, and he resigned after one tumultuous season. Callahan's time is stretched over four seasons at Nebraska, but Callahan seems to be headed for the label "Nebraska's Schnellenberger".

A lot of Nebraska fans are calling for a "Nebraska man" to be named head coach. That could be a huge mistake if he's not the right coach. Barry Switzer thought John Blake was the right man, and pushed Oklahoma to hire him. Blake stumbled and bumbled his way through three seasons before he was gone as well.

No, Nebraska needs to find the RIGHT coach... a great coach that also recognizes and accepts Nebraska history. Oklahoma found that when they hired Joe Castiglione as athletic director, who turned around and hired Bob Stoops as head coach. Stoops was not a Sooner, but he embraced Sooner history. His first spring game, they lined up in the wishbone for the opening snap.

My point is that we don't necessarily need an athletic director or head coach with Nebraska ties...but rather an athletic director or coach that truly embraces Nebraska.

Would Tom Osborne be the right man to be athletic director, at least in the interim? Right now, he would seem to be the logical choice and he's earned the right to this position. Nobody is more qualified to analyze the Nebraska football program and select the next head coach.

That being said, the next football coach doesn't need to be a former Nebraskan. If he is, that's frosting on the cake.

On one hand, today is a sad day because of the last four years of turmoil in Husker Nation. Fans have been divided about the 2003 coaching change, and it's never healed. So far, Pederson's firing has seemed to do what Pederson himself couldn't do: unite the fan base. In recent days, nearly all Pederson supporters have either changed their mind or accepted that it wasn't working. But if today's changes result in a much more unified Husker fan base, we hopefully will look back at today as a great day in Husker history.

So is today a happy day or sad day? Or is it both? We'll know for sure in a few years. Perhaps the best way to describe today is that the Pederson Error is finally over.

It's Time to Pull the Plug on Steve Pederson

A year ago, the Nebraska Touchdown Club sent a magazine to boosters that led off with the following message after last year's Texas game:

"So if you haven't done so already, it's time to send Steve Pederson a thank you note and let him know that you can see now that he was right all along. Thank him for keeping the faith."

That message looks even more out of line now than it did when it first came out. In fact, it now looks incredibly absurd. It's time to acknowledge where we are in year 4 of this NU regime.

Nebraska Football is a mess.

The implosion is already well underway. We've seen five weeks in a row of sub-par performances on the field. Last night we saw a Nebraska football team take the field ill-prepared to play Missouri and were dominated on both sides of the ball. Where do we begin with this?

Kevin Cosgrove? Certainly gets his share of the blame, but this is bigger than him.

Bill Callahan? Needs to accept even more of the blame, but again, this is bigger than him.

Simply put, this starts at the top. The road to recovery must begin with the departure of Steve Pederson, and as soon as possible.

Yes, I know Pederson just received a contract extension. I said at the time all this did was make the inevitable more expensive.

Yes, I know that Steve Pederson didn't miss any tackles, fail to make any blocks. But he hired the men responsible for ensuring that the Husker football program does this. In fact, he just gave them contract extensions, further raising questions about his ability to lead this program.

Last week, Nebraska's associate athletic director for fund-raising, Paul Meyers, announced his resignation, refusing to comment as to the reasons why, prefering to let Steve Pederson explain why. To Meyers' credit, he's trying to not to inflame the situation by announcing his reason for leaving, but it's obvious that he's escaping the sinking ship.

The laundry list of complaints against Steve Pederson from fans, boosters, and former players is too long to be repeated here. Yes, there are trivial things on the list like the tunnel walk. If that were the only complaint against Pederson, it would be easy to dismiss those charges.

After Nebraska's 2003 football season, Pederson fired a football coaching staff that had brought renewed enthusiasm to the team. 2004 saw Nebraska's first losing season since prior to Bob Devaney, prompting Pederson to proclaim that he was "even more excited about the future of Nebraska football." 2005 found the football program still struggling, with the low point being a 40-15 demolition by Kansas. I called for Pederson's resignation at that time as well. Last season, Nebraska talked about "resurgence", yet still wasn't able to reach the level of 2003. And now in 2007, Nebraska football (#36 in the latest Sagarin ratings) finds itself 4-2 after victories over Sagarin #92 Nevada, #46 Wake Forest, #76 Ball State, and #109 Ball State. Blowout losses against #7 USC and #15 Missouri.

Nebraska needs 2 or 3 victories to reach bowl eligibility. Here's the restof the schedule: #51 Oklahoma State, #45 Texas A&M, #26 Texas, #13 Kansas, #27 Kansas State, #29 Colorado. Is there two or three victories left, considering the level of play of the Huskers? That's really hard to say.

Furthermore, Sagarin's ratings now put Nebraska a unquestion fifth of six teams in the Big 12 North, trailing Kansas, Missouri, Kansas State, and Colorado.

Four years ago, Steve Pederson claimed the would not surrender the Big XII to Oklahoma and Texas. The results of Pederson's changes? We've now surrendered to nearly the entire Big XII North.

Many folks want to make immediate changes to the coaching staff, but what does that solve? Who do you find midseason to take over? Coaching staff overhauls simply cannot be done at this time. We are simply going to have to swallow what is coming our way from the rest of the conference. Pressing the panic button won't help.

Firing Steve Pederson is first place to start. It immediately sets the message that things will not be the same. Already I've seen a few comments for Tom Osborne to return as athletic director. I'm not sure Osborne is the answer long term, but with the number of questions that will need to be solved this off-season with the Husker football program, there is nobody else more qualified to make those tough decisions. At the very least, Tom Osborne should be named interim athletic director immediately.

Replacing Pederson with Osborne starts in motion the healing process. Osborne brings credibility back to the athletic department and can soothe the hurt feelings of fans, boosters, and former players. Bringing Osborne in now gives him time to come in and be ready to make the tough decisions we are facing.

The Steve Pederson Error

I had been standing outside of Memorial Stadium for several minutes waiting to get in as the memories of the 2002 Rose Bowl came flooding in. That night, it took nearly an hour and a half just to get through the gate due to incompetent security ill-prepared for 90,000 fans. In the end, it took nearly a half hour to pass through the lines to get into Memorial Stadium, allowing me to get to my seat just a minute before kickoff, much like that night in Pasadena six years ago. That feeling of deja vu got even stronger as the talented Trojans went on to dominate the Huskers most of the game before allowing the Huskers to score late against their reserves.

That Rose Bowl experience is one of the reasons cited by many fans as the reason why a coaching change was required after the 2003 season. Last December, I stated it was time to move on from that decision, and while that is still a noble idea, I'm swimming against the current on it, especially on night's like last night when we were reminded that the more things change, the more things stay the same.

All throughout the offseason, we were told how winning the Big XII North championship represented real progress for Nebraska, which is true... but only if you are looking back to November 2005. Comparing the Sagarin ratings for 2003 and 2006, the 2003 Huskers still were better. So then the argument arose that the 2006 Huskers didn't suffer any ugly home blowouts... until last night.

Everybody has opinions on this situation, and they aren't afraid to express them as proven facts. What I'm calling for is for everybody to be consistent in their actions.

In other words, if you were one of those people who felt there needed to be a change in 2003, you must begin screaming and yelling for change now. You argued that Nebraska got embarrased in blowouts... well, that happened last night. You argued in 2003 that Nebraska didn't have any difference makers on offense. We still don't have any in 2007. In fact, now we don't have any difference makers on defense now as well.

On the other hand, people who stood for patience in 2003 should continue to call for patience in 2007. Firing coaches might be cathartic, but there is one huge problem.

Steve Pederson.

The man who created this whole snafu in the first place recently received a contract extension and a raise from his boss. He then turned around and gave Bill Callahan a contract extension as well. So not only did the price to make a change go up significantly, but the powers that be have already endorsed the current direction.

The FireBillCallahan blog and BillMustGo.com web sites are already full of reasons to make a change, most of them hard to dispute. Except for one... who would select the replacement? The athletic department would spend millions of dollars to buy out Callahan's contract, then spend millions of dollars more to repeat the circus-like coaching search that Husker fans endured four years ago.

This isn't a problem that has a simple solution. Firing everybody is a simple knee-jerk reaction, and with both sides as entrenched as ever, it just ain't happening immediately. Harvey Perlman, who has Pederson's back, already has found himself in the crosshairs of criticism for his plans to expand the UNL campus onto the State Fairgrounds. And LA Times columnist T.J. Simers was surprised to find that every Nebraskan seems to hate Steve Pederson.

Let's remember the words of Steve Pederson of December 1st, 2003:

"No one should apply for this job who doesn't plan to win national championships."

"Nebraskans want, and expect to be, the very best."

"I believe we should be playing for or gaining on the (national) championship on a consistent basis. I don't feel currently we are playing for or gaining on championships."

In September 2007, it seems to me that we are even farther away from that goal than ever. Meanwhile, the Steve Pederson Error continues.

Oh woe is me...Pederson Gets an Extension

It was about 3:00 when the e-mail from Husker Dave arrived to taunt me with the news of Steve Pederson's contract extension, with the message to "hail Steve Pederson". I'm surprised it took that long...after all, the news broke earlier in the morning.

If you can really call it news, that is.

Frankly, the only way Steve Pederson's contract would have been news was if the announcement was that Pederson wasn't being retained. Let's be realistic for a moment...did anyone REALLY expect Harvey Perlman to suddenly change his mind about Pederson? His contract was up, and Perlman has stood behind Pederson ever since he hired him nearly 5 years ago.

It wasn't so much a question of if...but when. And today made perfect sense to make the announcement since much of the local sports media were down in San Antonio for Big XII media day. Sports talk shows were booked solid with interviews with coaches and players, leaving nearly no time to rehash the entire pro-Pederson/anti-Pederson debate.

Needless to say, I'm not distraught over Pederson getting an extension. I fully expected it. In fact, my response to Dave was that the only thing this changes is that it'll cost more to buy his contract out. (heh heh!)

I could rehash the debate and issue a rebuttal to the reasons for extending Pederson's contract, but that's not worthwhile. Instead, I'll try to put some hope into Pederson's statements to the World-Herald today:'

In the eyes of many fans, Pederson's image has yet to fully recover.

Pederson said Monday he'd like to see progress in "moving forward together."

"I want to make sure that we do everything possible to make everybody feel part of this," he said.

"You know in this job not everybody's going to agree with everything you do, but what you hope they know is you're doing what you believe is in the best interest of the university and our athletic department."'

I've heard this talk a few times before, and it's been empty words in the past. Perhaps this time it's different. We can hope...as it's time for peace for Husker Nation. Way past time.

In the meantime, next up is a contract extension for Bill Callahan. His contract situation was similar to Pederson, and it's time to either extend his contract or fire him. And if Gary Pinkel is worthy of a contract extension, Bill Callahan certainly deserves one.

Shatel: Look to Oklahoma for tips on healing Husker Nation

Today's column by Tom Shatel in the Omaha World-Herald (sorry, once again, it's not online so no link) looks at how Oklahoma has handled the transitions from legends to disarray to unity and championships. Even Bob Castiglione, OU's athletic director, commented on the similarity between the situation that existed with the Sooners and the Huskers:

"That reminds me of what I walked into nine years ago at Oklahoma. We had all these different factions. The Switzer faction. The Bud Wilkinson faction. The John Blake faction. They all thought they knew the best way for Oklahoma. The problem was, everybody was forgetting about the mother ship."

What solved it? Well, the first move was Castiglione and Bob Stoops asking Barry Switzer to be part of the program. That didn't mean Stoops had to run the Wishbone, set up a still, or violate NCAA rules. It just meant that there was one Sooner family, and all are welcome. Kind of reminds me of my proposed peace treaty. But the first move needs to come from Bill Callahan and Steve Pederson: if they really want to unite Husker Nation, they'll call Tom Osborne and ask him personally to be part of the program again, not just have their secretarys write formal, CYA "because we have to" letters. (I know Corn Blight over at Corn Nation will disagree with me, but I strongly believe that the road to Husker Unity goes through Steve Pederson and Tom Osborne...)

If it worked for Oklahoma, it can work for Nebraska.

Pederson Finally Talks to Shatel

This past week, Tom Shatel of the Omaha World-Herald finally got an interview with Steve Pederson. Once again, I'd love to post a link to it, but the World-Herald no longer publishes Shatel's columns online. So, I'll paraphrase a bit.

First question was the state of fundraising. Current total is $31 million pledged, of which $24 million has been received. Compare that with the $15 million pledged in the first month. Pederson claims that he didn't announce the total previously because "you generally (don't) boast about how you're doing." Except that Pederson did announce they had raised $15 million at the end of 2003, and that they had raised $20 million in the spring of 2004. I guess that's like Pederson's policy about not commenting about coaches before their season is over.

Speaking of which, he flip-flopped on that policy once again in discussing baseball, saying that "we have the right guy coaching. Mike (Anderson) is tremendous on all fronts. I feel like we have a nucleus of a good baseball team. Sometimes you just don't play as well." Hmmm... all sorts of possibities with that statement, but let's not go there. In any event, Pederson isn't going to be firing Mike Anderson anytime in the near future.

Last month, I suggested that Pederson come clean once and for all about Houston Nutt, but once again, he denies the whole case, saying that the idea that Houston Nutt was offered the head coaching job was "ridiculous." Pederson prefaced his remarks by calling the whole Nutt case a "source of irritation" which is very true on both sides of the divide.

Pederson did admit that he would have done a few things differently in the coaching search, namely not trying to do it in secret, thus letting the rumor mill run amok, plus also by stating a timeframe instead of saying the coaching search would begin immediately. Pe.derson also wouldn't go into details over his dealings with Tom Osborne over the coaching change, other than to say that "I respect his opinion."

Pederson went on to say that that while Osborne has a "standing offer to be here anytime he wants", he also respects Osborne's decision to not look over the shoulder at Solich and now Bill Callahan, much like Bob Devaney didn't look over Osborne's shoulder after leaving coaching. Which is an interesting observation...though remember, Devaney was still involved with Nebraska for over 20 years after he stepped down as coach. I still believe that there has to be an opportunity for Tom Osborne inside the athletic department.

Suffice it to say, while it was good for Pederson to finally open up to someone other than Jim Rose...you do have to wonder just how much he actually opened up. But hey...it's a start.

A Husker Peace Treaty

Over the last few weeks, the family feud escalated with dueling golf outings and criticism of both Tom Osborne and Steve Pederson. After 41 months, shouldn't we be past this by now? Certainly folks stuck in the middle are tired of it. So, here's a stab at diplomacy:

Former Players
Yes, the names and faces around the athletic department are different. Things change, times change. All good things must come to an end. That doesn't make things wrong...just different. If you want to build unity between you and your fellow alums, don't wait for the athletic department to do it for you...schedule events yourself. Take the inititive and do it yourself, though do us all a favor and try not to schedule it opposite another "official" event.

Tom Osborne
As the patriarch of the Husker football family, your every move is scrutinzed. At the same time, you probably hold the keys to solving this issue. You spoke last week about loyalty and honesty. That is being put to the test. We know you are loyal to your players and your staff. Now it's time to extend that loyalty to the people who followed in their footsteps.

Bill Callahan
You didn't ask to get mixed up into this. You're the step-father thrown into the middle of it, and it's not what you asked for. But you can play a role in solving this issue by making sure that the people who preceded you, both as players and coaches, are welcome, whether it's inside the offices, at practice, or on the sidelines. Bob Stoops isn't afraid of Barry Switzer; you shouldn't be afraid of Tom Osborne.

Steve Pederson
You tossed the first shot in this whole feud. Whether you were right or wrong really isn't relevant anymore, as what's done is done. But by that same, it's time to dismantle the fortress. Enough is enough. Talk to Tom Shatel. Talk to Kevin Kugler. (In fact, get him back behind the mike on NET's coverage of Husker baseball and volleyball.) Admit you asked Houston Nutt to be head coach; nobody believes your denial. Are you going to take some shots? Certainly. But the longer you keep avoiding them, the longer this thing is going to continue to fester.

Welcome the all of the former players and coaches into the program, not just the ones who agree with you. Let them be on the sidelines; that's the way other programs handle it. Consult with Tom Osborne; Creighton and Iowa Western are doing it.

You are not the program. The program is bigger than any one person, and you are merely the custodian. It does not exist to stroke your ego.

Fans
2003 is over. Steve Pederson fans, drop Frank Solich bashing. Steve Pederson haters, let go of the coaching change. Solich, Bo Pelini, Barney Cotton, and Marvin Sanders are not coming back. Rehashing this old decision is like picking an old scab; it may feel good at the time but it's not allowing things to heel.

Husker Family Feud

The great schism of fans over the events at the end of the 2003 Husker football season is well known. But in Thursday's Omaha World-Herald, Lee Barfknecht revealed how deep the schism runs with the very players who wore the scarlet and cream.

As part of Steve Pederson's desire to transform the spring game into a show for recruiting, the athletic department has organized a golf outing for former Husker lettermen the last three years. It's a great idea... bring the former players back to town, especially the one's busy in the fall playing on Sundays in the NFL.

Except now several former Huskers have organized an alternative golf outing, called "Fun - The Original Husker Way" and scheduled it at the same time as the "official" letterman's golf tournament. The alternative outing is promoted as a tribute to former trainer Doak Ostergard, and has drawn comittments from many "big names" -- the Peter brothers, Tommie Frazier, and Tom Osborne, to name a few. Frank Solich is even trying to sneak away from Ohio spring practice for the afternoon. So far, over 150 people have signed up for the alternative outing, compared to 130 last year for the sold-out Letterman's outing.

While the organizers of the alternative outing won't say it, the name definitely suggests dissatisfaction with the athletic department. One might say that the timing does as well, but with the number of events scheduled that weekend for all the players that are coming in from out of state, there might not have been another good time. But it's fairly obvious that the divide amongst some fans also applies to the former Huskers as well.

What's really interesting is the venom of a small contingent of Steve Pederson fans against Tom Osborne accepting the invitation to appear at the alternative event, claiming it as a "shot at the program." Apparantly, 25 years of coaching, with 3 national titles pale in comparison to the fact that Osborne chose to honor a trainer that served the program for 18 years.

Yep...Nebraska is really getting over 2003. Not.

Saturday Morning Sunshine

The sun finally has come out, hopefully signalling the end of the Blizzard of 2007. Still haven't seen a snowplow operating in my neighborhood yet, though. Hopefully the roads and weather will improve enough for the family to get to the Mav hockey game tonight.

A few new items:

AJ has a hilarious satirical rebuttal to Nebraska's bogus Big XII North Division championship ceremony after the Colorado game.


Trev Alberts, now with CSTV, says that "things (are) just not the same at Nebraska":

"It seems to a lot of people, who have a real care for the program, that anyone who was or is intimately associated with coach Frank Solich or coach Tom Osborne is not welcome there. The truth of the matter is it's just an insecurity factor. That's what I've been able to ascertain. I mean, who would want to follow coach Osborne? The footsteps are so large at Nebraska that I really don't fault Callahan for his insecurity, or Steve Pederson either, for that matter."

The Daily Nebraskan has even more about the concerns about the cheerleaders. Seems that the athletic department's new sponsor for the squad, Carrie Vitulo, has not taken the NCAA-required one-day safety certification course since being hired three months ago, effectively reducing the cheerleaders role to standing, clapping, and yelling.

Callahan Wants an Extension & The Empire Strikes Back

Didn't get to check out in person the Mavs beating Bowling Green 3-2 in overtime tonight, thanks to the blizzard. It was a white out drive home, and the only plow I've seen in the neighborhood is broke down. So it was an evening to listen to the game on the radio...hopefully, everything will clear up tomorrow so we can get to see Scott Parse one last time. (Ooh, ahh, more snow than Knights fans!)

The Omaha World-Herald reports that Bill Callahan is looking for a contract extension. You might be surprised to hear me say this, but Nebraska probably needs to get moving on this. I'm still not sold on Callahan, but every other Big XII coach is signed through 2010 or beyond. Callahan's deal expires after 2009, and recruits are going to want to see a commitment to the coach. And in this world, it's just paper. It doesn't prevent coaches from being fired, or from coaches leaving.

In a way, I'm surprised that Callahan's agent is saying this in publicly. I read a report last month that Callahan is privately grumbling about things at Nebraska that I questioned at the time, but sometimes where there's smoke, there's fire.

The cult is rejoicing over Steve Pederson's response to Tom Shatel's column in yesterday's World-Herald letters to the editor. I thought it was a swing-and-a-miss by Pederson at first. Pederson's comment about it taking 52 seconds seemed odd to me, because the Shatel column I read didn't mention how long he waited. Apparantly, earlier editions stated five minutes, but not the more commonly read metropolitan issue. So that line came up empty with me, though I understand why folks who saw earlier versions found it noteworthy.

Pederson's final line came across as exceptionally lame:

"I would have been happy to explain all this to the writer, had he just asked."

Why so lame? Well, (a) Shatel DID ask Pederson's SID, Keith Mann, about the policy before writing the column and (b) apparantly Pederson has rejected several interview requests from the World-Herald.

The whole point of the article is that Pederson has locked up access to the program, and the only person who seems to have much access to it anymore is Jim Rose who isn't about to ruffle any feathers. Whether Tom Shatel had to wait 52 seconds, 5 minutes, or 5 hours wasn't the point...the point is that the media wants to cover the Huskers, and they aren't welcome. Guys like Matt Perrault and Kevin Kugler come across as one-sided Husker bashers only because the Husker athletic department refuses to give them anything to balance it out. If you compare it to a sport, Nebraska forfeits this game each and every day by not showing up to play in the game of sports media. Yes I know that Pinnacle/Host Communications is spending a lot of money for access to the program... but the result is that it leaves a vacuum elsewhere in the media. Remember, nature abhors a vacuum.

DoubleExtraPoint has a nice article about the winter of discontent. I've commented on this before, and my "Cult" entry earlier this week certainly is guilty of adding to the discontent. Inconsistent on my part? Not necessarily; I didn't say anything about the 2003 coaching change. That is over and done with and can't be reversed. But Steve Pederson's recent actions are still open for criticism, whether it's locking the doors of new complex or requesting boosters send him "thank you" notes. Those are new events, and certainly open to criticism.

The Cult of Steve Pederson?

I've frequently referred to Steve Pederson suppporters as "kool-aid drinkers" as a light-hearted slam. However, several stories have come out in recent weeks that start making the satire very much real. First, there was the Doak Ostergard departure. Many people have chosen to "blame the victim" here and delve into innuendo (not to mention minimizing Ostergard's contributions to the program) when they admit they have no familiarity with the situation to defend the actions. While Bill Callahan does have the right to decide who is involved with the Husker football program (and I'm not going to criticize him for making the decision), a 20+ year dedicated employee of the program deserves better treatment. I think the responses from Ben Kingston (fullback, 1995-99) and Jeremy Slechta (defensive lineman, 1998-2001) speak to that.

Then, there is today's column from the Omaha World-Herald's Tom Shatel. The World-Herald does not publish this column online, so I'll summarize. Shatel went to Lincoln to the Husker Media Relations department, and found the doors to the Osborne complex locked with nobody at the guard desk. When the guard finally returned, he interrogated Shatel to determine his business and then escorted the columnist to the Media Relations department where the sports information director is then asked to vouch for Shatel's identity. Shatel is amazed that it's so difficult to get access to the program, calling it the "Secret Society of Steve Pederson". So Shatel does a little comparative research, and successfully makes it to the offices of UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman's and Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman.

So Husker athletics now needs more security than the Governor? Well, the official response is that it's because there are "female athletes in the building", despite the fact that females are well represented across the entire campus, not to mention the State Capitol building. Shatel checked with other athletic departments, and he couldn't find another program with similar restrictions.

Some fans will ask... what's the big deal? In the grand scheme of things, it's not a big deal by itself. But look at the trend: Shatel today, cheerleaders on Sunday, Ostergard last week. And that's just this month. When you look at the big picture, the explanations start becoming excuses. And the long running chain of excuses start to wear thin after a while. One of these days, a kool-aid drinker is going to try to change the subject by saying "What a lovely dress you have on, Mrs. Cleaver!"

On KOZN radio today, Kevin Kugler and Mike'l Severe asked Shatel if these continued PR debacles will eventually be Pederson's downfall. Shatel responded that while it is likely to be tied to Bill Callahan's eventually result, at some point, the status of fund-raising will need to be approached. A later caller pointed out a promotional magazine mailing to boosters from last December from Nebraska's "Touchdown Club" which opened with an article titled "Keeping the Faith" calling for all critics to admit they, not Pederson, were wrong:

"So if you haven't done so already, it's time to send Steve Pederson a thank you note and let him know that you can see now that he was right all along. Thank him for keeping the faith."

Uh, no. But thanks for more evidence that the #1 problem facing Husker athletics is one man's ego. Why on earth is a call to stroke Pederson's ego the first thing you see when you open this magazine? And why is the Touchdown Club spending money (presumably donated funds at that) to publish and distribute this call?

At first, "kool-aid drinkers" was satire. But as this goes on, it's starting to actually resemble a cult. And you know how cults sometimes go out...

Update 10/7/2007: Time to Pull the Plug on Steve Pederson

Fire Steve Pederson

(Update October 7, 2007: It's Time to Pull The Plug on Steve Pederson...)

Bill Callahan should NOT be fired.

He is in year 2 of a monumental transition. It is not going well, and I'm doubtful that he is the answer as Nebraska's head coach. But, we're only in year 2 of his run. Some of the holes in this year's team may start filling themselves next season, especially on the offensive line. But however cathartic the firing might be, the next question is, who would replace him?

Several names have already been brought up. Joe Glenn at Wyoming. Monte Kiffin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Barney Cotton at Iowa State. I'll throw out Marvin Sanders at North Carolina as well. As much as I like Frank Solich, he'd be a poor choice; there is still a large contingent of Husker fans who despise him. Many of them actually blamed him for yesterday's debacle.

But the decision as to who would replace Bill Callahan doesn't belong to the fans. It's the responsibility of the athletic director.

The person currently filling that position has experience in coaching searches. His process was roundly criticized and lampooned 2 years ago. Fox's Jimmy Johnson quipped that a dozen NFL guys received raises thanks to Steve. At least 3 of Pederson's candidates are already in hot water and in danger of losing their current job: Dave Wannstedt (who might get fired for the 2nd time), Houston Nutt, and Chuck Amato.

Steve Pederson is a divisive figure in this state. Named last year as Nebraska's Enemy of the State by Sports Illustrated, fundraising for the Osborne Complex has stalled since his last coaching change. I don't doubt that Pederson loves the University and the athletic program, but it's obvious a change is necessary.

Hopefully, Steve will do the right think and resign. But if he doesn't, fire Steve Pederson.