As the Blatt Turns: Remodel or Start Over?

As the College World-Series wraps up day three, folks are talking about plans for replacing Rosenblatt Stadium with a new ballpark near the Qwest Center. Even the NCAA is talking about it "between pitches". What is the right answer? It's not as cut and dried as people think. Rosenblatt certainly has a lot going for it; ESPN raves about it during each and every game. But that also doesn't mean that things couldn't be better.

When people talk glowingly of Rosenblatt, they frequently mention the general admission bleachers as a place where the average fan is still welcome (as long as they get there early enough) and it's still very affordable to go. They also mention the comaraderie of long-time season ticketholders who've had season tickets for years. You certainly don't want to eliminate the little things that helped make the College World-Series the event it is.

But step inside the concourses and you'll see the dirty little secret of the College World-Series. Claustrophobic concourses, long restroom lines, few concession stands. Saturday night's ESPN broadcast showed fans still trying to get inside the stadium long after the game started. (At last year's Nebraska-Creighton game, it took me 20 minutes to get from the stadium entrance to my seats through the crowded concourse!)

I don't think the city of Omaha wants to replace Rosenblatt. It has history, and the city has invested millions of dollars into it. But the NCAA wants things to be upgraded. They want some controls over the flea-market atmosphere outside. They want some raw infrastructure upgraded (skyboxes, new locker rooms, meeting/office space). So the City of Omaha started to total up the cost of improvements and started to choke on the numbers. $25 million for starters, and you still haven't begun to address much of the infrastructure.

It's a sobering total. Even the NCAA recognized this...and they suggested that maybe it's time to consider a new stadium. It's an intriguing idea. We could spend $25 million over the next 5 years to upgrade Rosenblatt, then find ourself in a position to spend another $25 or $30 million in 10 or 15 years to address the problems that aren't being addressed. Can you say "Money Pit"?

The key to solving this is to identify what makes the College World-Series what it is...and make sure that no matter what happens, it still exists. General admission? Gotta have it. Long-time season ticketholders? Assure them that they'll still have seats in the same approximate locations near the same people they've sat by previously. (I've heard a rumor that Creighton would control the tickets for their boosters, obviously people reacting to Creighton's ticket policy for other NCAA championship events.) Zestos? Certainly you've got to find a way to get Zesto's near a new stadium.

Some of the silliest criticism of the new stadium idea revolves around moving downtown. The new stadium would likely be located about 4 blocks west of Omaha's new Qwest Center arena which is undergoing a lot of development as we speak. 4 new hotels are under construction literally across the street from the proposed location. Thousands of parking spaces are available at the Qwest Center. Creighton's new soccer stadium and the Qwest Center are available for festivities...again, all within walking distance. New bars and restaurants, including Omaha's new indy-rock mecca, Slowdown. Oh yes, and my daughter's child care center as well. (Does that address the "is it safe" argument?) I drive through this area daily, and it's easy to see how this part of town would explode if the CWS moves in. Many refer to this as "NoDo", the counterpart to Denver's LoDo district that was revitalized when the Colorado Rockies moved in about 10 years ago.

But by that same token, the new stadium plan has questions. How would 16,000 temporary seats work? Can you really do it for $50 million? If Omaha decides to build a new stadium, it cannot afford to screw it up. The College World Series brings in $34 million to the Omaha economy, according to a 2003 Creighton survey. Personally, if Omaha is building a new stadium and is thinking long term, you start with 30,000 seats with an eye on eventually needing to hold 40,000.

Deep down, I think this new stadium is going to happen. Omaha needs the College World Series, and pumping $25 million into Rosenblatt without solving all of Rosenblatt's issues could be one of the biggest mistakes we could make.

The Future of TV Sports

K-State Sports & Beyond reports today that Big XII commissioner Keven Weiberg is quitting to join the Big 10 TV Network. Interesting move for both Weiberg and the Bigger 10 with all the recent changes to Big XII TV contracts as of late. In a radio interview today on KOZN-AM, Lee Barfknect talked about Weiberg's vision for individual school TV networks possibly being part of the reason why he's joining the Big Ten.

The more I think about it, we are on the cusp of another revolution in television and broadcasting. The number of specialty networks is exploding, with the NBA and NFL each having their own networks, and Major League Baseball planning to launch their own network. There's a Golf Channel and a Tennis Channel. Everywhere you turn around, somebody seems to be creating their own network. Meanwhile, cable networks are constrained in terms of capacity, especially as more and more networks go high definition. Even the Food Network is going HD!

Meanwhile, Congress is once again discussing options for ala-carte programming, allowing you to pick-and-choose what networks you pay for. How is this going to work out? I think you are going to see a convergence between television and the internet. A lot of people are all geeked up over the Apple Phone, but in my mind, the Apple Phone pales in comparision to Apple TV. Apple is already in discussion with major movie studios about renting videos through iTunes, which will make watching movies even easier than Netflix.

Take this to the next level - subscriptions like Netflix. Right now, Netflix bears the expense of mailing DVD's to your house. If you choose a popular title, sometimes you have to wait for your turn to get a copy of a new release. The iTunes model eliminates the physical inventory. Heck, you'll even be able to pre-order the movie, and on the day it's released, it'll automatically download to your TV.

What the heck does this have to do with sports? If you're a Husker fan anywhere in the country, you can order DVD's of football games to be delivered to your home days after each game. Imagine subscribing to the Husker network and getting these same games automatically fed to your TV via the internet. Already today you can watch baseball and volleyball games on your computer...it's not a large leap to use a device like this to get them on your TV.

In a few years, wondering whether your cable company carries Versus is going to be a moot point. You'll just point your TV towards Versus.com and wonder what all the fuss was about in the past...

Husker Hoops vs Oregon in Omaha

Now that the Nebraska-Oregon game has been announced for Saturday afternoon, December 15th, it's almost eerie the silence from the BrieJay fans. Perhaps they got all their complaining out of their system and resigned themselves to the fact that this is happening. Perhaps some of them finally realized how silly and immature their complaints were. Or maybe they're too busy trying to scalp College World Series tickets this week to worry about it. In any event, most of 'em have moved on. And the ones that haven't, well, have cemented their irrelevence. I believe Kevin Kugler pretty much summed it up yesterday:

"If you're a Bluejay fan, you must have one miserable life if Nebraska playing in a City-owned venue affects you in any appreciable way."

There's another golf outing tomorrow involving former Husker players and coaches...but this time, it's Husker hoops showing the football program how to do it. Doc Sadler invited former Husker coach Danny Nee to play in the first "Doc Sadler Golf Classic." Said Sadler last month:

"I want to make Nebraska basketball a program. I don't think you can do that if you pick and choose who is going to be in it. So I want to try to bring back everybody who has ever played or coached here, and make them feel a part of it."

I wish Sadler's boss and Bill Callahan would heed Sadler in this case. It would go a long way towards healing Husker Nation.

Commence the BrieJay Whining: NU vs. Oregon at the Qwest Center Announcement

The Lincoln Journal-Star reports that the Nebraska vs. Oregon basketball game will be officially announced at the Qwest Center ...probably this December. Needless to say, the reaction from the bandwagonners in Creighton blue will be furious since it's "their" arena.

Nevermind the fact that the city took out bonds to pay for much of the arena.

Nevermind the fact that state tax money is being used to help pay off the bonds.

The sense of entitlement of BrieJay fans isn't difficult to understand, though. Thanks to the Creighton athletic department, BrieJay fans absconded all of the tickets to the 2008 NCAA basketball tournament. Then, when other basketball fans complained, they tried to spin the story away unsuccessfully. I'm assuming that most of these people aren't alums or students; I don't think the Jesuits wouldn't teach this behavior..

One idea I've heard to appease the whining from the Hilltop was getting a twin bill with Creighton and another major name opponent, such as Notre Dame. While this sounds good in theory, Creighton has struggled to bring in name opponents in recent years. (Let's be honest, nobody wants to go on the road and play a well-coached mid-major program in this day of college athletic economics.) If Creighton could get a program like Notre Dame to come to Omaha, they would have already done it. Besides, ticket distribution would be difficult, as Creighton's season ticketholders would be upset at having to buy tickets to a Nebraska game and vice versa. I think Nebraska will draw a nice sized crowd (read 12,000 or more) to this game, depending on when it's scheduled.

UNO hockey has games scheduled on December 6th & 7th (Lake Superior State-Friday/Saturday), December 18th (Minnesota State-Mankato- Tuesday), December 28th (Princeton-Friday), and December 30th (Yale-Sunday). Looking at the Qwest Center schedule, the rest of the month is free. There shouldn't be a problem fitting this game in.

Maurice Purify: Stupidity Strikes Again

Score two more points for the Huskers in the Fulmer Cup standings, brought to you by Everyday Must Be Saturday: Husker wide receiver Maurice Purify follows up his assault charge from last month with a "driving while under the influence" arrest early this morning. Has Bill Callahan had enough of Purify? Perhaps, as he's suspended Purify indefinitely.

My take? I call this the third strike on Purify, with the first strike being the personal foul penalties last season. With that in mind, dismissal from the team certainly isn't out of line. Personally, I'd think about dismissal for this season, and give Purify the option of returning in 2008 (I believe he still has a redshirt season) if - and only if - he (a) gets treatment, (b) stays out of any further trouble, and (c) makes restitution to the community. In other words, he has to earn his way back onto the team in 2008. Sure, he theoretically could just go straight to the NFL, but the NFL isn't tolerating off-the-field issues either.

Some will talk about what losing Purify means to the offense in 2007, but they miss the point. The Huskers have no need for a player who can't control himself, whether it's a trash-talking safety, a bouncer at a bar, or driving drunk. Until he gets control of himself and his life, he is of no use to the Huskers.

Big XII Football joins the NHL on Versus

When news of TBS dropping Big XII football games broke, there was talk about FSN sublicensing these games to Versus, home of the NHL, rodeo, and the Tour de France. Fortunately, a deal with ESPN and ESPN2 was worked out, which represents an upgrade. (I still don't like the 8pm kickoffs though...)

Now comes word that Versus is back into the mix, with FSN now sublicensing Big XII and Pac-10 college football games to Versus. Good deal or not? I think it depends on whether these games represent additional TV games or if they are games that are currently televised by FSN at 11:30 am. Problem is, the word isn't particularly clear. The Des Moines Register reported today that the Iowa @ Iowa State game is the first game to be televised by Versus.

If these games are in addition to the 11:30 am games on FSN, this is a good deal if only because they are games that would otherwise not be televised or televised on pay-per-view. However, if this a replacement for 11:30 am FSN games, this is a horrible deal for the Big XII. Versus has limited distribution nationwide, frequently relegated to digital cable or sports packages. This has been an issue for the NHL, which has seen it's nationwide visibility drop after they switched from ESPN to Versus. The broadcasts themselves are fine, with decent graphics and better announcers than FSN seems to scrape together. But the limited availability of Versus is an issue. (Not to me; my cable company carries Versus...but I sympathize with those folks who don't have Versus, such as Omaha's crappy, overpriced Cox Cable...)

I can already hear the uproar when the first Nebraska game is televised by Versus, and people scramble to try to figure out where it is on their cable system, if it's even there. (Hint...it used to be called "OLN: Outdoor Life Network"...) Remember the fuss when a Nebraska/Kansas State game was moved to FX? This could be even louder...

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.

More on Football Scheduling

Earlier this week, Steve Pederson told the Lincoln Journal-Star that it's much more difficult to schedule home games than it used to be:

“Teams you typically could pay for a one-time appearance in your stadium are not as willing to do that as they used to be. They want a 2-for-1. Yet at the same time, we’ve tried to avoid going to smaller venues to play games.“

And you know what, Pederson is right on that point. In the 1990's, Nebraska was able to get Washington State and Baylor to come in for home games without a return trip. In the 80's, both Oregon and Oregon State came to Lincoln without getting a home game in exchange. Now, Conference USA, Mountain West, and WAC teams demand a home-and-home or at least a 2-for-1.

However, that excuse doesn't wash when you consider that Nebraska isn't going on the road once in the non-conference portion of the schedule in 2008. Now comes word that Michigoon is looking for an opponent for 2008, and is willing to return the game. And guess what...both Nebraska and the Weasels have open dates on Labor Day weekend in 2008. Can't you see ABC and ESPN drooling over opening the college football season with this matchup? And wouldn't the 2009 schedule look a lot better with the Weasels coming to Lincoln instead of one of those Sun Belt teams?

First reaction to defend Pederson's scheduling would be to ask why Nebraska would want to open the 2008 season on the road, likely with a new quarterback. True. But Michigoon also had an opening on September 6th that they just filled with Toledo. So Nebraska could have found another game for Labor Day weekend, gone to the Big House on the 6th and then still had Virginia Tech in Lincoln on the 20th. Even pairing a 1-AA team with the Weasels would have been a better schedule than what the Huskers ended up with.

Trev Puts Callahan on the "Hot Seat"

Trev Alberts, now of Westwood One radio and CSTV, turns to Bill Callahan first when speaking about coaches on the hot seat:

I think Bill Callahan is on the hot seat at Nebraska. They haven't beat anyone of substance. His record in three years is just not good. They've become a bad road team and lost to unranked teams. Callahan needs to produce a big year. He needs to win the Big 12 North. I think a step backward could be the end of his regime.

Naturally folks on both sides of the great Husker divide are focusing on the first sentence (or five sentences), rather than the last couple of sentences or the rest of what Alberts said:

I don't see anyone in imminent danger of being fired if they lose some early games. But if Callahan and Nebraska, playing at home, lose to USC, 50-7, that changes the complexion of the seat.

Quite a bit different context, and one I generally agree with. Remember where opinions were in November 2005 after Callahan's squad was rolled by a mediocre Kansas squad 40-15? 3 weeks later, Callahan turned the corner against Colorado, then Michigoon, then had a much improved season in 2006. Definitely progress over the first 20 games. That progress has silenced much of the criticism.

By that same token, Nebraska still hasn't improved from 2003, which had a Sagarin rating of 82.02 versus 2006's 81.64. We're now in year #4, and it's time for Callahan's squad to take things to the next level. The excuses of the past shouldn't apply anymore; most of the players are his and all should be familiar with his system.

Continue to show progress and the talk of "hot seat" can be dismissed as idle, irrelevant off-season chatter. Progress means being competitive against the likes of Texas and USC, not to mention competing for the Big XII championship. Progress means not blowing a big lead and getting outscored 41-7 down the stretch against a middle-of-the-road conference opponent. Progress probably means winning at least 9 and preferably more games in 2007.

I get a feeling from many of optimism for 2007...that's why talk of a hot seat seems so out of line. But a failure to meet those expectations will put Bill Callahan on the hot seat.

Florida to propose College Football Playoff

ESPN reports that the president of the University of Florida is planning to push the SEC to move to ditch the BCS for a playoff. No word as to whether he is thinking "Plus-1" where 2 of the New Year's Day bowls become playoff games or a full 8 or 16 team playoff. Personally, I still prefer the idea of the 8 or 16 game playoff, as the revenues generated from playing playoff games at 80,000+ capacity campus stadiums is going to provide much more revenue than the bowl system ever will. (And the bowl system could still remain for the non-qualifiers...)

The idea about doing this outside the scope of the NCAA is intriguing...though I figure that if this idea starts to gain any traction, the NCAA will jump all over it as if it were their idea to ensure they continue to get their cut and remain in charge.

Looking to find out more, I thought I'd head over to the most well-known Florida blog out there, but alas, all they want to do this week is remind me of the flu-ridden 1996 Big XII championship game. Ahh well, that's why they call this the offseason...

Big XII Disses the Civic - Time to Blow It Up?

This week's news featured two body shots to Omaha's Civic Auditorium. First, the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights confirmed that they are folding and moving to the Quad Cities. Then, the Big XII conference rejected Omaha as a host for the Big XII basketball tournaments, citing the Civic Auditorium being unsuitable.

The Knights situation closes a sad (but thankfully brief) chapter in Omaha hockey history. In the end, the Knights finally realized one of the truths of fandom when Calgary Flames President Ken King said yesterday:

"There are a lot of loyalties to a lot of different sports here. And when you're the last of three hockey teams to enter the market, it's really tough."

The word "fan" is a derivative of the word fanatic...a word that in turn implies an emotional attachment that sometimes defies logic. Some people will talk about the AHL as being the "second best hockey in the world" and seem amazed that Omaha's didn't embrace it. But many Omaha hockey fans chose to remain loyal to "their" team, whether it was the Omaha Lancers or the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks. Fans stay loyal to their teams no matter what. I may think Steve Pederson is a ego-driven used car salesman, but I still donate to the program, buy tickets, and support the team. UNO's ousted administration may have guilty of graft, misconduct, and gross mismanagement, but I still support the Mavs.

Apparantly Calgary somehow thought that they could get more Omaha hockey fans to dump the other hockey teams. They paraded out their "Best! Best! Best!" campaign as their opening game approached, and immediately started their downward spiral. Too bad they didn't try to grow the Omaha hockey audience instead. So there goes one of the anchor tenants in the Civic, who were given a sweetheart deal to keep the place occupied.

The Big XII's decision on the Civic Auditorium was rather curious when they somehow determined that the capacity of the Civic was 7980 instead of the actual capacity of 9300. Where did that 7980 figure come from? My guess is that they used the estimated capacity of Council Bluffs Mid-America Center, which in light of the questionable future of the Civic, was suggested as an alternative venue for women's basketball. My guess is that the Big XII was responding to the underlying premise of many...Omaha's Civic Auditorium is essentially obsolete at this point. The Big XII apparantly didn't even seriously consider the Civic, using excuses of lack of capacity (getting the figures wrong) and claiming they didn't want to play on someone else's home court (then putting 2 out of 3 women's championships on Missouri-Kansas City's home court). The Big XII just didn't want to come out and say "the Civic is a dump". We haven't heard the results of the feasibility study of the Auditorium, but the events of this week seem to indicate that the Civic's days are numbered.

Here's my take...Omaha still needs a secondary arena like the Civic. Not everything requires an 18,000 seat arena like the Qwest Center. High schools and colleges still need a place to hold graduations, not all concerts draw 18K. Meanwhile, the infrastructure of the Civic is aging and contains obsolete exhibition space underneath the arena that will be a money pit. In the near future, we'll find out that while the needs for the Civic still exists, it's going to cost more to maintain than it's worth. If Omaha is going to compete with the likes of Kansas City for championship events, then Omaha is going to need a facility to match. The Civic isn't that place...but a new UNO Coliseum near the old Ak-Sar-Ben complex just might be.

Some people locally might scoff at the idea of Omaha challenging the likes of Kansas City and Dallas for Big XII championships...but certainly others around the Big XII took Omaha seriously. If Omaha can find a way to replace the obsolete Civic Auditorium, they very well might find themselves as a future player for Big XII basketball.

ESPN to carry 4 or 5 Big XII games in 2007

The rumored deal for ESPN to televise some of the Big XII football games previously carried by TBS was confirmed and announced today. Here are the dates and the games for those dates, with my guesses as to who will televise:

September 15th: Florida State @ Colorado (confirmed)

October 6th: Oklahoma vs. Texas (certainly on ABC), Nebraska @ Missouri (ABC or ESPN), Oklahoma State @ Texas A&M (ESPN or FSN), Kansas @ Kansas State (FSN?), Colorado @ Baylor, Iowa State @ Texas Tech.

October 13th: (ESPN option to carry a game) Missouri @ Oklahoma (likely ABC), Oklahoma State @ Nebraska (ABC or ESPN/FSN), Texas A&M @ Texas Tech (ABC or ESPN/FSN), Texas @ Iowa State (FSN?), Colorado @ Kansas State, Baylor @ Kansas

October 20th: Texas A&M @ Nebraska (likely ABC), Texas Tech @ Missouri (ABC or ESPN/FSN), Kansas State @ Oklahoma State (FSN?), Texas @ Baylor (FSN?), Oklahoma @ Iowa State, Kansas @ Colorado

November 3rd: Texas A&M @ Oklahoma (ABC or ESPN), Texas @ Oklahoma State (ABC or ESPN), Nebraska @ Kansas (FSN?), Missouri @ Colorado (FSN?), Texas Tech @ Baylor (FSN?), Kansas State @ Iowa State

ESPN can place these games on either ESPN or ESPN2...not sure if it's a big deal; either is better than FSN.

I think Missouri vs. Nebraska has a great chance to be an ABC prime time game, as Texas/Oklahoma is a lock for an afternoon ABC telecast since they don't want to play a night game at the Cotton Bowl. If ESPN chooses to carry a Big XII game on October 13th, I think they'll take the Huskers vs. the Cowboys. If the Huskers don't get on ESPN the first couple of weeks of October, no Husker games could end up on ESPN or ESPN2.

Update: Most of these games will end up with 8 pm kickoffs, according to today's World-Herald. That's going to be an issue for Husker fans who have to drive long distances, as games won't conclude until nearly midnight. Good for TV, bad for ticketholders...

More Weekend Wrap

Not wanting to be completely negative on Steve Pederson's interview with Tom Shatel this weekend, there was one answer that I thought was very good:

"We have the best academic program in the country. What we don’t have is the facility to match that. That’s our next priority. It would be an academic center, an expansion of what we’re doing in the Hewitt Center. (It was built) in 1983. It’s time to expand that and catch up to the way students study now."

Definitely a refreshing answer in this age of escalating athletic facilities. I was half expecting him to mention the proposed Lincoln Haymarket Arena as a potential home for Husker basketball. While the Devaney Center is still in fine shape, it doesn't have the suites or the amenities of Omaha's Qwest Center. If Doc Sadler continues to rebuild Husker hoops, the Devaney Center will begin selling out, making a new larger arena very viable for Husker athletics.

Last Wednesday, someone emailed me for my reaction to Gabbert, and I had to scramble to figure out what they were talking about. Was it one of the Huskers that played poorly in a 9-2 loss to Creighton the night before? Nope. Finally I realized that it was the latest recruitnik obsession, quarterback Blaine Gabbert. So what's my take on Gabbert? Well, he sounds fine, but let's hold off on evaluating him, at least until after the 2009 spring game. Why so long? Let's remember the recent history of hot-shot quarterback recruits. Curt Dukes (redshirted as a freshman, then transferred to Duke, where he quit football after his junior year), Joe Dailey (now playing wide receiver for North Carolina), Jordan Adams (only played QB in one game in junior college, then had his spleen removed, essentially ending his career), Harrison Beck (last seen completing 7 of 26 passes in the spring game at North Carolina State), and Josh Freeman. Then remember the sagas of Zac Taylor (originally committed to Oklahoma State, enrolled at Wake Forest, and then transferred to Butler Community before arriving in Lincoln) and Sam Keller (3 years at Arizona State). What's the moral of the story? Simple...don't rush to any sort of judgement. There's a good chance that he too won't be wearing Husker red in 5-6 years...

Speaking of Joe Dailey, SI.com profiled him as he prepares under his fifth offensive coordinator in college (Barney Cotton, Jay Norvell, Gary Tranquill, Frank Cignetti, and John Shoop). Many fans will point to his struggles as a quarterback, but imagine how you would do in your job if you got a new boss every year who had a different way for you to do your job. In any event, Dailey is taking the lemons of his career and trying to make lemonade in his senior season. He was the leading receiver in the spring game, and is once again a leader of his team (remember, he was named a captain at Nebraska). He's preparing for life after playing football...this time as a coach.

A big bronx cheer to NBC for cutting away from Saturday's Ottawa-Buffalo game at the end of regulation to start the hour and a half Preakness prerace preview. Yeah, the game resumed on Versus, albeit not in HD. But come on...cutting away from a live sporting event to preview a horse race? Gimme a break.

Anybody else getting depressed everytime they pass by the gas station and see the price up another dime? We're now getting dangerously close to prices doubling since the end of January. Of course, now that GasBuddy.com has fubared OmahaGasPrices.com beyond usefulness, there aren't any useful tools left for consumers. Sigh...it was nice while it lasted.

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.

Good Knight and Good Luck

The Omaha World-Herald is reporting that the Calgary Flames are finally pulling the plug on the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights. Sad news for Omaha hockey? To some extent...yes. Loss of a hockey team is never something to be celebrated. But by that same measure, it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. Three hockey teams area is overkill for a market the size of Omaha. This isn't a black mark on Omaha as much as it is a black mark on the Flames and the city fathers who backed this boondoggle.

AJ the Huskerh8er called this right from the start. (Warning: profanity laden tirade) They got off on the wrong foot, and then proceeded to step all over themselves for most of their time in Omaha, leaving their few fans to wonder what went went wrong. MavRick wrote a nice essay last summer about the situation which sums it up quite nicely.

Back in February, I called May 6th in the OAK's death pool, so I'm not surprised by today's news. Some might think I'm taking pleasure in the end of the Knights, which isn't correct. The end of the Knights doesn't automatically make the Mavericks and Lancers more successful. But it does make Omaha a better community for one or both of the remaining teams to hopefully thrive. And thriving is what counts.

The dedicated Knights fans, though few in number, have the right to mourn the passing of the franchise to the Quad Cities. They'll say a few spiteful things towards fans of the other hockey teams, trying to pass the blame from the OAK's management. That's ok...they're angry about the loss of professional sports.

With the departure of the Knights, does this change the financial situation of the Civic Auditorium, perhaps freeing up resources for the oft-discussed Coliseum near Chili Greens? The DLR study on the viability of the Auditorium complex was due "mid-May", so we should be hearing about this any day know. Did this impact the Flames decision to pull the plug?

A Rebound Weekend

One of the "joys" of parenthood is all of the viruses your kids bring home from daycare. Last week was no exception, as the latest bug not only cleared out half of the room on Friday, but also inflicted most of the parents over the weekend...including yours truly... As Buddy Ryan would say..."But I'm feeling MUCH better now!"

The Big 1011 conference is forming their own TV network, with coverage of football, basketball, and other sports. Good idea or not? I lean towards not. On one hand, increasing coverage of sports is good for fans...but at what cost? Many cable systems are at capacity as new channels come on line, forcing networks to make decisions as to which channels to carry. As long as existing coverage isn't affected, it's not such a problem. But if games move from existing broadcast or cable outlets to a new network, much like the NFL is doing with the NFL Network, that's a problem for fans and consumers. There is only some much capacity on cable systems and so much programming to go around. Now comes the idea of each Big XII school forming their own TV network. This might make sense in Texas, where the Longhorns can sell this package in Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio easily. What about Nebraska? Sure, our cable systems will pick it up, but the Omaha and Lincoln markets aren't going to pay the bills. And is it really realistic to expect cable systems in Phoenix or New York to add a bunch of Big XII networks to their cable systems? Heck, will the satellite providers even have the capacity to carry these networks? Probably not in the near future, but it will take a new model for broadcasting television to make these types of networks feasible. In the case of Nebraska, it will probably evolve from the existing Husker N-side package combined with a device such as AppleTV to use the internet to broadcast games. The technology is getting there...but we're still a way away from it. We probably won't ever have a 24x7 Husker network...but many of these cable networks might not exist in a few years anyway.

That same article from the San Antonio Express also reminds recruitniks of the folly of their obsession:

Players like former Nebraska DE Adam Carriker are a reason why recruiting lists should be taken with a grain of salt. Carriker was listed as a two-star recruit and was listed as the nation’s 46th best strong-side defensive end prospect by Rivals.com when he graduated from Kennewick (Wash.) High School in 2002.

Carriker will be laughing at the so-called recruiting experts all the way to the bank.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are in the conference finals now with a couple of gems over the weekend. Saturday night, Daniel Briere scored with under 6 seconds left in regulation for Buffalo to send the game into overtime, where Ottawa won it in double overtime 3-2. Tonight, Ottawa pulled within one game of playing for the Cup by shutting out Buffalo (and former Sparty goalie Ryan Miller). In the other series, the Niedermeyer brothers teamed up in another overtime contest to give Anaheim the victory over Detroit.

I will admit that I could not care less about the Not Basketball Association...but the story about Derek Fisher of the Utah Jazz proves that not all is wrong with the NBA. Fisher's 10 month old daughter was diagnosed with cancer in her eye a couple of weeks ago. Fisher took leave from the team to find the best specialists, who proposed an experimental chemotherapy treatment to treat the cancer and hopefully save the eye. Rather than delay the treatment for basketball, his daughter's health took top priority. Once cleared by the doctors, the family raced back to Salt Lake City on the Jazz private jet, making it back in the 2nd half for a playoff game against Golden State. He runs into the locker room, dresses, and sprints straight into the game. Hits a clutch shot in overtime to give the Jazz the victory in overtime.

Kind of puts a little stomach flu into perspective, doesn't it?

ESPN to replace TBS for Big XII TV games?

Today's San Antonio Express reports that Fox is negotiating with ESPN to carry the 6 Big XII footbal games that used to be carried by TBS. Good news? Very likely...depending on the time and network the games appear on. ESPN already has a rather full schedule of college football with Big Televen, ACC, Big East, and SEC games on at various times during the day. In recent years, ESPN2 has carried SEC games with 9 pm kickoffs locally. While folks at home wouldn't necessarily mind a late kickoff for TV, fans who have to drive hours to return home may have different opinions. (Especially when you consider the lack of hotel rooms on football Saturdays in Lincoln...)

Also, no word on which of the ESPN networks these games would end up on. ESPN? Great! ESPN2? Still better than FSN. ESPN-U? Uh, oh. Heck, these games might end up getting bumped all the way to the Ocho.

If this contract happens, look for games to get squeezed into the existing ESPN schedule, mostly on afternoons and evenings. If that happens and the games end up on ESPN and ESPN2, it's an improvement over TBS and FSN. The Fox TV network would have been even better, but apparantly ABC has the exclusive rights to broadcast coverage of Big XII football, meaning that these games must remain on cable TV.

If ESPN does pick up the games, hopefully they'll assign Ron Franklin to all Big XII football games like they assign him to Big XII basketball. Franklin and CBS' Verne Lundquist are the two best college football announcers around for my money.

The same reporter from the San Antonio Express-News took a shot last week at Nebraska chancellor Harvey Perlman for calling Thursday night games a "disaster". From a pure fan and University standpoint, Perlman's position was reasonable. When NU-Rice had to be moved after 9/11, it forced classes to be cancelled and was certainly inconvenient for fans. In the grand scheme of things, cancelling classes one evening pales to the event that caused the game to be rescheduled in the first place. Chalk up yet another PR gaffe for the Pederson/Perlman cabal.

Weekend Wrap: Huskers Behaving Badly

Big news out of Lincoln this weekend was Maurice Purify's arrest and Ryan Wehrle's dismissal from the baseball program. Neither event should have come as a huge surprise. Purify showed his temper on the field as he got flagged for several personal fouls last season. Some fans are trying to justify Purify's actions by suggesting that the bouncer that Purify allegedly assaulted was out to get him, but that's not a justification for assaulting. If he's guilty, he needs to be suspended next season. In fact, this incident damages Purify on the field as well. All throughout the Big XII, cornerbacks are quickly learning that you can get under Purify's skin and get him to react, looking for personal fouls and offensive interference calls.

Sadly, that's 7 points for the Huskers in the Fulmer Cup standings, brought to you by Every Day Should Be Saturday.

Meanwhile on the diamond, preseason All-American Ryan Wehrle was dismissed from the Nebraska baseball team, the final straw being not running out a fly ball Friday night. That makes 4 players dismissed from the team in the last year, with 4 more suspended at some point this season. When you combine this with the Huskers lackluster record on the field this season, the boo-birds are out on Mike Anderson, asking if Anderson is the right guy to coach the Huskers. Certainly the expectation-meter for Husker baseball has been set to football levels. Years ago, Nebraska fans would have been ecstatic to be in the running for an NCAA berth. Now, merely doing that is grounds for firing.

KETV-channel 7's Matt Schick reports that negative vibes around the Nebraska clubhouse are affecting the team on the field, and that this dismissal could be an attempt to divert attention from deeper problems. It's mostly speculation at this point, but it's sometimes hard to pull a team out of the ditch midseason. By that same token, dismissing a clubhouse cancer can improve a team. Locally we've seen this with UNO hockey's Joe Grimaldi and Husker basketball's Joe McCray.

Meanwhile in Omaha, reaction to the idea of replacing Rosenblatt Stadium with a new stadium in North Downtown is fast and furious. I understand the nostalgia with Rosenblatt, and it's really not a bad stadium. But by that same token, if the NCAA is now suggesting that Rosenblatt needs replacing, Omaha needs to take this idea seriously. The College World-Series is one of Omaha's biggest events, and Omaha can ill afford to lose the series. If the NCAA says jump, Omaha's response should be "how high", as the NCAA won't hesitate to move the series. Is that an idle threat? I don't think Omaha can afford to find out.

Over at UNO, things seem to be falling in place after last summer's fallout that resulted in the resignations of Nancy Belck, Jim Buck, and David Herbster. Buzz is building over the new hockey ticket plans, featuring $99 season tickets around the Red Army. John Christensen was named new chancellor today, and former SMU associate AD David Miller is likely to be named athletic director sometime in the next couple of weeks.

A New Stadium for the College World-Series & Royals?

Today's Omaha World-Herald discusses a new Omaha baseball stadium in a copyright article by their own Odd Couple: political writer C. David Kotok and sports columnist Tom Shatel. Certainly an interesting and groundbreaking idea...but is it a good idea?

First of all, how feasible is it to build a stadium that triples in size with temporary seating? The infastructure needs to support 25,000 fans, not 9,000. Will the stadium still be appealing on national television for a College World Series game, yet still be appealing to fans desiring a more intimate experience for a Royals game?

I'm skeptical that a new stadium is going to solve the Royals problems. Certainly if the Royals feel that it's tough to convince fans to buy tickets, I don't see how a move downtown which requires fans to pay $6 to park is going to help them. The Qwest Center recently surveyed Omaha area residents and 46% of respondents mentioned parking as the biggest problem with the new arena.

On the other hand, Rosenblatt is going to need some serious infrastructure improvents to continue to support the College World Series. It may make sense to start over from scratch rather than try to piecemeal improvements during the offseason. Downtown may prove to be a better location to hold the CWS....fans can walk from hotels to restaurants to the stadium. And vacating Rosenblatt might provide Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo with room to expand this tourist attraction, much like replacing the decaying Civic Auditorium with a new UNO Coliseum near Ak-Sar-Ben would open prime downtown real estate for economic expansion.

In my opinion, the needs of the Omaha Royals are the least important in this project. The needs of the College World-Series and the Henry Doorly Zoo are much more important. If the Royals can benefit without harming the CWS, the Zoo, or the taxpayers of Omaha, that's great.

2009 Football Schedule: Hokies & 3 Sun-Belt Turkeys

Last week, I lamented the 2008 Husker football non-conference schedule that featured 4 home games with Virginia Tech, San Jose State, New Mexico State, and Western Michigan. Today, Steve Pederson proudly announced the 2009 schedule: a return trip to Virginia Tech and home games against Florida Atlantic (featuring head coach Helicopter Howie Schnellenberger), Louisiana-Lafayette (formerly Southwestern Louisiana), and Arkansas State (haven't we dealt enough with this state?).

P.U!


Three home games against the Sun Belt conference? Will we see the refs from the 2005 Alamo Bowl again?

Nevertheless, 'ol Smiley Jones was mighty proud of himself as he e-mailed fans the big news today:

“The additional games we have added complement the Virginia Tech series very well. With the permanent 12-game schedule, we have talked regularly about trying to play eight home games on occasion and we are excited the 2008 season will present us that opportunity.”

Uh, no they don't. If I'm a television network, I'm looking at this schedule and shaking my head in disgust. Virginia Tech-Nebraska will get snapped up by ABC, likely in prime time. But the rest of the games are headed straight to pay-per-view. 6 home games against Schmuckhead State is not attractive to anybody.

Wait, that's not entirely fair. Western Michigan did go to a bowl game last year. And San Jose State isn't exactly dreadful. But the Sun Belt Conference is the worst 1-A conference in football, and last season, #115 Arkansas State, #124 Louisiana Lafayette, and #130 Florida Atlantic were worse in the 2006 Sagarin rankings than many 1-AA teams, such as #109 Maine.

In other words, the 2009 schedule is simply horrible.

Some will justify this schedule by pointing out teams like Ohio State, who play Youngstown State, Akron, Washington, and Kent State in 2007. But other's misbehavior doesn't justify your own misbehavior. The Weasels of Michigoon have Oregon and Notre Dame on their 2007 schedule. Last season, Oklahoma played Washington and Oregon.

Bottom line is that Nebraska should strive to play 2 home and home series each season, one with a matchup that will attract a national television audience and ESPN GameDay, and another against a BCS conference opponent. Steve Pederson has done an excellent job on the first point, with series scheduled against Virginia Tech, UCLA, and Washington. So far, he's generally failed on the second point except with the scheduling of Wake Forest. (Raise your hands if you thought 2 years ago that Wake Forest would win the ACC championship in football when this series was scheduled.)

In fairness to Pederson, he told the Journal-Star he's tried to schedule home-and-homes with BCS schools and hasn't found any takers:

"A lot of teams say their conference schedule is tough enough. That’s what it comes down to most of the time."

Which is a shame...because schedules like 2009 hurt college football. This might have been the only option, but that doesn't make it right. These schedules are nothing to be proud of.

Shatel on Callahan, and Big XII to Omaha?

I'd like to post a link to Tom Shatel's interview with Bill Callahan in Sunday's World-Herald, but the daily Fishwrap has decided not to post Shatel's columns online. But I will post a few quotes that I did like: (For what it's worth, AJ the HuskerH8r didn't like 'em...)

"We need more depth. We have more competition, across the board. I respected what Frank (Solich) did, what Tom (Osborne) did. I have great admiration for what they achieved. But when you have a different system, ev­erybody has a profile for what they want in their system. I’m not critical of that. I’m just trying to go out and find the players who can fit what we do. If we don’t, we try to work around it. That’s coaching."

"The players wouldn’t need you if they were that good. I remember sitting in a draft room, and we were saying this guy can’t do this, he can’t do that. Al Davis turned around and said, “Well why do we need you then? Why did we hire you?”

Q. How comfortable are you as a college coach at Nebraska?
A. On a scale of 1 to 10? Ten. I enjoy it. I have a passion for this. I take that as a great responsibil­ity every day I wake up. Right next to my mirror in the bath­room, I have (a photo) that Big 12 championship trophy looking at me right in the eye.

Q. What does your wife think about that?
A. She’s fine with it. I don’t know if she looks at it or not. But I look at it.
Q. Some people assume you have a burning desire to get back to the NFL. True?
A. I’m trying to stay here. I think that’s a general perception. Just because you come from that league, people automatically as­sume that you want to go back. I get a chuckle out of it as I watch Pete Carroll go through this. I can’t tell you how many times people have him going to the NFL, and there he is, he’s still sit­ting there, in Southern Califor­nia. It’s natural, if you win big.
I’m happy. I hope this is it. I want to be here. I said that from day one, I’d like to finish my ca­reer at Nebraska. I hope we have the good fortune to do that. But in order to do that, you have to pro­duce. It’s a production business, let’s face it.

Overall, it was a pretty good interview. Although I disagree with some of Callahan's answers, he was forthcoming and the interview is a good start towards healing the divisions in Husker Nation.

One answer did disappoint me greatly:

Q. How often do you talk to Coach Osborne? He’s at Creigh­ton now. Would you like to have him here?
A. I wrote him shortly after re­cruiting and corresponded that he is always welcome to come here, to a practice, to come up­stairs and visit. We want the door open to him and the former play­ers. I’ve done a lot to open the avenues to our former players. You know, it’s amazing to me, a guy is on the radio one day (blast­ing Callahan), and the next day he’s touring our facility.

You don't have your secretary write Tom Osborne a letter. You personally call him, and personally ask him to come in and ask him for his input. That doesn't mean that you have to do everything that Tom Osborne thinks you should do, but you should actively seek out his opinion on things and use him as a sounding board.

The former players aren't dumb; they recognize the half-hearted attempt.

More interesting news this week is the chance of the Big XII basketball tournament coming to Omaha in a future year. Likely? Probably not. While Omaha's facilities are probably acceptable, I think there won't be the political capital in the Big XII to bring the tournament to Omaha outside of Lincoln and maybe Ames.

The bad part of this bid is that it might conflict with the UNO Mavericks during the CCHA playoffs, which might force the Mavs on the road if they make the 2nd round. Perhaps there is a way to tweak the schedule to fit the games in around the Big XII tournament; playing in the morning or early afternoon on Saturday at the Civic, Sunday evening at the Civic or Qwest Center, and then a 3rd game on Monday. Probably not good for UNO hockey fans, but getting Big XII basketball would be a great get for Omaha.

Speaking of the Mavs, they are announcing new plans for season tickets for next hockey season, featuring a $99 season ticket for some seats. That's downright cheap, and a great value for families. Props to whomever came up with this plan. I'm excited about the possibilities for next season.

Dispelling a Myth

Many Husker fans spent the weekend with one eye on the TV or computer to see which former Huskers would end up with which NFL teams. This year, four (Adam Carriker-Rams, Brandon Jackson-Packers, Stewart Bradley-Eagles, Jay Moore-49ers) Huskers were chosen, which was second most in the Big XII behind Tejas' 7 draft picks.

Some fans point to the number of draft picks and use it as more evidence towards the recruiting abilities (or, as they prefer to say, lack of recruiting) of Frank Solich. Just for curiousity sake, I went back and looked at the history of Nebraska's draft picks over the past 20 years.

1987-1991 30
1992-1996 31
1997-2002 35
2003-2007 21

Hmmm...looks like quite a drop in recent years. Perhaps there is something too this? So let's look further...

1987-1991 Offense 13, Defense 17
1992-1996 Offense 15, Defense 16
1997-2002 Offense 15, Defense 19, Kickers 1
2003-2007 Offense 4, Defense 15, Kickers 2

First some clarification: it's tough to compare years in the draft. Up until the middle 90's, the NFL drafted many more players than they do today, and judging from the pick numbers of some former Huskers, the 1987-1991 group had 5 guys who wouldn't have been drafted under the current setup. But what is obvious is that the drop-off was only on the offensive side of the ball. The defense continues to crank out NFL prospects at nearly the same rate as the championship teams from the golden era.

I noticed this trend several years ago as the depth in the offensive line began to drop in the late 90's. In 1994 and 1995, we went 2 deep on the offensive line on the way to steamrolling anybody and everybody in college football. But by 1997, the line was much thinner and the starters were the main contributors to the line. This shows in the NFL draft results as the Huskers have only sent 5 offensive linemen to the NFL since the 1997 National Champions. Compare that with 8 linemen being drafted during the 60-3 run, and it's obvious that the dropoff in offensive line production started well before Frank Solich took over.

Expecting the Huskers to maintain the level of the 60-3 three-time trophy winners is simply unrealistic. But even when you take that into consideration, the dropoff on offense was still noticable. Was it recruiting? Was it coaching? Or was it in strength and conditioning?

Likely all of the above. But wherever it was, it seems to have been concentrated on offense.

2008 Football Schedule: Hokies & Three Other Turkeys

Nebraska is close to finalizing the 2008 non-conference football schedule, with 4 home games against San Jose State (September 6th), New Mexico State (September 13th), Virginia Tech (September 20th), and Western Michigan (September 27th - tentative pending a signed contract from the Broncos). Virginia Tech's Hokie Bird mascot is derived from a turkey, and it's hard to argue that the other three games aren't turkeys either.

I understand why Nebraska is scheduling eight home games next season; the money is important. But aside from the game against the Hokies, this schedule isn't particularly attractive. Some will argue that in this day and age of the BCS, one challenging non-conference game is plenty. If that's the case, that points out something seriously wrong with the BCS. Perhaps it's time to put "strength of schedule" back into the BCS formula, as teams should be rewarded for playing games like Nebraska-USC or Ohio State-Texas.

The Big XII is still trying to find another network to pick up prime-time football games this fall, and schedules like this don't encourage TV networks to bid to carry games. ABC will quickly jump on Nebraska-Tech next season, but I don't see any network salivating to carry the other games. It's simply uncompelling football - uncompelling for fans, uncompelling for the networks. But Nebraska fans will buy up all the tickets irregardless of who the opponent is.

What would I do? Simple...throw one of those WAC/MAC teams back, and schedule a home-and-home with somebody in the Pac-10, Big-10/11, or SEC, with an away game in 2008. More interesting for fans, more interesting for TV, and better for college football. The Big XII has enough problems...it doesn't need one of it's marquee names scheduling cupcakes.

TBS Dumps Big XII Football

Quietly, TBS has discontinued their coverage of college football, leaving FSN as the sole rights-holder to Big XII games on cable. Previously, FSN subleased rights to TBS, with one network taking a Pac-10 game and the other getting a Big XII game each week.

Big deal? In terms of the future of the Big XII, yes it is. Accordng to the San Antonio Express-News, Big XII games could end up being on FSN or possibly the NFL Network ... which is potentially bad news in terms of exposure. FSN games frequently are pre-empted in some markets nationwide for local coverage of baseball, basketball, or hockey. The NFL Network is still struggling to be added to cable systems nationwide, usually being relegated to digital cable. The $8.40 they charge cable companies each year doesn't help either.

Other ideas that have been considered were a Saturday Night Football package on the Fox broadcast network, as well as other cable channels, such as Versus. The Fox package sounds intriguing if it could somehow get pulled off; certainly would be more compelling than "America's Most Wanted" or "Cops".

But short of a Fox nationwide broadcast, the cable options are very unappetizing. TBS is one of the most popular cable channels nationwide, and certainly more than any of the alternatives being discussed. What's worse is that the Big XII is committed to the FSN deal for another 5 years. So while the Big XII will get the money, teams won't get the exposure.

A lot of people would like to point towards ESPN as a solution, but ESPN's schedule is already packed with comittments to carry Big 10/11, SEC, ACC, Big East, and now Pac-10 games.

The Big XII conference seems to have the worst TV deal of any of the major conferences. Notre Dame and the SEC have exclusive deals with NBC and CBS that guarentees them national coverage. The other BCS conferences have deals with ABC and ESPN that give them regional coverage on ABC and nationwide coverage on an ESPN network. The Big XII deal only gives them regional coverage on ABC and coverage to "most of the US" on the FSN regional networks.

Will inferior coverage hurt the Big XII in the future? It's a very real possibility, as the ESPN hype machine may not pay as much attention to Big XII games since they don't have the rights to them. That lesser coverage could impact the decisions of not only recruits, but also the commitment of schools such as Colorado and Tejas, as they might find it lucrative to change conferences in the future in search of better TV deals. Remember, the Big XII was formed as the bigger schools in the Southwest Conference (and likewise the old Big 8) were looking for a better platform to market their programs.

Moving Big XII football games off of TBS to inferior, lesser cable networks such as FSN has the effect of marginalizing the conference and their teams.

Big Red Roundtable: Post-Spring Game Reflections

Well, the gang is reassembling after the Spring Game with some thoughts on where things stand after spring practice with Husker football:

Keller or Ganz. Pick one, then give three reasons.
Sam Keller. Why?

• While it was against the scrubs, Keller threw for a higher completion percentage than Ganz.
  
• In the highlights I saw, Keller looked more comfortable in the pocket than Ganz, though Ganz showed better mobility.
• Keller has started 8 division 1 games, including once against USC.
• Keller has only been learning this offense for 6 months; Ganz has been learning it for nearly 3 years. Keller has more room for growth and to increase his comfort level.

The most impressive guy at the Spring Game?
Hmmm. Ndamukong Suh tormented the scrubs all day. Nate Swift made several catches. But my vote goes to Patrick Witt, who completed 5 of 11 passes against the Blackshirts despite the fact that he really should still be in high school. I like this kid's maturity, and it looks he's a player too.

If you were the Athletic Director, what would you do with the proceeds.
Is this really a question? Making some assumptions as to how much money has been raised since he last reported, as well as ticket sales and donations from the new seats, there's probably a balance of $20 million still owed on the North Stadium complex. That's target #1. I've heard that Nebraska paid the NFL Network $15,000 to carry the Spring Game; if that's the case, from what I've heard, it was money well spent as fans love the broadcast, convincing the NFL to rebroadcast it over and over again. My cable company doesn't carry the NFL Network, so I'll have to take their word for it. Bill Callahan in the booth explaining how plays work would have definitely worth the time for any football fan, let alone a Husker fan.

Do 54,000 people show up at Nebraska's Spring Game because there is really nothing else to do in Nebraska or because we're more in love with our Huskers than anyone else is with their team?
Well, that presumption was shot down when Alabama closed the gates after 92,128 showed up for Nick Saban's first spring game. Yes, we love our Huskers...but so do fans in Ohio where 75,301 Buckeye fans showed up. As for "nothing else to do"...I guess it all depends on your perspective.

When you heard Marlon Lucky was injured, your first thought was...
...why the #(&$ was he still in there at that point? If you are trying to acclimate players to playing a full game, you don't let the clock run without stops in the second half of a spring game. If three of your top four running backs are hurting, forcing you to move a safety to I-back, you don't risk your lone healthy back in a scrimmage. If you are trying to decide between two quarterbacks competing for the spring game, you don't evaluate them on how they hand the ball off. In other words, I don't know what the coaching staff was trying to do at that point in the spring game. Thank goodness Lucky's injury wasn't major.

Were you at all concerned by the fairly modest rushing performance overall by the Red team or is that a sign there's some depth on the defensive front seven?
Not really. Lucky did average 5.9 yards a rush, which is a pretty good number. Cody Glenn is nursing his injured foot, and the big question of the spring was the quarterback situation.

Callahan called the receiving corps the strength of the team. Would you tend to agree with that or would you choose another aspect (e.g. linebackers)?
I'd definitely take linebackers. In terms of quantity, the Huskers have been playing a lot of wide receivers, but in the games at the end of the season, they came up MIA. Zac Taylor spent a lot of time looking for them, and ended up taking sacks or throwing the ball away. Menelik Holt and Chris Brooks may add to the depth, but Nebraska needs to raise the performance overall of this group.

I'll definitely take linebacker at this point. Corey McKeon is solid at middle linebacker, and some think that Bo Ruud is the best linebacker in the Big XII. And some Husker fans think that Steve Octavien is the best of the bunch.

So what does the rest of the Roundtable think? This time, CornNation and Jason at Big Red Network were the hosts. MidwestCoastBias will contribute, and watch for contributions from DoubleExtraPoint and new invitees High Plains Drifter, Husker Faithful, and Husker Guy. AJ the HuskerH8er got an invite too; we'll see if he participates.

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.

Offensive Line: Past and Future

Steve Hanaway over at Big Red Network is ecstatic over the four offensive linemen who have verbally committed to the Huskers for 2008. He makes the point that we haven't had enough depth at offensive line in recent years, a trait he ties back to the Solich years but I actually trace back even further. Back in the golden years of 1994 and 1995, we didn't so much have a second string offensive line, but rather a first string and a 1-A string. The starters would plow the road for Lawrence Phillips, Ahman Green, Clinton Childs, and Damon Benning for a while, then line 1-A would come in fresh as the defense started to tire and continue beating them down. Miami couldn't handle the depth, and Florida couldn't either. However, by 1997, that depth was gone and the starters were left to shoulder most of the burden.

Want proof? Look at the NFL draft history of the offensive line over time: 1993: Will Shields; 1994: Lance Lundberg; 1995: Zach Wiegert, Brenden Stai, Rob Zatechka; 1996: Aaron Graham; 1997: Adam Treu, Chris Dishman; 1998: Aaron Taylor; 1999: NONE; 2000: NONE; 2001: Dominic Raiola, Russ Hochstein; 2002: Toniu Fonoti; 2003: NONE; 2004: Josh Sewell; 2005: Richie Incognito; 2006: NONE. Whether it was recruiting, conditioning, coaching, or what, but it's clear that the production of the offensive line started to drop off before Tom Osborne's retirement. (Not that we shouldn't have expected a little drop off from the 60-3 run, but the dropoff on the o-line was a little more than it should have been.)

So, the fact that these top offensive line prospects have committed is going to lead us back to the glory days of the mid nineties? Maybe...maybe not. Or maybe more accurately, probably not. Take the case of former Iowa recruit Blake Larson: Parade All-American, top offensive line prospect coming out of high school.

Played three years for the Hawkeyes. Never started a game, and is now a police officer down in Kansas City. Is he an isolated case? Hardly. Of Rivals Top 100 of 2002, 31 players didn't even finish out their college careers with the school they signed with.

Ok, I've railed before about the fact that these so called recruiting experts are anything but experts. What's the harm? Plenty. A high school coach in Pennsylvania likens it to exploitation of kids. Kirk Ferentz said that it adds "undue and un-normal pressure" on players. Even Houston Nutt admits that "it just seems like it's out of hand. You just have to keep up with the faith that there will be something or some legislation to rein it in."

Some will scoff at the idea that the attention is harmful. You can dismiss the idea of the "fragile psyche" if you want, but with some players, they develop a sense of entitlement. We saw it around here with some members of the class of 2005, such as Leon Jackson and Harrison Beck.

Is it a good deal that Bill Callahan already has 4 verbal commitments from offensive linemen for the 2008 class? Yep; it shows that Callahan and Dennis Wagner are getting their first choices at these positions. But if you're thinking about toasting the 2012 National Championship, better reach for the black coffee instead and sober up first.

Sports Take A Pause for the Virginia Tech Tragedy

Today is a day to keep the folks in Blacksburg, Virginia in your thoughts and prayers after today's tragedy...


(Thanks to Corn Nation, Rocky Top Talk, and SB Nation for the image.)

Reflections on a 38-0 Thrashing

Nope...I didn't bother to spend the $8 or the hour-long drive down to Lincoln to catch today's Spring Game, instead choosing to clean out the garage while listening to the radio. Any second thoughts were long gone when Nate Swift scored to make it 28-love in the first quarter. I swore off the spring game two years ago when it became clear that it was becoming more of a PR/recruiting event than a scrimmage.

Darren of Big Red Network talked about the "Return of Competition" this spring, but today, that competition was pretty much non-existent. Granted, Darren was referring to competition between players who were on the Red squad, not necessarily competition between the top units and the reservers. If anything, the gap seems to be widening. Does this mean the talent level at the top of the roster has improved that much?

Probably the best reason to attend the Spring Game would be to avoid listening to "Husker Information Minister" Jim Rose. Rose kept raving about Xavier Rucker, implying that he's the brother of former Husker Mike and Mizzou tight end Martin. Turns out that he's a freshman from Minnesota, not St. Joseph, Missouri...and almost half the size of the 6'5" 275 lb. Panthers defensive end.

Watching a few highlights this evening, it looks like Sam Keller gets the edge at quarterback if you put any weight on today's performance. Ganz showed some nice mobility, but considering how much time the offensive line gave the quarterbacks today, there really wasn't a need to scramble.

I'm still trying to figure out the logic in playing Marlon Lucky late in the fourth quarter of this game. The Journal-Star reports that it's tentatively diagnosed as a sprain, though an MRI tomorrow will tell us more. Nice to see Cody Glenn running again...

True freshman Patrick Witt is probably the best freshman quarterback of the Bill Callahan era; I liked his maturity as a high school junior, and he put up some decent numbers considering that he was running for his life behind the sieves of the reserve o-line.

We're going to need help on kickoffs this fall with the rule change to kick off from the 30 yard line. According to the official stats, Jake Wesch was able to get a few kickoffs inside the ten, but no touchbacks.

Darren and Jason over at Big Red Network sat through the carnage and reported their initial observations. Of the youngsters, they liked DJ Jones, playing both ways on the offensive line, Witt, Rickey Thenarse, and Chris Brooks.

Shades of Super Demorrio: Octavien at Rush End?

In 2003, one of the more intriguing changes Bo Pelini made was to play linebacker Demorrio Williams at defensive end in passing situations. It started almost as an accident, but it became very potent as Williams was able to blow past tackles on his way to the quarterback. So when the Journal Star reported that Kevin Cosgrove is experimenting with Steve Octavien at rush end in similar situations, it brought a smile to my face. Every so often, Cosgrove shows a little creativity. Just wish we'd see a little more of it.

Cody Glenn is back practicing after missing the final three games of last season due to a foot injury. That doesn't mean that he's healty...in fact, far from it. The fear seems to be that Glenn may never fully recover from his foot problem, which would be a shame. Last year, I felt he was the best back last spring and the #1 or #2 back most of last season. His injury situation makes Marlon Lucky's improvement even more important as we move into 2007.

Tomorrow is supposed to be the dueling golf outings, though both are probably in danger due to the weather forecast. Local weather forecasts are still calling for rain and cold tomorrow, and even some snow overnight, though it may clear out by the time the spring game kicks off. The chill in relations between the athletic department administration and former players doesn't show any signs of clearing as former players arrive in town for the weekend. Tommie Frazier, Vershan Jackson, Correll Buckhalter, and Carlos Polk talked to KXSP-590's Matt Perrault about the growing divide between former Huskers and the administration in an interview available in a podcast. Frazier's criticism is especially stinging, as he mentions how he doesn't feel welcome and doesn't think supporters are being treated well. Frazier brings an interesting perspective as he was hired by Pederson to help raise funds for the Osborne Complex in 2003.

Frazier also has a few words about the fans who criticize the former players, saying that they simply "don't get it." It's easy to dismiss the former players as simply being offended that they are out of the limelight, but that's way too simplistic. Listening to these players, it's becoming increasingly clear that what means the most to these players is the sense of family that was fostered in the program. Correll Buckhalter and Carlos Polk talked about players doing everything together. That sense of family seems to be gone, and now legends like Tom Osborne aren't welcome around this new program.

Critics of the former players need to keep one thing in mind...the criticism is aimed at the administration, not the current players, and not the current coaches. They still are former Huskers, proud of their teammates and their school. It would do this administration well to straighten this mess out once and for all. Some of the players are commenting that there are no reunion plans for the 1997 National Champions. I'm sure that Steve Pederson has something planned, as he did something for the 1994 and 1995 champions. But by that same token, he needs to involve those former players in the plans. Maybe scheduling it during the football season isn't a good idea, since many of them are involved in other football programs, either playing in the NFL or coaching.

This family feud has gone on long enough.