Taylor Martinez Shows Progress to Doubters and Southern Miss

All spring and summer, story after story talked about Taylor Martinez's work with quarterback guru Steve Calhoun. Some people believed it, some didn't.  And some people chose to ignore it. The story line for some people on a national basis:  Taylor Martinez regressed last season (false) and it's probably too late to reclaim his career.  Nebraska will never go anywhere as long as Taylor Martinez is playing quarterback.  Sheesh.  He's not good.  The Huskers need to find someone else.

Well, the haters might want to start hedging their bets.  From my vantage point high above the south end zone, I really couldn't judge all of his mechanics all that well.  Taylor Martinez is no Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, but it's absurd to expect him to suddenly become that kind of quarterback after just a few months of work.  But let's make it clear:  Taylor Martinez is a much improved passer.  How improved?

26 completions in 34 attempts for 354 yards and five touchdowns.  Remember that talk about Martinez's hoping to complete 70% of his passes this season?  Well, he's at 76.5% after one game.  Suddenly that goal doesn't seem quite as crazy as it might have a month earlier.  And two of Martinez's incompletions really should have been wiped out by blown pass interference calls...that would have moved Martinez's completion percentage over 81%.

Martinez wasn't perfect.  His passes were more accurate, and he showed decent touch on several throws. Receivers saved a couple of errant throws, including Kyler Reed's 18 yard touchdown.  And Deron Miller broke on Martinez's pass to Kenny Bell and nearly intercepted it with nobody between him and the end zone. But he was better than he's ever been as a passer.  So much so that he didn't even really try to run the ball today; only six carries, one of which was a sack by future NFL'er Jamie Collins.  Martinez was one-dimensional today, and the folks at ESPN are probably shocked at what they saw.

The receivers get a lot of credit for making catches today; granted, it's easier when the ball is closer to the mark, but they did a great job just the same.  My favorite was Quincy Enunwa's first quarter catch where he drug half of Southern Miss' defense 10 yards down the field.  Boom.  10 different Huskers caught passes.  Jamal Turner had the long passing play on the day with a 36 yard catch and run.  He wasn't a liability away from the ball like he was at  times last season; on Rex Burkhead's long run, he was downfield blocking like the rest of the receivers.

Burkhead's sprained knee is the biggest downer on the game. Ameer Abdullah did fine in relief, but I wouldn't mind seeing a little more of Braylon Heard if Burkhead is going to be out for an extended period.

The defense was a bit of a disappointment. I had hoped to see more from the defensive line. They did a better job after halftime, but they struggled to contain Desmond Johnson and Anthony Alford at times. Truth be told, Southern Miss had a good rushing attack and with 4 returning starters on the offensive line, you need to give the Eagles credit for what they did. I get the feeling the defense tried to be somewhat vanilla today with a new coaching staff that changed offensive coordinators in June.  The secondary wasn't really tested much today, so I'm not sure what to make of them.

Special teams were pretty much a disaster today. Two missed field goals, a shanked kickoff and punt, and giving up a 101 yard touchdown return is something that had better get fixed - and fast.  Hopefully Brett Maher got all his yips out of his system; he was so good last season it's a surprise he struggled like he did.

All told, it was a good opening game.  Defense looks a little shaky, but the offense looks explosive. But it's just one game; remember how good Nebraska looked against Nevada in 2007?  We know what happened after that, and while I don't think a collapse like that is in the cards, it points out the need to not go overboard after just one game.

This first weekend of the college football season was not a good one for the Big Ten. Ohio State's 56-10 win over Miami-Ohio was impressive, but the Redhawks aren't half the team Southern Miss is. Purdue blew out a 1-AA team, and Illinois had a decent win over Western Michigan. Michigan State's inexperience in the passing game showed in their game against a Boise State team that only had two returning starters on defense.  Iowa managed to pull one out against a MAC team in the closing minutes, while Wisconsin nearly choked against 1-AA Northern Iowa.  And Michigan?  Well, we'll learn over time if Alabama is as good they seemed today.

Prelude to the 2012 Husker Football Season

Once again another season of Husker football is upon us. I'll admit it, I'm optimistic about the Huskers this season. I don't buy into the talk of 7-5 or 8-4, and frankly, I don't think the doubters have much of a case for their pessimism, other that "Nebraska lost 3 regular season games and should have lost to Ohio State."

All that is true, but I still go back to, at it's core, I think Nebraska can defeat anybody on their schedule this season. Wisconsin doesn't have Russell Wilson, and the game is in Lincoln.  Michigan still has Denard Robinson, of course, but caught quite a few breaks last season. And almost nobody believes that Northwestern was really better than Nebraska. I'm not predicting 14-0, mind you.  I think they'll lose a couple of games this season and finish the regular season at 11-2, and hopefully go back to the Rose Bowl with a B1G trophy.

Some people say I look at Nebraska with rose-colored glasses; they may have a point. But I also don't look at everything with a negative bias either - even during the Bill Callahan days. Heck, I even sensed a quiet optimism about that horrible 2007 season; boy was I wrong there.

Bo Pelini mentioned playing for championships this morning at the Big Red Breakfast, which reminds me of the 2007 talk about playing for a national championship. Granted Pelini didn't use the "national" context, but what's wrong with talking about playing for championships?  Shouldn't that be the goal?  And the Big Ten championship is something that certainly is in reach for this year's squad.  It's a tough schedule, mind you...but there's nobody on that schedule that the Huskers cannot beat.  (The reverse is also true: outside of Idaho State, there isn't anybody on that schedule that the Huskers cannot lose to.)

I'm not feeling down about Taylor Martinez; he improved dramatically in his game management abilities at the end of last season.  If his ankle is finally recovered and he's improved his fundamentals for his passing, he can seriously be the best quarterback in the conference.  (Martinez's numbers aren't that much behind Denard Robinson.)  I want to see if Jamal Turner is finally ready to show us all of the talent that wowed us in the 2011 spring game. It sounds like he's ready to be a full-time player and not to be a liability without the ball.

Will we see depth evolve on the offensive line?  Will I see the second-teamers able to spell the first-teamers in the second quarter?  Keeping guys fresh up front builds depth and wears down defenses. Will we see Imani Cross at I-back?   Can Ameer Abdullah or Braylon Heard be trusted to give Rex Burkhead a break during games?

Last year's biggest problem was the defense, in my opinion.  I don't think Pelini has forgotte how to coach defense, but something wasn't right last year.  Even without Lavonte David, I think this team could be better on defense if only because I think they'll be better coached.  I'm anxious to see what the Rich Kaczenski and Terry Joseph bring to the table.  Kaczensi has an impressive record of turning out NFL talent at Iowa, and with last year's injury plagued bunch, I'm looking for a major jump in production up front.

In the secondary, it just seemed that Corey Raymond just never clicked with Pelini or the players. Players were out of position too often.  Can Joseph fix that?  I think he's built a better relationship with his players, and I'm excited to see the new guys.  Everyone knows about Mo Seisay, but I'm more curious about the Jacksons.  Harvey caught my eye in last year's spring game, and Charles is an up-and-coming youngster.

Tomorrow it all begins. I'm still on record wishing that the season didn't begin until the week after Labor Day, but that's just me.  I'd love to have one final long weekend before football begins, but if the money says we have to start this weekend, start this weekend we will.

I picked Southern Miss to beat Nebraska, because I wanted to pick a real upset. timesnews.net/article/905106…
— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoAP) August 29, 2012

I'm not buying Ralph Russo's prediction; with Southern Miss starting a quarterback who's never thrown a college pass and a few questions on defense (outside of defensive end Jamie Collins; watch for #8), I'm predicting a 38-9 Nebraska victory.

The Meaningless 2012 Preseason BlogPoll Ballot

I really hate preseason polls; they are meaningless predictions at best...but those preseason predictions become the baseline for future polls. In the past, I've tried to ignore it, but this year, I'm throwing in my meaningless ballot to counteract some of the misguided hype I read elsewhere.  So this is a bold ballot and mostly a crapshoot. But I'll tell you why I've ranked some teams where they are.  Disagree if you want. Better yet, tell me why.  I'll reflect on it and take it into consideration when the polls start for real next week.

Husker Mike's Blasphemy Ballot - Week 1

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Oregon Ducks	1
2	Alabama Crimson Tide	1
3	USC Trojans	2
4	LSU Tigers	-3
5	Oklahoma Sooners	-1
6	South Carolina Gamecocks	1
7	Georgia Bulldogs	-1
8	Florida St. Seminoles	6
9	Wisconsin Badgers	-1
10	West Virginia Mountaineers	2
11	Arkansas Razorbacks	14
12	Michigan Wolverines	-3
13	Nebraska Cornhuskers	4
14	Clemson Tigers	4
15	TCU Horned Frogs	1
16	Oklahoma St. Cowboys	3
17	Stanford Cardinal	-2
18	Kansas St. Wildcats	-8
19	Florida Gators	-6
20	Washington Huskies	--
21	Ohio Bobcats	--
22	Louisville Cardinals	-1
23	Auburn Tigers	--
24	Utah Utes	--
25	North Carolina Tar Heels	--
SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »

On all of these, I stand to be corrected.  Oregon is #1.  Why?  Just a hunch, and only that.  A lot of hype went to USC and I'm not sure Alabama is a lock to repeat.  I'm wishy-washy here, but I'll throw some love towards someone who isn't getting any.  Once the season actually kicks off, this will almost certainly change.

LSU still #4?  Honey Badger don't care...and the Tigers have enough talent to overcome his special teams magic.

Nebraska #13? I think a lot of people are dismissing Nebraska because they seem to disappoint each year.  Yet we see other recent disappointments like Texas and Notre Dame getting votes...and sometimes ranking them higher than Nebraska.  Have a little consistency folks; just what has Texas done to warrant a top 15 preseason ranking?

Ohio #21?  Hey, some call them a BCS darkhorse. They have just as much right to be here as the Bovines.

Who's not here?

Michigan State.

Ahh, Sparty.  The great defense, led by freak William Ghoulston...and defense wins championships.  True.  But you've got to have some offense, and the Spartans don't have one.  Or at least one that's played college football.  Andrew Maxwell hasn't even seen much garbage time at quarterback  Their top returning wide receiver caught four passes last year after switching from cornerback at midseason.  Yeah, Le'Veon Bell and four starters return on the line, but let's be honest.  Calling the Spartans inexperienced on offense is being generous.

Boise State

Kellen Moore and company are long gone.  They might be ranked eventually, especially if they take down Sparty.  But not for now.

Texas

Give me a reason other than "recruiting" and we'll talk.

Ohio State

Probation.  I have to learn to be more consistent about either including them or not.  They're out for now.

Friday Lunchtime Thoughts: Solich & Ohio in the BCS

Sports Illustrated's Holly Anderson says that the Ohio Bobcats are not only her pick to win the MAC, but also could be a candidate to sneak into the BCS this year. That's right...Frank Solich's team is the consensus pick to win the MAC, and if they can knock off Penn State next Saturday, could set themselves up for a run as a BCS buster.

Can you imagine the carnage in some circles (I'm thinking the BRB insiders still cloistered in their parents' basement, holding seances to channel Bill Callahan here...) if Solich gets Ohio to a BCS bowl.  More seriously, does that put additional pressure on Bo Pelini if the Huskers can't get to a BCS bowl this season?

Best answer to that is to remove all doubt and win this year.  Then hopefully we'll see both the Huskers and the Bobcats in BCS bowl games.  (Preferably not the same, unless it's the second game in Miami...)  (H/T to NET/BTN's Kevin Kugler for this one.)

Well, we're four weeks from the apparent kickoff of the Omaha Nighthawks season, and can't you buy tickets yet, we still don't even know where the games will be played.  We know that the Nighthawks have started to hold tryout camps, so something is definitely happening.  But can the Nighthawks actually pull everything together in the time remaining? Five weeks ago, they announced they were playing and now halfway to the season opener, we still don't have any idea where or how to get tickets.

If you were looking for a plan to show the people of Omaha this is going to work out long term, well, this ain't it.

The rumor mill is heating up over at MavPuck that a new arena announcement for Nebraska-Omaha could be forthcoming in the next couple of months.  Many UNO fans are ecstatic with the news; I'm more concerned than enthusiastic at this point.  I've grow increasingly concerned that UNO is building an arena for the wrong reasons:  escape MECA and downsize capacity.  Downsizing capacity means fewer hockey fans paying more to attend games.  That's a huge negative to me.

Maybe UNO has figured out a solution to build an appropriately sized arena (10,000 capacity) without fleecing Maverick fans.  But I'm skeptical because the rumor mill hasn't indicated that the past plans for a too-small arena have been fixed.  The devil is in the details, of course.  I simply don't find news of a UNO arena to be "good" or "positive" until I finally hear that UNO isn't just building whatever they might be able to afford.  When UNO hockey is averaging 8,000 fans a game downtown, who in their right mind thinks a 7,500 seat arena is sufficient?  (Ooh!  Ahhh!  Smaller than the Knights place!)

Sharp & Peter A Morning Upgrade for 1620 AM

It's a little premature to cast a verdict on the KOZN-1620 AM radio's new morning show after two weeks, but so far, it's looking like a huge upgrade for "The Zone".  For starters, I love having local sports talk on the AM drive.  I've never understood why Omaha's sports talk radio stations have gone with the national shows in the morning.  Mike and Mike, I kind of understand, but the revolving sewer of total tripe that Fox Sports flushes across the nation's radio waves makes it difficult to understand why nobody hasn't tried to go after the morning drive.

The new combination of Gary Sharp and Jason Peter have a lot more substance than their predecessors, Matt Schick and Nick Bahe. "Schick and Nick" sometimes seemed to veer towards goofball "Morning Zoo" radio, which some people seemed to enjoy.  After a while, it got tiring though.

The real judge will be in September once football season starts. Neither Sharp nor Jason Peter are known for pulling their punches, so it'll be interesting to hear their takes once the season starts. Peter apparently had a reputation from his Lincoln radio days of being excessively negative, but so far, he's seemed to justify his criticism in his negative comments so far.

Speaking of Lincoln radio, Nick Bahe has found a new radio home in Lincoln on 93.7 FM "The Ticket" on the afternoon drive. (Is there a market for talking Creighton and Kansas basketball in Lincoln? I jest, I jest!) So essentially, Omaha traded Bahe to Lincoln for Jason Peter. I think that's a major upgrade for Omaha personally.

And I would be remiss if I didn't also mention that ESPN formally introduced Matt Schick as the primetime studio host on ESPNU during college football season on Saturday nights. Since I don't get ESPNU, I'll have to take others opinions about Schick's performance on the national stage.

Tuesday Night Beer: Husker Depth Chart

Many Husker fans are treating Tyler Moore's departure from Lincoln as an indictment of assistant head coach Barney Cotton. Of course, almost all of them already had a negative opinion of Cotton.  I understand why; the offensive line has been inconsistent while he's been at Nebraska.  He could blame some of that on his predecessors originally, but now we're in year five.  The statute of limitations on blaming Bill Callahan and his staff has passed.

But when you read Brian Moore's comments to the Lincoln Journal-Star, this situation might actually give Cotton some job security:

"But I will say this, he loves Bo (Pelini) and he loves Coach (Tim) Beck, and we're still in regular contact with Bo and Coach Beck trying to work through this whole thing.”

It doesn't take much to read behind the lines...and that's the rub. Ideally, the Moores and the Nebraska coaching staff can resolve any issues and Moore returns to Lincoln int he spring.  But what if the problem is, in fact, his position coaches?  (Barney Cotton haters need to remember that John Garrison and Brendan Stai also coach the offensive linemen.)  Would Bo Pelini dismiss his assistants because a highly recruited player didn't like him?

Of course not. That would be an incentive for any player who has an issue with his assistant coach to threaten to leave in an attempt to force the coach out of a job.  No player should have that power - especially in college, where recruiting has led many players to have a sense of entitlement.  And thus, Moore's public comments only give Pelini more reason to keep his assistants instead of changing his staff.

That being said, if there are true issues with the assistant coaches, Pelini will need to act.  But pressure from players cannot be a factor in that decision.

In any event, it sounds like Brent Qvale was certainly pushing Tyler Moore, and may have actually passed Moore on the depth chart in the early part of preseason practice.  We'll see if that's a good sign or not next month.  No matter what you think about Cotton, Nebraska's offensive line needs to make a jump forward this fall.

Speaking of the depth chart, it seems that true freshman Tommy Armstrong is pushing Brion Carnes to be the backup this fall.  That's a good news situation, because it's always good to have depth...especially at quarterback when you are asking a quarterback to run the ball a lot.  But what does that say about Carnes, who supposedly turned the corner this spring?  The fact that Armstrong is doing this after just one week of practice is not a good sign for Carnes.  Maybe this is a sign that the distance between Taylor Martinez and Carnes is even greater than we thought.

And if that's the case, that makes last season's call for Martinez to be benched even more absurd.  Somewhere in central Nebraska, there's a city missing it's idiot.  Not that he cares, he's positive he's a smart guy !

Of course, this could all be coach speak to give Armstrong some confidence and push Carnes. We won't really know until we see them both in a game.  And that might not be until Idaho State...and even then, maybe not. Should Armstrong play in some garbage time or redshirt this season. The answer might depend on how healthy the coaches think Martinez will be this season, and how solid the coaches think Johnny Stanton is committed to the Huskers.

Quoting Pelini Out of Context Getting to Be A Pattern for the World-Herald

Dirk Chatelain had some good observations in today's World-Herald about Bo Pelini's recent comments about his players dealing with the hype that surrounds Husker football in Nebraska. He's absolutely right that Nebraska football dealt with even greater scrutiny in 1995, especially with the Lawrence Phillips controversy. He's absolutely right that the scrutiny that top college football teams face today is even greater than that.

And it's the job of Bo Pelini to train his players to deal with that.  Absolutely spot on.

But you know what's funny about all that?  If Bo Pelini were to actually read that comment, he'd probably agree.  In fact, he'd probably say something like "in other news, water is wet and it's effin' hot in Nebraska this summer."

Chatelain was likely referring to this quote from Pelini at Big Ten Media Days in July:

“You tell your players: Don’t read the blogs, don’t do this and that. But they’re human, they hear it, they see it.“I as much worry about it when things are going good as when things are going bad … because they ride the waves.You guys know. Not just the media, but I’m talking with the fan base, or in town. You play good and you’re the ’85 Bears. You lose and the sky is falling. Or you don’t play well and the world’s coming to an end. There’s not a lot of middle ground.”

But he missed this one that his co-worker Sam McKewon provided:

“That is a challenge here. But it's just the way it is. It's not going away. The fans' passion for it, and media, that's a positive. But there are issues with that, too, that relate to our football team and how you keep them focused.” 

Both Chatelain and World-Herald columnist Tom Shatel disregarded Pelini's statement that fan passion is a positive...and wrote the exact opposite.

I never read Chatelain's original blog post from last week; I simply don't read Chatelain anymore. At times, he just writes some of the most ridiculous and absurd things. But I do subscribe to the daily World-Herald, and they recapped it in Sunday's print edition, and stumbled into the headline before realizing it was Chatelain's work.  The headline in the paper was "Fan passion not a disadvantage", which frankly isn't that different from "the fans' passion for it, and media, that's a positive," but Chatelain tried to spin it to be different.

Unfortunately, a lot of people do read the Sunday World-Herald, and now, for the second week in a row, the World-Herald has taken something Pelini said out of context and twisted it 180 degrees from what was actually said.

Was this mistake a coincidence? Is it merely trying to manufacture a controversy?  Or is this sour grapes for Pelini's dressdown of Chatelain after the Ohio State game?  No matter how you look at it, the World-Herald's attempt to double-down on this bogus storyline really makes the daily fishwrap look bad.

And if you come across a Husker fan who only read the World-Herald's version of this report, do what Chatelain and Shatel didn't, and give them the rest of Bo Pelini's comments on the situation.

In 2013, the Cox Classic Moves to Berkshire Weekend?

Tom Shatel reported yesterday that next year's Cox Classic is moving to the spring to avoid the Senior US Open...specifically the first weekend in May.  He talked about how the party would change with it running on the same weekend as the Kentucky Derby.

That's all fine and good...but it won't be the big thing in Omaha that weekend.

The first weekend in May is the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting.  Hotels and restaurants in town are jammed as upwards of 40,000 shareholders come to experience Omaha.  That's probably not a big deal for the golf course, but how would Omaha handle two major events simultaneously?  Sure, Omaha hosted the Olympic Swim Trials and the College World Series simultaneously this year, but that was a combined crowd of 37,000.  Berkshire Weekend is an all-weekend party, much like the Cox Classic...and the Berkies outnumber the combined swim and baseball attendance by themselves.

I don't know what the hotel requirements are for the Cox Classic, but hotel rooms are in short supply during this weekend.  Flights out after the event will also be an issue as the Capitalists will be departing at the same time as the golfers.

Maybe that's the only opening on the tour next season, but other than during the College World Series, I'm not sure you could find a worse weekend to move the golf tournament to.

Omaha Nighthawks Have a Schedule (& Maybe a Coach)

 The UFL announced an eight week season for 2012, with all games televised by CBS Sports Network.  (That's the cable network formerly known as CBS College Sports and CSTV, not the over the air network you see on KMTV-Channel 3.)  Omaha will play home games against Virginia twice, and will travel to Las Vegas twice.  Here's the schedule, with all times central:

Friday Sept. 21: Virginia, 6 p.m.
Friday Sept. 28: at Sacramento, 10 p.m.
Wednesday Oct. 3: at Las Vegas, 8 p.m.
Friday Oct. 12: Virginia, 6 p.m.
Wednesday  Oct. 17: Las Vegas, 8 p.m.
Tuesday Oct. 23: Sacramento, 8 p.m.
Wednesday Oct. 31: at Las Vegas, 8 p.m.
Friday Nov. 9: at Virginia, 8:30 p.m.

With the television contract, it's no surprise that games won't be played on Saturday.  Obviously the game times are set by CBS; I'm sure Virginia fans are excited for a 9:30 pm kickoff locally

We still don't know where the Nighthawks will play for sure, but all signs point towards TD Ameritrade Park downtown. Both MECA and the UFL indicate that's what's being discussed...but it's not finalized yet. Frankly, it would be a major fail for both institutions to not come to an agreement. It's not like the baseball stadium is in use for anything else, and there really isn't another viable option in the area.  Both organizations kind of need the other, so it's likely going to happen.

And without a stadium, you can't sell tickets.  And with the first game 7 weeks away, that's a daunting task. They won't be able to raise prices this season...and probably need to offer season ticketholders a price advantage to buying the full slate.  Why would someone buy season tickets after the fiasco of the previous season?  I'd suggest setting season ticket prices back at 2010 levels, with single game prices higher.  The UFL needs quantity of fans to bring back the mojo of 2010.

Mixed news on the coaching front. It's reported that offensive coordinator Bart Andrus is being promoted to head coach, which shouldn't be a surprise.  Not that the Nighthawks had a great season in 2011, but they frankly don't have the luxury of looking around to find another coach.  Andrus previously was a head coach in the CFL and NFL Europe.  In 2009, Andrus went 3-15 leading the Toronto Argonauts.  From 2001 through 2007, Andrus coached the Amsterdam Admirals, going 34-36 and winning the 2005 World Bowl.  The Admirals lost the 2006 World Bowl.  NFL Europe folded after the 2007.  Andrus also was an assistant with the Tennessee Titans from 1997 through 1999, and then again in 2008.

So we'll have pro football somewhere around Omaha this fall.  But will the fans return?  The excitement of 2010 is long gone, and the stench of 2011 still lingers.  Fans will need a lot of encouragement to put there heart and wallets behind the Nighthawks, and there isn't much time for the UFL to convince fans that this is a long term proposition.

Jayson Megna Leaves UNO for NHL

Sophomore forward Jayson Megna announced on Friday that he's planning to sign with one of three NHL teams and will not play for the UNO Mavericks this upcoming hockey season. That's a blow for UNO as Megna would have been the Mavs second leading returning scorer next season. As a freshman, Megna scored 13 goals and 31 points, earning him a spot on the WCHA all-freshman team.  Among the teams pursuing Megna are Boston, Pittsburgh, and Winnipeg. That's the second high-profile defection from the Mavs this offseason; captain Terry Broadhurst signed with the Chicago Blackhawks in the spring.

Megna told the Omaha World-Herald it'll be tough to leave his brother Jaycob behind in Omaha, but he's been told he has a chance to open the season on an NHL roster. Hard to criticize that decision in that light.

Wisconsin hockey blogger Chuck Schwartz also reports that assistant coach Brian Renfrew is also planning to leave UNO for the NHL.

Another hit for Nebraska-Omaha. Assistant coach Brian Renfrew is leaving the program to become a scout with the Winnipeg Jets.
— Chuck Schwartz (@UWChuckSchwartz) July 28, 2012

All these defections point out the double edged sword UNO hockey has been facing under Dean Blais; highly talented people are coming to the program, but they don't always remain. The paranoid in me wonders if something is up behind the scenes in the program.  None of these moves by themselves really look out of line by themselves, but it's more the sum of all of the parts. It's irrational speculation, mind you...but it still makes you wonder.

Dean Blais' comments to the World-Herald are a little more concerning; suggesting that the Mavs could "still be respectable" this season. I think UNO fans are hoping for something more than "respectable", though in Blais' perspective, "respectable" might still be better than anything UNO has seen before.

Sunday Night Dessert: Nighthawks Say They'll Play...But Where? Plus Penn State: Pinkel & Hockey

The Omaha World-Herald confirmed that the Nighthawks plan to play this fall, but the story is light on details.  An unidentified source tells the paper that an announcement will be made in the next few days as to "the schedule, where they'll play, and who'll be on the staff."  Well, that says a lot.  We know Sacramento will be in the league, but that's about it.  With Joe Moglia now at 1-AA Coastal Carolina, we know there will be a new head coach.  But "where they'll play"?  Is that a question?

Apparently it is. We can't assume that they'll play at TD Ameritrade Park apparently. Reasons why not range from it's too big (wasn't a problem in 2010), MECA charges too much (compared to what?), and Ameritrade is set up as a baseball facility.  Fair enough.  But where else would the Nighthawks play?  My best guess is that it would be a high school stadium; probably Millard's Buell Stadium or Omaha Burke.  Burke handles crowds of 10,000+ for the state track meet, so it might be the best alternative.  UNO is currently converting Al Caniglia Field to a soccer layout, so that's no longer an option. I've even heard that the Trailer Park might be an option?  A quick scan with Google maps indicate that a football field might physically fit in at BFE, though it probably would be tight.  (Think what happened when Northwestern and Illinois played at Wrigley Field in 2010.)  A bigger problem at BFE might be the capacity; I'd think the UFL needs more than 6500 seats to be viable.

A friend suggested that perhaps a temporary stadium could be set up, like at tennis and golf matches.  An interesting idea...and the best location might be the Nighthawk's training facility at South Omaha's Kroc Center.  It has a full football field with artificial turf. Add seating, porta-potties, and concession stands, and you've got a stadium.  And with their own facility, the Nighthawks could keep the concession revenue.  Of course, one hangup would be alcohol sales.  I wouldn't expect the Salvation Army to allow beer sales.  Same problem at high school fields as well.

But if the Nighthawks don't play downtown, it just adds to the perception that the UFL is barely scraping by and hasn't really resolved their core issues.

In other quick takes:

The NCAA will announce sanctions against Penn State tomorrow morning.  I'm torn on this.  I don't think this is an NCAA issue; I think it's a criminal issue that needs to be resolved there first. And the administrators at Penn State need to be held accountable in criminal court.  But the outcry is so high for the Big Ten or NCAA to do something, they are acting.  We'll find out just what tomorrow morning.

It'll be interesting how severely Penn State will be penalized.  One question I have is whether Penn State will still be able to start their hockey program.  Would the NCAA prevent them from starting another sport with an athletic department having such problems?  With the "unprecedented" sanctions, can Penn State still afford to start a hockey program?  The implications of that go beyond Penn State.  Without Penn State, the Big Ten only has five hockey programs - not enough for an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.  Would this send the Big Ten teams scurrying back to the WCHA and reopen the entire college hockey realignment debate?

AJ the former Huskerh8er is back with an SEC blog. Today, he took on the Penn State situation and calls for the death penalty for Penn State.  Fine.  But he really gives Gary Pinkel a pass for his oblivious statements defending Joe Paterno last week.  Remember when AJ was in his prime and it was Tom Osborne, Bill Callahan, or Bo Pelini jamming his foot all the way into his colon via his pie-hole?  You think he'd say something like "apologize and move on"?

Yeah...right. Maybe it's just rust, rather than pulling his punches when it's his own coach that opened up the 55 gallon barrel of worms.  Where's the outrage?  Where's the venom?  Where's the hate?

Sacaremento Owner Says The UFL Is Back This Fall; Does that Mean the Omaha Nighthawks as well?

Sacramento Mountain Lions owner Paul Pelosi told Fox40 that the UFL team will play this fall.  They'll move to Raley Field, a 14,000 seat baseball stadium that's the home of the PCL's Sacramento River Cats.  KOZN's Mike'l Severe tweets this morning that a league announcement could come as soon as tomorrow.

Severe implies that Omaha will still be part of the league, and that rumor is also posted on the UFL's Facebook page by a fan.  Mind you, the UFL hasn't updated Facebook in months, and their web site hasn't been updated since last year.

That raises the question:  Can the UFL rebuild teams, find sponsors, and sell tickets to play this season?  My take is that it's too late to make this work this fall; it's going to be a slapped-together effort that doesn't inspire confidence in the long term viability of the league. The league already suffers from the perception that it's a joke, and a last-minute announcement only reinforces that.  Frankly, I think the league could do more damage to itself with this plan, but I could be proven wrong.  (It's happened before.)

But, hey, that's probably what Gary Sharp is going to be the announcer for. Let's hope that it works out better than 2011.  Hope for the best...but fear for the worst.

1620 Loses Schick, But Gains Sharp and Bishop

Yesterday, KOZN-1620 AM announced that Matt Schick won't be replacing Kevin Kugler after all.  The former channel 7 sportscaster is instead leaving "The Zone" to join ESPNU.  Instead, John Bishop from KLIN-1400 AM is moving to Omaha to become the co-host of "Unsportsmanlike Conduct".  (NRG Media owns both KOZN and KLIN.)  In addition, 1620 also announced that Gary Sharp is returning to Nebraska and will co-host a morning show with "Double Nickel" Jason Peter.

I'm personally excited by the return of Gary Sharp, who left Nebraska in 2004 after being removed from the Pinnacle Sports Network broadcasts during Steve Pederson's Reign of Error.  I thought he was the best host they've had on their "Sports Nightly"/"Sports Day Mid-America" broadcasts, and it's great to have him back in Nebraska.  Even better is that the show will start at 7 am...during the morning drive into work. My kids may not appreciate sports talk in the morning during the drive, but I will.

Bishop should be an adequate replacement for Kugler in the afternoon.  Bishop has improved dramatically since a painful first season as the postgame host on the Pinnacle broadcasts in 1996.  He was very good on Sports Nightly and the "Big Red Reaction" show as well as with baseball broadcasts for both Nebraska and Creighton.

According to the Lincoln Journal-Star, Sharp will also do play-by-play and color commentary on game broadcasts, which makes me wonder what else is up at 1180 and 1620 AM as far as additional broadcasts. While rumors periodically appear about the Nighthawks still returning this season, that's now about as likely as winning the Powerball jackpot.  And if I had my preference, I'd take the Powerball jackpot.  But what could 1620 broadcast?  UNO basketball would seem to be the most likely target as they begin their first season of Summit League play.  Sharp also has a background covering Lincoln Stars hockey, and he would be a huge upgrade over Greg Ahlers on UNO hockey broadcasts.  Problem is that I kind of like the game broadcasts on 96.1 FM, and I don't see UNO replacing their sports information director from their broadcasts.  An even bigger problem with UNO hockey broadcasts moving to 1620 would be Terry Leahy, the long-time color commentator recently laid off by 1620.

I'm curious what Schick's role at ESPNU would be.  My instinct would be as a studio host or sideline reporter, but you never know.

Of Cubs & Politics: Wrigleyville to NoDo?

The Future Home of the Cubs?
That's absurd.

One of the most ridiculous ideas I've heard in a while is the notion of the Chicago Cubs threatening to move to Omaha because Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel won't talk to the Ricketts family about improvements to Wrigley Field. Could TD Ameritrade Park be expanded to handle a major league baseball franchise?  Possibly.  But could the Omaha market support a major league baseball franchise?  Very doubtful.  And would Major League Baseball let a franchise that consistently draws over 3 million fans a season move from the third largest market in the country to Omaha?

Bahahahaha.

The Oakland A's moving to Omaha is a borderline crazy idea. The Chicago Cubs moving to Omaha is batshit crazy.

That's not happening, no matter how ridiculous things get in Chicago.  The situation is absurd on both sides of the aisle.  Mayor Emanuel is incensed at former TD Ameritrade chairman Joe Ricketts over a plan by Ricketts political action committee to fund millions of dollars in ads against President Obama.  The Ricketts family owns the Chicago Cubs, and wants the city of Chicago and state of Illinois to subsidize millions of dollars in upgrades to Wrigley Field, the second oldest ballpark in major league baseball.  Ever since the plans of the Ricketts plan were revealed, Emanuel won't talk to the Ricketts, even though every member of the Ricketts family have since disowned the plan.

Is Emanuel being thin-skinned?  Yep.  It sure gives credence to conservatives who claim that Democrats aren't really interested in talking to conservatives, only brow-beating them.  Fair enough.

But the hypocrisy of the Ricketts family is even worse.  The name of the Ricketts PAC is the "Ending Spending Action Fund" and their stated position is that "government spending is out of control."

The same Ricketts family is simultaneously asking the city of Chicago for $150 million in tax money to refurbish the baseball stadium they bought three years ago.  (They also want $150 million more from the state of Illinois.)  Let me get this straight:  they dislike the President because he apparently spends too much money, yet they want the government to subsidize the remodeling of their privately owned baseball stadium?

Oh the irony.  Oh the hypocrisy.  The Ricketts have plenty of money to play political games, but not for their own baseball stadium.  Or players to prevent the Cubs from losing over a hundred games this season for that matter.  (David Glass must be so proud of them!)

Government subsidies for professional sports has always bothered me; witness my objections to the Sarpy County boondoggle that I call the "Trailer Park."  Everybody who's been out to BFE raves about the new ballpark on the fringe of the Omaha area, but that was not my point. My point was always that it was a bad investment for government, especially since Sarpy County never admitted how they'll pay for the stadium.  Still hasn't.  And won't unless someone forces them to.

So the idea of government paying for most of a Wrigley renovation rubs me wrong at the start.  Add in the hypocrisy of a "cut government spending" guy demanding government funds for their baseball team, and it's an easy proposition to lambast.

Should Emanuel talk to the Ricketts?  Absolutely.  Should the city of Chicago subsidize Wrigley Field?  Well, that's a decision for Chicago to make.  I'm not familiar enough with Chicago and it's needs, but chances are, there are more important things for the city of Chicago to spend money on than Wrigley Field right now.

But the Ricketts family probably should walk their talk.  Put your money into your ballclub, or put the ballclub up for sale if you've changed your mind.  Or if you based your purchase on the wild idea that the government would bail you out after you made the purchase. 

Farewell to Kevin Kugler

Omaha sports radio suffers a loss today as Kevin Kugler departs his regular show on KOZN-1620 AM. He'll still show up from time to time with interviews (and probably a fill-in appearance here and there), but he won't be on daily. After surviving Steve Pederson's attempt to run him off the air, Kugler's career skyrocketed as he went national. Now he's going to do even more broadcasting nationally, which is great for him.  He'll be missed locally though.

Replacing him on "Unsportsmanlike Conduct" is Matt Schick. Not quite sure how I feel about this replacement.  Schick is an engaging, humoring radio host, though I'm not sure about giving Schick a bigger role. He had an axe to grind against Bo Pelini (presumably for having the audacity to be outraged at Dirk Chatelain over his muddled "Bench Martinez because Brion Carnes isn't ready" article), and let that take over.  He's quick to take offense at Pelini, yet gave Creighton's Greg McDermott a free pass for much worse.

I haven't listened to Schick and his current co-host Nick Bahe much in recent months. Bahe is leaving radio, apparently to work for Creighton.  The morning show on KOZN will now be hosted by former Husker defensive lineman Jason Peter and a new co-host to be named later.  Peter isn't afraid to ruffle feathers, so it could be interesting radio.  I say "could" because I don't know how that translates to radio, as I could never pick up Peter's old Lincoln radio show in Omaha.

Who would be the co-host?  Unknown at this time.  Some scuttlebutt indicates it might be Jack Mitchell from KLIN-1400 AM.  I personally thought it might be David Gustafson (currently working for a Columbus radio station) initially.  Some people have suggested that Gary Sharp would be a nice name to bring back to the local airwaves.  Sharp formerly worked for Pinnacle in the early 2000's as a sideline reporter, talk-show host, and baseball announcer on Husker broadcasts before being dismissed.  He's now working for the Fort Myers Miracle baseball team. 

I also thought of Kent Pavelka as a potential candidate as well.  Not sure how being a Husker basketball broadcaster would work on a station that doesn't have the rights to the games, especially considering that that restriction carries over to interviews with the coaches.  Personally, if I was trying to increase interest in Nebraska basketball, I'd not only encourage KOZN to hire Pavelka, but find a way to get Tim Miles onto the other Omaha radio stations on a regular basis.  That runs counter to the exclusive arrangement that the "Husker Sports Network" has with the University, but that arrangement may be penny-wise but dollar-foolish with respect to basketball.

Omaha's Biggest Sports Day Ever?

Tonight, Omaha will be hosting two nationally televised sports competitions simultaneously.  At TD Ameritrade Park, it'll be game two of the College World Series Championships and across the street at the CenturyLink Center, it will be day one of the Olympic Swim Trials.  ESPN will be televising the baseball game while NBC will be televising the swim trials.  Has there been a bigger day for Omaha sports?  It would be hard to pick a bigger day.

Sure Omaha has hosted NBA games, but that was when the NBA was a fledgling league.  Omaha has hosted some boxing matches, to be sure...but I don't know that even Ron Stander's heaveyweiht bout with Joe Frazier merits the same comparison.  A horse race?  Doubtful.  Some NCAA tournament games (such as the OJ Mayo/Michael Beasley game from 2008) might be close, but that was just one event.

One could argue that neither event will grab the nation's attention.  I'll agree.  Lincoln has had bigger days just by the fact that Husker football is more attention-worthy than anything that has ever happened in Omaha.  But this isn't about that...this is about a big day for Omaha and having two events nationally televised.  35,000 or more people will be flooding downtown; that's a great thing.

Will it go flawlessly?  Nope.  You can't build all of the infrastructure to make a day like this completely seamless.  Not when this is probably a one-time coincidence of scheduling.  Parking is going to be expensive and not as convenient.  But that doesn't make this a bad thing; it makes this a great thing that Omaha can support two events like this at the same time.

At least we hope so.  Will crowds show up to both events?  Or will people bitch about the conflicts just to bitch about it?  I'm sure some idiots will suggest that it would be better if the College World Series was back at Rosenblatt.  (Oh really?  THAT was a parking clusterf*!)  Or that Omaha should have insisted that the schedules not overlap.  (They tried, and this was the best that could be done.)

What was the alternative?  Saying "no" to one of those events?  That would be a huge mistake.  So let's enjoy what we've got tonight.  A lot of cities would kill for just one of these events.

Omaha got 'em both.

Rosenblatt's Death Bed

Last week, the Omaha Zoo gave in to the people who wanted one last look at Rosenblatt Stadium before it's demolished.  Last year, so many people tried to sneak in during the College World Series that they decided that it was easier to open the gates one last time than try to secure the place.  So they came by the thousands to take one last look, and to take the field.

Except it wasn't really Rosenblatt Stadium anymore.  Oh sure, it was at 13th & Bert Murphy Drive.  The signs on the back of the old scoreboard and Stadium Club still said "Rosenblatt".  But it wasn't really Rosenblatt.

This was like going to visit grandma in the hospital on her death bed.  She's shriveled up in the indignity of a gown that exposes everything that doesn't need to be seen. What you loved about the place had long disappeared.  Almost all of the seats have been removed, and the field bore no resemblance to what your memories thought it should look like.  The only green in the outfield was weeds; the grass was long since dead.  The turf that was designed to withstand downpours to remain playable also meant that the field needed continuous drinks...and that's something that a closed ballpark doesn't need.  Even if you brought in truckloads of new sod, that wouldn't fix the field as a tractor show last year left the field rutted.

You saw all the different mismatches of the various expansions of the stadium, now that the seating and wrapping had been removed.  ESPN's Mitch Sherman said that the final viewing of Rosenblatt was wrong, and he's absolutely right.  There really wasn't a point to doing it, other than to say you stood on the field.  Except it wasn't that field anymore.  Someone dug up some of the sod the Omaha Nighthawks laid down on the infield to rough in some basepaths...and even tried to build something that kind of resembled a pitching mound.  Then they hung up a "Storm Chasers" flag in the outfield for some reason.

The effect was like makeup on Tammy Faye Baker.  A garish insult on the memories.  This was not how one should remember Rosenblatt.  Remember that final College World Series game.  Remember the final Omaha Royals game.  Remember those Nighthawks football games when it looked like minor league football would work in Omaha.  Happy memories.  Not this.

Or wait until next year when the new Infield at the Zoo opens up.  It'll be Little League sized, which will be perfect for families to create all sorts of new pleasant memories.  The grass will be bright green, and the enough of Rosenblatt will be retained to spark those memories.  Is it the same exact thing?  No...but don't forget, the field that South Carolina won a CWS title on two years ago isn't the same field that Roger Clemens played on.  Renovations in the early 1990's moved home plate 12 feet out so that additional seating could be added.

But don't remember Rosenblatt for what it was as they tore it down.

Is the NBA Real?

I admit it; I don't follow the NBA anymore.  About 20 years ago, I checked out on the league.  Not the sport; I still watch college basketball.  But the professional version jumped the shark back in the 90's, going from athletic competition to entertainment.  Almost WWE like, though not quite as over the top.  (Well, Shaquille O'Neill's introduction in the 2009 All-Star Game was straight out of the WWE's script.)

We've even heard allegations that the league is fixed.  But this year, the insinuation seems to be growing even stronger. It seems that I see and hear more and more buzz that the league is fixed lately.  The latest allegations revolve around the league's draft lottery, and today, it melted down on the Jim Rome radio show.

Can it be proven?  Hardly.  But it seems these suspicions are becoming harder and harder to dimiss as they become more and more prevalent.  Which raises my question for NBA fans:  would you be satisified if the NBA morphed to a WWE format, where it's more of an entertainment activity than a competition?  Or should the NBA take all of these suspicions and accusations as a serious threat to the viability of the league?  Or is it much-to-do-about-nothing?

Former UNO Maverick Scott Parse Hoists Lord Stanley's Cup

Scott Parse missed most of the season after undergoing hip surgery in November.  He only played in nine games this season for the Los Angeles Kings.  But he was part of the team, and so got to take part in the greatest trophy presentation and celebration in sports today last night.  The Kings defeated the New Jersey Devils 6-1 on Monday night to win the Stanley Cup Final four games to two.  And Parse got to put on his uniform and hoist Lord Stanley's Cup.

Why yes, that IS former UNO hockey forward Scott Parse hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup! #gomavs

Posted by University of Nebraska at Omaha on Monday, June 11, 2012

No word as to whether Parse will get his name on the Cup, as he only played nine games this year.  But he is the first UNO player to play on a Stanley Cup winning team.

And while many fans feel that winning the Super Bowl or a World Series title is more noteworthy, there's no denying that the awarding of the Stanley Cup is the greatest ceremony. It's certainly more reverential, and there is no greater joy for a hockey player than to be able to hoist it over your head on the ice. The alcohol will almost certainly follow later, but on the ice, it's simply a profound expression of joy.

Congratulations to Scott...and if he gets a chance to have a day with the Cup, here's a selfish wish that he considers spending it in Omaha.

Omaha, A Major League City?

Tom Shatel of the Omaha World-Herald observed Oklahoma City preparing to host the NBA Finals and wondered on Sunday whether Omaha could be a major league city.  At first glance, it's easy to wonder what if.  Green Bay has the Packers, and Oklahoma City now has the Thunder.  Why not Omaha?

It's nice to dream, but I firmly believe that the circumstances that brought major league sports to Green Bay and Oklahoma City are the exception, rather than the rule.  Certainly Green Bay couldn't get a franchise today...not when Los Angeles doesn't have an NFL franchise. And if it weren't for Hurricane Katrina, would the Thunder even exist today?  Would they still be in Seattle?  Or in another market?

The Thunder came to Oklahoma City thanks to billionaire Clay Bennett funding the tab:  $350 million in 2006 to buy the Seattle franchise, $45 million in 2008 to move the franchise immediately, and unless Seattle gets a new NBA franchise by next year, another $30 million.  Sure, Warren Buffett and Walter Scott certainly have the resources to buy a franchise, but would they have the interest?  I just don't see it.

Could the Omaha market support a pro sports team?  Maybe, though I'm skeptical.  NBA?  Well, Creighton has proven you can draw 16,000 to watch mid-major college basketball...so that's a possibility.  But are Omahans prepared to pay $2400 a seat for a season ticket?  I don't see it, frankly.  But I could be proven wrong.

The NHL might come at a lower ticket price, but while Omaha has shown themselves to be a good hockey town, it's not a great hockey town.  UNO hockey hasn't yet been able to tap the general sports fan for the most part so far.

The NFL?  We love football in Omaha, but not only would the tickets be very expensive, someone would have to fund a billion dollar stadium.  I just don't see it.

Major League Baseball?  Again, someone would have to pay to expand TD Ameritrade Park to Major League size...and any prospective owner would have to be willing to spend money on salaries, unlike the Wal-mart franchise 180 miles to the south.

It's fun to dream...but that's all the talk of a professional sports franchise in Omaha is.  A dream.  Maybe there's a niche to allow a lesser pro franchise to relocate here (Major League Soccer, Arena Football), but none of the major four sports franchises.

Steve Johnson Hire at UNO Implies Blais Longevity

UNO hired St. Cloud State assistant coach Steve Johnson to replace Mike Hastings on Tuesday. Johnson brings a resume similar to Hastings' to UNO.  He's the fourth winningest coach in USHL history (Hastings is the winningest), and Johnson has two years experience as a college assistant. Hastings only had one season at Minnesota before returning to Omaha to join the Mavs staff.

Johnson has a history with Dean Blais; Blais was a North Dakota assistant during Johnson's playing career, and later was a graduate assistant during Blais' first season as head coach of the Sioux. And Johnson replaced Blais as head coach of the Fargo Force when Blais took the UNO job.  So it makes sense that Blais hired Johnson.

What doesn't make sense is that this hire took seven weeks to make. I still believe that some of that delay can be attributed to Penticton's Fred Harbinson.  Penticton's season stretched into mid-May with the Vees run to the Canadian national championship.  But even that was three weeks ago.  So I tend to believe that Johnson wasn't Blais' first choice. That doesn't make him a bad choice to be a UNO assistant coach.

What excited me about the hire isn't Johnson's background.  He's got a nice record with Lincoln, and I'm sure he'll do fine.  He might even shore up the Mavs power play, which was dismal last season.  What excites me is his job title.

Assistant Coach.

Not "Associate Head Coach"...and certainly not "Heir Apparent."  That's great news in my mind.  I never understood the infatuation by some Mike Hastings' supporters that he was "associate head coach" and the "heir apparent."  Qualified to be the lead UNO assistant coach?  Yes.  Qualified to be associate head coach?  Probably, if Dean Blais felt so.

The "head coach in waiting"?  Nope. Not with only one year of experience as a college assistant, when this first came up.  And more importantly, I wanted to concentrate on where Dean Blais was going to take this program...not on who was going to take over for him.  The rumors about Blais' retiring kept springing up in recent years, and I think that's somewhat unsettling to the program.

Now Hastings is in Mankato, and there is no designate.  Some rumors had Blais retiring in two years and handing the reigns to Johnson.  Well, Blais is holding out a new title for Johnson in a couple of years...but it's not head coach.  As Blais told the World-Herald:

“That (associate head coach) could be out there in a couple of years, depending on our success."

Music to my ears.  We can now stop worrying about how long Blais is going to coach.  Blais isn't worried about a successor right now; he's concerned about winning hockey games.  And that's something I expect to start happening a lot, starting this season.  Blais' first real recruiting class will be juniors this season; I expect they'll be ready to bounce back this season and contend this year.  I think Blais wants to see this thing through as well.  Yeah, he could get run over by a Zamboni or fall out of a bass boat this summer...but I think Blais is sending a message that he's not in the retiring mode yet.

And that's the best news of all with this hire.

Good Lord Does Google Chrome Suck

A few weeks ago, I switched over to Google Chrome on an older laptop. It seemed to run a little better on an older laptop of mine, and everything seemed to work right, so I thought all was fine in the world.

Then I went back and read some old posts here on the blog...and realized that when I used Chrome to copy a quote from another article, it copied everything from the other site...including the background of the web site.

And typically, those backgrounds are white.  My Blogger template (powered by Google, I might add) has a black background.  So what do we get?  White text on a white background.

In other words, illegible.  It was coming through just fine through some of my news readers, which ignored the formatting.  But not on the site.  I'll fix the errors, and I apologize for the inconvenience.

Boy, does Google Chrome suck.  Not as bad as Internet Explorer, mind you.

Monday Lunch: Big XII Points Blame towards Mizzou

An interesting aside from Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman about college realignment:

When all the turmoil over realignment the previous two years was brought up, one Big 12 school official piped up, "Well, Missouri was the first to throw their panties on the field." 

Certainly Missouri started it when Governor Jay Nixon practically seceded from the Big XII in 2009, but let's make something clear.  Big XII instability started - and ended - in Austin. Not Columbia.  Not Jefferson City. Not Lincoln.  Not College Station.  And absolutely not Boulder.  (That idea is just plain ridiculous.)  When Texas started flirting with the Big Ten, it drew Nebraska's concern.  When Texas started flirting with the Pac-10, it was every school for themselves. And when Texas started pushing their way with the Longhorn Network, it sent Texas A&M off to the SEC and created an opening for Missouri to escape as well.

So while it might be good to point the blame at the outgoing schools, the remaining Big XII schools are well suited to worry about the danger that still remains. Glad to see revisionist thinking continues in the Big XII.  Last year, it was "blame Nebraska"...this year, it's "blame Missouri."  (And where the panty fetish came from, I don't want to know.)

Maybe Bob Bowlsby can get the Big XII to public admit what the rest of the world knows:  Blame Austin for the Big XII's problems.

I was watching the Cubs/Giants game on Friday night as Melky Cabrera was pounding the Cubs, and I had to wonder just what the Royals got in exchange for the National League's leading hitter. So I looked it up...and they got squat. The Royals got what they could get:  a broken down left-handed pitcher (who was in rehab in Sarpy County) and a minor leaguer.  And the Giants get an MVP candidate.  Why did the Royals make the trade, and why do baseball minds still think it was the right trade for the Royals?  It comes down to money.  When Cabrera's contract expires, he'll be up for a big contract ... and the Royals aren't going to play that game.

So while the Royals may have lots of up-and-coming players that give Kansas City fans reasons for optimism, let's not forget that, in the end, nothing has changed in Kansas City.  Those players, if they prove to be as talented as people think they are, will spend the best years of there careers elsewhere.  The Wal-Mart philosophy continues unchanged.  Don't get your hopes up...you know where this story ends, Royals fans, until someone else buys the team.

(And yes, before anyone mentions it, the Cubs are putrid this season.  It's clear that Theo Epstein was more focused last winter on building his organization than trying to salvage the 2012 season for Chicago.)

Nice to see another sports radio station in town on KOIL-1180 AM.  In recent weeks, I had started to wonder why KOZN-1620 AM chose Fox Sports Radio instead of Rivals/Yahoo Radio as their affiliation.  I guess it was to get Jim Rome...but that's an awfully high price to pay. Especially since Jim Rome has been running his tired schtick pretty much unchanged since the last century. So now Omaha gets both.  That's a win-win.  Though I guess a handful of right-wing politicos will miss Neal Boortz, Dennis Miller, or Bill Bennett.

The rumor mill is warming up to suggest that St. Cloud State assistant coach Steve Johnson will be named as an assistant coach for UNO hockey as soon as today.  We'll see.  This rumor comes with the same "head-coach-in-waiting" designation that Mike Hastings had.  We'll see about that.  I still maintain that when it comes time for Dean Blais to retire, that's a decision that should be made at that time.  Johnson (or Hastings) for that matter might be candidates, but in no way should that decision be made now.  These "head coach in waiting" designations don't seem to work out well anyway.  Remember Will Muschamp at Texas?  Well, he's now at Florida.

So some will speculate on that; I'll ignore it.  Yeah, yeah, sure sure.  Go away, please.

Tuesday Lunch Notes: Martinez Didn't Improve in 2011?

When I read the Bleacher Report entry on the "Taylor Martinez Experience", I was reminded of Mark Twain's famous quote: "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."  Adam Kramer of Kegs'n'Eggs fame reminds us that Martinez's completion percentage actually went down in 2011.  Statistically, he's correct. But Kramer comes off as a writer who watched some highlight videos and looked at those statistics to draw his conclusions.  Watching Martinez last season, I think Martinez definitely improved.  His running numbers were down, yes.  Mostly because he was asked to avoid contact.  If you look at his  passing statistics from the Ohio State going forward, you definitely saw improvement.  Completion rates of 73%, 59%, 54%, 76%, 50%, 39%, 55%, and 63%.  Better for the most part.  Oh, and only two interceptions.

Is Martinez's throwing motion ugly?  Yep... Some call them "armpunts", which probably isn't a bad depiction. But for as ugly as Martinez's throwing motion is, the uglier part was when the ball arrived at it's destination.  And usually that wasn't Martinez's fault.  Usually the ball was there; it was the receivers who had the dropsies.  Save for one Kenny Bell, who looks to have a very promising football career ahead of him.  And I still hold out hope that Steve Calhoun is still working on fundamentals with Martinez.  We didn't have a spring game to evaluate Martinez, but reports were out that he had improved.

Bottom line is that until September, writers can only go off of what they've previously seen.  And if all you've seen are blooper reels, ugly still photos, and replays of the Wisconsin game, that's going to frame your opinion on Taylor Martinez.  But I would suggest only writing those opinions in pencil.

Mike'l Severe of KOZN-1620 AM radio tweeted on Friday that the Nighthawks may be back after all:

So we are close to finding out all the details about a 4th UFL season. Are you looking forward to the Omaha Nighthawks returning this fall?

We'll see about that.  Severe has been involved with the Nighthawks all along, so he certainly knows more what's going on behind the scenes than I do.  But I still think it's going to be tough to resurrect the Nighthawks at this point.  Not impossible.  But difficult to do and not a lot of time to do it in.

We're still waiting on UNO to name a new assistant hockey coach to replace Mike Hastings, who left in mid-April to become the head coach at Mankato State.  (OK, ok...Minnesota State.)  Dean Blais said shortly afterwards he wasn't in a hurry, and six weeks later, we're still waiting.  The rumor mill had fixated on St. Cloud State assistant coach Steve Johnson (formerly of USHL teams in Fargo and Lincoln), but that was two weeks ago.  For what it's worth, Fred Harbinson's Penticton Vees team claimed Canada's national championship a couple of weeks ago.  I originally attributed the long search to waiting for Harbinson's season to end, but even that has now passed.

No News Has to be Bad News for the Omaha Nighthawks

In early April, UFL founder Bill Hambrecht told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the UFL planned to return as a five team league, and that we'd hear an official announcement around May 1st.

Well, it's almost Memorial Day, and still nothing.  No word on a television contract.  No word on a season.  No word on who the coach and the general manager would be.  Frankly, it's now approaching the point where you have to say that even if the UFL gets their act together, there's simply not enough time to put a franchise back together again to play this fall.  I don't know what a "drop-dead" date would be, but if we're not past that point, we're getting awfully close.

The idea behind the league was noble, and I think it could have worked...at least in Omaha.  But they've bumbled and stumbled around the last year and a half, and most fans have already written them off. Even if they somehow make an announcement that they'll try to restart the Nighthawks this fall, can anybody take them seriously at this point?

And that's a shame, because I think minor league football could work in Omaha.  But can anybody looking to start a minor league football league find enough markets to make it viable?  I doubt it.  The USFL is considering starting a spring league again.  We'll see if that will work nationally; it won't in Omaha.  TD Ameritrade Park won't be available for spring football (not with Omaha's commitment to the College World Series), and now UNO is selling off the bleachers at Al Caniglia Field. So now the biggest stadium available for football in Omaha is a high school field. Yeah, that'll work.  Not.

Big Ten Chooses TD Ameritrade Park for 2014 Baseball Tournament

It wasn't a surprise to me that the Big Ten selected downtown Omaha over the cornfields of BFE Sarpy County for the 2014 baseball tournament. When the idea of the Big Ten baseball tournament coming to Omaha was floated during the winter, I thought TD Ameritrade Park made much more sense than the Sarpy County's Trailer Park.  That viewpoint wasn't shared by many, though I don't understand why.  Does the Big Ten need 24,000 seats?  No, but if Nebraska is in the tournament, the Big Ten needs more than the 6400 seats available out in BFE.  Heck, even the smallest crowds for Nebraska/Creighton games in Omaha lately would not only fill every seat in the small minor-league ballpark, but wouldn't even fit in the standing room areas on the berms either.  Bottom line:  it's too small.

But critics point out that the Big Ten tournament hasn't drawn flies in Columbus.  True, but Columbus isn't Omaha. Just because Columbus hasn't supported the Big Ten tournament doesn't mean that Omaha won't.  And if Nebraska plays, which simple odds would indicate is more likely than not, fans will show up.  Will they sell it out downtown?  Probably not...but it should have some nice sized crowds.  Will only 1000 people show up for a Northwestern versus Indiana game in the afternoon?  Possibly.  Will that be a bad crowd in a 24,000 seat stadium?  Yes, but 1,000 in a 6,400 seat ballpark is also a weak crowd.  If you are sizing the Big Ten tournament for that, play the games at Boys Town.

If you want to know what the Big Ten was thinking about their tournament, look no further than the 2013 venue: Target Field in Minneapolis. They wanted a big ballpark with amenities for fans. Martie Cordaro, president of the former Omaha Royals, missed that point, insisting that "we were of the opinion that a right-sized venue would help grow the tournament."  He comes off like a car salesman who continues to try to sell you the car he wants you to buy long after you've told him you want something completely different.

The Big Ten wanted amenities for fans:  hotels, bars, and restaurants nearby.  They wanted to make the Big Ten tournament something big.  That doesn't mesh with what BFE has to offer.  They got that in Minneapolis, and they got it in downtown Omaha.  Some defenders of the Sarpy County boondoggle point out that Pennant Place will eventually bring those amenities.  Well, it depends on how you define "eventually."  When it was announced, some real estate experts estimated that would take another five years to become reality.

Of course, before it'll become reality, someone else will have to move it forward.  Seems the original developer of "Pennant Place" put it all up for sale earlier this year. Not small lots, either, for stores, but large lots of 60 and 145 acres. Will something happen out there?  Probably.  But it's going to take time...and it's certainly not going to be done for 2014.  Somebody has to buy it and develop it.

Meanwhile, things are booming downtown.  The new Zesto's is almost ready to open, and over 1000 hotel rooms are ready and waiting.  So it became an easy choice for the Big Ten:  the big stadium with the amenities or the too-small stadium with nothing around it (and not enough parking to boot).

And thus, the 2014 tournament comes downtown.

UNO Hockey Season Ticket Renewal - With Reservations

With the deadline for season ticketholders to renew fast approaching this week, I finally had to make my decision about UNO hockey. In March, UNO moved my seats and increased the price of the tickets over 10%. Combining that with the need to add another ticket for my son, it caused us to pause, as the price for a family of four is approaching $900 for upper bowl tickets.

Our original decision was to switch to a mini-plan, as we simply can't make all the games.  But then we inquired about the price, and last year, a 10 game mini-plan cost more than our "Red Army" seats.  UNO hasn't announced their plans for the upcoming season, but based on last year's prices, a mini-plan wasn't going to save us anything.  It seems that UNO only offers mini-plans for the lower bowl, so it's probably the same money or cheaper to sit in the upper deck for the entire season versus the lower bowl for half of the games.

So then we discussed dropping our tickets completely, and just going three or four times a season next year, buying tickets on a single-game basis. We gave that a hard thought, but decided we weren't ready to stop following UNO hockey.  So we grudgingly renewed our tickets for next season, though we did move the seats over from the "auto-generated" seats we were assigned.

Some will argue that UNO's past history of "discounting" seats have convinced me that UNO hockey tickets are not the value that they are. I argue that a family of four can do a lot of things for almost $50 a night, and asking families to commit to that for an entire season is starting to leap the market.  UNO's cheapest ticket price plans are higher on a per-game basis to many other alternatives, including Creighton basketball. We like hockey, and want to continue to attend games...but UNO, frankly, is making it pricey for families.

So, we're back for the next season.  But it's a tentative renewal.

I know some people think UNO should build their own facility.  That will come with significant costs, and the most likely way that UNO can pay for it is to get fans to pay more.  That's why the Omaha Royals left town for BFE; they raised ticket prices (unless you want standing room tickets) to make more money even though attendance stayed flat.  And that runs the risk of pricing many fans out of hockey.

I've long felt that UNO hockey could grow the fan base.  That's why I think UNO hired Dean Blais to be the hockey coach.  But hiking the prices before UNO hits that level of success that I think Blais and UNO are headed towards is going to make it difficult to grow that base.