Husker Hot Takes – 9/26/2014

Turn on a fan, because I have more Husker Hot Takes:

The Boyd is Back in Town. 
Pioneering Strength & Conditioning coach Boyd Epley has returned to the Nebraska athletic department as the Assistant Athletic Director for Strength and Conditioning.  The reaction I saw was all very positive.  Of course, Husker fans have a strong affinity for bringing back people that they associate with the pre-Callahan glory years.  Epley certainly fits the bill.

Frankly, I’m not real sure what to make of this.  On one hand, I certainly know and appreciate the many innovations Epley is responsible for, as well as the physical advantages the Huskers had over most of their opponents during his 35 year tenure.  Yet, I also heard rumblings from many outlets about a drop-off towards the end of his first run in 2004.  Additionally, the rash of athletic pubalgia injuries in that time was concerning.  I guess I’m in wait and see mode on what Epley’s day-to-day role will be – and how it will translate to results on the field and court.

The important caveat in this hire is that Epley will oversee all sports – except football.  This has the detractors of current S&C coach Tim Dobson (who apparently is responsible for every ACL injury in Lancaster County since 2010) plotting for Epley’s triumphant return to football – possibly in time for his 70th birthday later this year.

Tim Miles Lands Another Big-Time Recruit
This week, highly touted basketball recruit Ed Morrow, Jr. gave his verbal commitment to play for Nebraska.  Now, I know even less about basketball recruiting than I do about football (read:  absolutely nothing), but the hype metrics (four stars, #62 in the nation per ESPN ) are very impressive.  Obviously, Tim Miles and his staff are doing an excellent job on the recruiting trail, as Nebraska is poised to have it’s best hoops class ever.

But let’s also give credit to an unlikely figure in Nebraska’s hoops revival:  Tom Osborne.  It was Osborne who worked to get the world-class Hendricks practice center built.  It was Osborne who helped broker a deal to get Nebraska into the Pinnacle Bank Arena, and you better believe that Osborne’s support played a role in the arena ballot initiative getting approved by Lincoln’s voters.  And finally, Osborne gets credit for firing the ultimate nice guy, Doc Sadler, and for finding/hiring Tim Miles.

And since Morrow is a basketball recruit, let’s give a big assist to the 91,000 fans who attended the Nebraska – Miami football game last Saturday.  The atmosphere and fan support in Memorial Stadium was impressive.  It is very easy to imagine Miles telling Morrow that it gets just as crazy inside The Vault.  A great game day atmosphere pays dividends for all Nebraska sports.

Ameer Abdullah offers some tough love for Jameis Winston
After Monday’s press conference, Ameer Abdullah was asked about Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston, who sat out last week’s game for yelling something inappropriate in the middle of Florida State’s campus.  As is Abdullah’s style, he was honest, yet measured in his comments:

“Great reward brings great responsibility, and he needs to mature and understand that every decision I make has dire consequences, not only to myself but my family, team, coaching staff and university. And before I act, I need to make sure I represent myself in the right way.”

On the surface, this is rather odd.  I mean, when is the last time you saw an athlete from one school discuss an athlete from another school / conference – especially in a negative light?  But both Abdullah and Winston are from the Birmingham, AL area and have known each other for many years.

Regardless, I find it fascinating to see Abdullah offering such advice publicly.  Had Ameer said something to the effect of “Yeah, I’ve reached out to him to share my thoughts and opinions, but I’d prefer to keep it between us” nobody would have batted an eye.

Was Ameer out of line with his comments?  I don’t think so.  As we discussed last time, Abdullah is a natural leader who is not afraid to call it like he sees it.  And given Winston’s off-field exploits in the last year, he’d be wise to listen to his old friend Ameer.  Abdullah clearly has his life pointed in the right direction, and the sky is the limit for what he can accomplish.

The Cornhusker Marching Band will #FearAmeer. 
On Wednesday, the Director of the Cornhusker Marching Band tweeted that the band will spell out “Fear Ameer” during their halftime performance of the Illinois game.

Is this real life? Yes, for reals! Happening this Saturday's Halftime. @UNLBands #FearAmeer #Huskers pic.twitter.com/esxB3OUH0L

— Doug Bush (@DougBush2) September 24, 2014

*Side note:  I bet that software that created this image is fun to play around with.  I’d have those pixelated performers going in all sorts of crazy formations.  Hell, I’d write this entire section in marching band formations if I was smart enough.

In the past, I have been critical of the band for halftime shows that many fans find uninspiring.  Therefore, I love that the band is doing unique and potentially viral – I guarantee national outlets like ESPN, Deadspin, Bleacher Report, and others will show it.  Embrace the star player, get him (and your band) some hype.  That is the definition of “win/win” in the social media age.  My question is will this a one time deal, or will the Pride of All Nebraska continue to step out a little more?  Maybe they don’t go full Ohio State viral video mode, but I still believe there is room for improvement in their halftime shows*.

*Case in point:  The theme from last week’s Miami game was songs to commemorate the writing of the Star Spangled Banner.  Seriously?  No disrespect to the talented musicians in the band, but I have no desire to watch that.  With the 1994 National Championship team being honored at the Miami game, the theme “Songs of 1994” (featuring Ace of Base, Salt-N-Pepa, Tag Team, and Snoop Dogg) should have been an absolute no-brainer.  It would have been a fun performance for fans to watch, and I’m guessing more enjoyable for the band members to play.

Environmentalist’s Idea Goes Over Like A Lead Balloon
Benjamin Vogt, an English professor at UNL, has started an online petition to have Nebraska halt the traditional practice of releasing red balloons after the first touchdown.  He calls the practice “mass littering” and claims the balloons are not bio-degradable (he buried one in his yard to back his claim) and potentially harmful to animals.  A quote from Vogt in the story Deena Winter of NebraskaWatchdog.org wrote this week:

“The reality is that while the balloons may indeed shatter, the pieces are not impossible for animals to eat…In fact, the fringe of shattered latex balloons mimics the shape of jellyfish, a favorite meal for many ocean animals.”

Okay.

I realize that I only minored in English, but my dad was a biologist with the Fisheries Division of the Nebraska Game & Parks for many years.  So I know that, yes, there ARE jellyfish in Nebraska (really).  But I also know that the only ocean animals within the borders of the Cornhusker state reside in fish tanks, aquariums, and the Henry Doorly Zoo.  While it is possible that a fragment of a balloon released from Memorial Stadium could find its way into the aquarium at your dentist’s office (Shark bait!  Hoo ha ha!), I’d like to see the wildlife casualty numbers before we scrap this beloved tradition.

Regardless, should the balloons go away, I am prepared.  Back in 2012, when there were concerns over helium supplies, I made a list of alternate methods to celebrate the first touchdown.  I think many of them still apply today.

Reasons for Concern – 2014

As Nebraska’s fall camp continues, there is a lot of positive news, hyperbole, and high expectations being placed on the Huskers.  If you consume enough of the preseason Kool Aid, you can easily convince yourself that this Husker team is poised to win the Big Ten West and even challenge for a spot in the new football playoff.,

On the surface, I agree.  Those things are possible.  But such rose-colored glasses thinking overlooks some very serious concerns on this Nebraska team.  Things that easily turn a promising season into another four loss campaign – or worse.

1.  Quarterback.  Despite some preseason noise about being pushed by Ryker Fyfe, Tommy Armstrong will be the starter and likely will get every opportunity to succeed.  I think Armstrong did a decent job last year as a redshirt freshman coming off the bench for the injured Taylor Martinez.  Armstrong’s supporters love to point out that NU was 7-1 in games he started*.  But Armstrong has been tagged with the dreaded “game manager” label, which is football code for “not talented enough to win games on his own”.

*Let’s break down that 7-1 record:

• South Dakota State:  Won 59-20.  12-15 passing for 169 yards, 0 INT, 1 TD.  Five rushes for 38 yards.  The Jacks are a FCS team.  They may be an above average FCS team, but let’s be honest and acknowledge there were likely 20 guys on the 2013 Husker team who could have quarterbacked NU to victory over SD State.
• Illinois:  Won 39-19.  8-13 passing for 135, 0 INT, and 2 TD.  9 rushes for 18 yards.  It’s worth noting that the highlight of the day – Kenny Bell’s leaping, one-handed circus catch and touchdown – would have been intercepted had Bell not made the catch of his life.
• At Purdue:  Won 44-7.  6-18 passing for 43 yards, 3 INT and 0 TD.  4 rushes for 5 yards and a TD.  Purdue is the Big Ten equivalent of a FCS team, so thankfully Armstrong’s worst game of the season didn’t hurt NU.  Against any other Big Ten team, those numbers will get you benched, beat, or both.
• Northwestern:  Won 27-24.  15-29 passing for 173 yards, 3 INT and 1 TD.  17 rushes for 69 yards and a TD.  It is true that half of Nebraska’s points came on drives led by Armstrong.  It is also true that Armstrong’s three interceptions only led to three Northwestern points.  But mostly, it is true that Armstrong was on the sideline when Jordan Westerkamp caught the game winning Hail Mary.
• At Michigan:  Won 17-13.  11-19 passing for 139 yards, 0 INT and 1 TD.  12 rushes for 13 yards.  Armstrong rightfully gets a lot of credit for “winning in the Big House”, but it is worth noting that he got bailed out by Ameer Abdullah catching a horrible and ill-advised option pitch on the goal line and turning it into a game winning touchdown.
• Michigan State:  Lost 41-28.  9-21 passing for 143 yards, 1 INT and 2 TD.  5 rushes for 9 yards.  There was a lot of blame to go around for this loss, but being personally accountable for three turnovers (which led to 14 points) didn’t help.
• At Penn State:  Won 23-20 (OT).  1-2 passing for 1 yard, 0 INT and 0 TD.  1 rush for 1 yard.  Armstrong hurt his ankle and didn’t record a stat after the first quarter.
• Georgia:  Won 24-19.  6-14 passing for 163 yards, 1 INT and 2 TD.  10 rushes for 26 yards.  For my money, this was Armstrong’s best win, and the one that should give Husker fans hope about his future.  

Where does that leave us?  Give Armstrong credit for wins against Illinois, Michigan, and Georgia.  If you’re feeling charitable, you can count South Dakota State and Purdue as well.  The Michigan State loss is on his tab.  But I can’t give Armstrong credit for the Northwestern or Penn State wins just because he took the first snap.  

Add it all up, and that 7-1 record as a starter is more like 3-1.  That’s still good for a redshirt freshman against some big competition, but it gives a better representation of his season than a bogus 7-1 record.

Quarterback depth is a big concern.  Fyfe seems like he would be a serviceable replacement, but after that it gets scary in a hurry.

2.  Defensive End.  Defections, recruiting misses, and suspensions, oh my.  If it wasn’t for Randy Gregory destroying the curve like he does with unsuspecting quarterbacks, this position might be number one.

3.  Kicker.  Lost in the feline fun of the Spring Game were these ugly stats:  the lone scholarship kicker misses an 18 yard FG attempt, a PAT, and has another PAT blocked.

In his post-spring remarks, Bo Pelini specifically mentioned incoming freshman Drew Brown, and most fans are targeting the little brother of legendary kicker Kris Brown as the answer.  But what if Brown can’t get it done either?  Looking back at 2013, one can easily point to three games (Wyoming, Michigan, Penn State) where a Nebraska win was directly enabled by a Pat Smith field goal and/or a miss by the opposing kicker.  I don’t think it is a big stretch to say that the difference between an 8-4 regular season and a 5-7 one was a competent field goal kicker.  One other stat to chew on:

Since Pelini’s arrival in 2008, Nebraska has made 102 of 110 FGAs inside of 50 yards. That’s 92.7 percent. That’s astonishing. #huskers

— Sam McKewon (@swmckewonOWH) August 10, 2014

Is 2014 the year Nebraska fans realize just how good they’ve had it with kickers over the last decade?

4.  Defensive depth.  Nebraska lost three defensive starters (Charles Jackson, Leroy Alexander, and Michael Rose) in the first week of fall camp.  There are guys on the roster to take their places, but they are young and mostly unproven.  What happens if they don’t produce or get hurt?  The lack of proven depth at several defensive positions should not be confused with the next one…

5.  How long will it take to get the defense up to speed?  Bo Pelini likes to tinker and experiment during the first few games of the season.  He likes to play with lineups and combinations of players looking for a unit that will perform up to his high standards.

The end result is typically a strong defense that peaks down the stretch.  But the downside is the potential for blown assignments and statistically ugly performances while Bo aligns his chess pieces  (see the first three games of 2013).  If the offense struggles out of the gate, the defense needs to be able to carry the team, not burden them by giving up 35 points per game.  Pelini and Papuchis better have it figured out by the Fresno State or Miami games.

6.  The schedule.  There is not a single gimme on Nebraska’s road schedule.  Fresno State has a long history of knocking off big name schools at home.  Michigan State is the reigning Rose Bowl champ.  Northwestern is thisclose to being 3-0 against Nebraska in the Big 10.  Wisconsin has routed NU in two of their three meetings.  Iowa seems to be embracing the Heroes Game rivalry (or at least the opportunity to beat NU) more than Nebraska has.

Given the minefields Nebraska will face on the road, there is no room for error on a home schedule with Miami, Minnesota, and three other B1G teams good enough to steal a win in Lincoln.

7.  How many of Nebraska’s demons return in 2014?  Pelini critics can easily rattle off the list of things that have plagued Nebraska squads under Bo:  penalties, turnovers, punt returns, getting beat by inferior teams, blowout losses, and sideline meltdowns.

Frankly, it’s unrealistic for even the biggest Bo-liever to think all of these things go away in 2014.  The concern is how many of them reappear, when, and at what cost?

At the risk of being called a hater, downer, or worse, it’s worth noting that despite these obstacles, Nebraska could still challenge for a division title, win nine games, and play in a January 1 bowl game.  But it is tough to see Nebraska going much farther unless they can avoid these landmines.

Time will tell.

Is There A Hidden Message in Nebraska’s New Helmet?

Nebraska and adidas released the alternate uniform the Huskers will wear against Illinois in 2014.  While I have some strong opinions on the overall uniform, let’s focus on the helmet.  I’m calling it the Anarchy Helmet.

The Husker’s new “Anarchy Helmet”

 

Why?  Looking at the initial pictures, the unique color scheme (red and black, separated by a diagonal line) looked familiar to me.  I felt like I had seen it somewhere before.  On a flag, maybe?  A quick Google search revealed that the red and black flag is a symbol for anarchy*

*More specifically, anarcho-syndicalism which Wikipedia describes as “a theory of anarchism which views revolutionary industrial unionism or syndicalism as a method for workers in capitalist society to gain control of an economy and, with that control, influence broader society.”  

A red and black flag used as anarchy symbol. The flag is associated with a branch of Anarchism closely associated with labor organizations. The red portion of the flag represents labor; the black, anarchism. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hmm…anybody see a correlation between that definition and the plight of college athletes in 2014?  How about if we follow that up with another quote from that Wikipedia article:

“The end goal of anarcho-syndicalism is to abolish the wage system, regarding it as wage slavery. Anarcho-syndicalist theory therefore generally focuses on the labour movement.”

Are the Nebraska Cornhuskers agents of anarchy?  Are Kenny Bell, Ameer Abdullah, and others seeking to overthrow a system that makes millions of dollars off of their efforts, but leaves them hungry at night?

Now, I’m guessing the designers at adidas did not intentionally set out to offer a symbolic commentary on NCAA reform, paying student-athletes, or the efforts at Northwestern to unionize college athletes.  And I’ll guarantee Nebraska A.D. Shawn Eichorst, Coach Bo Pelini, or anybody else connected to the University of Nebraska did not endorse any message about anarchism.  Feel free to chalk it up to a random coincidence pointed out by a fan blogger reading way too much into a football helmet design.

Of course, there is one other nugget from the Nebraska/adidas release.  All of the tweets, releases, and social media offerings from Nebraska and adidas have used the hashtag #RedRising.  Using the color symbolism from the flag above, that hashtag says labor is rising.  That sounds like a very apt metaphor for the position of the NCAA student athlete in 2014.

Industrial unionism aside, the Anarchy Helmet is pretty sweet.  I like the matte red with the traditional sans-serif “N” in black.  The black wedge on the bottom makes an interesting visual offset.  It is easily the best component of the 2014 Nebraska alternates, and the best alternate helmet the Huskers have worn to date – even if there is an undertone of anarchy.

 

Husker Hot Takes

For it being a relatively slow time of year, there is a lot going on the world of Husker athletics.  Things that are getting a lot of local and even national attention.  Things that I have strong opinions on.

Unfortunately, my opinions on these topics tend to be too long for Twitter (damn you, 140 characters!), but not quite beefy enough for a full post of their own.

Therefore, I give you Husker Hot Takes – seven servings of delicious opinion, hopefully with no bad aftertaste.

*   *   *

1.  NU Baseball survives crazy road trip, but has to cancel game with Creighton.
After NU’s three game sweep at Michigan State, the Huskers had a hard time getting back to Lincoln.  Cancelled flights, delayed buses, the fact that East Lansing is 725 stinkin’ miles from Lincoln.  I’m guessing during their 24 hour+ trip home, they quoted every single line from Planes, Trains, & Automobiles.  As a result, Nebraska’s game with Creighton had to be cancelled, and the 10,000 fans who bought tickets are likely out of luck.

Things like this make me miss the Big XII (and especially the Big 8).  Why?  Everything was closer in the 8 / XII.  The average distance between Lincoln and the other eleven towns in the Big XII was 480.5 miles.  In the current Big Ten, the average distance is 625.5 miles.  When Rutgers and Maryland officially join the league this summer, that average will jump to 720.5 miles.

720 miles used to be on the long end of Big XII roadies.  Only two Big XII schools (Texas and Texas A&M) were farther than the 720 mile voyage to Baylor in Waco.  In a few months, that becomes the average trip, and would still leave the baseball team five miles short of completing their epic journey home.

Put it another way:  in the B1G, Nebraska’s closest foe is Iowa – 301 miles away.  In the Big XII, Nebraska had three conference foes less than 225 miles from home (Kansas State, Kansas, and Iowa State), with a fourth that is practically the same distance from home as Iowa (Mizzou, 319 miles).

I get that there are a billion caveats here, notably that cancelled flights, bad weather, travel delays, can (and will) happen to everyone.  But I question the sanity of teams like Nebraska and Creighton travelling cross-country for baseball and other non-revenue / Olympic sports (like Cross Country).  All it does it wastes money and keeps students out of class.

Ultimately, it comes back to something I’ve believed for a while:  eventually, schools will belong to multiple conferences.  There will be a football/basketball conference that is tied to a big TV contract and may span 1500 miles and multiple time zones.  And a smaller, regional conference for Olympic and non-revenue sports.  Because eventually schools will realize that there is little gain in travelling 725 – each way – to play a game, especially when there are dozens of schools within a 500 mile radius of home that would likely offer the same level of competition.

2.  Taylor Martinez fails his NFL physical.

First and foremost, I’m bummed for Martinez.  I don’t follow the NFL as much as I used to, but I was intrigued to see how Chip Kelly would use him in Philadelphia’s offense.  Plus, I’d really like to see the kid be successful.

But clearly, I am in the minority on that.

Here is a quick sampling of some of the 200+ comments left on a Facebook post from a Omaha TV station announcing the news:

• “You have to pass a physical to be an NFL water boy?”
• “I think I can speak for all husker fans when I say that we never really trusted him at QB, let alone ever liked the guy.”
• “Hahaha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha”
• “he sucks…..lost all the big games for us….he didn’t care……good riddance……”
• “Hahahahahahahaha thank god! I hate this loser so much”

Keep in mind, these comments aren’t from the stereotypical message board guy hiding behind an anonymous screen name and avatar in his mother’s basement.  These are Facebook users putting their actual names behind this garbage.  Most of them had profile pictures of (presumably) themselves.  Others had pictures of young children, who I assume are their kids.

Look:  I’m not saying you have to love every Husker to come through the program.  It’s perfectly okay to question the talent and desire of a kid, but there is a line between honest criticism (“Taylor Martinez fumbled too much”) and a cheap personal attack (“Did he call his daddy? Hahah. What a loser!”).

If you wouldn’t say it to their face, don’t post it on the internet, ya damn trolls.  Next time, I’ll include your name and profile picture so more folks can see just what a great fan you are.

3.  The day of the Taylor Martinez tell-all interview is getting closer.

At some point during Martinez’s senior season, I had a thought:  “Some day this kid is going to do a tell-all interview where he airs ALL of his dirty laundry – the back story of how he beat out Cody Green and Zac Lee, what was said during and after that A&M game, his true feelings on Pelini, Tim Beck, his teammates, and the Nebraska fans who cheered him when he scored and booed him when he turned the ball over.  And it will be EPIC.”

That interview likely will not happen while Martinez still has a chance at the NFL, or even the CFL or arena leagues, but getting cut by the Eagles puts us another step closer to Taylor taking a match to the bridge leading back to what had to be an uncomfortable (and probably unenjoyable) college career.

4.  Athletic Director Shawn Eichorst says NU is “lucky to have” Bo as our coach.

Without getting to the Bo-liever / Bo-leaver partisan bickering that this sound byte provides, I’ll say this:  Nebraska is lucky.  NU is lucky that Bill Callahan is no longer our coach.  Lucky that Frank Solich has found a good fit at Ohio.  Lucky that some of the other candidates never took the job.  (Houston Nutt, I’m looking directly at you).

A part of me wonders if this quote will haunt Eichort’s tenure the way “gravitating towards mediocrity” did for Pedersen.  Let’s face it, I have a feeling that if 2014 is a five or six loss season, Eichorst may try to change his luck by finding a new coach.

5.  The B1G moves the basketball tournament to Washington D.C., fans react with much angst.  

I get it.  Husker fans are getting deja vu all over again about how the Big XII tournament shifted from Kansas City to wherever the heck Texas wanted it to be played.  But here’s the thing:  Having the tournament in D.C. should help Nebraska.  It is a simple fact that there is more hoops talent out east than in Nebraska’s back yard.  Tim Miles has an assistant coach who was at Georgetown for a number of years.  Nebraska can tell a recruit that mom and dad will get to watch him just down the road during the conference tournament.

Besides, raise your hand if you truly planned to travel to the B1G hoops tourney in the next few years.  For most of us, we’re going to watch the event on TV.  With a neutral paint job on the court, most of us would have no idea if the games are in D.C., Indianapolis, Chicago, or the Pershing Center.

6.  That said, Omaha may bid on the basketball tournament.

During an interview, Eichorst said that he saw no reason why the hoops tournament couldn’t be played in Omaha from time to time.  It makes perfect sense.  The Century Link is an excellent venue.  Downtown Omaha has lots of hotels and entertainment options for out of town fans.  And Omaha has a proven track record of surpassing expectations when they host big events – both in Nebraska niceness and in attendance.

I see no reason why Omaha shouldn’t put a bid together for any Big Ten championship.  And after Omaha gets done blowing the doors off of the attendance records for the Big Ten baseball tournament next week, I think they’ll have a damn good chance.

7.  Josh Banderas is arrested and charged with felony theft.

If you thought the comments on the Taylor Martinez story were bad, you should take a look at what some people posted on the Journal-Star’s website.  On second thought, maybe you shouldn’t.  By allowing people to comment on the news story of Banderas’s arrest – something that I had never seen before on the LJS – they seem content to scrap the presumption of innocence for these young men.  Josh Banderas may very well be guilty of what he has been accused of doing, but I’d prefer if his due process came in a court room instead of the comments section of the local newspaper.

Speaking of due process, I don’t expect Bo Pelini to decide on possibly suspending or dismissing Banderas until the case is further along.  We can all speculate on what Bo would do in case of A, B, or C, but what I really like is the confidence I have that Nebraska’s depth a linebacker will not factor in Bo’s decision making process.

 

Improving the Nebraska Game Day Experience

During his monthly radio show, Nebraska Athletic Director Shawn Eichorst implied that the athletic department is looking at ways to improve the in-game experience for Husker Football games at Memorial Stadium.

Aside from this being an incredibly shrewd diversion*, it is a topic that many Husker fans have an opinion on.  Including me.

*What diversion?  Consider the last week:  speculation over Bo Pelini’s future swirled before Friday’s Iowa game.  During the game, Pelini had a couple of embarrassing on-camera moments.  After the game, Pelini cursed out the refs and essentially threatened Eichorst to fire him.  On Saturday, Eichorst issued an open-ended statement that calmed the flames, but did not extinguish the fire.  On Tuesday, Eichorst takes to the airwaves with the football media expecting answers.  Instead, he changes the subject.  Improving the game day experience.  Go.

Brilliant.

I came up with a list of ten items that I would love see changed/added/improved at Memorial Stadium.  Some are relatively simple.  Some are rather drastic, but would create big results.  But all would help to improve the experience of the 90,000 fans who fill the stadium seven Saturdays a year.

Before we dive in, I feel that it is worth noting (and emphasizing) that Husker fans have it pretty darn good at Memorial Stadium.  I’ve watched the Huskers play in over a dozen different stadiums, and very few can hold a candle to what we have.

And that’s more than just the biased opinion of a Nebraska alum and native son.  Memorial Stadium regularly shows up on lists of best stadiums, best game day experience, best places to watch college football, etc.  Obviously the on-field product has much to do with the consecutive sellout streak, but the experience of being there (instead of sitting in a bar or in my basement watching in HD) is what keeps me coming back.

But there is always room for improvement…

Can you make this even better?  Yes. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1.  Upgrade the in-stadium Wi-Fi.  The data service inside of the stadium is rather lousy (or, more appropriately, probably about what one would expect with 70,000 smart phone users in the same place).  Getting a signal, sending a text message, tweet, or Facebook post can be a crapshoot.  We can talk about how fans should be engaged with the action on the field instead of having their heads down, thumbs a-blazin’.  But that does not change the fact that better Wi-Fi is very important to more and more people in the stands.

2.  Turn up the volume.  There are times (such as 11 am kickoffs against nondescript opponents) when there is zero electricity in the stadium.  When that happens, I think it is appropriate to crank up the volume on the sound system to help the crowd wake up.  Ditto for key defensive plays and goal line stands.

3.  Update the playlist.  I don’t know who is in charge of curating  game day music for Husker sporting events, but they must really, really love “Black Betty” by Ram Jam*.  I swear you cannot go to a Husker event without hearing it.  There are some very tired songs in the Memorial Stadium iPod that are long overdue for retirement.  Replace them any number of newer songs that would get players and fans fired up and help the stadium rock.

What songs do I suggest?  Not much.  a) My musical tastes typically don’t lend themselves to football stadiums, and b) I don’t claim to have a pulse on what the kids want to listen to.  I’m not suggesting that Nebraska join the brigade of “Seven Nation Army” schools, but I could get on board with a song that the fans could chant/sing to provide a more intimidating atmosphere.  Here’s a crazy idea:  talk to the players, the captains, etc., and find out what they would like to listen to.

*And if you are still holding on to the notion that “Black Betty” is a good song to play at a college sporting event in 2013, click on the link to watch Ram Jam perform this classic.  Hilarious?  Yes.  Nightmare inducing?  Maybe.  Intimidating?  No.

4.  Leave the Tunnel Walk alone.  I know that I’m about to tiptoe a thin line of hypocrisy, having just blasted a dated classic rock song like “Black Betty”, but I want to keep “Sirius” by The Alan Parsons Project as the music for the Tunnel Walk.  I know it is an older song, the Jordan-era Bulls used it first, and there may be better tracks to use, but for me, “Sirius” IS the Tunnel Walk.  I love those delicious seconds of anticipation between the Husker Power chant (an obvious keeper, by the way) and that first chord of “Sirius.”

We can discuss the videos themselves later, and help separate what works (showing Kenny Bell blowing up Wisconsin defenders) and what doesn’t (Bo Ruud jumping out of an airplane).  But don’t mess with, or try to remix that song.

5.  Make us proud of the Pride.  The Cornhusker Marching Band (a.k.a. “The Pride of All Nebraska”) does a perfectly fine job.  I love their pregame spectacular (another thing that I would never, ever change), and I believe their halftime performances are also acceptably adequate.

But I wouldn’t know.

I’ve been making a break for the aisle at the end of the second quarter for years now.  It’s not disrespect for the band, but rather the knowledge that I’m not going to miss anything if I enjoy a hotdog inside the north concourse.

I wrote about this last year, and the same still holds true:  very little in what the band does at halftime interests me.

Maybe that is something the Athletic Department is okay with.  I’m less likely to buy my usual hot dog and Diet Dew if I stay in my seat to watch a halftime performance.  But surely Nebraska would like to have some of the viral buzz that schools like Ohio State, Ohio, Hawaii, and others have received for their fun and imaginative halftime shows.

6.  Figure out what to do between quarters.  Specifically, the gap between the 3rd and 4th quarter.  We all know that Wisconsin’s Jump Around is the gold standard, and Nebraska seems to be desperately seeking something to call their own.  Nebraska has been throwing things up against the wall for years, looking for something to stick.  Here are some of the ones from the last ten years (ranked worst to best):

• An ill-fated attempt to get one half of the stadium to chant “Can’t be beat”, while the other half responds “Won’t be beat”.   This ranks with the Chip Davis “Nebraska Alma Mater” on the list of bad ideas.
• The HuskerVision version of the shell game (Valentino’s “Eye the Pie”, as well as an earlier Runza-themed version) where fans follow a pizza or Husker logo as it is shuffled around.  Aside from a pre-game $1 wager with my buddy Tony on where the logo would appear (left, right, or middle), there wasn’t much going on there.
• The NU drum line goes out on the field to do a drum cadence for one corner of the stadium (usually the students) while the flag line twirls neon rifles.  Look:  I like the NU drum line, and you had better believe that if I stumble across the cinematic classic Drumline on TNT, I’m watching it until the final battle.  But when they focus on one corner of the stadium, the rest of us sit there and twiddle our thumbs.  I think having the drum line on the field has potential, but maybe let’s use this for the gap between the first and second quarter.
• The band plays “Hey Baby“.  I like the song, but it doesn’t exactly get one fired up for the final 15 minutes of football.  Keep it for a random TV timeout.
• An attempt to replicate Wisconsin’s Jump Around, with another mid 90’s hip hop favorite:  DJ Kool’s “Let Me Clear My Throat”.  I like the song – I swear they played it twice a night at Iguana’s back in my college days – but let’s call it what it is:  a cheap Wisconsin knock-off.  Plus, I personally find it unsettling to think that when I was stumbling around Iggy’s listening to DJ Kool, current UNL students were stumbling around their parents’ houses in diapers.
• A reprise of the Husker Power chant.  Arguably, this is the best they’ve come up with, but it never matches the volume or intensity of the pregame version.

I like the suggestion by Jack Mitchell of KLIN radio to use Johnny Cash’s “God’s Gonna Cut You Down”.  I think that done correctly (i.e. with full use of the HuskerVision screens and the ribbon boards) it could be a spine-tinglingly cool moment – and it would not be a cheap knock off of Jump Around.

7.  More replays, please.  Let me start to giving credit to HuskerVision for showing multiple replays of some plays under review – sometimes in super slo-mo.  They have done a nice job of taking advantage of this change in Big Ten policy.  Let me also acknowledge that with today’s high tempo offenses, it is tough to do a branded replay (sponsor logo, replay, sponsor logo) when an offense is snapping the ball with 31 seconds left on the play clock.  I get that.  And finally, I love how Nebraska touchdowns are replayed from every single camera angle.

But, there are still opportunities to do more.

When there is a dead ball (and HuskerVision is not running another feature or ad), fire up some replays.  Show another angle of that Randy Gregory sack.  Give me slo-mo of the Quincy Enunwa block that helped spring Ameer Abdullah.  Play that footage of John Papuchis jumping up in the air after that three and out.

And when there is a questionable call – or one under review – replay the crap out of that sucker.  I love the game day experience in the stadium, but I hate having to text my buddy at the bar to see if the ref got the call right.

8.  Give me stats, stat.  This is another one where I must start by giving credit.  I know that if I want to see the rush or pass yards, first downs, turnovers, or sacks for either team, I can look at the big screen in north.  Those stats and others (time of possession, penalties, etc.) are also rotated every so often on the ribbon boards.  Individual stats (quarterback passing numbers, rushing attempts and yards, tackle info for defenders) appears less frequently as part of a Click It Or Ticket “Who’s Clicking” promotion on the ribbon boards.

I want more.

I want to know how many three and outs the defense has gotten.  When it is third down, I want to see what NU has done on 3rd down today and for the season.  If Abdullah has gotten over 100 yards yet.  How many yards he has on the season.  Has he moved up a notch on the all-time charts?  Share that information with us.  Use the ribbon boards, rotate the info on the north HuskerVision box score.

9.  Create a Husker Gameday App.  Disclaimer:  I cannot take credit for the original idea on this – I listened as a caller suggested it on the Sharp & Benning radio show.  With all due credit and respect to the person who suggested this, I’m going to run with it and hopefully expand upon the original idea.  Just know that I’m not claiming this as my own.

Download the free app, then scan the QR code on the back of your ticket* to access exclusive content and information – live stats, interactive rosters and player bios, depth charts, access to the Husker record books, and historical info on previous matchups with today’s opponent.  But that’s not all…

The app also gives you the ability to view the feed from any HuskerVision camera – live action, replays, highlights, you name it.  Thanks to the BTN partnership, you can not only get up to the minute scores, stats, and standing from other games involving Big Ten teams, you can also view their scoring plays.

The possibilities are limitless:  interactive fan votes (who is the fan’s choice for player of the game?  Is the Valentino’s logo behind pizza 1, 2, or 3?, punt or go for it on 4th down?), integration with social media, special offers from athletic department partners, etc.

*Yes, the special game content would only be for those who have purchased tickets.  Those without tickets would have basic stats and scores.  Consider it an added perk of getting to go to a game.

10.  Rearrange Memorial Stadium.  I’m saving the biggest (and most drastic) change for last.  I ask that you keep an open mind, please.

Have you ever really studied where things are at in Memorial Stadium?  Asked yourself why things are where they are – and more importantly – if they could be better served somewhere else?  I have.  Frankly, there are several things that don’t make sense from a perspective of maximizing home field advantage – that is, making it as easy as possible for Nebraska, and as hard as possible for their opponent to win in Lincoln.  Shouldn’t that be the goal?

So we fix them.  Rearrange them.  Drop some feng shui on the old grey lady with the goal of creating a tougher place for visiting teams to win.

The first order of business?  Nebraska moves from the east to the west sideline.

Why?  Two key reasons:

1. That’s the shady side of the field.  Those early September games where it is 95 degrees?  Let the other team roast in the sun while the Huskers stay relatively cool in the shade.  Those 2:30 kickoffs in late October where the sun starts to set during the second half?  Let the other team’s coaches have to squint into a blinding sunset.  Why should Nebraska put itself at a disadvantage in their own house?
2. It’s the quiet side.  As much flack as the West Stadium “blue hairs” get, they’re not going anywhere in my reconfigured stadium.  Let the old money have their good seats on the yard lines.  But since the West crowd isn’t exactly known for being vociferous, they are better candidates to sit behind NU’s bench than a full marching band like NU has on the east side.

Next, we move the students.  A strong (and loud) student section is at the heart of any home field advantage.  Nebraska’s student section has serious potential, and there have been a few student groups looking to improve the experience, but NU continually sells their students short.  Every A.D. since Bill Byrne (including Osborne) has moved the students further away from the action, and minimized their ability to have an impact on the game.  Currently, they are crammed up in a corner of the south end zone, away from where they can make an impact on the game.

But with my plan, the students are moving out of the upper altitudes of sections 12, 13, and 14.  They’re headed east to prime seating:  The lower level of East stadium.  The band shifts down a couple of sections (from section 9 on the south 20 yard line to section 6) and acts as the centerpiece of the student section, located (not so coincidentally) right behind the other team’s bench.  The students fill in around the band, turning East stadium into a raucous bowl of noise focused on the opposing bench and capable of boosting the volume in either end zone.

I know this will be controversial.  I know some will question why the students should be rewarded with excellent seats when they have been leaving entire sections empty in their current block of seats.  That is a valid concern, but I believe the students will step up and appreciate their new seats – especially if the understanding between the Athletic Department and the various student organizations is “use ’em or lose ’em”.

I understand that you will lose some donors when they have to move from row 20 on the 40 yard line to row 75 in the corner of the end zone.  I get that.  But I challenge the University to look at this from a long-term perspective:

• I would contend that a strong student section leads to a strong home field advantage.  A strong home field advantage can equal one or two extra wins per year.  What is the monetary value of an extra win or two each year?  Of 9 wins instead of 8?  Of 10 wins instead of 9?  In the 2013 season, with two extra wins, Nebraska could have won the Legends Division and qualified for a better bowl game.
• Today’s students are tomorrow’s donor and boosters.  Who is more likely to donate to Dear Old Nebraska U:  the alum who spent four years in great seats on the east sideline, or the one who spent that time as an afterthought in the upper reaches of the southeast corner feeling like the University didn’t care about or appreciate them?

And there is one additional secret benefit:  it gets rid of some of Memorial Stadium’s worst seats.  The last ten or so rows of sections 1, 2, 10, and 11 are horrible for watching games.  Your view is obstructed by the side wall of East Stadium – you lose anywhere from 5 – 25 yards of the field.  That sucks.  You wouldn’t want to pay face value (plus donation) for those seats.  There are some monitors hanging from the ceiling, but it’s not the same.  However, we know the students will pack in to the lower rows anyway, the University can “sell” these obstructed view seats without having a donor, alum, or other fan getting upset.

For the most part, the folks in the North and South Stadiums stay as they are – although some shuffling may be needed to accommodate the folks from East who are being relocated.

And like that, we have greatly amplified the home field advantage at Memorial Stadium.

*   *   *

You may notice there are some other common suggestion that did not make my list.  Let me explain why:

• Get rid of the HuskerVision ads (such as the ridiculous Pepsi races).  I won’t argue that these features are boring and do nothing to boost the energy.  The cold reality of big TV contracts is lengthy TV timeouts.  Another cold reality is that money from those annoying Pepsi ads helps pay the bills for the excellent work that HuskerVision does.
• Sell beer in the stadium.  Never, ever, ever gonna happen.
• Have more “blackout” games.  I appreciate the folks who start these things, as their heart is in the right spot.  But I firmly believe that nothing will be more intimidating for an opposing player than the Sea of Red.  You’re never going to get 90,000 people to change their routine and put on a black shirt, which leaves the stadium looking mottled.  Instead, encourage everybody to wear red.  It would be easier (only have to get about 10,000 to convert) and would make a bigger impact.
• Encourage fans to wave towels.  I am not a fan of the power towel / rally towel idea.  To each their own, but I’d rather have fans (read:  students) yelling and clapping instead of waving a piece of terry cloth.
• More flyovers.  I miss the excitement of a good pregame flyover when an Air Force jet goes roaring over the stadium right as the National Anthem ends.  That always gets the juices flowing.  But budget cuts, sequesters, and government shut-downs have essentially ended military fly overs.  Nebraska has used some private planes in the last few seasons, but most of those are just not the same.

There is no doubt in my mind that Nebraska can improve upon an already excellent game day experience, and also create an excellent home field advantage