Bo Pelini - Now That We're Married, When's He Going To Change?

by Jon Johnston on Oct 22, 2009 5:15 PM CDT in Nebraska Husker Football

Hey, guess what. At the end of October, Mrs Corn Nation and I will have been married for 20 years. 20 years is a long time to be married, especially when it's to me. A couple of days ago I asked Mrs CN if there was anything about me she expected to change when we got married.

She said her mother gave her some sage advice before we were married. "Never expect that someone is going to change just because you married them" and took that to heart. "Oh, come on, there has to be something" - I was pushing, asking the tough questions because that's who I am.

"Your sense of fashion" was the answer. She said this as I was wearing an old t-shirt and the bottom half of a set of Superman pajamas (I kid you not) someone had given me for Christmas. What she really meant was "complete lack of anything resembling fashion sense" but as with happens in marriage, you try to soften the blow.

Mrs CN knew what she was getting when we got married, much the same as Husker fans knew what they were getting when Bo Pelini took the head coaching job (you wondered where I was going with this, right?). So did the media. Pelini is a passionate guy, wears his emotions on his sleeve kind of thing

Now here we are, fans and media alike, complaining about Pelini as if we're shocked by his behavior. This past week, you had Lee Barfknecht write a column about "Boorish Bo", using the same AP photo at the top of this article to emphasize Barfknecht's point. Steve Sipple did a more subdued article about Pelini's handling of the referees, implying that Pelini isn't going to get calls because of his "tirades".

Worse yet is an AP article that includes "Bo Pelini" and "demons" in the headline. It also includes the words - "bullied reporters", "tirades", and "harangued" - which apparently leads to the conclusion that Bo Pelini has demons. If they're the kind that make you use the phrase "get over it", perhaps, but then you'd be forced to admit that a lot of us are so possessed.

If the media is going to be after him this badly after one lousy game this season, what's going to happen if the Huskers suffer two or three more losses? Are the media guys going to bait him into a credibility-damaging tirade because it'll give them a great story to run or because they resent how little he gives them in the first place?

If I were Bo Pelini, I'd consider eliminating the postgame pressers. Or maybe wait long enough after the game that he's settled down and can come out in his Cornhusker smoking jacket, with a pipe, relax in a nice chair and answer questions. Maybe he could do that every Sunday night (because he has nothing better to do, like figure out how to fix the offense and be a surrogate father to over 100 college-aged men).

As for fans, we need to relax a little as well. Bo Pelini is not Tom Osborne. He isn't going to turn into Tom Osborne, regardless of how many mentoring sessions the Great Oz gives him.

You have to admit - Pelini's scowls are an art form. Photo by Dennis Hubbard

As it is with conflicts in marriage, you'd better be willing to compromise. Media guys need to find something else to write about. Fans need to accept the fact that Pelini has the best (or worst, depending on your perspective) scowl in Nebraska Cornhusker history. Accept that he's going to give the media guys and officials hell at times.

It's either that or be constantly disappointed and sooner or later get a divorce. It's not a stretch to say that not's the story book ending that everyone is looking for.

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Rec'ed just because of the headline

I haven’t complained about his demeanor. While it may not ultimately be productive, I like that he gives those officials hell, when they’re making bad calls (or lack of calls). It’s the only time he can, ‘cause after the game, he can’t say anything about it to the media or else the conference starts levying fines.

I think it’s been said before, he’s no Tom Osborne, he’s more Bob Devaney. Both were great coaches, even though they each had different demeanors, different ways of doing things.

by Wolvie on Oct 22, 2009 5:37 PM CDT reply actions

this bit -

“come out in his Cornhusker smoking jacket, with a pipe, relax in a nice chair and answer questions.”

is frickin’ hilarious!

Way to bring the levity!

by Nebrascal on Oct 22, 2009 7:20 PM CDT reply actions

also congrats -

on 20 years!

if there’s a secret besides, “find someone who’ll put up with you”…pass it along.

by Nebrascal on Oct 22, 2009 7:22 PM CDT up reply actions

Two things I noticed

First, I think the reason this became such an issue after only one game this season is because it was such a big deal for a while in Pelini’s first season (and in 2003, for those who remember the blowup with Bill Snyder). I remember Tim Griffin over at ESPN, among others, writing that Pelini really needed to get himself under control. It was particularly noticeable after the Virginia Tech game last season, when he picked up a personal foul penalty that cost the team late in that game. If he didn’t have a track record like that, I think it would have been written off as a one-time thing, only noted for potential use in the future should it happen again.

Second, he had better figure out some solution other than “the media needs to find something else to write about,” because the media ain’t going to find something else to write about while this is still a story. In a place like Nebraska, where the only story in the fall is the Cornuskers, the writers have time to find every little angle and, whether Pelini likes it or not, his tirades are big news to Husker fans.

Just my $.02.

We'll carry the banner high!
Bring On The Cats

by TB on Oct 22, 2009 7:35 PM CDT reply actions

Pelini

is Pelini, I like the fact he doesn’t let the refs slide just because they are the refs. By no means did the refs cost us the game last Saturday, but, it wasn’t one of the best called games I have seen that is for sure. As for the media, don’t be such babies.

by Huzkerfan on Oct 22, 2009 7:41 PM CDT reply actions

We can't control this

I don’t think anyone should try.

This is just Husker fans being Husker fans. Most of which feel that by attending every game in the post-war era, blowing paychecks on merchandise, and latching on to the Big Red for life..they have somehow earned the right to have a little slice of control and power over what goes on in Lincoln.

It’s like that group of high-brow ladies who have no jobs, spending all their luxurious free time hovering at the kids school. They compliment, sugar-coat, volunteer, and invest. And when the time comes, they use all of that percieved importance to demand changes to anything that falls outside of that groups preference. (Which is technically bully-ing in it’s own right).

I think Bo should do whatever the hell Bo wants to do, simply because he isn’t breaking any rules or causing harm. He is simply being himself. Fiery at times, and obviously passionate. Who’s to say that it isn’t what this program needs right now? Certainly none of us.

I wish they’d just focus on something else. It’s distracting….maybe that’s the point?

If he sat and chewed gum like a statue (ahemm…Tom O.), he’d be harrassed for that. Anyone recall yelling at the t.v. screen because T.O had no fire when he maybe should have? Just leave him alone!

by Brian Speers on Oct 23, 2009 2:49 AM CDT reply actions

Lee Barfkneck

is calling Bo boorish? Wow maybe he should read his own articles. Talk about boring. He finds whatever little nitpicky thing he can to complain about the Huskers. I havent read anything he has written for a long time.

by taflorom on Oct 23, 2009 7:47 AM CDT reply actions