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Leaker Pumps Sunshine Bo's Way




If Bo Pelini has a pretty good idea who leaked the audio of his post-OSU tirade to Deadspin, he might want to consider telling that person "thanks!" While the leaker likely sought to add kerosene to the "Bo Must Go" bonfire, s/he instead turned many Husker fans toward Pelini--an opportunity he should embrace. Here's why...

Aside from the X's and O's, sideline tantrums, and perceived recruiting issues that have caused many Husker fans to cool their passion for Pelini, he still hasn't grasped the central problem that also contributed to his predecessor's demise: his us v. them mentality. In Bo's world, us is the program (or process) and them seem to be everyone outside of the locker room.

As Husker fans well know, however, us is the team, the fans, the state--why else would we get so worked up about a game played by young men, most of whom who are not old enough to drink legally? We want/need the head coach to be one of us, too--which is why many Husker fans still respect the heck out of Frank Solich. His teams suffered some of the same painful blowout losses as his successors, but he was always one of us--not because of his years living and coaching in the state but because he displayed an awareness of this fundamental truth: Husker football is Nebraska, like it or not, fair or not.

Bo Pelini is now closer to being one of us than he ever has been--thanks to the Deadspin leaker. Humans are tribal (college football being the best example of this); we take sides. Whose side do we take in this scenario? The guy who cussed us out or the person who surreptitiously recorded him and then waited two years to anonymously share it online? For a group of people who take their school's fight song seriously, it's a no brainer.

I'm not entirely sold on Bo Pelini, nor are a lot of other people. But I've taken his side for now, as have many others who aren't entirely sold on him. If he now takes our side, and begins to treat the fans as part of his program, then he just might be OK. We "forgave" Tom Osborne countless seasons in which he lost bowl games and earned a win percentage similar to Pelini's because he was one of us. He was patient with us (deciding to stay in Lincoln instead of moving to Boulder) and we were patient with him. Give us a chance, Bo, and we'll give you one, too.

This FanPost created by a registered user of Corn Nation.

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