Shawn Eichorst was introduced this morning as Nebraska's new athletic director, set to replace legend and icon Tom Osborne on January 1st, 2013.
Harvey Perlman started the presser off by stating that Tom Osborne was in attendance and that Eichorst had had a chance to meet Nebraska's coaches and athletic department staff. It was a conciliatory statement meant to appease those that seek Osborne's approval on everything in the hopes that no one in the audience would take a shot at Perlman before he got a chance to exit the podium.
Eichorst made an introductory speech that resembled an Oscar Award winner, thanking everyone, talking about how Barry Alvarez used to "regale him with stories of the Nebraska Way" (a comment at which you have to wonder included how many stories of Bob Devaney chasing skirts, drinking like a fish and going into profanity-laced tirades. How I miss those days.), and of course, stating that "he was honored and humbled" to become part of the Nebraska Athletic Department.
He said the right things - "My goal is to make something that is already great better" and "Nebraska is at the pinnacle of athletics", referring to the right balance of athletics and academics, and of course the ""Rest assured we will compete for championships in everything we do...." line.
Eichorst was impressive, but a little stiff. He looked like an excellent politician, spoke well of everyone else while remaining humble of himself. He gets an "A+" in the sucking up department, and if he is as capable as he sounds, Nebraska should be in fine shape.
My only problem with Eichorst's beginning is that he made so long a speech that people will look for what he left out and then use that to start bitching about things. He did not, for example, mention Nebraska's walk-on program. It must be doomed, then.
Don't fall for that kind of trolling, or start reading things into what he's said. He's just starting out for crying out loud.