It seems to me that there is something big going on today. I can’t quite remember what it is, but I remember that it’s a bone of contention with a lot of people throughout our great nation. It’s not a sporting event, nor is it a religious affair. It’s not around Thanksgiving so it can’t be the debut of another foodstuff with pumpkin spice added to it.

I wish I could remember…

In any case I’ll give you the advice that I’d like to give to people when any large event is happening that can cause a lot of consternation amongst people but isn’t about entertainment and over which you exert no control.

Stay the flock off social media.

Social media today and through the weekend will be full of people jabbing at each other with no real intent but to irritate. If you like to be irritated by all means join in, but I don’t see how being irritated has any positive value over your life for anyone else’s life in any way.

Instead of social media, perhaps it’s time for you to find and read a good book. Despite everyone predicting their demise there are still many, many excellent books in all subject matters. if you don’t feel like purchasing the book, you might actually go and see what your public library has to offer. You might look into what e-books are available. I use my public library quite often; I go online, I look through books, and I choose one that looks interesting then download it to my iPhone and begin reading.

It’s that simple.

It’s relaxing. I don’t irritate anyone. Depending on the subject matter, I learn things. In fact, I spent a lot of the last year reading books about brains. I learned a lot about brains and I’m going to share some of that knowledge with you during this off-season.

I just finished the book, “Their Eyes Were Watching God’ by Zora Neale Hurston. it was an excellent book, probably not a “guy” book but it was unique in the story was excellent. I gave my daughter the book “Thinking, Fast and Slow”, by Daniel Kahneman for Christmas. I told her that if she learned things in that book that she would be able to run over everyone else who stands in a way for the rest of her life.

Obviously I’ve read a lot of football books with and reviewed many of them here.

I also tend to read a lot of dystopian and science fiction. “Station Eleven”, by Emily St. John Mandel was terrible because it had no real ending. “Age of Miracles” by Karen Thompson Walker was excellent because it did.

I could go on for a while but I’ll stop here. Remember the coronation isn’t just your place to find out about Nebraska’s sports, but we aim to be the place to come to help make your life better.

And so I reiterate my advice.

Stay the sock off social media.

NEWS

Indiana will host 2017 Big Ten Baseball tournament at Bart Kaufman Field - The Crimson Quarry

The Big Ten’s best baseball stadium will host the Big Ten’s best teams this May.

I am really not sure why they chose to have Indiana host this year’s Big Ten baseball tournament. I know that Nebraska’s stadiums were unavailable that weekend, but my impression earlier was that the Big Ten wanted to host the tournament somewhere in a MLB stadium like Yankee Stadium, that would boost their presence in a market.

This is more like last week someone suddenly realized, “OH SHIT, WE FORGOT ABOUT THE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT” and then called around to see what was available.

Indiana’s stadium will hold 2,500 fans - 4,000 with temporary bleachers. The press box will hold 12 people, which means it will be consumed by Nebraska, as will the stadium most likely.

Diaco raves about Riley, tradition of Blackshirts - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site

“Keep the points down. That’s it,” Diaco said. “To me, you design everything as it relates to points. I think there’s this defensive coordinator conversation about what you have to do in a game. A guy will sit here and say, ‘We’ve got to stop the run!’ or ‘We’ve got to take the football away!’ But really what we’re doing is we need to keep the points down.”

There’s more about Bob Diaco here – more real information than was in the interview with Greg Sharpe but that’s the difference between a written interview and a audio interview – normally the writer of the written interval wants to take your words and think you sound better words the audio guys don’t have a lot of options if you’re doing things live.

Diaco’s point that scoring defense is very important should go without saying. He also talks in the interview about limiting explosive plays.

Q&A With Corn Nation On Nebraska Basketball - On the Banks

We went directly to the source to find out more on the next opponent for Rutgers basketball.

What Craig Bohl learned from Tom Osborne about recruiting and walk-ons

“It’s important to identify the right prospects,” Bohl said. “I was walking down the hall late in Coach Osborne’s career, and he said, ‘You know, Craig, I’ve found through the years that the guys I used to beg to come to Nebraska never end up playing. And the ones that really wanted to be there ended up playing. Finally, I came to the conclusion to look them in the eye, tell them what we’re going to do, and then see if it’s what we’re looking for.’

Other Stuff

12 college football coaches who'll enter 2017 on the hot seat | FOX Sports

Notre Dame went 4-8 in 2016.

Inside College Football: 'General managers' now more prevalent at major programs - CBSSports.com

Coaches still run the show, but off-field staffers are growing more important and powerful by the year

AT HOME WITH A BIG TEN REFEREE - Every Day Should Be Saturday

A SLICE OF OFFSEASON LIFE

This is excellent. This is one of those that I wish I’d come up with.

Hoosiers, Suckers, Badgers, and Wolverines – Lingua Franca - Blogs - The Chronicle of Higher Education

The really big news from Washington came a week or so ago, when the U.S. Government Publishing Office announced that it has finally adopted Hoosier as the official name for folks from Indiana.

Ex-Indiana WR tries to find peace after concussions ended football career | SI.com

As he waited for a hospital visit he knew would bring little relief, Booth’s thoughts took a turn. Before the concussions, he’d been a mild-mannered, bright kid, a close-to-straight-A student on his school’s advanced track. But since, his outlook has darkened. His self-assurance wavers, and that day, it was at its worst. “I really just felt like I’d be better off if I died,” he recalls tearfully in Lyles’s kitchen two days later. “That’s the first time I really thought about that. My friends and family wouldn't hurt no more, and my future kids wouldn't have problems."

Excellent story as well. I wish that some of these stories about concussions would at least have some information about treatments, and what people can do to fix themselves, but they never do.

That’s what we’re going to look at during this offseason.

Miguel Ferrer Dead: 'NCIS: Los Angeles' Actor Was 61 | Hollywood Reporter

Miguel Ferrer, best known for starring as Owen Granger on NCIS: Los Angeles, died Thursday of cancer. He was 61.

This guy was an excellent actor. Not incredibly famous, just damned good.