Husker Nation is getting used to turmoil, sadly. It has gotten to the point where some of our so-called 'fans' disrespect the players and themselves so much as to sling insults during a game at our players. How de####able.
Any recent interviews with some of our players yield the same results. Sadness. Dejected. Hurt. Miserable. Hopeless. Failure. It can be seen in the body language, the speech, and inbetween the lines. These players feel like they've failed their fans. They feel like they've failed their coach. They feel the sting of failure and the pressure we've placed on them.
Realistically, who failed who?
Obviously, our coaches have failed our players. They have treated our players like NFL stars: not practicing on Mondays, too much time in film sessions instead of on the field, not practicing in full pads, and a general lack of fundamentals and physicality. Even Osborne said "we missed the boat on that one."
A coach is primarily a teacher. Any good coach will tell you it isn't about barking plays and orders. Players need taught the plays, they need taught how to tackle, how to throw a block, how to use their athletic talent. In this respect, our coaches have failed our players.
Our fans have gotten used to winning. We've taken winning for granted, and have become spoiled. We've let our expectations soar, and put enormous pressure on the program. Are we wrong in doing so? Like Matt Davison said during the Missouri game "I refuse to apologize for my expectations." But for the fans that can't control their frustration, that can only support the players while winning: To the players, I apologize.
Our fans have also let mediocrity carry on too long. Callahan went 5-6 in his first season. We chalked it up to installing new schemes. He went 8-4, we figured improvement. He went 9-5, we figured we're still ok. We failed to see that both 8-4 and 9-5, and failing to finish a season ranked is pretty mediocre. We failed to question Pederson or Callahan early enough.
The players failed their coach? Not a chance, the coaches have failed the players. And the school, the tradition, the past players, and just about everything associated with Nebraska football.
The players failed the fans? Absolutely not, if anything, we have failed them by letting the insults ring louder than our cheers. By not silencing those voices in the stands criticizing the players. By letting the pieces stay in place long enough to fail them. I feel so very bad and so very sorry for those players. That it has come to this. Certainly they want to win as bad as we want them to. They don't want remembered as the worst Huskers team in history any more than what we want them to. But they will. They have my sympathy, my apologies, and my undying support. There are better times ahead. There will be a day when our sea of red will make opponents tremble. When our battle cry will once again put fear in their hearts.
