Monday, April 17, 2006
Spring Fling
LINCOLN -- No matter how you slice it, it's difficult to get too excited about spring football games.
If the Red and White teams are divided evenly or the coaches would elect to play No. 1s against No. 1s and No. 2s vs. No. 2s, you often end up in a virtual stalemate situation. Those affairs are typically low-scoring -- and not so impressive to the nearly 60,000 fans and 80-some recruits who came to Memorial Stadium expecting to see a show.
So with coach Bill Callahan, Nebraska's spring game offers the other option: Varsity against the JV. Sure, at least one team looks "pretty," but it holds all the drama that many of you may recall playing as freshmen or sophomores during their high school's soap scrimmage the Friday night before the season opener. With that in mind, it makes it difficult to judge performances by the front-line players.
But Callahan seems to prefer it that way. His philosophy: With only 15 spring practices -- including the spring game -- building confidence and continuity for the No. 1 units is more important than dividing the teams in a way that would probably make for a less lopsided game.
That's certainly Callahan's right. However, we can thank goodness for a running clock in the second half. It was the best decision of the day.
If the Red and White teams are divided evenly or the coaches would elect to play No. 1s against No. 1s and No. 2s vs. No. 2s, you often end up in a virtual stalemate situation. Those affairs are typically low-scoring -- and not so impressive to the nearly 60,000 fans and 80-some recruits who came to Memorial Stadium expecting to see a show.
So with coach Bill Callahan, Nebraska's spring game offers the other option: Varsity against the JV. Sure, at least one team looks "pretty," but it holds all the drama that many of you may recall playing as freshmen or sophomores during their high school's soap scrimmage the Friday night before the season opener. With that in mind, it makes it difficult to judge performances by the front-line players.
But Callahan seems to prefer it that way. His philosophy: With only 15 spring practices -- including the spring game -- building confidence and continuity for the No. 1 units is more important than dividing the teams in a way that would probably make for a less lopsided game.
That's certainly Callahan's right. However, we can thank goodness for a running clock in the second half. It was the best decision of the day.
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Thanks a lot, Terry. The leopard doesn't change its spots. You're still the "glass is half empty" kind of guy.
It seems to me there is more material for you to work with the Spring game than the clock.
As for "it's difficult to get too excited about spring football games", I would say speak for yourself. For a Nebraska football sports writer, statements like this leave me to believe you really don't "get it". They sold out the stadium, Terry.
I can't really tell from your blog what your point is. Do I assume you think it would have been better to pit 1s vs. 1s and 2s vs. 2s for the Spring game? Or would you prefer to make it REAL interesting and have a coaches pre-game draft with Coach Callahan in the broadcast booth with Jim Rose?
I always like to give a person the benefit of the doubt but I'm still waiting to see any signs of respect or admiration from you toward Nebraska's current coaching staff and philosophy.
As for "it's difficult to get too excited about spring football games", I would say speak for yourself. For a Nebraska football sports writer, statements like this leave me to believe you really don't "get it". They sold out the stadium, Terry.
I can't really tell from your blog what your point is. Do I assume you think it would have been better to pit 1s vs. 1s and 2s vs. 2s for the Spring game? Or would you prefer to make it REAL interesting and have a coaches pre-game draft with Coach Callahan in the broadcast booth with Jim Rose?
I always like to give a person the benefit of the doubt but I'm still waiting to see any signs of respect or admiration from you toward Nebraska's current coaching staff and philosophy.
Maybe you should have attended the OHIO scrimmage with your buddy "Frank the Tank" Solich, I'm sure you would have enjoyed that more. I know you have much more knowledge than coach Callahan and you should give him a call and tell him how to run his Spring practices. He did impress coach Gruden with his philosophy regarding spring practices and how well the practices were run. Gruden said he is going to have to get back and work on his practices to catch up to Callahan's practices. But I am sure your vast insight would be appreciated by coach Callahan, give him a call. I'm a husker fan in husker territory and I prefer to read positive stories other than your bag of downer articles. The national media takes care ripping us whenever they can, we don't need our local writers bashing on us as well.
Couldn't agree more Terry. The spring game is nothing but a joke. Heck Joe Dailey looked good in the Spring Game and everyone thinks he is terrible. It's all for recruiting and that is going down fast. First were like fifth in the nation, then 20th last year. This year we will be lucky to be in top 20.
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