By Ryan Donohue
- Less Us vs. Media/Fans and More Us vs. The Opponents
There’s been far too much infighting among Nebraska’s stakeholders. That includes players, coaches, fans, and the media.
Why is Bo taking time to acknowledge the boo birds? The “us vs. the world” mentality only strengthens your enemy because it acknowledges them – they just boo louder. Also, is it truly “us” if there are players commenting to the media about team efforts? Keep that in the locker room.
Why is the media obsessing over fan reaction and issuing apologies to players? Are we too swayed by an always-on, social-media-fueled environment? Are we bored? I surmise one cause is the disorientation that comes with a new conference. We are the new kid in class, and we seem to be in the back row picking our own scabs.
It’s time to make a friend, or better yet an enemy.
If players are frustrated about how they – or others – are playing then take it out on the other team. Tackle them, knock them down, talk a little trash. Take Wisconsin’s attitude of “you don’t belong here” and turn it on its head. Use it and show every remaining opponent – including possibly Wisconsin for a second time – that Nebraska can stand up to anyone in the Big Ten.
That Nebraska is more “Big Ten” than most teams in the conference, and has been for decades. The Cornhuskers don’t have any rivalries built up yet, so Nebraska needs to dig deep for sources of motivation. Taking advantage of the root cause of what made players like Ndamukong Suh so fun to watch might benefit Nebraska greatly.
Take out aggression on the field and things fall into place. The one thing the players, coaches, fans, and even media have in common is they want Nebraska to win. Everybody loves winning. If the Nebraska family can restore the focus to beating up on the opponent instead of themselves, good things will come.
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