Sports Ramblings, Vol. 1

Note: I have decided to title this post Vol. 1 because there is a haunting feeling inside of me that I will be having a few (hundred) of these.

So, for those of you who know me, you know that there are a couple sports teams that I follow closely: Nebraska Cornhuskers Football (duh), The Chicago Cubs, and UNC basketball. Unless you have been living underneath a very thick shell, you already know that Bill Callahan was fired as head coach yesterday morning after a five-minute (ha!) meeting with Tom Osborne. I have been a supporter of his firing since the possibility arose earlier in the season, but I don't feel that I have ever been able to give an accurate portrayal of why I did. Mainly, I don't just want to be another unbiased, fair-weather husker fan. So, here we go...
I think that Callahan undoubtedly has some coaching skill in him. The Raiders somehow made it to the super bowl with him, and in the NFL, if you have a poor coach, you don't do well. Evidence? The Chargers were a 14-2 team last season under Marty Schottenheimer, and with the same players this year, but a different Coach (Norv Turner), they have slid into the middle of the league. So, though Steve Pederson shouldn't have gone after Callahan simply because he coached in the NFL, which I believe he did, Callahan does have some credibility. That being said, it has been four years since he was hired as coach, and here is how it breaks down in my viewpoint: The 'skers record was 27-22 under Callahan, and though some would see that as successful, those numbers are deceiving. First of all, playing .500 ball in college football's BCS age will NEVER cut it, and you will never make a significant bowl doing so. And, out of those 22 losses, 17 of them came in the Big 12. The huskers also had a losing record (by a wide margin) against the top 25. Callahan's simple inability to win big games is his biggest fault in my eyes. Sure he did buck husker tradition, allegedly called Tom Osborne a "crusty old fuck", and kept Cosgrove around, but If he would have been more successful in those big games, I don't think many people would be complaining, myself included. More than likely, Bill belongs in the NFL as an offensive coordinator where he would be able to run his system the way he wants it: from an obscure place on the sideline or the booth. Also, I want to make it clear that Kevin Cosgrove was higher in my "Firing Pecking Order" than Callahan, as the "Blackshirts" defense this year was visually and statistically the worst the team has ever put on the field. Who will be the next 'skers head man? I have no idea, and I won't put any dumb rumors out there, but I will just say that I hope it is a passionate dude with a respect for the Nebraska football identity, and I think TO can find that.
So, hopefully that states my case well enough for those of you that have asked me why I supported his firing. Feel free to discuss, if desired.

Cheers,
BS