Fwd: Re: [Husker] Source of Tom Osborne's stature [was: Birkel]

[Bob Beach]

On 2/22/2005 at 7:41 AM Theodore Heise <theo at heise.nu> wrote:

>>I don't think the wins had anything to do with TO being viewed as
>>upright.  Dick Karre was right on target in saying both the wins and
>>the character of the man contributed to TO's reputation, and I think
>>both applied to TO being great and glorious.




     You are right in the sense an upright person is an upright person because that is the way they are.  And, TO was just that.  But, he wasn't perfect as I sometimes feel is the attitude from some quarters.  It is almost like TO can do no wrong and if he did something it was for the right reasons and if he said it then it was truth on every occasion in all situations all of the time.  I understand that both components of TO, winning and uprightness, compose the person.  And, it was wonderful he was the man he was.  It is also easy to say things because we know TO's total track record as a coach.  I would guess, though, the lions share of fans would take a winning coach with not so perfect character any day of the week over a coach with exemplary character that had a losing record and showed no signs of improving on the record.  The same with TO.  While his character and winning made up the person people would have taken less character way before they would have taken less wins.  That was my original point here.  TO was only human and he knew what it took for him to keep his job and it wasn't character.  Again, that doesn't mean there weren't more important things in his life than winning.  There are more important things in my life than my job, too.  But, I also know what I have to do to keep my job.  


Bob Beach
The more one knows the more one realizes how much there is one doesn't know.