[Husker] The Irresponsible Rush to "Bury Barry"

[jonlists]

A few things: 

- I'd give Barry Collier more than one more year. I don't think anyone has 
a chance at Nebraska unless they're around for the very long term, the 
talent level is improving, not because a bunch of guys suddenly decided to 
start coming here, but because of Barry. 

- Why don't we start a "fire Tom Shatel" movement? "firetomshatel.com" is 
available as a domain, ya know. 

After the OSU win, I posted that the future was never more evident. This 
had to do with the fact that when McCray and Maric play well, we win. When 
they don't, we don't necessarily lose, but the guys that are more 
experienced that should be stepping up and taking over aren't - at least 
consistently. 

The women got mashed last night by #17 KSU. Ouch. 

Jon Johnston
Creative Business Solutions
IBM,Microsoft, Novell/Suse, Sophos Consultants
http://www.cbsol.com
952-544-1108 
Blog: http://bingo.cbsol.com

husker-bounces at tssi.com wrote on 02/23/2005 11:43:57 PM:

> The easy thing to do is hop on the "Bury Barry" bandwagon ... however, 
> there's not much room left.  Five weeks ago, I thought Barry 
> Collier's job here was 
> safe.  Now I'm NOT so sure.  The bandwagon is gaining momentum on a 
daily 
> basis.  But the piling on and superficial sniping by some of the 
knee-jerk, 
> flavor-of-the-week crowd is starting to get to me.
> 
> If someone were to ask me "should Barry be fired?" ... I'd have to admit 
I 
> can see both sides.  But I'm leaning about 70-30 that he SHOULD be given 
one 
> more year.  Nobody's been more specifically critical of him on this 
> list than me 
> (come to think of it, nobody's probably defended him as much, either). 
But 
> you've NEVER heard me come close to saying he should be axed.
> 
> I know the record.  I know the frustration.  I know about how he sathis 
star 
> freshman for basically all of the second half of the KU game -- I won't 
> defend it.  But I also know what the program was like when he took 
> it over.  Fire 
> him and who are you gonna' get who's going to wave a magic wand over the 

> Devaney Center and make it all better?  No, he hasn't done what he 
> needs to do ... 
> not yet.  Maybe he won't.
> 
> But I also remember the old baseball axiom that goes "sometimes, the 
best 
> trades are the ones that you DON'T make."  You'll find some K-State 
> fans who wish 
> they wouldn't have tried to run Dana Altman out of town years ago.
> 
> We lose four seniors off this year's team, but next year we'll have more 

> overall talent.  I heard some idiot on some talking-head show say today 
that 
> "nobody's seen these incoming players play."  Yes, we have and they 
> ARE legit (I'll 
> guarantee you that Pedersen and Boehm have seen them play!).  Nobody's 
> questioning whether or not McCray and Maric are ready-for-prime-time
> Big XII players 
> now, and these new guys are supposed to be in their talent class.  I 
say, 
> bring it on! 
> 
> There's a major change coming next year.  The new guys take over.  Next 
year, 
> Joe McCray and Aleks Maric are, all of a sudden, the cornerstones of 
your 
> team.  It's THEIR team (and they've shown enough of a collective nasty, 
> get-after-it, only-the-strong-survive mentality to make me think 
> that they definitely 
> "get it.").
> 
> Eddie Sutton is as good as it gets.  Last night he said that he didn't 
think 
> Collier initially understood the level of talent needed to compete in 
this 
> league.  He also said that it's evident that the talent is getting 
> better at NU 
> and that "these people" need to cut him some slack.  Of course, 
> fellow coaches 
> are going to be supportive, but it also segues into a rant about what an 

> irresponsible "journalist" Tom Shatel is.
> 
> Is he (Shatel) aware that he's the sports columnist for the largest 
newspaper 
> in this state?  He's talking about somebody's job here and he was WAY 
TOO 
> QUICK to fire off that column.  I know about selling newspapers, so 
> please don't 
> go there.  But he's also in a position where he can help incite 
> and/or sustain 
> the witch-hunt mentality and he's chosen to do just that.  I thought it 
was 
> in poor taste.  It was WAY TOO QUICK ... irresponsible?  I think so.  At 
the 
> least, it was very premature.  If you have to run it, why not run 
itafter the 
> season's over?  I know ... the rush to be first!  I know he's a 
> columnist, not 
> a reporter -- and I know the difference.  But the number one rule in 
> journalism is "don't become the story!"  Congrats, Shatel.  They 
> were laughing at you 
> on ESPN last night and Eddie Sutton thinks you're an idiot.
> 
> Shatel mentioned that the incoming players were legit but questioned 
whether 
> or not Barry was "the right guy to coach them?"  If Barry's gone, 
> that's a big 
> assumption to think these new players will stick around for the 
duration.  I 
> think they (Harris, White, Walker, Marks, etc.) have signed and are 
committed 
> for next year.  One scenario is to keep Barry for another year, and say 
> good-bye if he doesn't make the leap NEXT YEAR.  At least that would
> make it tougher 
> for these newcomers to leave, I would think. 
> 
> My bottom line:  I want to see these new kids in Husker uniforms and if 
it 
> means keeping Barry for another year, if for no other reason, THEN 
> YOU DO IT. 
> Disagree?  Fine.  But tell me what you have in mind and how you're 
> realistically going to resuscitate the program?
> 
> And as far as Shatel is concerned?  What a tower-sitting, pot-shot 
sniper! 
> I've waited for a while now for the talent level to improve like it has 
over 
> the past two years.  I'm ready to stick it out another year.  This 
talent is 
> what I've been waiting to watch.  I'm totally offended by some J-
> School hack from 
> Missouri firing off an "oh, just fire him" piece of drivel relating to 
> something I care about.
> 
> Thanks for the therapy session, fellow listers.
> 
> Dave Norris
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