[Husker] A Bob Devaney Story

[Steve Stone]

Gary Fead wrote:

> Since someone mentioned Bob Devaney I have a story....which I've hardly  
> ever talked about (especially in public until now) honest to God I'll  
> never forget this either....
> Back in 1993 when the University was getting ready to transition from  
> Coach Devaney to Bill Byrne as the A.D. I commented to someone (and it  
> may have been in print I don't recall now) that it perhaps was time to  
> make the change and bring in someone from outside the program and that  
> Coach Devaney could step into the background gracefully and always be  
> welcome in the Athletic Department. You'll recall that there was quite a  
> split over who should be the A.D. after Devaney, some wanted Al Papik,  
> while others wanted a national search for an outsider and a younger  
> person as well.
> Well much to my surprise and actual dismay one day the phone rang in my  
> office and much to my surprise it was none other than Bob Devaney  
> himself. To say he was upset with me for supporting an outsider (in this  
> case Bill Byrne, who I honestly think was a terrific A.D.) would be the  
> understatement of the year. I was first shocked that he called me and  
> second stunned by the verbal tongue lashing I received. I had obviously  
> upset the Irishman and he cussed me out big time for my comments  
> supoprting Bill over Al Papik.
> After the call was over I probably sat in my office for 20 or so minutes  
> in stunned silence trying to figure out what had just happened and why I  
> deserved to be on the receiving end of Coach Devaney's wrath. I never  
> did totally figure it out. Now for those of you who don't know me that  
> well I was heavily involved in the media in Omaha at that time and was  
> also doing some part time work on the Big Eight's syndicated basketball  
> television package, so I became fairly well known around the Athletic  
> Deparment. So I'm guessing that my comments along with being around the  
> campus so much is what landed me on his bad side in that situation.



Irish is Irish.

And Italian is Italian!

Many of you are probably too young to recall a certain television  
commercial from a bygone era in which a none-too-slim Italian fellow  
samples a commercial-brand spaghetti sauce and exclaims, “Mamma mia! Now  
THAT’S Italian.”

When I see BP getting up a head of steam, I can’t help thinking, “Mamma  
mia! Now THAT’S Italian” - - possibly a trifle too spicy for us bland-food  
midwesterners - - but delicious!

Steve Stone