JP tells it like it is

[SoFL Husker]

then one could say that Diaco and play calling made the DL better. I am just messing around. I think Parella is good coach, but as you can see, Nebraska fan is quick to defend him and blame scheme, but they will blame Cav for OL play, when maybe he is just doing what DL/MR say.

It would be interesting to get Parella's view on the subject. He can never disclose, but does he think his boss is a P*((^? I can't see Smilin Mike get real threatening, would probably be laughable. Whereas TO and McBride could put some real scare into their team, with RedHead going Ginger on their asses.

This is the issue. Passion is a real component of good football and you guys can downplay it's significance, look at "film study" and all that other happy horseshite, but when it comes down to it football is about kicking the guy's *** in front of you. End of story.

 

[SoFL Husker]

I'll be interested in JP's take if/when Frost is hired, and Frost doesn't immediately reinstall "the old days".

What little I can find of Frost and how he runs practice sounds like a good chunk of it is similar to what we say now.

You got his players saying things like he's all about the team, but practice is fun and high energy, and he wants you to be an individual. About how great of a "modern style coach" Frost is.

Obviously Frost and staff put out good sound bites about wanting to play fast and physical and with good effort, but so does pretty much every staff.

There's not a lot of evidence that "welcome to boot, Spartan" is the order of the day in a Frost regime.

Obviously he's doing something right in scheme and in practice as he's got that team playing well, but I don't know that I'd be expecting a whole "blood bath" type of vibe to be emanating from Lincoln next year if Frost is hired.

Translation..."fun and high energy" = preparing to kick someone's *** on Saturday. GBR

 

[redwine65]

parnella needs to call charlie mcbride, about 4 men on the line. ( I think ohio states qb has time to text friends and family back there)
brey need to contact kevin steel bout blitzing and tackleing. not just touching a rb.
and willaims need to contact darlington about man on man and tackleing.

then them 3 areas are cleaned up.

 

[RealTucoSalamanca]

It would be interesting to get Parella's view on the subject. He can never disclose, but does he think his boss is a P*((^? I can't see Smilin Mike get real threatening, would probably be laughable. Whereas TO and McBride could put some real scare into their team, with RedHead going Ginger on their asses.

This is the issue. Passion is a real component of good football and you guys can downplay it's significance, look at "film study" and all that other happy horseshite, but when it comes down to it football is about kicking the guy's *** in front of you. End of story.

So where is the player responsibility in passion? I can agree that you can develop toughness, and you can develop culture and competiveness. But passion is from within.

If I didn't have a passion to be a special forces op I would never have made it through all the training required. The instructors all had different techniques, but those guys weren't there to get me passionate about jumping out of airplanes or anything else.

 

[jflores]

So where is the player responsibility in passion? I can agree that you can develop toughness, and you can develop culture and competiveness. But passion is from within.

If I didn't have a passion to be a special forces op I would never have made it through all the training required. The instructors all had different techniques, but those guys weren't there to get me passionate about jumping out of airplanes or anything else.

I think folks on the outside of some of the elite organizations tend to overvalue the value of "being a loud muther f'er".

Generally that is not enough, it might only be the hard candy shell that covers the real true skill/trait of a given individual.

 

[mgbreeze]

Did you all enjoy JP as a player? Everyone who kicked over the recliner and head butted the dog in celebration back in JP's heyday because you EFFING LOVED the guy --- you know this is who he is. These are the same qualities that made him one of our best DL's ever. Because he had a huge motor and because he's half nuts. So now you expect him to have a calm discussion about which front to run? No. He truly believes that heart, effort and work are the keys to success. That's all I saw him saying.

 

[RealTucoSalamanca]

Did you all enjoy JP as a player? Everyone who kicked over the recliner and head butted the dog in celebration back in JP's heyday because you EFFING LOVED the guy --- you know this is who he is. These are the same qualities that made him one of our best DL's ever. Because he had a huge motor and because he's half nuts. So now you expect him to have a calm discussion about which front to run? No. He truly believes that heart, effort and work are the keys to success. That's all I saw him saying.

When we have reunions be it for high school, college or military, people mature and grow up. Most don't act the same way at 40 as they did at 22.

 

[Headcard]

Did you all enjoy JP as a player? Everyone who kicked over the recliner and head butted the dog in celebration back in JP's heyday because you EFFING LOVED the guy --- you know this is who he is. These are the same qualities that made him one of our best DL's ever. Because he had a huge motor and because he's half nuts. So now you expect him to have a calm discussion about which front to run? No. He truly believes that heart, effort and work are the keys to success. That's all I saw him saying.

But that's not what he said. That's what other, sane people, have said, but not JP. And, yes, I do expect former players to eventually grow up, be adults and learn to how to appropriately speak and act in public.

 

[jflores]

When we have reunions be it for high school, college or military, people mature and grow up. Most don't act the same way at 40 as they did at 22.

I believe the Jet was showing how its done. He managed to have a controversial opinion stated publically without making a fool of himself.

And that guy has a record.

 

[Headcard]

I believe the Jet was showing how its done. He managed to have a controversial opinion stated publically without making a fool of himself.

And that guy has a record.

Yes, a bunch of players on both sides of the fence have managed to share their opinion like adults. The Jet, Matt Davison, Adam Carriker, Bryan Wilson, Jay Foreman, Damon Benning. The list goes on and on.

 

[jflores]

Yes, a bunch of players on both sides of the fence have managed to share their opinion like adults. The Jet, Matt Davison, Adam Carriker, Bryan Wilson, Jay Foreman, Damon Benning. The list goes on and on.

In fairness Bryan Wilson has horrific spelling. His tweets are ugly.

 

[Headcard]

In fairness Bryan Wilson has horrific spelling. His tweets are ugly.

Brutal, even by twitter standards.

 

[anon_umk0ifu6vj6zi]

I think Parella is stuck with whatever Diaco wants. I don't think coaching the DL is rocket science and Parella could adjust just fine to whatever a new DC would want. Our D line looked a WHOLE bunch better against Purdue in that 4th qtr when Diaco turned the D loose to get stops. FINALLY we had some 5 man rushes and DBs playing up on their guys.

Go watch again. His guys were not doing anything besides getting blocked. On their last 1st down conversion it was laughable that some would call it "effort"

 

[anon_umk0ifu6vj6zi]

So the 3 DL played better when you sent 2 LBs as well? Just kidding

Nevermind we were in a 4 man down front the majority of the game. Must need 5 or 6 down for them to have a chance?

 

[FrostTroll]

So are people mad at the core concept/beliefs of what he said or how he did it publicly and filled with profanity and personal attacks? if the profanity wasnt there would the personal attacks bother you?

To me this doesnt bother me at all.

 

[anon_umk0ifu6vj6zi]

I think Parella is stuck with whatever Diaco wants. I don't think coaching the DL is rocket science and Parella could adjust just fine to whatever a new DC would want. Our D line looked a WHOLE bunch better against Purdue in that 4th qtr when Diaco turned the D loose to get stops. FINALLY we had some 5 man rushes and DBs playing up on their guys.

Ahhh yes... the old "Parrellas guys do nothing because that is what they are told to do and he does not have the sack to do any different" EXCUSE. But alas, the "no excuses" mantra does not apply to him (only every other coach)

 

[Hoosker Du]

Calling out Williams is idiotic.

Bull f'ing sh*t it is!! It's exactly what people should be saying!! And people want to keep Williams because of his recruiting prowess??? GMAFB!! The guy's players are spinning in circles back there!! Thankfully this garbage will be done soon enough..

 

[steelclaw_rivals321686]

Bull f'ing sh*t it is!! It's exactly what people should be saying!! And people want to keep Williams because of his recruiting prowess??? GMAFB!! The guy's players are spinning in circles back there!! Thankfully this garbage will be done soon enough..

I want Riley gone but JP is idiotic and will moan about every staff we have from here on out. He can go F himself.

 

[Hoosker Du]

I said a few weeks ago that I think JP is an ***. I caught some polite flak for that stance. And I can understand why many frustrated fans are heartened by his outspoken criticism of the current state of our program. I share his deep disgust for the fall of our once great program.

But... I stand by my original assessment. The guy has become a gas bag. It is totally irrelevant what a coach wears at practice. So he likes to look spiffy? So what? What does that have to do with his coaching ability? Would you rather have ol' piss pants back? Criticize him for the product he has put on the field. Leave his manner of dress out of it. Because it actually robs JP's argument of credibility since he just comes across as having a personal animus against the coach, rather than a reasoned argument. Give me X's and O's and a clear analysis JP, not nonsense.

Bear Bryant always wore a tweed jacket and hat. Vince Lombardi often coached in a suit and tie, as did Hank Stram and Tom Landry (who also had his trademark fedora). Were these guys bad coaches?

These coaches may not have our program where we want it right now but they are, as far as I can tell, honorable men who are working hard. They deserve our respect even as we criticize their results. JP is thus the poster boy for that kind of gas bag fan that isn't satisfied with these guys getting fired. They also want them shamed and vilified as they head out the door.

"Through these gates...". Whatever

He shouldn't attack his appearance, but if a coach puts a garbage unit on the field, he should be prepared to get lambasted, IMO. And Williams's has put a pretty poor product on the field.

 

[Hoosker Du]

I want Riley gone but JP is idiotic and will moan about every staff we have from here on out. He can go F himself.

I have no problem with him saying what he is saying. It's the truth, and yet another case of a great recruiter not being a good coach. And see where it gets us...watching our defensive backfield get blown up every weekend.

 

[SoFL Husker]

So where is the player responsibility in passion? I can agree that you can develop toughness, and you can develop culture and competiveness. But passion is from within.

If I didn't have a passion to be a special forces op I would never have made it through all the training required. The instructors all had different techniques, but those guys weren't there to get me passionate about jumping out of airplanes or anything else.

In CFB, passion is the indefinable quality in a player that does his job up to his utmost ability, win or lose, without making mental mistakes playing fundamentally sound football with gusto.

As opposed to the team I see half-assing it around the field relying on "technique" and "film study" commentary as excuses for getting their asses handed to them by the opponent.

It is inner-drive that makes guys like JP kill themselves in the gym during the off-season and crush opponents at gametime. Passion is puking during wind sprints and working 14 days straight to get a project done for work. It is performing up to the best of your potential.

 

[Hoosker Du]

I want Riley gone but JP is idiotic and will moan about every staff we have from here on out. He can go F himself.

No he won't. He'll ***** and moan as much as the defense continues to perform poorly. He and his teammates played with emotion. They put their heart and soul into it. And he expects everyone that puts on the uniform (both coaches and players) to do the same thing. I don't have a problem with that at all.

 

[Hoosker Du]

So where is the player responsibility in passion? I can agree that you can develop toughness, and you can develop culture and competiveness. But passion is from within.

If I didn't have a passion to be a special forces op I would never have made it through all the training required. The instructors all had different techniques, but those guys weren't there to get me passionate about jumping out of airplanes or anything else.

I think if you don't have passion on the football field, then you need a coach that will drill you and chew your ***...until you learn to have passion. And if you don't learn it, then you get your scholie pulled. That's why I can't stand the idea of 4 year scholarships. They have created dead weight.

 

[Wasker77]

JP doesn’t like the swag aspect. The thing is, the kids today do whether we like it or not. One of the first things Frost did at CFU was contact Phil Knight to make flashy uniforms and “swag” for them. I wonder if JP knows that.

The kids like swag, but do they care how their coaches dress?

 

[gw2kpro]

JP needs to grow up.

Actual adults can, and do, express exactly the kinds of things he is talking about -- on a daily basis -- without publicly getting personal and carrying on like a child who just learned his first bad word.

 

[Skerz4Life50]

I have no problem with him saying what he is saying. It's the truth, and yet another case of a great recruiter not being a good coach. And see where it gets us...watching our defensive backfield get blown up every weekend.

I've watched our dline get pushed around and blown back for weeks, months, years. There has been no comment by JP on them. And that is, you know, the position he actually played. Why not call out something he knows and experienced? Why single out the backfield as a problem? And further why single our our db coach and not the dc, you know the guy in charge of it all? I'm not giving any of the defensive coaches any slack, but where he points his finger makes no sense and has no positive impact at all

 

[Hoosker Du]

As much as I like Mike Riley (although some people on here will delete part of my comments to support their argument), I truly think he has created a soft culture in Lincoln. You could see it in Mark Banker's "Blood Bath" comment after the Iowa game. You can see it in Mike Cavanaugh's OLine technique. And you can see it in our defensive pass coverage.

Wisconsin's DBs beat the crap out of opposing WRs. They push the rules each and every play. They blanket receivers with very physical coverage and make no bones about what they are going to do, every game. Meanwhile we are always playing catch up in our defensive backfield, with our DBs trying to catch up to receivers to hopefully knock a ball away. Wisconsin's DBs play with a confidence that they aren't going to get beat. It's like night and day.

 

[Hoosker Du]

I've watched our dline get pushed around and blown back for weeks, months, years. There has been no comment by JP on them. And that is, you know, the position he actually played. Why not call out something he knows and experienced? Why single out the backfield as a problem? And further why single our our db coach and not the dc, you know the guy in charge of it all? I'm not giving any of the defensive coaches any slack, but where he points his finger makes no sense and has no positive impact at all

He's holding back, because he probably has a relationship with JP. They are both members of the NFL DLine fraternity. I don't agree with him speaking with selective criticism either, but it is what it is.

 

[RealTucoSalamanca]

In CFB, passion is the indefinable quality in a player that does his job up to his utmost ability, win or lose, without making mental mistakes playing fundamentally sound football with gusto.

As opposed to the team I see half-assing it around the field relying on "technique" and "film study" commentary as excuses for getting their asses handed to them by the opponent.

It is inner-drive that makes guys like JP kill themselves in the gym during the off-season and crush opponents at gametime. Passion is puking during wind sprints and working 14 days straight to get a project done for work. It is performing up to the best of your potential.

And if he were playing at Nebraska today would he be different internally because Riley is the coach?

 

[Hoosker Du]

JP needs to grow up.

Actual adults can, and do, express exactly the kinds of things he is talking about -- on a daily basis -- without publicly getting personal and carrying on like a child who just learned his first bad word.

And many adult college and pro football players express things exactly as JP expresses them. This is football, not a business meeting. You're always going to have emotional guys letting loose when they're talking football.

 

[gw2kpro]

And many adult college and pro football players express things exactly as JP expresses them.

Of course they do. Behind closed doors. In a team meeting. With the guys you're playing with and are accountable to, and who can respond in kind.

Not from behind a microphone going after a coach who is part of the problem but in no way the root cause.

There is a huge difference.

 

[RealTucoSalamanca]

I think if you don't have passion on the football field, then you need a coach that will drill you and chew your ***...until you learn to have passion. And if you don't learn it, then you get your scholie pulled. That's why I can't stand the idea of 4 year scholarships. They have created dead weight.

You don’t learn passion from someone else. That is my point. No amount of drilling and *** chewing is going to develop passion. The number of people that cycle out of the military training I had is huge. No amount of *** chewing or additional drilling was going to make one of those that cycled out more passionate. Better? yes, more competitive? maybe, tougher? Certainly. But if you don’t have the want and desire to do more than the minimum that’s on you to fix.

I agree four year guaranteed scholarships are bad for college football. But they aren’t going away. The Big Ten is cracking down on cycling players out if they aren’t performing on the field. That is a barrier Jason Peter and Tom Osborne never had to deal with.

 

[NorthWillRiseAgain]

That's fine. Some don't like him.
At least he's willing to say things that others keep to themselves.
When JP gives up on this program we will know it's over.

This is the biggest issue in this country right now, people speaking before they think. It's the social media era in full bloom. That is NOT a positive, and actually immature.

 

[Hoosker Du]

You don’t learn passion from someone else. That is my point. No amount of drilling and *** chewing is going to develop passion. The number of people that cycle out of the military training I had is huge. No amount of *** chewing or additional drilling was going to make one of those that cycled out more passionate. Better? yes, more competitive? maybe, tougher? Certainly. But if you don’t have the want and desire to do more than the minimum that’s on you to fix.

I agree four year guaranteed scholarships are bad for college football. But they aren’t going away. The Big Ten is cracking down on cycling players out if they aren’t performing on the field. That is a barrier Jason Peter and Tom Osborne never had to deal with.

Passion may be intrinsic, but having a guy next to you threatening to take your first born has a way of creating something similar to passion. Maybe more so self-preservation.

And that is what those teams of the 90s had. We all remember the stories of the Peter(s) brothers and Wistrom holding everyone accountable for what they did in practice each day. And if they didn't hold up their end of the deal, they would be dealt with harshly. Was that initiated by Mcbride and the staff, or was it initiated by the guys on the field? I would say probably a little of both.

 

[SoFL Husker]

And if he were playing at Nebraska today would he be different internally because Riley is the coach?

Probably. None of these guys look conditioned properly to me. I used to attend Husker Power Club exhibits in the 80s and 90s. Those guys put on a show. Rathman came back from SF and broke straps on a sled. Keith Jones ran the fastest, most powerful looking 40 I ever saw live. Guys were benching 500lbs and squatting 700lbs+ without those ridiculous looking safety bars that impede stabilization and development. Russian plyos.

Look, the talent level was a lot better too, but trust me, these guys on this football team DO NOT come close to the passion exhibited by former players in the Tradition Coalition.

 

[Skerz4Life50]

Probably. None of these guys look conditioned properly to me. I used to attend Husker Power Club exhibits in the 80s and 90s. Those guys put on a show. Rathman came back from SF and broke straps on a sled. Keith Jones ran the fastest, most powerful looking 40 I ever saw live. Guys were benching 500lbs and squatting 700lbs+ without those ridiculous looking safety bars that impede stabilization and development. Russian plyos.

Look, the talent level was a lot better too, but trust me, these guys on this football team DO NOT come close to the passion exhibited by former players in the Tradition Coalition.

Steroids are funny that way. They increase strength and give a false sense of 'passion'. Winking

 

[FrostTroll]

This feels like a political discussion more than a football discussion.

 

[Hoosker Du]

Of course they do. Behind closed doors. In a team meeting. With the guys you're playing with and are accountable to, and who can respond in kind.

Not from behind a microphone going after a coach who is part of the problem but in no way the root cause.

There is a huge difference.

How do you know he isn't the root cause? How do you know he isn't teaching poor fundamentals. I've seen our DBs playing the ball on many occasions, and that is poor fundamentals. Is it being supported by Diaco? Who knows. In the end it doesn't matter.

This is no different than any other program. If your program sucks, people are going to publicly criticize. If they don't like it, then improve.

 

[SoFL Husker]

Steroids are funny that way. They increase strength and give a false sense of 'passion'. Winking

Lol. Passion can be a combination of things.

Tuco has passion, he just doesn't want to admit it. I can see it in his posts. Passionate.

The vast majority of successful football players are passionate people and ready to wage war on the football field. TO and JP see it intrinsically in a player, and have my respect as former experts in the field of play. Jason may be an asshat but he is simply MOTO on this topic. GBR

 

[RealTucoSalamanca]

Probably. None of these guys look conditioned properly to me. I used to attend Husker Power Club exhibits in the 80s and 90s. Those guys put on a show. Rathman came back from SF and broke straps on a sled. Keith Jones ran the fastest, most powerful looking 40 I ever saw live. Guys were benching 500lbs and squatting 700lbs+ without those ridiculous looking safety bars that impede stabilization and development. Russian plyos.

Look, the talent level was a lot better too, but trust me, these guys on this football team DO NOT come close to the passion exhibited by former players in the Tradition Coalition.

Bull ****. Jason Peter would have been the same crass ******* regardless of who coached him. He would have had the same fire in his belly. That is who he is.

I guess we have different definitions of passion, what you are describing is more derived from accountability. Jano was a beast in the weight room, there have been plenty of others. Guys with passion and fire in their belly don't care if you are requiring them to be there or if it is voluntary, they will be there working. Making a guy show up to the weight room isn't going to make him work harder or anything else. It's just going to make him go to the weight room. That is tough thing to fix. It wasn't like Pelini's guys were tearing it up in the weight room either and he forced them to go.

There were players in the hay day that didn't work hard and didn't have passion, but they fell behind. That is the biggest difference between then and now is the fact that today, the best players don't necessarily have the best work ethic or passion. In those days the best players were typically the hardest workers. But that goes back to who is holding them accountable. Osborne's teams were player lead, Pelini ruled with an iron fist, Riley want a player lead team but as I said, unfortunately the best players aren't always the leaders and don't have the fire that Osborne's teams had. But I know for a fact Osborne didn't interfere with "day to day discipline" of showing up for workouts or who worked and who didn't. That was 100 on the players. That is what is missing. IMHO