Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini said while he appreciates the team's loyal and passionate Husker fans, but does not think that fans should voice their displeasure by booing.
Pelini spoke for about an hour on Sports Nightly, which is a sports talk program that is aired on the Husker Radio Network Thursday. Pelini answered several questions from fans during the show. One caller brought up the boos that were heard on a couple of different occasions from the Memorial Stadium crowd during the second quarter of Nebraska’s 34-27 comeback win over Ohio State. The Huskers rallied from a 27-6 deficit midway through the third quarter. Nebraska has a bye and will return to action on Oct. 22 at Minnesota.
Pelini’s take…
“We have loyal, passionate fans that have invested a lot in this program," Pelini said. "I have great respect for this fan base, the support they give, how they travel, all the things that they do. I know they want to win badly, but I’ve just got to remind them all that we want to win just as bad. Bottom line is, I just simply don’t believe that there’s any place for booing in a college stadium. Some fans may disagree with that, but that’s something I feel strongly about.”
Pelini also addressed the season-ending injury to defensive tackle Jared Crick (torn pectoral muscle). Pelini said that crick should be healed in time for the NFL combine in February.
Back to the booing of fans. As someone who has covered sports at every level from high school to the NFL either as a blogger or mainstream media member, I certainly have my take. In pro sports, booing is definitely justified because you are talking about paid professionals. In high school or younger, booing has no place at all.
In college, however, I find booing to be a grey area. Despite what some people might say, they are not "kids." They are old enough to vote and go to war. Plus, they are getting an opportunity that many 20-year old former high school sports stars would love to have. Therefore they need to be held to a higher standard. However, the NCAA has got to be one of the most hypocritical organizations on the planet. The student-athletes make money hand over fist for the university yet they don't benefit from it.
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