Letters to the editor
Bad journalistic ethics
The article the Lincoln Journal Star recently printed on Coach Frank Solich is about the worst of journalistic ethics I have ever seen. I have learned to expect nothing good from you.
James Stuart Jr., Lincoln
Blowing smoke
Wow! A coach who played for the National Championship, coached a Heisman trophy winner, and ended this regular season 9-3 gets fired.
Do I think this year was an improvement over last year and heading in the right direction? Yes. Do I think Coach Frank Solich had a staff capable of bringing the Huskers back to greatness? Yes.
Chancellor Harvey Perlman said that the story in the paper was meant to undermine the athletic director. What? If that story never happened and Steve Pederson fired Solich out of the blue, after going 9-3, do you really think the reaction would have been more positive? I can recognize smoke when it's blown my way.
To fire a 9-3 coach and not have a replacement in mind would be crazy. So who do you have in mind? Who wants a job that 9-3 isn't good enough? If beating Colorado in Boulder will be the straw that breaks the camel's back? Remember, it took Coach Tom Osborne 22 years to win the title.
Pederson may be trying to set himself up to be the savior of Nebraska football, but in his efforts to do so, and how he went about it, he has lost credibility with me. He didn't even congratulate the team after their win in Boulder. That win must have been a disappointment for him.
If I was a hotshot coming out of high school, would I go to a school where I won't even know who will be my coach from year to year? The athletic director gave Solich one year after putting together his staff. How long do we give Pederson now that he has created a revolving door of coaches here?
John Kortum, Lincoln
Gill's light eclipsed again
People are in "shock and awe" over the recent firing of Frank Solich.
Why? Couldn't anybody see the "setup"? The wheels of change were in place for some time. Perlman, Pederson, Pelini! I got the feeling from the press conference Sunday that Steve Pederson made plans for Bo Pelini as head coach from the time Pelini was hired. Pederson will go through the motions of searching for a head coach merely for appearance's sake.
My deepest regret in all of this is Turner Gill. He doesn't have a chance. He was passed over before and unfortunately he will be again. Gill is a "bright light" for Nebraska football but he can't shine, because the moon and the sun are standing in his way. Perhaps there's a team out there that'll realize his potential and offer him the coaching job he deserves; they'd be lucky to have him.
I'm sorry to say, but Pederson and Pelini have this team sewn up, and like many others, we'll see what they can do with it. Time will tell!
Gail L. Anderson, Lincoln
Time for new blood
Yes, Frank Solich has given many years at Huskerland, but is he the best head coach? That is the question.
I think the firing is long in coming. He rode in on Tom Osborne's coat-tails and did fairly well on his recruits, but when his own recruits took over our team went downhill. Solich is responsible for not only the 7-7 record but also destroying the home win streak, the ranking in the top 15 nationally and numerous other things, including letting several teams make us look like fools.
My gripe was his play calling; he wanted to relive the days of old instead of changing with the times. We lost several games because of his play calling. In watching other teams even not ranked, I would have to say the Huskers looked bad.
New blood is needed, so I hope Steve Pederson makes the right decision for the school and not worry about the big donors or the news media. I agree with the decision, as do many more in my locality.
LeRoy Penlerick, Dixon
Headline with an attitude
The print size used for the headline, "Solich fired," in the Sunday, Nov. 30, edition of the Lincoln Journal Star depicted a bit of a "See, I told you so" attitude.
Verlon K. "Tony" Vrana, Seward
The stench of 'integrity'
Congratulations to Steve Pederson. I'll never again be able to enjoy AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" without seeing his smug face at the press conference. He talked a lot about integrity. Well, thousands of us don't adhere to his brand of "integrity."
It doesn't matter to a large faction of the Husker Nation if we win the next 10 National Championships because the way they were achieved is going to leave a bitter taste in our mouths for decades to come.
It might be his job on the chopping block this time next year. Let's hope the end is swift and sure. And reeks of integrity.
Nancy L. Johnson, Hastings
Backstabbers
The recent firing of Coach Frank Solich was a cowardly and underhanded stunt by Steve Pederson in response to pressure from Nebraska football boosters. It's a sad day when a booster can control the Nebraska football program with the almighty dollar. I for one intend to find out who these boosters are and commence a statewide boycott of their businesses. The residents of the state who hold college football so dear cannot and will not tolerate this.
I would like to see all the players boycott the bowl game and really show boosters where they can get off. This event is the most shameful disgusting act that has taken place in Nebraska college football history.
I am truly ashamed to be a Cornhusker fan and even associate myself with the thought of these backstabbing cretins. There is No Place Like Nebraska has just been changed to the song Backstabbers.
Tim Fleck, Greenwood
Bowing to money
Well, Nebraska football finally did it, joining the ranks of most of the rest of sports. The firing of Frank Solich is the absolute wrong thing to do. The NU athletic director has bowed down to the money people and lowered us to the level of our opponents.
Nebraska football is the only football that I watch, so I guess I am not a big fan, but I have stuck with them even when everybody was against Tom Osborne when he first took over and had his troubles.
A 75 percent winning record is not what Nebraska is used to, perhaps, but it certainly is not a bad record. This is a game after all and sometimes you lose. I will continue to be a Husker fan, but it will take awhile for my heart to get back into it.
Ken Hawley, Alliance
Implausible spin
Isn't it a bit far-fetched that unnamed boosters would resort to sophisticated tactics to discredit an athletic director that up to now has offended no one? This is what Chancellor Harvey Perlman would have us believe when he suggests a conspiracy was behind the Journal Star's article about Frank Solich's pending demise as football coach.
I would rather believe that the good chancellor is searching for a face-saving cover-up. He is asking us to expand our imaginations when he spins an implausible story of conspiratorial intrigue. Instead, I choose to believe there is some serious deceit being played out, and both he and Steve Pederson are part of the cast.
Ron Holscher, Ogallala
Values clarified
Let's see, the UNL administration and the athletic department are teaching Values Clarification: 1.Lying is all right; after all the government does it ("all our previous statements are inoperative"), and the newspaper does it ("we do not publish unsigned opinions"). 2.Money is important ("If you don't get rid of Solich, we'll take our ball and go home.") 3. "Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing."
May I suggest that everyone boycott NU football for one season? Donate the money you would otherwise spend for tickets, food and lodging to scholarships for worthy and needy students who want to study something besides games. Then let the athletic director sit in the ashes of the temple he is attempting to build to the gods Mammon and Big Red.
Ralph A. Ewert, Lincoln
Thank you, Pederson
Kudos to Steve Pederson for having the fortitude and the foresight to not be satisfied with what all the "play-it-safe crowd" would like to do, settle for mediocrity.
With Pederson's foresight to build facilities that are new and his smart move to get Frank Solich out of the way, the recruiting and coaching will now restore itself.
This all may take some time, so we need to be patient and support the new coaches, and especially someone who has gone out on a limb, to not settle for what out-of-staters want, that is, Nebraska to be a has-been, but we now have an athletic director that has the vision and the fortitude to not settle for second best.
I thank Pederson for striving to get this program back where it belongs. The rest of the state had better do so, too; let's get on board. Go Big Red!
Mike Flower, Corpus Christi, Texas
Knee-jerk logic
I am absolutely appalled at the logic and actions of Steve Pederson. He is now searching for someone with a "passion" to lead the team. Someone like a Steve Spurrier or Bo Pelini as opposed to Coach Frank Solich who more closely reminds you of the integrity, value and desire of Tom Osborne or a Vince Lombardi.
It's a good thing Pederson was not the athletic director during the early years of Osborne's era. If he applied the same logic and knee-jerk reaction at that time, the nation would have never known the true abilities of a coaching legend.
It seems that Pederson just simply could not wait to demonstrate his power.
Frank Vogt, Lincoln
Solich good, not great
Tom Osborne hired a coach, a good coach, not great. NU football is meant to be great. Steve Pederson is right - we aren't going to give the Big 12 to OU and UT. Solich should have taken a job in the athletic department and bowed out gracefully.
John Mlnarik, Clearwater
Double standards
Some folks seem to either have a short memory or a double standard when it comes to judging the actions of others. Not so long ago, "fans" were upset and vocal at Coach Frank Solich firing/forcing to resign several assistant coaches. I respected his decisions because along with his authority went the responsibility to make staff changes he felt were necessary.
Folks applauded the hiring of native son Steve Pederson as athletic director. Now that he is exercising his authority, people are critical of him.
I admire and respect Solich and I know that as a man of character and faith, he will move beyond this. But we can't have it both ways when it comes to exercising judgment and responsibility that go with positions of authority, especially in a tenuous arena such as college sports. Too much of society is already dysfunctional because of double or "gray" standards.
Jim L. Brown, Lincoln
Give AD job to Solich
In Nebraska, treating people right is more important than football. Let's fire Steve Pederson and hire Frank Solich as athletic director! When Solich speaks, we can trust what he says.
Darrell F. Best, Lincoln
Still waiting for why
After watching the press conference Sunday afternoon, I was hoping to hear some good reasoning on why Frank Solich was fired, and I'm still waiting for the reason. Move in a different direction? Good night, is 9-3 not moving forward enough in the right direction compared to 7-7?
If anyone has the answer as to why Solich was fired, please enlighten me, because Steve Pederson sure as heck didn't give one. The only reason I can see is that Pederson really did have a personal problem with Solich. I would support anything that anyone would come up with to get rid of Pederson.
I will tell you this, Solich devoted his life to Nebraska football and to those young athletes. He deserves so much better than what he received. I can assure you one thing, as long as Pederson is in control up there, I as well as others will no longer be attending Nebraska football.
As to the person who said let's boycott a home game next year, I'm with you 100 percent. Pederson needs to be removed.
Wayne Carter, El Dorado, Kan.
Un-Huskerlike rudeness
In 1974, we left Philadelphia where we attended both college and pro football games regularly. Because of my affiliation with UNL, we have been able to attend Cornhusker games for the past 27 years. One of our greatest "brag" points to our out-of-state friends concerned the ever-present courtesy of Nebraskans - maintained by coaches, players, fans, administrators, etc.
Athletic Director Steve Pederson has negated this in one quick and unfortunate weekend. His very public rudeness in not going to the locker room after the team's victory at Colorado last Friday was appalling. His abrupt firing of Frank Solich was worse; it was arrogant both in the manner in which the news was delivered and in the timing.
Solich has acquired an excellent record in his years as head coach, despite last year's poor season. Pederson firing him before the completion of the season is deplorable and reflects badly on Pederson. Bill Byrne would never have been guilty of such lack of grace or courtesy.
For shame, Mr. Pederson.
Kit Voorhees, Lincoln
Image tarnished
I think it's a total disgrace that Athletic Director Steve Pederson has summarily fired football Coach Frank Solich, especially after this year's successful season. This action reflects very badly upon the university and will haunt the university for many years to come. I cannot believe or understand why or how the chancellor allowed this to happen.
Wallace C. Peterson, Lincoln
Pride in NU damaged
I am embarrassed. I have followed Nebraska sports, especially football, for some 35 years. There have been times when I was angry, disgusted, upset, irritated and dismayed. But never have I been embarrassed because of its actions. While a case may be made for releasing Coach Frank Solich, it should have been done differently. This whole thing stinks with the same smell that was generated by Jerry Jones and the way he removed Tom Landry from the Dallas Cowboys. Solich gave his life to the Nebraska football program, and he deserved better than what he got from this university. I blame the actions of the past 10 days solely on the shoulders of Steve Pederson. He could have avoided this had he kept his mouth shut and his feelings and plans to himself. The leak came from him, planned or otherwise, not the sources who passed the information to the papers.
It has been obvious that the talent Nebraska has been able to recruit has fallen off in the past few years. It was also obvious that some changes needed to be made. Coach Solich did just that last year when he overhauled his coaching staff. He has brought in some good young coaching talent who appear to have the capability and desire to recruit good talent. Looking at what they accomplished this year, they should have been given at least one more year to work the program.
What really worries me is where the Nebraska program will end up. Hopefully, Pederson did not sell his soul to the devil - that being boosters - in order to get his rebuilding project completed. Hopefully we will not get into a win-at-all-costs attitude where we have coaches who bend the rules or cheat the system in order to win. Hopefully we do not allow our boosters to get so involved that they start breaking rules to bring in recruits. We have all seen what happens to universities who allow that to happen. In all my years as a Nebraska loyalist, it has been a source of pride to me that I have never had to suffer the embarrassment of having to defend my school against such allegations. I hope and pray that I never have to suffer this indignity.
Darrell L. Howard, South Bend, Ind.
Prince to emperor
Within a year, the charming prince has become the coliseum's emperor serving up the gladiators to the madding crowd!
Gene Shattuck, Lincoln
Souls sold to donors
The firing of Frank Solich is a colossal embarrassment and humiliation for the state of Nebraska and all of the University of Nebraska alumni living elsewhere. We are now the laughingstock of the entire country after firing a coach with a 9-3 record and an 89 percent graduation rate.
Obviously the athletic director and chancellor sold their souls to big donors. One wonders how much a soul is worth.
One assumes that if the program does not land a national championship in 2004 that Steve Pederson will bite the bullet, do the right thing, and resign.
Karen Hastings, Honolulu, Hawaii
Mired in mediocrity
I for one give thanks to Steve Pederson for doing what needed to be done last year. Yes, Frank Solich went 9-3 and the Huskers will probably get a decent bowl, but there are serious problems with the Huskers football program, and the only way to eliminate them is to eliminate the source.
Solich has had six years to cement his identity at NU, and what I see is a team mired in mediocrity at best. It rarely wins on the road, has a one-dimensional quarterback and offense and cannot defeat ranked opponents, even at home. I have followed this team from the Bob Devaney era, through Tom Osborne and throughout the frustrating Solich years, and my belief is, try as he may, Solich was no Osborne or Devaney.
Regardless of the meaningless accolades about getting more wins quicker than his predecessors, Solich never was able to continue the tradition, and these last two years are more than proof of that. In 1997, Osborne handed off a national championship team, and six years later, this is now what is left of it. I know the players and fans are shocked by this, but hopefully, Nebraska can finally bury an outdated and antiquated offense and look to the future. I know I have renewed faith.
Roger R. Lanegan, Mount Pleasant, S.C.
Can't fix what ain't broke
Even though Steve Pederson has Nebraska ties, his loyalty seems to be back in Pennsylvania. When he was a candidate for athletic director, he had support from most.
Frank Solich had little chance to develop his new coaching staff and may very well end up with the last laugh if he goes to another Big 12 team. His coaching record speaks for itself!
I see Pederson as an individual with too much power trying to fix something that isn't broken. What will be the effects on donations, recruiting, attendance, business, memorabilia, national TV games, NFL drafts, etc.? I would think that the athletic director contract is directly related to Nebraska economics.
The can of worms is open, and worms don't sell very well - this time of year!
Ed Varejcka, Lincoln
Benefit of the doubt
I don't personally know Steve Pederson or Frank Solich, but I do know that Pederson is not very popular right now because of his decision to let Solich go.
I'd like to remind NU fans and backers that Pederson gets the credit for the Husker Nation Tour and the 800-plus ex-football players coming here to get fans excited after a 7-7 season - for starting the Husker Pavilion so fans, with or (more importantly) without tickets, can show support for NU football - for working to promote NU's other sports and working toward getting these sports a fan base as well.
My brother personally witnessed the mass exodus from Memorial Stadium during the third and fourth quarters of the KSU game. During the past four decades, win or lose, NU fans have stayed till the end (sometimes the bitter end) until - that game - this year.
It will cost the NU football program $2 million to buy out the coaches' contracts. The total lost revenue from a single game could equal or exceed that amount if NU football is relegated to mediocrity. I agree that timing is everything, and if Pederson believed the time is right for a head coaching change, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, especially after what he's done for Husker football this year.
Patti Gunther, Lincoln
Ashamed to be fans
We are lifelong Nebraskans who went to our first Husker football game in the 1960s, during Bob Devaney's first years here. We have cheered the team (we can no longer bring ourselves to call it "our" team) in victory and in defeat. We have been disappointed in outcomes and happy with outcomes. We have admired our team, coaches and fans.
Steve Pederson's shabby treatment of Coach Frank Solich makes us ashamed to be Husker fans. We know we are not alone in that emotion, which will sting for a long time.
We have elevated winning over everything else, which, till now, has not been the Nebraska way. Perhaps Pederson never read the inscription on the stadium, which epitomized - until Nov. 30, 2003 - the Nebraska way: "Not the victory but the action; Not the goal but the game; In the deed the glory."
Personally, we would rather have a man of Solich's integrity and devotion in charge of our athletics than a person with no grasp of loyalty, tradition or integrity. Let Pedersen go back to the University of Pittsburgh. Bring back Nebraska tradition. Solich can win, and he has proven it. Think what Pedersen would have done to Devaney when Devaney had (gasp!) back-to-back 6-4 seasons! Shame, shame, shame.
Mark and Alisanne Ells, Lincoln
A classless act
I, like so many others in this great state, have followed our beloved Huskers for my entire life. I've been in Miami in '94 and '97 to watch them bring home trophies, and I've experienced the pain with them after tough losses. But through it all, I've always had a great deal of pride in the way our program represented our state. Win or lose, we have always been a class act, both on the field and in the stands.
With this in mind, I feel a great deal of dismay regarding the recent events. I thought getting rid of that money-slave Bill Byrne would be a good thing, but it appears I was wrong. Our new athletic director seems to be an underhanded, conniving threat to the dignity and pride we hold dear. What a totally classless act.
It's obvious he was hoping for a Colorado victory on Friday, to give his plan some momentum. Imagine his misery when the Huskers came away with the victory. He stormed away from the stadium instead of following protocol and coming down to the field to congratulate his coaches and team. Pitiful. If canning Frank was No. 1 on his agenda, it could have been done much more tastefully.
This will affect donations to his precious expansion. What kind of stability are we showing to potential recruits? As much as I prefer success for our football team, I wouldn't mind at all to see Pederson's handpicked coach to come in here and go 3-8 for a couple years. Shame on him, and shame on us for allowing him into our midst.
Mark Bartels, Lincoln
Journal Star did its job
"Don't you bring me no bad news." So sang the witch in the musical "The Wiz" and so sing the many critics of the Lincoln Journal Star for its banner headline and article of a week ago reporting that three credible and anonymous sources predicted that NU Athletic Director Steve Pederson was going to remove Frank Solich as head coach of the Huskers.
The letters poured in, and the Journal Star dutifully printed the howls of protest from the Big Red faithful concerning its alleged shoddy journalism. I've been told that on a controversial subject, if the Journal Star prints a handful of letters, there were many hundreds more that were written and mailed. I myself was so shocked by the story that I called my out-of-state family to let them in on the news. We have hardly discussed anything else since then. Not Iraq, not the mutual fund scandals, not Hillary's 2004 run for the presidency (oops, sorry, that's just a rumor) - nothing mattered more to me and my acquaintances than speculating on what might happen to our wonderful, glorious football program.
I don't think the Journal Star owes anyone an apology for doing a smash-up job of investigative reporting and printing a story from "three sources close to the situation" who, while incorrect in some details, did get the big picture right. And to those critics who are calling Steve Pederson a liar for denying that he had spoken to anyone about a plan to force Solich's retirement, I say they are just not paying close enough attention. Pederson obviously did not have a plan to force Solich to retire since he fired him, which is technically different. And Pederson never said to any booster nor was he reported to have said, "Here is my plan." That the boosters rightly put two and two together from some comments Pederson may have made is not the same as saying they were privy to any plan he might or might not have had.
But look, I hate splitting hairs. The Journal Star got a scoop on everyone else, they were correct, they spiced up the week for me and millions of other people and they sold their newspapers. They did what I want them to always do - especially when it involves people or politics they personally favor - go for the inside story, find out what is going on, and let everyone know about it sooner rather than later.
Mick Lindgren, Lincoln
The article the Lincoln Journal Star recently printed on Coach Frank Solich is about the worst of journalistic ethics I have ever seen. I have learned to expect nothing good from you.
James Stuart Jr., Lincoln
Blowing smoke
Wow! A coach who played for the National Championship, coached a Heisman trophy winner, and ended this regular season 9-3 gets fired.
Do I think this year was an improvement over last year and heading in the right direction? Yes. Do I think Coach Frank Solich had a staff capable of bringing the Huskers back to greatness? Yes.
Chancellor Harvey Perlman said that the story in the paper was meant to undermine the athletic director. What? If that story never happened and Steve Pederson fired Solich out of the blue, after going 9-3, do you really think the reaction would have been more positive? I can recognize smoke when it's blown my way.
To fire a 9-3 coach and not have a replacement in mind would be crazy. So who do you have in mind? Who wants a job that 9-3 isn't good enough? If beating Colorado in Boulder will be the straw that breaks the camel's back? Remember, it took Coach Tom Osborne 22 years to win the title.
Pederson may be trying to set himself up to be the savior of Nebraska football, but in his efforts to do so, and how he went about it, he has lost credibility with me. He didn't even congratulate the team after their win in Boulder. That win must have been a disappointment for him.
If I was a hotshot coming out of high school, would I go to a school where I won't even know who will be my coach from year to year? The athletic director gave Solich one year after putting together his staff. How long do we give Pederson now that he has created a revolving door of coaches here?
John Kortum, Lincoln
Gill's light eclipsed again
People are in "shock and awe" over the recent firing of Frank Solich.
Why? Couldn't anybody see the "setup"? The wheels of change were in place for some time. Perlman, Pederson, Pelini! I got the feeling from the press conference Sunday that Steve Pederson made plans for Bo Pelini as head coach from the time Pelini was hired. Pederson will go through the motions of searching for a head coach merely for appearance's sake.
My deepest regret in all of this is Turner Gill. He doesn't have a chance. He was passed over before and unfortunately he will be again. Gill is a "bright light" for Nebraska football but he can't shine, because the moon and the sun are standing in his way. Perhaps there's a team out there that'll realize his potential and offer him the coaching job he deserves; they'd be lucky to have him.
I'm sorry to say, but Pederson and Pelini have this team sewn up, and like many others, we'll see what they can do with it. Time will tell!
Gail L. Anderson, Lincoln
Time for new blood
Yes, Frank Solich has given many years at Huskerland, but is he the best head coach? That is the question.
I think the firing is long in coming. He rode in on Tom Osborne's coat-tails and did fairly well on his recruits, but when his own recruits took over our team went downhill. Solich is responsible for not only the 7-7 record but also destroying the home win streak, the ranking in the top 15 nationally and numerous other things, including letting several teams make us look like fools.
My gripe was his play calling; he wanted to relive the days of old instead of changing with the times. We lost several games because of his play calling. In watching other teams even not ranked, I would have to say the Huskers looked bad.
New blood is needed, so I hope Steve Pederson makes the right decision for the school and not worry about the big donors or the news media. I agree with the decision, as do many more in my locality.
LeRoy Penlerick, Dixon
Headline with an attitude
The print size used for the headline, "Solich fired," in the Sunday, Nov. 30, edition of the Lincoln Journal Star depicted a bit of a "See, I told you so" attitude.
Verlon K. "Tony" Vrana, Seward
The stench of 'integrity'
Congratulations to Steve Pederson. I'll never again be able to enjoy AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" without seeing his smug face at the press conference. He talked a lot about integrity. Well, thousands of us don't adhere to his brand of "integrity."
It doesn't matter to a large faction of the Husker Nation if we win the next 10 National Championships because the way they were achieved is going to leave a bitter taste in our mouths for decades to come.
It might be his job on the chopping block this time next year. Let's hope the end is swift and sure. And reeks of integrity.
Nancy L. Johnson, Hastings
Backstabbers
The recent firing of Coach Frank Solich was a cowardly and underhanded stunt by Steve Pederson in response to pressure from Nebraska football boosters. It's a sad day when a booster can control the Nebraska football program with the almighty dollar. I for one intend to find out who these boosters are and commence a statewide boycott of their businesses. The residents of the state who hold college football so dear cannot and will not tolerate this.
I would like to see all the players boycott the bowl game and really show boosters where they can get off. This event is the most shameful disgusting act that has taken place in Nebraska college football history.
I am truly ashamed to be a Cornhusker fan and even associate myself with the thought of these backstabbing cretins. There is No Place Like Nebraska has just been changed to the song Backstabbers.
Tim Fleck, Greenwood
Bowing to money
Well, Nebraska football finally did it, joining the ranks of most of the rest of sports. The firing of Frank Solich is the absolute wrong thing to do. The NU athletic director has bowed down to the money people and lowered us to the level of our opponents.
Nebraska football is the only football that I watch, so I guess I am not a big fan, but I have stuck with them even when everybody was against Tom Osborne when he first took over and had his troubles.
A 75 percent winning record is not what Nebraska is used to, perhaps, but it certainly is not a bad record. This is a game after all and sometimes you lose. I will continue to be a Husker fan, but it will take awhile for my heart to get back into it.
Ken Hawley, Alliance
Implausible spin
Isn't it a bit far-fetched that unnamed boosters would resort to sophisticated tactics to discredit an athletic director that up to now has offended no one? This is what Chancellor Harvey Perlman would have us believe when he suggests a conspiracy was behind the Journal Star's article about Frank Solich's pending demise as football coach.
I would rather believe that the good chancellor is searching for a face-saving cover-up. He is asking us to expand our imaginations when he spins an implausible story of conspiratorial intrigue. Instead, I choose to believe there is some serious deceit being played out, and both he and Steve Pederson are part of the cast.
Ron Holscher, Ogallala
Values clarified
Let's see, the UNL administration and the athletic department are teaching Values Clarification: 1.Lying is all right; after all the government does it ("all our previous statements are inoperative"), and the newspaper does it ("we do not publish unsigned opinions"). 2.Money is important ("If you don't get rid of Solich, we'll take our ball and go home.") 3. "Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing."
May I suggest that everyone boycott NU football for one season? Donate the money you would otherwise spend for tickets, food and lodging to scholarships for worthy and needy students who want to study something besides games. Then let the athletic director sit in the ashes of the temple he is attempting to build to the gods Mammon and Big Red.
Ralph A. Ewert, Lincoln
Thank you, Pederson
Kudos to Steve Pederson for having the fortitude and the foresight to not be satisfied with what all the "play-it-safe crowd" would like to do, settle for mediocrity.
With Pederson's foresight to build facilities that are new and his smart move to get Frank Solich out of the way, the recruiting and coaching will now restore itself.
This all may take some time, so we need to be patient and support the new coaches, and especially someone who has gone out on a limb, to not settle for what out-of-staters want, that is, Nebraska to be a has-been, but we now have an athletic director that has the vision and the fortitude to not settle for second best.
I thank Pederson for striving to get this program back where it belongs. The rest of the state had better do so, too; let's get on board. Go Big Red!
Mike Flower, Corpus Christi, Texas
Knee-jerk logic
I am absolutely appalled at the logic and actions of Steve Pederson. He is now searching for someone with a "passion" to lead the team. Someone like a Steve Spurrier or Bo Pelini as opposed to Coach Frank Solich who more closely reminds you of the integrity, value and desire of Tom Osborne or a Vince Lombardi.
It's a good thing Pederson was not the athletic director during the early years of Osborne's era. If he applied the same logic and knee-jerk reaction at that time, the nation would have never known the true abilities of a coaching legend.
It seems that Pederson just simply could not wait to demonstrate his power.
Frank Vogt, Lincoln
Solich good, not great
Tom Osborne hired a coach, a good coach, not great. NU football is meant to be great. Steve Pederson is right - we aren't going to give the Big 12 to OU and UT. Solich should have taken a job in the athletic department and bowed out gracefully.
John Mlnarik, Clearwater
Double standards
Some folks seem to either have a short memory or a double standard when it comes to judging the actions of others. Not so long ago, "fans" were upset and vocal at Coach Frank Solich firing/forcing to resign several assistant coaches. I respected his decisions because along with his authority went the responsibility to make staff changes he felt were necessary.
Folks applauded the hiring of native son Steve Pederson as athletic director. Now that he is exercising his authority, people are critical of him.
I admire and respect Solich and I know that as a man of character and faith, he will move beyond this. But we can't have it both ways when it comes to exercising judgment and responsibility that go with positions of authority, especially in a tenuous arena such as college sports. Too much of society is already dysfunctional because of double or "gray" standards.
Jim L. Brown, Lincoln
Give AD job to Solich
In Nebraska, treating people right is more important than football. Let's fire Steve Pederson and hire Frank Solich as athletic director! When Solich speaks, we can trust what he says.
Darrell F. Best, Lincoln
Still waiting for why
After watching the press conference Sunday afternoon, I was hoping to hear some good reasoning on why Frank Solich was fired, and I'm still waiting for the reason. Move in a different direction? Good night, is 9-3 not moving forward enough in the right direction compared to 7-7?
If anyone has the answer as to why Solich was fired, please enlighten me, because Steve Pederson sure as heck didn't give one. The only reason I can see is that Pederson really did have a personal problem with Solich. I would support anything that anyone would come up with to get rid of Pederson.
I will tell you this, Solich devoted his life to Nebraska football and to those young athletes. He deserves so much better than what he received. I can assure you one thing, as long as Pederson is in control up there, I as well as others will no longer be attending Nebraska football.
As to the person who said let's boycott a home game next year, I'm with you 100 percent. Pederson needs to be removed.
Wayne Carter, El Dorado, Kan.
Un-Huskerlike rudeness
In 1974, we left Philadelphia where we attended both college and pro football games regularly. Because of my affiliation with UNL, we have been able to attend Cornhusker games for the past 27 years. One of our greatest "brag" points to our out-of-state friends concerned the ever-present courtesy of Nebraskans - maintained by coaches, players, fans, administrators, etc.
Athletic Director Steve Pederson has negated this in one quick and unfortunate weekend. His very public rudeness in not going to the locker room after the team's victory at Colorado last Friday was appalling. His abrupt firing of Frank Solich was worse; it was arrogant both in the manner in which the news was delivered and in the timing.
Solich has acquired an excellent record in his years as head coach, despite last year's poor season. Pederson firing him before the completion of the season is deplorable and reflects badly on Pederson. Bill Byrne would never have been guilty of such lack of grace or courtesy.
For shame, Mr. Pederson.
Kit Voorhees, Lincoln
Image tarnished
I think it's a total disgrace that Athletic Director Steve Pederson has summarily fired football Coach Frank Solich, especially after this year's successful season. This action reflects very badly upon the university and will haunt the university for many years to come. I cannot believe or understand why or how the chancellor allowed this to happen.
Wallace C. Peterson, Lincoln
Pride in NU damaged
I am embarrassed. I have followed Nebraska sports, especially football, for some 35 years. There have been times when I was angry, disgusted, upset, irritated and dismayed. But never have I been embarrassed because of its actions. While a case may be made for releasing Coach Frank Solich, it should have been done differently. This whole thing stinks with the same smell that was generated by Jerry Jones and the way he removed Tom Landry from the Dallas Cowboys. Solich gave his life to the Nebraska football program, and he deserved better than what he got from this university. I blame the actions of the past 10 days solely on the shoulders of Steve Pederson. He could have avoided this had he kept his mouth shut and his feelings and plans to himself. The leak came from him, planned or otherwise, not the sources who passed the information to the papers.
It has been obvious that the talent Nebraska has been able to recruit has fallen off in the past few years. It was also obvious that some changes needed to be made. Coach Solich did just that last year when he overhauled his coaching staff. He has brought in some good young coaching talent who appear to have the capability and desire to recruit good talent. Looking at what they accomplished this year, they should have been given at least one more year to work the program.
What really worries me is where the Nebraska program will end up. Hopefully, Pederson did not sell his soul to the devil - that being boosters - in order to get his rebuilding project completed. Hopefully we will not get into a win-at-all-costs attitude where we have coaches who bend the rules or cheat the system in order to win. Hopefully we do not allow our boosters to get so involved that they start breaking rules to bring in recruits. We have all seen what happens to universities who allow that to happen. In all my years as a Nebraska loyalist, it has been a source of pride to me that I have never had to suffer the embarrassment of having to defend my school against such allegations. I hope and pray that I never have to suffer this indignity.
Darrell L. Howard, South Bend, Ind.
Prince to emperor
Within a year, the charming prince has become the coliseum's emperor serving up the gladiators to the madding crowd!
Gene Shattuck, Lincoln
Souls sold to donors
The firing of Frank Solich is a colossal embarrassment and humiliation for the state of Nebraska and all of the University of Nebraska alumni living elsewhere. We are now the laughingstock of the entire country after firing a coach with a 9-3 record and an 89 percent graduation rate.
Obviously the athletic director and chancellor sold their souls to big donors. One wonders how much a soul is worth.
One assumes that if the program does not land a national championship in 2004 that Steve Pederson will bite the bullet, do the right thing, and resign.
Karen Hastings, Honolulu, Hawaii
Mired in mediocrity
I for one give thanks to Steve Pederson for doing what needed to be done last year. Yes, Frank Solich went 9-3 and the Huskers will probably get a decent bowl, but there are serious problems with the Huskers football program, and the only way to eliminate them is to eliminate the source.
Solich has had six years to cement his identity at NU, and what I see is a team mired in mediocrity at best. It rarely wins on the road, has a one-dimensional quarterback and offense and cannot defeat ranked opponents, even at home. I have followed this team from the Bob Devaney era, through Tom Osborne and throughout the frustrating Solich years, and my belief is, try as he may, Solich was no Osborne or Devaney.
Regardless of the meaningless accolades about getting more wins quicker than his predecessors, Solich never was able to continue the tradition, and these last two years are more than proof of that. In 1997, Osborne handed off a national championship team, and six years later, this is now what is left of it. I know the players and fans are shocked by this, but hopefully, Nebraska can finally bury an outdated and antiquated offense and look to the future. I know I have renewed faith.
Roger R. Lanegan, Mount Pleasant, S.C.
Can't fix what ain't broke
Even though Steve Pederson has Nebraska ties, his loyalty seems to be back in Pennsylvania. When he was a candidate for athletic director, he had support from most.
Frank Solich had little chance to develop his new coaching staff and may very well end up with the last laugh if he goes to another Big 12 team. His coaching record speaks for itself!
I see Pederson as an individual with too much power trying to fix something that isn't broken. What will be the effects on donations, recruiting, attendance, business, memorabilia, national TV games, NFL drafts, etc.? I would think that the athletic director contract is directly related to Nebraska economics.
The can of worms is open, and worms don't sell very well - this time of year!
Ed Varejcka, Lincoln
Benefit of the doubt
I don't personally know Steve Pederson or Frank Solich, but I do know that Pederson is not very popular right now because of his decision to let Solich go.
I'd like to remind NU fans and backers that Pederson gets the credit for the Husker Nation Tour and the 800-plus ex-football players coming here to get fans excited after a 7-7 season - for starting the Husker Pavilion so fans, with or (more importantly) without tickets, can show support for NU football - for working to promote NU's other sports and working toward getting these sports a fan base as well.
My brother personally witnessed the mass exodus from Memorial Stadium during the third and fourth quarters of the KSU game. During the past four decades, win or lose, NU fans have stayed till the end (sometimes the bitter end) until - that game - this year.
It will cost the NU football program $2 million to buy out the coaches' contracts. The total lost revenue from a single game could equal or exceed that amount if NU football is relegated to mediocrity. I agree that timing is everything, and if Pederson believed the time is right for a head coaching change, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, especially after what he's done for Husker football this year.
Patti Gunther, Lincoln
Ashamed to be fans
We are lifelong Nebraskans who went to our first Husker football game in the 1960s, during Bob Devaney's first years here. We have cheered the team (we can no longer bring ourselves to call it "our" team) in victory and in defeat. We have been disappointed in outcomes and happy with outcomes. We have admired our team, coaches and fans.
Steve Pederson's shabby treatment of Coach Frank Solich makes us ashamed to be Husker fans. We know we are not alone in that emotion, which will sting for a long time.
We have elevated winning over everything else, which, till now, has not been the Nebraska way. Perhaps Pederson never read the inscription on the stadium, which epitomized - until Nov. 30, 2003 - the Nebraska way: "Not the victory but the action; Not the goal but the game; In the deed the glory."
Personally, we would rather have a man of Solich's integrity and devotion in charge of our athletics than a person with no grasp of loyalty, tradition or integrity. Let Pedersen go back to the University of Pittsburgh. Bring back Nebraska tradition. Solich can win, and he has proven it. Think what Pedersen would have done to Devaney when Devaney had (gasp!) back-to-back 6-4 seasons! Shame, shame, shame.
Mark and Alisanne Ells, Lincoln
A classless act
I, like so many others in this great state, have followed our beloved Huskers for my entire life. I've been in Miami in '94 and '97 to watch them bring home trophies, and I've experienced the pain with them after tough losses. But through it all, I've always had a great deal of pride in the way our program represented our state. Win or lose, we have always been a class act, both on the field and in the stands.
With this in mind, I feel a great deal of dismay regarding the recent events. I thought getting rid of that money-slave Bill Byrne would be a good thing, but it appears I was wrong. Our new athletic director seems to be an underhanded, conniving threat to the dignity and pride we hold dear. What a totally classless act.
It's obvious he was hoping for a Colorado victory on Friday, to give his plan some momentum. Imagine his misery when the Huskers came away with the victory. He stormed away from the stadium instead of following protocol and coming down to the field to congratulate his coaches and team. Pitiful. If canning Frank was No. 1 on his agenda, it could have been done much more tastefully.
This will affect donations to his precious expansion. What kind of stability are we showing to potential recruits? As much as I prefer success for our football team, I wouldn't mind at all to see Pederson's handpicked coach to come in here and go 3-8 for a couple years. Shame on him, and shame on us for allowing him into our midst.
Mark Bartels, Lincoln
Journal Star did its job
"Don't you bring me no bad news." So sang the witch in the musical "The Wiz" and so sing the many critics of the Lincoln Journal Star for its banner headline and article of a week ago reporting that three credible and anonymous sources predicted that NU Athletic Director Steve Pederson was going to remove Frank Solich as head coach of the Huskers.
The letters poured in, and the Journal Star dutifully printed the howls of protest from the Big Red faithful concerning its alleged shoddy journalism. I've been told that on a controversial subject, if the Journal Star prints a handful of letters, there were many hundreds more that were written and mailed. I myself was so shocked by the story that I called my out-of-state family to let them in on the news. We have hardly discussed anything else since then. Not Iraq, not the mutual fund scandals, not Hillary's 2004 run for the presidency (oops, sorry, that's just a rumor) - nothing mattered more to me and my acquaintances than speculating on what might happen to our wonderful, glorious football program.
I don't think the Journal Star owes anyone an apology for doing a smash-up job of investigative reporting and printing a story from "three sources close to the situation" who, while incorrect in some details, did get the big picture right. And to those critics who are calling Steve Pederson a liar for denying that he had spoken to anyone about a plan to force Solich's retirement, I say they are just not paying close enough attention. Pederson obviously did not have a plan to force Solich to retire since he fired him, which is technically different. And Pederson never said to any booster nor was he reported to have said, "Here is my plan." That the boosters rightly put two and two together from some comments Pederson may have made is not the same as saying they were privy to any plan he might or might not have had.
But look, I hate splitting hairs. The Journal Star got a scoop on everyone else, they were correct, they spiced up the week for me and millions of other people and they sold their newspapers. They did what I want them to always do - especially when it involves people or politics they personally favor - go for the inside story, find out what is going on, and let everyone know about it sooner rather than later.
Mick Lindgren, Lincoln
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