Anniversary, Balloon Boy

Happy anniversary to the Husker fans out there. And to the football program. The players. Anyone remotely involved with Husker athletics.

Two years ago today, Steve Pederson was removed as athletic dictator of Nebraska. It was a move that started healing a fractured fan base, and made me personally giggle.

Pederson was the epitome of the word "tool". His primary interest was self-promotion, and putting his stamp on the football program by trying to get rid of anything remotely resembling the past.

Some fun highlights...

2/2004 - Tom Osborne gives an emotional press conference, stating his opposition to the way Pedey fired Solich and asks that NU find a corporate sponsor for the Osborne Complex because TO didn't want his name on the building in the first place, only agreeing to it to try to help Solich with recruiting. He would allow it to stay on there if Pedey had no other options, but his preference is to have a corporate sponsor. TO takes the high road, but essentially says Pedey unethically used him and his name to try to boost fund-raising. Pedey does nothing.

Fall 2003 - One day after completing a 9-3 regular season, Pederson calls Solich into his office for an impromptu 7 PM meeting (while Husker women hoops played at the Devaney Center). Pederson asks Solich to resign, Solich declines, Pederson terminates Solich. Later states his decision was made just minutes before the meeting. Defends this decision saying ,"I refuse to let the program gravitate into mediocrity. We won't surrender the Big 12 to Oklahoma and Texas. The byproduct of excellence in every area of your program is winning, and I don't apologize for having high expectations.

This is the best job in the country, and anyone who doesn't want to win the national championship shouldn't bother applying for this job. I understand we aren't going to win the championship every year, but I believe we should be playing for or gaining on the championship on a consistent basis.I don't feel that currently we are playing for or gaining on the championship."

Balloon boy: the kid was hiding in a box the whole time. I would put down real money that the networks were just praying for a grisly ending to report on. Apparently the family of the boy are real normal types...search for extra-terrestrials, etc. I am just glad we didn't have days of search coverage.

I was hoping the kid would have been in the balloon and after it landed, gave a great big "HELL YEAH, BITCHES!"