Defending the Character of Nebraska Head Coach Bo Pelini

Is Bo Pelini perfect? No. Does the media need to find something a little more important to report on than a "promise" that wasn't honored? Yes.

Really quick synopsis—During a luncheon, Washington Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian provided a crew member of the U.S.S. Reagan with a sideline ticket to the Holiday Bowl, as well as a Huskies jersey.

Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini did the same, and also stated he'd let the selected crew member, Petty Officer Third Class Morgan Ryan of Minden, NE, call a play during the game.

There is an article on Fox Sports about this situation by correspondent Lisa Horne, which states that, "A football coach tried to one-up an opposing coach, to make himself look like a hero, then failed to follow through."

These were the exact words that Coach Pelini stated when he made his promise, "Our honorary captain, we're gonna give him the honor of being able to call a play, and just so you know, the ones that work, those are the ones that I called. If it doesn't work, you can blame this guy."

This statement, of course, was followed by laughs, from both the crowd as well as Bo. So, clearly the "promise" was followed up by a joke, who is to say that said "promise" wasn't a joke itself?

During the post-game press conference, Horne mentioned that Bo met a member of the Navy on the U.S.S. Reagan and had selected him to call a play. Bo replied (not barked, as he was accused of), "That was a joke, ma'am. He wasn't calling a play, no. He probably could have, he might have called a few better plays than we did."

Many believe Bo Pelini could really use some help on the public relations front. After the Texas A&M situation, Pelini dodged questions by the media related to whether he felt the game was called fairly. Basically, he told them to form their own opinions, as they had watched the game.

After rumors surfaced that he was a candidate for the head coaching job at Miami, Bo responded, "The reports that I am preparing to interview at the University of Miami are false. I will not have any additional comment on this matter or any other rumors."

Although this comment may have calmed the storm a little bit, it took a little longer to be addressed than most Nebraska fans may have liked. Some also feel that it didn't really quash the rumors.

Then comes this issue, which is far beyond Bo having inferior media relations. The character of a head coach is being attacked. Whether Bo was joking or not, he probably could have replied to the situation with a little more sincerity.

Possibly a better response would have been, "I apologize that I was not more clear about my statement being a joke and that it resulted in Mr. Ryan feeling I had broken a promise. It was never my intention and I hope that he knows that myself, as well as everyone at the University of Nebraska, truly appreciates his service."

On the other hand, let's say it was not a joke, and that Bo was being serious. Let's put ourselves in his shoes.

It's the Holiday Bowl, your team has already been through three losses, and we live in a world where coaches are being fired left and right after a less than perfect season. It's the beginning of the second half, your team is down 10-7, and came in the game as a huge favorite to win.

What would you have on your mind? Do you think you could possibly forget about something you said during a luncheon, whether you meant it or said it lightheartedly?

One would think it might slip his mind.