Nebraska Football: Taylor Martinez Has Excuses Made for Poor Performance

(One of the sources of support for the Husker Hotwire. What could go wrong?)

Welcome to another edition of the Husker Hotwire, the sometimes-weekly, sometimes-funny look at Husker athletics!

The Husker Hotwire staff is unaccustomed to getting support from other professional journalists. That may have something to do with the unfortunate incident involving the "doggie bag" at the pregame buffet during the Hotwire's first (and last) appearance in the Nebraska press box. The Hotwire is used to having its Twitter handle blocked by reputable journalists (looking right at you, @kevinkugler).

So it was with some delight that the Hotwire staff listened to Steven M. Sipple of the Lincoln Journal-Star being interviewed by Kevin Kugler and Mike'l Severe on Unsportsmanlike Conduct and telling the audience that they were being far too hard on Taylor Martinez after the 48-17 contest against Wisconsin. After all, Sipple said, Martinez has done some good things in the past and could do some good things in the future. It's just one game, Sipple pointed out repeatedly.

Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! By narrowing the focus to just that one game, Sipple has found a way to explain almost anything! Sipple is absolutely right, of course. The Wisconsin game was just one game.

As was the Holiday Bowl against Washington. And the Big 12 Championship against Oklahoma. And Texas A&M last year. And Texas last year. Or, put more simply, any game Martinez has played in against a halfway-respectable defense. Just one game, after all! No need to look at anything in the broader context whatsoever!

The Hotwire fully intends to use Sipple's defense of Martinez in the future. Here's how the conversation will likely proceed.

Hotwire Staff: Is there a problem?

Frighteningly Important Person: Why is the Hotwire doing nothing but snark-filled cheap shots at athletes and media personalities rather than actual journalism?

HS: Um...what do you mean?

 FIP: Just look at this article. It's almost slanderous!

HS: Yes, but it's just one article.

FIP: No, it isn't. Look at this. And this. And this. And this. There is a clear pattern of laziness and hatefulness spewing from this publication!

HS: That's hardly fair. It's just one article. Ask Reputable Journalist Steven M. Sipple of the Lincoln Journal-Star!

Having Sipple's support would be benefit enough for the Hotwire. But we can go back into Husker history and find more support for the "one game" theory as well.

"It's one game today, it's one season. I never look back," said Bill Callahan after his Nebraska squad broke a 35-year string of bowl appearances with a 5-6 record in 2004. And that went over so well with Nebraska fans. So Sipple and the Hotwire are in heady company.

BEEONEGEE CONFERENCE UPDATE

We at the Husker Hotwire are committed to bring you continuing coverage of Nebraska's new conference opponents in the B1G. Buckeye Hotwire reports that the NCAA has extended the suspensions of Dan "Boom" Herron and DeVier Posey for an additional game at minimum, ruling them out of the Nebraska contest on Saturday.

Still-not-fired Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith announced the suspensions as a result of "pay" Herron and Posey received for "work" they "allegedly" didn't do. Amazingly enough, this "work" that didn't happen was in the summer, when Ohio State did their thorough, 48-hour investigation and found nothing wrong with later-fired head coach Jim Tressel.

Quite the little oversight from Ohio State's "compliance department," apparently.

AROUND THE HOTWIRE NETWORK

Big 12 Hotwire reports that Missouri curators have voted to "consider leaving the Big 12" rather than make a long-term commitment to the conference. Which jibes perfectly well with the statement last Tuesday that all nine remaining Big 12 schools (of which Missouri was one) were committed to the future stability of the league. Or, if it doesn't jibe, at least sets some kind of land speed record for sending mixed signals.

Horned Frog Hotwire reports that head Frog Gary Patterson is upset with SMU for comments made by players and coaches after the Mustangs knocked off TCU over the weekend. Which, of course, is solely out of concern for Patterson's players and program and has nothing to do with the Rose Bowl champions falling out of the Top 25 and behind SMU in poll votes. Nope, purely a principled stand from Patterson here.

Boilermaker Hotwire reports that head Boiler Danny Hope was not bothered by a tweet critical of Hope sent by quarterback Robert Marve after being benched in Purdue's 38-10 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday.

"It's just a little odd that [Marve] would say something like that in a funny voice, or a 'tweet,' rather than just say it out loud. But he said he 'tweeted' it from his dorm room, so he couldn't have thought anyone would hear it. I don't understand how the media found out about it," Hope didn't add.

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