OWH: Bo Pelini insults A.D. Shawn Eichorst in expletive-filled rant during final meeting with players

[irafreak]

Here is where my Venn diagram overlaps with Bo:

I don't mind fire and passion in a coach.
Sometimes profanity IS the most appropriate word.
Reporters ask some really stupid questions.
Coaching at Nebraska would be stressful.
It's irritating to answer to lawyers in suits on matters of football.
It would be nice to have some privacy left in the world.

But that still leaves my "f#*k you, Bo" circle much, much bigger.

There are so many things to parse in his petty, self-pitying and grenade-throwing exit speech. Connect the dots and he basically admits not wanting to be at Nebraska for the past two seasons. On the one hand he's sucking it up because he loves the players so much. On the other hand, he says he'd rather work at McDonald's.

But he didn't go work at McDonald's, nor did he really suck it up. He took the millions of dollars in an extended contract that UNL didn't need to make, and accepted the private planes and extra staff granted him in a generous new recruiting budget. Shawn Eichorst may not have given him the warmest support after last year's Iowa debacle, but it was more than Bo Pelini had earned at that point.

The fans at Nebraska are no more demanding than fans at schools with winning traditions. That $3 million salary, that 90,000 seat stadium, that shiny new training facility and that NCAA record sellout streak were not built on third-place divisional finishes. Blame the fans? Who filled the seats and cheered wildly? Only to grumble when Nebraska lost in embarrassing fashion? Yet largely supported giving Bo another year? Even after the 2011 tape where he told the entire state to go f#*k itself because he was out of here?

Except there wasn't anywhere to go, because every other major football program now saw the questionable coaching and personal liabilities of Bo Pelini. Meaning Eichorst and the pencil-pushers were right. We now have two tapes of Bo Pelini behaving like a nightmare employee and there's no reason to assume these were rare bursts of passion or candor. As mentioned, this wasn't venting at home to your wife. This was a man who had the chance to sleep on it, and when given the chance to say goodbye to his team, he chose to burn the house down around him. I have no doubt he wanted the worst invectives to reach the ears of people outside that room.

That "loyalty first" approach works for cult leaders, shrinking the world down to a single room and making your followers believe you are the only person who understands them. The only person who has their back. Anything that goes wrong (second half Wisconsin) can be blamed on outside agitators (those demanding fans!). f#*k you, Bo.

No idea how a Mike Riley Nebraska team will play, but the air tastes so much fresher than two weeks ago.

Addition by subtraction. Works for me.

Do people on this board really believe that Nebraska fans are no more demanding than other "tradition rich" schools? Also, I'm already tired of hearing Bo Pelini being equated to a cult leader. It confuses me that people will shrink at the words Bo used and admonish him for not being "classy" and "professional" but have no compunction when calling him trashy, or a cult leader, or evil, or whatever else thing you can think to say. Sorry, dressing it up with nicer words doesn't actually make it nicer. The expectation you set for him versus yourself makes your opinion hard to swallow.

At the time of this recording he was an unemployed guy talking to a group of his former employees in a "semi private" setting since even that is now being debated.

Wow. I can't NOT respond to this.

You're telling me that because fans on a discussion forum get upset and call Pelini a cult leader or that he's not a leader...that's the same as a guy in a very important father figure leadership type role cussing out and bad mouthing his former employer? Seriously? Semi private or not...I could get fired today and my response would not be Bo Pelini's. My "Bo Pelini" response would have been me acting out in high school, not a grown adult supposedly leading other young men.

I remember one of my earlier jobs just out of high school at McDonalds...guy got promoted to manager and the cash envelope was misplaced (found it later in a place he had forgotten he put it) but the dude was so frantic at one point he said "we better find this money cause I'm not going down alone." I thought....what kind of a leader are you? This is Bo acting like a lousy leader and there is a HUGE difference between that and talking down the guy on a message board. For one thing a direct lack of respect for authority which we already have a major problem with in this country (Ferguson anyone?). He's planting seeds that are very harmful to these young men and there's no excuse that can be made for it. He is NOT a good leader or role model. Period. Seeing all of this...I'm so sorry they didn't send him packing last year.

 

[VA Husker Fan]

I also disagree that this "speech" was a slanderous rip job of the University. Bo called out TWO individuals that he didn't like and tore them apart. He never said anything negative about the school. And in my opinion trashing a school's AD doesn't equate to trashing a school. Everyone who's saying how he is attacking NU is off the mark, in my opinion.

guessing you didn't read the full transcript?

Its a culmination of the negativity. I understand, you guys are human. That is why I talked to you guys constantly. Last game you guys just said f#*k it lets play and you at least played free. That is my advice to you guys that come back. You can't let this place eat you up, because if you let it, it will eat you up. I have been LSU, I have been at Oklahoma, I been to these other places...the scrutiny, it ain't like that everywhere.

You gotta fight that fellas, you gotta just go play and enjoy this thing because at the end of the day, its not a job. It oughta be the best time of your life. Any of you guys have on your mind do I want to go or stay? At the end of the day you gotta sit there and think this is how many years I got left, these gotta be the best of my life. If you don't think this is the best place then you shouldn't stay.

Where's the rip job? That Nebraska has more scrutiny than LSU or Oklahoma? Who here disagrees with that? He follows that up with "If you don't think this is the best place then you shouldn't stay." Like I said previously, that's sound advice at any time.

I'll disagree with that. At OU they went 12-1, losing in the championship game. At LSU they had a new coach (honeymoon period) and went 11-2, 11-2, 12-2 with a championship that last game. There's a lot less scrutiny when you win. I guarantee if he'd have hung around there and lost to just about every single ranked team they played, he'd have felt at least as much scrutiny.

You disagreed by saying there was less scrutiny there because they were winning? Which in effect means that he was telling the truth?

I'm saying he was at LSU and OU when they were at or very near the top. Everything was rosy. Scrutiny comes in times like when you get run over for 408 yards by one player. Things would've been just as harsh at LSU and OU, maybe more so, had that happened there while he was there. Times weren't comparable to his tenure at Nebraska.

 

[Junior]

I would really love to ask Bo if complaining about his old job and trashing his old boss "in private", behind someone's back are the actions of a "grown a$$ man".

 

[teachercd]

I would really love to ask Bo if complaining about his old job and trashing his old boss "in private", behind someone's back are the actions of a "grown a$$ man".

Yes...it is the actions of basically all of us.

Who here has NOT bitched about their boss or ex-boss or co-workers to their friends, family and so on. We have all done it...every single one of us.

I am glad he is gone and I have no idea what Riley will do...but lets not start acting like we don't complain about our jobs, bosses and co-workers from time to time.

Just this last month I have said "I hate her", "That person is annoying" "What a loser" "God, I wish they would stay out of my business" about co-workers and the like.

 

[carlfense]

How do you feel about him lying about the circumstances of Osborne's departure?

I don't believe for one second that he lied about that. Did he go off the rails in other areas? Yeah. But, there was quite a bit of smoke regarding Harvey when Osborne abruptly announced his retirement. Harvey has quite the ego, and we know Tom won't throw anyone under the bus.

So you think Osborne is lying?

He resigned in leu of being forced out. It's a technicality, but it's not a lie.. . .

I don't trust Harvey at all, and I have little trust in Shawn.

This is about as clear cut as it gets. One of these people is lying. You can decide for yourself who is more trustworthy.

You know, when they forced Coach Osborne out, and that is what happened....he got forced out. - Bo Pelini

I wasnt forced out. I resigned. And thats the end of the story. - Tom Osborne

. . . TO being a man of untouchable character is laughable. . ..

Good thing no one said that then, eh?

 

[Vargas]

I would really love to ask Bo if complaining about his old job and trashing his old boss "in private", behind someone's back are the actions of a "grown a$$ man".

Isn't in private where most people complain about their jobs and bosses? haha I'm just saying...

Also, OMG SO MANY EMOTICONS! A whole new world has been opened up.

 

[Vargas]

I also disagree that this "speech" was a slanderous rip job of the University. Bo called out TWO individuals that he didn't like and tore them apart. He never said anything negative about the school. And in my opinion trashing a school's AD doesn't equate to trashing a school. Everyone who's saying how he is attacking NU is off the mark, in my opinion.

guessing you didn't read the full transcript?

Its a culmination of the negativity. I understand, you guys are human. That is why I talked to you guys constantly. Last game you guys just said f#*k it lets play and you at least played free. That is my advice to you guys that come back. You can't let this place eat you up, because if you let it, it will eat you up. I have been LSU, I have been at Oklahoma, I been to these other places...the scrutiny, it ain't like that everywhere.

You gotta fight that fellas, you gotta just go play and enjoy this thing because at the end of the day, its not a job. It oughta be the best time of your life. Any of you guys have on your mind do I want to go or stay? At the end of the day you gotta sit there and think this is how many years I got left, these gotta be the best of my life. If you don't think this is the best place then you shouldn't stay.

Where's the rip job? That Nebraska has more scrutiny than LSU or Oklahoma? Who here disagrees with that? He follows that up with "If you don't think this is the best place then you shouldn't stay." Like I said previously, that's sound advice at any time.

I'll disagree with that. At OU they went 12-1, losing in the championship game. At LSU they had a new coach (honeymoon period) and went 11-2, 11-2, 12-2 with a championship that last game. There's a lot less scrutiny when you win. I guarantee if he'd have hung around there and lost to just about every single ranked team they played, he'd have felt at least as much scrutiny.

You disagreed by saying there was less scrutiny there because they were winning? Which in effect means that he was telling the truth?

I'm saying he was at LSU and OU when they were at or very near the top. Everything was rosy. Scrutiny comes in times like when you get run over for 408 yards by one player. Things would've been just as harsh at LSU and OU, maybe more so, had that happened there while he was there. Times weren't comparable to his tenure at Nebraska.

I know what you meant. I was just pointing out that what Bo said could actually be true. The scrutiny was less intense. I understand it would be ratcheted up if they experienced what we had.

 

[irafreak]

I would really love to ask Bo if complaining about his old job and trashing his old boss "in private", behind someone's back are the actions of a "grown a$$ man".

Yes...it is the actions of basically all of us.

Who here has NOT bitched about their boss or ex-boss or co-workers to their friends, family and so on. We have all done it...every single one of us.

I am glad he is gone and I have no idea what Riley will do...but lets not start acting like we don't complain about our jobs, bosses and co-workers from time to time.

Just this last month I have said "I hate her", "That person is annoying" "What a loser" "God, I wish they would stay out of my business" about co-workers and the like.

But have you said them to people you are being paid to set a good example for? (cause that's a pretty important job of a college coach...I mean they sell it to the parents)

 

[teachercd]

I would really love to ask Bo if complaining about his old job and trashing his old boss "in private", behind someone's back are the actions of a "grown a$$ man".

Yes...it is the actions of basically all of us.

Who here has NOT bitched about their boss or ex-boss or co-workers to their friends, family and so on. We have all done it...every single one of us.

I am glad he is gone and I have no idea what Riley will do...but lets not start acting like we don't complain about our jobs, bosses and co-workers from time to time.

Just this last month I have said "I hate her", "That person is annoying" "What a loser" "God, I wish they would stay out of my business" about co-workers and the like.

But have you said them to people you are being paid to set a good example for? (cause that's a pretty important job of a college coach...I mean they sell it to the parents)

Yes...all of us have in one way or another...

Think of if you have kids and how many times you have said something "bad" in front of your kids about another family member or a friend or a neighbor...

Let me say this...I look at what Bo did the same as I do these things...

1. Driving with your kids and you swear at another driver

2. Picking your kids up from school and complaining about their teacher/school/principal

3. Watching a game with your kids and swearing at the TV/coach/players/refs

That is just for me...I look at those as all the same thing and not that big of a deal

 

[KeithWassung]

World of difference between bad mouthing someone (boss, former boss, mother-in-law, etc) in private with another person or two and having a MEETING consisting of a large group of people as pretty much a captive audience and doing it.

 

[ColoNoCoHusker]

I really have to agree with teach on this... Another recording of Bo has surfaced where he says things completely in keeping with his character, laced with profanity, to a private/known audience and fans are upset... Why is anybody shocked?!?

 

[VA Husker Fan]

I also disagree that this "speech" was a slanderous rip job of the University. Bo called out TWO individuals that he didn't like and tore them apart. He never said anything negative about the school. And in my opinion trashing a school's AD doesn't equate to trashing a school. Everyone who's saying how he is attacking NU is off the mark, in my opinion.

guessing you didn't read the full transcript?

Its a culmination of the negativity. I understand, you guys are human. That is why I talked to you guys constantly. Last game you guys just said f#*k it lets play and you at least played free. That is my advice to you guys that come back. You can't let this place eat you up, because if you let it, it will eat you up. I have been LSU, I have been at Oklahoma, I been to these other places...the scrutiny, it ain't like that everywhere.

You gotta fight that fellas, you gotta just go play and enjoy this thing because at the end of the day, its not a job. It oughta be the best time of your life. Any of you guys have on your mind do I want to go or stay? At the end of the day you gotta sit there and think this is how many years I got left, these gotta be the best of my life. If you don't think this is the best place then you shouldn't stay.

Where's the rip job? That Nebraska has more scrutiny than LSU or Oklahoma? Who here disagrees with that? He follows that up with "If you don't think this is the best place then you shouldn't stay." Like I said previously, that's sound advice at any time.

I'll disagree with that. At OU they went 12-1, losing in the championship game. At LSU they had a new coach (honeymoon period) and went 11-2, 11-2, 12-2 with a championship that last game. There's a lot less scrutiny when you win. I guarantee if he'd have hung around there and lost to just about every single ranked team they played, he'd have felt at least as much scrutiny.

You disagreed by saying there was less scrutiny there because they were winning? Which in effect means that he was telling the truth?

I'm saying he was at LSU and OU when they were at or very near the top. Everything was rosy. Scrutiny comes in times like when you get run over for 408 yards by one player. Things would've been just as harsh at LSU and OU, maybe more so, had that happened there while he was there. Times weren't comparable to his tenure at Nebraska.

I know what you meant. I was just pointing out that what Bo said could actually be true. The scrutiny was less intense. I understand it would be ratcheted up if they experienced what we had.

Yeah, it was technically true, but misleading to the players, IMO

 

[commando]

if someone mentions an embarrassing tape about you being released and you have to ask which 1....you are probably doing something wrong

 

[It'sNotAFakeID]

And I believe getting kicked out of the AAU wasn't something Harvey could control.

I know a former highly placed administrator that knows otherwise . . . and it's all in writing.

That's why I said I believe. I thought us getting kicked out of the AAU was due to UNL and UNMC being treated as separate campuses and therefore the research done at UNMC didn't add to the research being done at UNL.

I'll admit to not knowing much (or anything) about this, just that we were kicked out. I remember reading something like what I said above, but that was years ago and I didn't know how credible the article was at the time.

I'd be eager to read a PM about this though, if you wouldn't mind.

 

[teachercd]

World of difference between bad mouthing someone (boss, former boss, mother-in-law, etc) in private with another person or two and having a MEETING consisting of a large group of people as pretty much a captive audience and doing it.

What if you work with 3 people...and you complain to one of them about the other...calling the one that is not present a bunch of names...is that a world of difference? You are ripping the guy to 33% of the company

And trust me...I am not saying I am right and you are wrong...I am just saying that I think we all do this kind of stuff to some degree. I also don't care at all...What Bo did bothered me 0%...just like his firing me bothered me 0%...