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Unfortunately it doesn't sound to me like Boehm handled it very well in my opinion.  If this was in fact something they were actually thinking about doing then he could have made that known at the time or asked Lee to hold off on write an article like this because it was already in the works.  Now if this actually happens, which it absolutely should, it only looks like they did it because of the egg that just got thrown all over their face.  What concerns me is that now they'll delay it even longer just to keep it from looking like they let a columnist in Omaha forced them to do it.

 

I love this university and have been a life long supporter of the basketball program and will continue to be. But this is just another case that shows that they just don't quite "get it" all of the time, which is part of the reason why we remain a middling team in the B1G.

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Must Agree - Lee thinks Boehm 'blew-it' just by the way he wrote the article.  I trust Miles 'gets-it' how much it could help recruiting, and the program.

 

But, I think we are on the cusp of something B1G happening in the MBB program; just look at the talent level Miles HAS attracted.

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Now if this actually happens, which it absolutely should, it only looks like they did it because of the egg that just got thrown all over their face.

 

Would it not already look that way by until now and doing it after he won the championship this year?

 

I would say it would slightly look that way.  But it'd be a much worse look now that they basically dropped the ball in the state's largest newspaper.  They easily could have covered their own a$$ by saying that it was already in the works even if it wasn't.  That way it would at least appear like they planned to do it no matter the result of this year's NBA Finals.

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Being out-of-state I know nothing of the personalities involved, but Boehm is certainly not being portrayed in a very good light. 

 

But before piling on here consider we are really only getting one side of the conversation.  Barfknecht's function is to sell papers, after all.  Nor do we know the exact questions asked or complete responses.

 

Nevertheless, Lee makes a compelling case for recognizing Lue's accomplishments at Nebraska and post-Nebraska.  Indeed, it should have happened long ago.

 

In any event, I don't think Lee's article will go unnoticed at the University.

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Boehm is the living example of "It's a great country".  He has somehow served in completely undistinguished fashion through 3 athletic directors and still has a job.

 

A very interesting part of the Barfy story is his tale of Collier not giving a crap about Tyronn.  This was the Collier I saw frequently. He has this reputation of a having been this super nice guy who just couldn't recruit or coach well enough to get it done here; "but what a great guy".   I actually found him to be aloof and arrogant, and someone who couldn't have given a hoot about fans, boosters, or former players. The example in the article of not getting Lue a game ticket doesn't even surprise me.  

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Let's reverse engineer this a little bit.

 

I'm looking at the guys on top of the all-time lists.  Do any of the following or anyone else who isn't Hoppen, Pike or Lantz have a better argument than Lue?

  • Jerry Fort (#3 all-time scoring, Three time first team All-Big 8)
  • Erick Strickland (#8 all time scoring, #2 in steals, #5 in assists)
  • Venson Hamilton (#1 rebounds, #1 Blocked shots, 1999 Big 12 POY)
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I am generally a big fan of Lee's writing.  This article gave me some pause, just because of the way Lee jumped all over MB.  Did he really expect Boehm to say "great idea, Lee, we'll get on that this afternoon!".  One year ago today, did Lue have a higher profile than Eric Strickland?  And you can't discount the logistics involved in retiring a jersey.  Ideally, you want to retire it at a home game and with the former player attending, right?  Seems unlikely to me that Lue would have flown into Lincoln for a home game while he's busting his can as a first-year coach with Cleveland.

Having said that, this year would be a great time to retire Lue's uniform, recognize his contributions to the program, and capitalize on his accomplishments this past year.  Even if he can't attend personally due to his commitment to the Cavaliers.

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Let's reverse engineer this a little bit.

 

I'm looking at the guys on top of the all-time lists.  Do any of the following or anyone else who isn't Hoppen, Pike or Lantz have a better argument than Lue?

  • Jerry Fort (#3 all-time scoring, Three time first team All-Big 8)
  • Erick Strickland (#8 all time scoring, #2 in steals, #5 in assists)
  • Venson Hamilton (#1 rebounds, #1 Blocked shots, 1999 Big 12 POY)

 

Fort should be up there

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The article he wrote 5 years ago that he referenced today.  It was the infamous Shim-Sham article.

 

 

Stale antics making a sham of NU hoops
 
Nebraska basketball has a hard enough time being taken seriously without suffering the self-inflicted embarrassment that occurred Saturday night against Oklahoma State. No, this isn't about coach Doc Sadler or his 16-8 team, who beat the Cowboys to keep their postseason hopes alive.
 
The following cold slap in the face is for those in charge of "entertainment.'' There is some explaining to do.
 
As the Huskers and Cowboys left the court at halftime, the crowd was invited to stay for a performance by The Shim Shams, a group of elderly women dancers.
 
Please don't send me nasty e-mails that I'm bashing senior citizens. God bless these gals for being active. The criticism goes to those who booked them. Halftime of a power conference basketball game is the wrong time and place for that lineup.
 
Maybe it was a ploy to sell more concessions, because fans streamed into the hallways when the dancers took the floor.
 
Among those I saw near a hot dog line were two prominent members of the Nebraska athletic family, one who shook his head, pointed toward the arena floor and repeated the phrase, "Are you kidding me?''
 
But in a program that has never won an NCAA tournament game and hasn't claimed a conference title in 61 years, what's the big deal about some dancing grannies?
 
In many ways, it's symbolic of what looks like administrative numbness toward a major revenue-producing sport, which is puzzling at a school that prides itself on excellence.
 
You would think Nebraska had learned its lesson after The Shim Shams appeared earlier this season at the Creighton game. For the Bluejay fans who already think NU has a stale and backward program, it was free ammunition.
 
Adding to the low-major atmosphere Saturday were the repeated mistakes of the public address announcer.
 
He offered a starting lineup for the Oklahoma State "offense.'' He announced a player who wasn't starting. He erroneously said a player committed a fourth foul in the first half without correction.
 
And he mangled the pronunciation of OSU's Jean-Paul Olukemi too many ways to count, even though there is a phonetic guide in the media book and the Cowboys' sports information director was about five seats away.
 
So everyone has a bad day, right?
 
Sorry. The incorrect pronunciations have happened for years, including All-America and All-Big 12 players. And the backward reading of scores - "At halftime, it's Nebraska 30 and Kansas 46'' - can't continue.
 
Two things set the tone for a good atmosphere in college basketball: the energy of the student section and an engaging, well-prepared P.A. person, who acts as the master of ceremonies.
 
The Red Zone students were outstanding Saturday. The rest of the presentation was far from it, including the microphone that wasn't on at the start of the national anthem solo. That also isn't a first.
 
Think this stuff would fly in football? Think Roburt Sallie's enrollment mess would have happened? Think trailing in facilities as long as Husker hoops has would be acceptable?
 
Not a chance. Yet durable mediocrity too often passes for the norm around NU basketball.
 
Ask any business person if details matter. Show enough incorrect slides at your presentation and mispronounce the client's name, you don't get the contract. And if you give the same presentation year after year - on the court and during timeouts - the lack of innovation defeats you.
 
Speaking of details, here's one:
 
An argument could be made for Tyronn Lue as the best Husker player ever. He was first-team All-Big 12. He was a first-round NBA draft choice. He was part of two NBA championship teams. He played 11 seasons in the NBA and made about $25 million.
 
Lue was a star point guard at a school that perpetually is in need of good point guards. And he's a hell of a good guy.
 
So where in the Devaney Center arena is that giant banner of Lue - now the Boston Celtics' director of development - to show visiting recruits and take advantage of his fame?
 
Oh, right. There isn't one. What a colossal whiff.
 
Nebraska basketball is at a critical juncture in its pedestrian history, of which I've witnessed up close the past 36 years. There's the move to the Big Ten, the current construction of a long-needed practice facility and the approval of a new arena for the 2013-14 season.
 
The discussion about Doc Sadler being the right man for the future - and for now, I think he is - isn't the topic today.
 
What matters first is whether the NU administration will find ways to help Sadler rehabilitate a laggard program, or will it continue to tap dance around the obvious.

 

 

 
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A couple follow ups on Tyronn:

*When Strick and the other players walked out on Danny, Tyronn did not.

*Tyronn did in three years what many came close to doing in Four.  Tyronn arguably was one of the most talented players ever to walk through our doors.

*Fort should be on the rafters as well.  He was special.

*Strick and VH are a step behind Tyronn.  Tyronn needs to have the banner first.

*Tyronn won a NBA championship as a player, has any other Husker?

*Tyronn won a NBA championship as a Head Coach, has any other Husker?

*Tyronn was recently named to the Nebraska or Nebraska BB HOF?  It was an enjoyable ceremony and Miles and company made it a big time event. 

 

Time to take it this next step. 

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A couple follow ups on Tyronn:

*When Strick and the other players walked out on Danny, Tyronn did not.

*Tyronn did in three years what many came close to doing in Four. Tyronn arguably was one of the most talented players ever to walk through our doors.

*Fort should be on the rafters as well. He was special.

*Strick and VH are a step behind Tyronn. Tyronn needs to have the banner first.

*Tyronn won a NBA championship as a player, has any other Husker?

*Tyronn won a NBA championship as a Head Coach, has any other Husker?

*Tyronn was recently named to the Nebraska or Nebraska BB HOF? It was an enjoyable ceremony and Miles and company made it a big time event.

Time to take it this next step.

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