Norm Peterson

My search function isn't working too well on here, but if you can look up what I've said in the past about Kale Abrahamson on this site, this is not a comparison that would make me feel particularly optimistic about this pickup.

And there what is?

I'm basically not even looking at the recruiting board these days. Oh, periodically, I'll go over there just to see what's up. But I refuse to get invested in the idea of landing any kid at this point when there's so much that could happen -- and likely WILL happen -- to change the trajectory of the recruiting process. Chances seem to be pretty high that, whatever 2023 or later kids we're in on now, it'll be a completely different set of players lacing up their shoes when the time comes. So, why bother paying any attention to it? Also, "if"?

You can't spell "irrational-optimistic-fanatic" without "rats."

Steadman's been too busy rolling Oprah in flour for the last 40 years to be considered a viable candidate for an assistant coaching position. Even here. Wait wut

Top 15 baby!

I'd say in the last three years, we lead the nation in the biggest gulf between what we say in the summer and what we produce in the winter. So, we got that going for us. Which is nice.

On the bright side, the buyout won't be a record.

Cam Mack was a singularly poisonous figure in Husker basketball history. He was bad in all kinds of ways -- terrible influence on his teammates, etc. -- but what made it absolutely untenable was that he was untouchable. He had a protector on the staff who insulated him from ever facing accountability. And it caused a rift on the staff that was irreparable. And now, NONE of the assistant coaches at the time are still assistant coaches today.

Well, that plus watching what was happening on the floor.

FYI to everyone: I know the percentages are all thrown off for questions 2 and 3 by the "not applicable" option, but I discovered after I created the poll that you couldn't simply answer question 1 without also answering the next 2 questions. So, there had to be an option for those who voted "I kept all my seats" in order to answer the questions about why they gave them up. So, if you're wondering why I included those options, that's why.

maybe this is a conspiracy for Gate 25 to make more money

Today was the deadline. What did you do with your seats? How many seats did you have? How many seats did you keep?

And let me just add: This "rules for thee but not for me" attitude was tolerated by the man in charge, but it was facilitated/enabled by a certain assistant who is no longer here. And that might have something to do with why we're not seeing it happening now. Thank goodness. If there is a significant difference in our record this year compared to the last three, I know some folks who know some things who will identify one staff change as being the primary reason why.

Unless it's already been quoted.

Let me attempt to resurrect it. For as much as I have taken a "show me" attitude about this program going into this season, I'm actually hearing some encouraging things coming out of Hendricks this summer. It sounds like someone must have been listening last season when Kobe Webster hinted there was no accountability. Sound like this year there is no team prima donna who thinks the rules don't apply to him, which has been a real problem in the past. Sounds like the team is developing some accountability. And some cohesion. Still have question marks about where the points are going to come from. But at least they're acting like a team this year for basically the first time in Hoiberg's tenure here. Fingers crossed that this will somehow translate into more wins

OK, don't be a little bitch. I would NEVER go to Derrick Walker and dump on him in person while he's doing something good. But this is a message board. And I've been very candid about my "show me the money" attitude towards Husker hoops going into this season. I have held nothing back and have not minced my words. If Derrick or Fred wish to read my opinions on their body of work so far, all they have to do is come here and read what I've had to say. I suspect they couldn't care less what I think and couldn't be bothered to read my takes. But that's not what message boards are about.

He wasn't being guarded by the Huskers.

This is lovely. Just warms my heart. So good to see.

Except the butt of the joke wasn't the kids with special needs. The butt of the joke was our basketball program and, honestly, there are times if I couldn't find a way to laugh about the last 3 years, I'd be crying. I think you're being overly sensitive if you refuse to acknowledge that fact. In other news, I think this is one of the best feel-good stories involving Husker basketball that I've seen in a very long time and I have nothing but high praise for Derrick Walker, who has always struck me as just a good dude, for organizing it. Good for him and I'm very happy for the ppl who were able to experience it.

I think it was just a self-deprecating joke that fell flat. I, @49r, and some others, have found it especially difficult to feel our usual optimistic selves going into this coming season. I don't think he was trying to crap on anyone's feel goods.

Thing about Derrick Walker is that he's REALLY good when a PG sets the table for him. He's not at all someone who creates his own shot; he just converts at a really high rate when someone gets him the ball in good position. Contrast that with Yvan who couldn't convert at all. So, I mean, that is really useful. But it's also limited. It requires a PG to set him up. So, the best PGs I have ever seen are the ones who CAN score, but really pick their places. It's the PG who does such a good job at setting everyone else up that defenses try to prevent the pass and wind up getting torched because they forget the PG can score too. We definitely have not had that PG during the Hoiberg era. Somewhat better with Cam Mack than with Alonzo Verge, but we haven't had it yet and it'll be interesting to see if we have that guy now. I kinda doubt it but you never know.

Speaking of tacos and Mexican YouTube channels and combining it with sports, I was today years old when I found out Skip Bayless, the sports-talk personality, is the older brother of Rick Bayless, the Michelin-star-award-winning chef, whose YouTube channel I've been watching for years. I saw a YouTube video today of Skip talking about how he has no relationship with his brother, but it sounds like they both endured hell on earth growing up with two alcoholic parents including a task-master father and a loveless mother who never wanted to have kids. And Skip channeled his immense survival instinct into becoming an extremely successful print journalist and later radio and TV personality, while his younger brother, with whom he describes having almost no relationship whatsoever, channeled HIS immense survival instinct into becoming one of the most award-winning American-born chefs ever. I mean, there are literally fewer than 200 Michelin-starred chefs in the US and Rick Bayless is one of them. I mean, what are the odds? What are the odds that two kids growing up in the same extremely dysfunctional, alcoholic, financially-challenged household would take wildly different paths to achieve exceptional fame and fortune? I liked Rick Bayless before, but I am just in awe now.

OK, so @basketballjones, it sounds like we're somewhere between "don't sweat it" and "the executioner wants to know your neck size."

It says something about what we had that Dana Altman hired him away from us.