Purify's Official Statement

Maurice Purify pleaded "no contest" to all of the charges he faced stemming from his two arrests. He now faces 1250 in fines and probation.

Here is his official statement to the media:

"I apologize to my family, my friends, my teammates and to those who support Husker Football. I especially want to express my apologies to Coach Callahan and the coaching staff because I know I let them down. I am extremely disappointed in myself.

"I am responsible for my actions. The choices I made that led to these circumstances were out of character for me. In each instance, I was under the influence of alcohol. I do not use that as an excuse, but I want to be honest. I am currently addressing this issue with professional help and guidance.

"I realize the impact of my poor decisions. I will not make the same mistakes in the future. My actions will speak louder than my words. I intend to learn from this experience and to move forward.

"I do not know if I will be fortunate enough to play another game at Nebraska. I hope that I can be afforded a second chance to do what I love to do - play football for Nebraska. If Coach Callahan decides that I will not be able to play again, I respect his decision and am grateful for the opportunity that he has given me.

"I am grateful for the support I have received through these difficult times. I regret my actions and I have learned from my mistakes. I will work hard to restore the faith of the people that have supported me."

This One is Way Better....

Courtesy of commenter 'BoroHusker

And We're on the Board...

With Purify's antics, our Fulmer Cup runneth over.

Maurice Purify Arrested

You've got to be kidding me.

I'm covering this as breaking news on the FanHouse, and will update as details become available either here or there.

Sam Keller Will Pop a Cup in Your Ass

Yikes, Sam Keller was apparently cited for Disturbing the Peace after throwing a plastic cup and yelling obscenities at a female UNL student who outmaneuvered him for a parking spot. I wouldn’t have thought this to be a huge story, but then I remembered what qualifies for news in Nebraska. ESPN, however, also deems the story newsworthy, as does the FanHouse.

When I was at UNL, parking was atrocious. And after over a decade as a college student at three fairly large universities I can honestly say that I had more trouble finding spots at UNL than at any other school. I don’t want to condone Keller’s actions, but there are principles that guide parking lot etiquette and if you break those rules, you do so at your own risk.

This whole thing sounds a bit fishy to me and I can’t help but wonder whether Joe Ganz might have a sister on campus.

The Quick Fix for Husker Nation

As I’ve previously discussed, things are pretty sordid around Husker Nation these days. When Trev Alberts, Jim Rose and Tom Shatel all chime in, however, the end times are upon us lamenting has officially “jumped the shark.”

I still feel that a 10-win (or better) season will be a cure for all that ails the Big Red collective. Unfortunately it’s March and spring practice hasn’t even started. Thus, it’s clear that a quicker fix is necessary.

Callahan and Pederson are trying their best to cut dead weight bring new energy into the athletic department, with their removal of Doak Ostergard. Right idea guys, but wrong office. The fat that truly needs to be trimmed is of the puffy, inflatable, vinyl variety.

That’s right, I’m saying it, folks – FIRE LIL’ RED!!!!


With one swipe of box cutter, one stab of a jailhouse shank, Pederson could retool his PR image and finally bring about Pax Lincolna.

I can hear the detractors already.

“But, Lil’ Red has been around since 1993. He was there for all three national titles in the 90s. He’s another connection to the Osborne and Solich eras. We can’t force out yet another link to our Big Red roots. It’s just not the Nebraska way.”

All valid points. I’ve compiled a list of grievances, however, to make my case for firing Lil’ Red with the UNL Human Resources Department. After reading these, there can be no uncertainty surrounding the reasons for his dismissal.

1. Lil’ Red vigorously humped former HuskerVision production specialist Rick Schwieger at the 1999 Homecoming “Tailgate on the Turf” pep rally. Yes, I know Tom Green was inside the costume during this event, but perhaps Lil’ Red should be a little more choosy about who he lets inside him.

2. Lil’ Red wears nothing but red and also sports his hat turned to the right. Both of these are known symbols of the Bloods. Lincoln has enough of a meth problem as it is. Do we really need to add gangs into the mix?

3. Lil’ Red finished third behind the Stanford Tree and “Other” in an online “Which is the worst mascot” poll. I disagree with these results. While the Stanford Tree is indeed a worse mascot than he, Lil’ Red is far worse than “Other”.

4. The boys at EDSBS have this to say about Lil’ Red:

“Why couldn’t they have stabbed Lil’ Red? His palsied gait haunts our dreams.”

And why should we listen to the opinions of a couple of Florida bloggers? Well check out the number of awards they have won in their sidebar. The world would be a better place if more people listened to EDSBS.

5. Lil’ Red made the list of “Eight Mascots that Need to Die.”

“Suggested method of death: Cross the streams from your proton packs. Watch as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man Cornhusker mascot melts.”

6. In 1997, Lil Red took part in the National Cheerleaders Association National Championships in Daytona Beach, Florida. Despite being blessed with an uncanny ability to bounce on his head, Lil’ Red could muster just a second place finish. Finishing second is one thing, but losing to the Virginia Tech mascot – Frank Beamer’s neck scar the Hokey Bird, is completely unacceptable.

7. According to this article, the Lil’ Red costume includes, “a battery strapped onto one hip and a blower attached to the other hip.” A “blower” attached to the hip? Is this really the kind of image we want serving as a mini-ambassador for the university, the city and the state? Oh, and I’m almost positive that “blower” is not the preferred nomenclature for an orally-adventurous coed.

8. I’m pretty sure Lil’ Red stole my soul in 1997 by staring directly into my eyes during a timeout at a Nebraska vs. Kansas basketball game. I’d really like it back ASAP.

9. The name Lil’ Red requires the use of the apostrophe. Utilizing it in this context is just one of three misunderstood uses of the apostrophe. The apostrophe is also a right pinky keystroke which irritates my budding carpal tunnel syndrome. Laugh if you will, but this is a far greater personal annoyance than getting past security at the Nebraska athletic department.

10. I like cheerleaders. The Nebraska cheerleaders are facing financial cutbacks. Lil’ Red costumes cost $5000 apiece. We already have Herbie Husker. I think you know where I’m going with this.

So there you have it. An easy way of righting the ship and pacifying Husker Nation can be accomplished by firing the “Round Mound of Nightmares Abound”. Hell, he already looks dead and bloated. Let’s just go ahead and put him out of his misery.

For True Husker Nuts

Certainly no Husker Room can be complete without this Offical 1996 Fiesta Bowl Nebraska Jock Strap which is currently available on eBay. It is an absolute steal as the bidding had reached just $22.50 when I stumbled across it. If someone wants to cough up the cash, I can promise to wear it each and every football Saturday come this fall. And who knows, maybe I'll even throw up a picture for all the ladies.

HT - Deadspin

Huff Out...Patrick Too?

News of out of Lincoln is that junior guard Mike Huff will miss at least the spring after tearing his achilles tendon. This is not a pretty injury and my irrational fear of suffering said ailment keeps my ass planted firmly on the couch. Anyway, Huff was expected to push for a starting spot in 2007, but now will spend the near future recovering and rehabbing from surgery. Although his bio on Huskers.com gives no indication of this, it seems as though Huff has battled injuries before. Maybe a shoulder injury last spring or something?

The loss of Huff could have further repercussions following the apparent, but unverified dismissal of Chris Patrick. As the LJS points out both Patrick and Callahan have refused to comment on the speculation surrounding the starter’s future with the team. This sounds like it might involve the dreaded “violation of team rules”. According to the boys at EDSBS this generally means one of three things:

1. Skipped class.
2. Smoked weed and tested positive.
3. Tackled, upended, and then devoured a Geo Metro whole after a raucous off-campus party.

Given the presence of random, but mandatory off-season drug-testing perhaps we can narrow down the list. Number 3, however, would make for a much better story.

Separated at Birth?

Nebraska's Stewart Bradley arriving in Dallas for the Cotton Bowl and famed comedian Gallagher. I just hope Stew brought his Sledge-O-Matic to drop on Auburn.

*Stewart Bradley Photo Credit: HuskersIllustrated.com

Huskers Matriculate...

Nine current members of the Husker football team received their diplomas Saturday in Nebraska's Winter Commencement Ceremony. The players graduating were:

Zac Taylor
Adam Carriker
Brandon Rigoni
Matt Herian
J.B. Phillips
Stewart Bradley
Ola Dagunduro
Newt Lingenfelter
Will Otto

Congratulations and good luck in your futures (especially the Cotton Bowl).

...And Huskers Give Back

The Huskers welcomed more than 60 youth from the Lincoln YMCA Community Learning Center to the Hawks Center and treated them to a Husker Family Christmas following Saturday’s practice. The players and coaches shared a Christmas meal with the children and afterwards, the kids received gifts. The gifts were selected and paid for by the players who were each assigned a gift partner.

You can check out more pictures of the event here. Any guesses as to who played Santa Claus? Corey McKeon? Matt Slauson?

Video Stadium Tour - With Your Host Ola Dagundaro

Here is an insider's look at the new stadium complex, which includes more of Ola being Ola. Ah, YouTube, the lazy blogger's delight. I promise things will pick up when this semester is finally in the books for good and the Cotton Bowl approaches.

2006 Senior Tribute Video

Take the time to sit down and watch this in its entirety. Sometimes we forget what's under the helmet.

More evidence that Nebraska football remains Dedicated to Excellence through Tradition, Teamwork and Integrity.

Matt Slauson - Tatonka

The best part of working on this site is the amazing finds that wind up in my inbox. I just got this picture of Matt Slauson sporting his buffalo suit as promised after Friday's game. The emailer wanted to remain anonymous so thanks to the random Husker fan for this great pic.

I'm excited that Matt is going to be around for a few more years. Not only because of his talent on the field, but also because he seems to be a riot off the field. Well played Mr. Slauson.

Trick or Treat - Linebacker Style

Here are Nebraska linebackers Corey McKeon and Stewart Bradley spending their Halloween weekend in an enviable fashion. Yes, that is McKeon as the Hulkster and I have no idea what Bradley is besides pretty (and very, very lucky).




Well, I guess that's one way to get over a devastating defeat. And isn't it amazing what people find on the internet?

BEAT TEXAS!

Before I head out to Lincoln, I thought I would leave you with this. Yes, that is our own Matt Slauson in all his glory. Major props to DXP fan and UNL student, Chuck for this disturbing find.

Clearly Jordan Monroe isn't the only centerfold on campus. Slauson appears to be following in the footsteps of former Husker Roger Craig, who had a "brief" career as a Calvin Klein model for Macy's in 1990.

Can I say one thing to you, Matt? And I say this with an unblemished record of staunch heterosexuality...you’re fabulous!

Sam Keller? But do we still have room under the cap?

Sam Keller who started seven games at quarterback for ASU last season before suffering a thumb injury, is apparently transferring to Nebraska for his final year of eligibility. Keep in mind this move has yet to be confirmed. However, the ever-present "sources" are saying it is most definitely in the works. Keller would have to use his redshirt year to sit out 2006 before becoming eligible to join the quarterback fray in 2007. Keller was named the starting QB for the Sun Devils by coach Dirk Koetter on Friday night. In a peculiar twist, however, on Sunday Koetter said that he had changed his mind and given Rudy Carpenter the job. Keller was then given the option of either returning to ASU or exploring his options elsewhere.

Keller would join a group in 2007 that would include juniors Joe Ganz, Brian Hildebrand, and Beau Davis as well as true freshman Patrick Witt. Keller would certainly be the most experienced QB of this group. He played in 19 games at ASU including 8 starts. In 2005 he completed 155-of-264 passes (58.7 pct.) for 2,165 yards with 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions on the season. In addition, despite missing nearly half the season, he led the team in passing attempts and touchdown passes, and finished tied for 28th nationally and ranked fourth in the Pac-10 in scoring passes.

Keller also had two of his biggest games in 2005 against elite competition. Against LSU he went 35/56 for 461 yards and 4 touchdowns. Versus top-ranked USC Keller was 26/45 for 347 yards and five touchdowns. Although the Sun Devils lost both games it was not due to the efforts of Keller.

The bottom line is that Nebraska would be getting a quarterback who is fiery and emotional, as well as big game-tested. Many fans worried that not having a quarterback that fit that description would be a hindrance in 2007. The next questions then become how quickly does he pick up Callahan’s offense and how does our current stable of QBs respond to the news.

These late pick-ups via free-agency are the main benefits of hiring an ex-NFL guy. We just didn’t know what we were missing out on. I mean for all the running around they did on the field, our option quarterbacks were rather immobile off it.

NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse

“The only thing that saves us from the bureaucracy is its inefficiency.” So said, Eugene McCarthy. You might want to keep that quote in mind as you read this post.

This is the time of year that most freshmen hit the field as their first fall camp begins. Many athletes, however, have their freshman campaign delayed by the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. Currently Nebraska is awaiting the arrival of Ricky Thenarse who was completing a summer class and will then need to be cleared by this organization. At last check USC was also anxiously awaiting the clearance of Vidal Hazelton and Jamere Holland. So just what is the Eligibility Clearinghouse and what causes these seemingly inevitable delays?

The NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse is the governing organization that officially certifies student -athletes as academically eligible to compete in NCAA Division I or Division II athletics. The Clearinghouse is not the NCAA per se, but is instead, an organization that performs academic evaluations for the NCAA. This body acts as the central "clearinghouse" of information for all colleges to verify that the student athlete meets the minimum set academic standards of participation.

Athletes are encouraged to register with the Clearinghouse at the end of their junior year of high school. To register students simply obtain an NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse application from their high school or guidance counselor. The athlete then completes the student-release form, which authorizes the high school to send his or her academic records to the Clearinghouse. The registration form and records are then sent to the Clearinghouse along with a $30 registration fee.

During the summer before the athlete’s senior year, the Clearinghouse provides them with an evaluation of their academic record. This evaluation includes information regarding what high school coursework they still need to take in order to become certified as eligible to play NCAA Division I or Division II athletics. The athletes are to then use this evaluation to schedule courses during for their senior year. Once the athlete graduates a final copy of their transcript must also be sent to the Clearinghouse to confirm their graduation and to continue the evaluation process.

The clearance process seems fairly straightforward on paper, however, as many athletes can attest; it can be anything but that in practice. As this New York Times piece relates, the problems are numerous.

“The problem lies in the failure of the NCAA, one of the richest nonprofit organizations in the nation, to evaluate academic eligibility for freshman athletes in a timely manner. From an inadequate number of telephones to answer the calls of parents, students and high schools, to its rigid policy not to inform a student until the end of his or her senior year what credits are needed for eligibility and scholarships, the NCAA's conduct has been arbitrary and shameful, say lawyers for those who have turned to the courts.”

No one seems to benefit from waiting for a student’s grades for their entire senior year to be submitted, before informing them of eligibility problems. By then it is too late for the athlete and for the school, which can’t always determine how the Clearinghouse will rule. If an athlete is not cleared, he may not appeal his case directly and it is up to his university to do so. This too, is often not a timely process. The N.Y. Times article discusses the case of Damon Phillips, a 6-foot 7-inch basketball player from Brooklyn, who after the NCAA objected to a preliminary injunction permitting him to play, ultimately missed two-thirds of his freshman season at Fairfield.

The process is also slowed simply by the numbers involved. Each of the 24,000 U.S. high schools has their own curriculum and the Clearinghouse is often too far removed from these schools to make accurate assessments. As Daniel Sagaran, Phillips's lawyer, stated:

"The staff liaisons of the subcommittee consist of two persons of extremely limited experience neither of whom had any training in high school teaching or course accreditation. Their actual review was woeful. No one called the school, learned about the course, determined whether it met the core course definition."

In addition, the Clearinghouse is likely under-staffed to deal with the quantity of cases they handle. The size of the organization ranges from 25 full-time evaluators up to 100 during the summer crunch time. The number of incoming freshman they have to deal with is around 130,000, and that figure was from 1996. Cases also become increasingly complicated if students attend more than one high school, or if the student must complete summer school before his transcript is finalized.

The Clearinghouse guidelines were put into place to protect the integrity of intercollegiate athletics and the NCAA says it needs the power to evaluate courses properly and to achieve uniform eligibility standards among the nation's colleges. But just how should that power be wielded and shouldn’t it be regulated in some manner?

“The NCAA is rigid with respect to its rules," said Gary Roberts, professor of sport and law at Tulane University. "With every coach trying to get someone in, they have a difficult job to do. It is not surprising that it is almost a police-state type of organization."

Surprising? No, but that is of little consolation to the players, coaches, and schools affected by the rulings. Oh and don’t forget the fans. Won’t someone please think of the fans?

Already Gone

Harrison Beck’s career as a Husker has now officially come to an end. This is a sad ending to a once happy tale. Beck was the kid who carried a Nebraska lunch box in high school and helped recruit several players who would later join that much revered 2005 class. During the recruiting process Beck was quoted as saying:

"I'm not going to let any of this get to my head," Beck said. "I'm the same guy. I still hang with the same friends, still do the same things. I know the attention won't last for long. But it is fun."

It sounds like in this case, the attention outlasted the fun.

Beck’s Husker career was anything but magical. His final stat line looks like this:

Games: 2
Attempts: 10
Completions: 1
Percentage: 10%
INT: 1
YDS: 21
YDS/ATT: 2.1
TD: 0
RATING: 7.6

Beck’s lone completion was a 21-yard strike to Nate Swift to set up last season’s game-winning field goal against Kansas State. His heroics in that game left him just 29 come-from-behind wins shy of his hero Brett Favre.

When his development seemed too slow, many people questioned Harrison’s focus for football. When he wasn’t holding clipboards, one of Harrison’s other passions was music. Thanks to the magic of google cache we can catch a glimpse of his band’s myspace page. Unfortunately the music player is not working denying us the sounds of what can only be described as…screaming. Horrible…awful…screaming from Harrison on vocals. You can also see this quote from his bandmates:

“HARRISON IS NOT THE BAND, HE IS IN THE BAND. EVERYBODY IN THIS BAND IS AS EQUALLY IMPORTANT, SO I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WOULD NOT ELEVATE HARRISON TO BEING THE ONLY PERSON IN THIS BAND”.

This is what he dealt with even when trying to enjoy his hobbies. He was bigger than his band and perhaps even bigger than his team. His mom thought so, maybe he thought so. But didn’t we think so too? Did any of us truly think he would sit for two years behind Zac Taylor?

Overall, Beck’s departure leaves me feeling as sad and empty as his official website. It clearly was designed to amass all of his honors and accomplishments. Many Nebraskans were guilty of filling that space with unrealistic expectations. Expectations that in the end, were easier to run from than to face head-on.

Spoke too soon...

As you’ve no doubt heard by now - the once immature, then more mature and now immature again, Harrison Beck - went AWOL and missed practice Saturday.

To make matters worse, Beck's mother then did a spot on impression of Kurt Warner's wife with these comments to the Lincoln Journal Star.

“It’d be different if (Beck) was sitting behind Matt Leinart or Brady Quinn,” Evelyn Beck-Bothwell said. “Zac’s OK; I wish him all the best, but he’s just OK. The bottom line is, my son isn’t learning anything. He’s just on his own. If he got more time and attention from the coaches, he would be ahead of (Taylor). That’s just my opinion, but I’m his mother.”

The soap opera continued as message board speculation insinuated that Mrs. Beck-Bothwell believed she was speaking off-the-record when making her comments to Steve Sipple.

Sipple then fired-back at those accusations in his blog (scroll down a few entries).

Coach Callahan confirmed that Beck missed practice again on Sunday and indicated that he had not spoken yet with the quarterback. This should probably serve as evidence that Harrison’s days in Lincoln might be numbered.

As proof that things could always be worse - cornerback Zackary Bowman tore his ACL and is out for the season. This means that Courtney Grixby must step-up his game and the learning curve for junior-college transfer Andre Jones just got much steeper. The injury also depletes an already thin cornerback position and highlights the need for Ricky Thenarse to get his academics in order and make it to Lincoln...like yesterday.

Oh, and tight end Ryan Hill picked the worst time ever to commit to the Huskers for 2007. Welcome aboard Ryan. Please check your drama at the door and be sure pack an extra set of knee ligaments.