Posted December 8th, 2009 by Ross
Filed under: Football

I believe coaches tell players that they have 24 hours to celebrate a victory or mourn a loss. One of the reasons is to not let the past affect the future. Sometimes coaches forget to follow their own rules and let the past determine their future.

We as Longhorn fans need to be reminded how lucky we are to have a coach like [tag]Mack Brown[/tag] for many reasons that do not have to do with X’s and O’s. The way that Mack handles the media and the fans after a loss tells a lot more about the person than letting one game define who you are as a coach. One of the most telling stats that refer to the teams that Mack coaches is that they are 12-0 against the next opponent after the OU game no matter win or lose. He uses this moment to teach kids how to treat the ups and downs that come at you.

This was not the case after the Big XII championship game for [tag]Nebraska[/tag] coach Bo Pelini or his defensive coach/brother Carl Pelini. An article from the Omaha World Herald titled “Heartbreaker’s haze sees anger and confusion” describes a wild, emotional scene after the game.

Carl Pelini after marching off the field decided to yell to the Longhorns “You should be ashamed of accepting the trophy!” Bo screamed “BCS!” when entering into the locker room. “That’s why they make the call!” Does that comment seem eerily similar from a former Big XII coach that is no longer in Kansas anymore? The attitude of the last seconds can be understandable, but I think the reaction by Bo shows the frustration should not be directed to the referees, replay booth, Big XII or the Longhorns since his team brought some of this upon themselves. The frustration of not getting the time call at the end game was an easy target for Bo instead of the kickoff that went out of bounds or the horse collar tackle all by his own players that allowed the Horns to get into field goal position for the winning kick. It is ironic that a very similar time situation with somewhat different results happened this year on October 17th between USC and Notre Dame in South Bend. This Big XII Championship was not the first time a replay was used to check out the play clock.

Coaches tell players when they score a touchdown to “act like you’ve been there before” instead of celebrating like it is New Years Day. Some coaches need to listen to their own advice after a game win or lose. Your character is on display during wins and losses. Wins will continue to be the norm for Nebraska because Bo Pelini is a good coach. The character that Mack displays after a game helps the team for its next challenge. Let’s hope that Bo learns a little from him so his teams will continue to be successful at every challenge.

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1 Comment

  1. reply to  #1

    Steve

    I missed the part where Pelini exceded the permissable 24 hr limit with his anger.

    As for Mack not Crying, come on! What about all the crying he did and is still doing over losing the South tie-breaker last year.

    Posted by the same author Ross only one month earlier. Article WTH Moments Oklahoma State
    “Coach Mack Brown got into the act early in the year with giving out T-shirts with the logo .0128 which is the margin that they lost to OU for the Big XII championship.”

    What about all the crying he did in 2004 saying Texas deserved to go to the Rose Bowl over Cal?

    Yes, Texas beat Michigan and Cal lost to Tech in the 2004 bowl games.
    Yes, Texas beat Oklahoma in 2008, but lost the 3-way tie-breaker that everyone agreed upon before the season.

    But don’t think that Mack won’t cry like a 3 year old until he gets his way.

    “Coach Mack Brown got into the act early in the year with giving out T-shirts with the logo .0128 which is the margin that they lost to OU for the Big XII championship.”

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