This year has seen more scandal in college sports than any other in recent memory. And given today’s media landscape, this malfeasance and corruption is getting much more coverage than ever. Which has opened the door for discussions on whether or not it’s time to pay college football and college basketball players.
This is not one of those discussions. What follows is a small but interesting verbal gaffe from Nebraska Cornhuskers Coach Bo Pellini; it reads like the type of mispeak that Joe Biden would make.
I’m not saying this is a glimpse into what’s really or really not going on, but it is something difficult to overlook.
At Big Ten Media Day, every coach gets his 15 minutes on dais. The discussion is moderated and broadcast on television. After each Q & A, the coach then meets a group of reporters outside the ballroom to take more media queries.
“It’s a very unique situation in Nebraska, we don’t have any other professional sports teams. Nebraska football, Nebraska athletics, (the) University is what kind of runs the show in the state,” Pellini told the media Thursday.
Focus on “ANY OTHER PROFESSIONAL” in that sentence.
And I know what he really meant to say, there is no other game in town, and that’s one of the many reasons the Huskers are such a big deal and make so much money. (well, everyone but the players make a lot of money)
Pellini continued answering the initial question, which was about the rabid fan base.
“They’re passionate about it, they’re loyal. Look at our sell out streak, no one’s close. It’s a testament to the type of sport we have and the type of fans that are part of our program.”
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site that generates millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports You can follow him on Twitter