It's nice to see that your friend and mine, Tom Shatel, defended those who butter his bread rather than those who signed his college diploma.

Labels: Chase Daniel is a booger eater, Nebraska Football, Tom Shatel

As promised, today we will be posting the second part of Tom Shatel's interview with Heavy Soul. As we mentioned yesterday, Part II will get into some talk about the 2008 Husker season, and some more personal questions for Tom.

Part I clearly generated a lot of interest--thanks to Matt Perrault on "The Big Show" on Big Sports 590 AM, Huskerpedia, and several message boards for the readership.

Let's start the show...

Heavy Soul: We saw on Joe Posnanski's blog--he's a Heavy Soul favorite--that you left a comment of congratulations for him on the recent news that he's being picked up by SI.com. Is Joe a personal friend or someone you've gotten to know by way of geography and the industry? And would you consider him one of the best baseball writers in the country as we do?

Tom Shatel: I grew up in KC and worked for the Star for 10 years after I got out of Mizzou. The Star is near and dear to my heart. I actually looked into the job when Joe was hired in 1996. They made a very good hire. I didn't know him then. But when he was hired I made it a point to introduce myself, explain my background and offer any help or advice about KC. I did the same with Jason Whitlock when he was hired in 1994. Joe and I hit it off, we see each other at events, occasional Nebraska-MU/KU/KSU game and we keep threatening to get our families together, but it's hard. I admire his blog. That's a pure love for writing, plain and simple, because he's got kids to raise and a wife to see, too. In this day and age of blog hit men, it's nice to see pure writing has a place as well.

HS: It's fairly well-documented that you are a Mizzou alum. That said, do you consider yourself--at this point in your life--a Nebraskan?

TS: I do. Funny, but I lived in KC from 1970 to 1989 and I'm approaching that number of years here (1991-2008). I did not come to Omaha planning to stay. I thought I would hang out a few years, bang out a few columns, make a name for myself and skidaddle. But I fell in love with everything: Omaha and its old-school values, traditions, corner bars, friendliness, etc. Small town Nebraska. I love driving around Nebraska. When I was single, I would look for stories in the small towns during the summer and I loved just stopping to eat or have a drink in a random town. I just love the rustic feel of small town Nebraska. It's absolutely priceless. And don't even get me started on the Sand Hills. The dateline out there should be God's Country, USA. My wife is from Valley, her family from Alliance. One of my favorite things to do is to drive to Alliance, taking the highways through Wahoo and St. Paul and Broken Bow (old hotel diner, I think it's the Arrow, is a classic) and onto rancher country. My wife's uncle and aunt have a farm. We go to the farm, grill a steak, drink at the Legion club. Simply awesome. My favorite story came a couple years ago, when we had finished dinner, another 20-once t-bone with all the trimmings, and for some reason Chimney Rock came up. I said I had no idea what that was. Uncle Larry popped up off the couch and said, "Well, let's go.'' Apparently it was an hour south of there. We got in his car and he started driving down a dirt road, then a gravel road, then he turned left, then right, then left, and kept turning and kicking up gravel and rocks for almost an hour, without one road sign or direction, until finally he said, "There it is,'' And sure enough, there it was, Chimney Rock. That drive was the most amazing thing I've been through in my life. After that drive, yes, I felt like a Nebraskan.

HS: A couple of Omaha-specific questions: What's your favorite restaurant in town? Favorite bar?

TS:I've had two lives here. When I was single, it was M's Pub or Jam's. Now that I'm married, we like Millard Road House. We go there every Sunday after church. We have our own booth. The waitresses play with the kids while we eat. I also like Hector's, a Mexican joint with a baja flavor that takes me back to San Diego, where I grew up as a kid and still retreat to every summer. It doesn't hurt that Hector has pictures of my San Diego Chargers on the wall. Killer margaritas and enchiladas. Hector, who is from San Diego, is usually hanging out at the bar and eager to tell you how bad Norv Turner is.

(Ed. Note: Get the #19 at Hector's with shredded chicken. Trust us.)

My taste in bars has changed, too. When I was single, it was anywhere in the Old Market. I met my wife at Pauli's, the CWS and Cubs bar in midtown. I"ll always have a sentimental place for Pauli's. But it's too far to drive. I had a DWI six years [ago], the night my first daughter was born. I figured it was God's way of saying, slow down, now. You're a dad. Act like one. These days, my bar is my front porch after the kids are in bed. Once in a while, I'll sneak out to Tanner's (my favorite sports neighborhood bar in KC) or Caddy Shack, a couple of great neighborhood joints where everyone knows your name and it's a quick drive home.

HS: Where is your favorite place to travel for work (of the places you go on a semi-regular basis)? What was your favorite travel assignment of your career?

TS: I like all of the old Big Eight towns, because I have so many great memories there. St. Louis for Valley hoops is a new favorite. KC for Big 12 hoops. And my sleeper favorite, maybe all-time favorite, is Oklahoma City for Big Eight/12 baseball. That's a wonderful event that nobody knows about. Lot of great memories in OKC in the spring, none of which I willl share because I'm certain this is a family web site.

HS: Indeed it is. You seem to be the only sports writer left that does not seem entirely jaded by being a sports writer. In fact, you seem like you're still legitmately a fan. Do you write with that intentionally in your head? Or do you still watch and follow sports the same way you did when you first discovered how much you liked them?

TS: It's funny. I never get to sit in the stands and be a fan, wear the colors, tailgate, cheer during a game, etc. But, yes, I consider myself a fan of sports and the games and people. And I would say this: I have changed the way I cover and view the games in recent years. I used to get all caught up in winning, losing, fire the coach, he's a bum, etc. Now, I find myself more into the experience of a college football game and a college football season, savoring the relationships and the people, the players, the stories, the color, etc. Why do we always have to fire the coach? Today's world is so mean and reactionary. I say we miss a lot of stories falling into that trap. Sometime you just have to get to Jack Trice Field or Folsom Field early, climb up to the top row, sit back, put your feet up and look down onto the empty field, hours before a game, and try and imagine all the history, all the times you've been there before, the games you've seen, the people you've met. I do that on every road trip now. It's my way of stopping to smell the roses.

HS: Along those lines, who is your favorite writer--sports or otherwise?

TS: Jim Murray, Dave Kindred, Mark Whicker, Joe Pos, Mark Kiszla, Edwin Pope, Bill Lyon and John Schulian. Murray was my all-time favorite. Out of sports, that's easy. Mike Royko, the greatest columnist ever. These days, I read Leonard Pitts of the Miami Herald.

HS: Favorite sportscaster?

TS: Vin Scully with Keith Jackson a very, very close second.

HS: ESPN: Good or evil?

TS: Good. Look behind the hype and gaudiness and they still put out a lot of information and they are one of the few media groups left who do serious investigative work.

HS: Last season was obviously a tumultuous one. However, the story never really changed: the defense was terrible, there was seemingly little-to-no passion with the players, and the coaching staff seemed oblivious to everything. That said, how hard was it for you to do your columns every week? In other words, was it difficult coming up with a different "angle" for columns when in reality it was essentially the same story week to week?

TS: The hardest part was finding something new to say. But, with the Pederson firing happening in October, and a new low on the field every other week, it truthfully wasn't that hard.

HS: As a kind of follow-up to that question, is your job easier or more challenging when the team you are covering is bad? Good? Historically bad? Average?

TS: I used to think it was easier, or more fun, when it was bad. But 10 years of MU, KU and K-State football, in the 80's, changed my mind. So did covering Nebraska in the 90's. It's more fun when your team is on national TV, the national media is always around and you're covering big, meaningful end-of-the-world games.

HS: Moving on to the upcoming Husker season...What are Coach Bo Pelini's practices like? What's the intensity level like?

TS: Don't know. We're not allowed to watch. I hear there's some hitting going on.

HS: Who are your players to watch? Freshmen to watch?

TS: I think any of the running backs will be fun to watch, just to see if any of them emerge as a big-time threat with more emphasis. As for freshmen, I want to watch Will Compton. My feeling is Pelini will play freshmen if they can play, and this is a linebacker with terrific skills and instincts. If he can play his first year, that's a good sign for the future.


HS: Who, besides Ganz, do you think that NU simply cannot afford to lose this season?

TS: Matt Slauson, Phillip Dillard or one of the safeties.

HS: We're pretty sure we know the answer to this from reading your columns, but what letter grade would you give Tom Osborne, the Athletic Director?

TS: I give him a B-plus for handling this thing with class and dignity and bringing back a lot of the old way. The overall grade is still incomplete--it's tied to the performance of his head coach.

HS: Do you see anything happening this season that is really going to surprise Husker fans?

TS: I don't think the defense will be anywhere near what people think. There's no magic wand. And the talent isn't near as good as it was when Pelini was around in 2003. There will be some busts, some bad plays. Pelini won't be perfect this year.

There you have it. Once again, on the behalf of everyone that contributes to Heavy Soul, a HUGE thanks goes out to Tom Shatel. We were thrilled that he even e-mailed us back, let alone took so much time to answer an obnoxious amount of questions.

Hopefully we will have more interviews like this one down the road with other local media personalities.

Untill then...2 days 'till kickoff!

Labels: Joe Posnanski, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Nebraska Football, Omaha World-Herald, The Heavy Soul Interview, Tom Shatel

**NOTE: You can read the second part to this interview here.

With the Huskers' season opener this Saturday, we wanted to step up our output and content here on the ol' Heavy Soul. To go along with The Tunnel Walk, MIB has gone to town with his "Reasons to get excited/be worried" pieces, along with the mascots and punters--and it is evident that people out there appreciate the efforts.

Another way we wanted to enhance the content was kind of a random thought that we had--we thought it would be cool if we interviewed someone that was somehow involved with sports in The Good Life, particularly Nebraska Football. Naturally, the first person we thought of was Tom Osborne. Unfortunately, he was not available.

However, the second person we had in mind not only was available, but provided us with such a great interview that we had to split it into two parts (the second running tomorrow).

Tom Shatel, the lead sports columnist for the Omaha World-Herald (and author: you can buy his book Red Zone: The Greatest Victories in the History of Nebraska Football here), has been observing and offering unique insight of Nebraska sports since 1991. Originally hailing from San Diego, Shatel attended Missouri and has worked with the Dallas Morning News, the St. Louis Sun, and the Kansas City Star. Shatel also served as the President of United States Basketball Writers Association (Andy Katz is the current president, if that gives you an idea of the prestige of that position).

Shatel's columns have become a "must-read" Sundays after Husker games (especially last year), and holds the extremely high honor of being labeled as Heavy Soul's "Favorite Sports Columnist."

Tom was gracious enough to take on over 30 questions as posed by contributors of Heavy Soul, and answered ALL of them. Today's topics will cover questions involving Nebraska Football past and other sports topics. Tomorrow will focus on the 2008 Football Huskers, as well as questions pertaining personally to Shatel. So without further ado, let's get on with the interview.

Heavy Soul: From the standpoint of you being a member of the media, what are some of the initial differences you see in covering the Huskers (i.e., the Pederson/Callahan regime vs. Osborne/Pelini)? Any big differences for you personally?

Tom Shatel: It's more genuine, open, honest. You don't feel like there's an agenda. Callahan really didn't have time for small talk, although he and I had a good relationship. There just wasn't much conversation and Bill could be hard to find. Bo is your next door neighbor. You feel like you could invite him over to the driveway for a beer and talk about how the kids are doing in soccer.

HS: When you walk around the Athletic Department offices at NU, do you see any tangible differences since Tom Osborne came back around?

TS: I didn't walk around the offices much before and I don't now. When I've been up there, people are happier, smiling, looser. So, to answer your question, it's night and day.

HS: When Steve Pederson was hired, did you ever hear things "off the record" that would have led you to believe he was arrogant as he turned out to be? On the other hand, do you think that he just had a personality that came off as arrogant, but in reality he was a decent guy (we're trying to leave you an out here, if you can't tell)?

TS: Nobody had a clue this was coming. Nobody. We were all geniuses who thought it was a brilliant hire because of the Nebraska ties. Nobody knew SP had changed, somewhere since leaving Nebraska, and was trying to change the image of the program.

Heard a good story once, from someone close to SP, someone in the department. He said that Pederson grew up in North Platte with a small town Nebraska chip on his shoulder. Didn't like the hard work Nebraska image, the farms, the corn, all the way down to the walk-on program. This person said Steve had stars in his eyes, thought Nebraska should be big time and more like California or New York. That made a lot of sense to me, after the way things went.

(Editor's Note: We have heard the same thing, and it breaks our little North Platte hearts.)

HS: Is there anything more to the story of the now-infamous Frank Solich decision to start Bobby Newcombe over Eric Crouch? We all know that Crouch went back home, and Solich essentially recruited him back to NU. Anything else left out of that story?

TS: Eric basically grew up without a dad. Millard North coach Fred Petito became like a father to him, that male figure he could talk to. I think when Eric thought he should be starting over Bobby, he snapped, went for a drive and found the person who he could open up to. That was Coach Petito. I think it may have crossed his mind to leave. I think it was more he just needed some time to get away and figure it out. Eric would be the first to admit he's made some mistakes, grown up, would do some things different. I don't think it was more than the scenario I described, I really don't.

HS: What do you think is the most controversial event that has taken place during your time covering Nebraska sports?

TS: Lawrence Phillips and nothing else is close. That divided Husker Nation more than anything that has happened in my 17 years here.

HS: What do you think is the best quality of the Husker Fan? Worst?

TS: Passion. That stadium will never be empty. If someone doesn't win, he'll be fired. That's a fire that never, ever goes out.

HS: How likely do you think it is that Nebraska will get a basketball practice facility? And how likely do you think it is that Lincoln will build an arena in the Haymarket?

TS: There will be a basketball facility but it will wait until after the city of Lincoln figures out if it's going to build a new arena, which will come up next spring. I have no idea on the likelihood of the arena passing. I would guess it's pretty good because of the overall entertainment value and, like Omaha with the Civic, the options available are old. We'll see.

HS: Here's a tough one, and one we know that you've discussed from time to time in your column, but here it goes: Do you really think it is OK for people who wear their Scarlet and Cream during the fall to switch over to that ridiculous royal blue in the winter? Most of the contributors here are from North Platte, and none of us understand this phenomenon. We feel that you pick your team, and you stick with your team. Obviously, there are many people in Omaha that do not. Do you think it is because Creighton games have become an event being in the Qwest Center? Or is it legitimate?

TS: I don't care if they switch over, and I understand why it happens, but don't tell me it's a real rivalry. You wouldn't see anyone in Alabama who is a Bama football fan and an Auburn basketball fan. My feeling is, there are 8-10,000 Creighton hardcores, win or lose. Once Doc Sadler gets it going, and going good, a lot of that blue will turn back into red.

HS: More basketball: How much fun is it to interact with Doc Sadler?

TS: He's been awesome. It's like working with a family member. Too easy. Don't tell my boss.

HS: Follow-up: who is the funniest person you've ever covered?

TS: I can't think of a lot of comics but I would probably say Johnny Orr or Billy Tubbs when I was covering Big Eight hoops in KC. They would literally say something funny every interview.

HS: Do you think Omaha could support an NBA team?

TS: No. Season tickets at $60 each, $10 parking, $10 beers, you name it. We're too cheap. And we're a college/big event town.

(Ed. Note: He's right, dammit. I'd give anything for that not to be the case, though.)

HS: 1997 Cornhuskers vs. 1997 Wolverines: Who wins?

TS: I think it's a very good game, closer than either side wants to admit. My tiebreaker, as a bitter Charger fan, has always been this: Nebraska beat the heck out of Peyton Manning and the 1998 national champion Vols; Michigan barely beat Ryan "Cryin''' Leaf. End of story.

HS: Designated hitter vs. having the pitcher bat?

TS: I'm a National League guy.

HS: Do you like the Cubs' chances to win it all this year?

TS: No. Like my friend Chicago Bob says, talk to me after the last out of the World Series. There is something different about this Cubs team, though. I won't try to explain.

HS: Who is the greatest athlete of the past 25 years: Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods?

TS: MJ but only because Tiger's body of work isn't near done.

HS: Who would win in a drink-off: Coach Devaney or Coach Pelini?

TS: Devaney, by 10 shots and a pitcher.

That wraps up Part I of the interview. Come back tomorrow, where we'll have his responses to Part II, with topics ranging from what he thinks will surprise Husker fans this season (hint: it's not good), his favorite Omaha resturaunts, and the moment Tom officially felt like a Nebraskan.

Labels: Nebraska basketball, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Nebraska Football, Omaha World-Herald, The Heavy Soul Interview, Tom Shatel

This was taken from Tom Shatel's column today, in reference to Dana Altman and Creighton wanting to play Nebraska twice a year:

"...Told about Altman's idea on Monday, Sadler said, 'I have no problem considering it, but we have to do what's best for both programs."

"...Sadler said on Monday, '[The Creighton game] is the 17th most important game, as far as I'm concerned.' Ouch. In other words, the 16 Big 12 games (including Colorado and Baylor) are more important to Sadler than CU. I understand his thinking. I'm not sure that Creigtonians will appreciate it..."

Well, tough shit, Creightonians. Because I'm pretty sure that Doc doesn't appreciate you trading your red shirts in for blue v-neck cardigans in the winter time.

I thought this line was hilarious, mainly because of this: what Sadler said is true. He's paid to win conference championships and make runs in the tourney (er, get to the tourney). So really, the Creighton game doesn't matter in a lot of ways. Preseason/early season games just don't matter in college basketball that much anymore. However, he could have said it in this way.

Instead, he took a nice little jab at Creighton. And I think that was absoultely intentional. Dana Altman, who is the basketball "god" in the media around here, is trying to push his weight around a bit here. Getting a chance to play a Big XII team twice a year does nothing but pad Creighton's tourney resume.

Playing Creighton twice a year--particularly at this juncture--does nothing great for Nebraska. They get to play a well-coached team twice a year, and could be looking at an additional loss or two for the first year or two of this. But does playing Creighton really get Nebraska ready for the Big XII? Does it really get them ready for the athletes and speed of their opponents they'll face the majority of the season? Does it help their tourney resume enough to play them twice?

Yes, I'm sure it does to an extent. But I don't think there is any way that it helps Nebraska as much as it does Creighton. So stick to your guns, Doc! Do what's best for Nebraska, not the Omaha World-Herald and Dana Altman.

Labels: Dana Altman, Doc Sadler, Nebraska basketball, Omaha World-Herald, Suck it Creighton, Tom Shatel

OK, I wanted to just copy, paste, and link to Tom Shatel's Tuesday column regarding the USC game and the aftermath. However, the Omaha World-Herald is inexplicitly doing the "subscribe for premium content!" deal. I mean, the New York Times can't even get this to work! And the World-Herald thinks it's going to work for them? I've got to tell you, the leadership there is just wonderful, isn't it?

ANYWAYS...on to the column:

BLACKSHIRTS CAN'T CONTINUE TO BE A BLACK HOLE

"...It's not time to write off Kevin Cosgrove yet. But feel free to go find a nice pen.

The good news, or bad, for Cosgrove is that there are nine regular-season games left. Beginning with Missouri on Oct. 6, there are four or five straight games (if you want to throw Kansas in as a bonus test *Ed. Note: Yes, you absolutely throw Kansas in as a "test." I am scared to death of that game.) in which he could look really good or really bad.

Now, let's admit: Cosgrove has had his moments. Cosgrove's defense kept NU in the game against Oklahoma and Auburn in big games late last season. He could still rally the troops, and his own cause.

But does anyone honestly expect that?

To get the Blackshirts up off the canvas after USC's knockout on Saturday night, Cosgrove would have to motivate the Blackshirts. That's not exactly his strength.

The Blackshirts don't show the fire or passion you need on defense. They don't fly to the ball. They don't tackle. As someone who has great experience in being tackled, I can tell you, tackling is not about technique. Tackling is about wanting to. It's really the essence of football. If you are arm-tackling, like half the Blackshirts, you don't really want to hit someone.

Charlie McBride and Bo Pelini--there, I said it--were masters of getting players to fly to the ball and tackle.

Now, there is also this little issue of adjusting and having players lined up right. Cosgrove will tell you that he's experienced and knows what he's doing with X's and O's. But he also said of Saturday night: "It really was nothing that needed to be adjusted."

GA Hill: OK, to go FJM real quick: that quote should lead to a public flogging in the town square. "IT REALLY WAS NOTHING THAT NEEDED TO BE ADJUSTED." Let that sink in for a minute. OK, now tell me this: what's your blood pressure at? Mine is at "really high, even for a guy that doesn't work out and drinks too much beer." Back to the column...

Huh? When holes are that wide, and USC is running through them (with that "ghost" in motion, coaxing the linebacker to follow), then something needs adjusted.

It may, in fact, be the defensive coordinator. Some of us expected USC to win that game. What we didn't expect were such craters in the defense, not at this stage of the game. In his fourth year, Cosgrove looks like a solid D-coordinator, but not a difference-maker who is going to help get this program to the top. See how this season goes. But, the way it's already going (missed tackles in back-to-back weeks), Bill Callahan is going to have to make a tough decision about his good friend."

So there you have it. A column I never thought I would ever read in the World-Herald, especially since they are a huge corporate sponsor now. (By the way, should a newspaper sponsor a entity that it covers all the time? I guess this column shows that they will cover it the way it should be--and it is just sports we're talking about--but isn't there some sort of journalistic standard they're flipping off here? Journalistic integrity! Business acumen! We're the World-Herald!)

Another note, brought up to me yesterday by Toffer, on the subject of Castille not playing Saturday: why the hell didn't he play Saturday? Aren't they in a perfect situation to pull of a poor-man's Reggie Bush and LenDale White here? If you have Castille lining up at fullback every play, and Lucky--a man who has needed a lead blocker more than anyone who has played football, ever--lining up at I-back, well...isn't that just the smart thing to do? Doesn't that pose a dual-threat from the backfield everytime? Did it just work too well against Nevada to not try it again?

I have already written this, but I'll do it again: why the single-back dive everytime? That is, why the single-back dive everytime we play teams who can stop that play in their sleep? It's as though this staff's biggest coaching enemy is themselves, because they officially have a track record of out-coaching themselves. It worked to the tune of 5 or 6 YPC against Nevada. Why not do it until a team completely shuts it down? I am sure that if we would have ran that way, USC would have stopped it here and there, but it would have attributed to far more positive running plays.

Alright, that's the last post I'm doing on that debacle. Coming tomorrow (or maybe Friday): a preview of Ball State. Because, as Lou Holtz would say: "Somebody's got to pay for last week, and it's gonna be Ball State!"

Labels: Nebraska Football, Omaha World-Herald, Reasons Why Cosgrove Should Be Publicly Flogged, Tom Shatel, USC