First Downs and Second Guesses:
Imagine the scene on Saturday if Bud Crawford, with his super middleweight belt wrapped around a Husker jersey, leads the Nebraska team out of the tunnel to play Michigan.
That would be an all-time moment at Memorial Stadium, right?
Right now, it’s just a cool idea.
Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule, who attended Crawford’s fight in Las Vegas with his wife Julie, said on Monday he didn’t know of any plans for Crawford to be at the Michigan game.
That doesn’t mean it won’t happen. It just means Rhule hasn’t asked Crawford.
Yet.
“I would love for him to be here, but he probably deserves a vacation, doesn’t he?” Rhule said. “I don’t want to bother him now. Eventually, I will. When he gets back (to Omaha), we’ll talk.”
If Crawford is back this week, it would be hard to imagine he wouldn’t want to be there. The Omaha native and Husker fan led the team out before the Colorado game last year.
After that CU win a year ago, Rhule said he invited Crawford up to the football office, where the fighter hung out with the coaching staff.
“When I first got here, I was already a fan of his,” Rhule said. “I remember I asked Damon Benning if he could connect me with him. He was just a great guy. From that point on (Colorado game) we’ve just stayed in touch.
“I was talking to his trainer after the fight and I asked him, ‘How do you do what you do?’ He is so elite. I think the big takeaways from him are just chasing the next level, which is something really important for our program.”
Matt and Julie Rhule flew to Las Vegas after Saturday’s game with NU athletic director Troy Dannen and wife Amy. He called it “the greatest sporting event I’ve ever been to,” including the Super Bowl and the World Series.
“Take away the fact that I was there to see Crawford, take out the pomp and circumstance, just two warriors in the ring,” Rhule said. “I think it was the fifth round, he (Crawford) took the punch and smiled at (Canelo Alvarez). I thought, oh god.’
“Going down and seeing Bud afterwards, he was really glad we were all there. It was a really cool moment.”
Will Nebraska fans get another cool moment on Saturday? Stay tuned.
Nebraska-Creighton volleyball
» Don’t know if we’ll get another five-set classic like last year, but expect a raucous atmosphere when Nebraska-Creighton volleyball squares off on Tuesday night at the CHI Health Center.
The Jays, who are 4-4 with losses to Penn State and Texas, won’t back down from the challenge. This match has been the “volleyball state” at its best. These teams bring out the best in each other.
The match has grown to the point where it belongs in this size arena every year. So when the series goes back to Lincoln, play it at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
How about NU Coliseum?
Spitballing: Would Nebraska volleyball consider playing a regular-season match at NU Coliseum? Wear old uniforms. Bring back Terry Pettit and John Cook. That would be fun.
Fred Hoiberg goes to Prague
The Big Ten men’s basketball conference schedule is due out soon and Nebraska men’s coach Fred Hoiberg said he put in a few requests, including to start the league season at home.
“I’ve talked about how six or eight years in a row we’ve started the conference on the road,” Hoiberg said. It’s six. Nebraska last opened at home in 2018-2019 season.
Hoiberg said a smaller group of Big Ten coaches had a zoom call with commissioner Tony Pettiti to talk about how to improve the league’s product.
One thing Hoiberg brought up: more Saturday games. Hallelujah. The Big Ten TV partners are in love with Thursday and Sunday games. Those aren’t ideal for fans, especially Sunday night games.
“Hopefully we can get more (Saturday) home games,” Hoiberg said. “Again, TV controls it and they pay a lot of money so I understand that part of it.”
Hoiberg said he spent a week last month in Prague, watching his son Jack help coach the Georgia national team in the EuroBasket tournament. Jack is also a basketball operations assistant for the San Antonio Spurs.
“It was incredible,” Hoiberg said. “I’ve been all over the world but I’ve never been to Prague. It was outstanding. The basketball was interesting to see how they do things. I stole a couple things.”
Nate Rohrs in Arrowhead
Nebraskans at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday heard a familiar voice, or, “roar.” Nate Rohr, public address voice for Husker football games, started a new gig on Sunday: public address announcer for the Kansas City Chiefs.
This is extra Rohr. He will still be on the PA at Memorial Stadium, as well as the radio voice for Husker softball. He was offered the job after the Chiefs’ regular PA voice resigned last Thursday.
Rohr, famous for his long “thirrrrrrd” down calls at NU, said he isn’t able to do that as much in KC. He says the National Football League has a rule that there must be silence at the 20-second mark of the play clock.
They have a rule for everything, except the “Tush Push.”
Get me rewrite
One more and I’m outta here: Thanks for asking, yes, I picked Clemson to win the College Football Playoff and Kansas City winning the Super Bowl.
It’s early. But now you know why I don’t gamble.
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Tom Shatel
Sports columnist
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