New Nebraska coach Bo Pelini may be a little too sensitive.
As the former LSU coordinator goes through his first spring as main man in Lincoln, the school's newspaper printed an opinion piece stating its displeasure with Pelini's handling of player transgressions.
"Pelini began his trend of downplaying altercations involving football players early on in his tenure when quarterback Patrick Witt was arrested after showing up in a dormitory intoxicated and belligerent, shoving an RA and then fleeing from police."
This came after one of Pelini's recruits was arrested for assault and robbery, charges Pelini has not commented on.
Pelini, none too pleased with the piece, called the office of the Daily Nebraskan and tried to eat someone's lunch, as the expression goes. Members of the staff followed up with an account:
"After seeing the staff editorial, Pelini called our office and berated one of our board members so loudly that he was heard clearly from across the newsroom. There's no real point in printing the choice phrases he used during that first phone call."
Pelini and the athletic department then did not let the student reporters and photographers in at practice (eventually they were given access).
This is all very bad for Pelini. Like the beginning of every school year, new coaches start out with an "A." He's already doing everything he can to knock that letter grade down in the eyes of Nebraska faithful.
I had my share of battles with the athletic department and teams back when I ran the sports section of the Collegiate Times down at Virginia Tech. But coaches always handled themselves in a professional matter with student-run media. Frank Beamer was one of the nicest people I have interviewed, to this day. Men's basketball coach Seth Greenberg and I didn't always see eye-to-eye, but I was one of the first calls he made when he was hired.
He wanted to introduce himself and begin building a relationship with the media, something I'll never forget -- and something that's missing all throughout the industry.
The same can be said for several of the coaches I covered while in Blacksburg. No matter how critical I, or my staff, was of VT athletics.
Pelini better get used to the student media criticism. He also better get used to pieces with a little less polish. I was once told that a student newspaper "is the perfect place to take risks." But as long as the Daily Nebraskan isn't breaking any laws, opinion is opinion and Pelini better deal with it or he won't last very long as a head coach.