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One of the first things you hear about Maurice Clarett signing in Omaha is whether the Nighthawks are putting their reputation at risk by signing the wayward son.
What reputation?
This is a no-risk, no-lose proposition for Omaha’s UFL entry. If it doesn’t work out, it’s no skin off the Nighthawks’ backs. It’s not like this is publicly funded state U., with ivy-covered walls and a sanctity to protect. Neither is it the Denver Broncos or Mike Shanahan, who put his prowess as a mastermind on the line when he chose Clarett in the third round of the NFL draft in 2005, only to have Clarett get cut before the regular season.
The Nighthawks and UFL are what they are: a diving board for comebacks. They specialize in second chances. General Manager Rick Mueller and head coach Jeff Jagodzinski risk nothing by bringing Clarett in. Quite the contrary, if Clarett can still play, Mueller and Jags will look like smart football guys who energized the rebirth of a fallen star. I have no idea if Clarett can still motor down a football field. But he appears to be in shape, he’ll be in a low-profile town and league and he’ll have Ahman Green as a big brother to guide him. Why not?
• Some of us self-styled wordsmiths have tried to put the last dance at Rosenblatt Stadium into proper context. But there are some emotions you can’t put into words.
Like the sad look in Jesse Cuevas’ eyes.
I ran into Cuevas, Rosenblatt’s groundskeeper, on Sunday afternoon. He wasn’t his usual jovial self. It looked as if the reality that a life at Rosenblatt — 40 years for Cuevas — coming to an end was hitting home like a sledgehammer. Listening to Cuevas softly talk about this final week and Thursday night’s baseball finale, the end finally hit home for me, too.
“It’s going to be a tough day,’’ Cuevas said of Thursday night. “It’s really the end of a way of life.’’
Cuevas isn’t moving downtown to TD Ameritrade; he admittedly is too independent to work for MECA. Neither will he join the Omaha Royals out west in Sarpy County next year; he will stay with the city in some capacity for one more year to qualify for his pension. Then he’s going to start his own gig, a “stadium renovation’’ business that will work on ball fields from high school to pro level. He’ll start locally in Omaha, then branch out. Texas A&M already has shown interest.
• Which gets released first, the Big Ten divisions or the identity of Nebraska’s quarterback?
• A lot of mixed signals coming out of the Big Ten on division alignment. I was under the impression the league already had it done. Now I wonder. Did the Big Ten leak the idea of splitting Ohio State and Michigan to gauge the response? Could be. There is no easy way to do this. Maybe keeping Ohio State and Michigan happy makes for the least controversy. But that game won’t be the same no matter what; the Big Ten championship game will now decide who goes to the Rose Bowl. Just give me Nebraska-Iowa, every year.
• Here’s something you should know about Bo Pelini: He doesn’t care when you get information or if you get it. He says Nebraska media and fans are not entitled to everything that happens in the program. But here’s where Pelini is missing the boat on not releasing a depth chart. Tom Osborne used to use it to his advantage. Osborne would often begin a press conference by going down the entire depth chart, player by player, and 25 minutes later, he had effectively killed the press conference. Osborne would then look up and say, “Well, anything else?’’ Worked like a charm, every time.
• Iowa State may open a sports bar for donors at Hilton Coliseum called “Johnny’s,’’ as in Johnny Orr. Should the Cyclones name the court after Orr, who started the modern era of winning hoops at Iowa State? Absolutely. But a sports hangout works just as well for “coach.’’
• It’s too soon for Creighton to start thinking about naming something after Dana Altman. But I wish that there was a sports lounge at Qwest Center Omaha they could name “Red’s.’’ Red McManus still attends CU functions and games of all kinds. It would be great to have something named after Red.
• Lee Corso picks Nebraska and Florida to play for the national championship. I wonder if he meant volleyball.
• There will be history Tuesday at the Sokol Arena. Creighton hasn’t hosted Nebraska on campus since 1980. The little barn will be rocking. The Jays will be competitive. This program has improved. But the Huskers will not be in a good mood.
• UNO plays Nebraska at Kearney and for the first time in a while, it looks like a message game. The Lopers have applied for admission to the MIAA, which will be a step up in competition. The Lopers also beat UNO last year. Pat Behrns will tell you he doesn’t think about that stuff. We don’t believe him.
• There was a great scene at Rosenblatt Stadium on Sunday. About 45 minutes before the game, some 50 to 75 fans were lined up from the railing behind the Iowa Cubs dugout up to the main walkway. They waited a good 25 minutes for Cubs manager Ryne Sandberg to emerge. Ryno finally popped out and obliged every fan with an autograph and posed for photos with some. It’s easy to see why Sandberg is the new “Mr. Cub.’’ Does that make him the right choice for manager in Chicago? Don’t know. If you can’t get Joe Girardi, why not take a chance? Yes, it’s hard to watch legends fall if it doesn’t work out. But Sandberg is doing something right at Iowa. He could be better than the recycled baseball manager of the month.
• My thanks to Omaha Royals General Manager Martie Cordaro and Assistant GM Rob Crain for inviting me to throw out the first pitch before Sunday’s game. It was a great opportunity to embarrass myself, which I did in fine fashion by bouncing the pitch. I have a dead arm from carrying my daughters the past eight years. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
As if that wasn’t enough, Crain innocently introduced my 8-year-old daughter Sarah as my granddaughter to the crowd. Look, I’m a grandpa dad. There’s a difference. Not much. Next guy to call me grandpa has to change my 2-year-old’s diapers.
• The final word comes in the form of a question, from Shane during Monday’s chat on Omaha.com: “Has Bo said whether or not the fans and media will be allowed to attend the game on Saturday?’’
Yes, but they can’t put it on Twitter.
Contact the writer:
444-1025, tom.shatel@owh.com
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