A Tree Falls in Lincoln...

If a tree falls in the forest, and nobody hears it, did it make a sound? If the Nebraska basketball team plays Creighton on a Sunday at 2 p.m., when there are NFL games abound and the NU football team played in the Big 12 Championship the night before, did it really happen?

These are questions NU fans need to ask. If the NU Athletic Department really cares about basketball (and any Olympic sport besides women's volleyball), it needs to schedule these games like they mean it: on a Saturday, preferably at night, when there isn't competition from major events. The only thing going on this Saturday, December 11, is the Army vs. Navy football game. And nobody will be watching that, unless of course, they want to watch Navy's option game to remind themselves what a successful offensive system looks like.

In case you hadn't heard, the Cornuskers beat the Bluegays 59-54 in unspectacular fashion. The good news is that they outscored Creighton 38-25 in the second half and overcame 24.1% shooting in the first half to win. They did the same against USC after coming back from a 20-point deficit. Great wins, both of them, but that won't cut it in the Big 12. Cold-shooting first halves will lead to 30-point losses quicker than you can say Beau Reid.

Anyway, Brandon Richardson woke up and scored 18 points with four three-pointers. Point guard Lance Jeter continued his leadership and contributed solid numbers with 12 points, six assists and six rebounds. Caleb Walker, once grilled by PYB, looks like one of the few role players who can compete athletically in the Big 12. He snared 10 rebounds, four offensive. Andre Almeida still looks fat and hasn't contributed anything the last few games.

So a win is a win, and Nebraska is 6-2 with a chance to be 12-2 going into the Big 12. Tremendous improvement is still needed to have a chance to go even 6-10. Tremendous improvement is still needed from the athletic department in committing to the program, which in all honesty, is starting from nothing. The practice facility was a nice start. The arena needs to be done correctly with the seating configuration being conducive to loud crowds and the students positioned in the right spot. Fuck this up, and NU will never improve.

Tom Osborne has stated that it is OK to have a good team once every 10 or so years in minor sports and suck the rest of the time. He's proven he's fine with this motto with the baseball team's freefall from the CWS in Omaha to the Big-12 basement. NU fans need to hold him to a higher standard and the time is now.

Speaking of higher standards, here's a good critique of Shawn Watson's latest fuckup-fest in Dallas from the Omaha World-Herald's Tom Shatel. As usual, he was too forgiving to Twats, but at least he said what needed to be said. And here's to hoping he's wrong about the OC returning next year.

More ammunition from the OWH's Dirk Chatelain. This says it all. Obviously, Watson chokes in pressure situations and has no idea how to set up his talent to succeed when the game is tight. Go to Vandy, Shawn. Go be a Commodore. If he is back at NU next year, Bo Pelini will begin to incur the wrath of Cornhuskers fans and risk his own job.

Holiday. Celebrate. It would be so nice. Fuck off.

Too bad for Tiger Woods. Turns out, despite the media's propaganda campaign that he'd be back with a win at last weekend's Chevron World Challenge, that the rugged 18-man field was too much for him to handle. Woods blew a four-shot lead, and Graeme McDowell won.

Look everyone, NU signed another offensive lineman who won't contribute to the Huskers' nothing offense.

Finally, some nice Husker hoops tidbits, courtesy of Huskers Illustrated.