Frank Mickadeit, sports columnist for the O.C. Register was in Omaha for the College World Series. While visiting he met Jim Preston, an Omaha land developer and owner of the B.T.C., a.k.a. Big Time Cruiser – a 45-foot long semi truck-trailer customized to travel anywhere Husker Nation travels.

Jim and crew took the Southern California journalist for a spin in the B.T.C., driving from Omaha to Lincoln and parking the vehicle in front of Gate 11 at Memorial Stadium. The crew then hoisted the red-and-white “N” flag and started BBQing burgers.

Mickadeit also managed to get a look at our facilities.

Grafted (tastefully) onto the stadium is the ultra-modern Osborne Athletic Complex, which includes a dramatic 40-foot-high water fall in the lobby, workout rooms, an indoor practice field, two weight-rooms, auditoria, film rooms, a therapy pool, trainers’ rooms, a juice bar featuring spigots for four flavors of Gatorade, a tutoring hall, athletes’ lounge, Heisman Trophy Room, a hall dedicated to its U.S.-record 233 academic all-Americans and a dining hall.

This is what I call psyching out the competition.

Broderick Thomas, a two-time All-American, who was later named to the Nebraska All-Century team, has certainly earned his right to speak out. And speak out he did last April at “an alternate” golf outing scheduled opposite a Lettermen’s Club event put on by the athletic department.

According to The Omaha World Herald, Trev Alberts and Tommy Frazier declined to comment. Thomas chose otherwise.

“Coach Devaney is kicking his casket, like ‘What’s going on?’” Thomas said. “At some point, everybody is going to be held accountable.

“It shouldn’t take as long as it is today. This is the University of Nebraska. This is not Wisconsin.”

“Some alumni, you can’t even print what they want to say,” he said.

So why haven’t more former players spoken out?

“We believe in our tradition,” Thomas said, “and that our tradition will override any crisis we have at the University of Nebraska.

“I’ve told our alumni, ‘Don’t worry. The good Lord will shake this tree, and the leaves that don’t belong will fall to the ground.’”

Thomas is frustrated, as are many who remain silent. But his remarks uncover a deeper fact about the situation in Lincoln. Let’s say we win 10 or more games this fall…I don’t think that will be enough to restore order. Former players, coaches and trainers are alientated. So much so they organized their own golf tourney. How can we not see this for what it is? The present administration is alone, unbound by and untethered to the legacy that preceeds them. To say this is not good, is to not say enough. The healing that must happen in Husker Nation must go well beyond a good season on the field.

Six-foot-five rightside hitter, Sarah Pavan, was awarded the 31st annual Honda-Broderick Cup as the NCAA female college athlete of the year on Monday.

The two-time conference player of the year–who maintained a 4.0 in biochemistry while leading the Cornhuskers to the national championship last season–plans to play professionally in Europe and become a pediatrician after graduation.

Does the junior from Kitchener, Ont., expect to repeat in her senior season?

“Yes,” she said without hesitation. “I came to Nebraska to win more than one national championship.”

[via Canada East]