I realize beating up on Pelini here is like beating a dead horse, but I had an interesting thought into the psychology of Bo that I've never seen discussed.
When Bo was growing up in Youngstown, it was considered the most corrupt city in America. James Trafficant was an embarrassment in Congress. Organized crime was pervasive.
Growing up in that environment had to have a significant impact on Bo's personality, and not in a good way. We have heard the stories of how Bo was trying to get the Board of Regents in his corner, through somewhat shady, although not illegal, connections. Hr supposedly thought he was going to get Eichorst fired, not get fired himself, through his political machinations.
Bo was also stubborn as hell, and some if his behavior was nearly inexplicable. Wisconsin 2014 being example #1. The stories that he had the team practice a new defensive alignment designed to stop Gordon all week -- but then just made a last minute decision to go back to his base defense -- suggest that something happened to which Bo had a reactionary response. I wonder if he had an argument with Eichorst or something -- maybe Eichorst or someone else Bo had an irrational hatred for -- suggested something too similar to what the team had been practicing, and so Bo just decided, F-it, I'm going to show them that MY defense works, and then he was too proud to adjust during the game.
I don't know. I am just spitballing here, but his personality was so bizarre to me. A combination of stubborness, pride, arrogance, tough guy attitude, and deviousness that I can see being born from being raised in a community that was dominated by organized crime and corruption.
Am I overthinking this?
When Bo was growing up in Youngstown, it was considered the most corrupt city in America. James Trafficant was an embarrassment in Congress. Organized crime was pervasive.
Growing up in that environment had to have a significant impact on Bo's personality, and not in a good way. We have heard the stories of how Bo was trying to get the Board of Regents in his corner, through somewhat shady, although not illegal, connections. Hr supposedly thought he was going to get Eichorst fired, not get fired himself, through his political machinations.
Bo was also stubborn as hell, and some if his behavior was nearly inexplicable. Wisconsin 2014 being example #1. The stories that he had the team practice a new defensive alignment designed to stop Gordon all week -- but then just made a last minute decision to go back to his base defense -- suggest that something happened to which Bo had a reactionary response. I wonder if he had an argument with Eichorst or something -- maybe Eichorst or someone else Bo had an irrational hatred for -- suggested something too similar to what the team had been practicing, and so Bo just decided, F-it, I'm going to show them that MY defense works, and then he was too proud to adjust during the game.
I don't know. I am just spitballing here, but his personality was so bizarre to me. A combination of stubborness, pride, arrogance, tough guy attitude, and deviousness that I can see being born from being raised in a community that was dominated by organized crime and corruption.
Am I overthinking this?
