Editorial
T%a{lv Eric Pfanner, Editor, 472-1766
Victoria Ayotle, Managing Editor
pk I y.'v -m a § jp- Darcie Wiegert, Associate News Editor
JL X U JL CL .!&. &1. J. I Diane Brayton, Associate News Editor
-ip j Jana Pedersen, Wire Editor
University friNebraska-Lincoln Emily Rosenbaum Copy Desk Chief
' Lisa Donovan, Editorial rage Editor
Lethal study
Research doesn't justify whale killings
y March, more than 1,000 whales will have died at the
Ij hands of the Japanese in the name of research.
Defying environmentalists’ protests, Japan com
menced the fourth season of its research whaling program
Saturday.
In the last three seasons, about 280 minke whales have died
each year, and officials estimate that 300 will die by the end
of this season.
The Associated Press reported that Japanese officials say
: whales must be killed during the research to determine accu
¥ rately their age, sex, childbearing state, diet and health.
It seems ridiculous to evaluate an animal’s life when it’s
| dead, especially when protesters say non-lethal research
% methods, such as skin samplings and sighting studies, are just
| as effective.
What’s more unsettling is that environmentalists have
1 charged that this research initiative is just a cover for com
\ mercial whaling.
Iinai cnarge maxes sense, commercial wuauug w<«> iwucu
at the end of the 1986-87 season, when the International
Whaling Commission placed a moratorium on commercial
whaling, excluding the minke. Whales had been hunted close
to extinction by that season, the same year the research
program began.
Because there are 760,000 mink.es in the Antarctic and
83,000 in the North Atlantic, the whale is not on the list of
endangered species.
But when 300 whales are claimed every season, those who
arc studying in the name of making the minke’s life better
may actually be putting the species closer to extinction.
—Lisa Donovan
for the Daily Nebraskan
Votes vs. outrage
1 Anger fades as U.S. seeks U.N. help
How quickly moral outrages fade. In June 1989, China
was an outlaw in the international community after its
massacre of students in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.
A year and a half later, a Chinese vice minister of trade is
1} being invited to the United States. When he arrives next month,
he will be the highest-ranking Chinese official to make an
? official visit since the massacre.
Meanwhile, China’s foreign minister will arrive at U.N.
* headquarters in New York, to place that country’s vote on a
if Security Council resolution that would authorize the use of
force against Iraq.
I coincidencei ininK again.
The United States needs China’s support, or at least its absti
nence, on the Security Council vote. As one of the five perma
nent members of the council — along with the United States,
France, England and the Soviet Union — China has the power
to block any resolution the other members endorse.
Until recently, China had been the only member of the
Security Council opposed to a measure that would allow
military action to dnve Iraq out of Kuwait.
But in the last few days, news reports have indicated that
China might abstain from the vote or even support the United
States.
In his attempt to legitimi/c his actions in the Persian Gulf,
President Bush has sought step-by-step approval from the
United Nations. Later this week, the Security Council is
expected to consider granting Bush the use of force, if Iraq
hasn’t pulled out of Kuwait by Jan. 1.
Throughout the Middle East crisis, Bush has maintained that
the U.S. quarrel with Iraq is moral, not economic. At times he
even has compared Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to Adolf
Hitler.
In 1989, world leaders used similar language to denounce
the Chinese for the Tiananmen massacre.
Apparently Bush hopes that those memories have faded. In
this new international confrontation, he needs all the help he
can get — even if it means dealing with a nation that not long
Ed itself in Iraq’s shoes.
— Eric Pfanner
for the Daily Nebraskan
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Sorry, T.O., but it’s time to go
NU is doomed to 9 wins a season unless changes are made
As sure as the sun rises in the
east and tuition costs climb in
the fall, the Cornhusker foot
ball team will lose to at least a couple
ranked teams every season.
With the 45-10 butt-kicking at the
hands of Oklahoma Friday, one thing
has become clear to anyone who has
the logic to recognize a problem: It’s
time for a change in the Nebraska
Athletic Department.
Tom Osborne has got to go. It’s
that simple.
Usually, such a statement brings
one major defense from diehard Com
husker fans: “Tom Osborne is the
winningest college football coach
around. A lot of teams would love to
have him
Osborne is the winningest Divi
sion I college football coach in the
world, with an .813 career winning
percentage. He has never fielded a
team that won fewer than eight games,
and he is respected throughout the
land as a coach who runs a “clean
program,” whatever that is.
But consider this: Osborne s lb
year record against teams in The
Associated Press Top 20 is 39-31 — a
very mediocre .557 winning percent
age.
Against Top-10 teams, Osborne is
a miserable 16-26, for a.380 winning
percentage. More often than not, when
the Huskers pick on someone their
own size, they are beaten.
The Huskers haven’t beaten a
ranked team since 1988, and haven’t
won a bowl game since 1986.
Against the good opponents, there’s
something missing. Obviously,
Osborne’s success has come against
palsies.
One needs to look no further than
this season to see thaL Nebraska played
one ranked team — Colorado —and
lost. Oklahoma, which three teams
have beaten this season, was ranked
earlier this season.
Next season, Nebraska’s schedule
was to include Texas, Arkansas,
Washington and Arizona S late. Texas
and Arkansas were replaced a few
years ago with Colorado State and
Utah State.
Alta boy, Tom. Keep that winning
percentage up there, buddy.
If next year’s schedule had stood,
fans would be writing letters next
year extolling the virtues of seven
win seasons. The country would laugh,
but Osborne would stil! get his state
wide praise.
Osborne is a great man whose
accomplishments should be admired.
He’s always spoken out for what he
believes to be right. But like the wing
Chuck
Green
T offense, T.O.’s day as a coach has
come and gone.
He’ll make a great athletic direc
tor.
Naturally, this column, like most
criticism of the program, will fall on
deaf ears and blind eyes. It will bring
nasty letters, chuckles and curses from
fans who think they know better.
Bui il won i bring anything else.
Osborne will get his annual raise for
doing nothing more than duplicating
last year’s record, and fans will anx
iously await 1991 ’s nine-win cam
paign and inevitable disappointment
at the hands of better teams.
All that will change around here is
the calendar.
The players aren ’t to blame. Teams
change every year. But there’s one
constant: the coaching staff.
Last spring, l wrote a column pre
dicting that Nebraska would finish
third in the Big Eight with two losses.
Osborne criticized me after practice
that day. You’re right, Tom ... I just
don’t know what I’m talking about.
Well, here’s something else 1 don’t
know about: The football program
needs a good house cleaning.
Not long ago, Nebraska was at the
pinnacle of the college football world.
Now, Nebraska is just another nine
win team. There are 12 of them in the
latest Associated Press poll, and a
few more that aren’t even ranked.
There are high school coaches in
the state who could take over Ne
braska’s facilities, rosier and resources
and churn out eight or nine wins a
season against undermanned, over
matched opponents like Utah State,
Oregon State, Minnesota, Colorado
State and most of the Big Eight.
When Devaney stepped down as
Nebraska’s coach in 1972, people
wondered how he’d ever be replaced.
The same would hold true with
Osborne.
But like Devaney, he can be re
placed. After a season or two, the
concern would evaporate like a na
tional championship dream.
I don’t claim to be a better coach
than Osborne. But there are a lot of
coaches who are. A nationwide search
would turn up some big names who
would give anything to coach at
Nebraska.
A search also would turn up some
young, vibrant coaches with dreams
as vast as the Sandhills, who would
adapt a progressive strategy. Imag
ine,passes on first down, or on short
yardage situations. 77)0 run-and-shoot,
maybe?
Loacncs like Wisconsin s carry
Alvarez, North Carolina State’s Dick
Sheridan and Fresno State’s Jim
Sweeney come to mind.
On Friday, Oklahoma linebacker
Reggie Barnes said Nebraska was not
too difficult to stop, because all the
Huskers could do was run.
“After we shut that down, they
didn’t have anything to fall back on,”
he said.
Against quality teams, Nebraska’s
outdated and predictable offense
sputters like an antique car after the
fall’s first frost.
Nebraska will lose to Georgia Tech
in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s
Day. When that happens, the Huskers
may finish unranked for the first time
since 1968.
If Nebraska football fans are con
tent with nine wins a year, then T.O.
is your man. If, however, undefeated
national championship seasons and
national respect are at the top of the
ol’ holiday wish list, then let the search
begin.
But if Osborne sticks around, which
he undoubtedly will, Husker fans will
again have to wait ‘til next year . . .
and the next... and the next....
Green is a news-editorial major and a
Dully Nebraskan night news editor, sports
reporter and columnist.
-—— :
Signed staff editorials represent
the official policy of the Fall 1990
Daily Nebraskan. Policy is set by the
Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. Its
members are: Eric Pfanner, editor;
Lisa Donovan, editorial page editor;
Victoria Ayottc, managing editor;
Diane Bray ton, associate news editor;
Darcie Wiegcrt, associate news edi
tor; Emily Rosenbaum, copy desk
chief; Jana Pedersen, wire editor.
Editorials do not necessarily re
flea the views of ihe university, its
employees, the students or the NU
Board of Regents.
According to policy set by the re
gents, responsibility for the editorial