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Gregg Madsen
Play-by-play man
Pavelka passes
for more dough
When Nebraska football fans
tune in to the Comhuskers on the
radio this fall, they won’t be lis
tening to the familiar voice of Kent
Pavelka.
After 13 years as the play-by
play man for Nebraska football,
Pavelka was left behind this sum
mer when Pinnacle Sports Produc
tions chose Warren Swain as its
new voice.
Pavelka, a part of Husker foot
ball broadcasts since 1972, was
known for his enthusiastic style, a
style that many times earned him
more criticism than praise.
Critics of Pavelka, a six-time
Nebraska sports broadcaster of the
year, claimed his fast-paced style
often left listeners wondering if the
Huskers were on offense or defense.
And Pavelka definitely had a
clear bias few the Huskers. While
covering football or basketball, the
excitement in his voice was directly
proportional to the size of the Husk
ers’ lead.
But whether you loved Pavelka
or hated him, you could not argue
that he seemed to love Nebraska
football and that he brought a high
level of enthusiasm to the broad
cast booth.
For many faithful listeners,
Pavelka’s voice became synony
mous with Nebraska football and
lazy autumn afternoons. Despite
his shortcomings, he brought an
excitement to the radio broadcasts
that will be hard to duplicate.
Husker games this fall won’t
seem complete without the sound
of Pavelka’s trademark, “Touch
down! Touchdown! Touchdown!”
reverberating through the air
waves.
But, sadly, it was Pavelka him
self —not his boisterous critics—
who caused his own demise.
When Great Plains Media, Inc.,
won the rights to cover Husker
sports last April, owner Paul Aaron
said he hoped to hire Pavelka as
his play-by-play man.
But in a move more outrageous
than any play Pavelka ever de
scribed, he requested a $165,000
salary for his first season, accord
ing to a published report this sum
mer in the Omaha World-Herald.
The requested salary increased
to $185,000 by his fifth season
AND included a yearly bonus of 1
to 5 percent of Pinnacle's operat
ing profit, AND a $7,500 signing
bonus.
Tom Osborne's salary is less
than $185,000. When the radio
announcer wants a larger salary
than the head coach, something is
dreadfully wrong.
But that's not all. The former
voice oftheHuskers also demanded
a golf membership at Omaha's
Happy Hollow Qub, a family mem
bership at the Westroads Qub and
a press box seat for his wife, Lu, at
hod* and away football and bas
ketball games.
Please see MADSEN on 17
ESPN special angers NU
Osborne says he was
misled about
Firestone’s report,
which airs tonight.
BtMikeKluck
Senior Reporter
In 22 years of broadcasting, Roy
Firestone has never been asked not to
run an interview.
Not until two weeks ago.
Since that time, Firestone said he
has received numerous calls from
members of Nebraska’s Athletic De
partment asking him not to televise
his interview with NU Football Coach
Tran Osborne.
Firestone’s special, Up Close with
i
Roy Firestone — in which he inter
views Osborne about last season’s off
field problems and previews the up
coming season — is scheduled to air
tonight at 8 on ESPN following a col
lege football preview show.
Nebraska officials have also
phoned top officials at ESPN,
Firestone said, and four different Ath
letic Department officials, whom
Firestone wouldn’t name, have called
either him or ESPN executives.
Firestone said Osborne did not call.
NU Athletic Director Bill Byrne
did not return a message Wednesday
left by the Daily Nebraskan.
“Their athletic office has called
ESPN, and I know for a fact they have
gone to the top and been very threat
ening,” Firestone said. “I think theii
actions are very cheap.
M
It was not my intent to be malicious
during the interview”
Roy Firestone
ESPN broadcaster
“It would have been different if I
ambushed and trapped Coach
Osborne. But I didn’t. He sat with me
for 35 minutes, and except for feeling
I beleaguered him about Lawrence
Phillips, he seemed comfortable.
“He smiled during the interview,
seemed relaxed and was very respect
ful.”
Osborne said he twice turned down
-1
Head rush _
GRANT WISTROM, a junior rush end, is an AU^America candidate. Scott Bsuhn/DN
Wistrom earns elite status
Junior rush end, Tbmich form dominating duo
By Vince IPAdamo
staff Reporter
A word of advice for offensive
linemen faced with blocking Ne
braska rush end Grant Wistrom: Do
not relax, not even for one down.
Wistrom takes advantage of ev
ery opportunity he sees. The 6-foot
5, 250-pound junior from Webb
City, Mo., made an immediate im
pact as a true freshman two years
ago. He has not looked back since.
“Ijust remember that hard work
got me here” Wistrom said. “If I
ever quit working hard, I can have
it all taken away from me.”
Tbny Samuel, Wistrom’s posi
tion coach, said Wistrom has the
intangible goods necessary to suc
ceed as a rash end.
“He's always practicing hard,”
Samuel said. “He's gotten bigger
and stronger. You won't see him
not hustling.”
While Samuel has been instru
mental in Wistrom's development,
NU Defensive Coordinator Charlie
McBride deserves some credit for
Wistrom’s success, Wistrom said.
“He knows the right buttons to
push and the right words to say
before the game,” Wistrom said.
Sophomore Chad Kelsay plays
behind Wistrom as rush end.
Kelsay said Wistrom and Jared
Ibmich, partners in terrorizing of
fensive backfields, are great lead
ers.
“Of course you learn the tech
nique tilings, but you learn a lot
about leadership,” Kelsay said, “lb
be around those kind of guys makes
you a better person.”
Coach Tom Osborne and
Samuel said the pair were the best
xever Husker rush end (formerly
outside linebacker) duo. -
“You Can't run away from
Wistrom because you've got Jared
Ibmich an the other side,” Osborne
said. \
Said Wistrom: “1 appreciate
Coach Osborne saying that. As
long as he feels that way at the end
of the season, I won’t do anything
to upset him.” \ •
Wistrom led the team with 15
tackles for losses last year. But even
if he is not a factor statistically, he
makes up for it tactically.
The tandem of Wistrom and
Tomich is sure to rattle many of the
quarterbacks posed with the task of
facing Nebraska this fall. Wistrom
said he takes pride in causing havoc
in an opponent's offensive
backfield.
“I'm trying to get there as bad
as anybody," he said. “If I can put
pressure on the man and make him
roll Jared's way, he's going to be
there nine out of 10 times.”
“We are always talking to'each
other and motivating each other,”
Wistrom said. “All summer, we
were pushing each other in the
weight room. People just see what
happens on the field, but a lot goes
on off the field, too.”
Wistrom said the Huskers'
battle-tested mentality, which has
played a part m their two national
titles, serves the team well.
“We've had everything that
could arise and we've handed it
in stride,” Wistrom said. “If we can
take it one game at a time, we're
going to have a good chance of be
ing there at the end.”
firestone s request oetore unaiiy
agreeing to the interview.
“They explained that the focus
would be on this year on some of the
top teams in the country and kind of a
preview of the season,” Osborne said.
“So, that’s what I understood would
be happening.”
Osborne said he was told about
Please see ESPN on 17
Tfexas Ifech
ready for
Big 12 action
ByMkeKluck
Senior Reporter
Texas Tech Football Coach Spike
Dykes can’t quite understand why ev
eryone is getting excited about the Big
12 Conference. h e ^
“I was thinking the other day that
we’re dropping Rice, Houston and
SMU,” Dykes said. “Last year they
won four games and lost 29. We’re
picking up Nebraska, Kansas and
Kansas State. They won 32 games and
lost four.
“Now Fm not very good at arith
metic, but there is a correlation about
who you {day and how many games
you win. It looks to me like we got
our tail to the heater.”
Dykes is worried about the Red
Raida schedule. In die Big 12, each
team from the south division will play
three teams from the north division.
Tech ended up with Kansas State
and Kansas, both of which finished
the season in the top 10, and Nebraska,
the defending national champion.
“It always amazes me,” he said.
“Fm not questioning anybody’s hon
esty, but I just want to know how it
came about.”
Dykes has been trying to earn re
spect for 10 years in Lubbock, Texas.
Before becoming head coach, he was
the defensive coordinator for three
years.
The Red Raiders had only one win
ning season in the eight years before
Dykes took ova. Since he came, Tech
has finished no lower than fourth in
the Southwest Conference. Last sea
Please see TECH on 16