Unwelcome Rumors Mostly Unfounded

Head coach Bo Pelini squashed rumors of a flu bug spreading through the NU football team. The most frightening one that Roy Helu had swine flu or worse yet some kind of injury. Helu did miss practice but Pelini said that he could have practiced but since he wasn't feeling well they sent him home. Whether or not to be concerned by his absence is a bit of an eye of the beholder thing.

Obviously, if a guy is 100% healthy, he practices. On the other hand, there are some who believe (NFL Hall of Famer John Riggins among them) that practice is less essential for a veteran running back. So you might be willing to hold a running back out quicker than you might a player at another position. There also can be the benefit of fresher legs for the running back that doesn't get as much work in practice. So it's probably not the end of the world to miss a practice.

But then there's the track record of Pelini's staff to downplay injuries. Why is your best offensive player not there for the final practice (mostly a "mental day") before the biggest game so far this season? And what about the flu's impact on NU in the past (the 1996 Big 12 Championship game for example)? You can probably dismiss those concerns for a couple of reasons. First, this seems to be an illness rather than an injury. While Helu might be more tired, he's got plenty of time to rest and get fluids between now and kickoff. Second, we've seen athletes play well with the flu (remember Michael Jordan in the NBA finals?). And as for the 1996 title game, the outcome of that game probably had a lot more to do with the talent of Priest Holmes, the escapability of James Brown, and the ballsiest fourth down call in memory, than it did the flu.

No, it's not great news to hear Roy Helu was sent home from practice, but if you see him take the field to start the game, rest assured. He'll be ready to play.