This is for the fans

[tmfr15]

Nebraska fans aren't perfect. And I cringe when I hear the words, "Best fans in College Football!" We are fans, cut us a break already.

 

This is what I know though,. This fan base has been extremely loyal. I hope it continues and think that our sell out streak is awesome. It's the kind of investment that deserves a return and Frost is working hard to deliver that, but, in the meantime, what's a fan to do?

 

If we're honest with ourselves, we probably figured that season one would be a 'burn it' kind of year. I mean, I felt all the excitement when Frost was hired, but there was a sinking feeling too. I didn't want to make a change because change means reset and reset means more time. Now, don't get me wrong, Riley HAD TO GO. But it was that feeling of.... Here we go, this is going to take a while. And we've been saying that since the early 2000s.

 

To the fans that go to the games, thanks so much for supporting the team. I think fans appreciate the effort and the monetary loyalty of other Nebraska fans. When you go to Lincoln for the game, you burn a day. You're not going to do much else but go to the game, especially if you are traveling from a border state, from western Nebraska, or beyond. Every year there has been a time when I have gone to the stadium and wondered if that was going to be the day that Memorial would be half full. It never has been. There have been small pockets of no fans, but the stadium always felt, for the most part, full. Considering what we got in front of us,  if fans don't want to go to games for awhile, I understand. It's not fun right now. Of course, if you bought tickets, you are forfeiting money and it's anything but certain that you'll get your funds back by selling them from home or at the stadium. You might lose money, but that's up to you. At the end of the day, I get it.

 

To the fans at home. I know there's quite a few people who think true fans go to the games and that watching or listening at home takes something away from fan credibility. That's just wrong. Fans devote time, maybe not the whole day, but a significant portion of it going to watch parties or hosting them or just sitting at home watching. And we are all, or a great deal of us, are emotionally invested and spend money on Husker gear. I am wearing some now. It's hard to watch these games and I totally understand if someone doesn't really want to watch for awhile. That's OK. You are not any less of a fan if you decide to skip a few games and just watch highlights.

 

The bottom line is that Scott and the coaches are just going to work right now. Hammer, nail. Hammer, nail. Not a lot to see here and it can kind of look messy. It's kind of like building a new house or a bridge. The workers are working hard but the site is less than attractive. And days and days go by, it doesn't seem like much changes. And then you get to see that building or that bridge in its final state and you're glad. It was worth the wait.

 

For those of us who really don't want to come stare at the mound of dirt and the heavy machinery that are at the site of Husker football now, feel free to distract yourself doing other things, watch other games, go fishing, play video games. Do whatever.

 

When the Huskers come back, you can read all about how the process played out. And you'll do it with a smile on your face and without critical comments from the likes of me.

 

Husker fans have paid the price and can make the decision that makes sense for them. If you're OK watching the current product with the feeling that someday it won't be this way anymore, then by all means, enjoy. But if it's making you miserable to watch and you tend to start thinking negative and start feeling that it will never get better, save yourself the misery.

 

There's no trophy given to fans who endured every bad moment in Husker history. Ok, there should be one, but there isn't.

 

GBR!

[ScawFraw]

Cool.

[Decoy73]

Good perspective.  I agree about cringing at the “greatest fans in college football “ BS. I also sometimes cringe at the word “fan” itself.  It’s a general, all encompassing term for the jerk who boo’s his team and always looks for something to complain about to the ultra positive happy-go-lucky person that claps when we run for 2 yards on 3rd-and 5, and then the rest of us somewhere in-between. 

[GamingGlen]

4 minutes ago, Decoy73 said:

Good perspective.  I agree about cringing at the “greatest fans in college football “ BS. I also sometimes cringe at the word “fan” itself.  It’s a general, all encompassing term for the jerk who boo’s his team and always looks for something to complain about to the ultra positive happy-go-lucky person that claps when we run for 2 yards on 3rd-and 5, and then the rest of us somewhere in-between. 

 

At this time, gaining two yards is a big deal.    yet  

 

I don't cringe when I hear the term "greatest fans in college football" except when a fan is not, such as when they're being disrespectful of the other team and their fans (even if it's the Hawkeyes   ).  Every team has great fans, good fans, and the ones everyone else is embarrassed about.  We just have a higher percentage of the great ones.   

 

- THE greatest fan in college football. 

[krc1995]

I kind of cringe too.  By greatest do they mean most polite? most honest? most willing to spend disposable income? most likely to maintain whipping boy status and come back for more?  I know its a term of endearment, but I can tell you that during most games I cuss like a sailor, may throw random non-living things in my immediate environment, and drink like a fish.  I should just wear a diaper and suck on a noonie.  Which is oddly my mental picture of what you all look like.  lol  

[Landlord]

this one's for the girls who've ever had a broken heart

[GSG]

This one is for my homies:

 

[grandpasknee]

As a fan, I drank a fair amount of kool-aid this off season.  I do every off season.  I'm not an analyst, I'm a fan.  Fans drink kool-aid.  

 

Here's a thought.  When Clownahan, Pelini and Nice Guy came in, they pretty much compromised what the wanted to do based on the talent that was here.  All the time selling us on the "when we get our guys" we'll go full in on our plan.  That allowed them to get some wins, but didn't ever allow the to get their scheme fully implemented.  One might be grateful that Frost is going with his scheme first to get it going, and perhaps sacrificing some wins along the way.

 

Don't know, don't much care that much.  I'll be there for the Purdue game for my one game a year, and I'll be loud, loud, loud.  And I'll love every minute of it.  Hoping mightily to see the first win of the Frost era!

 

Go Big Red!!!!!

[Undone]

4 hours ago, grandpasknee said:

Here's a thought.

 

I had another thought, but it's gone now.

[I am I]

Cart before horse and whatnot 

[CheeseHusker]

The "best fans" thing only has merit if it comes from an objective source.

 

Self-proclaiming it makes it useless, and if anything has the opposite effect, because it makes you look like an arrogant tool. I'm also a St. Louis Cardinals fan and I can't stand the "BFIB" narrative either, especially since it can easily get twisted into something to be used against you (like a rather infamous Twitter account).

 

There's nothing wrong with taking on that title internally though, and making it happen through actions and words. Don't tell everyone how good a fan you are, just act the part and it will make itself be known.

 

I like to think we are among the greatest fans in football, but that isn't for ourselves to decide.

[Landlord]

7 hours ago, grandpasknee said:

Here's a thought.  When Clownahan, Pelini and Nice Guy came in, they pretty much compromised what the wanted to do based on the talent that was here.  All the time selling us on the "when we get our guys" we'll go full in on our plan.  That allowed them to get some wins, but didn't ever allow the to get their scheme fully implemented.  One might be grateful that Frost is going with his scheme first to get it going, and perhaps sacrificing some wins along the way.

 

 

I'm sorry, but what? 

 

You mean Callahan's 5-6 year one with Joe Dailey slinging the ball around 20-40 times a game was Callahan's compromised approach to get some wins, and then later he implemented his real plan?

 

And Riley compromised his plans for our team for short term success in his 6-7 year one with Tommy Armstrong slinging the ball around 20-40 times a game too? 

 

Pelini's 9-4 year one retaining Watson and the same offensive system with a 5th year senior quarterback kind of works towards your point - but he actually DID compromise his approach and it worked well. 

You're saying it's good that Frost is like the worst 2 out of our last 3 coaches? Or am I misunderstanding you?

[JJ Husker]

 

[52b300]

Amen

[knapplc]

13 hours ago, CheeseHusker said:

The "best fans" thing only has merit if it comes from an objective source.

 

There's this thread from a couple of years back where I compiled a bunch of quotes from fans around the country about this kind of question.

 

Then there's this letter from Bobby Bowden, that (hopefully) is still true today. 

 

 

And Mack Brown seems to like us.

 

 

 

So there's a bunch of kudos for the fans in Memorial Stadium.  I think, when we've talked about this in the past, most folks have said something like, "This is all great, but that doesn't mean you have to put it on your stadium walls."  And I get that sentiment. It kinda feels like the opposite of what the signs are about - WE'RE SO GREAT, LOOK AT HOW GREAT WE ARE.

 

 

This was my suggestion a few years ago about how to change those signs. Instead of boasting about our character, it'd be boasting about how loud we cheer. Which is probably not different than any other team, but it'd be about the same as every team saying, "We're #1" into the camera when they win their podunk bowl game.