jayhawk
Starter
I understand why Nebraska is doing this. but it sucks.
Am I unhappy because we might get screwed? sure. I don't like that, but believe it or not that is NOT my point here.
Do I not understnad that in a conference of more power centers, Nebraska will feel less bullied and more respected, yup. Got that. Understand it, too. Even agree.
Do I not know that the Big 10 has all AAU schools and some more TV money, yup, check and.... check.
So why does it suck? This is all awesome right?
Nope. Not awesome. This is a huge step toward the long term destruction, or at least strong devolution, of why I care about college football.
This is only about money. Money is what I don't like about pro sports. It is why I am a college sports fan. I lived about the same distance from KU and Arrowhead, and growing up the Chiefs were a lot better than the Jayhawks in their respective levels. When I got old enough to get my own season tickets, I went west. I loved to watch Mizzou and K-State come in and the passion people had for the TEAMs. The fight songs with actual words. The fans who were not mostly drunk and full of cursing venom. So what was there to like when NU came to town? I liked how knowledgeable and poilte the fans are. How they respected the history of the game and effort of the oppostition. Hey Jayhawk, that is all the same, nothing has changed, we will still be all that.... why wouldn't we be? We did what was right for us...
Washington vs. Texas as a conference game. Penn State vs. Nebraska in November... Compelling TV, but it is compelling because those powers were dominant in their regions, and when they would meet at year end in a bowl it settled things. Now it is just the NFL light... It won't become that overnight, but make no mistake where it is headed. This is not all NU's fault mind you, but don't pretend you didn't play a major role and history will note it for better or worse.
Well gents, I can honestly and sincerely say I am very sorry to see you go. I understand why you are ending the longest uninterupted streak in all of college football. I liked having you to Lawrence for the last, well, my entire life, my dad's life, my grandpa's life, and even my great grandpa's life (he was not a KU fan, though). I do not harken back to leather helmets, the wedge, or think all change is bad. I think this one sucks. Mizzou looks to be with us still for now. I hate them, and for all the right reasons. I hope they don't go to the Big 10. Not because I wish them ill will, which of course I do, but because them leaving would dramatically reduce all the things I like about college football even more. I LOVE to play them, LOVE to beat them, and if we never lost to them it would be no fun when we win. But now, in the end, this is all about money. If money is all it is, you need to pay the players (why don't they get their cut for being flown all around everywhere, seems like a scholarship isn't such a fair shake now), ditch the tax exempt status (this ain't charity, boys), and just wait til the shine comes off and college football is just the NFL minor leagues. That takes time to manifest itself, a long time even. Great traditions die hard and a lot of change is good (like the Huskerboard, nice tool we have here...) But please know that these changes will continue the evolution of the nature of sport. This one goes into making College Football even more a regular business. Impossible to argue that it doesn't, as no serious commentators try.
I wish you all no ill will. I love the Huskers, I will miss them, I understand about the Big 12 not working out and wish you all well. Next time I am in Lawrence and in the Big 6 room at the Eldridge Hotel, I will reflect on the changing face of college sports, about how it is changing for the worse. About how I won't see my friends to the north coming around anymore. The 3 hour drives didn't have enough money in them, now it is 8 hour drives and flights... like in the NFL...
Good luck with your new conference. I do hope it works out for Huskers, and more importantly, for college athletics as a whole. I hope for all our sakes the next 100 years will be as rewarding as this last 100...
Am I unhappy because we might get screwed? sure. I don't like that, but believe it or not that is NOT my point here.
Do I not understnad that in a conference of more power centers, Nebraska will feel less bullied and more respected, yup. Got that. Understand it, too. Even agree.
Do I not know that the Big 10 has all AAU schools and some more TV money, yup, check and.... check.
So why does it suck? This is all awesome right?
Nope. Not awesome. This is a huge step toward the long term destruction, or at least strong devolution, of why I care about college football.
This is only about money. Money is what I don't like about pro sports. It is why I am a college sports fan. I lived about the same distance from KU and Arrowhead, and growing up the Chiefs were a lot better than the Jayhawks in their respective levels. When I got old enough to get my own season tickets, I went west. I loved to watch Mizzou and K-State come in and the passion people had for the TEAMs. The fight songs with actual words. The fans who were not mostly drunk and full of cursing venom. So what was there to like when NU came to town? I liked how knowledgeable and poilte the fans are. How they respected the history of the game and effort of the oppostition. Hey Jayhawk, that is all the same, nothing has changed, we will still be all that.... why wouldn't we be? We did what was right for us...
Washington vs. Texas as a conference game. Penn State vs. Nebraska in November... Compelling TV, but it is compelling because those powers were dominant in their regions, and when they would meet at year end in a bowl it settled things. Now it is just the NFL light... It won't become that overnight, but make no mistake where it is headed. This is not all NU's fault mind you, but don't pretend you didn't play a major role and history will note it for better or worse.
Well gents, I can honestly and sincerely say I am very sorry to see you go. I understand why you are ending the longest uninterupted streak in all of college football. I liked having you to Lawrence for the last, well, my entire life, my dad's life, my grandpa's life, and even my great grandpa's life (he was not a KU fan, though). I do not harken back to leather helmets, the wedge, or think all change is bad. I think this one sucks. Mizzou looks to be with us still for now. I hate them, and for all the right reasons. I hope they don't go to the Big 10. Not because I wish them ill will, which of course I do, but because them leaving would dramatically reduce all the things I like about college football even more. I LOVE to play them, LOVE to beat them, and if we never lost to them it would be no fun when we win. But now, in the end, this is all about money. If money is all it is, you need to pay the players (why don't they get their cut for being flown all around everywhere, seems like a scholarship isn't such a fair shake now), ditch the tax exempt status (this ain't charity, boys), and just wait til the shine comes off and college football is just the NFL minor leagues. That takes time to manifest itself, a long time even. Great traditions die hard and a lot of change is good (like the Huskerboard, nice tool we have here...) But please know that these changes will continue the evolution of the nature of sport. This one goes into making College Football even more a regular business. Impossible to argue that it doesn't, as no serious commentators try.
I wish you all no ill will. I love the Huskers, I will miss them, I understand about the Big 12 not working out and wish you all well. Next time I am in Lawrence and in the Big 6 room at the Eldridge Hotel, I will reflect on the changing face of college sports, about how it is changing for the worse. About how I won't see my friends to the north coming around anymore. The 3 hour drives didn't have enough money in them, now it is 8 hour drives and flights... like in the NFL...
Good luck with your new conference. I do hope it works out for Huskers, and more importantly, for college athletics as a whole. I hope for all our sakes the next 100 years will be as rewarding as this last 100...
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