Nebraska Football Memes

[Landlord]

With the popular arrival of Kiwihuskerfan and his numerous questions about our way of life, I thought this would be a neat idea for a thread.

 

 

A one-stop resource for all things special about Nebraska Football. I'll post what I know right now, and then people can continue on the conversation by adding/discussing and I'll edit in relevant info to this post!

 

 

 

 

Pregame Memes

 

 

• The Unity Walk - All of the players/coaches walk on a pre-determined path to the locker room, greeting fans lining the way with high fives and such.

 

• Ticket Scalping - It's illegal most places, but not in Nebraska. You'll see plenty of men with signs saying "I Need Tickets" on one side, and "Tickets Here" on the other.

 

• Husker Nation Pavilion - The stadium isn't the only place buzzing before/during games. The Husker Nation Pavilion is a tent set up down on the track nestled under the North stadium, with plenty of live music, games and activities for the kids and a big screen for people to watch the game if they don't have tickets.

 

• Tailgating - This doesn't really need a description does it?

 

• Tunnel Walk - 'Sirius' by Alan Parson's Project blasts through the speakers, while we're treated to a CG intro on the videoscreens, followed by images of the players making their way from the locker room to the field. It's one of the most intimidating entrances in all of college football.

 

 

 

 

Chants

 

 

• Go Big Red - There are variations of this (especially when the band is involved), but the most heard goes something along the lines of: "GOOOOOOOOOOO, BIGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG, REDDDDDDDDDDDD ... GO BIG RED!"

 

• Husker Power - One of my personal favorites, and not done near enough (in my opinion), this one is simple. One side of the stadium chants 'Husker', and the other chants 'Power'. Usually done before games.

 

• 'Suhhh' Chant - Not sure if this is really valid, but whatever. When Ndamukong Suh makes a tackle, everyone says 'Suhhhhhhhhh'. Simple.

 

 

 

 

 

Gametime Memes

 

 

 

 

• Throwing the Bones - Raising both arms in the form of an X, used to signify appreciation of a good defensive play

 

• Touchdown Balloons - Balloons are given out outside of the stadium during pre-game to be released after NU's first touchdown.

 

 

 

Program Memes

 

 

• Blackshirts - Nickname for starting defensive unit (and sometimes just the defense as a whole). Brought about by Devaney wanting his defensive players wearing a different color, and the local sporting goods store only had black jerseys available.

 

• 'Greatest Fans in College Football' - 297 consecutive sellouts, cheering for the opponents, knowing the game better than everybody, etc. etc. etc.

 

• Big Spring Games - Not Nebraska-specific par se, but we were getting 50,000+ years before most everyone else was, and at $10 a pop.

 

• The Sea of Red - Not too many stadiums get as monochromatic as Memorial Stadium - wear red, nuff said.

 

• Academic All-Americans - Another category we lead the country in, Nebraska has a record 93 total Academic All-American awards.

 

• Runzas - I don't eat Runzas so someone else can edit this, but as far as I know it's just a bun with cabbage in it, and you won't find them anywhere else.

 

• Valentino's Pizza - Delicious stuff, Nebraska chain of pizza restaurants that's sold at the game.

 

• Der Weinerschlinger - Hydraulic hot dog shooter that is carted around at games by some guy that 'invented it' way back in the day. Not sure but I think he lets fans shoot it into the stands sometimes too?

 

 

 

 

I'm working on a few things so I'm sure I forgot some stuff.

[arkiehusker]

With the popular arrival of Kiwihuskerfan and his numerous questions about our way of life, I thought this would be a neat idea for a thread.

 

 

A one-stop resource for all things special about Nebraska Football. I'll post what I know right now, and then people can continue on the conversation by adding/discussing and I'll edit in relevant info to this post!

 

 

 

 

Pregame Memes

 

 

• The Unity Walk - All of the players/coaches walk on a pre-determined path to the locker room, greeting fans lining the way with high fives and such.

 

• Ticket Scalping - It's illegal most places, but not in Nebraska. You'll see plenty of men with signs saying "I Need Tickets" on one side, and "Tickets Here" on the other.

 

• Husker Nation Pavilion - The stadium isn't the only place buzzing before/during games. The Husker Nation Pavilion is a tent set up down on the track nestled under the North stadium, with plenty of live music, games and activities for the kids and a big screen for people to watch the game if they don't have tickets.

 

• Tailgating - This doesn't really need a description does it?

 

• Tunnel Walk - 'Sirius' by Alan Parson's Project blasts through the speakers, while we're treated to a CG intro on the videoscreens, followed by images of the players making their way from the locker room to the field. It's one of the most intimidating entrances in all of college football.

 

 

 

 

Chants

 

 

• Go Big Red - There are variations of this (especially when the band is involved), but the most heard goes something along the lines of: "GOOOOOOOOOOO, BIGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG, REDDDDDDDDDDDD ... GO BIG RED!"

 

• Husker Power - One of my personal favorites, and not done near enough (in my opinion), this one is simple. One side of the stadium chants 'Husker', and the other chants 'Power'. Usually done before games.

 

• 'Suhhh' Chant - Not sure if this is really valid, but whatever. When Ndamukong Suh makes a tackle, everyone says 'Suhhhhhhhhh'. Simple.

 

 

 

 

 

Gametime Memes

 

 

 

 

• Throwing the Bones - Raising both arms in the form of an X, used to signify appreciation of a good defensive play

 

 

 

 

Program Memes

 

 

• Blackshirts - Nickname for starting defensive unit (and sometimes just the defense as a whole). Brought about by Devaney wanting his defensive players wearing a different color, and the local sporting goods store only had black jerseys available.

 

• 'Greatest Fans in College Football' - 297 consecutive sellouts, cheering for the opponents, knowing the game better than everybody, etc. etc. etc.

 

• Big Spring Games - Not Nebraska-specific par se, but we were getting 50,000+ years before most everyone else was, and at $10 a pop.

 

• The Sea of Red - Not too many stadiums get as monochromatic as Memorial Stadium - wear red, nuff said.

 

• Academic All-Americans - Another category we lead the country in, Nebraska has a record 93 total Academic All-American awards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm working on a few things so I'm sure I forgot some stuff.

 

 

One of my favorite things to do is take my son and nephew into the "tunnel" as the players come out for pre game and then the game. The players and sometimes coaches will speak to the boys, give them high fives and the like. Pretty cool for my boys and me as well. Those two have developed some love for some of the players after being down there.

[T_O_Bull]

Don't forget the original Misty's the night before the game. The party at the Cornhusker Hotel on game day and of course Big Fred's pizza on the way home.

T_O_B

[Drowning_in_the_Sea_of_Red]

A lot of people here should take the time to learn this...

 

The Husker Prayer:

 

Dear Lord, the battles we go through life,

We ask for a chance that's fair,

A chance to equal our stride,

A chance to do or dare,

If we should win, let it be by the code,

Faith and Honor held high,

If we should lose, we'll stand by the road,

And cheer as the winners go by.

Day by Day, we get better and better!

The team that can't be beat, WON'T BE BEAT!

[Landlord]

I didn't know the Husker Prayer still had any actual connection to the program these days.

 

 

 

Hmm, I should probably include a "Past Memes" category, for stuff like the option and Restore The Order and silly junk.

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

Lets not forget the history of the blackshirts

 

One of Huskers' most well-known traditions is of the Blackshirts, which has become the common nickname for Nebraska's defensive unit. The term originally dates back to the early 1960s and refers to the black practice jerseys that Nebraska's first-string defenders wear in practice.

 

With the return of the two-platoon system in college football in 1964, the Huskers were preparing for a game at Minnesota, and Head Coach Bob Devaney was looking for a way to distinguish the different defensive units on the practice fields. Devaney dispatched assistant coach Mike Corgan to a local sporting goods store to find some "contrast jerseys," a sleeveless pullover that went on top of the players' practice jerseys. While the top offensive unit practiced in red jerseys and the second-string offense worked in green pullovers, the first string defense wore black pullovers and the second string wore the contrasting gold jerseys.

 

Long-time sports information director Don Bryant credits much of Blackshirt mystique to defensive line coach George Kelly, who served on Devaney's staff until 1968. Kelly was often heard yelling and exhorting the Blackshirts during practices and scrimmages. Eventually, the rest of the coaches began calling the top defensive units by the same name. While the 1964 defense was the first to wear the black practice jerseys, the name was slow to catch on. It took several years before the state's newspapers started referring to the Husker defense as the Blackshirts, while the first mention of the Blackshirts in the Nebraska football media guide did not occur until 1969.

 

The term began to catch on during Monte Kiffin's tenure as defensive coordinator in the mid-1970s, before the Blackshirts earned national acclaim under Charlie McBride, who served as the Huskers' defensive coordinator from 1982 to 1999. NU ranked among the nation's top 10 in all four major defensive categories (rush defense, pass defense, total defense and scoring defense) on four occasions, helping Nebraska to national titles in 1994, 1995 and 1997.

 

Members of the top defensive unit receive their Blackshirts the week of the season opener. Until recent years, the jersey was left hanging in a player's locker before the start of the week's practice. The jerseys are now distributed to the Blackshirts in a team ceremony and are presented to all first-unit players, including starters in different defensive sets. Before bowl games, all senior defensive players are awarded honorary Blackshirts at the bowl site to wear during game preparations.

 

 

 

[skerfan1705]

Of course there are too many "game memories" for me to list but one thing that I always did when I was a student at UNL was go to dinner / lunch at Spaghetti Works after the game. Just a short walk...the place would be packed...and we could watch the next batch of games while eating some good food....I miss that a lot.

[krc1995]

I will always associate the sound of a train with Husker football. Back before the new baseball stadium and pedestrian bridge were built, my dad would park around where the baseball stadium is not. We would walk over the train tracks to get to the game. Sometimes we would crawl over parked trains and then wait out a passing train.

 

Also use to make a pre-husker stop in Goehner at the Big Red Barn for a Big Red Burger. Now that was a sandwich. That is going back along time.

[Drowning_in_the_Sea_of_Red]

I didn't know the Husker Prayer still had any actual connection to the program these days.

 

 

 

Hmm, I should probably include a "Past Memes" category, for stuff like the option and Restore The Order and silly junk.

As far as I know, the team still says it before they do the Tunnel Walk every game.

 

That, and there is always a thread on here dedicated to the Prayer every game day. And someone always screws it up...

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I didn't know the Husker Prayer still had any actual connection to the program these days.

 

 

 

Hmm, I should probably include a "Past Memes" category, for stuff like the option and Restore The Order and silly junk.

As far as I know, the team still says it before they do the Tunnel Walk every game.

 

That, and there is always a thread on here dedicated to the Prayer every game day. And someone always screws it up...

It's frustrating as hell too...............

[Scarlet Overkill]

What, no one mentioned the massive release of balloons after scoring the first touchdown?

 

EDIT: hmm, image isn't showing up, so you'll have to go to the link directly: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alfredandwilson/2972696004/

[Landlord]

Nice catch. Editing first post.

 

 

 

 

Edit: OK it's already there, weird...

[huskeraddict]

Nice catch. Editing first post.

 

 

 

 

Edit: OK it's already there, weird...

 

I did it, forgot to mention I did

[huskerjack23]

i think we should start one sort of like how Ta&m does the #12 jersey, having one player wear that jersey to represent the 12th man. i think Nebraska should do it with #18, to honor Brook Berringer, with a player who exemplifies Brook's character.

[SOCALHUSKER]

i think we should start one sort of like how Ta&m does the #12 jersey, having one player wear that jersey to represent the 12th man. i think Nebraska should do it with #18, to honor Brook Berringer, with a player who exemplifies Brook's character.

 

They already have the Brook Berringer Citizenship team, but anything to showcase Berringer and players who display quality characteristics is OK in my book.