A Painful Silver Lining

[Veritas]

Noob poster here. This is what I blogged this AM. It's sorta long but I hope you guys dig it:

 

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Being a sports fan makes no rational or logical sense. Indeed, fan is a derivation of fanatic which is defined as, “A person marked or motivated by an extreme, unreasoning enthusiasm, as for a cause.” As with many of the words in the English language, the origin of fanatic is the Latin fnticus. This word itself was inspired by the orgiastic rites that took place in fnums, temples of worship.

 

Yesterday my wife and I were fortunate enough to attend the local fnum, Memorial Stadium, to partake in the orgiastic rite known as a Husker football game. Devotees of the religion of college football know that the Husker program has fallen on hard times in the last decade. Ten years ago, the 1995 Huskers had assembled one of of the best teams to ever play college football and were in the process of crushing opponents on the way to a second consecutive National Championship. Today the Husker program is struggling to color itself in shades of that former glory.

 

The game against #13 Texas Tech presented an opportunity to grasp that glory, to avenge last season’s nauseating loss, and to again return to the high priesthood of the Top 25, a fraternity that the Huskers have not visited since 2003. It gave Nebraska a chance to silence the critics, if only for a moment.

 

It was not to be and it was to come about in the most emotionally exhausting and, to use a hackeneyed sports cliche, the most heartbreaking manner possible.

 

Following an abysmal first 20 minutes of play where Tech scored 21 unanswered points, amassed almost 200 offensive yards, picked off one pass, and scored on 3 of 4 possessions, the Huskers clawed their way back into the game. They took the lead in the 4th quarter on a catch that my wife and I could not see from our seats high in the southwest corner of the endzone. Zach Taylor audibled at the line of scrimmage and threw a fade pass. We saw Nunn sprinting but he was obscured due to the pitch of the stands and the fans in front of us. But we knew the catch was made as those in the front rows jumped up in jubilation. It was my most ecstatic moment as a Husker fan since Cory Schlesinger rumbled into Miami’s end zone ten years ago to secure Nebraska’s first National Championship of the 1990’s.

 

One might wonder why, given that Nebraska won two more titles following the 1994 season and that there have been some tremendous plays since such as Matt Davison’s season-saving catch against Missouri in 1997 or Mike Stuntz’s pass completion to Eric Crouch against Oklahoma in 2001.

 

Cory Schlesinger’s run signaled Nebraska’s arrival at the pinnacle of college football, a reign that would continue for three years through the 1997 bowl season. After 23 years, the Huskers were again the best team in the game.

 

Terrence Nunn’s catch made a similar statement. It signaled that the much-maligned “West Coast Offense” can be and will be run successfully by Nebraska. It sent a message to Husker Nation that this team, this program, can overcome what might seem like impossible odds and can do what needs to be done to be successful. Bottom line, it was the keystone moment in a game that many fans (including myself) believed was over shortly into the second quarter.

 

Despite this catch and despite a field goal following, Nebraska still ultimately came up short on the scoreboard. A game saving interception was made by a defensive linemen, but the ball was stripped as he was returning it and Tech managed to strike the end zone on a 4th and one as time was expiring.

 

I do not believe in moral victories. The game is either won or lost, and counting a “moral victory” is a loser’s way of making themselves feel as though they did not actually lose.

 

But Saturday I entered the fnum faithless, questioning my belief in the abilities of the coaching staff to return the program to its former glory. I walked out, my faith emboldened, my belief strong.

 

The Husker program is on the right path.

[DaveH]

Welcome to the board and thanks for the contribution.

[Blackshirt]

Well done, and welcome to the fold Veritas.

[NamelessHusker]

I do not believe in moral victories. The game is either won or lost, and counting a “moral victory” is a loser’s way of making themselves feel as though they did not actually lose

 

For a team that has never known the word "comeback", this was a step in the right direction. Moral victory, or not, this team showed heart, and that's all we wanted. Win or lose

[pigsonthewing]

speak for yourself. i wanted a win...

 

i'm feelin pretty negative after that mistake made by Lekevin Smith. on the stupidity scale that ranks right below Chris Webber in my humble opinion.

 

i'll be bitter about this one for a long long time.

[NamelessHusker]

speak for yourself. i wanted a win...

 

i'm feelin pretty negative after that mistake made by Lekevin Smith. on the stupidity scale that ranks right below Chris Webber in my humble opinion.

 

i'll be bitter about this one for a long long time.

Well if NU wins out and Tech wins out, you won't have to be bitter that long if they meet up again later this season

[hskrfannnwk]

Great Post Veritas!