Anyone else at the Tom Osborne Gala Saturday?

[Glendower]

I was at the table next to Switzer, Stoops, and the ESPN crew. Sometimes there are things that make you say, "I never thought I'd see that..." but all that's meant is that it seemed very unlikely. Tonight, I saw Barry Switzer sing the chorus of "Sweet Caroline" with a Neil Diamond impersonator and immediately turn to steal the bottle of wine off my table. I never thought I'd see that. Seriously, not a series of events I'd even considered would happen.

 

It was an interesting time (especially Frost's "Chamberlain" blast at Snider).

 

(I'll post a pic later-- it's too big to upload).

[C N Red]

I was at the table next to Switzer, Stoops, and the ESPN crew. Sometimes there are things that make you say, "I never thought I'd see that..." but all that's meant is that it seemed very unlikely. Tonight, I saw Barry Switzer sing the chorus of "Sweet Caroline" with a Neil Diamond impersonator and immediately turn to steal the bottle of wine off my table. I never thought I'd see that. Seriously, not a series of events I'd even considered would happen.

 

It was an interesting time (especially Frost's "Chamberlain" blast at Snider).

 

(I'll post a pic later-- it's too big to upload).

Sorry, Chamberlain??????

[Glendower]

I was at the table next to Switzer, Stoops, and the ESPN crew. Sometimes there are things that make you say, "I never thought I'd see that..." but all that's meant is that it seemed very unlikely. Tonight, I saw Barry Switzer sing the chorus of "Sweet Caroline" with a Neil Diamond impersonator and immediately turn to steal the bottle of wine off my table. I never thought I'd see that. Seriously, not a series of events I'd even considered would happen.

 

It was an interesting time (especially Frost's "Chamberlain" blast at Snider).

 

(I'll post a pic later-- it's too big to upload).

Sorry, Chamberlain??????

 

Frost's little toast/speech included a history lesson about some of the things that happened in 1937-- (Paraphrasing) "1937 was also the year the people of the United Kingdom elected Neville Chamberlain as their Prime Minister. Chamberlain is, of course, known for his policy of appeasement which essentially let his neighbors walk all over him. Coincidentally, Bill Snyder adopted the same policy in 1989." (Snyder was there).

[HANC]

I was there. Frost and Switzer "stole" the show as far as interviews went... It was a great night of listening to many well respected coaches, personalities associated with college football (especially Nebraska) give TO his due. The fact that OU sent Switzer, Stoops, Simms, and Castolone (sp) up says a ton about the respectful rivalry that took place all of those years. It was fun to see Sims and Pillen meet for the first time.

 

As a fan, it was fun to "rub" elbows with a lot of former Husker greats and coaches....at 43, I didn't autograph seek like many others, but rather just sat back and listened to guys visit. Neil Smith, Rozier, etc...

 

Great night....wife works closely with TO, so her seat was great... I had to pay, so sat in cheap seats..ha.

 

** did last a little long though, but will say that Chris Fowler did an awesome job of MC

[huskerhandy35]

Unfortunately I am out of state at this time otherwise I would have been there. Ugh! Doubt we b lucky enough to have anyone who got it on video willing to post highlights either? What a bummer... Oh well.

[ladyhawke]

Chris Fowler of ESPN MC'd???? Really! Wow! That's surprising. I thought he hated Nebraska. Interesting. So will ESPN show this at all?

[Nexus]

Courtesy of HuskerOnline:

 

VIDEO: Tribute to Tom Osborne Gala

[Glendower]

Re: A Little long-- yes. I didn't understand all of the musical impersonators. I thought that Sinatra was okay and *almost* made sense. Once the Neil Diamond thing started I was a little puzzled, and the interminable Michael Jackson set was baffling. Seriously-- if they had done just the interviews, the stories, the tribute videos, dinner, and maybe Sinatra during dinner (I liked that he was in the middle and not on the main stage, which almost always involved, at some point, a spotlight in my eyes).

 

I probably would have gone autograph hunting if I'd thought to get my Osborne ball earlier. I really waned Osborne and Switzer's signature on my ball. My host's son-in-law is a Texas fan and got a picture with Stoops doing the horns and inverted horns, respectively.

 

Questionable entertainment choices aside (I can't have been the only person laughing at the dance troupe's dancing of Osborne's life, can I? It was straight out of Parks and Recreation-- completely hilarious), it was a pretty amazing evening. Switzer, again, was just great and told some fantastic stories. He was having a hell of a time. Hmm... I wonder if he would have signed that wine bottle! That would have been perfect.

 

ETA: Oh! And how great was it when Switzer started gushing about Husker fans?! I wish they would have had him on stage for an hour.

 

"Bob Devaney! I don't know where you are, but I know you had something to do with this!!!"

[Glendower]

Chris Fowler of ESPN MC'd???? Really! Wow! That's surprising. I thought he hated Nebraska. Interesting. So will ESPN show this at all?

 

Fowler was great. I'd never thought he hated NU (or if he does, he was professional in hiding and inverting it into some Husker love).

[Glendower]

I was there. Frost and Switzer "stole" the show as far as interviews went... It was a great night of listening to many well respected coaches, personalities associated with college football (especially Nebraska) give TO his due. The fact that OU sent Switzer, Stoops, Simms, and Castolone (sp) up says a ton about the respectful rivalry that took place all of those years. It was fun to see Sims and Pillen meet for the first time.

 

As a fan, it was fun to "rub" elbows with a lot of former Husker greats and coaches....at 43, I didn't autograph seek like many others, but rather just sat back and listened to guys visit. Neil Smith, Rozier, etc...

 

Great night....wife works closely with TO, so her seat was great... I had to pay, so sat in cheap seats..ha.

 

** did last a little long though, but will say that Chris Fowler did an awesome job of MC

 

Yes! I ran out to the rest room and got back just in time for the Sims-Pillen meet. That was just great and set up perfectly.

 

When Frost made the jab about Osborne's hands shaking in the 97 Missouri game and followed it up with, "Now his hands shake because, well, he's old," I thought that crossed over into roast territory. Osborne got him back good with, "Scott was right, my hands were shaking when I made that call, but they were shaking because I knew we had to pass."

[Stumpy1]

Was reading that the Allstate commercial guy was there also. Is he friends with Tom?

[Glendower]

Was reading that the Allstate commercial guy was there also. Is he friends with Tom?

 

As far as I could tell, he was just there because he voiced a promo about NU's Academic All-American record. He was offered a scholarship to play linebacker somewhere, but didn't. That's what I gathered, anyway.

[HANC]

Being a life-long Husker fan (naming my son after TO), season tickets....whole 9 yards...... I didn't autograph seek at all, but the one guy I DID try to seek out at the very end was Switzer. I have attended about a dozen games in Norman, and was at the 78 game with Sim's fumble and then in OU for the 83 game when Harris knocked down the 4th and goal pass...

 

I have a ton of respect for OU and Coach Switzer.... I would have loved to grab his sig to put in my Husker room. He stole the show. I could listen to him talk all night. And yes, he was cool, giving TO's teams of the 90's HUGE props....saying that what TO accomplished would never be duplicated and then to work the crowd about having the best fan's in the country was classic.