I, like many of you, have been going to football games and following the Huskers since I was a toddler (some 40+ years ago). My dad (who has since passed) grew up in Nebraska and Saturday's in the fall became my favorite days of the year. We lived in Kansas, but we made the trips to Lincoln, Manhattan, and Lawrence to see our beloved Cornhuskers at every opportunity. I think of my dad every time I see the replay of Johnny the Jet tearing them loose from their shoes. Some seasons were better than others, but it was always special to be a part of this incredible family of people wearing red. My dad and I knew there was no place like Nebraska.
I ended up going to UNL and now live in Lincoln. I have been taking my son to games since he was a toddler (he's now 17). I can vividly remember him starting to tear up when it looked like the Huskers were going to lose at Missouri in 97. I was already consoling him and trying to explain that losing was going to be hard, but we had to realize we couldn't win them all. Amazingly, the Huskers did win that day and we literally went outside and starting yelling and celebrating in the street. That day, there was certainly no place like Nebraska.
Today I arrived at the stadium with my son and I was never more proud of the fans. So many people were trying so hard to stay positive even as the game got out of reach. It would be an enormous understatement to say it was hard to watch what was happening on the field. The hardest thing to understand is how this has gotten so bad so fast. It was a surreal feeling to walk from the stadium to our car after the game because even though we were in a crowd of thousands, it was practically silent. What was there to talk about? We certainly didn't want to relive what we had just seen.
Some may disagree, but I believe that being a Husker fan isn't about national championships or even nine win seasons. I honestly believe that most Nebraskans (natives and imports) believe that the glory is not in the victory but in the deed. The sick feeling I have right now is that for the first time, it seems like some of the players and most of the coaches have given up on the victory, the glory, and saddest of all, the deed. For them, there are lots of places like Nebraska.
In thinking this over, I only have one question. When will this nightmare end?
I ended up going to UNL and now live in Lincoln. I have been taking my son to games since he was a toddler (he's now 17). I can vividly remember him starting to tear up when it looked like the Huskers were going to lose at Missouri in 97. I was already consoling him and trying to explain that losing was going to be hard, but we had to realize we couldn't win them all. Amazingly, the Huskers did win that day and we literally went outside and starting yelling and celebrating in the street. That day, there was certainly no place like Nebraska.
Today I arrived at the stadium with my son and I was never more proud of the fans. So many people were trying so hard to stay positive even as the game got out of reach. It would be an enormous understatement to say it was hard to watch what was happening on the field. The hardest thing to understand is how this has gotten so bad so fast. It was a surreal feeling to walk from the stadium to our car after the game because even though we were in a crowd of thousands, it was practically silent. What was there to talk about? We certainly didn't want to relive what we had just seen.
Some may disagree, but I believe that being a Husker fan isn't about national championships or even nine win seasons. I honestly believe that most Nebraskans (natives and imports) believe that the glory is not in the victory but in the deed. The sick feeling I have right now is that for the first time, it seems like some of the players and most of the coaches have given up on the victory, the glory, and saddest of all, the deed. For them, there are lots of places like Nebraska.
In thinking this over, I only have one question. When will this nightmare end?
