T_O_Bull
All-American
I thought this was a good read:
COLUMN: Confessions of an OU student, Nebraska fan
James Corley/The Daily
Saturday, December 4, 2010
The Daily's sports editor, James Corley, stands in Oklahoma Memorial Stadium wearing a Nebraska jersey. Corley has been a student at both Nebraska and OU and is a fan of both programs. (Matt Carney/The Daily)
“Sooner born and Sooner bred, but in the end I’m Husker red.”
That’s the creed I’ve lived by my entire life. But as the Sooners and Huskers meet for the last time for what will probably be more than a decade, I’m more conflicted than ever as an OU student who’s a Nebraska fan.
The OU-Nebraska rivalry means a lot to a lot of people, but it’s something extra special for me.
My mom was born in Nebraska and graduated a Cornhusker. My dad was born in Del City and graduated from the OU medical school.
Some of my earliest memories are my parents sitting in front of the television over Thanksgiving weekend. Half the time Mom was happy, half the time Dad was happy. At the end of the game, one of them would stay happy and the other would sometimes sleep on the couch.
I was born into the rivalry.
I grew up a Nebraska fan in Sooner Country. Fortunately, the OU-Nebraska rivalry is different from Bedlam or the Red River Rivalry — it’s a rivalry based on respect.
I went to Nebraska for three years of college and came down to Norman for the 2008 OU-Nebraska game. I didn’t expect my rebuilding Huskers to even touch Sam Bradford and Co. I also didn’t expect what happened in the stands.
When Nebraska’s first pass was picked off for a touchdown, my heart sank. OU scored 35 points in the first quarter to put the game well out of reach about as early as possible.
I was surrounded by Sooner fans in Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. My team was getting pummeled. But the way those OU fans treated me, you wouldn’t think I was rocking a Nebraska jersey.
I’ve never been so comfortable in an opposing stadium. When Nebraska did finally score, a group of OU fans around me sang the Nebraska fight song with me. I left the game happy even though my team had lost 62-28.
When I transferred to OU, I kept my love for Nebraska, but the Sooners had been growing on me since that November day. Now, two years later, there’s but a hair’s difference in my love for OU and Nebraska.
That’s why today’s game has me so conflicted — I’ll always be a Nebraska fan first, but I’m nearly just as much an OU fan now. I've been a student at both schools and feel I'm an equal part in both fan bases. I’ll be disappointed that one of them has to lose, but I’ll be happy to see the other win.
So I’ve changed the creed I’ll live by: “Husker raised and Sooner bred, but in the end both reds are red."
Go Big Reds.
T_O_B
:throwdabones1: :throwdabones1: :bonesflag: :throwdabones1: :throwdabones1:
COLUMN: Confessions of an OU student, Nebraska fan
James Corley/The Daily
Saturday, December 4, 2010
The Daily's sports editor, James Corley, stands in Oklahoma Memorial Stadium wearing a Nebraska jersey. Corley has been a student at both Nebraska and OU and is a fan of both programs. (Matt Carney/The Daily)
“Sooner born and Sooner bred, but in the end I’m Husker red.”
That’s the creed I’ve lived by my entire life. But as the Sooners and Huskers meet for the last time for what will probably be more than a decade, I’m more conflicted than ever as an OU student who’s a Nebraska fan.
The OU-Nebraska rivalry means a lot to a lot of people, but it’s something extra special for me.
My mom was born in Nebraska and graduated a Cornhusker. My dad was born in Del City and graduated from the OU medical school.
Some of my earliest memories are my parents sitting in front of the television over Thanksgiving weekend. Half the time Mom was happy, half the time Dad was happy. At the end of the game, one of them would stay happy and the other would sometimes sleep on the couch.
I was born into the rivalry.
I grew up a Nebraska fan in Sooner Country. Fortunately, the OU-Nebraska rivalry is different from Bedlam or the Red River Rivalry — it’s a rivalry based on respect.
I went to Nebraska for three years of college and came down to Norman for the 2008 OU-Nebraska game. I didn’t expect my rebuilding Huskers to even touch Sam Bradford and Co. I also didn’t expect what happened in the stands.
When Nebraska’s first pass was picked off for a touchdown, my heart sank. OU scored 35 points in the first quarter to put the game well out of reach about as early as possible.
I was surrounded by Sooner fans in Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. My team was getting pummeled. But the way those OU fans treated me, you wouldn’t think I was rocking a Nebraska jersey.
I’ve never been so comfortable in an opposing stadium. When Nebraska did finally score, a group of OU fans around me sang the Nebraska fight song with me. I left the game happy even though my team had lost 62-28.
When I transferred to OU, I kept my love for Nebraska, but the Sooners had been growing on me since that November day. Now, two years later, there’s but a hair’s difference in my love for OU and Nebraska.
That’s why today’s game has me so conflicted — I’ll always be a Nebraska fan first, but I’m nearly just as much an OU fan now. I've been a student at both schools and feel I'm an equal part in both fan bases. I’ll be disappointed that one of them has to lose, but I’ll be happy to see the other win.
So I’ve changed the creed I’ll live by: “Husker raised and Sooner bred, but in the end both reds are red."
Go Big Reds.
T_O_B
:throwdabones1: :throwdabones1: :bonesflag: :throwdabones1: :throwdabones1:
