Well, it was another successful trip to Lincoln for the Cats. When Nebraska joined the Big Ten, if you told me that the Wildcats would win three of their first four games in Lincoln, I would have said that would be about as likely as winning three straight overtime games. And, as we all know, if it wasn’t for one stupid Hail Mary, NU would be 4-0 in one of the cathedrals of college football. The Huskers are not what they once were, but that is still a loud, chaotic and difficult place to play.
For those of you who don’t know, the Nebraska-Northwestern game is our family’s Super Bowl. My wife is from Nebraska and, naturally, her whole family is made up of Husker fans. My kids and I are the only NU fans among the 14-17 family members that go to the game every year, grapes in a sea of tomatoes. We have a trophy – the Corn Cat – that gets passed to the winning side each year, just like the Stanley Cup.
While Nebraska is in the midst of another disappointing year, there is still a carnival-like atmosphere to game day in Lincoln. I went to the Embassy Suites in downtown Lincoln, a big Husker gathering place. I saw cheerleaders standing on ascending steps inside the atrium, leading the crowd in cheers. I saw the Fairbury Franks WeinerSlinger shooting wrapped hot dogs up to nearly the ceiling (6-8 floors, I’d say), and then come tumbling down for a lucky fan to grab. I saw people drinking red beers (tomato juice and beer) come up to my son and thank him for coming to the game (he was in purple, I was wearing neutral colors for the press box). I heard spontaneous volleying chants of “GOOOO BIIIIIIIIIG REEEEEEED…Go Big Red!”
I walked around the stadium and saw octogenerians with temporary Husker tattoos on their cheeks and grandparents wearing red-and-white striped overalls. I saw a brass and drum section of the marching band surround a bank of portapotties, blasting the fight song to scare the beejesus out of whoever was inside. (I’m not sure why they did it, but it was hilarious).
Still, there was a touch of sadness to the whole thing, like one day soon it’s all going to come to an end. Losses that were once calamitous aberrations have become routine. Almost accepted. Schools like Northwestern were never supposed to come in to Lincoln and leave with a W. The Cats were the first visitor to win a Big Ten game at Memorial Stadium in 2011, but now it’s a fairly regular occurrence. The Huskers are now 4-5 and may not make a bowl game.
Tickets have been going for real cheap on the street this season – five bucks – and there were some empty seats in the southeast corner of Memorial Stadium on Saturday. That was a first for me. A parking lot attendant told me she sold out her lot just once all season (for Wisconsin) and that, in years past, by 8 am all of the street parking spaces would be full and cars would be lining up to get into lots. People told me that the school has been buying up visitor tickets this year to make sure the sellout streak stays intact (360 straight games, since 1962).
The overwhelming majority of Huskers I talked to think Mike Riley is going to get fired at the end of the year. A few weren’t sure. Just one said he hoped not. Hiring the new AD just about sealed Riley’s fate, most think. They think he’s a good man and a good coach, but he just hasn’t won enough. Most think that former Husker Scott Frost will leave UCF to be the next Nebraska head coach. I talked to one well connected guy who says it’s a certainty.
Nebraska needs a good football team. Not just the university, but the whole damn state. There is no place like Nebraska, just like the fight song says, when it comes to support from border to border. Everyone in the state is a Husker fan. There are no split allegiances. They are all in. The Husker program is losing its specialness and they all know it. They are all a little bit afraid of the future, too.
After the game, fans dressed in purple received a lot of congratulations from Husker fans. They’re frustrated by what’s going on with their beloved program, but they’re never going to cheer against or disrespect an opponent. They take their “best fans in the country” label very seriously. They want you to think they’re the nicest fan base you’ve ever encountered. Because they are.
For those of you who don’t know, the Nebraska-Northwestern game is our family’s Super Bowl. My wife is from Nebraska and, naturally, her whole family is made up of Husker fans. My kids and I are the only NU fans among the 14-17 family members that go to the game every year, grapes in a sea of tomatoes. We have a trophy – the Corn Cat – that gets passed to the winning side each year, just like the Stanley Cup.
While Nebraska is in the midst of another disappointing year, there is still a carnival-like atmosphere to game day in Lincoln. I went to the Embassy Suites in downtown Lincoln, a big Husker gathering place. I saw cheerleaders standing on ascending steps inside the atrium, leading the crowd in cheers. I saw the Fairbury Franks WeinerSlinger shooting wrapped hot dogs up to nearly the ceiling (6-8 floors, I’d say), and then come tumbling down for a lucky fan to grab. I saw people drinking red beers (tomato juice and beer) come up to my son and thank him for coming to the game (he was in purple, I was wearing neutral colors for the press box). I heard spontaneous volleying chants of “GOOOO BIIIIIIIIIG REEEEEEED…Go Big Red!”
I walked around the stadium and saw octogenerians with temporary Husker tattoos on their cheeks and grandparents wearing red-and-white striped overalls. I saw a brass and drum section of the marching band surround a bank of portapotties, blasting the fight song to scare the beejesus out of whoever was inside. (I’m not sure why they did it, but it was hilarious).
Still, there was a touch of sadness to the whole thing, like one day soon it’s all going to come to an end. Losses that were once calamitous aberrations have become routine. Almost accepted. Schools like Northwestern were never supposed to come in to Lincoln and leave with a W. The Cats were the first visitor to win a Big Ten game at Memorial Stadium in 2011, but now it’s a fairly regular occurrence. The Huskers are now 4-5 and may not make a bowl game.
Tickets have been going for real cheap on the street this season – five bucks – and there were some empty seats in the southeast corner of Memorial Stadium on Saturday. That was a first for me. A parking lot attendant told me she sold out her lot just once all season (for Wisconsin) and that, in years past, by 8 am all of the street parking spaces would be full and cars would be lining up to get into lots. People told me that the school has been buying up visitor tickets this year to make sure the sellout streak stays intact (360 straight games, since 1962).
The overwhelming majority of Huskers I talked to think Mike Riley is going to get fired at the end of the year. A few weren’t sure. Just one said he hoped not. Hiring the new AD just about sealed Riley’s fate, most think. They think he’s a good man and a good coach, but he just hasn’t won enough. Most think that former Husker Scott Frost will leave UCF to be the next Nebraska head coach. I talked to one well connected guy who says it’s a certainty.
Nebraska needs a good football team. Not just the university, but the whole damn state. There is no place like Nebraska, just like the fight song says, when it comes to support from border to border. Everyone in the state is a Husker fan. There are no split allegiances. They are all in. The Husker program is losing its specialness and they all know it. They are all a little bit afraid of the future, too.
After the game, fans dressed in purple received a lot of congratulations from Husker fans. They’re frustrated by what’s going on with their beloved program, but they’re never going to cheer against or disrespect an opponent. They take their “best fans in the country” label very seriously. They want you to think they’re the nicest fan base you’ve ever encountered. Because they are.
