Nebraska...not feeling Frosty anymore

[entropy]

Husker Nation

Who is voting for UNL and where..ImageUploadedByTapatalk1411352877.920040.jpg


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[entropy]

http://www.omaha.com/huskers/mckewon-nebraska-blended-controlled-fury-with-smart-plan/article_9bb5d0c8-a344-583d-b0a8-70eb17e86e7e.html

Controlled rury with a smart plan..

[entropy]

http://thekilligans.bandcamp.com/track/the-cornhusker

[entropy]

August 14

On September 19th, my brother and I will start our journey to Lincoln, Nebraska that has been six years in the making. Regardless of the game’s outcome, it will be a special trip.

In 2008, Miami agreed to a home-and-home football series with the Cornhuskers. My family couldn’t have been more excited about the announcement. Memorial Stadium in Lincoln was a place we’d always wanted to see in person, especially my Dad who viewed the matchup as the renewal of a great rivalry.

For more than a decade, my Dad, my brother, and I had followed the Canes on the road at least once a year. We took pride in seeing the country by visiting college football towns and stadiums. Win or lose, we always had a great time experiencing what makes the sport so great. We’d been to nearly every ACC stadium, and visited places like State College, PA, College Station, TX and Norman, OK. In the months and years following the announcement of the Nebraska series, the three of us would constantly remind each other about the trip we had mentally planned. Every time the Cornhuskers played a home game, texts would go back and forth that said "See you in Lincoln – 2014."

In September 2012, we traveled together to the Little Apple. Although we were extremely disappointed with Miami being blown out by Kansas State, the trip was a fun adventure through the Midwest. I wasn’t prepared for it to be one of our last road games together.

A few months after the loss, my Dad was diagnosed with leukemia. He began his treatment at the University of Miami Hospital and felt at home when he saw staff members wearing outfits with the "U" on them. While he was in the hospital, we put up signs with things to look forward to in the future, trying to stay positive. One of those was "Go to Lincoln in 2014 for the Miami game." After a seven-month battle with the disease, my Dad passed away at the age of 56.

My Dad grew up in Miami and always supported the Hurricanes. He attended UM in the mid to late 1970’s. He sat in the stands through years of football disappointment, but always believed a better time would come. The 1980’s were an amazing time in his life, as he got married, had two kids, and enjoyed three UM national championships. He spent Saturdays at the Orange Bowl, watching a true dynasty in college football.

His passion for the Hurricanes must have been hereditary. I was a diehard Miami fan from the moment I was born. Same for my brother who knew of Vinny Testaverde before he knew most of his relatives. Our early childhood was filled with stories about Melvin Bratton, Michael Irvin, Bernie Kosar, and Jerome Brown.

As we got a bit older, we would ask my Dad what his favorite all-time game was. He would always respond quickly with the same answer. "The 1984 Orange Bowl, the game that changed everything."

Nebraska was undefeated and a heavy favorite against Miami, even though the game was being played in the Hurricanes’ home stadium. The Canes stopped Nebraska’s two-point conversion attempt in the final minute, to win a thrilling game 31-30. The win earned Miami its first national title.

My Dad framed the newspaper clippings from the following morning that celebrated the win, and kept it prominently placed in his home for the rest of his life. The collage is now proudly hung up in my house. It became a family tradition that whenever my brother or I stayed home sick from school, we watched the tape of the 1984 Orange Bowl. Don Criqui and John Brodie’s call of the game still sticks with me today. Since then, my family has always had Miami season tickets and attended nearly every home game for the next three decades.

Miami_nebraska_medium

During the countless hours we spent together on the uncomfortable seats at our beloved Orange Bowl, my Dad taught me several lessons – which translate well to everyday life.

1. Never Leave a Game Early

As a city, Miami isn’t known for having the most loyal fans (see Miami Heat Game 6, 2013). If more people grew up in my house, things would be different. We sat through blowouts in the rain until the clock read all zeroes. We watched Miami lose badly during the probation years of the mid 90’s. We were taught that there are only a handful of home games each season, so savor every moment. Sitting through the losses makes the next big win that much sweeter. That couldn’t have been more accurate given how much our family enjoyed the Canes’ magical run from ‘00-‘02. Never give up. Stay focused—good things are always around the corner.

2. Always Support the Players

Through good times and bad, we were taught to always support the guys suiting up every Saturday. You can boo the coaches, the ones getting paid big money, but nothing made us more upset than seeing players booed by their home fans. Effort and intensity is what matters the most in life.

3. Be Relentlessly Positive

My Dad was always confident Miami was going to win each and every game. While part of that attitude came from watching so much success over the 80’s and early 90’s, it became a mindset for our family. Despite being down large deficits at home to Louisville and Florida in the early 2000’s, I’ll never forget when my Dad turned to us and said prophetically, "We’re WINNING this game." Each offseason, we believed that anything was possible in the upcoming fall. It wasn’t a case of overconfidence or being spoiled from years of winning. Life is so much better if you have a positive attitude and believe in your own success.

I’ve carried these lessons with me every day of my life. And now, I look forward to passing them on to my son. Earlier this year, I became a father to a third generation Canes fan, and I couldn’t be more excited. He’ll be coming with me to Miami games as soon as he can walk.

My brother and I are very excited about our upcoming trip to Lincoln. I expect Miami to win and play well, but win or lose, the trip will be special. It represents something more than just football. Miami has an upcoming game at Notre Dame in a few years. "See you in South Bend – 2016."


September 15

The follow-up to my story about family, tradition, and learning life lessons through college football. Miami's visit to Nebraska is just five days away. Expect the Canes to be ready. Nebraska's fans have already shown their true colors.


Last month, I published an article that I am very proud of. I told a story about my dad and described why my upcoming trip to Lincoln would be special. I talked about family, tradition, and what it means to be a college football fan. If you didn't get a chance to read it, HERE IS THE LINK. To those who did, thank you for giving me the opportunity to share it.

In the days following the article's release, I heard from dozens of Canes fans. Many of them shared their own stories about their connection with UM football. Some had fond memories of Miami Nebraska games in the 80's and 90's. A few former prominent Miami players even reached out and told me about their relationships with their fathers. I was sincerely grateful for all of the support and was glad my story had resonated with so many others. The reaction I wasn't expecting, however, came from Nebraska fans.

I've been to more than 40 college football stadiums and have seen every type of fan along the way. Wearing a Miami jersey or shirt to an opposing stadium often drew a venomous reaction, especially when UM was dominating college football back in the early 2000's. I wasn't able to make the trip to the Rose Bowl to watch the 2001 Hurricanes win the National Championship, but I consistently heard the same reaction from those Canes fans that made the trip. Everyone went out of their way to talk about how nice the Nebraska fans were. I recently experienced it first hand.

The article about my trip to Lincoln was reposted on a few Nebraska websites. My twitter feed was soon filled with comments from Nebraska fans. Every single response was positive, with Cornhusker fans telling me how excited they were about my visit to Lincoln. Much to my surprise, one person tweeted at me and said he was able to set me up for a tour of the stadium. I was skeptical at first, because I once heard that you can't believe everything you read on the internet. But I followed up and was soon connected with someone at Nebraska. After just one phone call, I was confirmed for a tour of Memorial Stadium on gameday. I am thrilled to get an opportunity to see the stadium up close. The people of Nebraska showed their true colors and offered kindness and generosity to a total stranger and an opposing fan. Thank you for helping to make this trip extra special for my family.

I've always maintained that college football is the best sport in America and we saw perfect evidence of that on Saturday night. The passion and tradition is unmatched by other sports. I returned home from Miami's convincing win over Arkansas State and settled in to watch a night of football that on paper, seemed to be filled with mismatches. As we've come to realize in this sport, expect the unexpected. Without Brett Hundley, UCLA was on the ropes against Texas, but Jerry Neuheisel made the throw of his life to win the game in the final minutes. The Kentucky Florida game was filled with drama throughout and Will Muschamp's team survived by the slimmest of margins in triple overtime. My favorite game of the night was Boston College's shocking upset of USC. The emotional story of Welles Crowther is so powerful and BC was able to use that energy and strength to physically dominate the Trojans. There's nothing better than watching fans rush the field after a win.

On Saturday night in Lincoln, I expect Miami to play with a chip on their shoulder. I've been annoyed by the negativity of Canes fans since the Louisville loss. Somehow, people were already losing patience with Brad Kaaya after two games. I didn't hear much from those fans after Kaaya threw several perfect deep balls on his way to a breakout performance against Arkansas State. I know the stats. Al Golden and his staff haven't been able to win big games at Miami. I can see why people are skeptical of Miami's chances of going to Nebraska and winning at night. Canes players know that the media and even some of their own fans aren't giving them a chance. This is a huge opportunity for this program to take a significant step forward. This past weekend, for the first time in recent memory, I saw some real excitement and emotion on Miami's sideline. The players were pumped up by the strong showing on offense and will head to Lincoln confident. I'm not going all the way to Nebraska just to watch Miami lay an egg. Keep believing in this team and don't be surprised when the Canes return to South Florida with a 3-1 record. I'll preview the game and give my picks for the weekend in my article on Thursday.

You will read a lot this week about the impressive college football history of the Miami vs Nebraska rivalry. Both teams have always shared a mutual respect, despite meeting so many times with title implications on the line. Miami won their first National Championship by beating the Huskers in the 1984 Orange Bowl. The Canes won 23-3 in the 1989 Orange Bowl and then clinched another title by winning the 1992 Orange Bowl. Nebraska returned the favor though, defeating the Canes in the 1995 Orange Bowl to seal their own National Championship. The last time these teams met was in the 2002 Rose Bowl, when Ken Dorsey and company finished an undefeated season in convincing fashion. The renewal of this historic rivalry is great for college football. I expect an outporing of hospitality from the fans in Lincoln this weekend and hope to return the favor in 2015 when Nebraska visits Sun Life Stadium.

Enjoy the week of hype for this game. I can't wait until I land in Omaha on Friday afternoon. After six long years of having it on the calendar, it's finally here. For me, this trip is about more than just football.

[entropy]

August 14

On September 19th, my brother and I will start our journey to Lincoln, Nebraska that has been six years in the making. Regardless of the game?s outcome, it will be a special trip.

In 2008, Miami agreed to a home-and-home football series with the Cornhuskers. My family couldn?t have been more excited about the announcement. Memorial Stadium in Lincoln was a place we?d always wanted to see in person, especially my Dad who viewed the matchup as the renewal of a great rivalry.

For more than a decade, my Dad, my brother, and I had followed the Canes on the road at least once a year. We took pride in seeing the country by visiting college football towns and stadiums. Win or lose, we always had a great time experiencing what makes the sport so great. We?d been to nearly every ACC stadium, and visited places like State College, PA, College Station, TX and Norman, OK. In the months and years following the announcement of the Nebraska series, the three of us would constantly remind each other about the trip we had mentally planned. Every time the Cornhuskers played a home game, texts would go back and forth that said "See you in Lincoln ? 2014."

In September 2012, we traveled together to the Little Apple. Although we were extremely disappointed with Miami being blown out by Kansas State, the trip was a fun adventure through the Midwest. I wasn?t prepared for it to be one of our last road games together.

A few months after the loss, my Dad was diagnosed with leukemia. He began his treatment at the University of Miami Hospital and felt at home when he saw staff members wearing outfits with the "U" on them. While he was in the hospital, we put up signs with things to look forward to in the future, trying to stay positive. One of those was "Go to Lincoln in 2014 for the Miami game." After a seven-month battle with the disease, my Dad passed away at the age of 56.

My Dad grew up in Miami and always supported the Hurricanes. He attended UM in the mid to late 1970?s. He sat in the stands through years of football disappointment, but always believed a better time would come. The 1980?s were an amazing time in his life, as he got married, had two kids, and enjoyed three UM national championships. He spent Saturdays at the Orange Bowl, watching a true dynasty in college football.

His passion for the Hurricanes must have been hereditary. I was a diehard Miami fan from the moment I was born. Same for my brother who knew of Vinny Testaverde before he knew most of his relatives. Our early childhood was filled with stories about Melvin Bratton, Michael Irvin, Bernie Kosar, and Jerome Brown.

As we got a bit older, we would ask my Dad what his favorite all-time game was. He would always respond quickly with the same answer. "The 1984 Orange Bowl, the game that changed everything."

Nebraska was undefeated and a heavy favorite against Miami, even though the game was being played in the Hurricanes? home stadium. The Canes stopped Nebraska?s two-point conversion attempt in the final minute, to win a thrilling game 31-30. The win earned Miami its first national title.

My Dad framed the newspaper clippings from the following morning that celebrated the win, and kept it prominently placed in his home for the rest of his life. The collage is now proudly hung up in my house. It became a family tradition that whenever my brother or I stayed home sick from school, we watched the tape of the 1984 Orange Bowl. Don Criqui and John Brodie?s call of the game still sticks with me today. Since then, my family has always had Miami season tickets and attended nearly every home game for the next three decades.

Miami_nebraska_medium

During the countless hours we spent together on the uncomfortable seats at our beloved Orange Bowl, my Dad taught me several lessons ? which translate well to everyday life.

1. Never Leave a Game Early

As a city, Miami isn?t known for having the most loyal fans (see Miami Heat Game 6, 2013). If more people grew up in my house, things would be different. We sat through blowouts in the rain until the clock read all zeroes. We watched Miami lose badly during the probation years of the mid 90?s. We were taught that there are only a handful of home games each season, so savor every moment. Sitting through the losses makes the next big win that much sweeter. That couldn?t have been more accurate given how much our family enjoyed the Canes? magical run from ?00-?02. Never give up. Stay focused?good things are always around the corner.

2. Always Support the Players

Through good times and bad, we were taught to always support the guys suiting up every Saturday. You can boo the coaches, the ones getting paid big money, but nothing made us more upset than seeing players booed by their home fans. Effort and intensity is what matters the most in life.

3. Be Relentlessly Positive

My Dad was always confident Miami was going to win each and every game. While part of that attitude came from watching so much success over the 80?s and early 90?s, it became a mindset for our family. Despite being down large deficits at home to Louisville and Florida in the early 2000?s, I?ll never forget when my Dad turned to us and said prophetically, "We?re WINNING this game." Each offseason, we believed that anything was possible in the upcoming fall. It wasn?t a case of overconfidence or being spoiled from years of winning. Life is so much better if you have a positive attitude and believe in your own success.

I?ve carried these lessons with me every day of my life. And now, I look forward to passing them on to my son. Earlier this year, I became a father to a third generation Canes fan, and I couldn?t be more excited. He?ll be coming with me to Miami games as soon as he can walk.

My brother and I are very excited about our upcoming trip to Lincoln. I expect Miami to win and play well, but win or lose, the trip will be special. It represents something more than just football. Miami has an upcoming game at Notre Dame in a few years. "See you in South Bend ? 2016."


September 15

The follow-up to my story about family, tradition, and learning life lessons through college football. Miami's visit to Nebraska is just five days away. Expect the Canes to be ready. Nebraska's fans have already shown their true colors.


Last month, I published an article that I am very proud of. I told a story about my dad and described why my upcoming trip to Lincoln would be special. I talked about family, tradition, and what it means to be a college football fan. If you didn't get a chance to read it, HERE IS THE LINK. To those who did, thank you for giving me the opportunity to share it.

In the days following the article's release, I heard from dozens of Canes fans. Many of them shared their own stories about their connection with UM football. Some had fond memories of Miami Nebraska games in the 80's and 90's. A few former prominent Miami players even reached out and told me about their relationships with their fathers. I was sincerely grateful for all of the support and was glad my story had resonated with so many others. The reaction I wasn't expecting, however, came from Nebraska fans.

I've been to more than 40 college football stadiums and have seen every type of fan along the way. Wearing a Miami jersey or shirt to an opposing stadium often drew a venomous reaction, especially when UM was dominating college football back in the early 2000's. I wasn't able to make the trip to the Rose Bowl to watch the 2001 Hurricanes win the National Championship, but I consistently heard the same reaction from those Canes fans that made the trip. Everyone went out of their way to talk about how nice the Nebraska fans were. I recently experienced it first hand.

The article about my trip to Lincoln was reposted on a few Nebraska websites. My twitter feed was soon filled with comments from Nebraska fans. Every single response was positive, with Cornhusker fans telling me how excited they were about my visit to Lincoln. Much to my surprise, one person tweeted at me and said he was able to set me up for a tour of the stadium. I was skeptical at first, because I once heard that you can't believe everything you read on the internet. But I followed up and was soon connected with someone at Nebraska. After just one phone call, I was confirmed for a tour of Memorial Stadium on gameday. I am thrilled to get an opportunity to see the stadium up close. The people of Nebraska showed their true colors and offered kindness and generosity to a total stranger and an opposing fan. Thank you for helping to make this trip extra special for my family.

I've always maintained that college football is the best sport in America and we saw perfect evidence of that on Saturday night. The passion and tradition is unmatched by other sports. I returned home from Miami's convincing win over Arkansas State and settled in to watch a night of football that on paper, seemed to be filled with mismatches. As we've come to realize in this sport, expect the unexpected. Without Brett Hundley, UCLA was on the ropes against Texas, but Jerry Neuheisel made the throw of his life to win the game in the final minutes. The Kentucky Florida game was filled with drama throughout and Will Muschamp's team survived by the slimmest of margins in triple overtime. My favorite game of the night was Boston College's shocking upset of USC. The emotional story of Welles Crowther is so powerful and BC was able to use that energy and strength to physically dominate the Trojans. There's nothing better than watching fans rush the field after a win.

On Saturday night in Lincoln, I expect Miami to play with a chip on their shoulder. I've been annoyed by the negativity of Canes fans since the Louisville loss. Somehow, people were already losing patience with Brad Kaaya after two games. I didn't hear much from those fans after Kaaya threw several perfect deep balls on his way to a breakout performance against Arkansas State. I know the stats. Al Golden and his staff haven't been able to win big games at Miami. I can see why people are skeptical of Miami's chances of going to Nebraska and winning at night. Canes players know that the media and even some of their own fans aren't giving them a chance. This is a huge opportunity for this program to take a significant step forward. This past weekend, for the first time in recent memory, I saw some real excitement and emotion on Miami's sideline. The players were pumped up by the strong showing on offense and will head to Lincoln confident. I'm not going all the way to Nebraska just to watch Miami lay an egg. Keep believing in this team and don't be surprised when the Canes return to South Florida with a 3-1 record. I'll preview the game and give my picks for the weekend in my article on Thursday.

You will read a lot this week about the impressive college football history of the Miami vs Nebraska rivalry. Both teams have always shared a mutual respect, despite meeting so many times with title implications on the line. Miami won their first National Championship by beating the Huskers in the 1984 Orange Bowl. The Canes won 23-3 in the 1989 Orange Bowl and then clinched another title by winning the 1992 Orange Bowl. Nebraska returned the favor though, defeating the Canes in the 1995 Orange Bowl to seal their own National Championship. The last time these teams met was in the 2002 Rose Bowl, when Ken Dorsey and company finished an undefeated season in convincing fashion. The renewal of this historic rivalry is great for college football. I expect an outporing of hospitality from the fans in Lincoln this weekend and hope to return the favor in 2015 when Nebraska visits Sun Life Stadium.

Enjoy the week of hype for this game. I can't wait until I land in Omaha on Friday afternoon. After six long years of having it on the calendar, it's finally here. For me, this trip is about more than just football.

[entropy]

his follow up:

http://www.stateoftheu.com/2014/9/22/6827317/miami-nebraska-trip-recap-positives-and-negatives

[entropy]

Husker Nation

Saw this posted on another board...

Brock does a regular interview on the local PM sports talk radio show here in Portland. He brought up spending time with Bo this past week and was very complimentary. Some highlights...

-says he met with Bo immediately after an ESPN radio interview and he was livid because the ESPN radio guys attacked the B1G and said NU and the B1G should be left out of the postseason. Says Bo was adamant that ESPN and others are trying to write a script about college football (the SEC, etc.) and that Bo (and Mark d'Antoni) aren't buying it. Brock pointed out that Bo is right, and the B1G had some good wins against the power 5 this weekend.

-The local hosts dismissed Bo as a hothead loser and Brock said that in reality he is a great guy and really interesting to sit down and talk X's and O's with.

-Brock cited conversations with Pete Carroll who views Bo as one of the most undervalued coaches in all of football.



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[Jeff Buchanan]

..... An endorsement by Peety? Whoa, watch out on that one.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Perhaps he is undervalued or at least not taken seriously enough.

I'm not subscriber to the "any idiot can win at ____ because it's a powerhouse" theory (see Brady Hoke, Bill Callahan, Mike Shula, John Blake, John Mackovic, Gerry Faust, etc.)

[entropy]

Husker Nation

Lol... Just thought it was interesting how people form opinions based upon sitting in a chair thousands of miles away.




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[hack]

This is a Michigan board. No trashtalking fun intended here but just a practical matter: on this board there should be only one person who can be called simply `Bo'. Seriously, it took me a few minutes to understand this -- was it an old interview? D'antonio finding common cause with a Michigan goal? Or is Bo is giving interviews from the grave. I suppose it's possible, but you have to have a Schembechleresque force of will to manage that trick...

[THE_WIZARD_]

shaddup

[entropy]

Sun columnist says, for sporting bliss, there is no place like Nebraska 0

BY DAVID LARKINS, WINNIPEG SUN
FIRST POSTED: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2014 11:39 AM CDT | UPDATED: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2014 12:01 PM CDT

Running back Ameer Abdullah (8) of the Nebraska Cornhuskers celebrates a touchdown during their game at against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium on September 27, 2014 in Lincoln, Nebraska. The stadium has been home to 337 straight sellouts and one of the most devout fan bases in all of sports (Eric Francis/Getty Images/AFP)
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It should say something about the people of Nebraska’s devotion to their football team that the only thing in the last 52 years that has kept them from selling out their stadium was an imminent threat of nuclear war.

Indeed the last time venerable Memorial Stadium wasn’t full to capacity was in 1962 with the very real concerns of the Cuban Missile Crisis hanging over the country and leaving Nebraska Cornhusker fans, quite understandably, with a bit more to worry about than whether their local footballers would beat Kansas State.

Nebraska fans pride themselves on their hospitality and, surely for the past 337 straight sold out games, have been playing host better than anyone in North America. More than 91,000 filled Memorial Stadium last weekend for the renewal of the rivalry with Miami, a record attendance for the facility that has stood on the same plot of land for 91 years.

On Saturday, the 1994 national championship team, which beat Miami at the Orange Bowl, was reunited and honoured, trotted out on the field prior to kickoff to a piercing cacophony of fans who never miss a chance to honour the glory days.

Miami and Lincoln have little in common, other than a thread of football rivalry that dates back decades. They don’t see each other very often but, when they do, it usually means something big. It is also a clash of ideology, if you want to accept that storyline. There are the amber waves of the American prairie, the good-old-boy Huskers who come from towns like Plattsmouth and Cozad, Beatrice and Murdock (population 234).

That is the binary opposite to the Hurricanes: The South Beach sun-tanners whose history is so full of debauchery, edge-of-the-rulebook cheap shots and obnoxious swaggery that ESPN needed a second “The U” documentary because all the years of Miami transgressions couldn’t fit into just one.

Nebraska fans are fine with that juxtaposition. It is among the most unassuming of states: the one where you’re welcomed with a sign telling you it is the “Home of Arbor Day”; the one that branded a new tourism slogan and came up, simply, with “Nebraska Nice”; and the one where the football helmets are white with a red N. Nebraska doesn’t do garish.

Whether you wear the friendly home colours, or the tones of a team from out of town, they will welcome you and they will do so better than anyone else, with a collective disposition that, if anyone can appreciate, it is a Canadian. Friendly Manitoba and Nebraska Nice? We’re not so different, you and I.

Nebraska is the farmhouse with the porch light on in the middle of a blue-and-blood-red sky. You’re welcome to stay, but respect the rules of the house.

Prior to last week’s kickoff, a banner held across a few rows of the student section (nicknamed The Boneyard) read “Welcome U”, a respectful gesture towards the few thousand Miami fans who made the trip and surely felt warm and honoured by their hosts’ hospitality. Floridian fans had just enough time to soak that feeling in, and perhaps ponder for a moment what a lovely offering it was, before three more signs unfurled.

“... to your worst nightmare” — with a giant skull-and-crossbones flag dotting that point of exclamation.

It was more than 8,000 students saying: Please do enjoy your stay, but if you don’t mind, we’re gonna kick your ass here for a few hours first.

Football-as-Americana is a trampled narrative that radiates the brilliance of Friday-night lights, but neglects the smudges that lay outside the edges of that glow. State championships in the movies are won on tattered fields of grey and brown and green, trampled by the decades of infallible heroes who came before. Reality, however, comes dressed in custom uniforms made by Under Armor to run 4.4 40s on synthetic surfaces in front of an audience watching on ESPN2. The fantasy fills frames on celluloid. Reality gets recruited.

Yet, for pure sport spectacle there is nothing on this continent like college football. The NFL has more clout and reach; the NHL more popular this side of the border. But neither matches the pageantry, charm and tradition that lay inside a foundation 125 years in the making. The same charm that brings an entire state — read that: an entire state — to a standstill so it can dress in red and gather in the streets and buy into, if just for a few hours, that well-constructed, beautiful fantasy.

You can surely make an argument against the big-business of the NCAA and the perils of turning teenagers into cogs of a multi-billion-dollar machine. And you wouldn’t necessarily be wrong.

You could also nitpick the continuity errors in any film you’ve ever loved. But better to fondly remember it for everything it did to move you: the perfect script; the engrossing, finely-crafted characters; the ending you’ll never forget.

On Friday, we stood on an empty field in front of empty seats underneath a bright sun that nearly consumed an entirely cloudless sky. Quiet, still and illuminated. The calm before the storm.

If you wanted perfection, that moment provided a full dose of it.

A day later in that same place, every single one of 91,585 fans stood, hollered and clapped in unison as their heroes of the past lead the way for their heroes of the now. Commingling with the deafening screams of a fanbase united in the same cause that’s been rallied upon every autumn Saturday for more than a century, a 290-piece band belted out the school’s fight song: “There Is No Place Like Nebraska.”

If there is another place, I’ve never seen it.

[entropy]

the UNL weekend via twitter..

http://www.cornnation.com/2014/9/29/6862281/twitter-recap-riley-otooles-nebrnois-jack-hoffman-baseball-card

[UMStan White]

"Nebraska doesn’t do garish."

He obviously missed the game!

"Nebraska--we kill you with wholesome boredom!"

(actually I like Nebraska. Both the State and the school. My favorite Nebraska image was the "home game" in South Bend.)

Kick the shit out of Narduzzi and MSU this week!