10.11.2004

There is no place like Nebraska

After I got up this morning, started my coffeemaker, and took a shower, I came back to my room to decide what to wear. I poked around my wardrobe for a while, but I knew what I had to do: I pulled out my favorite Nebraska Cornhusker shirt and put it on. It doesn't matter if we gave up the worst loss in school history Saturday, because I refuse to be a fair-weather fan.

This determination goes back to my days of Middle School. I remember that after Nebraska got shut out by Arizona State in 1996--this coming after going undefeated 1994 and 1995 and only having lost once in 1993's season--I decided that I needed one more day of mourning that next Monday, and I didn't wear my Husker shirt to school. About third period that day, one of my teachers walked into my class, looked around the room, and bought the two kids who were wearing Husker shirts a can of juice. He did it to teach us that we should stick behind our team no matter what happens.

Although at the time I was mainly kicking myself for missing out on a free juice, I came to realize that I must stick behind my Huskers even if they go 3-8 on the season (which is a possibility this year). If Cubs fans can root for their losing team year after year, I can do it for my Huskers who have had three national championships within the last decade.

So, I'm proudly wearing my Husker shirt today. My Husker posters will stay right where they are on my walls in my room. I will still be on constant look-out for any Husker football players I might recognize on campus. I will go to all the games I can, and I will lose my voice at every game, if necessary. One day we will be a great team again; one day we will win the national championship; one day we will again be able to mop the floor with the likes of Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech. Until that day comes, nothing will change in my support of our team. I just might get good at crying.

12 comments:

MC Hendrick said...

I was at that Nebraska/Tech game. I'm an Aggie myself, live in Lubbock, but was rooting for Nebraska. I'm sure it was a long drive home for those guys.

skoenig said...

wow. and i--a lifelong nebraskan--haven't even watched a game this season. indeed, your virtue shames me.

Lindsey said...

*wipes away tears* Thanks, Jacob. That was inspiring. I wore my Husker hoodie today without forethought about our loss to Texas Tech, but some Cubs fans reminded me of it as soon as I walked outside. I of course, reminded them that their team has a streak of losses incomparable to the Huskers.

Jacob said...

First, we (read: we the faithful) appreciate the support. I should probably ask, though: is there any rivalry between A&M and Tech?

Second, I was encouraged today as I saw a few other people wearing Husker shirts, sweatshirts, etc... I suppose that might be because I go to school here with other people who go to school here, but that might not be it at all.

Anyway, I really hope that we can keep selling out games so that we don't break our home game sell-out streak. We've already broken enough records in the last few seasons...

MC Hendrick said...

Is there any rivalery between A&M & Tech? A few years ago, I would have said Tech who? The joke in Texas was that poor Tech was always looking for a rival that wasn't in DIV III. But when Tech starts beating A&M several times in a row, well, you just start to hate 'em. So I guess there is now a little rivalery starting to brew. If you were to ask a Tech fan, they might say A&M is their biggest rival.

andrew said...

GOOOOOOO BIIIIIIG REEEEEEED

Lindsey said...

Hey.

The Husker cheer is loads better than hearing a stadium full of people bellow "Piiiiiiig SOOOOUUUUIE!!!" as a tusked pig tears up the turf on the field below.

skoenig said...

Lincoln Christian--for all its faults--did have some awesome cheers in its day, my favorites being:
"MRRRSSSSS. SLYKHUIS!"
and, the classic
"SECANT,TANGENT, and COSINE--3.14159!"

the best cheers are the most irrelevant.

Lindsey said...

Bethany,
Do you remember the tshirts we made when we won Girls State Basketball? I think yours had "logs are exponents" on the back. I can still hear Ben Jasmer making Calculus cheers in my mind.

Jacob said...

Wow. You guys had cool cheers. We just had stuff like "V-I-C-T-O-R-Y--That's the Tiger Battle Cry!" The reason that one isn't cool is that we never had any victories (and still don't, as far as I know).

skoenig said...

I also enjoyed:
"MR HAGSTROM clap clap clapclapclap" (the librarian was mr. hagstrom and was often linejudge for volleyball matches)
and
*humming the indiana jones theme song repeatedly*

Lindsey said...

Bethany,
I think our male classmates were only more popular because a) we were seniors at the time and b) they stood with their shirts off, randomly grunting and cheering.