A heartfelt welcome to the Big Ten...
I talked with the youngest afterwards, and here's the kicker. Their oldest brother is blind as a bat, and even though he couldn't see, spent his whole life as a husker fan. The other three brothers followed in suit. The youngest brother told me it was a dream come true for the oldest, and blind brother, because even though he couldn't see, he always wanted to go and (see) Nebraska play in the vaunted "Big-House". The three younger brothers got him there, finally, yesterday.
I congratulated them and then proceeded to get the most choked up I've been in the last two years.
In our conference, it seems that everyone says they're our rival. As my bud Keith puts it "Man, everybody gets up for Michigan". But we honestly only look at a few of our regularly scheduled teams this way. I think Nebraska will be joining these ranks, someday.
It would honestly be nice, because their fans, tradition, and pedigree are things I've always found easy to respect.
And in our case, it would be nice to have an annual rival that isn't wrapped up in a competitive blanket of perpetual hate.
I can't stand Minnesota because, well, it's our bucket in the first place, and nice try anyways.
I hate State because, well, theyre all
A bunch of little bitches.
I hate Ohio because it's the nature of this great beast to which we sit at the right hand of. Oh and because they spent the last ten years making a mockery of any form of integrity within the bounds of this great thing we know as college football.
And I hate Notre Dame, because their fans continue to think they are the greatest thing to ever happen to fucking civilization, even as they annually slip further and further into College Football irrelevance. And they forget that WE taught THEM how to play.
It will be nice to square off with a Powerhouse, annually, and want to beat them simply out of a want to beat them. To hate them only on game day, because we're told to. Kind of like how people hate Tom Brady if they aren't a Pats fan or Ovechkin if they aren't from Washington, or they suffer harshly from bandwaggoner's syndrome.
I'm rambling now, I know. I guess I'll close with this...
Nebraska, welcome to the Big Ten. So many people thought you'd come in this year, and clean house. But NOT SO FAST. The Big Ten is like Northwestern, they certainly aren't at the top of the world, but the moment you take your eye off the ball, they'll remind everybody that you're not exactly LSU, either...
Just don't turn in to a huge dick of a fan base, keep winning games, and keep that leash on Pelini short, and we'll find a way to get along in a grand, grand way.
And congrats to those four brothers, for one of the best stories I've ever heard this side of the ball.
Now DAMMIT! GO BLUE!
AND BEAT OHIO!
November 20th, 2011 at 7:05 AM ^
******I SAID BUCKET. I MEANT JUG. It's 6am! MY SINCERE APOLOGIES, O MGOBLOG TROLLS!
November 20th, 2011 at 7:08 AM ^
I put Nebraska in the Penn State category, for now. I don't hate them, but we really don't have that much history to go off of. I just hope we keep beating them, or anyone else for that matter.
Thanks for sharing the story above... i wonder, for those who went...were Nebraska fans as cordial as rumored? Were we hospitable?
November 20th, 2011 at 8:02 AM ^
The three guys that stopped in at our tailgate after the game were great. Nice to talk to, excited to visit Ann Arbor and the Big House. Hopefully it is the beginning of a great, respectful rivalry. Visiting fans from a few other schools I know of could take a lesson or two.
November 20th, 2011 at 10:05 AM ^
November 20th, 2011 at 7:11 AM ^
November 20th, 2011 at 7:36 AM ^
There was one Guy that yelled "go back to Nebrask, you suck". It looked like he obviuosly had never been to the big house. I looked at him like what's your problem bro. But all the Nebraska fans I talked too were really nice.
November 20th, 2011 at 7:41 AM ^
Seconded.
There were two in front of me - very nice, very knowledgable and great to banter with during the game. They reminded me very much of our fan base when we travel.
I hope everybody enjoyed them cause they are going to be replaced next week by 10,000 drunken, foul-mouthed "fans" who believe wearing "Fuck Michigan" t-shirs are high fashion and yelling "Michigan Sucks" repeatidly is the funniest thing in the world.
November 20th, 2011 at 10:30 AM ^
Even when we aren't classy, we are still funny.
November 20th, 2011 at 7:58 AM ^
...I encountered (and there were dozens) who wasn't classy, friendly, and respectful.
If the fans back in Lincoln and other parts of Nebraska are generally the same (there will always be a-holes in any group), I give mad props to Husker Nation. I'm really hoping to make it out to Lincoln next year.
November 20th, 2011 at 8:03 AM ^
I watched three brothers, I assume they were adopted as one was black, one was Asian, and the two white ones looked nothing alike, all dressed in Nebraska gear, get their picture taken
one black + one Asian + two white ones = 3 ??? Am I missing something?
November 20th, 2011 at 8:36 AM ^
I see what you did there
November 20th, 2011 at 9:57 AM ^
I believe he meant that the 3 younger brother took the older blind brother to the big house. So there are 4 brothers, but he talked to 3 of them.
November 20th, 2011 at 1:14 PM ^
So the OP doesn't talk to blind people? Asshole.
November 20th, 2011 at 9:59 AM ^
I'm so glad you said Ovechkin instead of Crosby as the best player in the NHL.
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<br>Now if only the caps can win a game...
November 20th, 2011 at 10:32 AM ^
Datsyuk.
November 20th, 2011 at 10:08 AM ^
my man. Happy Thanksgiving.
November 20th, 2011 at 10:58 AM ^
I was impressed with the Nebraska fans. Much like the rest of the B1G fans with the exception of the suckeyes. I doubt that they would have been any different had they beaten Michigan.
November 20th, 2011 at 11:03 AM ^
Nebraska fans are ok for the most part. The ones that would make the trip to AA are prob the "best" fans. I didn't see any problems either way. There was one DA on our section yelling "welcome to the b10" over and over, but that was about it.
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<br>Lincoln is a lot of fun. I have been to several games there and will be there for the Michigan game next year. Def worth the trip.
November 20th, 2011 at 1:43 PM ^
the nebraska fans that came to south bend awhile back were completely pleasant before, during and after they kicked our ass. i'm not going to lie, i kind of hate them for that.
the crew in a2 this week looked like they have found there way into the 21st century. a decade ago, traveling nebraska fans looked like they parked their tractor on their way into the stadium. now, they look like everybody's fans...but, nicer.
November 20th, 2011 at 2:16 PM ^
Great story about the brothers, to bad someone with connections didn't know about this and could've got them on the field to take a pic on the 50 yd line. Glad to hear the Husker fans are such a class act.
November 20th, 2011 at 2:55 PM ^
I agree. we had that rivalry with Penn st. it was just a good, solid clean game every year. I assume Nebraska will take that place from here on out.