So Long, Cornhuskers...

THE SPORTS BOTTOM - August 5, 2010

The whole Lebron James, Brett Favre fiascos are really getting to be too much. Even for a serious sports fan like myself. Seriously? Not even worth the time and energy to blog about it. Make up your mind, Brett! Though I have to say I wouldn’t mind him starting for the St. Louis Rams this season and mentoring Sam Bradford. That would be sweet.

This posting is about what’s really important: FOOTBALL!!! The college season is still about a month away. I’m kind of torn about college football this season. Why? My beloved Mizzou Tigers are playing its last season in the current Big XII Conference. Am I upset that Colorado and Nebraska are leaving? As my buddy Jimbo pointed out, “We can get rid of Colorado and Nebraska? Awesome! Why didn’t we do this years ago?”

I don’t know. Colorado? Sure, screw them and don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. I still remember “Fifth-and-Goal”. I know. Life is too short to hate. I hate Colorado. Fifth down and they still didn’t score on the last play. And they won the NCAA title? Eff ‘em. Have fun in the Pac 10.

Nebraska is a different story. Hard not to love Nebraska football. Well, not love. But it’s hard to hate ‘husker football. Lots of respect. I mean, they’re not Oklahoma or Kansas! Very easy to hate them. But Nebraska football has earned a lot of respect, if nothing else. Tom Osbourne, black shirts, a gazillion consecutive sellouts in Lincoln, fans applauding the opposing team even after getting their butts whooped. 

I was an usher at the Mizzou/Nebraska game where the ‘huskers won in overtime after an incomplete pass was kicked in the air and Nebraska got the touchdown. Nebraska fans were applauding Mizzou (on the road!) after the game and a nice, older lady even told me as she walked out of the stadium, “see you in a bowl game”. It was so nice. Mizzou hadn’t been to a bowl game in so long that it was enough to make me cry.

Mizzou never beat Nebraska in football. At home games we’d chant, “Wait ‘till basketball!” We’d consider it a victory if we only lost by 20 points. Not pretty. But again, it wasn’t Oklahoma or Kansas, so it was almost tolerable. Then a few years back Mizzou suddenly became pretty good in football and we began beating Nebraska on a regular basis. Watch out for the flying pigs. Mizzou even played in two consecutive Big XII championship games, being soundly beaten by Oklahoma and Texas. 

But Nebraska figures to be much improved this season. And the Tigers should be pretty good this year too (always the alma mater optimist!) And now this will be the last season that they will play in the same conference. So long, Nebraska Cornhuskers. Have fun in the Big Ten. 

It seemed like Mizzou was gonna be the one team to leave the Big XII for the Big Ten. Media reports said it was a “done deal”. Then the ‘huskers announced they were leaving and Mizzou announced that they never even got an offer from the Big Ten. Was Mizzou being played by the Big Ten? Kind of seems like it. But whatever.

So long, Nebraska. Hope we can schedule some non-conference games in the future to continue the rivalry. I guess we can meet in future bowl games.