There is no place like Nebraska

Reporter’s note: This is the third in a series of three stories detailing
my trip to Lincoln, NE, as I am a 1997 University of Nebraska graduate.
The first two stories were photo driven and geared toward meeting up
with friends for what amounted to a class reunion. Those two editions
are below: 

http://vincedadamo.blogspot.com/2019/09/nebraska-trip-in-pictures.html

http://vincedadamo.blogspot.com/2019/09/rekindling-friendships-in-
lincoln.html

Sometimes the simplest pleasures are the best. 

To give you context, I am a Napa, CA, native. Napa is my hometown.

Lincoln, NE, is my college hometown, having graduated from the
University of Nebraska in 1997.

I moved back to the Napa Valley in 1998 and made my fourth trip
back to Lincoln past this weekend (first since 2008) for the
Cornhuskers’ 44-8 win over the Northern Illinois Huskies. 

The Cornhuskers are like a fallen champion trying to rebound after
a couple of ill-fated eras consisting of athletic directors Steve
Pederson and Shawn Eichorst, two of the biggest weasels on Planet
Earth, and head coaches Bill Callahan and Mike Riley. Tom Osborne,
who is a legendary coach turned AD, and Bo Pelini were like oil and
water from a personality standpoint but worked well in conjunction
with each other. However, now former chancellor Harvey Pearlman
was the weak link in the chain. Pederson, Eichorst and Pearlman
are the O.J. Simpson of Nebraska. They would not be welcomed. 

At the present time, chancellor Ronny Green, athletic director Bill
Moos and head coach Scott Frost seem to be in lockstep with one
another. 

With all of its storied tradition, the Huskers are coming off back-to-
back 4-8 seasons. Two straight seasons without a bowl game? That
would be like Tiger Woods not making the cut on the PGA Tour.

This trip represented the opportunity to see old friends and co-
workers as well as watch the Cornhuskers on Saturday. Admittedly,
there are plenty of people much worldlier than me.

On the other hand, you’d be amazed by how many people have
never ventured out of their backyard. I love the Napa Valley but
costliness might drive me away at some point. 

All I’m saying is that if you love the Americana atmosphere of
college football, you can’t beat the Midwest and Southeast. It’s
somewhat similar to the idea of going to a baseball game at
Fenway Park or Yankee Stadium or an NFL game at Lambeau
Field.

To the state of Nebraska, the Huskers are their NFL, NBA, MLB and
NHL team rolled into one — they wouldn’t want it any other way.
Since the past 20 seasons have been a roller coaster, Husker fans
are leaning on Frost. He arrived in town on the white horse and was
hailed the savior. He may very well be that man but he’ll need some
time. 

The foundation he inherited was an abject disaster. Frost spent his
first season tearing down the foundation that was ill-suited for a good
house to be built. The Huskers went 4-8 and started 0-6. The latter
scenario, however, weeded out deadweight. 

Walking through the halls of the stadium, you just sense that
programs like Nebraska value their history, as the walls are adorned
with past All-Americans, Heisman Trophy winners, National
Championship trophies, bowl game trophies, etc.

That reason is one why I am a proponent for high schools to have
their own Hall of Fame. If you are a young player seeing a picture of
former Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier, how could you not be
inspired?

Gameday was a frenzy as fans from every corner of the state flock
the stadium like herds of cattle. This atmosphere coming from a
storied program coming off back-to-back 4-8 seasons.

Fans, players and coaches were like caged-up tigers for the 7 p.m.
kickoff ready to release the negative vibes of recent years and the
previous week’s 34-31 overtime loss at Colorado.

Let’s just say if you are a business in downtown Lincoln that sells
liquid (especially the adult variety) on gameday, money will flow into
your cashbox like a sieve. Yours truly and my friends contributed to
that retirement fund. 

Jason Page, who is the friend I attended the game with, and I met
various friends from our time as students. Including Page, I hadn’t
seen some of these friends in 21 years. 

One reason for the instant love affair fans have with Frost is that he’s
the native son. He’s a Nebraska native who led the Huskers to their
last National Championship in 1997. Frost had various coaching
stops before returning home. Frost inherited an 0-12 Central Florida
team. The Golden Knights went 6-7 in his first season and 13-0 the
following year. 

The role of a football head coach at Nebraska is not limited to
breaking down film and coaching players. It is about taking the state
under your wing.

To Husker fans, Frost represents the best hope at the program’s
return to prominence. Frost often evokes the same frustration the
fans have felt as the program has been mostly average the last 20
years with a few duds in between. 

Moments before kickoff, the players and coaches come onto the
field for the “Tunnel Walk” as the decibel levels rise to fever pitch.
My vocal chords have just now recovered from all of the screaming
I did.

After the Huskers conclude the finishing touches of their season-
opening win, both teams get a healthy round of applause from the
fans. Yes, that includes the opponent.

Folks here have always clapped for the opponent leaving the field
after the game. That gesture is very refreshing. You want to kick
their tail during the game but when the game is over, the game is
over.

That’s what makes college football in Mid-America refreshing. There
is nothing these folks would rather do. They enjoy the simple
pleasures.

True, they might not have beaches or a bustling nightlife, but to them,
simpler is better.

To take it a step further, a prime rib dinner at Misty’s means more
than elegant dining.

The elitists of the world would say, “Well, what else is there to do in
those states anyhow?”

Sorry to break this to you, but they’d laugh you out of the room after
hearing that because they feel no such deprivation.

They have golf courses and movie theaters, just like California.

I might be biased, but for a slice of college football Americana, I
believe that “There is No Place Like Nebraska.”