This past year, I’ve had three grandchildren born — one in July, one in December, and one in October. They are far enough apart in age that they are at different developmental states, and it’s really fun to watch them interact and grow/develop.
I recall watching my kids grow up and I loved being able to talk with them about real things. That goes fast though and their growth charts sky rocket up there. I also enjoy TODAY, communicating with the little ones. I can usually get them to smile and we (baby and I) mimic each other at the lunch table, copying each other’s movements and then laughing a big belly laugh.
Flying home from California last week, I had the opportunity on the Alaska jet to make faces with two little kids on the flight. They had been crying and in both cases I was able to get them to stop crying and to look at me, wondering what I would do next. Would I cover my eyes and look around trying to find them? Would I smile? Would I frown? Would I screw up my face or twist it or wiggle my nose?
I don’t know why I’m talking about all this. I wasn’t trying to set up a platform for bragging.
Oh, I remember.
The Huskers. The Huskers? Yes, the Huskers.
Now, keep in mind that last season (2023) we finished at 5-7. At one point in the season, we were 5-3 and were a “sure bet” to make it to a bowl game. Not so fast, Guido.
According to what I read on alumni websites, the Huskers rank #4 or thereabouts for 2024 recruiting. That’s amazing. Or maybe we rank #4 among states that begin with “N” and end with “A.”: Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, New Hamp-sha and New York-ah (okay, just kidding on the last two).
But if we really are 4th (or maybe it was 5th) then we have a pretty hot collection of talent. It appears that analysts and people who rate and rank and praise and condemn (so who judge, I guess) are saying that we (we means Nebraska) are ranked in the Top 25. It’s been a while.
We have a hot, new QB. In fact, I think we have 2 or 3 (or 4) hot QBs. You need backups. Remember 1994 when Frazier went out (leg clots), and then Berringer went out with a collapsed lung, and Matt Turman started against K-State? The Turmin-ator led us to victory on that memorable day. Yep, the third-stringer pulls it through for the team (and, that year, the championship).
Some top QB candidates have walked away, since “we’ve already got one.” … so thank you to those who have stayed. I hope you are blessed by it.
This whole portal thing is weird, though.
I remember, forty years ago when I was beginning my professional career in Computer Science, talking about company loyalty, both on the part of worker to the company and on the part of the company to the worker.
I worked for GE for three years. While I was there, Jack Welch got rid of two or three different products / departments / divisions and thousands of people lost jobs. I remember thinking, boy, those long term employees sure weren’t treated well.
Well, this has become the norm. IBM went years before having their first mass layoff, but it became a regular thing in the 90s and 2000s.
I left GE and went to DG (Data General) in RTP. On my first day of work (August 3) the company announced its first eve layoff, letting 950 people go. My necktie quickly disappeared. Welcome to the real world.
The Portal? Don’t players think about loyalty to the teams? The fans? The coaches? Don’t coaches think about loyalty to the fans or to their players?
It’s a rough, win-at-all-costs mentality . Winning is grand, but it’s not EVERY thing.
You know, Husker fans, I want to win as much as anybody. Between 1961 and 2000, we won more games than anybody and we had the highest winning percentage. We were at the top; we were at the pinnacle of success. We had five national championships, including 3 in 4 years. From 1993 through the 1996 bowl game, we were 60-3.
We know college football nirvana! We know college football heaven! Those feats have been accomplished and nobody can take that away from us. Gen-Z and Gen-Y (Millenials) won’t really remember the success the Huskers had in the last 40-50 years of the 20th century, but Boomers and Gen-X will surely remember it.
We are going to take a big step forward this season, I’m convinced. But we’ll see. We’ll get some victories. We don’t have to do it all at once, though. One sure step at a time. I’ve heard folks predicting “we’ll win our first seven games” … well, if you set those expectations and we don’t succeed, that can tamper with the motiovation/enthusiasm of the player (I would think). On the other hand, if you don’t expect a championship, you won’t get a championship.
So maybe I should just shut up. But it’s fun to talk about the Huskers and the glory days. And yeah, I’d love to see it happen again. GBR!
Maybe we’ll see some plays this season that takes us back to the great ones … The Punt Return (Johnny Rodgers in ’71), the Miracle Catch (Matt Davison in ’97), the 75-yard TD sprint (Tommie Frazier in ’96), and dozens of others. Remember Jordan Westerkamp and catching the Hail Mary against Northwestern? Or the Eric Crouch 105-yard scramble against Mizzou? Remember the John O’Leary fake punt against Mizzou sometime in the mid-70s? Or the Eric Crouch “pass and catch” trick play against OU in ’99? (or ’00?). Remember the Steinkuhler “fumble-rooski” that we ran (I think) against OU in ’83 and against Miami in the ’84 Orange Bowl?
Oh the memories!
Go Big Red!