Why bother being a Husker fan?

Redux

Redux

Donor
Why do I bother? That is a serious question. Ever since I became a die hard around 2004 they have done nothing but let me down. It truly is beyond frustrating. Investing this much emotion into something you know cannot possibly meet your own personal expectations let alone the rest of a fan base.

Saturday I took my brother to his first ever game. I expected a poor turnout of fans. Nope. Even through the bullsh#t I read on here, we showed up to support like normal thankfully. I had not attended a game all year and was already feeling down about the year. Once the tunnel walk hit my brother told me how pumped he was, how he had goosebumps. That alone was worth the price of admission. During the 1st half Minnesota was in FG range and we started a block that kick chant. Magic happened as Randy got a hand on it and Gerry took it to the house. That moment...that was special. I hadn't felt that way in over a month. The level of excitement in our section coupled with how happy my brother was, just awesome.

We know how this ends. My attendance record against conference foes falls to a dismal 1-8. I was my usual pissy depressed and distraught self. Then, my brother tells my wife thank you for the ticket and what a great time he had. He then goes and buys a "Lincoln F$#@n Nebraska" shirt on the way out. It dawns one me at this point. We lost a tough game, at home. Yet the fans showed up and had a good time. This board isn't the majority. The endless threads of crap that get posted every weekend of how we aren't good enough, they don't matter. What is a fan? A fan can be that guy who won't shut up about how terrible the coach is or he can be that guy who is still finding his footing and isn't jaded and can still have a good time.

 
1995 Redux said:
Why do I bother? That is a serious question. Ever since I became a die hard around 2004 they have done nothing but let me down. It truly is beyond frustrating. Investing this much emotion into something you know cannot possibly meet your own personal expectations let alone the rest of a fan base.

Saturday I took my brother to his first ever game. I expected a poor turnout of fans. Nope. Even through the bullsh#t I read on here, we showed up to support like normal thankfully. I had not attended a game all year and was already feeling down about the year. Once the tunnel walk hit my brother told me how pumped he was, how he had goosebumps. That alone was worth the price of admission. During the 1st half Minnesota was in FG range and we started a block that kick chant. Magic happened as Randy got a hand on it and Gerry took it to the house. That moment...that was special. I hadn't felt that way in over a month. The level of excitement in our section coupled with how happy my brother was, just awesome.

We know how this ends. My attendance record against conference foes falls to a dismal 1-8. I was my usual pissy depressed and distraught self. Then, my brother tells my wife thank you for the ticket and what a great time he had. He then goes and buys a "Lincoln F$#@n Nebraska" shirt on the way out. It dawns one me at this point. We lost a tough game, at home. Yet the fans showed up and had a good time. This board isn't the majority. The endless threads of crap that get posted every weekend of how we aren't good enough, they don't matter. What is a fan? A fan can be that guy who won't shut up about how terrible the coach is or he can be that guy who is still finding his footing and isn't jaded and can still have a good time.
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LOL I walked right by that guy selling the shirts. I am a fan and will always be. Went to my 1st Home game all the way from Houston Texas this past weekend. Win or Lose or whether they were 0-8 going into the game I was still coming.

 
"we showed up and had a good time" - this is where we are at? that's about the only optimistic thing you can find in Husker football....

also...what about the 1.5 million of us that didn't show up - and definitely didn't have a very good time watching that embarrassment.

 
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1995 Redux said:
Ever since I became a die hard around 2004
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Props to you for being a diehard fan, given that you started in 2004. You missed out on all of the good stuff.
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Some people with say that this is irrelevant. But We live in a little town right out side of Houston Tx. My 2 boys are 11 and 12. The 11 yr old plays Qb and just about any where on defense. The 12 yr old plays D-end and right tackle.

Both know my love for this program and always give me a little jab here and there. But after leaving the game Saturday even know they lost, all my boys could talk about was how much and how bad they wanted to be able to play for Nebraska now.

Whether they get a scholi or have to walk on they said this is where we will attend school.

 
I have been going to games since 94, I have somewhere around 120 games under my belt, I am now 41 years old. I haven't missed a home game since 2004 (was in England visiting family with my mom and even there I ran into Husker fans from Lincoln in Nottingham), I am one of the lucky ones. I always have fun at the games in one way or another, you have to be dead from the neck up not to find something to like about it. However, after spending another $1000, just for the tickets to sit with the Gods, I am seriously starting to wonder if there are better ways to spend my hard earned money. I doubt I will give up my tickets, but for that thought to even creep in my mind is alarming... then I remember something I said to my mom, God rest her soul, when she asked me why it is so important that I be at the game instead of watching on telly... and my answer then is the same reason today why I wont give up my tickets... going to the games allows you to be part of something bigger than yourself. And that is why I bother being a fan... there is no place on Earth I would rather be, when there is a Husker home game, than Memorial Stadium, Lincoln Nebraska... Amen.

 
I have contemplate checking the box each season for tickets. I will continue to check the box. If Bo is retained, it will make it much easier attending girls softball on saturdays next season. Win or lose, GBR.

 
I kind of like this topic.

I am a fan of the team but over the years I am a fan of it being a social gathering. Honestly, I am already thinking about things for next year...

 
Good stuff, and I'm right there with you.

But...

Nebraska football always has been, and always will be about competing for championships. The stadium wouldn't be selling out decade after decade if a championship mindset hadn't been established in the beginning. And it WAS. You go all the way back to the Bugeater days, and Nebraska was known as the toughest squad west of the Missouri. Back when Willa Cather was jeering opponents and writing 'You, Nebraska, can conquer!'

Besting the famed 4 Horsemen - twice. Knute Rockne commenting that Ed Weir was the best player he'd ever coached against. Weir was Suh before Suh. Shutting down Red Grange, back when all of our players were pretty much walk-ons. The 40's and 50's didn't see much success, but we went through a lot of coaches looking for the guy, and there he was - Devaney. You know the rest.

Jason Peter might be obnoxious, but he's right in saying that when you have the N on your helmet, it means something. You are playing for something special, something most of the country doesn't have, and it goes all the way back.

After getting beat on by Georgia Tech in '90, Osborne told his staff to update their resumes, because he didn't think any of them would be back. He KNEW that season wasn't good enough, and wouldn't sit well with this state. After he was retained, he sat down with them and made the changes necessary to win 6 conference championships and compete for 4 national titles. HE changed, not the fans.

My point being- we appreciate what Pelini has done, but we like watching our boys compete, not have records set against them, and embarrassed week after week, year after year. There is no 'We've won a lot of games, we've done good enough.' That doesn't fly around here. We're Nebraska, and we compete for championships.

 
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kchusker_chris said:
"we showed up and had a good time" - this is where we are at? that's about the only optimistic thing you can find in Husker football....

also...what about the 1.5 million of us that didn't show up - and definitely didn't have a very good time watching that embarrassment.
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Why be a fan if you cant enjoy it even a little?

Where were the 1.5 million of you going to sit exactly?

 
kchusker_chris said:
"we showed up and had a good time" - this is where we are at? that's about the only optimistic thing you can find in Husker football....

also...what about the 1.5 million of us that didn't show up - and definitely didn't have a very good time watching that embarrassment.
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I am glad people watch the game on TV; but what about those who invest more than the 3 hours with the click of a button and put their time and money on the line never really knowing if we will win or lose. The point is, we go because it is a passion and not a TV past time. Was I mad we lost? damn right I was and still am, to the point I said some things during the game that I wish I could take back... damn you Seagrams 7! Point is, going to the game is more than about winning all of them (although my hope is we win them all)... see my post above. GBR!

 
Being a Husker fan has little to do with results and more to do with connection. My connections to Husker football are numerous and long standing. Severing those connections would be like severing an arm or a leg. I understand the frustrations with the on-field product. As someone who counts the minutes between games and seasons, you feel a sense of complete let down when the team doesn't do what you had hoped it would. But, after a time of feeling bad about it, you pick yourself off, dust yourself off, and start hoping for the next game or season.

Nebraska is going to a bowl game this year. I am not exactly happy that we won't be going to one of the major bowls and that we won't be playing in Indy, but I have no more control over these things that anyone else on this board. At least they will go bowling. And at least we aren't Northwestern and playing a "playoff" game to get to a lame bowl. Our boys can go out on a high note with a win over Iowa and a win in a bowl game to get to 10-3.

Then we will begin the LONG LONG LONG and SLOW SLOW SLOW march to the 2015 season. And when it gets here, we'll all be ready and hopeful.

In the end, it's not... Why do I bother being a Husker fan anymore?

It is, despite less than great results, a reality that being a Husker fan is almost as basic to some of us as our name.

Will Nebraska ever be a national team again? I don't know. We always have a shot because we have a support structure that lends itself to quick revitalization. The team could struggle along for years and, with the right coach hire and the right push. BOOM. Husker football is back. If Husker basketball can be revitalized, then Husker football is a NO DOUBTER.

 
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