Nebraska Mellinger: Nebraska fans’ anger mars Huskers’ Big 12 farewell - Page 11

**KcMizzou** · 04:55 PM

This seems pretty spot-on.

Quote:

Mellinger: Nebraska fans’ anger mars Huskers’ Big 12 farewell

SAM MELLINGER COMMENTARY

Nebraska football fans won’t like this column. Cold truths are hard to take, and a lot of Huskers fans are spending this farewell football season deflecting and misdirecting cold truths.

Too many of them just don’t understand why people in what’s left of the Big 12 are annoyed at them, the school, the fans and the coach. So they won’t like reading what’s to follow.

That’s OK. Folks in the rest of the Big 12 might not like this column, either. Because their truth is easier to explain and harder to take than Nebraska’s — with much worse potential consequences.

Let’s start with the part that Huskers fans won’t like.

They’re too self-important to see what’s going on in the lead-in to the final Big 12 championship football game between Nebraska and Oklahoma on Saturday night.

Huskers fans are imagining conspiracies against their team, convinced that anyone else’s dislike is code for jealousy of all Nebraska’s awesomeness. They’re completely oblivious that it’s not necessarily the decision to leave for the Big Ten that ticks people off.

People are ticked at how it’s happening.

“The ‘how’ situation is a fair thing,” says Tom Ruud, inducted to the school’s Hall of Fame as a linebacker.

The arrogance came from the very start. Nebraska folks hate it when that word is tied to their school, but it’s true. If history is any indication, Huskers fans will lash back at being called arrogant by e-mailing about how great they are.

Nebraska self-importance comes in constant references to past success, in seeing Big Ten acceptance as license to slam a group that’s been good enough for them for decades, and, most of all, in the inability to recognize that the whole thing is wrecking a reputation of class and dignity that took so long to build and promote.

For decades, Nebraska football and its fans stood for something. The rest of us mostly admired them, a program succeeding in a place it shouldn’t, a remarkable consistency and very real bond between players and the citizens who rooted them on. In so many ways, that’s ruined.

When asked if he cares, Nebraska booster Roger Brown said, simply: “No.”

With all respect, he knows that’s hard to believe.

Being a Huskers fan is engrained in that state’s DNA and personality in a way unlike any other place in the country.

They applauded the other team after games — win or lose — set an ongoing NCAA record for consecutive sellouts, and even if the narrative became exaggerated, Nebraska fans became thought of by many as decent people. Well-liked, even, in a way that Kansas and Missouri and Kansas State will probably never know.

That’s often a very good thing, but it’s also true that through all their winning and cheering, Nebraska fans never received much pushback. Now that it’s here, they have no idea how to handle it.

First, the administration blamed Texas and conference leadership. Then some fans blamed Mizzou and, in the last month or so, have come close to losing their collective sanity. They see the league’s suspension of a backup linebacker as proof of conspiracy, harass referees, flood the conference office with threats of violence, then whine when nobody shows up to present the North Division trophy.

Every school has some nutjobs, but c’mon, this is college football’s classiest fan base?

In other words, they’re not who they claimed to be. They’re a whole lot like everyone else.

Most of the rest of us aren’t mad they’re leaving. We’re annoyed they’re acting like jerks on the way out. We understand wanting more money. But don’t pretend there’s some higher calling that the rest of us just can’t comprehend.

In six months, they’ve changed how we’ll think of them forever. Forty million people live in the five states that make up the remaining league. We can’t all be wrong.

Those are the words Nebraska fans won’t like. Now, for the truth that makes the rest of us uncomfortable, the one with potentially terrible consequences:

Even after all this, we’d totally take the Huskers back.

Because without them, this is a lesser league that nobody can be certain will exist beyond the near future.

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/12/02...ans-anger.html

LiveSteam · 12-04-2010, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WeakStream

36 years. Great guy.

Grew up next door to Randy Jostes to. But so called Misery fan probably don't remember that name. Or Warren Powers for that matter

**Bowser** · 12-04-2010, 02:30 PM

True story. Bugeater is good people.

Titty Meat · 12-04-2010, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bowser

True story. Bugeater is good people.

Not according to that one smurf he has a drinking problem.

Spott · 12-04-2010, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WeakStream

Grew up next door to Randy Jostes to. But so called Misery fan probably don't remember that name. Or Warren Powers for that matter

I think Jostes was the guy that knocked out Radio and Powers was the coach before Woody Woodenhofer.

LiveSteam · 12-04-2010, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billay

Not according to that one smurf he has a drinking problem.

Only prob Bug's has. Is he actually likes the Chiefs. Ive spent the better part of my life trying to convert him to a Pats fan. With no success.

DJ's left nut · 12-04-2010, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billay

Impressive that you have 3 pages full of answering each one of my posts? No thats creepy. I'd stick to trolling too if I posted gems about trading draft picks for Steve Smith.

Holy crap - you're right. I did mention giving up a 4th round pick for Steve Smith.

In October of 2009.

http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showt...th#post6190179

You're right....I'm the obsessive one.

LiveSteam · 12-04-2010, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spott

I think Jostes was the guy that knocked out Radio and Powers was the coach before Woody Woodenhofer.

The man was a great athlete. But had ??? How should i say???
A lil to much Bo Pelini for his own good. Dude was a cheap shot artist.
seen every game he played in high school & most of his collage career to.
He played in the USFL till it folded

Titty Meat · 12-04-2010, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spott

I think Jostes was the guy that knocked out Radio and Powers was the coach before Woody Woodenhofer.

When was that the 1960's? You guys are old

LiveSteam · 12-04-2010, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billay

When was that the 1960's? You guys are old

1980-84
Im 41 & in my prime THANK YOU VERY MUCH

Spott · 12-04-2010, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billay

When was that the 1960's? You guys are old

Ha, that was probably the same season/era that MU lost to the BYU team in the Holiday Bowl that had Jim McMahon as the QB. But I'm not as old as Weaksteam.

Titty Meat · 12-04-2010, 02:50 PM

That was before my time.... I could probably look it up but i'm lazy so Missouri was good in the early 80's and then didn't become good again until Larry Smith? What happend between that time?

LiveSteam · 12-04-2010, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spott

Ha, that was probably the same season/era that MU lost to the BYU team in the Holiday Bowl that had Jim McMahon as the QB. But I'm not as old as Weaksteam.

Geeeez!! 3 Grey hairs & now I'm old :-(

Spott · 12-04-2010, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billay

That was before my time.... I could probably look it up but i'm lazy so Missouri was good in the early 80's and then didn't become good again until Larry Smith? What happend between that time?

Well they had Woodenhofer as their coach and they were pretty bad for quite a while, along with MU, KU and KSU. I remember quite a few years when all 3 of those teams during that era would finish with 2 wins a season and half of them were against each other. But KU, MU and KSU's basketball programs were pretty good back then so it took the sting off of having crappy football programs.

LiveSteam · 12-04-2010, 03:01 PM

Tigers were always a good football team when I was a kid. I still remember Winsloe catching the game wining TD,not more than 20 ft from me.It was the first time I ever watched my Huskers lose in person. 1978
I must of been about 8 or 9 & cried all the way home. CRIED theirs some material to use against me.

Spott · 12-04-2010, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WeakStream

Tigers were always a good football team when I was a kid. I still remember Winsloe catching the game wining TD,not more than 20 ft from me.It was the first time I ever watched my Huskers lose in person. 1978
I must of been about 8 or 9 & cried all the way home. CRIED theirs some material to use against me.

Sissy.

12-04-2010, 02:30 PM	#152
Bowser sorta mod-ish Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: KC North Casino cash: $3111616	True story. Bugeater is good people.
Posts: 101,180

12-04-2010, 02:50 PM	#161
Titty Meat Inmem 2.0 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: My house Casino cash: $1907558	That was before my time.... I could probably look it up but i'm lazy so Missouri was good in the early 80's and then didn't become good again until Larry Smith? What happend between that time?
Posts: 75,536

12-04-2010, 03:01 PM	#164
LiveSteam The Constitutional Choo choo Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: homeof43conferencetitles Casino cash: $1845432	Tigers were always a good football team when I was a kid. I still remember Winsloe catching the game wining TD,not more than 20 ft from me.It was the first time I ever watched my Huskers lose in person. 1978 I must of been about 8 or 9 & cried all the way home. CRIED theirs some material to use against me.
Posts: 44,314