WinOneThisCentury
Well-Known Member
You know...I really don't want to hate anyone or anything. I think it's negative energy and is a waste of time/effort. I don't like to give such things any power over my thoughts or mood. In other words, I want Nebraska Football to own no real estate in my brain. Black Friday makes this an impossibility.
As a kid growing up and watching Tom Osborn's version of Nebraska Football, I didn't really give them much thought. I respected the program, enjoyed watching the rivalry with Oklahoma. and truly didn't think or care about their place in college football history. I felt no jealousy nor any thoughts of ill will. They weren't a team Iowa competed against regularly, even when we were playing them.
Then 1981 happened and Iowa's upset of Nebraska opened a window or view into the Nebraska fan base and psyche. The way they disrespected that 1981 team by not giving them any credit for the victory...planted the seed that would blossom into a strong hate for anything Nebraska.
When they joined the Big Ten, the sheer audacity of the predictions of dominance and the inevitable discussion of THE BIG THREE (OSU, Michigan, & Nebraska) was almost too much to bear. Once again, the arrogance that the Big Ten wasn't a daunting conference and Nebraska's speed and athletes would dominate...was shocking to the knowledgeable fan. In the B10, you had a play your A game almost every week, not just a few times a season...and you had to be physical. The Nebraska fan base delusion was introduced to me like a blind date with a great personality...you survive it, but want it to end as quickly as possible.
The fact that the B10 Network pundits stoked the fire of the Nebraska of yesteryear during their preseason coverage only fuels how much I hate them. They all bought in hook, line, and sinker. Scott Frost has proven to be more PT Barnum than Tom Osborne at this point. Deep down, you know they don't respect Iowa, even after losing 5 of the last 6 to the lowly Hawkeyes.
Winning the last four in a row has been great...but it's not enough. It's not enough to cherish the fact that they are fighting for bowl eligibility. It's imperative to keep them from it.
As a kid growing up and watching Tom Osborn's version of Nebraska Football, I didn't really give them much thought. I respected the program, enjoyed watching the rivalry with Oklahoma. and truly didn't think or care about their place in college football history. I felt no jealousy nor any thoughts of ill will. They weren't a team Iowa competed against regularly, even when we were playing them.
Then 1981 happened and Iowa's upset of Nebraska opened a window or view into the Nebraska fan base and psyche. The way they disrespected that 1981 team by not giving them any credit for the victory...planted the seed that would blossom into a strong hate for anything Nebraska.
When they joined the Big Ten, the sheer audacity of the predictions of dominance and the inevitable discussion of THE BIG THREE (OSU, Michigan, & Nebraska) was almost too much to bear. Once again, the arrogance that the Big Ten wasn't a daunting conference and Nebraska's speed and athletes would dominate...was shocking to the knowledgeable fan. In the B10, you had a play your A game almost every week, not just a few times a season...and you had to be physical. The Nebraska fan base delusion was introduced to me like a blind date with a great personality...you survive it, but want it to end as quickly as possible.
The fact that the B10 Network pundits stoked the fire of the Nebraska of yesteryear during their preseason coverage only fuels how much I hate them. They all bought in hook, line, and sinker. Scott Frost has proven to be more PT Barnum than Tom Osborne at this point. Deep down, you know they don't respect Iowa, even after losing 5 of the last 6 to the lowly Hawkeyes.
Winning the last four in a row has been great...but it's not enough. It's not enough to cherish the fact that they are fighting for bowl eligibility. It's imperative to keep them from it.
