Goodbye summer, here comes football season! I live in Nebraska and we don’t have a professional team, but we have a huge college team at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. They are the Nebraska Cornhuskers. One may either love or hate the Huskers and I am one of the super fan-a-tics.
Preparation for game day is and can be comical. People around here don’t plan weddings or parties on football Saturday when Nebraska is playing. And most people know that the best time to go shopping is during the game as the stores are sparse.
I don’t own a jersey in the school colors of red and white but I do own over 30 t-shirts and sweatshirts including jackets, slippers, books, earrings, and a gazillion other Nebraska related stuff. I do draw the line at wearing the goofy bright yellow corn cob headgear. Nope, I’m not that crazy.
Going to the stadium in Lincoln that seats over 80,000 people is incredible. The air is electric and seeing the sea of red is breathtaking. Or maybe I can’t breathe because I’m squished onto a bench seat hip to shoulder with people I don’t know. Everyone should experience it at some time in their life. There is nothing like it. Be prepared to find a new best friend sitting next to you whether you like it or not.
If I don’t get to a game at the stadium I’ll have people over or I’ll go to a family member’s house to watch the game. Oddly enough I watch football with other Husker fans and they’re all women. Our husbands don’t like football. We’re the ones screaming at the TV, jumping up and down for bad calls or touchdowns or we’ll high five each other. I would say we’re easily a lot louder than guys and just as passionate.
I’ve also driven to away games or flown to bowl games. The stadiums that I’ve driven to such as Kansas, Missouri or Iowa remind me of a high school football field including a track around the turf. I’ve flown to Arizona, Texas and California for bowl games and they’re the best because you can legally drink beer in the stadium and hang out with a bunch of drunken Nebraska fans especially after a win. Nothing beats being in a different state, taking over the bar and singing ‘The Nebraska Fight’ song at the top of your lungs.
A lot of great players have graduated from the University and have gone on to play in the NFL or coaching. For example, most recently Ndamukong Suh, defensive tackle was a first round draft pick and is now playing for the Detroit Lions. “Yeah Suhhhh!”
He is a great guy with a big heart and gave back to the college within a week or two of being drafted. He donated over $2 million dollars to the college so they could improve the strength and conditioning program. What a guy!
Formerly part of the Big 12 Conference the college jumped ship and is now in the Big 10 Conference. Former rivals were Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado and now, the schedule is going to be rough. Or rougher. The team is scheduled to play powerhouses such as Ohio State, and Michigan just to name a few teams. Excitement is building as I read more about the team’s preparation. I can hardly wait till the first game on September 3rd against Chattanooga. Click here to see the schedule. Go BIG RED!
Dee Ann Williamson is an aspiring author and a marketing consultant by day. Besides being a super football fan and glued to the TV both Saturday and Sundays, she loves boating and reading. Stop by http://facebook.com/deeann.nebraska to learn more about her. She is a marketing professional who has promoted authors through the creation of business cards, postcards and fliers, etc.. She has also arranged book signings and taught classes on how to market and promote your book.
