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Gary
9/30/11
It was a classic football night tonight as a bunch of us went to the Northeast - Grand Island game (at the Lincoln High field). Northeast got beat 56-7, but the Rockets cheerleading was top-notch. I did get a few pictures, though right after I took a photo of Tristen some overfed citizen snorted at me as she waddled past, "You takin' pictures of them gurls?" Gah. I didn't reply, but a few minutes later I thought of the perfect thing I should have said: "Shut up!!" Here are the pictures I did get.
Cool video. Thanks! --Gary
TiVo'd but not watched yet. --Gary
One Laramie resident who has had Wyoming season tickets for fifty years was quoted: "I would have bet pretty good money that Nebraska would never come and play in Laramie." Another said, "I tip my hat to them [Nebraska]. It's good for college football when programs like Nebraska are willing to play in a place like Laramie." Stadium officials are setting up a big-screen in the parking lot for the expected 2000+ people who don't have tickets but want to be at the stadium. And all of Laramie's hotel and motel rooms have been sold out since May.
With seating at 32,000, Laramie's stadium will be the smallest one Nebraska has played at since 1971. Bo Pelini said he was impressed with Wyoming's quarterback. When asked about the smaller stadium, he answered, "As far as I know, the playing field is the same size and that is what matters to us. I'm sure it will be a good crowd."
Also, happy first day of fall! Summer is over and it's now official. I have re-activated the fall webcams page with several new cams. Take a look!
Dang, missed it. I'll watch for it next week. --Gary
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College football is wonderful, crazy and exciting. I've been a fan all my life.
On Sept. 10, I experienced college football at its best: Nebraska Cornhusker football at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. Better yet -- the opponent was our own Fresno State Bulldogs. These are the Top 10 things I observed and the lessons I think they offer to Bulldog football fans: No. 10. They wear red. All 86,000 people in the stadium. Lesson: We're just like them. Loyal, proud fans who want the world to know it. We're part of the Bulldog family. It's fun, it impresses and maybe intimidates opponents. And a sea of red looks great on national television. No. 9. They lined the streets of Lincoln and welcomed the Bulldogs to Memorial Stadium with cheers and friendly smiles. Lesson: Hospitality may not extend to letting the other team win, but being welcoming is a trait for which our community is known and one we can share freely when other fans come to our town. No. 8. All 86,000 fans were in their seats 10 minutes before kickoff. Lesson: We're pretty casual about getting to the game on time -- or most anything else, for that matter. But being a few minutes early seems like a great idea if you've ever missed a big play because some other folks were late. No. 7. They invited Bulldog fans to their tailgate parties. Lesson: Our tailgates are every bit as tasty as theirs, and this can be an opportunity to grow our economy. Do they know what tri-tip is in Lincoln? (Editor's note: Tri-tip is a bottom sirloin primal cut of beef, also known as California's cut.) Have Husker fans ever eaten Fresno State ice cream or sweet corn? We've already got football in common, so starting a conversation's a breeze. Add food and you've got the makings of a friendship. No. 6. They cheered our Bulldog players when they entered the field of play. Lesson: That's a powerful message of both confidence that your team will prevail and respect for the opponents, just in case. It also sets an example for our children and grandchildren. No. 5. Memorial Stadium is "dry." No one seemed to care. Lesson: College football has so many twists and turns in every game, why not be able to fully appreciate each one as it occurs? (See No. 8, too.) We've been dry for a while at Bulldog Stadium, and it's improved our family friendliness. No. 4. Almost without exception, everyone said, "Welcome to Nebraska. We're glad you're here." Lesson: "Welcome to Fresno. We're glad you're here." See? That wasn't so difficult. We hope they'll like us enough to root for Fresno State when we're not playing their team, and we'd love for them to return to our city. No. 3. Rain or shine, win or lose, Nebraska has had 313 consecutive sellouts, since 1962 -- an NCAA record they are very proud of. Lesson: We're more than 300,000 people bigger than Lincoln, and Bulldog Stadium holds only half as many people as Memorial. There's no reason we can't challenge that record! But we'd have to accept that losing is no reason to abandon our team. Our student-athletes are giving their all, which is worthy of our encouragement. No. 2. When the Bulldogs made a good play, they cheered. Lesson: Appreciation of the game itself and of the student-athletes' accomplishments -- no matter that they're Bulldogs or opponents -- deserve our best positive response as true college football fans. Booing and shouting at officials accomplishes nothing so much as teaching young people to model our behavior. No. 1. After the game and when the Bulldogs left their stadium, they gave us a standing ovation. Lesson: There is a nobility to sports that sometimes is the more striking because our society seems to teach winning at all costs. Sports, whether it's played out on a collegiate gridiron or in your own backyard, is supposed to be about the honest effort in striving, not just about the victory. We applaud that effort, no matter the result. Our Bulldogs didn't get the result they -- or we -- wanted, but the whole atmosphere reminded me again of why I'll be in Bulldog Stadium on Saturday night. I love college football. |
First, I somehow dropped your note from yesterday, but it is now restored below. Sorry! Finding six items seems to be the norm, based on an informal poll I conducted at the table last night at Grandma's. There always seems to be one that you can't find. But that one is different for different people. The one that was hard for me to find, say, would be obvious to you. It's an interesting game! --Gary
Not bad, but not perfect. :-) I will post the answers this weekend (or probably on Friday). --Gary
The balloons etc last year were great, but the Blue Angels... Awesome! Thanks, everybody! :-) --Gary
You've probably seen Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas (1990), about the world of small-time gangsters in the '80s. You may not have known that it's a true story, told from the point of view of Henry Hill, the Ray Liotta character. And you also may not have known that Henry Hill, after a short and unsuccessful stint in the Witness Protection Program (in Omaha!) went public -- without getting whacked -- and wrote a book. Not a tell-all memoir; no, he wrote a cookbook! Or maybe you could call it a tell-all cookbook, because he intersperses the recipes with a lot of great stories. But the recipes are great, too. Some reviewers have called The Wise Guy Cookbook the best Italian cookbook out there. So why am I bringing this up? Because Grandma is reading the book right now, and last night she made spaghetti and meatballs using Henry Hill's recipes for the red sauce and the meatballs. Was it good? Fuhgeddaboudit!
Ouch. What a hassle. With all of us carrying expensive toys around, we've all got to be on guard all the time. My sympathies on the missing items. --Gary
I'll be there, and I think Donna plans to be there, too. Do bring them by, that would be great! --Gary
Temporary glitch. Sorry. All fixed now. --Gary
I don't know if the game is televised in your area, but I would think it's possible. It is being shown here on the Big Ten Network (channel 24 here in Lincoln, or 1333 for High Def). Iowa being a Big Ten state, your cable service probably carries BTN -- though whether they will show a non-conference Nebraska game is another matter. All I can suggest is check your listings for 2:30 Saturday. Good luck! --Gary