To Whom It May Concern

Transplanted Huskers

(A post from around the 26th of July)

Yes, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted to my journal, as someone pointed out to me the other day. Things have been relatively busy, but not so busy that I can blame my lack of intellectual interactions here on anything other than plain laziness. It’s interesting having an entire group of soldiers from one state over here, especially when that state is Nebraska. The vast majority of us are Husker fans, and then the tiny minority of those who despise the Cornhuskers, there is no in between, no one without an opinion on the issue.

That being said, it’s stinks to have to miss basically two seasons of Nebraska football. Oh yah, we got to see a few games last fall, and the Nebraska victory over Michigan in the bowl game was broadcast live on Armed Forced Networks on the sports channel, but it’s just not the same. The football season in Nebraska starts a buildup early on with the spring game, then in August as practices start, we try to get our hands on the media guide, read it cover to cover (memorize it if you are Shoes haha), and spend a couple nights a week talking with friends on the phone or via email about which player is going to do what or who to look out for.

Typically I would get together with either midas or shoes, or even better, both, for at least 3 or 4 games a year. You have the mandatory items that go along with football, those including grilling burgers, drinking some brews, homemade desserts of the Bonnie variety, a little tossing the pigskin around on our own, and a lot of laughter and good times. I missed that last year, I missed that a lot.

Even though Husker football has been a little down (notice: I will NOT ever EVER call the Big Red “Husker Nation” because that is a lame ass term stolen from the Sooners, among other teams, and whoever did it should be shot!!), I still long for the crisp cool autumn mornings, GameDay on ESPN sitting around the television, a video game playing on a separate TV, that first game coming on TV, shoe’s analysis of every game, good ole’ Nate catching 20 minute cat naps every hour, the warm afternoon with the changing colors of fall, the dust in the air from the millions of acres of crops being harvested, and the distinct smell of harvested corn and beans that lingers as the warmth of the day gently slides away into the cool dusk air (one of the more unique and distinct smells in the world if you ask me), and then the evening games and late night west coast games, until finally, all that’s left are 2 or 3 people awake to discuss the highlights of the day while polishing off the last of the beer and desserts.

I could go on and on, there are so many memories. Downtown Lincoln January 2006 to watch Nebraska thrash Florida, a state park in Ponka listening to Nebraska lose their first regular season game in more than 3 years, to Arizona, me and the other fella that were there were so down that even having someone mooning us couldn’t make us feel better (hah, bet someone thought I forgot about that!!), waiting till 3 in the morning to find out Nebraska won a share of the title in 1997. Sure, being In Iraq, I feel sometimes as though I’ve been robbed of many memories that could have been, but to dwell on that would take away from the unique experience that I am actually having here.

Already though I’m thinking about this fall, and USC, and the Longhorns, and even little ole’ Louisiana Tech (we better not overlook them!!). It doesn’t matter that I’m here, hell it won’t matter when I’m in California, it doesn’t matter if Nebraska goes 0-11, I’m still always, first and foremost, a Husker fan. Well, hmm, we’d better not go 0-11, that would suck shit, but it wouldn’t affect my being just as strong a supporter of my team.

I would guess there are probably a pretty good percentage of people here who feel the same way as I do.

Current Lyrical Ramblings

You got the fire, baby, I got the heat, can you handle it?
I got the time, baby, you got the need, oh surrender it
Oh, it's a passion crime with a danger sign, oh, can you handle it?

Love And Affection – Def Leppard