I ask because of this post on thebiglead.com detailing "The Fall of College Football's 1990 Dynasties." Here's an excerpt:
Does anyone remember the last time Notre Dame, Nebraska, Miami and Florida State all had back-to-back poor seasons? Yeah, neither do I. The age of a true dynasty is long gone as there has not been a legit back-to-back BCS title winner since it was created 10 years ago (before you start, spare me USC fans).The post was good but I found the comments much more interesting. They centered largely around the fact that Notre Dame--winning their last title in 1988--wasn't really a 90's dynasty. (Fair enough.) There was some grousing about USC's AP/BCS back-to-back feat and the comments pertaining to the Cornhuskers were were about three things: 1) the option, 2) the '96 Fiesta Bowl beatdown of Florida or 3) how Penn St./Michigan should've won the title in '94/'97.
This was interesting to me because as someone who has lived outside the state for nearly six years now, those first two responses used to be about the only two I received upon revealing my birthplace.
Now, Boston might not be the best measuring stick for this as nobody here cares about college football. Boston College has its little cadre of supporters on its little campus on the hill but by and large this is a pro sports town.
Because of this, when I'd say "I'm from Nebraska" half the people would respond with "I've never met anyone from there," the other half "a Cornhusker!" People in the first group likely didn't care about sports and people in the latter did. This second group of people would almost always say something about how they were Husker fans because they loved watching the option or say something about the '95 team being the best they'd ever seen.
In the minds of these people, who I loved meeting for obvious reason, the entire state of Nebraska was associated with a dominant football team running an old-fashioned (but still lethal) offense and, at least where I live, I'm not sure that perception has changed much in the WCO era. But, again, this is Boston where people don't watch college football. If anything, it was always me who, after being greeted with a glowing appraisal of the option, started offering up explanations for losing seasons and coaching changes.
So, transplants, what have you found the cultural currency of Nebraska football to be? Is Nebraska still a fond memory of that crushing ground attack of the 90s or is it one of the fallen kings mentioned on The Big Lead?
8 comments:
I live in the Dallas area, in the middle of Big 12 country, where is probably tough to get a good read on what outsiders think of Cornhusker football these days.
The general feeling is that it is too bad that a proud program has fallen on hard times, and people remark that they hope to see the team return to the top, so long as it is not at their alma mater's expense.
That's precisely the response I received when I was down there for the NU-UT game last fall.
It felt genuine so...thanks, Texas.
I live in South Carolina, near the Georgia border. People 'round here love 'em some college football. Go Dawgs. Go 'Cocks. Go Tigers. Georgia Southern is popular too. Anyway, I don't get much reaction when people learn I'm from Nebraska. I think we could change that by playing better teams in Sept. Let's play Florida State. Let's play Clemson. And so on. So people have some first hand experience. So they can grow to love us, or hate us.
I live in Southwest Missouri (Springfield) and it amazes me how quickly fans of the Black and Gold team of this state only remeber wins against NU, and something about an illegally kicked ball. I have no idea what they are talking about regarding the last issue. ;) While we bleed Scarlet blood, my wife couldn't tell you the difference between the Wishbone and The Spread formations. Yet being from Nebraska, people assume that she has a PHD in all things Huksker. Among those that are not Mizzou fans, Husker fans are treated well, but once people know that we are from Lincoln, most conversations get to, if not start with Big Red football. It is much like how I am treated when people learn of our love for our Harley weekends. There seems to be a facination with Husker People. It seems as though people "know" that there is something special about us. The irony is....what seems to be special, is all in a days work for us. I wonder if we know how fortunate we really are? There is a kinship that we share, without any real effort, that others only dream is a possibility.
Go Huskers!
Bob
I just re-read my last post and need to make something clear Other than while attending a game in Columbia, local Mizzou fans have NOT been rude or abusive. I am sorry if the post seemed negative.
Bob
Bob,
I didn't think it was a negative post. It seems to me that Missouri has all the makings of a serious rivalry so there's going to be some ill will. That's a good thing.
20 years in Minnesota now, so it's been through the 80's, 90's and now.
It used to be when Nebraska lost a game that my customers would line up at their door for me so they could give me crap.
They still give me crap, but it's not nearly as much fun. Minnesota is a land that college football has forgot. They have the Gophers, but very few acknowledge them. The Vikings are a completely different matter.
Most of the people who say anything are other out of staters from places that college football matters. Most of them state their apologies and hope that Nebraska can recover.
I am in the Army and have been stationed all over for the last 20 years and what I have seen is that no matter where I am, I have always gotten comments and questions about being a Husker fan.
The most unique part of being a Cornhusker is no matter where I am if I see another Cornhusker I feel an instant bond and can have a fifteen minute conversation about nothing else but Nebraska.
I do think people who are stranded in regions outside of Nebraska have a very different outlook about the Cornhuskers because we have to hunt for every scrap of information and not have it given on the local news (thank god for the internet and the advent of Blogs)
Craig
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