Salted Wounds and Wounded Thoughts

--Over the past few tumultuous seasons of Nebraska football, the idea that ending the consecutive sell-out streak is the way to show our displeasure continues to get floated out there. Maybe that's true, but I hope that never happens.

Nebraska fans are human and they'll be unhappy just like anyone else. Subjective rankings of the "greatest fans in college football" aside, that streak represents something that's unprecedented in college football. Do we want that to end because times are tough? Would that get results?

I have my doubts. Nothing I or anyone else writes on the Internet is going to change a thing at Nebraska. Nothing that's said on a call-in show will directly factor in to the decision making at Dear Old Nebraska U. But when you add all of those small things up, collectively it can be strong enough to hold people accountable. It happens all the time in avenues inside of sport and out.

Would 2000 empty seats be a strong message? Yes. The national media would pick up on it, asking "how bad has it gotten at Nebraska?", but then they'd move on to the next story du jour and Nebraska fans would be left to deal with the ramifications of that message.

Big time college football programs all will have their down periods, but none of them stay down forever. There's too much at stake for the university for that to happen. Nebraska will be good again and when they are do we want to be known as the fans who, despite all the turmoil, continued to pack Memorial Stadium or do we want to be known as the ones who bailed out?

--It should be noted, the bell's not walking through those doors. We're on our own.

--A fake field goal with a 28-point lead is your business, Bill. It should make you want to puke. This is Gundy week after all.

--This is just the last example I read, so no ill will to Joe Walljasper of the Columbia Tribune, but can we stop using cute euphemisms to explain that night games allow fans more time to get drunk? Here's the sentence in question: "The tailgaters were in business by breakfast, meaning the most serious diehards had 12 hours in the broiling sun to get themselves, ahem, prepared for the evening’s entertainment." Everyone knows what you're talking about so why not just use drunk there? You're saying it anyway and it makes for much better writing.

--Okay, now I am taking Walljasper to task. Congratulations to Missouri. They were far and away a better team and, at least in Columbia, that's been the case for the past few years. But, one blowout win--or three--don't a history make. Titling this column "Tigers walk where Huskers used to"? THAT'S NOT TRUE!! Next time you run into a national championship trophy on Missouri's campus let me know. Nebraska went to more bowl games consecutively than the Tigers have in their entire history.

Now, Missouri kicked the hell out of Nebraska and I know that Cornhusker history has no bearing on the future and it's all going to sound like sour grapes, but I'm just pointing out that that title is patently false.

--Here's something Nebraskans can be proud of: Danny Woodhead broke the record this week. Here's an overly sappy video from CSTV.com. "I told you he could go."