A Road Trip, A Roundball Game, and Some Complaining

Yesterday we went to West Lafayette, IN to watch the Nebraska Cornhuskers play the Purdue Boilermakers. Make no mistake the Boilermakers are named after the profession, people who make boilers and other metal monstrosities that require specialized skills, not the beer and bourbon drink, a monstrosity of a different kind. Make no mistake Purdue is a school with a long tradition of winning basketball games. I remember watching Gene Keady scowling on the sidelines as his team fought their way through a tough big ten schedule. I remember giants like Glenn Robinson, and Joe Barry Carrol. Purdue and I go back a long way. Make no mistake, though. I was there to root for the Cornhuskers.

It was a cold day, about 6 degrees. And it was a long drive, about 3 and a half hours. But, it was a blast. Going to a game at Purdue is a little different. You don’t have to pay for parking. Every place else we’ve been charges at least ten dollars. We parked in a huge garage two blocks from the stadium and it cost nothing. I’m not sure if it was an oversight, or just a simple act of midwestern generosity, either way it seems nice.

Mackey Arena is a place with a long history. a lot of great basketball has been played in that building. But, it is the most difficult place to sit. They pack you in with little room to move, right, left, front or back. And if you want to get a drink or a hot dog, you will inconvenience not only the people in your row, but the people in front and behind as well. It is that cramped. If you get a few guys a little on the heavy side, like me, and the guys sitting next to me it is positively intimate. You get closer to strangers than you had ever dreamed.

Nebraska was an 18.5 underdog. A reflection of how poorly people who make their living gambling thought they were going to play. I was pretty sure that was too many but, they don’t really care about either team, and not weighed down with loyalty. I figured if Nebraska could his some open shots and the officials remained neutral things would be ok. Nebraska missed a lot of shots, and the Purdue center Isaac Haas, who is 7’ 2”, was the target of referee affection, which is not all that surprising. 

Ample proof of that happened late in the game, when the outcome was already decided. Issac Copeland, who is 6’ 9” caught a pass coming down the lane, leaped as if from a trampoline, and dunked over Haas. It was an amazing display of athletic ability. We were sitting straight up from the backboard so we had a great view, and we applauded, politely, to the annoyance of the Purdue fans surrounding us.  Haas tried to block the shot, knocking Copeland to the floor. A play that would have been called a foul had Haas been shooting. The referee called Copeland for a technical foul. Cries of foolishness rose from most sports reporting sites. But, big ten officials are a hearty group with a noted ability to ignore reality. 

It was fun and we had a good time. Coach Miles has his team playing better all the time. Next year we will go to another game, maybe in Bloomington, IN, or Ann Arbor MI, or State College PA. This report was bought to you by the Cornhusker Road Crew, Part Time.  

Another Saturday Night, Another Chance to Dream.

As is normally the case, last Saturday we watched college football.  It was a nice day, so my son and I took off for a kick scooter ride, and we had a lot of fun, and took a few pictures, I only mention this so I can add this picture to the post.  I like this picture.

But, when we got home we started watching Minnesota play Michigan, at Ann Arbor. It was close at half time, Minnesota was ahead 10 to 7.  In the second half Minnesota started to dominate the game, and really looked like the better team.

It is always difficult to say whether one team is so much better than the other based on one game, and it is even harder to make that comparison from the results of one half.  But, it doesn't stop the announcers, in this case ESPN analyst Ed Cunningham, who said that Minnesota would have to be considered the odds on favorite in the Big Ten Western Division.

Based on this one half of dominant football he was willing to overlook Michigan State (I don't really remember what he felt their glaring weakness was), Wisconsin  (I am not sure why he felt they were so easy to ignore), and Nebraska, who, he said, "has their problems."  Excuse me, Mr Cunningham, but so far those weaknesses have been amply compensated for by their strengths, to the tune of 7.5 yards per play, and 6.9 yards per rush.  Sure, Nebraska's defense has been a little inconsistent, but anybody who has been paying attention has to say they are improving, and are vastly superior to last year at this time.

Of course, next weeks game at Michigan State (is it just my imagination or did Nebraska play at East Lansing last year?) will help clear up some of the picture, and Minnesota is certainly a good football team, but it is a little early make such bold predictions.

On an unrelated note, we watched most of the Air Force game.  They were playing Boise State, and I was rooting for Air Force.  I like the service academies, possibly because they run the option so much, and so well.  The Falcons were looking very good, really dominating the Broncos.  ESPN analyst Aaron Taylor was pretty certain it was going to be short lived.  With every Air Force miscue he would comment on how it might be just what Boise State needed to mount their inevitable comeback.  It never happened.  But, he did comment on one of the receivers, and how he "used to be a former quarterback."  It might be suggested, possibly, that he is still a former quarterback, and at some point will also be a former receiver.

Analysts are a funny group of people, it would be so hard to make such bold statements so often and wipe them from memory so quickly.  In fairness, though, if you had to fill up so much time with unscripted dialog it would be easy to misspeak occasionally.  I salute the sports announcers around the world, theirs is not an easy lot, and they are only trying to make a living.

Again, the Cornhuskers tromped up and down the field, smashing their way through an Illinois team that would have loved to ruin homecoming.  Ameer Abdullah proved he is a strong contender for the Heisman Trophy, and any other award that could possibly go to such a fantastic football player, who also seems to be such a wonderful human being.  I remember an interview last spring, when Ameer Abdullah claimed to have "more bounce than Benny."  What he forgot to mention was he also had more power than Hercules, more speed than Hermes, and more personality than anybody deserves.

I am starting to fall into that old trap, dreaming of an undefeated season, championships, and glory, and you know, it is great.  No matter what happens though, this team is a lot of fun to watch.  And, I thank them for pleasure, and the dreams.

Football Analysts should remember the wisdom of Bob Dylan who said,

"Well, the moral of this story,
The Moral of this song,
Is simply, one should never be,
Where one does not belong,
So, when you see your neighbor carrying somethin',
Help him with his load,
And, don't go mistakin' Paradise,
For that house across the road."

Things are stil going brightly.

Yesterday, Nebraska lost to Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament.  It was a close game and either team could have won.  I was disappointed that they lost, but man I love this team.  They fight hard and have climbed so much higher than people expected.  And, one way or another their season is not over.

If they do not get selected for the NCAA tournament they will certainly be a high seed in the NIT tournament.  Which would probably bring some more games to the friendly atmosphere of the very hospitable Pinnacle Bank Arena.  Either way, I will be watching, and enjoying the intense and dynamic Cornhuskers play together as often as possible.

And, when the season is over I am overflowing with confidence for the future.  Names like Parker, Petteway, Pitchford, and Shields have become welcome in our house, and in our conversations.  And, will be, we hope, for several more years.  This is a young team, and the future is filled with glorious, profound possibility and potential.

When looking back at the later part of the season I can't help but think of the Dylan lyrics;

"I got something in my pocket, make your eyeballs swim,
I got dogs that will tear you limb from limb,
I'm circling around the southern zone,
I pay in blood, but not my own."

Tim Miles is building a good team, piece by piece, and in only his second season he has done
something significant and wonderful.  He is a calm presence in front of the camera, and a tempest on the sideline.  He can coach, and he can recruit, and he can give a danged good interview, as well.

Tom Osborne hired the right man, at the right time.  We have a coach who knows how to build a winner, a new state of the art arena, a team of talented young men, who are hungry to prove that Nebrasketball is a state of being, and fans that ready for successHu.  No matter what happened yesterday it is a good time to be a Husker.

Strange, isn't it?

Last night I had the strangest dream, wonderful, but odd.  I dreamed that the Nebraska Cornhuskers beat the Wisconsin Badgers in basketball.  Weird, right?  What makes it even more unbelievable is the part of the dream where the Badgers were on eight game winning streak, including wins over ranked Iowa, and Michigan teams.  And it happened on the same day the Cornhusker Women's team beat Iowa to win the Big Ten tournament.

Here is where it gets really strange.  By winning the game Nebraska played it's way to a first round bye in the Big Ten tournament, and many people feel that the team earned an at large bid for the NCAA tournament.

Every Husker Fan Loves Terran Petteway!  Thank you Cornhuskers Men's
Basketball Facebook Page, and Thank You, Terranasaurus!

And, if that were not crazy enough, the Cornhuskers, in this amazing dream, had the leading scorer in the Big Ten, and he was only a sophomore.  Surrounding this marvelous, magical sophomore was a whole team of outlandishly talented, victory hungry, underclassmen, with more sitting on the bench.  And, they had a coach who was enthusiastic, energetic, and won everywhere.  Taking teams (like Nebraska) and turning them into winners, time after time, and he was coaching Nebraska now!!!

Man, I hated to wake up this morning.  Well, off to get some coffee, and tell my wife about this wonderful dream.

NEWS FLASH!  This just in!  Our fact checker (my wife, who is pretty smart, smart enough to know how fragile I am when discussing college basketball in March) just informed me this was no dream, but all of this really happened.

Thank you Cornhuskers Men's Basketball
Facebook Page, and Thank you  CBS And
Thank you Walter Pitchford.

Thank you Cornhuskers Men's Basketball
Facebook Page, and Thank you  CBS And
Thank you Shavon Sheilds

I know there are a lot of people who deserve a lot of credit for this dream season, but hey I was lucky to get these photos on here.  Blogger does not make that easy, you know. So, thank you all, and keep your eyes on this blog, you just might see your picture.