In advance I apologize for the length, blabbering and no rhyme or reason.
As a young kid in 1961, Nebraska football started to get my attention. For reasons unknown, but one will be explained below. There's really no detailed answer to why since nobody in my immediate family forced anything on us kids. But, it probably had to do with my parents attending a game or two a year or every other year, while grandma and grandpa watched us at their south Omaha home, whenever our parents could afford attending a game.
Saturday mornings were special in our house, year around, as we ate breakfast together as a family. No matter what was scheduled for that day, we adjusted when we woke up to accommodate our family breakfast. As a kid, it's something I really cherished. Ya know, a time or two a year if that, when mom and dad left for Lincoln - and back then Lincoln seemed like thousands of miles away - I always wanted to go. Beginning in 1961. I didn't want to go to a game, I wanted to go on a day vacation to Lincoln. In the station wagon, "thousands of miles away". Where mom and dad went, always returning home in a great mood, that I could remember.
Skip a beat forward a few seasons, as far as I was concerned, Nebraska football was born and had this pre-teens full attention. The rest is history. Bob Devaney. This was my new idol, "thousands of miles" away. My mom started to work a night job a few days a week and occasionally on a weekend day (oh boy, that doesn't read right, please hold the jokes). Dinner was always ready before she left for what seemed like forever, it was only a four hour shift. My parents adjusted their life as they wanted more income. Why? Bob Devaney and Nebraska football, that's why.
The rest of the story isn't needed. We all know what he did. We all know what Nebraska football became. We all know what Tom Osborne did. Same with Frank, Bill and Bo. We are where we're at today because of many reasons, some are unexplainable. We can debate all the reasons till we're blue in the face, but I'm not interested in that.
Mike Riley, we're close to the same age. I'm not ashamed to say this, I want you to be my new idol. 55 or so years after I had my first non-family idol. You folks remember him, Bob Devaney. Ya, that guy. Coach Riley, you're everything I envision for a Nebraska coach. My fingers full of arthritis won't allow the reasons at this time. Maybe later. Maybe not.
I raise my glass of water, as a toast to coach Mike Riley and the 2016 Nebraska football team. I hope you join me, as this fan base is very powerful. I've witnessed it first hand for all but a few early years of my life.
Go Big Red!
As a young kid in 1961, Nebraska football started to get my attention. For reasons unknown, but one will be explained below. There's really no detailed answer to why since nobody in my immediate family forced anything on us kids. But, it probably had to do with my parents attending a game or two a year or every other year, while grandma and grandpa watched us at their south Omaha home, whenever our parents could afford attending a game.
Saturday mornings were special in our house, year around, as we ate breakfast together as a family. No matter what was scheduled for that day, we adjusted when we woke up to accommodate our family breakfast. As a kid, it's something I really cherished. Ya know, a time or two a year if that, when mom and dad left for Lincoln - and back then Lincoln seemed like thousands of miles away - I always wanted to go. Beginning in 1961. I didn't want to go to a game, I wanted to go on a day vacation to Lincoln. In the station wagon, "thousands of miles away". Where mom and dad went, always returning home in a great mood, that I could remember.
Skip a beat forward a few seasons, as far as I was concerned, Nebraska football was born and had this pre-teens full attention. The rest is history. Bob Devaney. This was my new idol, "thousands of miles" away. My mom started to work a night job a few days a week and occasionally on a weekend day (oh boy, that doesn't read right, please hold the jokes). Dinner was always ready before she left for what seemed like forever, it was only a four hour shift. My parents adjusted their life as they wanted more income. Why? Bob Devaney and Nebraska football, that's why.
The rest of the story isn't needed. We all know what he did. We all know what Nebraska football became. We all know what Tom Osborne did. Same with Frank, Bill and Bo. We are where we're at today because of many reasons, some are unexplainable. We can debate all the reasons till we're blue in the face, but I'm not interested in that.
Mike Riley, we're close to the same age. I'm not ashamed to say this, I want you to be my new idol. 55 or so years after I had my first non-family idol. You folks remember him, Bob Devaney. Ya, that guy. Coach Riley, you're everything I envision for a Nebraska coach. My fingers full of arthritis won't allow the reasons at this time. Maybe later. Maybe not.
I raise my glass of water, as a toast to coach Mike Riley and the 2016 Nebraska football team. I hope you join me, as this fan base is very powerful. I've witnessed it first hand for all but a few early years of my life.
Go Big Red!
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