"There were just Cornhusker people. Cornhusker people everywhere."
In Chicago for my company's annual meeting about a year ago, one of my Chicago colleagues tried to describe her one time being in Lincoln, Nebraska, which so happened to be a game-day. The exact quote sticks vividly in my mind because of the way she described it.
The thousand yard stare (which I admit is probably my memory being hyperbolic) she wore on her face was priceless as she attempted to put the Sea of Red into words, describing it as if she were in the middle of a horror movie in which the protagonist has to wade their way through a swarm of rabies infected rats to get out of the cellar.
I don't consider that an insult to Husker fans. I get it. She doesn't care a lick about sports and the horror of unexpectedly having to wade your way through one of the biggest crowds you've ever seen in your life in the middle of Lincoln, Nebraska of all places makes it a damn funny comparison.
But even with stories like that on my side, it really is difficult to get my Chicago colleagues to wrap their heads around the enormity of big time college football. The idea that a college football team could have a rowdier, more energetic atmosphere than any NFL team is crazy. At least once a year I make it out to a road game and have to send out an email letting the team know I'll be taking PTO. The subject line is always "Big Ten Road Trip" and I can't wait for the quizzical comments I'll get later this year when they find out I'm traveling as far as Maryland just for a college football game.
And once again, I get it. Their only comparison is Northwestern, whose fan support is the butt of many jokes, not only here in Nebraska, but around the rest of the Big Ten as well. Talking college football when I get the chance, they assume Northwestern is one of the bigger and better college football teams out there. Being a Power 5 team, they technically do play big time football and they do play it better than they're often given credit for, but in terms of national relevancy and fan support they're just not a great example of big time college football. Maybe my colleagues aren't the best people to make these assumptions based on, as the vast majority aren't big sports fans, but judging by Northwestern attendance figures it seems pretty safe.
Which is too bad because Northwestern does indeed have a very respectable program. Not elite by any means. But respected. They play gritty and tough with a ton of discipline. That style of play almost sounds like I'm describing some land-grant program in the middle of some small Midwestern college town, not a highly esteemed private institution located just outside of the 3rd largest city in the US.
There's one colleague who at least has a finger on the pulse of Northwestern football. He's not a grad, but he at least likes to take his kids to games there from time to time and follows them from afar.
"Cheap tickets," he shrugs when he talks about it. He bragged about Northwestern's division title last year and gave me crap for Nebraska's struggle. He'll bring up college football unprompted around me and I appreciate the gesture, but to him the Wildcats just aren't the Bears or the Cubs. And I get it.
In all my other travels to other college football towns this game we all love is a common language that can be used to spark up conversations with strangers, but not Northwestern.
Both Northwestern and Nebraska have similar stakes, but the culture of the fans and those caring about those stakes couldn't be more different.
In Chicago for my company's annual meeting about a year ago, one of my Chicago colleagues tried to describe her one time being in Lincoln, Nebraska, which so happened to be a game-day. The exact quote sticks vividly in my mind because of the way she described it.
The thousand yard stare (which I admit is probably my memory being hyperbolic) she wore on her face was priceless as she attempted to put the Sea of Red into words, describing it as if she were in the middle of a horror movie in which the protagonist has to wade their way through a swarm of rabies infected rats to get out of the cellar.
I don't consider that an insult to Husker fans. I get it. She doesn't care a lick about sports and the horror of unexpectedly having to wade your way through one of the biggest crowds you've ever seen in your life in the middle of Lincoln, Nebraska of all places makes it a damn funny comparison.
But even with stories like that on my side, it really is difficult to get my Chicago colleagues to wrap their heads around the enormity of big time college football. The idea that a college football team could have a rowdier, more energetic atmosphere than any NFL team is crazy. At least once a year I make it out to a road game and have to send out an email letting the team know I'll be taking PTO. The subject line is always "Big Ten Road Trip" and I can't wait for the quizzical comments I'll get later this year when they find out I'm traveling as far as Maryland just for a college football game.
And once again, I get it. Their only comparison is Northwestern, whose fan support is the butt of many jokes, not only here in Nebraska, but around the rest of the Big Ten as well. Talking college football when I get the chance, they assume Northwestern is one of the bigger and better college football teams out there. Being a Power 5 team, they technically do play big time football and they do play it better than they're often given credit for, but in terms of national relevancy and fan support they're just not a great example of big time college football. Maybe my colleagues aren't the best people to make these assumptions based on, as the vast majority aren't big sports fans, but judging by Northwestern attendance figures it seems pretty safe.
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| Yes, this is a Northwestern home game. |
Which is too bad because Northwestern does indeed have a very respectable program. Not elite by any means. But respected. They play gritty and tough with a ton of discipline. That style of play almost sounds like I'm describing some land-grant program in the middle of some small Midwestern college town, not a highly esteemed private institution located just outside of the 3rd largest city in the US.
There's one colleague who at least has a finger on the pulse of Northwestern football. He's not a grad, but he at least likes to take his kids to games there from time to time and follows them from afar.
"Cheap tickets," he shrugs when he talks about it. He bragged about Northwestern's division title last year and gave me crap for Nebraska's struggle. He'll bring up college football unprompted around me and I appreciate the gesture, but to him the Wildcats just aren't the Bears or the Cubs. And I get it.
In all my other travels to other college football towns this game we all love is a common language that can be used to spark up conversations with strangers, but not Northwestern.
Both Northwestern and Nebraska have similar stakes, but the culture of the fans and those caring about those stakes couldn't be more different.
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