Might as well get this topic started already.
With a late season surge last year that included a painful beating of the Buffs, signs are that NU's comeback is underway. I dreamed that the recent downfall of the Fuskers would be permanent but evidence suggests that it might not be so. That sucks. That is annoying.
The reasons to dislike NU are numerous and well documented. But putting nearly all of those things aside, and forgetting for the moment that they are the Buffs big rival, here is the reason why I hate them... Because there is no logical reason that they should be good!
Consider other traditional college football powerhouses. USC, Miami, Notre Dame, Michigan, Florida, Texas. Their success is well understood. They all possess one or more of the following attributes: lovely or temperate locale that attracts top talent, excellent academic reputation, wealthy alumni and supporters who donate liberally to the athletic department, large local talent rich population from which to recruit. No real surprises there.
Nebraska has not one of those attributes. Their location is certainly not a draw - it's a flat and aesthetically unremarkable locale with pretty crappy weather. As an academic institution it's a joke - basically a community college with dorms and a football stadium. The hayseeds who are the alumni are hardly top salary earners - though it is commendable that they all seem to donate a full 85% of their $25K annual salaries to their beloved alma mater. And they are not exactly sitting on top of a mountain of football talent - the state is sparsely populated by folks of, shall we say, questionable pedigree.
So why have they been able to build a sustainably successful program? Well, they do get a lot of support. The state's population comes to all of the games and does willingly give generously of their meager wealth. While you might be tempted to declare, "Why, those are commendable qualities. Good for you, plucky country folk!", I suggest that you look a bit deeper first.
Why exactly do Nebraskans turn out in such high numbers and give more generously than their counterparts in other states and other universities? Simple. What else are they going to do? Seriously. There is not a single other D1 university in the state, there is not a single pro sports franchise, not a beach/mountain/ocean/forest/city/museum within 2 days drive. Simply put, nothing ever happens there. The state's very pathetic-ness is the engine that makes NU football a success. It's why Gomer sits around for 8 months out of the year just pining away to see the Bugeaters tear Weber State a new one.
God, that's lame! And that's why you should despise that institution as I do. Sure, they may continue to be successful but I hope that you now understand that that is no reason to respect them. Instead it is the very reason that all thinking people should vote this Fall to permanently revoke Nebraska's statehood. Give Iowa and South Dakota some breathing room, for christ sakes.
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