That Guy's Wearing Red, Too!

I just saw the weather forecast for the game against Iowa on Friday: 28 degrees, for heaven's sake. Those Nebraskans must be made of stern stuff to contemplate standing out in the cold like that to watch their boys in red take on the nation's fourth-ranked team. But knowing the loyalty of the home fans, I have no doubt that the long-running sellout streak will continue despite the weather conditions. As for me, this will be the only home game of the year that I will miss, since my wife and I have long planned to spend the Thanksgiving Holiday period with her family in Southern California where the forecast here for Friday is 63 degrees.

On my last trip to Nebraska I made sure to stock up on Nebraska accessories for this very trip as there will be ten of us watching the game along with the other Big Red faithful at one of the official Californians for Nebraska watch sites. But the price of admission to a Husker watch party is being dressed appropriately for the occasion. After all just as it would be dreadful etiquette to attend a formal wedding attired in jeans and sneakers, to go to a Nebraska watch site without wearing copious quantities of red and all manner of related accessories would be completely out of place. Fortunately the capable crew at Husker Hounds in Omaha were able to make sure I got what I needed, which included a new hatband for my Panama hat, corn necklaces for the ladies and a couple of packages of temporary N cheek tattoos. My wife and I also brought with us to California our spare Big Red shirts, while my nephew who is home from college will have his corn cob hat with him. We will probably assemble the entire clan outside the bar for a final inspection before going in, just to make sure that all present are in correct uniform.

I must say I never cease to be amazed by the sheer number of Nebraska fan clubs spread across the country. When searching on line for a watch site, I found no less that five such locations within an hour's drive of our California condo. And I'm sure that each will be populated by red-clad fans hoping for a repeat of that fabulous feeling from a few weeks ago when the Huskers beat the highly-ranked Spartans in a thrilling finish. I will never forget that moment when the game ended, the players streamed on to the field and the fans in the stands just went wild with their jubilation, dancing, hugging, high-fiving, singing and yelling at the top of their lungs.

A result like that against Iowa on Friday will set the hearts of Nebraska fans everywhere on fire, regardless of what the thermometer outside says!