A sibling rivalry I never thought I would see: MN vs NE

Posted on November 30, 2011 by mnsportsgal

This blog is a couple weeks late, but for those of you who know me best; I can be a bit of a procrastinator 🙂

This season marked the beginning of a sibling rivalry I never imagined I would see.  This season marked the beginning of a family divided and the emergence of the “neutral sports dad” I had long despised (this would be the dad sporting both Gopher and Badger gear at sporting events between these bitter rivals…now MY dad sporting Gopher & Husker gear.  My mom wore gold to the game because she feels bad for the Gophers.  Thanks mom.).  This season marked the beginning of the hatred of my long time #2 favorite team. Now, I am not a jealous person, but I will admit, that I am jealous of Nebraska fans (the ONLY other college football team I am jealous of).  For those of you unfamiliar with our soon to be 3rd most hated team in the Big 10, let me educate you a bit on how and why these fans are as crazy as they are, are justified in their craziness (unlike annoying, arrogant Badger fans), and why every Gopher fan should put Lincoln on their road trip list and desperately want to end our embarrassing losing streak to these crazy Huskers.

*The Huskers have sold out every home football game since 1962, the longest active streak in college football.  VERY similar to the streak the Gophers have of not playing in the Rose Bowl (or any January bowl for that matter).

*No wonder Osborne is a GOD in the state of Nebraska: in 25 seasons he never won less than NINE games in a single season, won 13 conference titles, 3 national championships, and had a .836 winning percentage.  WOW.  The Gophers have had ONE season in the last 50 years where we have won 9 games or more.  Strong justification for Husker fans being as crazy as they are.  I know I would be WAY crazier of a fan than I already am if my team pulled off that kind of tear-SCARY.

*I am the first to admit I am SO bored by “defensive battles” in any sport.  I like to see a lot of scoring.  Only in Nebraska, where the crowd cheers louder for the defense than the offense, can I get excited about a 3 and out by the Blackshirts and everyone (including my bad a** self) is throwing up the “crossbones”.

*The state of Nebraska basically shuts down all non game related activities on game day and the stadium becomes the 3rd largest city in the state.  Almost 40% of the state’s population are fans of the Huskers and I have to imagine Lincoln/Omaha market share on game day is +80%.  A Minnesota Gopher football game averages a 5% market share on game day.

*Just to be in CONSIDERATION for prime tailgating spots at Nebraska requires a minimum annual donation of $5,000 AND $28,000 lifetime giving to Athletics.  Rumor has it the actual donation amount necessary to be secured a tailgating spot is FOUR-SIX times that.  SOO Gopher fans, stop complaining about the $1,000 annual donation that guarantees you good tailgating outside The Bank.  These are the same Husker fans that are also likely paying a $3,500 annual seat fee in Memorial Stadium.  Wowzas.

*EVERY seat in Memorial stadium requires a minimum of $500 donation.  These minimum donation seats are OBSTRUCTED VIEW.  It is expected that this minimum donation will increase in 2012.

*Starter jackets have NOT gone out of style in Nebraska.  Starter jackets were IT when Nebraska went on their national championship tear, why would you get rid of such a good luck charm?  Who doesn’t have a starter jacket of their favorite team from the 90s they are dying to break out?

*O Street is Lincoln’s version of Wisconsin’s State & Regent Street sans the obnoxious, arrogant, have never won a National Championship fans.  Lincoln > Madison, and Lincoln = Fun, fun, and more fun.

*Fans take the time to do crap like this to their lawn.  I am not going to lie-I wish I had a big enough lawn and the talent to do this.  A Minnesota M is difficult.

*NOW, the Gophers have lost 15 times (out of 15 times: 594-114…just a minor detail) in the last 50 years to the WINNINGEST college football program during that time.  If you are going to lose, at least do it against the winningest college football program.

*These fans travel.  ONE request of fellow Gopher fans: Do NOT let Husker fans dominate our stadium as we have let Iowa and Wisconsin fans do.  Direct quote from a Nebraska fan at the bar: “We targeted this game as our go to game this year.  We knew Minnesota fans would give up their tickets”.  GROSS.

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About mnsportsgal

I am a self declared, crazy MN sports fan and was not even born and raised in this state. I CHOSE to come here 14 years ago and have been an insane, out of control MN sports fan since the day I stepped on the University of MN campus in September of 1996. I have attended 325 MN Gopher sporting events in the last 13 years, including 18 road trips that have ranged from Denver to El Paso to LA. I am on the waiting list for Gopher hockey season tickets (hint, hint to anyone of any influence that may end up reading this…I think I am #1345 on the list), so sadly, my Gopher sporting event total is not as high as I would ideally like it to be. As if being a MN Gopher fan was not enough, I have attended a much less impressive 61 MN Twins, Vikings, and Wild Games over the last 10 years (after college when I had an actual salary to blow on this type of stuff). I know crazy sports fan has taken on a whole new level of madness when I have planned vacations around seeing a sporting event of a team that I am not even a fan of. I have made 7 roadtrips that include 3 trips to Lincoln NE, a trip to the 2003 Final Four in New Orleans, a trip to the 2003 Orange Bowl (Iowa vs USC), a trip to Stockholm to see their local hockey team (why not-I will be in Stockholm…what sporting event can I see??), and a trip to Denver to see the Rockies. I have attended close to 400 MN sporting events in my short 13 year fan history and this may not compare to many other crazy Gopher fans, but my craziness is confirmed in the fact that I have decided to document it. I am not alone in this madness. I have a support system of equally fanatic friends and family who antagonize this craziness and I have posted some of my favorite all time quotes and ask for additional contributions on those that may have slipped my mind. I am a Marketing person, so an expert at all things Power Point and Excel. Proper grammar and not using run on sentences or fragments is not something they teach us in business school, so do not judge the technical aspects of my blog writing please. I apologize ahead of time to my English major friends.
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