Leaving the Big 12 is hard to do

Commentary by David Max
December 6, 2010

The championship game against Oklahoma got off to the best start it possibly could and as we all know went downhill from there. We managed to shoot ourselves in the foot with fumbles and what appeared to be limited play calling designed for a quarterback that is not 100% healthy. At least the officiating was not a topic for conversation and did not determine the outcome of the game.

I can imagine that Dan Beebe was not a happy camper when Nebraska came out of the chute with the 17-0 lead. He did personally present the trophy to the Sooners after the game and he had former Husker Ed Stewart do a halftime presentation for a Dr. Pepper contest. Why Ed couldn't show up in Lincoln when we clinched the Big 12 North crown still remains a mystery. Now it appears that Mr. Beebe is getting his parting shot at the Huskers by the Big 12 bowl selection process that has Missouri going ahead of Nebraska to the Insight Bowl. John Bishop doesn't mince any words with his commentary on the Big 12 divorce that gets uglier as time goes by. It does makes you wonder what is in store for the Husker basketball and baseball programs.

I have been a Husker fan for half a century and I have never observed so much anger and animosity surronding the program in the last few years. It started with the Solich firing, mired through the Callahan/Pederson years and is now culminating with the nasty Big 12 split. One can only hope that the grass will be greener on the Big Ten side of the pasture. It really is time to turn over a new leaf and focus on football that is played on a level playing field. We as Husker fans need to put aside the things we can't control like the internal politics, bad officiating, etc. and focus our energy on supporting our administration, players and coaches.

We have that opportunity with the Holiday Bowl. It was announced only a few hours ago as I am writing this but the BBS is full of upset people saying they won't go to a game in the same bowl as last year against a team we have already beaten handily this year and will be playing in Lincoln next September. It will no doubt have an effect on attendance compared to last year. I live 70 miles from San Diego and would rather have made the trek to play Iowa in the Insight Bowl but it is what it is. The University has an obligation to sell 11,000 tickets to the game. For the people who are going to the game, let's buy our tickets from the University at this link. That will make the Big 12 divorce less painful from a financial perspective if the University doesn't have to eat tickets. I have been going to Nebraska bowl games for decades and I don't plan on missing another one for the rest of my life no matter what the matchup. San Diego is a great tourist town and if you came last year there is no way you could have seen all the things the area has to offer so you might as well come back. This is probably the last Holiday Bowl Nebraska will ever play in. It also beats the weather in Lincoln this time of year. Hope to see many of you in sunny San Diego in a little over three weeks.

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GO BIG RED!!!