A series of articles by Brandon "Blankman" Cavanaugh.

A Statement to the Husker Nation

Greetings and Salutations,

As many of you know, there is a lot of talk going on about just what Nebraska football has to offer anymore. Some have trash canned the idea, others have withheld optimism and with good reason. Still, others have found refuge in tradition and the longstanding idea that with a little hard work and elbow grease, Nebraskans and the University alike have the ability to make grand things happen. The seeds have been planted and the new ideas sprouting from the fledgling top soil that has spread over our recently barren fields. I come to you all today with a simple message stated in, admittedly, grand fashion: Never give up hope.

There will be times when things aren’t going as well as we’d like. Formations just aren’t cutting it, the players aren’t getting it done, etc. etc. The thing that has given us the most benefit over the years that Nebraska has played the sport of football hasn’t been our tradition, our grain-fed beef or even the sizable lads that seemingly grow from the cornfields. It is the belief in the ideas that our grandfathers and grandmothers passed down to us as children and as their grandparents did they. Hard work, persistence, the belief in your fellow man and the belief that you can and will make a difference; this is what has caused the Nebraska family to endure these centuries.

I have a very interesting vantage point from here in the BlankCave. Though I may be underground, I occasionally venture outward and perch from the highest tops one can afford in this grand state. My eyes and ears venture about the land and bring back news both good and bad to be dealt with. Overall, I remain positive. Surely, there are some instances we’d like to put behind us and we will in due time, my friends. On the whole, however, I feel that the student athletes of the University of Nebraska are representing us at peak vigor and determination. These are the men and women that we call our own, ladies and gentlemen. I have met many of them, they have taken the time to talk to me, shake my hand and humor my questions.

The programs that have been laid down are performing at a solid rate, but what of Nebraska’s first love? What about the game of football? I see things swirling and spiraling within the cauldron of Memorial Stadium that I hadn’t seen in a while…at least, not on this grand of a scale. I see young men pushing themselves to the brink and I hear their barrel chests heaving as new milestones are reached. I can see the determination in their eyes, the want, the hunger that NU has lacked as of late. Some have mentioned that the mystique of the white shell with the big red “N” had faded if not vanished completely. Perhaps this is an accurate statement. However, I will not be sitting idly by and let it fade into nothingness nor will the lads of the football team. They are tired, they are rugged, but they are getting work done and the fruits of their labors shall be all too apparent come fall.

To the player who may or may not read this, I have some words for you as well. The men you line up against on Saturday? They may act like they do not have cause for alarm by your presence; they may talk like they have nothing to prove. Let them think what they desire, for yours is not only a quest for glory on the field, but in the classrooms and halls where your brothers and sisters walk. You cannot hunt something that you cannot kill and the spirit of Nebraska is an immortal force. We take pride in our work and efforts as you will full appreciate once your time here is done and be assured that you will have the entire state and its contents applauding in approval for your works.

Time ticks slowly by in these, the off-season months, but fear not, August will soon be here. Answers will be given promptly and surely, more questions will arise, but the good is coming. There are several vantage points you can accommodate yourself to for the view, some pose greater risks than others. Where you will stand when it returns, of course, is your choice.

Take care,

Questions, comments and shots of the crown jewel of your Husker collections can be sent to [email protected]

===Brandon a.k.a. Blankman #71===

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