This reference might be lost on those who weren't inundated with episodes of Leave it to Beaver on Nickelodeon.
Nebraska fans are known for being the most polite, respectful and knowledgable fans in all of college football. "Through these gates," right? But what happens when you give these greatest fans the cloak of anonymity, when it's just them, Wally and the Beaver in a room?
I had this thought while on a flight to Costa Rica two days ago (first vacation in a while). James Franklin was sitting behind me. I was enjoying a second cocktail and listening to podcasts while coach was hard at work, pouring over some laminated pages in giant, three-ring binder. I wasn't about to approach him and force a conversation. But I imagined what I would say to him if he and I were stuck in a long customs line next to one another, or on the same hotel shuttle.
I do not like PSU. But every conversation starter I thought of was super nice and super humble and supportive. I admire what you've done there. I know the Rose Bowl was a tough pill to swallow but Penn State's season was nothing short of amazing! The kind of stuff you might imagine a Nebraska fan to say.
Although here, and among fellow Huskers fans, I don't want PSU to be successful. I'll pull for them against Michigan and Ohio State only, knowing their important role as a spoiler in the East. But beyond that, nope. Their fans are obnoxious. Their legacy has been tainted. They should have lost in 82. Fire crotch McGloin arguing with the refs with his helmet off pretty much sums up what I think of their East Coast douchebaggery.
But in person, it would have been, "Gee, Mrs Cleaver. It really is exciting to think about what the future of Penn State football will look like without sanctions."
I didn't end up talking to him. But I chuckled at the thought of us Husker fans who are so polite to others, can be so pointed, critical and...spirited when among their own.
Nebraska fans are known for being the most polite, respectful and knowledgable fans in all of college football. "Through these gates," right? But what happens when you give these greatest fans the cloak of anonymity, when it's just them, Wally and the Beaver in a room?
I had this thought while on a flight to Costa Rica two days ago (first vacation in a while). James Franklin was sitting behind me. I was enjoying a second cocktail and listening to podcasts while coach was hard at work, pouring over some laminated pages in giant, three-ring binder. I wasn't about to approach him and force a conversation. But I imagined what I would say to him if he and I were stuck in a long customs line next to one another, or on the same hotel shuttle.
I do not like PSU. But every conversation starter I thought of was super nice and super humble and supportive. I admire what you've done there. I know the Rose Bowl was a tough pill to swallow but Penn State's season was nothing short of amazing! The kind of stuff you might imagine a Nebraska fan to say.
Although here, and among fellow Huskers fans, I don't want PSU to be successful. I'll pull for them against Michigan and Ohio State only, knowing their important role as a spoiler in the East. But beyond that, nope. Their fans are obnoxious. Their legacy has been tainted. They should have lost in 82. Fire crotch McGloin arguing with the refs with his helmet off pretty much sums up what I think of their East Coast douchebaggery.
But in person, it would have been, "Gee, Mrs Cleaver. It really is exciting to think about what the future of Penn State football will look like without sanctions."
I didn't end up talking to him. But I chuckled at the thought of us Husker fans who are so polite to others, can be so pointed, critical and...spirited when among their own.
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