Emotional (Sporty) HNT

My apologies for the long post. However, if you're a football fan, I'm sure you can relate.

I don't get emotional about too many things. I'm a pretty laid back kind of guy, and won't cause too much of a stir when things don't go my way. However, there's one thing that will send me into a counch-punching, profanity-driven tirade...

...Football. The college type, that is. If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm a huge Cornhusker fan. Like most football fans, I like to see my team win, and win big if possible. When we're not playing up to the level that I think they should be playing at, I let everyone within a three mile radius know about it.

For some bonus HNT coverage, I'd like to show you some of the emotions that I go through on any given Saturday (but more specifically, this past Saturday while playing Wake Forest.

First, there's the Preparation phase. This is right as the game is beginning. I have high hopes, and can't wait to see what we're going to do. My lucky 1989 autographed football is always there with me. I'm always wearing my #12 jersey (that's Bobby Newcombe from a few years back. He was a prick and left the team because he didn't get his way, but I've just been too lazy to go out and get a new jersey), and my favorite Husker cap.


Next, we have the Confusion stage. This is the point where I'm starting to question everything about the team. Who are these guys on the field, and what did they do with the guys that I thought we had playing for our team? I start to wonder what the hell Keller is doing forcing the ball between two defenders. Why does he have to stare down his receiver? Why in God's name does Callahan keep running Lucky up the middle when Castille is a better power back?

Next we have the Frustration stage. We aren't making any plays, and the lead is switching back and forth. The only thing keeping us in the game is the defense...and barely! By this time, the hat has come off, and there's a slight indentation in the couch. The neighbors start coming out of their homes to see what all the swearing and yelling is about. Fortunately, my wife isn't home or else she's probably be washing my mouth out with soap.


Lastly comes the End of the Game stage. This can go one of two ways. The first, and most preferable way for everyone in my path, is that we win. The second is that we lose. In this case, I go through a fit of depression for the next several hours, wondering about the what-if's and how-comes. My family knows to leave me to my sulking for the rest of the day. If it's a large upset, I might go until Sunday before I speak again.


As you can probably see in the last picture, we won this weekend (barely) against an unranked but decent Wake Forest team. Let's hope we can pull together a little more enthusiastic game this Saturday against the USC Trojans.

Happy Sporty HNT everyone!