Just in Time: Nebraska Basketball is Back for Some Low-Stakes Winter Fun
Nebraska basketball is the friends with benefits of Husker sports.
It’s the college-life, imperfect, low-key, never-needs-a-committment, may/may not respond to your 2:13 AM two-word text of a sport that we all could use right now.
Husker football?
That’s a lot of pressure. There are expectations.
It’s a cocktail party with your boss in attendance, where you have to ask your wife if you’re dressed okay before you go out. It’s a lot of teeth gnashing and blood pressure pulsing somewhere up in the left temple of your forehead. It’s big business and rarely is big business very fun unless everyone is cashing in (see: winning).
Husker football is Facebook. Ubiquitous. Omnipresent. It’s an established #brand and people expect a lot of shit from a #brand. Your parents love Husker Football and they expect that organization to maintain a certain level of professionalism.
Husker hoops is a wild tech startup that could absolutely implode on you at any point, but one that is quirky and strange and full of erratic potential and if you buy in now it could also take you on the ride of your life.
If you’re already a serious fan of Nebrasketball, you understand all of this, on some level.
You understand this perpetual state of low-key optimism, and that it only very rarely fluctuates into the euphoric highs of 2013’s NCAA Tournament run, and or totally melts down like the 2014 season when Nebraska started our ranked in the top 25.
Most of the time?
This mediocre-to-bad end result also breeds medium expectations.
And, right now? Holy shit, does room temp sound great. I don’t want to get up, mask up, and wait in line for a hot new restaurant. I want Amigos delivered at 10:45 at night, so I don’t have to put on pants or sober up.
The simplicity of minimal expectations. With everything going on in 2020 — on the field and off — why not latch yourself onto a chill vibe and a team that’s going to roll the ball out there against McNeese State and only-probably win?
Right now, don’t we all need something pressure free? Sure, we have Fred Hoiberg and we’re paying him like he’s Fred Hoiberg. Sure, you can get all worked up about the failings of a program that has some of the best facilities in the entire country.
But if someone tells you they know how this season is going to go for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s men's basketball program? They’re probably going to be announcing that during a press conference at the Four Seasons Total Landscaping in Philadelphia.
We have no idea. This team could be dead last in the league. Or they could be a really fun, athletic, long group that’s deep at the guard spot and can stretch the floor with three point shooting.
But regardless of the end result, you won’t feel that inescapable dread that comes from seeing a dude you went to middle school with posting a Facebook status in all caps with a colored background behind it suggesting that Scott Frost needs to hand the ball to the fullback more like they did back in the glory days of 8-man football in your small town.
Unless you want to get two deep lungfuls of an infectious disease, #cuffingseason is over before it began this year.
So, might I submit a humble petition that you cuff to Teddy, Thor, Trey, Shamiel, Kobe (not that one, the other one), Elijah Wood (not that one, the other one), Lat, Derrick, Trevor, Jace, Yvan, Eduardo, Bret, Dalano and Fred.
Nebrasketball is calling:
u up?
