Conhuskers Question (sports)

[mattpoulsen]

Its all a matter of circumstance. If you would put another major college football team or a professional football team in Nebraska the atmosphere that exists today would not be there.

I understand what you're saying. But what Pittnurse is saying, and I agree with, is that the reason other states entire populations don't support "their" team is because there is no "their team". They have multiple teams, which one are they supposed to root for. I promise you there are plenty of Florida fans who are just as devout as any Husker fan...the difference is that down the street you'll have someone who is a devout FSU fan...or a Miami fan...or a Buccaneers fan...or a Dolphins fan. Its a matter of circumstance

[Katiana]

Exactly! Do not assume b/c someone is from Pennsylvania they are a Penn State fan. The football culture is simply different there. You have your Pitt fans, your Penn State fans, your Steelers fans, Eagles fans, and some, if not many, who have more than one favorite team. Here in CO there are CU fans, Broncos fans, CSU fans, and all the transplants who don't root for any of the local teams. Different does not = bad, whatever your view.

[tpabes]

Originally Posted by mattpoulsen

Yeah, I can't think of one. There are a lot of states with two, like Iowa/Iowa State, OU/OSU, and Kansas/KSU. Heck, even Indiana has Notre Dame and Purdue to contend with...besides the Colts.

The only other state that I can even think of with a Division 1 college team in a situation similar to Nebraska is Wyoming, and they are hardly a major college program.

Ahh wait...I think just thought of one. How about West Virginia?

Ok you got my mind to going, off the top of my head:

Hawaii- Hawaii
Alaska- Alaska-Anchorage, Alaska-Fairbanks ???
Washington- Washington, Washington State, Pros
Oregon- Oregon, Oregon St., Trail-Blazers
California- UCLA, USC, Cal, Stanford etc.. Pros
Arizona- Arizona St., Arizona, Pros
Nevada- UNLV, Nevada
Utah- Utah, BYU, Jazz
Idaho- Boise St, Idaho, Idaho St.
Montana- Montana, Montana St.
Wyoming- Wyoming
Colorado- Colorado, Colorado St, Pros
New Mexico- New Mexico, New Mexico St.
Texas- Texas, Texas A+M, Texas Tech etc.. Pros
Oklahoma- Oklahoma, Oklahoma St., Sonics??
Kansas- Kansas, Kansas St, Pros if you count K.C. metro
Nebraska- Nebraska, Creighton
South Dakota- South Dakota St., South Dakota
North Dakota- North Dakota St., North Dakota
Minnesota- Minnesota, pros
Iowa- Iowa, Iowa St.
Missouri- Missouri, Pros, (Missouri St., UMKC, St Louis????)
Arkansas- Arkansas, (Arkansas St. Ark-Little Rock, Ark-Pink Bluff????)
Louisana- LSU, Pros (La Tech, La-Monroe, La-Layfattye???)
Mississippi- Ole Miss, Mississippi St.
Alabama- Alabama, Auburn
Georgia- Georgia, Georgia Tech, Pros
Tennessee- Tennessee, Vandy, Memphis, Pros
Kentucky- Kentucky, Louisville
Illinois-Illinois, Northwestern, Pros (S. Illinois, N. Illinois???)
Wisconsin- Wisconsin, Marquette, Pros,
Michigan- Michigan, Michigan St, Pros
Indiana- Indiana, Purdue, Notre Dame, Pros
Ohio- Ohio St, Cincinatti, Xavier, Pros
West Virginia- West Virginia, Marshall
Florida- Florida, Florida St., Miami, South Florida, Pros
South Carolina- South Carolina, Clemson
North Carolina- North Carolina, Duke, N.C. State etc., Pros
Virginia- Virginia Tech, Virginia, Pros in D.C.
Maryland- Maryland, Pros (Navy???)
Delaware- Delaware, Delaware St.
New Jersey- Rutgers, Pros
Pennslyvania- Penn St., Pittsburgh, Penn, Philly Schools, Pros
New York- Syracuse, St. Johns, Pros
Connecticut- UConn, (Central Conn. Nearby Pros???)
Rhode Island- Rhode Island, Providence
Massachusetts- UMass, Boston College, Pros
New Hampshire- New Hampshire, ????
Vermont- Vermont, ????
Maine- Maine, ???

Hope I didn't miss anything major I would say the closest thing to Nebraska might be West Virginia or Arkansas.

[mattpoulsen]

He he! Wow! You really went all out there. You're right though...I missed Arkansas. That makes NU, WVU, and Arkansas all teams which dominate their state.

[tpabes]

Originally Posted by mattpoulsen

He he! Wow! You really went all out there. You're right though...I missed Arkansas. That makes NU, WVU, and Arkansas all teams which dominate their state.

Anything to avoid work

[ehenningsen]

I noticed that alot of those teams you had include are division 1-AA which stands no chance against head to head recruiting and very little with supporting a big fan-base vs a div 1-A school..

Realistically there are several states that have a larger population base with only 1 division 1-a school.. One to note is Mizzou..

[mattpoulsen]

Yeah, Mizzou is the only major D1 program in Missouri, but they also have the St. Louis Rams and the KC Chiefs to compete with in terms of fan base. Certainly they would dominate recruiting, but they would give up a lot of "fan focus" to the Rams and the Chiefs. There are other schools that fit this type of situation...like LSU, Wisconsin, Syracuse, and Maryland.

[Katiana]

Hey, just to stir things up a little: I just got back from Omaha. Without even trying, I saw the following: Within minutes of our arrival we went to a McDonald's, and I saw a car with a Nebraska license and a Green Bay Packers license frame. The next day, we were in a Target parking lot, and I saw a car with a Neb. license and an Oalkand Raiders frame. I saw a mom at a dance recital wearing a Creighton shirt, which surely rivals Nebraska in basketball. I saw a guy at a Cracker Barrel in a "York College Soccer" shirt. Of course, I saw a lot of Nebraska attire, too, but my point is it's not as monolithic as some might think.

[mattpoulsen]

Yeah, but the pro allegiance in this town is pretty weak. I think I'm probably close to the norm, but maybe not. I'm a big Husker fan, but also follow NFL football. Not having an NFL team here we kind of just choose one. I tend to follow KC football and am also a pretty big fan of Green Bay. But our allegiance to pro football isn't very strong, unless there are other reasons for it (like growing up in Pittsburg). But generally we are football fans who kind of pick an NFL, but not with any strong ties.

As far as Creighton basketball...certainly they are a rival. That is about the closest thing Nebraska has to a rivalry. But I don't think its nearly as venomous as some rivalries. Because NU basketball has been relatively weak for so long I think most NU people tend to adopt CU come March and CU has no football team, so they root for NU football.

[tpabes]

Matt hit it right on the head. I see alot of Chiefs and Broncos (I guess there about as local as it gets for us) but also Vikings, Bears, Cowboys and Packers. People here are good about supporting small colleges, high schools etc... but nothing to be on the scale of Nebraska football, or even maybe Nebraska Volleyball. Creighton-Nebraska is also healthy in baseball, attracts alot of fans.

Other than Creighton, the closest thing to the pros or another college might be the CWS. However, the CWS is only one week of the year, and there is not rivarly aspect. Yet, Omaha and Nebraska seem to have a passion for it, people gobble up tickets and travel from all over the state to it, and it gets total sports coverage for that week. So in that way it is somewhat similar to the states passion for Nebraska.