Home Trip Captain Traditions & Pageantry Features What is AutumnSpectacle.com? Store Contact Us |
|
Dear Old Nebraska U. “Go Big Red!”
Not too long ago, Trip Captain visited Lay of the land The plane bounced onto the runway, jolting Trip Captain awake at
He took a muffin and a cinnamon roll from the bakery, to tide him over on the road. He was saving plenty of room for dinner tonight - at Misty’s. Then he was back out on I-29 north past He parked in the small parking garage next door and caught the elevator down to the front desk on the floor of the Cornhusker, where he checked in. He opened the curtains in his room to a clear view of
the North from the Cornhusker up Next, Cap strolled across the campus north and west,
past
He meandered past the Greenpoint sculpture, Love Library
- the largest
library in Toting bags, he then entered the doors on the west side of Memorial Stadium, below the words:
Inside, he toured the Cap headed out and around the Stadium, past the Pillars
of Power and the
Husker Legacy Statue on the east side. The statue, encased in bronze,
was built
in 1997, weighs 2 tons, and depicts six Husker defensive players
burying a
hapless
Cap walked back around the stadium to the southwest
corner, where the gates
were open, and he wandered inside. To his surprise, there was a large
group of
fans lounging in the stadium, watching redshirt players with
conditioning
drills. All around the stadium and at the Authentic, people were
gathering,
excited to be on campus on Friday afternoon, and gameday on the
way. Memorial Stadium now seats 78,000, and
TC left the stadium and headed back toward the Cornhusker. The Cornhusker Hotel, located approximately five blocks south of the campus, is an ideal location for Husker die-hards, as they can walk to and from campus, past specialty stores, shops, theaters, restaurants, and bars. The downtown area, right off campus, is fan-friendly for the Husker Nation on home game weekends. Cap headed back to the Cornhusker and down to a short workout in the basement exercise room, showered, then a short nap, and he was off to Misty’s. He drove north from downtown, then east on Misty’s was established in 1962 - the same year the
sellout streak began,
Devaney arrived in
In the lobby Cap found glass-encased rows of autographed
football helmets
from past Just off the lobby is the bar, Quarterback Lounge. Misty’s was - among other things - a sports bar before there were sports bars. The bar is oval in shape, and from the middle of the bottles arises a life-size golden quarterback with a football cocked behind his right ear - poised for the quick release. The walls of the bar area contain helmets and logos of the Big Twelve schools, pennants, and other interesting items, such as - a moose head, oars, and banners of television networks, ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN, and Fox - signed by members of broadcast crews from years past, who have visited Misty’s. The bar area opens into the restaurant, past the stairs leading up to a landing overlooking the dining area - where the famous Misty’s seasonings, Sterling Silver steaks and prime rib are served. Cap toured the lobby and bar in a state of awe. The place whispered of countless Friday nights, revelry with Husker battles looming the next day, and the people who had stopped here to partake. TC was seated just outside the bar area, and perused the
menu. He chose the
shrimp appetizer, then soup, salad and a rib-eye with sides, rolls and
tea. As
he savored the succulent steak, he studied the patrons, surrounding
him.
Dressed for dinner, everyone - almost without exception - wore And standing in the doorway, the man - Herbie Husker was in the house. For some reason, Cap glanced as his watch as he slowly
chewed another bite
of rib-eye –
Suddenly, he was jolted by a brassy blast from above. On the second story landing at the top of the stairs, members of the Cornhusker Marching Band, wearing stand-up white collars and red bow ties, trumpeted a flourish, then descended the stairs and marched through the restaurant, playing "Hail Varsity." Cap was on his feet, clapping with the rest, as the
drummers passed. The
band marched, playing throughout, then came to a stop on a platform at
the far
end of the bar, where they continued to play. He was dining in the
middle of a
Cornhusker pep rally, and somehow it all seemed quite natural and
fitting on a
college football weekend in He ate slowly, savoring every bite, sight and sound. Two
of the three members of the ESPN GameDay crew -
Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit - came in and ascended the stairs
to dine in one of the rooms above, with the privileged.
The place was packed now
|
| “This
is the beauty of college football. Passion and petulance is so
pervasive, one loss could be devastating." - Matt Hayes, The Sporting News |
