It’s football Saturday in Lincoln Nebraska and Big Red Nation is going to once again come to life.  Before moving to Lincoln, I was (and still am!) a huge fan of the Big Blue Nation – the University of Kentucky.  In that case, the sport is basketball, and just like football in Nebraska, it’s a religion.  And because it’s a religion, no self respecting Wildcat fan would be caught dead in red.  After all, red is the color of the Louisville Cardinals and the Indiana Hoosiers.  Not cool.  So, when we moved here, and especially after Doug became assistant director of the Nebraska Cornhusker Band, red became a staple of his wardrobe.  I on the other hand, fought the red for a while.  I could get away with wearing black or gray or white with a little red “N” and still not have to wear red.  But just as I became a fan of Kentucky basketball because of the excitement the sport generated, I soon became a fan of Nebraska football for the same reason.

For those of you who may not have experienced Big Red Game Day from the band experience, let me share.  Rehearsal for the band on Saturday is 5 1/2 hours before kick.  On a day like today where kick is at 7:00 p.m., that makes for a great “late” start of 1:30 for rehearsal.  It’s the 11:00 a.m. kicks I dread, as you can imagine. Doug will want to be there early to make sure he gets his stuff together and is able to walk to the stadium.  Yes, we are provided two tickets to the game, which is interesting, because I never get to sit with him obviously.  The seats are in the northeast part of the stadium and the band is closer to the southeast part of the stadium.  So I have a good friend who usually goes with me and after half time we go down and hang out with the band.

Rehearsal lasts two hours where the members practice fundamentals, pregame and half time and today will be special because we’ll have a bunch of band alumni rehearsing with them.  Rehearsal is open, so anyone can come in for free and watch in the stadium.  It still amazes me the number of parents, former band members, music teachers and just fans show up for these rehearsals to cheer on the band.  They stand and clap with the fight song and pregame music, stand for the national anthem and cheer for the half time show.  It’s a time for the band students to shine and share the hard work of that particular week.

After rehearsal, time to grab a quick meal, which in this case will be something between lunch and dinner.  Mealtimes are always screwed up on game days.  By 5:00 Doug has to be back with the kids, 6:00 is the outdoor concert and kick is at 7:00.  Some three hours plus later, the kids will march back to the music building, put everything away and finally finish their day.  For most people, game day is a 3 hour event.  For Doug and the band, it’s usually closer to a 12 hour work day.

From my perspective, I’m one of those fans who shows up to watch rehearsal, even though I’ve been a part of or have watched band rehearsals for over 40 years now.  I grab a bite with Doug afterwards because it’s the last time I’ll see him that day before he works the game.  My friend and I hang out until the game, sometimes marching in with the band, working hard to get through the crowds in the hopes of being in our seats in time to see pre-game from them.  I have to admit, as much as I love my Kentucky blue, there is something amazing about walking through those tunnels into the stadium and seeing 90,000 people all wearing red.  It is truly a “sea of red”.  On a clear day with bright blue skies, a beautiful green turf field and all that red, it is really a sight to behold.  It’s Americana at its finest and always makes me smile.  Pregame begins and everyone stands and claps out of rhythm (oh well) and then gets silent before singing the national anthem as the band plays.  I think that’s something I really appreciate about the heartland of this country.  The respect shown towards our country, our flag and our national anthem is something that can bring a tear each game.  Then it’s “Go Big Red” and on to the game.

So, just as it is in Kentucky, there is an activity, a sport, a “religion” that brings people together and for a little while, we all see things the same way.  It doesn’t matter your color, your gender, your religion – we all gather to support the same thing.  It’s a shame we can’t garner the same enthusiasm for something that’s maybe a little more important, but I suppose it can serve as a hope that maybe one day we will all support something more important with the same zeal.  And I suppose this Big Blue fan can break down and wear some red once in a while to be a part of that.  Here’s to another football season and GBR!!