Great Op-Ed by Dirk Chatelain in OWH

[Swan88]

Dirk Chatelain has a great op-ed in today's Omaha World-Herald.  Here is a blurb from the item that contains some interesting observations:  

 

What makes NU’s upset win at Michigan State so, so, so, so fascinating isn’t just that it puts Tim Miles’ team squarely on the NCAA bubble — more on that later. It also shines a spotlight on that battle between hope and fatalism. . . . 

No disrespect to Creighton basketball, which is first-class all the way, from its coach, to its players to its gameday atmosphere.  . . .

But . . .

The red “N” has mystical powers in this state. And if Miles really gets it going in Lincoln, if victory becomes habit, there will be so many Husker basketball fans coming out of the woodwork Billy Bluejay won’t know what hit him. Even in Omaha (where it sometimes seems like Nebraska basketball doesn’t exist), the Huskers will be No. 1 again, not because Creighton’s base will erode, but because NU’s base will explode.

[roscoe]

On a side not, Don Walton, who writes for the Journal-Star offered an opinion at the end of his Monday article that "fans leaving NU basketball games early should exit towards the top because it doesn't look good on tv when fans are streaming out on the sidelines before the game is over". Bravo Don!

[Jadler]

I enjoy reading the Jaysker comments attacking Dirk for being a closet NU fan.

The fuck are they smoking?

[Red Rum]

On a side not, Don Walton, who writes for the Journal-Star offered an opinion at the end of his Monday article that "fans leaving NU basketball games early should exit towards the top because it doesn't look good on tv when fans are streaming out on the sidelines before the game is over". Bravo Don!

 

Agreed, I hope they listen. Probably won't but if half actually do listen that would be swell.

[hhcmatt]

Makes sense.  

Lots of people love rooting for a winner and plenty of people more than willing to root for both.

 

Great article? Meh.

[49r]

I enjoy reading the Jaysker comments attacking Dirk for being a closet NU fan.

The fuck are they smoking?

 

You should see the thread they have going over on bluejay underground about Dirk.  They're absolutely apoplectic!  They have a 22 page thread whining about him...the last ten pages are dedicated soley to this blog post.

 

Can't tell when they've been totally manipulated, which is kind of hilarious.

[SOB]

Both venues have sold out with exact same tipoff times. CU drew 16k on a televised game going directly head to head with a Husker bowl game and that was before the McBuckets era. Neither fan base has anything to worry about. Talk about drumming up business for the OWH. One thing bout ol Dirk, he pisses everybody off.

[busticket]

Dirk is right, though.  Creighton has a very strong Omaha-centric following.  The entire state will get behind Nebraska as this thing takes off.  

 

There are plenty of fans for both programs.  One thing about this state is we'll show up for any major sporting event.

[HuskerFever]

One thing bout ol Dirk, he pisses everybody off.

I'm sure UNO is mad that they weren't even mentioned!

[REDZONEDAN]

Creighton fans are an overly sensitive group of people. They get butthurt easily.

[PimpMario]

Both venues have sold out with exact same tipoff times. CU drew 16k on a televised game going directly head to head with a Husker bowl game and that was before the McBuckets era. Neither fan base has anything to worry about. Talk about drumming up business for the OWH. One thing bout ol Dirk, he pisses everybody off.

 

That is somewhat misleading because while PBA has sold out every game (technically) we haven't come close to a full house.

 

I am sure some Creighton season ticket holders also plopped down $95 to get season tickets to Nebraska.  I mean there are at least 2 sections in the 300 level that have never had a butt in them.

[Jadler]

 

Both venues have sold out with exact same tipoff times. CU drew 16k on a televised game going directly head to head with a Husker bowl game and that was before the McBuckets era. Neither fan base has anything to worry about. Talk about drumming up business for the OWH. One thing bout ol Dirk, he pisses everybody off.

 

That is somewhat misleading because while PBA has sold out every game (technically) we haven't come close to a full house.

 

I am sure some Creighton season ticket holders also plopped down $95 to get season tickets to Nebraska.  I mean there are at least 2 sections in the 300 level that have never had a butt in them.

 

One small amount of 300 section seats that is overflow for students if we fill up both lower sections. Not sure which one it is, however.

[SOB]

.

I am sure some Creighton season ticket holders also plopped down $95 to get season tickets to Nebraska. I mean there are at least 2 sections in the 300 level that have never had a butt in them.

One small amount of 300 section seats that is overflow for students if we fill up both lower sections. Not sure which one it is, however.

Both venues have sold out with exact same tipoff times. CU drew 16k on a televised game going directly head to head with a Husker bowl game and that was before the McBuckets era. Neither fan base has anything to worry about. Talk about drumming up business for the OWH. One thing bout ol Dirk, he pisses everybody off.

That is somewhat misleading because while PBA has sold out every game (technically) we haven't come close to a full house.

I am sure some Creighton season ticket holders also plopped down $95 to get season tickets to Nebraska. I mean there are at least 2 sections in the 300 level that have never had a butt in them.

how many is "some"? i honestly don't see much cross over. How many Husker fans also own CU tickets?.... Sounds kinda odd right? Will NU get to the point of not tying basketball tickets to football donors is one of the questions that answers why PBA is not completely filled. Face it, sooner or later basketball must stand on its own an cut the apron strings if it is going to thrive. If football donors don't want their butts in those seats, we don't need them tying them up for fans who want them.

[HuskerFever]

Will NU get to the point of not tying basketball tickets to football donors is one of the questions that answers why PBA is not completely filled. Face it, sooner or later basketball must stand on its own.

 

Somebody step in and correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't they cut ties with the football donor program once they went to PBA?

[Silverbacked1]

Stands on its own now. No football backers get basketball seats like at the Bob.

I remember last year when they had one of the look at the model/talk to somebody about seats get togethers.

I overhear this older lady who was not happy that her husband and her would not be getting seats because they gave a lot to football. The poor girl who was talking to them was really getting an earful about how that was wrong because they gave a lot of money to the football program and that they should get something in return.

I wanted to kick her in her old fat butt.

[hhcmatt]

 

Will NU get to the point of not tying basketball tickets to football donors is one of the questions that answers why PBA is not completely filled. Face it, sooner or later basketball must stand on its own.

 

Somebody step in and correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't they cut ties with the football donor program once they went to PBA?

 

 

Nope, you're right.

[hhcmatt]

 

 

Both venues have sold out with exact same tipoff times. CU drew 16k on a televised game going directly head to head with a Husker bowl game and that was before the McBuckets era. Neither fan base has anything to worry about. Talk about drumming up business for the OWH. One thing bout ol Dirk, he pisses everybody off.

 

That is somewhat misleading because while PBA has sold out every game (technically) we haven't come close to a full house.

 

I am sure some Creighton season ticket holders also plopped down $95 to get season tickets to Nebraska.  I mean there are at least 2 sections in the 300 level that have never had a butt in them.

 

One small amount of 300 section seats that is overflow for students if we fill up both lower sections. Not sure which one it is, however.

 

 

Yup, if you're seeing basically one or two empty sections in the 300 level it's because they sold them to students or are reserving them....not because they couldn't sell the tickets.

We didn't play Creighton at home this year.  If you own Creighton and Husker tickets it's probably because you like both teams and you either attend the big games or sell the tickets.

[PimpMario]

I know several fellow Omahans who own NU, UNO and Creighton mens (and some even own womens tickets.)

 

Believe it or not, not everyone is a Nebrasketball fan because they are loyal to the university, some people are actually fans of basketball.

[Huskerpapa]

There are quite a few Husker fans in Omaha who cross-over to Creighton for basketball only.  Sad!  My sister is one of them.  She is the bluesheep of the family.  My Dad and all my other siblings are diehard Husker through-and-through, but when Creighton bulit the Quest, she bought a blue sweater and away she went. 

[Section_316]

The comment about 300 level sections being completely empty is 100% false. Ive sat up there every game and while it isn't packer or full, there are people in every section, every game, even section 310 which is set up for student overflow in case they fill up the side court and behind the hoop. I would venture that the 300 level has been 70-80 percent full on average this season and 90%+ for michigan, ohio state, indiana, minnesota, miami, FCGU

[Norm Peterson]

I know several fellow Omahans who own NU, UNO and Creighton mens (and some even own womens tickets.)

 

Believe it or not, not everyone is a Nebrasketball fan because they are loyal to the university, some people are actually fans of basketball.

Well, y'know, that may be true.  But it's also irrelevant.

 

They've had a good run up there and that's going to inspire some loyalty from some folks to be sure.  However, I think if you really dig down into it, Dirk has a point.  I mean, Creighton fans have proven themselves a fickle group in the past.  During the Rick Johnson era, I don't think they were even averaging 5,000 fans per game.  It's not so far-fetched to think they might hit another skid like that.  These things happen in major college athletics.  Fifteen years ago, how many Husker football fans would have thought we'd experience a sustained period of mediocrity?  Not many.

 

What happens if they hit a Rick Johnson-esque skid again?  Will those 18,000 Omahans continue to show up to watch Creighton play poorly and lose night after night?  Not likely.

[49r]

 

I know several fellow Omahans who own NU, UNO and Creighton mens (and some even own womens tickets.)

 

Believe it or not, not everyone is a Nebrasketball fan because they are loyal to the university, some people are actually fans of basketball.

Well, y'know, that may be true.  But it's also irrelevant.

 

They've had a good run up there and that's going to inspire some loyalty from some folks to be sure.  However, I think if you really dig down into it, Dirk has a point.  I mean, Creighton fans have proven themselves a fickle group in the past.  During the Rick Johnson era, I don't think they were even averaging 5,000 fans per game.  It's not so far-fetched to think they might hit another skid like that.  These things happen in major college athletics.  Fifteen years ago, how many Husker football fans would have thought we'd experience a sustained period of mediocrity?  Not many.

 

What happens if they hit a Rick Johnson-esque skid again?  Will those 18,000 Omahans continue to show up to watch Creighton play poorly and lose night after night?  Not likely.

 

 

Norm, you know that sports lives in a vacuum.  Nothing ever changes when your favorite team is going good!

 

Creighton will never have a down time again...they will always get 17-18k to every home game, and Nebrasketball will never have success...and that's just the way it has to be!  OKAY???

[Norm Peterson]

The funny thing (ironic funny, not haha funny like 49r's post above) is that which Dirk predicted would happen in his column has happened in reverse already. 

 

Back in the 90s, Nebraska was the team enjoying unprecedented success and Creighton was experiencing abject failure.  Nebraska's stands were packed full night after night and crickets chirped in Civic auditorium during Creighton games unless Nebraska was playing them on the road.

 

Then, Altman started building a program, climbing a very short ladder in the MVC, and experiencing success in the MVC that he wasn't able to produce in a major conference like the Big 8.  But he was able to overtake the likes of Drake and Northern Iowa and Evansville and Southwest Missouri State right about the time we joined the Big 12 and had to take on Texas and Texas Tech (which was very good at the time) along with Kansas and Oklahoma and Missouri and Iowa State.

 

And what happened?

 

Basically the same thing Dirk predicted would happen again if Nebraska gets rolling and Creighton hits the skids a bit.

 

History could easily repeat itself in reverse, especially with a McDermott-less CU team in the Big East and a Husker program returning the bulk of a team that's experiencing some earned success right now.

[Handy Johnson]

He's right about the mystical power of the "N". The Baseball team once played on a glorified Legion field  & absolutlely NObody went to those games. Start winning and we all know the rest of the story... The power of the "N" is real, people WILL come out of the woodwork and that's what frightens everyone else in the Big 10.

[uneblinstu]

I think if CU keeps winning, not at this level, because they may never have a team like this again, but competitive in the Big East, which I do think is possible, likely, even, and NU continues to build, I do think that both teams will fill their gyms on most nights. I also think the red/blue divide will deepen and Jayskers will become more prevalent. It'll be a political microcosm...