[Husker] Age

[Knox, Chuck]

How on earth could you have enjoyed a game back then without Husker Vision and Valentinos pizza and the Weiner Shlinger and the Tunnel Walk and the....
 
Just kidding!  Thanks for sharing your info, Wes -- very enjoyable to read!
 
Chuck Knox
Pella, IA

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From: Wesley & Barbara Barton [mailto:ioneb1 at tx.rr.com]
Sent: Mon 1/15/2007 4:16 PM
To: husker at tssi.com
Subject: [Husker] Age



Lets talk age. I have been lurking for years. I was a member of the original
"Knot Hole" gang. We mainly played football, on the south end, behind the
bleachers on the practice field during the games. Ushered in and near the
old press box, gathered wood for the send off fire for the Rose Bowl team.
The center of that team, Fred Meyers??, was a part of our boy scout troop.
Two cousins, by marriage, were part of the official party since their Dad
was a coach on that team. Family season tickets since 1928. The games in the
late 30's and early 40's were very cold and snowy. Seemed like I nearly
froze in the upper deck of the west stadium. Became a die hard fan in those
years. When my wife and I were in college the stands during a good game
would be half full of students and old-timers. Nobody worried about getting
a seat. Wonderful party atmosphere for the students. Fraternity brother of
football team stars Bob Wagner and Bob Smith in the early 50's. Both wife
'54 and I '56 UNL graduates. I had spent 4 years in AF. I have been active
member of my departments advisory board for over 20 yeas. Our families have
at least 65 UNL graduates. Two of our three children also, but have drawn a
blank on grandkids. I am 78 and we have lived in Dallas 38 years. Have worn
out several cars driving to Lincoln.

Lets talk coaching. Someone wrote that coaching was all that mattered. I
thought FS was a good coach but a poor recruiter. With today's limit on
scholarships it is difficult to gather 100 + good players like BD and TO
were able to do. They did have excellent help but only two have become
renowned coaches, Alvarez and Kiffin. I believe that recruiting is the
biggest part of coaches program today. TO was not a world beater in
recruiting talks to the weekend hopefuls but he sure got the players.
Recruiting 75% the rest can be done by average coaches. Questionable head
coaches can ruin a team for a decade or more. Witness 1945 to 1962. UNL
caught lightening in a bottle in BD and continued by TO. We have struggled
since.