Husker fans paint K.C. red
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BY BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The woman had lips, teeth and a nose. The rest of her was only a rumor
She came to the showdown hidden beneath a red scarf, Santa stocking cap, three layers of pants, furry boots bought from a catalogue, black Husker sweat shirt and a camouflage hunting jacket. “Stole that from Tom,” she said.
This guy Tom? He could sell air conditioners to Eskimos.
Lincoln man Tom Kiblinger is 26 and convinced his girlfriend, who likes football about as much as getting a cavity filled, that a trip to Kansas City to see Nebraska go for a Big 12 championship in football was worth the risk of hypothermia.
“He just told me it’d be a big party,” said the shivering girlfriend, Sasha Denton, an hour before kickoff. “He said the only thing is that it might be just a little cold.”
Pause. “He owes me dinner.”
Yeah, yeah. It was a touch nippy at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday night when Nebraska took on Oklahoma for the Big 12 title.
Husker fans didn’t flinch. They can thaw out in the offseason.
This weekend was about taking over Kansas City. Twenty-degree weather and frozen faces be darned. However, Nebraska lost its third straight game to Oklahoma 21-7.
“Husker pride is worth far more than sitting at home and dialing a number on the TV controller,” said 21-year-old Jason Sitzman of Crete.
He gave an “are-you-kidding-me” look when asked why he didn’t stay back in Nebraska and watch this one by the fireplace.
“Every Nebraska fan would give whatever they had to be in this stadium right now,” he said.
Even if that meant losing your toes from frostbite?
“Gotta make sacrifices,” joked Melanie Andersen of Omaha.
The rumor all week was that Nebraska would have 60,000 fans at Arrowhead, which seats about 80,000.
If Nebraska didn’t have 60,000 backers, it had 59,996.
The red takeover began as early as Friday morning. By that night, it seemed like every person you passed in Kansas City’s Plaza had Herbie on his shirt.
The band from Lincoln’s Sidetrack Tavern played at Harpo’s bar in Westport, singing along with about 300 Husker friends: “Screw the Sooners. … Screw the Sooners. … Screw the Sooners.”
Locals looked on with bewilderment.
“Nebraska fans are annoying,” said Kansas City resident Wes Templeton.
“They know how to party,” said Tina Carpenter.
Both were probably at least partially right.
Husker Nation was telling the woman playing piano at the Downtown Marriott to play “Hail Varsity.” And when cabbies asked for directions, they were sometimes greeted with an unusual answer: “Go Huskers.”
Where’s Huskers?
Terry Nelson and his clan from Fremont got to Arrowhead six hours before kickoff Saturday.
“Got to follow your team wherever,” he said. Even into the frigidness of December.
Worry not. The Nelsons came prepared. Two heaters and a grill. An inflatable Lil’ Red stood atop his vehicle. How could the Huskers possibly lose?
The family followed a stream of Nebraska license plates all the way to K.C.
“Everyone was honking and yelling ‘No. 1’ all the way,” Nelson said.
They were all ready to freeze together for the Husker cause.
No word on if Tom and Sasha are still together.
Reach Brian Christopherson at 473-7438 or bchristopherson@journalstar.com.
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