Today is a dark day around the Husker Nation.  (No, Kevin Cosgrove is not coming back.  Not THAT dark.)  No, longtime downtown Lincoln hangout P.O. Pears is closing it's doors later this month.

According to the Lincoln Journal-Star, business hasn't been great in recent years, and after two years of failed attempts to sell the bar, he's decided to close the place, auction off all of the memorabilia, and sell the building.

In recent years, I've gravitated more towards tailgating, but in the 90's, P.O. Pears was a tradition for me before Husker football games, or even Husker basketball games.  No matter how packed the place was, you usually got in and out pretty quickly...and stuffed.

Last year I recommended Pears to USC fans, and even went there before the Trojans obliterated the Big Red.  I was kind of surprised that it wasn't very busy at all; plenty of open tables.  And the food wasn't very good that day; which might explain why it wasn't very busy...or is now closing.

In any respect, so long to a Lincoln Legend!  While the doors may be closing, Pears will live on in the hearts and minds of people in my generation who spent many weekends in that bright red building on Ninth Street.