Flakes Remembers the Alamo

Have any of you ever traveled on the same day as a large terrorist attack? Fifteen years ago, I got on an airplane a couple weeks after 9/11 but that does not really count. A lot had changed in those two weeks.

Yesterday I left for the airport at 3:40 a.m., checked in, went through security, and then started to browse news sites while I waited for boarding. The images from the Brussels attacks greeted me almost immediately.

Brussels is a long way from Sioux City, Iowa. There were only about 15 of us waiting to get on the plane and despite being all shapes, sizes, and colors, it was a friendly and casual boarding area. The possible connection to a seemingly far away situation did not hit me until I got to Chicago.

As soon as we landed, a fire engine and ambulance in full lights and sirens followed us to the gate... and then went past to another gate just out of sight. I never did figure out why they were there.

Walking through O'Hare airport is an exercise in world studies. People from all corners of the world are crossing paths with very little thought or concern about that other person's story. However, I never saw anything that indicated nervousness, anger, or ill will in anyone.

I travel a lot. I regularly see people argue with each over places in line, glare over the poor placement of a carry-on in an overhead bin, and take offense over the smallest of breaches in etiquette. Yesterday, I saw none of that. I expected security everywhere and cranky passengers as a result. I did not see overwhelming security presences, but I felt quite secure.

The human signals in light of a terrible tragedy, albeit one many thousands of miles away, were upbeat. People seemed to be going out of their way to be courteous and helpful. It was an unusual day of travel, and one I did not expect.

On to Flakes. First up, Husker sports....

Oldest Husker football player Fischer dies at 102 | Football | journalstar.com
Richard Owen Fischer, 102, and believed to have been the oldest living former Nebraska football player, died March 13 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Dudley Finishes Runner-Up at NCAA Championships - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site
Two-time All-American TJ Dudley fell to top-seeded Gabe Dean of Cornell, 5-3, in the 184-pound NCAA Finals at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.

Sand ‘Bows defeat Huskers, 4-1, Sunday - Ka Leo O Hawaii: Sports
The University of Hawai‘i sand volleyball team defeated the Nebraska Huskers on Sunday, 4-1.

Fowler's Homer lifts Nebraska over DePaul - News, Weather and Sports for Lincoln, NE; KLKNTV.com
Fullerton, Calif. - The 23rd-ranked Nebraska softball team rallied twice to defeat DePaul.

Huskers Land Volleyball Commitment From Texas High School Sophomore | Big Apple News Radio

The question Capri Davis had been waiting on for months was written in neat block letters on the silky sand of a Hawaiian beach. And before the encroaching tide could wash it away, she knew the answer.

Elsewhere in sports...

Pat Forde | How to tell when it's time for a college basketball team and its coach to part ways
College basketball's existential coaching question: How long is too long in one place?

Getting schooled by the most dominant defense of 2015 - Football Study Hall
The Katy Tigers, a Texas high school powerhouse program, gave everyone a free education on how to play dominant defense in the modern era.

Heartbreaker in California - GoJacks.com
The Jackrabbit women squandered a fourth quarter lead and saw their sweet 16 opportunity slip away by one point.

3 charts that show Buddy Hield is the best college shooter since Steph Curry - SBNation.com
Buddy Hield is having one of the best scoring seasons in the recent history of college basketball. We have the graphs to prove it.

Caleb Swanigan to declare for NBA Draft, will not hire an agent « Big Ten Network
Purdue freshman Caleb Swanigan has announced his intention to declare for the 2016 NBA Draft, but will not hire an agent, maintaining his amateurism. Swanigan will put his name into the NBA Draft, making him eligible to be drafted on draft

Just Because

First Click: It's too early for VR fanboys | The Verge
Congratulations, you’ve survived the "fanboy" wars so far. You bought a MacBook for home despite needing a PC to function in the cubicle farm. You own a PS4 because you just knew that Kinect would...

Have a great Wednesday!