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Do you remember the first time you had a big fight with your significant other?
Ranchdude and I have been married so long that I can’t remember half of what he tells me, much less anything that happened all those years ago. But I know we disagreed over stuff.
Chances are, that first really serious fight probably made you compare your significant other with the person you dated before them. You might have even entertained a fleeting notion about getting back together with your ex.
Reminder. They are your ex for a reason.
Don’t do it.
Right now, we are watching Nebraska and the Big Ten have their first real fight.
Some Nebraska fans (and sports writers) are eyeing the Big 12 and making kissy noises. for their part, the Big Ten obviously doesn’t appreciate the rebellion or the public display of dissension coming from Nebraska’s leadership.
Did the Big Ten botch this whole week?
It certainly looks that way.
First, the conference drops the media a note and says they are going to release a conference-only schedule. During. Breakfast. The. Next. Morning.
Why make a big show of releasing a schedule at a weird time of day (although I guess time means nothing really during a pandemic)? Why go to obviously so much trouble to build a schedule that was crafted for maximum flexibility in case Plan B, C, D....ZZ was needed? Why develop and release all of these Covid protocols and start giving teams guidance on practicing?
Why do that and then turn around and pull the plug six freaking days later?
The ink on the “My Thoughts About the B1G schedule” articles wasn’t even dry yet. Cobby hadn’t even come out of his hand-sanitizer-induced delusions of an undefeated season yet. The operations directors didn’t even have time to inquire about the sanitizing protocols on the charter buses yet. The leaks about who was voting ‘yes’ and who was voting ‘no’ had Nebraska and Iowa fans fist-bumping in the streets.
Madness, I tell you. Madness!
So, will Nebraska really make good on its threats to go rogue?
Before leaping and just hoping the Big 12 will be holding out their arms in anticipation of our glorious return, we should probably look in the mirror.
Hmmm, it appears that we may have put on a bit of weight this past decade. There are also some wrinkles and that pandemic hair needs a lot of work. We convinced the B1G to get together by being the rich trust fund kid who showed up to every party and could usually pick who we wanted to take home from said party.
Now, we stare at our red beer while on the couch on the weekend and binge watch Netflix documentaries.
You can probably guess where I’m going with this.
Do I wish the Big Ten had pushed the schedule back and bought some more time to evaluate alternatives? And that they shared any urgent, new information that emerged and caused this sudden shift?
Yes. But there were going to be growing pains for the B1G in breaking in a new commissioner who was replacing someone with the stature of Jim Delany. Throw in a 100-year pandemic for good measure, and you increase the chances of inconsistent leadership.
Do I wish Nebraska was still the rich kid that everyone wanted at their party?
Yes. I do really like the unified front between the Nebraska athletic department and administration and take it as a big sign the ship is being righted. However, I do cringe a little at the saber rattling given the recent success (see: lack, thereof) of Nebraska football.
My head predicts that everyone will take a deep breath, look around, grit their teeth and eventually accept this horrible reality of fall without Big Ten football.
My heart is still sort of hoping that the ghosts of football past, present and future visit whomever voted against fall sports and are able to bring about a change of heart in the next few days. If the pendulum can swing wildly one way - it can swing back, right?
Right?!?
Sigh.
Oh yeah, there’s supposed to be a link dump in here somewhere...onto Flakes.
Frosted Flakes
Shatel: Is this the beginning of the end of Nebraska in the Big Ten? | Football | omaha.com
Both Nebraska and the Big Ten came into this marriage thinking they were doing the other one a favor. I don’t think either side is that impressed with the other,
Big Ten’s Kevin Warren rips Nebraska over defiant statement
After Nebraska’s brash response to the Big Ten canceling its football season, the conference’s commissioner had a message of his own.
Instead of sulking about postponed volleyball season, Cook working on plan for spring | Volleyball | journalstar.com
Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook says the Big Ten coaches have already sent a plan to the Big Ten for how a spring season could work.
Eight Huskers Named WCGA Scholastic All-Americans - University of Nebraska
Lincoln, Neb. — Eight Husker gymnasts were named Scholastic All-Americans announced by the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) on Tuesday for their
Sportsin’ Stuff Outside the 402/308
Social media trolling affects almost a third of elite British sportswomen, BBC Sport survey finds - BBC Sport
Elite British sportswomen speak out about “horrific abuse” on social media, telling a BBC Sport survey about constant comments they receive.
What a spring college football season could — and should — look like
Whether or not you like the idea of spring college football, the logistics can work ... if conferences show the foresight and cooperation they’ve lacked over the five months since the coronavirus pandemic altered the sports calendar.
Big 12 keeps plans for fall kickoff, saves college football for now - Sports Illustrated
A group split and on the fence entering the day, Big 12 leaders settled on the side of the ACC and SEC instead of with the Big Ten and Pac-12.
Can college football teams actually switch conferences to play in 2020 with their leagues shut down? - CBSSports.com
It will not be as easy as ‘wanting to play’ for college football teams to find new, temporary homes
The Pirates gave a season ticket holder a foul ball that landed in their seat - SBNation.com
This is how you support your fans!
More Noise and Other Disturbances
How 'Who Let the Dogs Out' Became a Global Music Phenomenon | Mental Floss
It's been 20 years since 'Who Let the Dogs Out' was released, and its impossibly infectious hook is no doubt still lodged inside your brain. But two decades later, we're still no closer to answering the question.
Australia has one of the largest number of micronations in the world - ABC News
Ranging from well-meaning to absurd, with regal robes and fancy titles, these punters have carved out their own kingdoms.
Australia’s oldest micronation, Hutt River is no more due to Covid-19 | CNN Travel
The 50-year reign of an Australia-based micronation has come to an end. Hutt River, a self-declared principality and popular tourism attraction, is surrendering to Australia due to the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, coupled with a giant tax bill.
After having visiting Australia a couple of times for work in the past few years (and I adore Australia and its people), the two stories above totally fit. They are people who know not to take themselves too seriously, so of course they would come up with something like micronations as a form of protest.
AP Exclusive: Woman is 1st in US to get 2nd face transplant
BOSTON (AP) — For the second time in a decade, a New Hampshire woman has a new face. Carmen Blandin Tarleton, whose face was disfigured in an attack by her ex-husband, became the first...
Abandoned mall department stores may become Amazon’s next fulfillment centers | TechCrunch
One of the largest owners of shopping mall real estate in the United Stages, Simon Property Group, has been talking to Amazon about transforming its anchor department stores into Amazon distribution hubs, according to the Wall Street Journal. In the case of Simon Property, the anchor tenants like J.C. Penney and Sears that used to […]
Florence's Plague-Era Wine Windows Are Back | Mental Floss
Florentines understood that when the threat of infectious disease is omnipresent, easy access to wine is a must.
So drive-up windows, errr walk up windows, have been a thing for a while now?
What is a derecho? An atmospheric scientist explains these rare but dangerous storm systems
Hurricane and tornado winds spin in circles, but there's another, equally dangerous storm type where winds barrel straight ahead. They're called derechos, and are most common in summer.
On Monday, a derecho tore through the upper Great Plains and into the Midwest. I have one colleague who lost the roof of his house (Ames, Iowa) and others near Chicago with some damaged trees. Our southeast Nebraska CN staff had much worse weather than those of us in the north. There were just had dark skies and some rain here at the ranch.
If you've never gazed upon the bald butt of a baby tarantula, now's your chance | Live Science
An Indiana zoo just adopted a smuggled spider with no butt hair. Here's why it's missing.
How 'Rumor Clinics' Fought Fake News 80 Years Ago | Mental Floss
As the United States plunged into the second World War, newspapers fought fake news amid fears of Nazi propaganda efforts.
High heels: Why would I go back to wearing them after this?
After being stuck inside and accustomed to comfort, are we done with heels? Here's why I am.
I am way ahead of my time. I haven’t had a pair of these torture devices for over 15 years.
Thieving fox stole and stashed over 100 shoes in Berlin | Live Science
Authorities finally identified the culprit responsible for the mysterious disappearance of dozens of shoes from a German neighborhood.
Now we know who will take all the high heels that women are throwing out.
Aquarium Is Washing Old Wishes To Pay Bills During Pandemic : NPR
The aquarium — which is soon to enter its sixth month of mandated closure because of the coronavirus — has come up with a pandemic project that can pass the time and help pay the bills.
Cleveland BASE jumper slams into building on his way down, video shows | Fox News
A Cleveland woman says she and her cousin were astonished when they noticed what they describe as a BASE jumper parachuting off a downtown building early Sunday morning.
How America Became Obsessed With Horses | History | Smithsonian Magazine
A new book explores the meaning the animal holds for people—from cowboys to elite show jumpers—in this country
The Mesmerizing Geometry of Malaysia's Most Complex Cakes - Gastro Obscura
ON A 2019 EPISODE OF The Great British Baking Show, judge Paul Hollywood looks like he’s choosing his words very carefully when he speaks. “I think this is one of the hardest cake designs to make...
These are amazing.
Another Week - Another Poop Article
You get a deuce this week
Poop stains visible from space reveal hidden colonies of Antarctic penguins | Live Science
There might be nearly 20% more emperor penguin colonies in Antarctica than previously thought.
Woolly mammoth with preserved poop, wool and ligaments dredged from Siberian lake | Live Science
It’s fairly rare to find woolly mammoth poop.
Predicting the Next Plague
Hell ant fossil discovered in amber: An ‘evolutionary experiment’
A 99-million year old fossil of a “hell ant” is giving researchers a glimpse into the behavior of these fearsome ancient insects, a new study reports.
Then There’s This
How do you find love when you believe the Earth is flat? | WIRED UK
It can be difficult to find a partner when you belong to a tiny minority. Flat Earthers are turning to the internet – where, as one dating site proved, you never know who to trust
Boeing 747s still get critical updates via floppy disks - The Verge
Boeing’s 747 aircraft are still using floppy discs to update critical software. Security researchers at Pen Test Partners were able to tour a British Airways 747 recently, getting a closer look at the avionics systems that power the plane.