Spirit Fall 2020 Edition 3
HUSKER SPIRIT RUNS DEEP
every opportunity we get to watch the Huskers play,” he said. As for the lack of fans and the cardboard cutouts that will be all over Memorial Stadium, Dodson said everything is going to be fine. He’s just happy he can watch some Husker football on Saturdays again. “What I’ve watched up to this point in college football, for us, the joy of the game of football,” Dodson said, “you’re going to be attuned to what’s going on and you’re going to watch some good football.” Every now and then, Dodson will try to find an opportunity to take a trip to Lincoln to go to a game. He said when that happens, it’s always fun to see the Huskers play. Saturdays for Dodson are for Nebraska, even when he was growing up. He said he has fond memories of listening to the Huskers play on the radio. When they were on TV, it was a special day for his family. “Right now, what an opportunity we can watch every game on TV on a Saturday,” Dodson said. “That time, whenever the Huskers play, you might as well just black out the calendar because we won’t be getting a whole lot done at home but watching Husker football.”
He may only go to a handful of games, but Goddard said he loves to tailgate for a Nebraska game. His brother does big tailgates, so he’ll join him when he makes the trip from Maxwell to Lincoln. Goddard tries to make it to a game or two every year, but due to COVID-19, that won’t happen. Even if the Huskers were allowing fans to attend their games, Goddard said, he would have watched from his couch. St. Pat’s football coach Kevin Dodson offered his take on the return of Nebraska football after his team’s 55-14 win over Gordon-Rushville Oct. 9. While the Goddards believe the season will be different with no fans allowed at games, Dodson and others are just happy Husker football is back. “I do like watching the Huskers play,” Dodson said. “I’m a fan; I went to UNL. We’re excited to see what they can put out on the field this year.” When it was announced the Big Ten would have a season this year, Dodson said, he approached the news the same way he approached this season with the Irish football team.
BY JAKE DREILINGER jake.dreilinger@nptelegraph.com
When Nebraska football fans tune into the Huskers’ game against Ohio State on Oct. 24, the first thing they might notice is the lack of people watching live. If they didn’t feel the full impact of the Big Ten’s no-fan policy in week one, they’ll definitely notice it the following week when the Huskers host Wisconsin. Fans won’t be there to cheer on their team in person, but if they decide to purchase a “seat,” a cardboard cutout will be in their place instead. For lifelong Husker fan Don Goddard and his wife, Suzy, there’s only one word to describe the situation this year: Weird. It will be weird, he said, not seeing that usual crowd cheering on his team. That won’t stop him from watching the games from the comfort of his couch with a cold beer in his hand. It’s a tradition he and many Husker fans will indulge this year to keep the football spirit alive. Goddard has been a Nebraska fan for as long as he can remember. “(I’ve been a Nebraska fan) all my life,” said Goddard, a Maxwell native. “Born and raised in Nebraska. I eat and breathe it.” Up until about four years ago, his brother, who lives in Omaha, had never missed a home game dating back to the 1970 season. “He had grandkids get into sports,” Suzy Goddard joked. When Nebraska was in the Big Eight, Goddard said, he used to like to go to the Oklahoma game. Suzy was an Oklahoma fan before they got married, and Goddard took her to an Oklahoma- Nebraska game. “I took her to a game and it was 2 below and the wind-chill index was 10 below,” Goddard said. “And then Nebraska smoked Oklahoma, so now she’s a Nebraska fan.”
“We’re going to embrace that and enjoy
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