' ' Cinema Romantico: A Digression: Gator Bowl Glory

Monday, January 05, 2009

A Digression: Gator Bowl Glory

I would like to take a brief moment today to thank my beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers for their as-beautiful-as-the-view-of-Mount-Hood's-peak-rising-out-from-the-clouds-from-my-airplane-window 26-21 victory on New Year's Day (it made my hangover a minor nuisance and my dry throat taste as sweet as chocolate mousse) over Clemson in the Gator Bowl which provided the absolute best possible start to 2009.

I would like to thank senior quarterback Joe Ganz (Gator Bowl MVP) for his clam demeanor, cool playmaking and, most especially, his complete class. Joe, you will be missed. So too will senior wide receivers Nate Swift and Todd Peterson who caught just about every ball ever thrown their way. I'd like to thank running back Marlon Lucky whose senior season no doubt was not quite what he envisioned but whose contributions to the program have been both many and meaningful. I'd like to thank defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh who so often this season made like Cosmo Kramer at the dojo and dominated (please come back for one more year, Ndamukong!). I'd like to thank defensive tackle Ty Steinkuhler and running back Quentin Castille both of whose studliness in Jacksonville knew no bounds. I'd like to thank cornerback Eric Hagg who made quite possibly the biggest play of the whole 2009 Gator Bowl (see photo below). I'd like to thank kicker Alex Henery whose field goals are as automatic as my jukebox playlists containing at least one Kylie Minogue song. I'd like to thank wide receiver Niles Paul of whom I said a few very unflattering things during the Gator Bowl and, thus, to whom I'd like to apologize (heat of the moment, Niles). And, of course, I'd like to thank head coach Bo Pelini, so clearly the right man for the job whose awesome factor has proceeded into the stratosphere.

I'd like to apologize to my friend Rory whose glasses I nearly broke (worse) when I forcefully hugged him after the final Clemson pass fell incomplete and who allowed me to partake in a bit of his extravagant Irish whiskey as a celebrant and I'd also like to thank the bartendress at the Bird's Nest who served me during the course of many Husker games this year (all victories) and gave me a pint on the house for becoming the first person to sit in the same stool at the same TV for every game (I couldn't jinx my guys!).

I'd like to thank every other Nebraska player and coach and congratulate all of them on a wonderous 2008 season. I'll never forget any of it. I'm already counting the days 'til the next one. How about we set a date for January 1, 2010, what do ya' say?

1 comment:

Jacob said...

Wouldn't you rather set a date for a few days later, since the damn BCS won't let the championship game be played on Jan 1. No it should be on a Thursday. How stupid, a THURSDAY!!