First downs and second guesses:
What has John Cook unleashed?
Last weekend Patty Gasso, coach of the Oklahoma softball dynasty, mentioned Nebraska had sold out 82,000 tickets for an outdoor volleyball game at Memorial Stadium. Then Gasso added, “So you know what my next conversation with (athletic director) Joe Castiglione will be.”
Here we go.
It wasn’t clear if Gasso was jokingly referring to playing a Sooner softball game in OU’s 80,000-seat Memorial Stadium.
But when you’ve won six national titles, I’m guessing you don’t joke about anything when it comes to competition.
NU didn’t just turn heads with last week’s announcement of the Memorial Stadium volleyball sellout. Nebraska opened minds, too.
People are also reading…
Does this mean we will be seeing everything from gymnastics to softball in college football venues? Not necessarily.
But the schools with the larger fan bases may get inspired. NU’s announcement makes a lot of things seem possible.
“I just know this: it’s not as simple as saying we’re going to play a volleyball match outside,” said Cook, NU’s volleyball coach and dreamer. “It’s going to take a herculean effort to get all this ready and do it right.
“It does all of a sudden set the bar a lot higher that this is something that potentially could be done.”
Cook said what makes this one unique is that “it’s the first women’s sport that has tried this. We have had outdoor hockey and there’s been basketball on an aircraft carrier.”
Another interested party in the Nebraska sellout news was Wisconsin volleyball coach Kelly Sheffield. The Badgers wrestled away the NCAA regular-season record crowd away from NU last year.
Sheffield retweeted ESPN’s post last week about Nebraska selling 82,000 tickets to his followers. Is the Wisconsin coach planning a rebuttal?
“I have no idea,” Cook said. “They’re going to Milwaukee (Fiserv Forum) to play a match. I’ve heard Texas wants to play in (Texas) Ranger stadium. It will be interesting to see if this gets into a (one-up) contest.
“I only heard from one Big Ten coach and he said, “This is awesome, way to go for it. You probably won’t hear from any other coaches but I just wanted to let you know this is great — great for the sport and great for the girls.’”
Can anyone possibly come close to this? Don’t ask me. I thought the most Nebraska would sell for this was 40,000.
Playing in small towns
The beauty of Cook and Husker volleyball is that their desire to create interest in the sport goes both ways.
Take last Saturday, with NU’s spring exhibition match in Central City, Neb. The Huskers played Wichita State in front of a sellout 2,096 at the Bison Activity Dome.
That was exclusive access to the national program for the town of 2,934 and surrounding areas. Central City is 89 miles northwest of Lincoln and 26 miles northeast of Grand Island.
The Huskers didn’t just drive in for the match. They spent the night before at a Holiday Inn Express in Grand Island. Smart ladies, yes.
“It felt like a Final Four, people everywhere, people greeting you, giving you gift bags,” Cook said. “There was a really cool charcuterie board they had out for us and the girls just wiped it off the table.
“It was a really special weekend — you feel the love from those towns.”
It wasn’t the first time Cook has taken his team on the road instate and won’t be the last. He says other Nebraska teams should follow their lead.
“I don’t know why other sports at Nebraska don’t do this,” Cook said. “I think if football went out and did a practice in Grand Island, Kearney, somewhere I think people would lose their minds.”
Good landing spots
The third day of the NFL draft is all about finding good fits.
Trey Palmer (Tampa Bay) and Ochaun Mathis (L.A. Rams) both found good landing spots.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see both make opening day rosters.
Jets vs. Chiefs
Speaking of openers, how about the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs for the NFL Thursday Night season opener?
Adding Ulis
Of all the places to get a point guard transfer, Fred Hoiberg finds one in Iowa City.
Ahron Ulis has played in three NCAA tournaments, and he's got a Big Ten tournament championship ring.
Omaha Sports Commission Awards
May 25 is going to be a special night at the Omaha Sports Commission Awards.
Both the 1993 Omaha Racers team and the Kansas City-Omaha Kings will be honored at the Relevant Center in Elkhorn.
I hear Racers owner Steve Idelman is getting a lot of former players back for the event, not to mention coach Mike Thibault.
Anyone remember that 1993 CBA Championship series at Ak-sar-ben Coliseum?
The only thing missing will be a post-event party at the Pipeline or Ranch Bowl.
Mike Shannon passes away
There’s a generation of St. Louis Cardinal fans throughout Nebraska. They grew up listening to Mike Shannon, who was the voice of summer for St. Louis and most of the Midwest.
Shannon was more than a third baseman on three Cardinals World Series teams. He was a big personality, a man of the people. I would see him hanging at his steakhouse in downtown St. Louis, and he never turned down a handshake or a cold beer.
Shannon passed away on Saturday night, and the game seems a lot less fun today.
Storming the field
— Thanks to reader and former Husker Pat Salerno for pointing out that Husker fans stormed the field at Memorial Stadium after the 25-21 win over Oklahoma on Halloween, 1959.
Salerno, an end from Omaha, didn’t play in the game because of injury but he said each player received metal medallions cut from the goal posts.
One more and I’m outta here
Welcome to Omaha, Nick Maestas, who will open a branch of his wildly popular Muchachos eatery this month in the Little Bohemia area on 13th Street.
Muchachos is a cross between Mexican and BBQ — my two favorite food groups.