If Nebraska football were Titanic, the Cornhuskers would win a national title every year.
Come again?
In the entertainment world, Titanic was a national champion.
Americans entertained by the motion picture industry forked over 660 million dollars in 1997 to watch a sinking ship drown 1,517 people.
That’s entertainment.
If the ship cruises unscathed from Southampton to New York City, not too many theater tickets are going to be sold.
No matter how many times Rose asks Jack to draw her like one of his French girls.
Nebraska football is big-time entertainment.
collide with icebergs.
You see, those icebergs equate to losing seasons.
During his captainship of the GBR Husker, Scott Frost ran into 31 icebergs.
The latest collision, a 45-42 loss to Georgia Southern, cost Frost his captainship. Rather than let him go down with the ship, Trev Alberts removed Frost from the bridge.
Especially when the captain is paid five million dollars a year.
University of Nebraska football is big business. It generates millions of dollars for the school and the Lincoln business community.
Had Trev Alberts delayed his move, Husker Hounds may have been selling big red hoodies at an 85 percent discount.
Now look for the Hounds to start peddling Mickey Joseph shirts.
As I stated earlier, College football is entertainment.
When the entertainment is quality, such as championship victories, the ticket buyers feel good about the show they have just seen.
And, yes, they feel better about themselves.
When it’s 31 losses in 47 games, not so much.
Tom Osborne hit the bullseye in his 1985 book, “More Than Winning.” He stated that many Nebraska football fans crave Cornhusker victories because it provides the fan with a justified feeling of increased self-worth.
Want proof?
In late 1968, after the Huskers endured their second consecutive six-win, four-loss season, there were several people feeling the blues that signed a petition to have Bob Devaney fired.
At the end of the 1976 season, Tom Osborne was told by an NU Regent that had his Huskers not beaten Texas Tech in the Bluebonnet Bowl, Tom would have been gone. That season ended with nine wins, three losses, and a tie.
We all know what happened to Frank Solich after winning only 58 of 77 games. His teams did not provide enough entertainment – aka championship game victories.
Bill Callahan, Bo Pelini, and Mike Riley followed suit.
Just not enough wins. Correction. Not enough championship wins.
In other words, sub-expectation entertainment.
Nebraskans will not purchase tickets for a cruise on a ship that will sink because it is destined to bang into icebergs. Especially when the captain has a track record of making the command to starboard a bit too late.
Too many people will drown.
At least, financially.
And there won’t be enough feel-good moments.
It’s just not the quality entertainment Nebraskans have come to expect.
Not even if a scene includes Rose being drawn by Jack.