John Mabry: Anyone need a pair of tickets?
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I was comparing notes with a friend from a newspaper in the Pacific Northwest last week. We were sharing our frustration with the football frustration in our respective communities.
He said Washington Husky fans were pretty upset and still blaming everything on Rick Neuheisel. My friend said it must be just like the situation in Nebraska.
That's when I had to butt in.
"Oh, really. Is Tommy Lee part of the marching band at UW? Sorry, your freak show doesn't quite stack up with this freak show."
I'm not convinced that the NU football program is in free-fall mode. Things are just strange. Really strange.
But I do know a lot of folks are concerned about the future. Here's a sample of what I heard on my stroll to the stadium Saturday:
Fan 1: "Look at all the people selling tickets."
Fan 2: "Can you blame them?"
I was one of them. I bought a pair of seats in Section 41 (northeast corner) for $80 — $30 below face value — and then I went undercover to see if anyone would pay what I paid.
I was at a disadvantage. I didn't have the fancy tix with the photos of ex-Husker of the week Tony Jeter and fan of the week Millie DeVere. Instead, I had the plain, computer-issued tickets that come without the sandwich coupon on the back. There went my plan to market the tickets as free Runzas.
With the help of a HuskerExtra.com online poll, I tried to gauge the value.
Twelve percent of the respondents said I should ask face value. Forty-four percent said I should expect nothing more than a handshake.
I was hoping for something in between. I tried to keep my sales effort low-key. No shouting. Wearing sunglasses and a Husker ballcap, I stood on the Embassy Suites corner of 9th and P streets, holding up the two tickets quietly.
Right away, I was offered a sweetheart deal from a professional ticket exchange specialist.
"I'll give you $10 apiece."
I decided to wait for a better offer.
I waited for an hour and a half.
I was getting frustrated, and so were the pro ticket brokers. I heard one say, "This is what 70-10 will do."
The Huskers did their part to improve business for the Missouri game in two weeks. A good way to erase a 60-point loss is to score 60 points the next week. The Huskers hit 59.
The funny thing is, before the season started, everyone expected the team to struggle for a month or two. And now that the team is struggling, it's being viewed by some as the end of the world.
Saturday's game was an example of a win in a no-win situation. The Huskers are supposed to pound Baylor. Anything less would have been a problem.
This week, the defense will take its share of the heat. Kevin Cosgrove's crew showed 400 yards worth of warts Saturday.
Joe Dailey was terrific against the Bears, but the offense needs to prove itself against a stiffer opponent. Manhattan, Kan., would be a good place to start.
You know what? As down as folks were last week, there still were 78,000 in the house Saturday. I didn't see too many empty seats.
And guess who's tied for first in the Big 12 North? For a few hours, everything was peachy again.
I got $40 for the tickets about an hour before kickoff.
What a deal.
I only have to put a $40 hit on the expense report, and a nice couple can say they saw a Husker victory for a very reasonable price.
All that and Tommy Lee, too.
Rock on, Big Red. Rock on.
Reach John Mabry at 473-7320 or jmabry@journalstar.com.
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