On Saturday, Larry the Cable Guy provided some memorable Independence Day entertainment to 50,000 of his fellow Nebraskans.
Posted: Wednesday, July 8, 2009 12:00 am
On Saturday, Larry the Cable Guy provided some memorable Independence Day entertainment to 50,000 of his fellow Nebraskans who filled the available seats in Memorial Stadium to hear him "Git-R-Done!"
The stand-up comedy show went well from start to finish. That's the report from both the University of Nebraska Athletic Department and from Outback Concerts, which staged the event. The president of Outback called it "perfect" and "a phenomenal experience" while crediting Butch Hug, NU's assistant athletic director for events, and his crew for their work in setting up and putting on the show.
That's particularly notable since the comedy show was the first major event at the stadium outside of college or high school football games since Farm Aid III in September 1987.
Understandably, the athletic department has been cautious about allowing non-football events in the stadium out of concern about possible damage to the Field Turf artificial surface. But, as was the case 22 years ago, little damage to the field was found after Saturday's show.
"The grounds crew was really surprised," Hug told the Journal Star's Jeff Korbelik earlier this week. "They were apprehensive about what would happen, but when they took the floor off, (the grass) bounced right back."
By all accounts, everything went smoothly Saturday - from getting people into the stadium through the fireworks that concluded the show. That was enough to prompt Hug to say he wouldn't mind doing another similar event in the stadium in the future.
Neither would we.
To be sure, any future concert or comedy show would have to be timed so as to not interfere with football in any fashion. The stadium, one of the cathedrals of college football, needs to be maintained as well as possible for the Huskers and the 85,000 fans who turn up for each home game.
Precautions also need to be taken to make sure no damage will be done to the field or any other part of the facility. Arrangements to load in and out the staging, sound reproduction systems and the like need to be well thought out and coordinated.
With those caveats, the Larry the Cable Guy show proved that Memorial Stadium can and should be used for more than just football. Nebraskans loved Larry. They should get the chance to see more events and shows in the state's biggest venue.