?Big Red Rivals: Farewell to a Conference? Offers Treasure Chest of Memories

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Monday was a snow day in most of Nebraska ... a perfect time to call Dan Sullivan, who was at home taking leftover vacation time from his whirlwind special project for the Omaha World-Herald... publishing a book entitled "Big Red Rivals: Farewell to a Conference".

Sullivan, who has worked 34 years at the state's largest newspaper, is the book's editor, and he was more than willing to talk football on a slow day, especially now that "Big Red Rivals" has gone into a second printing that matches its first press run of 10,000.

As the countdown accelerates for Nebraska's move to the Big Ten Conference, leaving behind more than a century of conference football history, don't be surprised if there are more printings in the future.

This 384-page book is a veritable treasure chest of memories that covers Nebraska football in all its glory - from its earliest days to its final conference season. The content is so rich and robust and packaged so well, it's hard to put down. It's that good.

Somehow, Sullivan, an Omaha native and Nebraska graduate with a law degree from Creighton, found a structure to chronicle all the runs and throws, hits and hurts, brains and brawn, not to mention the pain, the pageantry and the emotion Nebraska football fans experience.

I've seen far more expensive books than this $29.95 publication (plus shipping and tax). But none open your eyes like this readibly sized 8¾ x 10½-inch publication that brings to life all the black-and-white photos from the 1960s, '70s and '80s to the full-color world of the '90s and beyond.

Black-and-White Effective Prelude to Color

"Funny you should mention that," Sullivan said, admitting how fun and fascinating it was for him to discover the photos in the archives and find the right context to document the entire Bob Devaney era and the first  two-thirds of the Tom Osborne era in mostly black-and-white images. Then, of course, the book explodes in color to capture Osborne's flourishing finish -- 60 wins in his last 63 games and three national championships.

For Sullivan, pulling all that together in book form was the Nebraska football equivalent of the film classic "Wizard of Oz", a story that began in black-and-white and didn't blast into color until Dorothy opened the door of the house.

Yes, the Nebraska football adventure has been in full-color, high-definition focus since Bo Pelini arrived, and there are plenty of great photos in this book to record that resurgence. But wouldn't we all agree that snapshots from yesteryear become all that much more heart-warming and meaningful when they have to measure up to the digital images we all take for granted today?

I mean, after all, at the end of the Wizard of Oz, aren't old-fashioned grandparents and modern-day grandkids equally thrilled to see Dorothy living in her black-and-white world when she opens her eyes and finds herself back home?

"Big Red Rivals" has that same kind of impact. It's every bit as magical as a cinematic classic because the older photos help you snap the shutter on your own mind and remember how nostalgic it was to watch Nebraska become a national football power to the absolute amazement and wonder of everyone, including the national media.

No one, anywhere, has more resources to document that journey than the Omaha World-Herald, a corporate sponsor with the Nebraska Athletic Department and an important collaborator with us on our joint website called Red Out Around the World.

Unforgettable Journey: History Via Archives

"I almost felt guilty digging through our archives for the best photos and stories," Sullivan said. "It was like taking a gigantic history lesson through the newspaper. I felt guilty because I was getting paid to do something that my brother-in-law probably would have paid to do."

No wonder Tom Shatel, the World-Herald's featured sports columnist, said he didn't have enough space to share with his readers all of his favorite parts of the book. "It will make you feel old. It will make you feel good," Shatel said of the book, adding: "As Nebraska begins writing new history books next season in the Big Ten, you'll be glad you have the old history at your fingertips."

Indeed. Everyone should be commended for their contributions to this book. Shatel and fellow World-Herald columnists Michael Kelly and Lee Barfknecht led the charge, and Sullivan was smart enough to rely on fresh perspectives from retired Husker beat writers Tom Ash, Larry Porter and Steve Sinclair.

You marvel at how the World-Herald packaged everything so quickly and compellingly. Sullivan, of course, refuses to take individual credit, choosing instead to point out that he had a designer, a photo imager, two assistant editors, six contributing writers, 15 copy editors, 13 well-known writers from the archives (including World-Herald legends Tom Allan, Gregg McBride, Wally Provost and Conde Sargent), three researchers, two print and production coordinators, a sports editor, a director of photography and a director of marketing.

"It was a labor of love for Dan Sullivan, Michael Kelly and others who slaved over the project. I just had to market it and sell it," said Rich Warren, the marketing director who, in 22 years of previous retail experience, never experienced a faster-selling product.

"This book is blowing people away," Warren said. "We didn't get them in until Dec. 14 and by Christmas, we were sold out. We're getting calls from stores I've never even heard of, asking to sell copies. This book is going into every corner of Nebraska, and we've sold books to every part of the country. It's been unbelievable."

The Cover: Rodgers' Legendary Return

The book's cover shows five crisp black-and-white sequences of Johnny Rodgers' fabled punt return touchdown at Oklahoma in the 1971 Game of the Century - from the traffic jams to "Johnny the Jet's" final breakaway that tore a record viewing audience loose from their shoes, including every Nebraska man, woman and child lucky enough to see it or hear it. Holy Moly, did that ever put 'em in the aisles.

Of the 11 Big Red "Rivals" from the Big 12 Conference that Nebraska will leave, there is no question which one commands center stage and the brightest spotlight. The book wisely devotes 85 pages to the NU-OU rivalry, including a memorable photo of six loyal Husker fans hoisting a large, home-made banner that declared: "The Way It Should Be. Nebraska vs. Oklahoma. God Bless the Big Eight!" The photo was taken in freezing temperatures at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium when NU and OU met in the 2006 Big 12 Championship. Obviously, those six hearty Husker fans couldn't quite let go of the past.

Fittingly, every section for each rival school includes a headline that captures the essence of each series Nebraska will leave, for the most part, in its rear-view mirror. Let's finish this column with those headlines in the order in which they appear in the book (based on the start and the longevity of the series itself):

KANSAS: A Long History of Romp-Stomp Cakewalks

IOWA STATE: The Wind Has Blown Mostly in One Direction

MISSOURI: Hard Hitting, Hard Feelings and Hard Losses

KANSAS STATE: The Road Was Normally One Way, With a Few Twisting Turns

OKLAHOMA: The Brotherhood of Big-Time Football Programs

COLORADO: Not a Snowball's Chance of Missing Each Other

OKLAHOMA STATE: Cowboys' Stars Rarely Shone in Victories

TEXAS: Huskers Usually Got the Worst of It When They Hooked Up

TEXAS TECH: A 60-Point Loss Left a Lasting Stain on Nebraska

BAYLOR: A Neighborly Host for the Visiting Huskers

TEXAS A&M: The Games Didn't Always Live Up to the Traditions

Personal Favorite Story: Glenn and His Gun

"Big Red Rivals" is a book that goes to great lengths to make each school and every "rivalry" interesting in its own right. It's a book loaded with stories you've either forgotten about or never knew in the first place. My favorite was in, of all places, the Baylor section.

In 1977, the Huskers were coming off a huge upset win over Alabama (the only loss the Crimson Tide suffered all season in a No. 2 national finish). Baylor was the next opponent. The story had a teasing headline that said: "Lineman No Match for Secret Service", and the graphic was a black-and-white photo of President Gerald Ford wearing a cowboy hat with a white Nebraska N on it. The President is smiling and waving, almost like he's asking us all to go ahead and see what this story is all about.

Larry Porter wrote how elaborate security measures had been taken by Secret Service agents who had locked down Memorial Stadium in advance of President Ford's visit for that 31-10 Nebraska win over Baylor. The president, who once played for what will be 2011 Big Ten division rival Michigan, just wanted to stop by and say hello to the '77 Huskers.

Steve Glenn, then a junior offensive lineman and now owner of a Nebraska-based travel agency, inadvertently managed to touch off some locker room drama.

Glenn and some friends had gone trapshooting the Thursday morning before the Baylor game. Afterward, he stashed his shotgun in his locker, taking some loose shells from his pocket and placing them on the top shelf. That afternoon, he joined his teammates for a 90-minute practice in preparing for Baylor. Practice ended at 4:30 p.m. Players showered, dressed and waited until Ford arrived in the locker room at 5:15.

"I got there a little late," Glenn told Porter. "I walked in and thought, 'Wow! Here's the President.' I smiled and waved, then went over to my locker and opened the door. Those shotgun shells rolled off the top shelf and scattered on the floor. Those Secret Service agents were aghast. Out came all those guns. I was 6-foot-4 and weighed 262 pounds, but they could have been linebackers because they had me up against the wall and spread-eagled in two seconds."

Glenn said he was detained for more than two hours while the agents verified his claim that he'd been trapshooting that morning. "This was serious," he said. "More guns were flashed around than I'd ever seen before. It was quite a deal."

Book Available Through Newspaper, Huskers.com

Well, this book is quite a deal, too, because there are absolute gemstones among the notes, quotes and anecdotes that come at you page after page and section after section.

"Christine Zueck, my designer, and I were holed up for four months and didn't really know how the book would work for people," Sullivan said. "Shatel's column was really the first time I was sure that someone understood that this is a book you can just open and say, 'Hey, look at that!' and then get drawn in."

One thing Sullivan found interesting about the 2010 season was how the conference games really followed the pattern of each series, from the weather in Ames to the star-filled Oklahoma State team that couldn't beat the Huskers (and still finished in the final top 10), right up to the heart-breaking, season-ending loss against OU. "We had the chapters already written," Sullivan said, "so it was really strange to see it unfold as if it was supposed to be that way."

In a nutshell, Sullivan and team packaged 11 great universities as 11 "rivals" that Nebraska will never forget. Each one has its own time capsule and special moments in this book, and there's only one way to see how full the treasure chest really is ... buy the book. Better yet, buy several and give to very special people.

Male or female, young or old, this book will help you relive the past, appreciate the present and look forward to a future that no doubt will fill another treasure chest as Nebraska moves to the oldest and most storied conference in the history of college football.

Respond to Randy

Editor's note: The second printing of "Big Red Rivals: Farewell to a Conference" will be in available in late January. You can pre-order the book through the Omaha World-Herald's Online Store or Huskers.com's Online Book Store. You can also call the World-Herald at 402-444-1014.

Voices from Husker Nation

I ordered the book online the same night Nebraska lost to Texas A&M as I assumed the printed product would be far better than the game I had just witnessed on television ... and I was right!!! I've already absorbed the book from cover to cover six times, and I'm still trying to pick a favorite section. Check back with me after I've reviewed it six more times, because it's like trying to select my favorite Nebraska football experience: VERY TOUGH TO DO! I would add a plug for another fine Nebraska football history book that I just added to my collection: "Game Day Memories: Tailgaters, Touchdowns and Traditions" which includes wonderful photography from the late Dick Blomgren, who died Dec. 30 at age 90. It's also loaded with black-and-white photos dating back to the birth of Memorial Stadium that any Cornhusker fan will appreciate. I got my copy at Barnes and Noble. Kevin Horn, Alliance, Nebraska (Editor's note: The Nebraska Athletic Department has appreciated Blomgren's photography for many decades. He was perhaps best known for shooting the panoramic views of Nebraska football team pictures from 1949 to 2003 - more than a half century of photos that hang in offices and family rooms all over the world. The Blomgrens also donated a photographic collection to the Nebraska State Historical Society).

My favorite photo is the full-page, second-to-last photo in the book - a picture of Ralphie, Colorado's very real buffalo mascot, stampeding onto the field before the 1980 Nebraska game at Colorado. Even though his handlers have him somewhat in control, the picture points an arrow at Tom Osborne, who looks like he's directly in Ralphie's path. The caption quotes Osborne saying how CU should think about not doing that just in case someone doesn't see him coming. I also found it interesting that you mentioned President Ford's visit that Steve Glenn would like to forget. In the Colorado section, I enjoyed reading about Betty Ford's attending the Nebraska at Colorado game in 1976 (the year before her husband came to Lincoln). Apparently, the Boulder police gave prioritized escort attention to the First Lady instead of the visiting team, and Nebraska was tied up in one intersection for 15 minutes waiting for her entourage to get through. Osborne was quoted here, too, and wondered if his team was ever going to make it to the game. Now that's funny, and the headline about the Colorado series is funny, too, because it's probably pretty accurate: "Not a snowball's chance of missing each other". Paula Porter, Denver, Colorado

I have to agree with you on the "Rivals" book. It is amazing to read. I received my copy from my outstanding mother-in-law, who sent it to me for Christmas. She almost didn't get it in time from the World Herald because they had to wait for the results of the last game. My hat is off to the "cast" that put it all together. Everyone who is even remotely a Husker fan needs this book. Bob Schoonover, Olathe, Kansas

I love the way the World-Herald rose to the challenge and printed a farewell to a conference that we prospered in over many decades. I also love the way Nebraska honors the past. It was interesting to see one page in the book on the Game of the Century, showing 1970 co-captains Jerry Murtaugh and Dan Schneiss with Coach Devaney and President Nixon. Those same two players and all of their teammates were also honored at this season's Texas game on the 40th anniversary of that first national team. It was great to see all of them on the field at halftime. In the book, I found it interesting to see another photo right below the one I mentioned. It's a sweeping picture of 72nd & Dodge Streets in Omaha at kickoff time for that 1971 game. You can see three green lights and six lanes over many blocks and half of a Volkswagen bug way off to the right. The car appears to be parked at a gas station that was advertising fuel for 27.9 cents a gallon. If anyone was actually in that car, I assume they had the radio tuned to Lyell Bremser. Great book, and now that we own one, we intend to buy two more to give as presents. Steve Anderson, Omaha, Nebraska

Loved all the stories in the Oklahoma section by Tom Ash, Michael Kelly, Larry Porter and Steve Sinclair - stories that provided some of the best perspective I've ever read on why this series was so special and why the Big 12 never should have let it end. Loved Tom Osborne saying how fans thought OU was the enemy, but they actually made us better. Loved reading how the upset of Oklahoma in 1978 was such a turning point for Nebraska football. Loved reading how J.C. Watts beat us (17-14) the next year and then ended up serving in Congress alongside Osborne. Loved reading about OU's penchant for hyperbole, but showing respect for our humility. Loved reading the feature on Tom Osborne and Barry Switzer, two philosophical opposites, who respected each other when they coached and still respect each other now. Nebraska and Oklahoma really did represent the brotherhood of big-time football programs. Too bad the conference didn't consider how important that was going forward and ended up losing the one that most wanted the tradition to continue. I certainly hope both NU and OU can find a way to schedule each other on the 50th anniversary of the Game of the Century in 2021. Maybe the best place to play that game would be in Cowboys Stadium. Wouldn't that be interesting? Ri Edwards, Yuba City, California

I've read your book review and ordered a copy of "Big Red Rivals" online. If it's even half as good as you say it is, it will be well worth the money. Thanks for helping those of us who had no idea such a publication even existed. Aaron Johnson, Chicago, Illinois

I received Big Red Rivals as a present and agree that the photography alone is worth the price of the book. The content is just as impressive, and I enjoy reading good writing more than looking at great pictures. You seem to have given this book your highest rating, and I would have to agree with you on that. It's a real gem of a publication. Roger Collins, Phoenix, Arizona

We bought two books to give as presents, but need to buy another one because once we saw it, we had to have one ourselves. Like you said, it really is that good. Even though I didn't save the book for me, I've learned a lot reading it. It's good, quick reading that you can spend five minutes one time and an hour the next. Congratulations to the editor and everyone who helped him. Ginny Stull, St. Louis, Missouri

I've read enough to convince me I need this book, so I'm buying one online. Thanks for the tip! George McPherson, Kansas City, Missouri