Bear Standing Tall

Remembering Or Military Heroes

On this day, Memorial Day, we honor those who did Heroes of our beloved nation.

"Their Lives they held their country's trust; They kept its faith; They died its heroes."

A great video essay from Senator Ben Sassee (R:NE) on Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, which honors those who perished fighting for our freedom.

 

Freedom is never free.

On this and every Memorial Day, we take time to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, and their families whose dreams were never fulfilled.

May God Bless each and everyone of you. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten!

Forever Foltz

On Saturday night, Nebraska punter Sam Foltz passed away in a car accident. Former Michigan State punter Mike Sadler was driving, and also passed away. The two, and others, were attending a kicking camp for youngsters in Wisconsin.

Foltz was a larger than life guy.  He was a walkon player from Central Nebraska who became an All B1G player who had an NFL future. If he wanted.

Foltz seemed to have a passion for helping others, a man who thought about the big picture.  Seizing productivity for himself, and others, out of each day.

His teammates and coached loved him, as did the communities he shined his light on.  He was a 'Husker Nation here, Royal Forever having celebrated his Royals recent World Series Championship.

Fotlz will be missed, but his impact on those who knew, or knew of him, will live on forever. #GBR #KCR

Huskers come together to grieve Sam Foltz:' A part of everybody in the state died over the weekend', by SAM McKEWON

Love Is In Fact The Answer

Nebraska Cheerleader Brianna Anson

A Statement from The University of Nebraska:

The University of Nebraska Athletics family is deeply saddened with the passing of Brianna Anson, a valued member of our Spirit Squad and student at UNL. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, loved ones and fellow Spirit Squad members and staff.

The UNL community hurts today to know we have lost one of our own. It is our sincere hope at this difficult time that everyone will take care of and support one another.  UNL counselors are on hand and have been meeting with close friends, fellow Spirit Squad members and classmates. Others who are deeply affected by this loss are encouraged to contact Counseling and Psychological Services at 402-472-7450.

We have a love for life, which on Saturdays in the fall is filled with College Football.  While we primarily focus on the events on the gridiron, it is the Color & Pageantry on the sidelines and in the surrounding community on gameday that makes it so special. That without question is inclusive of the cheerleaders and spirit squads.

We join The University of Nebraska in offering our prayers to Brianna, her family and friends, the cheer community and fans of the beloved game of College Football nationwide.  Brianna was a beautiful young lady with the world waiting for her to experience all life has to offer.  Sadly, her journey was cut short.

If you are suffering or need assistance, please seek out family, friends or strangers; most would be happy to help, and it may be a help to them as well.  Take care of and support one another.

Love is in fact the answer.

Can't You Read The Sign

Nebraska ... the good life.

Indeed, it is a lovely place, free from many of the ills that are increasingly permeating our society.  It is a place that is ideal for raising a family, and a state that welcomes virtue, principle hard work. It has been said the N on the side of the University of Nebraska football helmet stand for "nice people" rather than "Nebraska".

Outside of some of the downtown areas of Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska is a very conservative state, as red a state as sea of red in beloved Memorial Stadium in Lincoln on football Saturdays with the Nebraska Cornhuskers on the field.

State Senator Ernie Chambers, a Democrat from Omaha, who tried to take down the storied 'Husker football program a few decades back, has emerged as a leader in an effort to do away with the death penalty in Nebraska.

Although Nebraska has the death penalty, it has not been used very often, and only approximately ten people are the list to be executed at this time.

Even so, led by efforts from Chambers and others and sadly including GOP members who consider themselves Conservative, legislation to end the death penalty in the Cornhusker state passed in the state legislature.

Governor Pete Ricketts, a republican from Nebraska City, vowed to veto such legislation should it land on his desk, which he promptly did.  However, with the help of a handful of "conservatives" there were enough votes to overturn the veto.  One of these individuals was Brett Lindstrom, a former 'Husker backup quarterback who considers himself a 21st century Reaganite, which is ludicrous.

Poof!  Just like that, Nebraska no longer has the death penalty.

The state has been in mourning this past week. Omaha police were serving a felony arrest warrant against an individual with a lengthy criminal record (do you ever wonder like I do how these people do not remain in jail?) when a firefight broke out, mortally wounding the suspect and a member of the Omaha Police Department.

Kerrie Orozco, a 29 year old female member of OPD, died at Creighton University Medical Center from her wounds. Kerrie Orozco, who is survived by her husband and three children, one of whom was reported to be a premature infant who remains in an Omaha hospital.  Orozco, described by Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer as a remarkable person and officer and a perfect representative of the profession, is the first OPD officer slain since 2003.

Omaha came together strong to pay tribute and offer their respects to Orozco and her family, even thwarting efforts by the idiots from the Westboro Baptist Church to cause a raucous.  In Omaha, BLUE LIVES MATTER!


With the legislative vote to repeal the death penalty, the state legislature governed against the will of the people, as Nebraskans overwhelming support it.  Individuals of the sort who have no regard for law and order and think nothing or murdering police officers are those that the death penalty suits perfectly.

Can't the legislature read the signs?

I remember a day, when Lincoln was terrorized by a crazed killer, where everybody and anybody wanted this serial murderer put to death promptly after his apprehension.  In fact, police nabbed him in Wyoming, Charles Starkweather was brought back to Lincoln and electrocuted in the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln in 1959.

The death penalty may not be a deterrent to all, but it is certainly a powerful tool of penance for those who recklessly disobey the rule of law resulting in the taking of innocent lives.  As former Nebraska governor Dave Heineman said, “It’s important for Nebraska to have a death penalty, for the most heinous of crimes. We just had the most recent situation in Omaha, the shooting in Norfolk and a variety of communities across the state.”

Right on Gov. Heinemen, particularly that recent situation in Omaha, which took the life of a top notch member of the community.  It was a sign.

Thankfully the Omaha fugitive was killed in the field, or given the mindset of the moronic legislators, he would be sentenced to a life of three squares a day, lifting weights, congenial visits and watching sports on our dime for the rest of his pitiful existence.

It is sad the members of the state legislature did not see the signs.

A sign noting Blue Lives Matter. A sign of heartbreak in Omaha and a heartfelt sign of welcome on the state borders describing Nebraska as the good life.  And the sign of a Nebraska city in terror in 1959.

Keep your eye on the signs, and Keep Calm and Kerrie On!

Be ROYAL

#Be ROYAL!


Eric Hosmer

For the first time since 1985, behind Eric Hosmer and former 'Husker Alex Gordon, the Kansas City Royals are playoff bound!  Along with George Brett, I celebrate.  #TakeTheCrown

Range of Emotions in The Good Life

 

As Gary Sharp of Sharp & Benning in the Morning on 1620 The Zone in Omaha accurately summarized, on a day when sports, politics and life came together on a Tuesday in Nebraska, a "full range of emotions" littered the landscape from the Harper-Schramm residence halls on 14th Street in Lincoln up to Leavenworth Street in Omaha.

With voters heading to the polls from Sydney to Bellevue, a puzzling story surfaced involving a pair of University of Nebraska athletes. NU long-distance runner Lucas Keifer and starting linebacker Josh Banderas were arrested and charged with felony theft as evidence appears to indicate they stole approximately seven locked bikes from the UNL campus.

Keifer and Banderas both attended Lincoln Southeast HS.  Banderas is the son of Tom Banderas, an outstanding tight end in the mid eighties for the Big Red.

By all accounts, testified to by Zone co-host Damon Benning, Banderas would be among the last of the football roster to be suspected of such activity.  However, as one of the culprits stated, it was a bonehead move.

No kidding.  If only they had stopped for some crab legs.

Meanwhile, the proclamation of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R:KY, that every Tea Party candidate would be "crushed everywhere" went down in flames.

Ben Sasse, a candidate backed by Tea Party stalwarts such as Sarah Palin, Sen, Ted Cruz, R:TX, Club for Growth, Sen. Mike Lee, R:UT, and Glenn Beck, won going away.  Shane Osborn, no relation to famed Nebraska football coach and politician Dr. Tom Osborne, seemed like a decent candidate, but had some issues with regard to his Navy past and informed the audience of The Glenn Beck Program on radio of his involvement with Grover Norquist of Americans For Tax Reform, whose cozy relationship with Muslim interests give many cause for concern.

While we are at it, Pete Ricketts,  President and Director of Platte Institute for Economic Research, won the GOP primary in a close one over Jon Bruning, who had just lost a Senate race to now Senator Deb Fischer.  Ricketts, son of J. Joseph Ricketts, Founder of Ameritrade and owner of The Chicago Cubs, a fiscal and social conservative, won the endorsement of Sarah Palin.  Ricketts is almost assured of victory in the general, with a substantial lead in recent polling.

So, it was a big win for The Tea Party, much to the dismay of Senator McConnell, who should know better than to mess with Sarah Palin.  The Tea Party victories are just beginning. 

Some good folks, who stuck their neck out, lost races but can hold their heads high as we certainly appreciate their participation in the debate.  We listen to voices rather than attempt to quiet them.

Maybe those living The Good Life could have closed this day with some baseball at TD Ameritrade Park, where I am told hamburgers were two for one.  But, this is not a food show.

Sadly, those hopes ended with the wheel of a bus going round and round. The college baseball game with Nebraska facing Creighton scheduled for Tuesday night at TD Ameritrade Park was canceled due to travel issues.  After having their flight canceled after defeating Michigan State in East Lansing, the Big Red baseball team traveled back by bus.  However, they were unable to arrive in Omaha in time for the first pitch.

A fitting closing for a day which encompassed a wide range of emotions; mixing life, politics and sports.  Don't Tread On Me and GBR!

Hardwood Hopes

On BAHL Revere, we rarely write about college basketball, but it was an interesting weekend on the way to the Final Four for the three teams I follow.

Florida State, who after a strong start to the season, has seen it hopes for a berth in the NCAA tourney disintegrating quickly, needing nothing short of a victory on Saturday night at Wake Forest.  Understanding the magnitude of the evening, the Seminoles got off to their usual horrendous start, falling behind 24-8.  However, FSU adopted the football team mantra of one team one heartbeat and stormed back to win 67-60.  The Seminoles still have an uphill climb to make the tourney, and it does not get any easier as North Carolina comes to Tallahassee on Monday.  But, given the big win over Wake, the Noles are still alive and can control their own destiny.

Nebraska has not any basketball success to speak of in a pair of decades, but with the beautiful new Pinnacle Bank Arena and a new coach in Tim Miles who seems to have quite a handle on things, the future looks quite bright for the young Cornhuskers.  But on Sunday, the Big Red went to East Lansing to take on ninth ranked Michigan State at Breslin Arena, a very difficult place to win for the who's who of college basketball.  Although the Spartans have been bitten by the injury bug, Nebraska led the whole way and came away with the biggest win for the Huskers in decades, a win which may provide an avenue to the NCAA tourney.  Coach Miles was an excellent hire for NU, and the light shining from that bright future may arrive earlier than previously expected.

Up in Omaha, Creighton, behind NCAA player of the year Doug McDermott, easily disposed of sixth ranked Villanova.  The Blue Jays and McDermott, the coaches son, are a wonderful story.  Behind Dougie McBuckets, the Blue Jays can score with anyone and could be a real tough out in the NCAA tournament, which they are certain to make.  It has been a real pleasure to follow the career of McDermott, who seems destined for NBA success.