Nebraska Basketball: Hate never wins, but the Huskers do

In a week smothered in racial conflict, the Nebraska Basketball team left its mark on and off the court defeating Rutgers 67-55.

Racial tensions have been higher than it has for decades. That fact hit home for the Nebraska Basketball team this week. In response to a sick video released by a Nebraska student, who claims to be the most active white nationalist in the Nebraska area, the Huskers chose to stay positive.

First off, before I continue. As a white male, may I say this scum does not in any way represent the mass majority of white people in America or around the world. It is these types of people, behind closed doors and a camera lens their momma bought them, that stand out more than the majority.

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This goes for all racial hatred no matter which side of the street you are on. We must all come together, and understand that the times we live in gives everyone a voice, even those that should not be heard.

It is a real shame that a sports writer like myself can not find the gumption to overlook what the kids at Nebraska have dealt with, or the kids across the country dealing with the same issues. This is supposed to be an article about a basketball game, yet it’s turned into a 10th grade sociology assignment.

To the game

Rather than protest the game against Rutgers, the men’s basketball team chose to stand together and take the high road. The meaning of this should never go unseen.

As a team the Huskers came out wearing “Hate Will Never Win” warm up shirts in front of their home crowd. A video written by the players was shown and was well received by the home crowd.

The Huskers managed to build large leads each time Rutgers made a run, never allowing them to stick around for long. In the first half the Huskers built a 16 point lead cut down to 5. Nebraska led by nine at the half. In the second half Rutgers fell behind by 16 before cutting it to 10 before falling behind again by as much as 19 points.

James Palmer Jr. led all Husker scorers with 15 points. Isaiah Roby had another stellar game with 10 points, 11 rebounds and two blocked shots.

Nebraska hasn’t had 19 wins in a season for a decade. They have racked up 13 wins at home with only one loss coming to the Jayhawks earlier in the season. The Huskers have won seven of the last eight Big Ten games. Rutgers has lost seven games in a row.

One last rant before I go

Everyone across the nation should applaud the Huskers for coming out in unity, rather than boycotting. To make a difference you must be seen, boycotting means you are absent from the issue.

Life is too damn short to have hatred towards people you don’t know. Any race, religion, political affiliation or sexual orientation does not define who we are as a human race. Judgement across America is fluent, and the greatest books are not defined by their cover.

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Please, if you ever have such a rage built inside of you towards someone else, look in a mirror and check yourself, before you wreck yourself.

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