At the risk of abandoning readers and ditching objectivity, I freely admit that I’m a Nebraska Cornhusker fan.

I’ll also admit that these are tough times to bleed Husker red. I

 made the trip down to Lincoln last weekend to view the Iowa State disaster first hand.

In case you didn’t know, the Cyclones beat NU in Lincoln for the first time since 1977. The final score was 9-7, and yes, this was football — not baseball, softball, or a high-scoring soccer game.

But more frustrating than the fact that the Huskers lost was how the Huskers lost.

They turned the ball over eight times, and four fumbles were inside the Cyclones’ five-yard line. It was like a video game that you get so frustrated playing that you want to press the “reset” button. Only this was real life, and I couldn’t pull the plug.

It’s actually a wonder that ISU didn’t put more points on the board. Husker fans can at least thank the stout NU defense for keeping the game close. Close, though, didn’t make the 80,000-plus Husker fans feel any better as they filed out of the stadium.

I do know this: If the “sea of red” is known for one thing, it’s recognized as one of the most respectful audiences in college football.

Opposing fans don’t need to worry about being heckled or threatened.

They don’t need to worry about bringing along spare tires in the trunk.

And Husker fans, no matter how dejected, stand and clap for the opposing team after each game.

It’s something that all sports, at every level, could use more of. That includes respect for teammates, respect for coaches, respect for the opposing team, respect for fans, and most of all — respect for officials.

Sometimes, the bigger a game’s impact becomes, the faster respect disappears from the contest. Maybe it’s because the more emotional a game becomes, the easier it is to let those emotions get out of hand.

That’s why as playoff season approaches, respect becomes even more important. There’s no instant replay in high school athletics, and there’s no guarantee that the referees will get one-hundred percent of the calls right. But officials that are treated with respect, more are likely to return the favor – that I can guarantee.

Players should also show that same respect for their opponent. It was Plato that said you can learn more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.

According to one of the greatest philosphers who ever lived, that would make some people pretty big jerks.

Don’t be that jerk.

Good luck to all area fans, coaches, athletes and officials this postseason!

In less than two months, I feel like I made a complete circle.

Going from arguably the quietest sporting event to the loudest, it’s been quite a good couple of months.

During the month of August, I traveled to the 91st PGA Championship in Chaska.There, people were quiet and courteous.

Standing and watching the world’s best golfers playing in the elite tournament, sometimes all you could hear was the gently sway of the trees in the breeze. That, and the blimps.

That was one of the most surprising things to me, how loud the blimps were. I always figured they were quietly gliding through the air, but that was not the case.

The small engines on the two blimps that made an appearance were plenty noisy — you always knew where they were.

After spending the week being quiet and being careful where and when you move, I recently went to a NASCAR race in Kansas City.

There, the raw horsepower of the cars speeding by was anything but quiet.

I had the fortune to experience the race like few others. Thanks to one of my friends, I spent the entire weekend on the backstretch of the Kansas Speedway.

Leaving early Saturday morning, I embarked on a six-hour journey that took me through four different states. Just prior to the drop of the green flag for the Nationwide race, I pulled into the track. My friend met me at the gate and escorted me into the motor home terrace. The way the track is set up, the grandstands are by the start/finish line, but on the opposite side, on the backstretch, is a hill.The hill is leveled off, creating spots for motor homes to park. I spent my entire weekend on that hill, eating, sleeping and watching the race from that very spot.

Saturday was a little chilly for a race, but that didn’t bother me. We weren’t sitting in the stands, packed tightly like the spectators across from us. Instead, we were walking around, spending time in the motor home, or just talking and catching up.

The race was, in fact, very entertaining. Kyle Busch led 173 of the 200 laps, and it appeared he was a sure winner. It wasn’t to be, however. Youngster Joey Logano led only four laps, but was in front on the most important one — the last one — sending him to a victory.

After a feast Saturday night and an entertaining evening that included walking into the infield to mingle with other fans, Sunday finally rolled around. Fighting our way through the crowds, we left our perch and went across to visit the vendors. That’s a sight. A semi full of merchandise for every driver, while some of the more popular drivers had more than one.Then, all the major sponsors each had a truck, complete with games or other activities to entice fans.

We then went back across and started to prepare for the race. It didn’t disappoint, as the Sprint Cup race followed pretty much the same pattern as the Nationwide. Greg Biffle looked nearly unbeatable, and Jimmie Johnson had a fast car, but in the end, Tony Stewart came away with the checkered flag.It was then time to pack up and make the journey back home and back to reality.

While it was a great weekend and an event every race fan should see, I’ll be content following the rest of the Chase from the comfort of my own living room.

It’s a lot quieter.