Huskers vs. Broncos

The billboard coming into downtown Lincoln on I-180, past Memorial Stadium, reads, "The Journey Begins," with the Sears National Championship trophy in the background. And so the journey does begin today, when first-year head coach Bo Pelini and his staff leads the Huskers through the tunnel and onto the Memorial Stadium turf to take on the Broncos of Western Michigan University. The drama and sorrow of the Bill Callahan era is over, and the anticipation and hopes of Husker Nation rest with it's new leader. It all begins at the 6:00 p.m. kickoff today. Husker Football, 2008!

The Huskers won't come out looking particularly sharp today, what with a new coaching staff, new starters and personnel, and a new philosophy. There will be a few, maybe several, moments of sloppiness. Lots of first-game jitters and such. But I can tell you this - there will be some real moments of old-fashioned, smash-mouth, Husker Blackshirt-worthy defense. The Broncos will have a hard time getting on the board today. Oh make no mistake, they will score, but not often and not enough. The Husker offense will shake off the rust after the first quarter, and the Big Red train will find the end zone multiple times en route to a 38-13 opening day win. Bold prediction? Maybe. But based on what I've seen through spring ball and fall camp, this team has something the past four Husker teams have sorely lacked, and that's intensity. They may not be the best in the nation, yet, but they have intensity. Any player who calls Bo head coach and doesn't have intensity, won't be playing for long. Period.

See ya tomorrow for a recap.

GO BIG RED!

In Huskers We Trust

I believe in Tom, the AD Almighty, the restorer of Pride and Respect, and in Bo Pelini, His prodigal coach,

Who was brought in by Frank Solich, born of the 2003 defensive swagger, suffered under Steve Pederson, was looked over, fired, and moved on.

He descended into Oklahoma. The third year with LSU, He won a National Championship.

He ascended back to Nebraska and sits at the right hand of Tom, the AD, whence He shall come to judge the offense and the defense.

I believe in the pinnacle of college football, the University of Nebraska, the Assistant Coaches, the Watson Coast Offense, the resurrection of the team, and national prominence everlasting!

Amen

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, kids of all ages, the time hath approached once again for another college football season! Opening Day is a mere three days away, and the anticipation is once again running high and mighty that we shall see a much-improved Nebraska football program. When I say much-improved, I don't know that will necessarily translate into wins as we adjust to yet another new coaching staff and philosophy. But, based on what we've seen, read, and heard thus far, it would appear that first-year head coach Bo Pelini has the attitude and swagger to bring back the smash-mouth kind of football which Big Red Land has become accustomed to in their proud history. We're going to knock a few people on their butts this season. That I can guarantee, and I suspect the Huskers will improve on last season's 5-7 mark. I also suspect the Huskers will be back in serious contention for a Big Twelve title by next season. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if they scare a few folks into thinking they are good enough to compete for a title this year. But, I'm trying not to let my excitement cloud my good judgement.

As I did last year, I will plan on posting my prediction each week and post-game commentary, and I look forward to following the story of the 2008 season as we begin to write the next chapter of Cornhusker Football.

As for the Lady Husker Volleyball Team, the biggest story this year is that they are beginning the season ranked #7 in the nation. This is a story because it's an unfamiliar place for them as they are normally pre-season ranked in the top five. But, with only a couple of returning seniors, the Huskers will look to develop a few top, yet young and inexperienced, recruits. Things won't be easy for them out of the gate, as they open the season on Friday against second-ranked Stanford, then battle fourth-ranked USC on Sunday. Good grief - no mercy, huh?

GO BIG RED!!!!

Boycott Anheuser-Busch

Help me in boycotting Anheuser-Busch since they are sellouts (to In-Bev, a Belgium brewer).

Drop your beer off at my house & I will dispose of it.

We'll teach those bastards.

(Thanks to my brother for giving me this great idea for beer disposal.)

MonaVie

So, I had originally begun typing a rather lengthy post with the intention of recapping the last month in the life of the Campbell Clan, but when the post began to take on the image of an end-of-the-year Christmas letter, I trashed it. Suffice it to say it's been another crazy month, and I again apologize for my lack of writing. The desire is there, the time is not. Rather than a recap, allow me to just sort of tell you what's on my mind.

Work is killing me, people. Don't get me wrong - I love what I do for a living, but I despise the hours. Shift work is nothing short of hell on family life. Especially second shift, which is what I will be moving to next week. I am coming off of third shift, which is rough because of the about-face in sleeping patterns one has to overcome. Second shift leaves me with little opportunity to see my son, save for the weekends, and leaves my wife at home every evening to handle the kids and their activities by her lonesome. And because of my lack of seniority, second and third shift is all I will work for quite sometime. Whilst I love what I do, my enjoyment of the job isn't enough to overcome the not-so-great hours.

So, I'm working on getting the heck out of the job. How so, you ask? Through an amazing product called MonaVie. I discovered this product through my brother and sister-in-law, and while it took me awhile to become convinced (damn skeptics!) of it's benefits, I am head-over-heels crazy about it. MonaVie is a nutrional beverage containing nineteen of the nature's top super-fruits. The crown jewel of the juice is the Brazilian acai (prounounced ah-sigh-ee) berry.

This little berry has been around for centuries, and has been consumed by the natives to promote healing and overall good health. The western world, until recently, had not experienced the benefits of the berry because there did not exist a method of processing it before it would literally go bad. Monarch Health Sciences and MonaVie solved this problem through a flash-freezing process which retains about ninety-seven percent of the berry's nutrional value.

Thus, the birth of MonaVie. The health benefits my family has experienced since drinking this juice have been nothing short of amazing. No more aches and pains, much-improved sleeping, and prolonged energy. I can't say enough about the juice, and the fact that it's all-natural, healthy, and incredibly tasty makes it even better.

But beyond the health benefits, the company itself uses a large portion of its profits to benefit the Amazonian community. Through the M.O.R.E. Project, MonaVie is building housing, providing education, and helping to curb the orphan problem in the country of Brazil. The company is doing wonderful things with its resources, and I am proud to be a part of it.

Of course, there are the naysayers, and plenty of them. A quick Google search will reveal plenty of commentary against MonaVie, but I have found most of it to be arguable, and a lot of it just plain wrong. Regardless of the product, there are going to be those that have nothing good to say. My excitement comes from my personal experience with MonaVie, and I need nothing else.

And now the plug - if I've piqued your interest at all, leave me a comment or drop me a line at huskerkev@gmail.com, and I will be happy to discuss this with you more. I'm excited to be on the road to a healthier financial life, and in the process of leaving behind the shift work I have come to despise.

Peace.