-Isms: Views on life in rural America

Unpopular opinion: Sportsmanship is best shown during competition, not during a five-second sound bite or video during a coin toss.

That’s why I agree with the take by Nebraska sports writer Mitch Sherman from Friday’s Huskers versus Iowa game. “The Athletic” journalist asserts that the 60-minute football contest showed true sportsmanship.

The pregame antics were pure hype.

“They didn’t head hunt. They didn’t try to start fights or commit personal fouls. Common in rivalry games, those actions would have crossed the line of poor sportsmanship.

But a silent protest before the coin toss as a reminder of the motivation in play?

Spare us the insincere audacity,” Sherman wrote after the Hawkeyes kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired in Kinnick Stadium.

Unfortunately for the ‘Skers, the lack of handshaking backfired. If you’re going to take a verbal or non-verbal stand, you’ll need to back it up through actions. While I don’t appreciate the captains’ stance, I understand their motivation.

Okay, I hear your arguments:

“But Coach Tom wouldn’t approve.”

I’m sure he wouldn’t and that’s his prerogative. He’s also not running the show anymore. I’m wondering if Coach Matt knew the plan or if the four captains - Elliott Brown, DeShon Singleton, MJ Sherman and Emmett Johnson - reached consensus to stand silent as they walked to midfield, a spot from which they were earlier banned as the Husker team and coaches made their way to the 50-yard line for a pregame prayer.

“I’m embarrassed by their actions.”

Were you embarrassed by actions of Iowa players last year, as they mocked the boys in red, waving (cue NSYNC) bye-bye-bye bye-bye, as Iowa’s kicker won the game on a last-second field goal in a game played in Lincoln? Were you embarrassed three years ago when, once again, Iowa’s kicker won the game on a field goal, in Memorial Stadium, and ran down field, blowing kisses at dejected Husker players? Did those actions show blatant disregard for sportsmanship?

Every aspect of the game by both teams should fall under the same scrutiny ... or, to quote Sherman, “Stop clutching your pearls.”

According to Merriam-Webster, ri•val•ry, /noun/, originates from the Latin rivalis or rivus, which translates to “of the same brook,” denoting that two sides want the same outcome. Its root word - rei - means to run or flow. The -ry suffix means “the condition of,” indicating a class or collection. Put it all together and you come up with two sides running toward the same outcome.

Sounds like a football term to me.

The first use of the word, in the 1570s, was used to identify someone who is in pursuit of the same object as another. That definition is still relevant, especially during college football rivalry week, with games traditionally played the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Nebraska’s handshake snub pales in comparison to other acts that occurred this weekend. There weren’t scuffles like what was witnessed in the Michigan-Ohio State, Florida State-Florida, NC State-North Carolina and Arizona State-Arizona games. No fists flew in Iowa City. No flags were planted in the end zone or midfield. Pepper spray was not deployed.

Instead, one team chose to flex its muscles in a pre-game moment and it failed. If you’re going to talk the talk, you’ve got to walk the walk. That’s a lesson this team quickly learned.