Celebrating 25 Years of BHF

[BHF Administrator]

As we celebrate 25 years of BigHuskerFan.com, we want to take a moment to say something that means more than anything else: THANK YOU.

Twenty-five years ago, in October 2001, BigHuskerFan.com began with a shared vision between two Husker fans: one bringing the technical know-how to build the foundation from the ground up, and the other bringing the creative vision to shape its look and identity. Together, their goal was simple — to create an online home where passionate Husker fans could come together, share their thoughts, and celebrate everything Nebraska.

What started as a simple idea has grown into a community that has been part of countless Husker memories over the past 25 years.

Through the wins and losses, coaching changes, unforgettable Saturdays, exciting seasons, tough debates, friendly banter, and everything in between, you — our members and participants — have been the heart of Big Husker Fan.

As we look back through the archives at the early forums, old conversations, and memories from years past, we're reminded that the true history of Big Husker Fan isn't just about a website. It's about the people who have made it a community.

Whether you joined us in the early days or became part of the family more recently, thank you. Thank you for sharing your opinions, your memories, your humor, your enthusiasm, and your passion for the Huskers.

Without you, Big Husker Fan would simply be a website. Because of you, it became a community.

Here's to 25 years of memories, friendships, conversations, and Husker pride — and to all the moments still ahead.

Thank you for being part of the Big Husker Fan family.

GO BIG RED


What’s your favorite Big Husker Fan memory? From legendary game day threads to long-time friendships made here, reply below and let us know what made the last 25 years special for you.

 

[Johnny Blackshirt]

As we celebrate 25 years of BigHuskerFan.com, we want to take a moment to say something that means more than anything else: THANK YOU.

Twenty-five years ago, in October 2001, BigHuskerFan.com began with a shared vision between two Husker fans: one bringing the technical know-how to build the foundation from the ground up, and the other bringing the creative vision to shape its look and identity. Together, their goal was simple — to create an online home where passionate Husker fans could come together, share their thoughts, and celebrate everything Nebraska.

What started as a simple idea has grown into a community that has been part of countless Husker memories over the past 25 years.

Through the wins and losses, coaching changes, unforgettable Saturdays, exciting seasons, tough debates, friendly banter, and everything in between, you — our members and participants — have been the heart of Big Husker Fan.

As we look back through the archives at the early forums, old conversations, and memories from years past, we're reminded that the true history of Big Husker Fan isn't just about a website. It's about the people who have made it a community.

Whether you joined us in the early days or became part of the family more recently, thank you. Thank you for sharing your opinions, your memories, your humor, your enthusiasm, and your passion for the Huskers.

Without you, Big Husker Fan would simply be a website. Because of you, it became a community.

Here's to 25 years of memories, friendships, conversations, and Husker pride — and to all the moments still ahead.

Thank you for being part of the Big Husker Fan family.

GO BIG RED


What’s your favorite Big Husker Fan memory? From legendary game day threads to long-time friendships made here, reply below and let us know what made the last 25 years special for you.

 

[Johnny Blackshirt]

Twenty-five years ago, Neal started bighuskerfan.com, and I was lucky enough to be there at the beginning. I haven't been around for a while, but I've never forgotten what this place meant to me. It was somewhere to gather, to argue, to celebrate, and to get through the hard seasons together.

Neal, thank you for building it and for keeping the door open all these years. I'm proud to have been a part of it, and I'm going to do my best to be around more.

Go Big Red.

 

[BHF Administrator]

Remember “The Scoop” by Johnny Blackshirt? Back in the early days, those articles were part of what made Big Husker Fan feel like such a community. There was something special about checking in to see what Johnny had to say - part insight, part humor, and all Husker. Maybe it’s time to bring "The Scoop" back. GO BIG RED

 

[Doc Fumble]

What started as a simple idea has grown into a community that has been part of countless Husker memories over the past 25 years.

Those of us who were long-time members of Scout's old 'Husker Central' board have mega-respect for Big Husker Fan. Any fan site that has stayed the course for over 25 years is, in the words of Coach Rhule, "in an elite category." Hats off to everyone involved.

One of the advantages of being a relative newbie (by BHF standards) is my perspective is different from those of you who've been hanging out here for decades. News Flash: You won't find this type of community elsewhere.

I've been around a bunch of message boards. Truthfully, you can usually find an interesting poster or two--or three on most fan sites. But what I guarantee you won't find is the consistent quality across the board. This place has brought together an impressive collection of thoughtful fans with insights -- and smiles -- to offer that you won't find other places.

And what is particularly noteworthy here is that you don't see managed 'group think.' The mods/admins here are relaxed and allow posters to express themselves without a whole lot of constraints. While we can occasionally get into some 'passionate' debates, rarely has anyone ever crossed the line. I've seen less 'locked threads' here in over eight years than most places have in a week. BHF posters are treated like mature adults--but it has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with any of our ages.

While this is an online site, it's as real to its members as our neighborhood diner. Don't take BHF for granted! Appreciate what you've got here. That really hit home to me when word got out back-in-the-day that the online 'watering hole' I'd spent 15 years enjoying with my buddies was facing the wrecking ball.

One of the best decisions I've ever made was listening when Crazyhole called me and said, "Hey Fumble, I think I found our new home. Check out Big Husker Fan. Its got a classy layout and looks like a fun place."
It has been.

 

[HuskersNC949597]

The random Arizona State fan popping during the 2005 CWS and just posting "!Q!!".

The troll who claimed to have once seen a punt that used up several minutes of a quarter in hangtime, and leaked "insider info" during Steve Pederson's botched head coach search that the new guy would be introduced by being fired out of a cannon and would argue rather fiercely with anyone who dared question anything it posted.

Other than that I don't remember much

 

[BHF Administrator]

Thanks, Fumble. I really appreciate you taking the time to write this. Reading your perspective, especially knowing you’ve been part of the BHF community for so many years, makes it especially meaningful.

A message board is really only as good as the people who choose to spend their time here, and people like you are a big part of why BHF has lasted as long as it has. The friendships, the humor, the debates, and even the occasional disagreements are what make this place feel like more than just another message board.

I’m also glad Crazyhole made that call all those years ago and that you decided to give BHF a chance. Knowing that you found a new home here — and that it’s remained a place you enjoy being a part of — is about the best compliment we could receive.

Thank you for being part of BHF and for helping make it what it is. We're genuinely grateful to have you here. Here’s to many more years of Husker talk, laughs, and friendship.

 

[Hunchback Johnny]

I can't articulate my thoughts as well as Doc Fum does. He summed up the value of this forum to all who participate perfectly. On the 25th Anniversary I can't help but think of BHF members from the past. Diehard, Solly, Crazyhole, MRJFB... (no disrespect to others I may have missed), I would like to think they all have 50-yard line seats and are waiting for the rest of us to join them and have one GRAND BHF Party some day!

Piece

 

[Doc Fumble]

On the 25th Anniversary I can't help but think of BHF members from the past. Diehard, Solly, Crazyhole, MRJFB... (no disrespect to others I may have missed), I would like to think they all have 50-yard line seats and are waiting for the rest of us to join them and have one GRAND BHF Party some day!

Like this x 1000! Once again, Hunch demonstrates why he's our board's Poet Laureate.

 

[Uenth]

I was a long time poster at HuskerPedia. Quit posting there because it was too argumentative and too many trolls posting. Also I had "lost that loving feeling" - combination of Bo's temper tantrums and Riley's ineptness. I was really crushing on just the possibility of Frostie becoming our next Coach and leading us back to the Promised Land, so I created an account. The atmosphere over here was stunning to me. A certain degree of latitude for our craziness but there is a definite line that cannot be crossed and that is enforced across the board, near as I can tell. That alone makes this board unique and a kind of oasis in the wilderness of sports message boards.

Love this place and the crazy, eclectic collection of crazy Husker fans that post here! Thanks to those who created this place and to everyone who makes it the welcoming place it is!!!

 

[Bummerbry]

I’ve had so much fun being a part of this place! Made a lot of good friends. Like I said before I think Johnny Blackshirt found myself and justino on a former Yahoo fan message board and we have been here ever since.

Some of my funnest times was when we were getting really good inside information and often were beating everyone (media, other boards etc) at getting news out. There were some not so happy sports guys at the Omaha World Herald and I quite enjoyed that!!

But definitely want to thank Neal and Johnny Blackshirt for creating this place!

 

[ramelbm]

BHF is the only site I’ve been on. I joined around the time Callahan was hired, and have very much enjoyed the family atmosphere here. There has always been a lot of camaraderie after wins and commiseration after losses. There was the occasional dust up (I even was challenged to a fight by Doc Holliday), but families do that.

Back then, I couldn’t get enough football….NFL, all levels of college (my college is D-III), and of course the Huskers. As I’ve aged, my fandom has waned. First I stopped watching the NFL, then college football outside of the Skers. This year, I haven’t even watched a Husker game. NIL, transfer portal, and other garbage has ruined the game for me. But I still like to come here and read about it. When I’m surrounded by folks who still want to argue that Solich shouldn’t have been fired, I know I’m in the right place.

So thanks to both the staff who make BHF a reality and to the many fanatics that bring their passion!

 

[Hunchback Johnny]

BHF is the only site I’ve been on. I joined around the time Callahan was hired, and have very much enjoyed the family atmosphere here. There has always been a lot of camaraderie after wins and commiseration after losses. There was the occasional dust up (I even was challenged to a fight by Doc Holliday), but families do that.

Back then, I couldn’t get enough football….NFL, all levels of college (my college is D-III), and of course the Huskers. As I’ve aged, my fandom has waned. First I stopped watching the NFL, then college football outside of the Skers. This year, I haven’t even watched a Husker game. NIL, transfer portal, and other garbage has ruined the game for me. But I still like to come here and read about it. When I’m surrounded by folks who still want to argue that Solich shouldn’t have been fired, I know I’m in the right place.

So thanks to both the staff who make BHF a reality and to the many fanatics that bring their passion!

Well said ramelbm. I too left the NFL for good about 10 years ago. I honestly think I'm still clinging to college football because of BHF. Each of the two last off seasons I find myself sickened by all the talk about player salaries, what can we afford, and who can we pick up in the portal. Then the season starts and I feel compelled to argue with Dr Fum about Coach Matt's qualifications, or lack thereof, to lead the Big Red. You need to check out the Huskers this year to see Colandrea. He's an old school Nebraska QB that is a joy to watch!

 

[Doc Fumble]

BHF is the only site I’ve been on. I joined around the time Callahan was hired, and have very much enjoyed the family atmosphere here. There has always been a lot of camaraderie after wins and commiseration after losses.

The site is well designed and classy looking but you've nailed what separates BHF from the others, ramelbm: The Community.

Before BHF, I'd taken it as standard form for people to post (for lack of a better descriptor) with a "chip on their shoulder." It was if the message board was it's own sporting event that individual posters had to 'win' by beating up anybody who thought differently. (Maybe that was the sign of the times.) But over the years, I'd learned how to play the game. I could--and did--"Blowhard" with the best of 'em.

But it's different here. Like ramelbm, when I started hanging out, I was impressed by the friendly atmosphere I found here. It felt genuine and not moderator-forced. What immediately endeared BHF to me was the gang's sense of humor. It was fun to hang with people who took their Husker fandom seriously but not so much themselves. Okay, there was ONE stark exception but he left the board when Mickey Joseph left the program.

If I had one wish for this thread...
it would be for some of you who've been here from the beginning to share how BHF got started. How did it evolve from the old Yahoo message board days? Tell us about The Scoop? Tell us about the Solly days? Tell us about the site upgrades?

As someone who laments that so much treasured history disappeared when my old Scout board went 'poof,' I appreciate the 'old stories.' Our future becomes stronger when we value our past. This thread is a great place to preserve the stories of BHF's early days.

 

[SUHnami]

I joined back in 2007 when Billy C was canned. I had heard he was did a Google search of fired Husker coach and low an behold the search turned up this site.

I've met quite a few unique folks and some friends. BHF has been a great community for a long time. There used to be some bad actors on this site but through great leadership from Neal and others, the removing of the Third Rail and redesign of this site and so many new fresh faces, we were successful in accomplishing that goal.

You know what they say GBR 4 Life!

 

[Doc Fumble]

...through great leadership from Neal and others, the removing of the Third Rail ...

IMO, THAT decision was absolutely critical to developing the kind of board BHF has now.

When Frost became the HC at UCF, I joined a UCF board that had its own version of "the Third Rail". While I don't mind talking current events, today's toxic environment makes it impossible to engage in any kind of thoughtful back-and-forth discussion of issues without it devolving into angry, schoolyard insults.

This place needed one of those like it needed a hole in the head.

 

[SUHnami]

IMO, THAT decision was absolutely critical to developing the kind of board BHF has now.

When Frost became the HC at UCF, I joined a UCF board that had its own version of "the Third Rail". While I don't mind talking current events, today's toxic environment makes it impossible to engage in any kind of thoughtful back-and-forth discussion of issues without it devolving into angry, schoolyard insults.

This place needed one of those like it needed a hole in the head.

The Third Rail got out of control. Many suspensions and bans because of it. I mean being an Admin or Mod it was a nightmare. So when the site was redesigned it was agreed by the leadership to remove the Third Rail. Still had some bad actors after that. They were banned and it has really been nice for the last several years.

 

[Chris]

The Third Rail got out of control. Many suspensions and bans because of it. I mean being an Admin or Mod it was a nightmare. So when the site was redesigned it was agreed by the leadership to remove the Third Rail. Still had some bad actors after that. They were banned and it has really been nice for the last several years.

I'm pretty sure you and I exchanged a msg something along the lines of :I need a drink... or three... after some of the Third Rail debacles.

 

[Uenth]

I'm pretty sure you and I exchanged a msg something along the lines of :I need a drink... or three... after some of the Third Rail debacles.

I'm shocked, shocked I tell you!

LOL, I used to feel the same way. About 15 years ago, I was one of the moderators on a message board for people with spinal injuries/issues. I missed the Third Rail hijinks but you haven't lived until you're dealing with a couple hundred of people who are in pain 24/7 and have been for a long period of time. We had the same taboos on religion/politics but there were those who insisted that it was their right to start threads praying for people, even though some of those people publicly asked them not to start threads mentioning them. I finally just washed my hands of the entire place. Haven't looked back since. Really is too bad since I'm one of the lucky ones who had a positive outcome for surgery. Mostly what you find on sites like that are people who can't afford or are afraid to have the surgery and tons of people with bad outcomes who try to scare the bejesus out of anyone considering spinal surgery. If you have a positive outcome, generally you start living life again and no longer post on those sites so most people don't understand that there are lots of good surgical outcomes.

 

[SUHnami]

I'm pretty sure you and I exchanged a msg something along the lines of :I need a drink... or three... after some of the Third Rail debacles.

Lol probably. My mind has probably blocked some of that out. It was incredibly difficult to moderate and so many hurt feelings. It died a good death. Made moderating so much easier with it gone. And so much more enjoyable.