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Nebraska

Tom Osborne Speaks About Character

August 22, 2012 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Nebraska and football just go together and to just about every Nebraskan Tom Osborne is a football legend. . Former Nebraska football coach, member of Congress, and currently University of Nebraska Athletic Director spoke at the small school of Elmwood-Murdock just before the University of Nebraska joined the Big 10 and here is what he had to say.

Tom Osborne talks about character
Tom Osborne talks about character

This was just  over a week before the Nebraska Huskers kick off their season, Tom Osborne would take time out of his busy schedule to speak to Elmwood-Murdock Booster Club event. This says volumes about his character.

Elmwood-Murdock High School not a Class A school, we don’t have a huge population base, but Doctor Tom explained it this way.  “We scheduled this function quite a while ago, and although Rose Bowl committee was in town today and wanted me to attend a function tonight. I told them I had somewhere more important to attend.”

Former Nebraska Husker coach talks about character
“Character is a choice”

Tom Osborne is a very soft-spoken man, even with a mic it was difficult to hear him and you could have heard a pin drop in  the auditorium as everyone was as quiet as they could be so they could hear him speak.

Many people speak about character, and Tom emphasized that “Character is not inherited, or a trait, it is a choice.” A choice the “defines  how you act when there are no sanctions” (an appropriate  football reference) “It’s how you act when no one is looking, when you know you won’t get caught. Will you follow the rules when the coach isn’t looking? Return that wallet when you could keep the $50 inside.”

Tom referenced another famous Nebraska native,  Warren Buffet who once said that “Character was an aspect he looked for in an employee, along with Intelligence and Energy.” Intelligence and  energy were wonderful, but without character a lot of harm could be created. A positive character was a trait Tom looked for in players.  “Character will define how you react in adversity” Will you blame, divide or see adversity as an “opportunity to learn and grow.”

Tom and Nancy Osborne receive a check for TeamMates
Tom and Nancy Osborne receive a check for TeamMates

Very few times will you hear a public figure speak about spirituality. Tom Osborne does not shy away from this topic. He considers “spiritual dimension to be very important to character. Even if someone is not religious, spirituality is important. Every morning the football players had an opportunity to participate in morning devotionals and prayer before every game. The players were willing to sacrifice themselves for the team. ”

I couldn’t help but think of Notre Dame and the troubles in Happy Valley when former Coach Osborne spoke of honesty being part of character that he cherishes and looks for in a player. “It’s telling the truth, even when it won’t make you look good. A good reputation takes 30 years to build, but only five minutes to wreck”

This man has lived and built his character and reputation through not only how he has coached the Nebraska Huskers, but also through community service.  He created the TeamMates mentoring program in 1991, volunteers for many community events, and has made many unpopular decisions in support of his players.

More About Tom Osborne

Simmons says Osborne letter was life-changer

“Coach (Tom) Osborne gave me the play to take in and to this day, I use it for motivation,” said Simmons, a motivational speaker himself, who knows how to turn it around. As a matter of fact, Simmons credits Osborne for helping him turn his life around …
Day 1: Fast-paced and guided by GPS

Popular guy: Husker video coordinator Mike Nobler did his best Tom Osborne impersonation during Monday’s practice, wearing a practice wardrobe straight out of the mid-80s. @HuskerExtraBC believe the term is business casual. Very casual. pic.twitter.com …
The LIST- Tom Osborne | Sport Leadership

This week, legendary Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne discusses the influences on his Hall of Fame career, what traits he believes are most critical to effective leadership and his advice to the next generation of leaders.

Filed Under: Events, Small Town Living Tagged With: athletics, character, Elmwood-Murdock, football, huskers, inspiration, Nebraska, Nebraska Cornhuskers, speaking, sports, Tom Osborne

Severe Drought in Eastern Nebraska

August 18, 2012 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Drought burned corn in Nebraska
Drought burned corn in Nebraska

What a difference a year makes. A year ago the Midwest was in the most severe flood in history. This season it’s the worst drought anyone can remember. The season started early with warm weather that encouraged early planting. Detassling started the last weekend in June , which was about 2-3 weeks early.

The drought is in full swing and in Eastern Nebraska the corn is beyond recovery. Corn harvest officially started the sedond week in August.

Drought in the corn field
Harvesting drought affected corn in August

Farmers are cutting CRP grass to have enough forage for winter and the bean crop, while still green, has little hope. I have lived in Nebraska for almost 25 years and this summer has been the first year we have had 10 days of highs in the 100’s.

 

In Western Nebraska 100 degree temperatures have been reached 43 days out of the last sixty. Even the crops under pivots and irrigation are hurting.

The Nebraska state drought monitor has placed the entire state in a severe drought state in late July with 83% of the state being in extreme drought.

US Drought  Map
US Drought Map

Related articles

  • DROUGHT UPDATE: Recent Drought Report Released (whotv.com)
  • Drought intensifies in Kansas, Nebraska (kansascity.com)

Filed Under: Small Town Living Tagged With: agriculture, country, Drought, farming, midwest, National Weather Service, Nebraska, United States Department of Agriculture, weather

Kids Have Fun Mutton Busting

August 13, 2012 by info@3QuartersToday.com

 

At many county fairs and rodeos in the Midwest and across the United State little kids line up to ride a sheep. To protect the sheep there are weight limits, normally under 60 lbs. It’s not uncommon to see boys and girls in cowboy boots and hats as young as four years old clinging on as life depended on it.

Normally the kids don’t make it more than two seconds when they topple off. But this little girl rode like a champ and was the best I’ve ever seen.

Mutton Busting at the Wahoo Nebraska Rodeo
Mutton Busting at the Wahoo Nebraska Rodeo
Mutton Busting
The secret is to cling like a tick, get low and hug the neck
Mutton Bustin or Sheep riding at the rodeo
This little girl was so good she had to be plucked off after 8 seconds
The walk of a Mutton Bustin Champion
The walk of a Mutton Bustin Champion

As the announcer said “If you want something done, just get a woman” Most all the kids had fun, most dusting themselves off and giving a big smile. A few got trampled, beyond what they expected, and a hug from Mom or Dad made everything right again. Most likely they will be back in line next year.

Related articles

  • Tips for Mutton Busters (bethchristopher.com)
  • Mutton busters hang on at fair (showpeople.typepad.com)

 

Filed Under: Events, Small Town Living Tagged With: chids, country, fair, midwest, Mutton busting, Nebraska, rodeo, Sheep

Silent Sunday #5

August 12, 2012 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Cow and calf at the County Fair

Silent Sunday

Filed Under: Photography Tagged With: agriculture, country, cows, fair, livestock, Nebraska, Silent Sunday

Wahoo Nebraska Rodeo

August 9, 2012 by info@3QuartersToday.com

On any given summer Friday or Saturday night in the Western United States a rodeo can be found within driving distance. In eastern Nebraska the Wahoo rodeo has been a long tradition for 58 years.

In his younger days my husband traveled the rodeo circuit as a steer wrestler, otherwise known as a “bull dogger”. Every rodeo event has a practical working purpose on the ranch. It didn’t start as a sport, but as a way for a ranch to gain bragging rights and cowboys to one up each other. The history of rodeo dates back to the 1600 Spanish ranchers and their Mexican cowboys.

Patriotism is Strong at the Opening of a Rodeo
Patriotism is Strong at the Opening to the Wahoo Nebraska Rodeo. Note the young boy with his hat over his heart.

The rodeo opened with the announcer giving tribute to family, thanking all military personal, and saying a prayer for God to protect the cowboys and keep them safe during the night. I wish I had brought my video camera as the speech is extremely moving and brings a tear to your eye.

Calf Roping at the Wahoo Nebraska Rodeo
Calf Roping at the Wahoo Nebraska Rodeo
Cowboys waiting for their turn
Cowboys waiting for their turn
Saddle bronc riding
Saddle bronc riding (click for larger image)

All photos were shot with a Canon Rebel XS with a 75-300 lens. Since the rodeo doesn’t start until 8pm and everything is fast I had the ISO cranked up to 800 right away and it wasn’t long before it went to 1600. Aperture was high at 5.6 and shutter speed no lower than 1/100 sec.

Being around horses and attending previous rodeos I could anticipate my shots to get the best picture like this bull exploding out of the chute.

Bull riding
Bull riding

Lightroom 4 was used in post production for cropping white balance and increased clarity. Noise reduction was accomplised in the Luminescence function I described last week.

Related articles

  • Rodeo: Days of ’76 Rodeo starts strong (rapidcityjournal.com)
  • Rodeo: Cowan values family over rodeo success (rapidcityjournal.com)

Filed Under: Events, Photography, Small Town Living Tagged With: Bullriding, country, cowboys, Horses, midwest, Nebraska, Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, rodeo, rural

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