Did You Drink The Kool Aid?

"Did you drink the Kool-Aid?" It's a question, along with some variants ("He didn't drink the Kool-Aid", "Don't drink the Kool-Aid") that I'm hearing more and more these days. It's popping up everywhere from corporate in-speak to political talk radio. I hear it most often in the context of college football.

If somebody really likes a team or a pick, then they "drank the Kool-Aid". I get that it is a catchy metaphor for complete commitment. In fact, it may even surpass "I'm all in", as the buzz phrase of the day if the poker craze ever wears thin. But, when you stop and consider the context of that phrase for a second, it really is inappropriate or concerning. And, that concern may never be greater than during this week, when more and more Husker fans gulp the Kool-Aid liberally, believing NU has a chance to beat USC.

A Nebraska Invention

How about a quick history lesson, before we get in to football. Kool-Aid was invented in Hastings, Nebraska. I should know, I'm from there. So is Tom Osborne by the way. Yep, it was invented in H-town by a guy in the 1920s, and was eventually sold to General Foods in the 1950s. Hastings even has a summer festival - Kool-Aid Days - to celebrate the invention of America's favorite powered drink mix. Sadly, Hastings can't take much credit for the creation of Kool-Aid Man - one of the greatest product mascots on earth (Oh, yeah!) - as that was a General Foods creation.

Still, the product at the root of a phrase that implies complete commitment to a team springs from Nebraska. In a state where "fan" truly is short for fanatic and where zeal for the team is not only common but expected, this seems very appropriate.

Not So Appropriate

The phrase also has some very ugly implications. In the 1970s, "drinking the Kool-Aid" was a nod to the LSD drug culture of the time, as LSD (then legal) was often laced in to Kool-Aid. Worse still is that the phrase "don't drink the Kool-Aid" is a cautionary phrase most often associated with the Jonestown mass suicide orchestrated by cult leader Jim Jones. In actuality, it was poisoned Flavor Aid that was poisoned and used to kill hundreds. But, the phrase still sticks.

What does any of this have to do with football?

I told you all of this because more and more Nebraskans are starting to drink the Kool-Aid when it comes to this Saturday's clash with the USC Trojans. It starts innocently enough. Somebody asks somebody else about what they think the Huskers' chances are. And they politely point out that NU will have to play its very best ball game to win. Eventually, they start to talk about the defensive front seven, or the I-back committee, or Mo Purify's breath-taking potential, or an offensive line that is starting to gel, or Zac Taylor's great accuracy, and before you know it...they drink the Kool-Aid. By the time the conversation is over, they both have NU installed as 10-point favorites.

I don't mean to throw a turd in the punch bowl, folks. But, NU is playing the #2 ranked team in the country on Saturday...on the road...at night. USC has played a part in the last three national championship games. And no matter what they lost to NFL, they still have talent to burn. Over the next few days, so much will be written in papers and on sites like this one that every possible angle of the game will be covered. And, you might discover small spots of advantage that NU may have, and start to feel a little high. When that happens, just go back to the fact that NU is playing the #2 team in the country on the road. It will sober you right up.

Not Trying to be a Buzz Kill

I'm not writing this to be Donnie Downer, or harsh on your mellow. I'm writing it so that everyone - especially fans - remembers what is in front of our beloved Huskers. If NU wins it will be a huge upset. The coaches know, and I'm sure they'll let the players know. And in your heart, you know it too. And upsets don't spring from delusions of grandeur or false expectations. They happen when everyone involved isn't afraid to know what's coming, confront the challenge, and overcome the odds.

Does this mean I'm a naysayer who won't sip the sweet Nebraska nectar? Not necessarily. Maybe it will be a great week of practice for NU, or maybe I'll find a spot where NU matches up really well against USC, or maybe my wife will give me a look, and I'll know...and then go right out on a limb with everybody else and pick the Huskers. And, when somebody who doesn't get it reads my pick and asks 'are you high?' I'll just smile and say, "Nope. I'm just from Hastings."