The Olympics help me cope

I am someone that hates winter, so at this time every year I start to get really tired of the crappy Nebraska weather. If you had asked me this time last week I would have told you that I was completely sick of winter, but something has changed since then that is helping me cope: The Olympics. It never fails that once every four years I enjoy winter for about two weeks. Watching all of the winter sports makes me appreciate all that winter has to offer, even though many of those sports can't be enjoyed in Nebraska due to our general lack of anything interesting.

While the Olympics are helping me deal with the mid-winter blues, they are taking a toll on my productivity. I have absolutely no desire to do anything else but watch television. I wish I could call in sick to work and school for two weeks so I could sit on the couch and watch the games. Who am I kidding . . . I wish I could avoid work and school to watch TV all the time.

Why I gave a crap about this year's Super Bowl

We should get one thing straight right off the bat: I hate pro football.

Now that we have that cleared up, I can tell you why I cared slightly about this year's Super Bowl. For the first time that I can remember, I actually cared about who won the game, because of two reasons:

1. I think Peyton Manning is a turd.
2. New Orleans needs something to be happy about for a change.


Peyton Manning has always been near the top of my list of athletes I can't stand. I think he is incredibly full of himself, and I wanted nothing more than for him to get knocked on his rear-end. The Saints were underdogs that many thought had no chance of winning against Manning and the Colts, and I was cheering for them to prove people wrong. After everything that the people of New Orleans have been through, they deserve to have something to celebrate.

I am ecstatic for the people of New Orleans. It is their time to shine. With the momentum of the Super Bowl win behind them and Mardi Gras coming up, they are ready to show the rest of the country that they are back on their feet. There are few times when a simple football game can hold so much more meaning for the winning team than a trophy and a paycheck. If the Colts had won, we would have all had to endure countless "I am amazing" interviews with Peyton Manning. We should all be thankful that everything turned out the way it did.

Congratulations, New Orleans!!

The time has come to let go

By Matt Kovar

When the Nebraska State Fair was moved from Lincoln to Grand Island two years ago, many citizens were upset about the decision. There were those in Lincoln that did not want to lose the fair, and those in Grand Island that were concerned about the costs of the new facilities. Over time most people have accepted the fate of the fair, and have begun to move on with their lives as usual.

Many people in eastern parts of the state have voiced their discontent with the move. They have a right to be upset about losing the fair, but there comes a time when complaining becomes unproductive. There have been several attempts to stop the move of the fair through the Nebraska court system. These multiple attempts have been rejected, but this has not stopped opposition groups from talking their case to the Nebraska Supreme Court. The leader of the opposition group has acknowledged that even if the court declares that the law moving the fair to Grand Island unconstitutional the fair will most likely move forward in Grand Island as planned. This is due to the fact that the new facilities are well into construction and most of the equipment at State Fair Park in Lincoln has been sold. Moving the State Fair back to Lincoln would cost such a large amount of money that the fair would most likely be too unstable to survive.

Many of the opposition group members feel that by giving the fair to Grand Island the Legislature gave an unfair advantage to the central part of the state. This may be true, but the fact remains that Lincoln and Omaha have the advantage in almost every situation due to their size and location. Lincoln will certainly not go into a downward spiral because it lost a struggling fair being held in worn-out facilities. The new facilities being built in Grand Island are set to be among the most advanced in the nation, and will bring more attention to the agricultural aspects of the fair, which is what Nebraska is known for. It makes little sense to have an agricultural fair in a predominantly urban area. Relocating the fair to Grand Island is a smart move.

The best bet that Nebraska has at keeping its fair is to support the efforts of Grand Island and the State Fair Board. In order for the fair to survive it is necessary that the public not only support the fair, but attend it. While the people of Grand Island have begun to embrace the fair, the smaller population base in and around the city is not enough to supply the necessary attendance that the fair needs to succeed. People from all parts of the state, including Lincoln and Omaha, need to help Grand Island welcome the fair. If the Nebraska Supreme Court overturns the law moving the fair it may not stop the fair from moving, but it will most lessen public support and cause the fair to struggle from the start.

The people of Nebraska must stop fighting the move of the Nebraska State Fair and start supporting Grand Island in its efforts to bring Nebraska a better fair. To those that support the court case attempting to stop the move we remind you that the State Fair has moved on, and so should you.

Waste of Court Time

In the article Court verdict may not matter in state fairgrounds move from the Lincoln Journal Star, the fact is mentioned that whatever the Nebraska Supreme Court decides, it will most likely make no difference. The initiator of the court case admitted that even if the law that moved the fair to Grand Island was deemed unconstitutional, the State Fair Board would most likely go on with the construction of the fair as it is. I fail to see how hearing a case that will have no real impact whatsoever is in the best interest of Nebraskans.

I completely understand the views of those in Lincoln that are upset that the State Fair has been moved, but the time has come to stop fighting. Many have mentioned that the law that moved the fair was unconstitutional because it gave Grand Island an advantage over Lincoln. I find this a total load of bull. The cities of Lincoln and Omaha will always have an advantage over anywhere else in the state simply because of their size and location. Moving one event away from a city that has much more going for it than Grand Island will not destroy Lincoln.

Wanted: Public Support

This article from the "Grand Island Independent" focuses on the progress being made at Fonner Park in Grand Island to ensure that the new State Fair Park is ready for the opening of the fair in August. All of the buildings but one are to be completed before the fair begins, and most of them are partially completed already. The new State Fair Park is set to be one of the most advanced in the nation, and will be much nicer than the run-down facilities that were used in Lincoln.

The article also addressed the concerns that many had when the fair was first moved that there would not be enough support for the fair in Grand Island. Joseph McDermott, executive director of the Nebraska State Fair said that the biggest way to ensure that the fair is a success is participation. Without the support of the public the fair will not thrive in Grand Island or anywhere else. People need to go to the fair in order for vendors and other businesses to invest in the future of the event. When the move was announced there were many people in Grand Island that didn't want the fair and said that it would fail miserably. When I heard these comments I was discouraged, because if someone wants something to fail bad enough, it will. If Grand Island and the rest of the state decide not to support the fair than it will fail. The best way to ensure that the fair is successful is simply to go and enjoy it.

Oh, Canada!

I know that most people don't care about the Olympics at all, and the winter games are much less popular than the summer games, but I am a huge fan. I have been waiting for the upcoming games since the end of the Beijing Olympics. There is one thing that makes me more excited than ever to watch the Vancouver Olympics: I love Canada. Vancouver is one of the coolest cities in North America, and the mix of cool seaside weather and wintry mountain climate miles outside the city is sure to make visitors happy.
I think that the biggest thing Canada has going for it in terms of making a great impression on the world is that no one is friendlier than a Canadian. I truly believe this to be true. Have you ever met a mean Canadian? I haven't, but then again I don't come into contact with many of them in Nebraska. The Canadian government has done a great job of creating a warm and welcoming environment for the visiting Olympians and fans, which is sure to make the games much more enjoyable than the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. I was a little upset about the mascots that have been chosen for the games. I simply don't understand how Terrance and Phillip could be passed up for a Sasquatch.

Get Over It

There has been a lot of talk in the past year or so about the Nebraska State Fair moving from Lincoln to Grand Island. I was for the move the second I heard about it, because my family lives in Grand Island, and it is nice to have something outside of Lincoln or Omaha for a change. I have followed the progress of the move over the past few months, and have driven by Fonner Park in Grand Island to look at the new buildings. The main structures for the fair are already partially completed, and yet there are still people challenging the move in court. I fail to see how the fair could be moved back to Lincoln now, even if the courts overturned the law that caused the move. After investing over $40 million in new facilities and selling off most of the equipment at State Fair Park in Lincoln, it would be complete chaos if the fair was taken away from Grand Island. I think that the handful of citizens from Lincoln that feel compelled to fight for a fair that has already left them in the dust should give up and let the courts focus on something serious.