The balloting

The readers have spoken. The votes are in, and 83.9 percent of them say the Colonel should have his spot among "The Essentials." His column will resume when he's good and ready.

A sampling of comments that accompanied the votes:

YES

• After careful consideration, he'd have to be an essential 'cause he sure as hell isn't a fresh anything. You should ride in his car or worse yet have his gym bag in the same county.
• With a face like that, how could I not vote "yes."
• Yes yes yes it is essential. No colonel mustard? I LEAVE!!!
• Can't get enough of the colonel.
• Let the man have his place.
• Put em in there, we don't need any upset in team unity. Do it and let's move on.
• He must be included, he epitomizes what all CORNHUSKER fans want: honesty, with a tinge of cockiness realizing that no matter what occurs, the CORNHUSKERS will emerge triumphant.
• Yes because he is informative & factual. Also, humorous in a football lanuage sort of way.
• Give The Colonel anything that he wants. His takes on the Huskers are great and I enjoy reading his column. In fact, I wish he appeared daily throughout the year.
• Oh, great giver of Husker Road info, please give the Colonel his place as he is at this Husker household : essential...GO BIG RED!!!
• A crucial corrective to all the hype, you gotta love the Colonel. After all, at the heart of every true Husker fan is hope unadulterated by anything other than the pure fear that, once again, we are being set up for the big fall. Anyway, the Colonel brings a perspective which is simply unmatched.

NO

• I like the colonel and all, but I don't think I'd put him under essentials. Tell him he's in a class by himself and leave it at that.
• We wouldn't want him to get a big head.
• Who is this guy anyway? What are his credentials that set him apart from ME or any other husker fan since the Devaney days. Sure, he is opinionated, but so is every other serious Husker fan that has been around since the mid 60s. Until you can show me he was a division 1 coach - this guy is a bunch of overblown hot air. He has nothing technical to say about football. Its only his feelings.
• no way you suck