Ohio Senate resolution to keep Mich-OSU at the end of the season.
Republican Kevin Coughlin (KAHG'-lin) of Cuyahoga (ky-uh-HOH'-guh) Falls says he's sponsoring an Ohio Senate resolution urging the Big Ten not to tinker with the timing of the annual showdown.
http://blog.dispatch.com/dailybriefing/2010/08/senate_resolution_says_d…
September 1st, 2010 at 10:10 AM ^
Doing something right? I don't understand...?
September 1st, 2010 at 10:11 AM ^
I don't want the game to change ethier, but government should stay the fuck out of College Football
September 1st, 2010 at 10:13 AM ^
If I had the points to spare I'd posbang you 1000 times.
September 1st, 2010 at 10:21 AM ^
Mgoblog now practices free love. Get your freak on.
September 1st, 2010 at 10:26 AM ^
Michigan and Ohio State are both public universities. I'm just saying...
September 1st, 2010 at 10:41 AM ^
The BigTen makes the decision, not the schools.
September 1st, 2010 at 10:43 AM ^
The Presidents, ADs, Reagents all have to sign off. All of whom are state employees.
These programs generate a lot of money for their respective states. In in everybody's best interest to preserve their brands.
September 1st, 2010 at 11:20 AM ^
They ALL have to sign off or they need a majority? I have to imagine that at least one school will be pissed with every possible outcome and they will never reach a unanimous decision.
September 1st, 2010 at 12:02 PM ^
Actually, to nitpick the hell out of it, in Michigan we don't really consider the Regents, President, etc to be "state employees." They are public employees, but of the University, not the State.
I work for the U and everything associated with my job (the paycheck, the benefits, the policies, etc, the days off) is set by U-M and comes from U-M, not the State of Michigan. Constitutional Autonomy, baby!
September 1st, 2010 at 3:29 PM ^
They aren't getting involved in college football, any moreso than the Michigan legislature did when it passed a resolution "recognizing" Armando Galarraga's quasi-perfect game. It's just a symbolic statement.
And for those sweating buckets about this taking up too much of the Ohio Senate's time . . . do you have any idea what its daily routine is like? This kind of piddling crap is like 75% of their job.
September 1st, 2010 at 3:45 PM ^
Exactly. Resolutions are legally non-binding and tantamount to saying, "We like this!! Yay!!", or, "We don't like that!! Booooo!!" That's it, nothing more.
Not to mention that the Big Ten doesn't fall under the legal authority of Ohio.
September 1st, 2010 at 10:12 AM ^
And according to the state of Michigan, Gallaraga threw a perfect game.
September 1st, 2010 at 10:26 AM ^
That's how I remember it.
September 1st, 2010 at 10:14 AM ^
I'm glad with an incredible budget shortfall in the future that they have all this extra time to bother with this. I would change the date and cite the overwhelming stupidity of the Ohio Senate as the reason. I personally don't want it changed, but I'm not wasting taxpayer dollars grandstanding about it.
September 1st, 2010 at 10:56 AM ^
Hey. The vote will pass, probably unanimously while each will get a moment to say their piece.
It is interesting that this issue is so important, that elected officials feels a symbolic measure will win them goodwill in the next election cycle.
Even after two decades of one-sided records, that's how important the game is to the electorate.
We'll porbably know tonight for sure that OSU and Michigan are in separate divisions. I think the battle over the date of the game is still winnable.
I look at this as the other schools in the Big Ten (I'm looking at you Penn State, Wisconsin, and MSU) trying to raise their own profiles, at the cost of ours. Unfortunately OSU and Michigan only have two votes.
So guess who we have to take it out on, ont he field this year?
September 1st, 2010 at 10:25 AM ^
I don't really see the problem with them introducing a resolution. This isn't going to cost a lot - like the steroid cases - and in all honesty is something that affects millions of people. Part of the governments job is to step in when they see fit for the better of their communities. Look, even he admits that this isn't something that should typically be done, but as long as it isn't wasting substantial taxpayer dollars I truly believe it is something that shapes our communities, be it in Ohio and Michigan, the entire Midwest, or even universally as these universities continue to expand their reach (Space bitches, space).
September 1st, 2010 at 10:18 AM ^
...I've been told there is a law stating Clemson and Univ South Carolina must play each other every season. I don't think it has to be the last game, but they have to play.
So stranger things have happened.
September 1st, 2010 at 10:19 AM ^
But every time a sports issue becomes a discussion in any facet of government nothing EVER gets accomplished. Keep your laws off my sport!
September 1st, 2010 at 10:39 AM ^
A bit too much hyperbole here.
As Chait's article above suggests, quite a lot was accomplished by the actions of Virginia's governor as the ACC was adding members. Virginia Tech went from being orphaned in the Big East to a member of the ACC largely due to Mark Warner's interventions.
September 1st, 2010 at 10:23 AM ^
Predicted last week by Chait in The New Republic.
http://www.tnr.com/blog/jonathan-chait/77280/wanted-midwestern-grandsta…
September 1st, 2010 at 10:24 AM ^
I feel compelled to point out that we don't need help pronouncing "nincompoop" or "vast sucking hole of an Ohio town" so you should feel free to substitute those freely.
September 1st, 2010 at 10:29 AM ^
- 1:00 PM: moustache combing
- 1:45 PM: vote to upgrade from brass spitoons in the women's room to gold ones
- 2:30 PM: in a move to increase business, repeal of the "no shoes, no shirt, no service" law
- 3:30 PM: hog calling contest
- 4:30 PM: debate on whether to wall off Cleveland, a la Escape From New York
- 5:00 PM: "Lawmakin" over. Straw-floor hoedown begins
September 1st, 2010 at 10:39 AM ^
They may actually have to extend the session to bring the debate and vote to the floor on the resolution to require TUOOS to wear matching red lace panties with their new red helmets in November. I think TP is sporting the proposed matching attire already and plans to make a guest appearance. Its simply too important to put off another day.
September 1st, 2010 at 10:27 AM ^
...and out come the anti-politics folks. Even when they try and do something positive and would solve a problem we have been bemoaning for weeks.
I'm pretty sure the legislature isn't spending a lot of time on this or even debating it. "OK guys set aside that jobs bill, we need to work on The Game for the next few weeks." Go look at the list of bills introduced in the federal government even and you will see lots of "resolution to honor ____." At the state level you will see even more inane stuff that you will never hear about.
Plus, I understand the "OMG stay out!" mentality, but they aren't trying to do something complicated. They aren't trying to make a playoff system or divide conferences. They are trying to keep The Game played at a specific time in the season. The knee jerk reactions are a bit much.
September 1st, 2010 at 10:43 AM ^
Not anti-politics, "anti-I couldn't get a job at a firm willing to pay me more than $35k so I ran for office and just realized I have to get re-elected to keep my job self-absorbed legend in their own mind politicians." Politicians not like this that pay attention to real government issues are OK in my book.
September 1st, 2010 at 10:28 AM ^
This is not something politicians should be involved with. However it is not surprising that they can't resist sticking their noses in and grandstanding for the voters.
Having said that this game should never be moved under any circumstances. Hoping someone in power gains some clarity on that.
September 1st, 2010 at 10:35 AM ^
I think the Ohio State legislature clearly has an interest in the happenings at Ohio State as it is a state-funded institution. Every public university has public relations departments (i.e. lobbyists) that work directly with representatives and senators on a regular basis. And, as such, millions of dollars are granted to the school by the state legislature each year and a piece of that funding finds its way to the athletic department coffers (albeit a small amount). The state therefore has an interest in academics and athletics. That said, these senators probably do have much more important things to deal with in the scheme of things. Although, not being a resident of Ohio, I'm psyched to see this guy stepping up and using his position to voice his concern.
September 1st, 2010 at 10:54 AM ^
The resolution can't bind the Big Ten to do anything if it passes. But the government represents the people. And if that many people in the state of Ohio are that ticked off about The Game, why not take 20 minutes to pass a resolution and representing the people's voice in THEIR government? Sounds good to me.
September 1st, 2010 at 11:07 AM ^
You're 100% right. These state representatives do crazy things like this all the time. They all pass ceremonial resolutions and bestow honors and stuff like that regularly. Might as well make good use of these wastes of time. Too bad the resolution isn't binding!
September 1st, 2010 at 3:40 PM ^
It's good to still be the last game. And those who think it will be tainted by possibly having to play the same game the following week: According to the research it only would have happened like 3 times in the last 15 years or something like that. Plus if we did have the rematch it actually would be for much more at stake and would make the game even better IMO.