"Pride Buckeyes" a story from Brian

I have been offered by Buckeye fans. multiple times a chance to go down there for THE GAME. I refuse to do so and this story is always the main reason I don't.  

Brian really nailed it here:

[C]ollegiate fan bases can take on the personality of iconic coaches [...] Ohio State fans have become Woody Hayes.

Hayes' hatred for Michigan was legendary and insane. What can you say about a man who refuses to get gas in a state because of a football team that plays there? What can you say about a man who said "I didn't like that SOB when he played for me, I didn't like him when we worked for me, and I certainly don't like him now," about Bo Schembechler, a man who counted Woody as a mentor and friend? A man who never referred to the school by its name? You can say "but he won a lot" and come off like an amoral mercenary. Or you can say "but he was really, deep down a beautiful person," and come off like a battered wife. Woody Hayes is a man you always say "but..." about. There's no justifying his childish outbursts unless you are a Buckeye of a certain tribal stripe, in which case you adulate him for it and emulate it, becoming just as emotionally immature as a man who was infantile enough to punch an opposing player at 65.

Woody made it cool to hate Michigan, to obsess about them every day, and to punch innocent people. Connect the dots.

Before Woody, Columbus was a place where Tom Harmon received a standing ovation for his strong play. They were once normal.

One of the great lines of verse from MGoBlog history:

"We would soon learn that whenever an Ohio State fan does not have anything else to say, he says "Fuck Michigan." It is appropriate for any situation you find yourself in, from meeting a new coworker to cops busting your meth lab to being confronted with your infidelity on Jerry Springer."

I have a saved copy of an undercover video shot by a team sent by the then AD at OSU in 2002 based on complaints about the game day atmosphere.  It is a 6-min video that spans pre-game to post and is essentially a video documentary of Brian's story.

It's almost unbelievable.

almost.

Fuck Ohio.

I've had worse experiences in East Lansing, but that's because it wasn't cold enough yet for me to wear a coat over my Michigan gear.  

I love my school, but I don't show my Michigan clothing until I am safely in the Michigan section.  In 1990, the only thing that saved me and my dad from a postgame beatdown were our brown winter coats covering our maize and blue sweatshirts.

 'Bama fans will live under the shadow of Bear Bryant until the sun is a grey cinder.

Ah, 2005. 

The word is they've gotten a lot better since then, as a result of some combination of strong lobbying by the athletic department and 15 years of almost always winning.   My daughter goes to OSU, and reports that they spent a fair amount of time at freshman orientation talking about: (a) being good hosts for visiting students / (b) you're ambassadors for our school / (c) IT'S A GAME THAT PEOPLE PLAY WITH A BALL FOR FUN AND ENTERTAINMENT!!! / etc.

Anyway, assuming that the gatekeepers let me in, I'll be sitting in the student section with said daughter, wearing my maize and blue, so I'll post a report next week.

Like the guy who bought a ticket to the Bowl game this year where Michigan played Florida and he sat in the Michigan section with his OSU Jersey on. It gets worse, he was thrown out in the second half and made a scene. This guy spent money to go see his Rival play and got thrown out of the game...

Nice. I haven't seen this one in a long time. Brian's essay writing has definitely improved - his more recent essays have much better flow to them. In this piece, there's almost too much effort involved in some of the descriptions and humor. I enjoyed reading it, but 2016 Brian has definitely evolved from 2005 Brian.

After OSU game, I think I want to see a Brian's Greatest Hits thread. I have a few in mind but I'm sure there are just as many that I've forgotten.

Interesting to see the change in Brian's writing over the last 11 years. Since this it's gotten more sophisticated and refined. Also he's adopted some internet snark, that was there but in a different way back in 2005. Also he was willing to be more personal back then, in a way I don't see as much nowadays. Bottom line is his writing talent is pretty special, was then and is now, and is the secret key to the MGoBlog success. Appreciate Brian Cook.