What does this game and being a Buckeye Fan mean to you

craigblitz · #1 (**permalink**) 11-12-2007, 02:31 PM

What is it about Ohio State football that is so special? Why does it hurt when they lose and why do I get so *uch pleasure after they win. After all it is just a ga*e and fro* a personal standpoint I have absolutely nothing vested in this. I a* not one of the young *en who put hours of work in all year long and I a* not apart of this a*azing coaching staff that helps to *old these fine young *en. I a* just a fan, yet when I saw the expressions of Larry Grant and Kirk Barton after the loss Saturday it was like I felt their pain, I wish I could have taken it away fro* the*. At that *o*e*ent I questioned if there was so*ething wrong with *e. Should an adult be this e*otionally tied to anything other then his own fa*ily? The ga*e *eans *ore to *ost in Ohio. There is no questioning the passion of what it *eans to play football in Ohio. Ohio State represents what that *eans on the largest scale. In so*e twisted way the perfor*ance of Ohio State is a direct reflection of how good all of Ohio football is. It *akes *y sto*ach turn thinking about us loosing to Illinois or anyone else and to think that their State holds a candle to Ohio in regards to football.

After thinking about this I realize Ohio State football is *ore then just a ga*e. It is truly a way of life that has been ingrained in *e fro* the earliest *e*ories. Ohio State ga*es in *y fa*ily were big events. Fall Saturday *ornings are co*parable to what *ost fa*ilies experience only once or twice a year for Thanksgiving or Christ*as. OSU ga*edays *eant a house full of fa*ily and friends. It *eant great food, laughs, hugs and at ti*es agony. The *e*ories of *y dad waking up *y brother and I every Saturday at 7:00a* sharp to get breakfast and to get all the chores done before the ga*e started re*inds *e of the best ti*es of *y life. The OSU *arching band tape/cd playing loudly through the speakers of *y house as *o* was preparing food for the ar*y of people who were about to show up. As a kid there was no way to co*prhend what was going on, but as I have beco*e older I realize how special those ti*es were.

As the years passed and I have *y own fa*ily the tradition continues. Saturday *ornings start with breakfast, hugs, kisses and of course a friendly exchange of an O-H as *y son s*iles and gives *e an I-O. It is hearing *y boy singing we don't a darn for the whole state of stinkitchen(his re*ix version) as he giggles. It about turning the ga*e on and having friends and fa*ily at *y house, having *y son sit on *y lap for a while and ask questions of what is going on. It about hearing *y dad tell the sa*e Woody Hayes stories to *y son and his friends as I once heard as a kid. Stories of what honor is, hard work, and what it *eans to live in this great state and *ore i*portanlty this great country.

All these e*otions roll up into one final fall day in Ann Arbor or Colu*bus every year like clock work. It is truly a*azing what this ga*e *eans to both set of fans and players. This ga*e is so bitter sweet for so*e *any reasons. It represents an opportunity for us to beat *ICHIGAN, to erase any of the *is-steps along the way... this one ga*e truly *akes or breaks a season. The tea*s of the past that were so talented only to fall short to *ichigan lost a lot of their luster because of it. Tea*s that were average but beat *ichigan have a special place in all of our hearts. This ga*e is the Ohio State season, no questions about it. As excited as I a*.. I know it will be another year until we get to share these *o*e*ents again. Sure there is the bowl ga*e and that is fun as well, but for so*e reason it just doesn't *atch the e*otions of those fall Saturdays.

I can not wait for Saturday and all the things that *ake this ga*e and tea* so special. I can not wait to see the 60 *inutes of war on the field and the 4+ hours of fa*ily and friends going through all the e*otions before and after the ga*e.

Go Bucks and Beat *ichigan!!!

kippy1040 · #2 (**permalink**) 11-12-2007, 02:41 PM

This was a very passionate post and you did good. We had a great season last year and now 2007 is better than alot of us expected. Last weeks game was a good example of how other teams respect the tradition of Ohio State Football and those teams are up every game to knock Ohio State off. They play hard and Illinois played hard. They are celebrating back in Champaign right now. But you know what I would not be surprised if Illinois loses thier next game. They probably played thier best game ever under Ron Zook and kuddos to them but they had to play that way to beat a team of great tradition and history in the name of Ohio State Football. This tradition will carry on for a long long time. Now we get ready for Michigan. Again.

sullie · #3 (**permalink**) 11-12-2007, 05:01 PM

I grew up in north eastern Ohio in the 70's and early 80's. The people across the street hung their OSU flags, next door to us our quiet, mild mannered family physician and OSU alum became a ranting, raving, swearing machine. My brother and I played tackle football in a field behind our house after we watched the Buckeye games. If you were a QB you were Art Schlichter, at running back you were Archie Griffin and on defense if you broke up a play you were Jack Tatum.

My folks weren't sports fans so my brother and I watched the games on a 13-inch black and white t.v. in our bedroom, complete with the static from an aerial antenna. For, the game, we used to beg our mom to make her chili and our favorite hot dogs and we gorged on that while huddled around the little t.v. Every now and then my dad would poke his head and ask us not to jump around because he didn't want us cracking the plaster ceilings.

A guy in our neighborhood was a Michigan alum. He used to make bets with our neighbors across the street. One year the Buckeyes lost and the loser, our neighbor, woke up with a telephone pole erected in his front yard with a toilet mounted on top painted scarlet and gray. Another year it was a scarlet and gray bathtub. The next year the Michigan guy took his family on vacation for two weeks. When he came home his brand new shop (behind his house - think 3,000 square foot shop) was painted white (professionally so it looked gorgeous) with a giant red block O with buckeyes in the lower corner and on the other side it was painted block GO BUCKEYES! He later had it painted maize and blue in the same scheme.

He had three daughters, they all graduated from Ohio State!

Ginster · #4 (**permalink**) 11-12-2007, 05:10 PM

I think it hurts when we lose because we love our team so much and take it personally.

And it makes the wins so much better ~ especially when "others" say we can't!!

msj2487 · #5 (**permalink**) 11-12-2007, 06:15 PM

For me when Ohio State loses its as bad as losing a family member... call it extreme, but Ohio State means a hell of a lot to me! We need to kick the crap out of Michigan this year and keep our only important streak left going... 3 in a row on the Wolverines!!

WoodyWorshiper · #6 (**permalink**) 11-13-2007, 02:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by msj2487

For me when Ohio State loses its as bad as losing a family member... call it extreme, but Ohio State means a hell of a lot to me! We need to kick the crap out of Michigan this year and keep our only important streak left going... 3 in a row on the Wolverines!!

I guess I'm probably the wrong guy to respond to this post, but what the hell.
Who exactly was the last family member you lost, and what Buckeye loss can you equate that to? I lost my dad in the second quarter of this past week's game against Illinois. I have no idea who you are, where you're from, or who in the heck raised you. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you've never really ever lost a close relative.

I respect and appreciate your love of TOSU football, as do all of us here. I know scUM week fires people up and sometimes makes them say "crazy" things like you posted above. So, please humor me and say that your above post was just a "jacked up" misinterpretition of reality because you're so stoked for "The Game" this week, as are most of us here.

Peace, and as always:
GO BUCKEYES!!!!!!!!!!!

MililaniBuckeye · #7 (**permalink**) 11-13-2007, 02:54 AM

Dubs, sorry to hear about the passing of your father. Thoughts and prayers are with you, my brother...

kippy1040 · #8 (**permalink**) 11-13-2007, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MililaniBuckeye

Dubs, sorry to hear about the passing of your father. Thoughts and prayers are with you, my brother...

Ditto Dubs. You have my deep condolence's and prayers for your family.