jcfiesta
All-American
Buckeye on a bet
By TOM JACKSON
[email protected]
PERKINS TWP. - Ronald Sullivan bleeds Michigan blue, but today the general manager of the Applebee's restaurant at 5503 Milan Road is sporting a hideous Ohio State Buckeyes tattoo on his upper left arm.
<!--HAS_WEBDNA_TAGS-->
It's ugly in his eyes, anyway.
Sullivan isn't a casual Wolverines fan, a guy with one or two Michigan shirts in his closet.
"You'll find at least 20 or 30 jerseys in my closet," said Sullivan, 41, who defiantly wore one of his blue Michigan jerseys as he sat in a chair Thursday afternoon at Pain & Pleasure II, waiting for the OSU logo to be applied to his arm.
The 31 Applebee's restaurants in northeast Ohio owned by Apple American Group LLC raised $47,575 in this year's MDA Shamrock Campaign to help the victims of muscular dystrophy.
The effort was led by Sullivan's store, which raised $10,198 by selling shamrocks. That exceeded the goal of $8,000, and shattered last year's store record of $4,700.
To spur the staff to a new record, three managers at Applebee's promised to disfigure their bodies in ugly ways if the goal was met.
Mike Bainbridge agreed to shave his head.
Mike Weeast agreed to dye his hair and his beard a bright green, using the dye that would last about six weeks, until his hair grew out. (Green wasn't available Thursday when it came time to do the deed, so he settled for a bright turquoise.)
But Sullivan managed to top them, agreeing to a permanent tattoo promoting a sports program he loathes.
<!--HAS_WEBDNA_TAGS-->
Sullivan pointed out that he was complying honorably with the bet by having the tattoo applied to his arm.
"I could have put it somewhere else," he said.
He explained that his antipathy to the Buckeyes dates from his high school days, when he played quarterback for Port Clinton. Michigan showed interest in him as a college player and sent him a letter, but Ohio State ignored him.
Ohio State fans made the tattoo pledge a wildly successful way to raise money, Sullivan said.
"We had people coming from all over to donate money," Sullivan said. "99 percent of my friends are Ohio State fans."
By TOM JACKSON
[email protected]
PERKINS TWP. - Ronald Sullivan bleeds Michigan blue, but today the general manager of the Applebee's restaurant at 5503 Milan Road is sporting a hideous Ohio State Buckeyes tattoo on his upper left arm.
<!--HAS_WEBDNA_TAGS-->
It's ugly in his eyes, anyway.
Sullivan isn't a casual Wolverines fan, a guy with one or two Michigan shirts in his closet.
"You'll find at least 20 or 30 jerseys in my closet," said Sullivan, 41, who defiantly wore one of his blue Michigan jerseys as he sat in a chair Thursday afternoon at Pain & Pleasure II, waiting for the OSU logo to be applied to his arm.
The 31 Applebee's restaurants in northeast Ohio owned by Apple American Group LLC raised $47,575 in this year's MDA Shamrock Campaign to help the victims of muscular dystrophy.
The effort was led by Sullivan's store, which raised $10,198 by selling shamrocks. That exceeded the goal of $8,000, and shattered last year's store record of $4,700.
To spur the staff to a new record, three managers at Applebee's promised to disfigure their bodies in ugly ways if the goal was met.
Mike Bainbridge agreed to shave his head.
Mike Weeast agreed to dye his hair and his beard a bright green, using the dye that would last about six weeks, until his hair grew out. (Green wasn't available Thursday when it came time to do the deed, so he settled for a bright turquoise.)
But Sullivan managed to top them, agreeing to a permanent tattoo promoting a sports program he loathes.
<!--HAS_WEBDNA_TAGS-->
Sullivan pointed out that he was complying honorably with the bet by having the tattoo applied to his arm.
"I could have put it somewhere else," he said.
He explained that his antipathy to the Buckeyes dates from his high school days, when he played quarterback for Port Clinton. Michigan showed interest in him as a college player and sent him a letter, but Ohio State ignored him.
Ohio State fans made the tattoo pledge a wildly successful way to raise money, Sullivan said.
"We had people coming from all over to donate money," Sullivan said. "99 percent of my friends are Ohio State fans."
