BLOBBY'S BLOG

HOW FIRM THY FRIENDSHIP....

I was just sitting here watching the Ohio State - Michigan game yesterday and IM'ing Morty when in the first five minutes Michigan scores! Morty doesn't txt msg me back!!! Like he has something BETTER to do??? Hmphf! (insert pouty face here!)

But the beginning of the game when the OSU Marching Band comes out and does Script Ohio - it's hard not to feel something. Maybe it's only Ohio State folks who feel that. I don't know. I find it horribly impressive. I knew I'd never be a member of TBDBITL, even though I played trumpet from 6th grade until I graduated from high school. I never practiced. This is not an exaggeration. I played daily in band - but never took that thing home to practice. Oh - and my high school didn't have a marching band.

I did however get to do something better. 1995 (or was it '94?) I got to be the Staff Coach of the Day. This was not a critical game. Not even a Big 10 game. It was against Rice. It was the opening home game - or traditionally the one where there was no way of not winning by a few dozen points. Established faculty members were given the honour of being Coach of the Day at the bigger games. I was extended this invitation by doing work with the athletic faculty advisers over the years - all of whom I liked, even if I questioned the athletic department as having their priorities slightly askew.

I won't lie - I like OSU football, but I'm not a nut about it. I just don't know every player, their home town or high school the way some do. (Yes, you know who you are!). But there was no way I was passing up this opportunity, if for nothing else to see the inner workings of a football Saturday.

An athletic adviser picked me up on campus and we went down to the Hyatt. Why there? Because the entire team (trainers and all) stay there the night before the game. Ca-ching! Off the lobby, I met-up with some other athletic dept. folks where an entire fruit, bagels, muffins, etc buffet was set-up. It could feed an army, though no one but the seven or so of us ever showed. And I was the only person to eat anything.

Eventually players started to trickle down for some team meetings to go over films, plays and strategy. Shortly after that, there was a meditation walk. Everyone left the Hyatt and walked around one city block....only to come back to their pre-game meal. Mind you - it wasn't 10 a.m. yet, and here was a full dinner than most of us could never eat....STARTING with steak. I have to say - the amount of food the kept coming out was obscene. But I got to sit at a table and eat with Mike Vrabel!!

Clearly, I was odd man out. I didn't know or care enough about college football to talk intelligently about the sport, and these guys were in their own world anyway. Then there was the caravan of buses. Luxury buses that had a police escort that went through every red light all the way to the stadium. I'm sorry - but the excess of this whole day was beyond my comprehension. But I got to ride on a bus with Mike Vrabel!!

Upon arriving at the stadium, I went with the players into the locker room. Yes, you heard me right. I was given a coach's shirt and cap to wear, as I was a coach! From there I went to a room where high school players / coaches / parents were given the royal treatment in hopes of recruiting these boys for the next four years. All I can say is that the female 'representatives' were about one step away from prostituting themselves for the university. (Hell, they probably did after the parents left the room!) The athletic dept was their pimp. They way they were fawning over (and expected to) these boys was borderline repulsive. I'm sure they are now all doing well in their current jobs of like, international hookering banking.

Back to the locker room I went to get ready for the game. Players were still in various stages of dress but time was approaching for kick-off. Highlight of the day, and I don't let to much time go by that I don't continually remind Tom Green of this fact....while reveling in it: I got to see Mike Vrabel in a jockstrap!!!

Time to leave the tunnel. Let me tell you something - there is nothing (and I do mean nothing) like running out onto the field with the team while 90,000-100,000 people cheer. You just cannot describe it. It is a high like none other.

The game itself was ok (unlike the one yesterday, which was great). It is much harder to see the game progression from down on the field....especially with a few dozen Goliath's in your way. I'm not a small man, but today I was and my view was blocked the entire time. At half-time, I was given the option to stay out and watch the band or back to the locker room. You don't have to be an National Merit Semi-Finalist to figure out which I chose. I'd seen the band on any number of occasions. This was a once in a lifetime thing.

I guess to keep the team motivated, John Cooper felt the need to yell and berate, even though we were ahead by quite a large margin. And I got to run out on the field again with the team. Same high. However, while I was in with the team, I did miss my name up on the scoreboard. Ruckiry (not Jon's boss) someone from my office saw it and took a picture of it...which I have framed.

Post game, I had my picture taken with E. Gordon Gee, president of the university. He's a nice guy, but I knew him from other events. Overall it was an interesting day and one a decade later that is still etched in my mind.

In some ways, I would have loved to have given this day to Morty or Tom. It would have meant more to them. But then it'd be them rubbing Mike Vrabel's jockstrap in my face.


ooooh baby!