Monday should have been the happiest day for me as an Ohio State football fan. The Buckeyes stood to take over the No. 2 spot in the BCS poll, thus putting itself in position for a berth in the Fiesta Bowl.
However, instead of celebrating the Buckeyes’ jump in the polls, I found myself trying to ease some frustration.
My frustration stems from OSU President Karen A. Holbrook’s recent comments about students and their behavior on football Saturdays. Among her concerns were certain “game day actions” deemed negative, creating a less “family-friendly” environment.
Wait a second. Did I miss something? When did the large-scale riot break out, bringing with it a wave of tear-gas packing riot police? Did I actually fall asleep through something like this? Trust me, it could happen, I managed to doze through the earth-shattering Bengals win on Sunday.
So what is the problem?
President Holbrook is worried about some of the “inappropriate” shirts fans wear around the stadium and the abundance of trash left over from tailgate parties.
Are you kidding? I thought this was about something serious like a drunken mob stealing the Victory Bell and tossing it into the Olentangy River, where it would never be seen again. Seriously, have you looked at the river lately? I think Akili Smith’s talent is down there somewhere, probably right next to the Target shopping carts.
With all due respect to President Holbrook, she may be overreacting.
Honestly, this season has been one of the quietest when it comes to disturbances from Buckeye fans. Except for the occasional garbage truck, I have yet to be rudely awaken ed from peaceful slumber by a blaring siren of any kind.
Sure, you’re always going to have a few bad apples, but that’s to be expected when more than 100,000 fans converge on one small area.
And what does President Holbrook mean by “inappropriate” shirts?
You know, those shirts that have an adorable cartoon character doing “obscene” things to an opposing state or mascot. Even those shirts that call a certain town in Michigan names.
Heck, I own a few of those shirts.
But that’s the problem. President Holbrook said she thinks they are setting a bad example and is encouraging fellow students to pressure others to not wear these shirts.
I think I’ve heard this story before. This summer, the Seattle Mariners tried to encourage fans not to wear “obscene” shirts, even going as far as banning the shirts from the ballpark. Like the Mariners’ American League dominance, the ban was short lived.
Besides the obvious infringement on First Amendment rights, these “inappropriate” shirts are an example of what makes college football one of the most popular sports around. Banning these shirts would be like taking the Rally Monkey away from Anaheim or even cheeseheads away from Wisconsin.
On second thought, please take away cheeseheads. Nothing screams “I need help” more than a grown man wearing a wedge of plastic cheddar on his head.
And why is President Holbrook getting so upset with OSU fans? At least we haven’t gone as far as President Holbrook’s last employer, the University of Georgia. Georgia cancels classes on the Thursday and Friday before its annual matchup with Florida. The game has even earned the moniker of “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.”
If Holbrook and other supporters get their way, what’s next? Are we not going to be allowed to jump into Mirror Lake during Michigan Week because it is not “family-friendly?” If this does indeed happen, I personally invite students to come jump in the kiddie pool I will have in my front yard. I mean, nothing says family-friendly like a kiddie pool.
So until something serious happens – and I hope it doesn’t – everyone needs to lighten up and let us football fans have our fun.
Now excuse me while I bow to my Lee Corso shrine.
Matt Duval is a junior in journalism. He admits he spends way too much time building the UConn Huskies into a national powerhouse in “NCAA Football 2003.” He can be reached at [email protected].
