Scarlet and Gray Days

There is a new series on BTN which gives an inside look at Ohio State football as they begin training camp. What a fascinating look this is for the Buckeye fan, to see inside the facilities, the interactions of players and coaches, and the preparation for the season. I throughly enjoyed the first installment. There was one thing I noticed, though, and that is what nice cars the players drive. I know that the players are student athletes who per NCAA rules can not hold a part time job. And I know that boosters can not give cars to the players, that is a violation of NCAA rules. So my question is how do the players get to drive such nice cars? I am not asking in judgement, I am asking because I know that my parents didn't provide me with a nice car, heck, as a parent I can't provide the type of cars these players are driving. So how do they do it? I don't know, but a BTN behind the scenes series such as this one reveals things the public doesn't get to normally see, and it invites questions that viewers like me will pose. So, does anyone have an answer?

A Buckeye Update

Alas, there are no buckeyes.  No, I am not talking about OSU Football, I am speaking of my beloved Buckeye tree.  This time last year I found one nut about to fall, and I harvested later in the summer my first buckeye.  This spring, the buckeye tree had CLUSTERS of nuts, I was expecting a bountiful harvest, at least one buckeye for each member of my family (yes, even the Hoosier of the bunch, Binkylu would be in line to receive the first of the harvest).  But alas, no buckeyes this year.  It isn't because of the debt limit debate, nor is it the fault of the NCAA investigation.  I lost all of the Buckeyes during one of the torrential spring storms we experienced.  No buckeyes this year, maybe next year.  It looks like I will be hunting buckeyes from other sources soon.

The Mess with Tress

Strangely, I have had more than a few shut ins ask me my opinion about the mess which is now Ohio State football.  Those with whom I have listened to have expressed their disappointment with the HC of TOSU, figuring that as a Christian he had higher standards.
Am I disappointed?  Not really.  Saddened?  No, not that either.  My eyes were opened at went on, but when I thought about it, all of it began to make sense, in a way, to me.
I understand that college football is big business.  No, wait, it is BIG business.  OSU football brings in millions of dollars to the university and the athletic program.  The college coach is paid to win.  Pure and simple.  Yes, education goes on, and Tress even teaches his players about life (note his book "The Winners Manual), but big time college football is all about winning.  Nothing more and nothing less.
Should we be surprised at what went on at Ohio State with the selling of the gold pants, etc?  No, when I heard about it my eyes were opened.  Just look at all of the tattoos these players have.  They don't get those for free, they cost money, and when you have half of your body tattooed and you are a college football player, my question is how did they get the $$$ for the tattoos?  I have two kids in college, I know they would love some extra $$$, a majority of college kids would and many of them DON'T have tattoos all over their bodies.  The issue isn't the tattoos, the issue is having the $$$ to GET the tattoos.  How do the players get the cash for all of this art work?  Well, for a few at TOSU, it was the selling of their memorabilia.
So in this mess with Tress, my eyes were opened.  I am neither saddened or disappointed.  In the end, the Buckeyes will still take the field in the fall.  Will they contend for the Big Ten or National Championship?  Who knows?  In an era where players take their talents to South Beach and  professional franchises move (remember the Browns to Baltimore and the Indians threat to leave Cleveland unless they got a new ball park?) this mess with Tress is just that, a mess of his own making.  He can take matters into his own hands and resign, which may lightened the NCAA penalties.  Or he can stay and whether the storm, to which the penalties will be more severe.  In the end, Ohio State isn't moving, we still get to cheer the team down the field, and maybe, just maybe, there will be some extra tickets to a football game available for the average fan (I know, wishful thinking).
The mess with Tress has taught me one thing, big time college athletics is big business, it is all about winning and all about making money.  What really needs to happen is for someone to revamp the whole NCAA organization, but that is another story for another time.

The 2009-2010 Cleveland Cavaliers

I attended the exhibition game last night at Value City Arena, against the Celtics. It is hard to have any lasting impressions after this game. It really didn't tell us much about the Cavs. I certainly believe that they will be a contender for the NBA crown (man, I hope so after watching this team for 40 years) but last night didn't tell us much if anything. The players were getting their workout in. West didn't play, and the intensity wasn't there on the part of the Cavs. I will admit that the Celtics looked very good, and it is scary to think how good they will be because Kevin Garnett didn't play last night, but it was, after all a PRACTICE game. The results didn't mean a thing. We'll learn more about the Cavs next week. But it was still fun to see them play, an enjoyable night out with the kids, and to top it off, Rachel and Charles were on kiss cam!

My Teams Finally Have Won!

In an unprecedented move by the commissioners of the NHL, NFL, NBA, and MLB have all awarded the teams from Cleveland and Columbus Ohio the Championships in their respective sports. Citing the recent awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize, the commissioners unanimously awarded the Lombardi Trophy to the Browns, The Commissioner's Trophy to the Indians, the Larry O'Brien Trophy to the Cavaliers, and the Stanley Cup to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Fans of these teams were ecstatic, however it is understood that the fans of the Ohio State Buckeyes are petitioning the NCAA for a similar ruling for the 2009-2010 football season.