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November 18, 2005
Family feud
Oh boy. How could I forget? In Ohio, it's Michigan Week. Tomorrow the Ohio State Buckeyes, Ohio's "other" professional football team, take on the hated Michigan Wolverines in their annual slug-fest.
If you ever spent time in Columbus, Ohio, you'd know what I was talking about. The place may as well shut down, because all anyone can think about is the pounding they want to give to anyone who dares to wear maize and blue. People hate Michigan so much they threatened to boycott the Columbus Blue Jackets because one of their colors was blue.
When I was little, I got pretty excited for the Michigan game. Alas, Ohio State continually lost to them with perpetual whipping boy John Cooper at the helm. Eventually, I became disillusioned with the Ohio State Buckeyes and their asinine fans and 24/7 media coverage. (For example, I do not need an article in May about how much the fourth string quarterback can bench press.) I don't hate the Buckeyes now, but I don't much care either. My philosophy is, I won't cheer for a college football team unless I am associated with it somehow: I went there, someone in my family went there, I work there. Otherwise, no dice. I'm sorry, that's the way it is. I'm not changing.
But, for the average person in Central Ohio, Michigan Week may as well be like having the Pope come visit. And if, by some horrible stroke of luck, you are in a divided family, there'll be hell to pay. Check out this article from the Eagle-Gazette, about Michigan fans living in the Lion's Den, no doubt sleeping with the enemy:
After spending much of her life in Michigan, Janie has noticed a difference between the two areas when it comes to the rivalry.
"I told (Jack) that there's a difference between fans an fanatics," she said. "Buckeye fans are fanatics. Michigan fans are fans.
"It almost forces you to hate (Ohio State)."
Janie, a masters student at, of all places, OSU-Newark, isn't alone in love of Michigan. Her 10-year-old son, Justin, was born in Michigan. He spent the first four years of his life 45 minutes outside of Ann Arbor before Janie met Jack. The two were married and moved to Pataskala.
To some in the Treinish family, Jack might as well have said "I do" to Bo Schembechler.
"She gets razzed at every family function," Jack, a firefighter, said. "She takes a pretty good beating for it. In my family you either like the Buckeyes or you don't like football.
"Everyone was joking at first, asking me, 'What were you thinking?' I was pretty happy, so they must have seen that."
I know I am going to offend somebody with this, but I was at a wedding once where they divided the families into Ohio State and Michigan sides. I know it was all in good fun, but it struck me as incredibly lame. I mean, maybe the same thing happens in New England with Yankee and Red Sox fans, or Chicago with Cub and White Sox fans, but that bothered me to no end.
Can't you forget about the University of Michigan for one freaking second? Please?
Posted by oz115 at November 18, 2005 12:03 PM
Comments
Wasn't that like Audra or Kendra's wedding?
I have to respectfully disagree about your reasons for cheering for a team. I LOVE COLLEGE SPORTS~
I did not go to ND, and even if my brother hadn't gone there, I'd still love it... it's a Chicago tradition, and it's something my family has always loved!
I love the rivarly between college teams. Like UD vs Xavier... can it get any better than that rivarly? Remember when we went bowling yesterday? We saw the Xavier guy, and both made a disgusted face! I firmly believe the rivarlys are stronger between college teams than between pro sports teams!
Posted by: Christy at November 18, 2005 10:41 PM
I am the person in that article about OSU v U of M, and in response to the question of whether we can not talk about U of M I say this.....if Buckeye fans weren't so crazy about their beloved sports teams, the Wolverines wouldn't have to get their two cents in.
Posted by: J Treinish at April 29, 2006 07:53 PM