I’m going to play the scrooge here and say, shouldn’t a university pride itself on its academics rather than its sports? is the point of a university not to educate?

also, ironically, this piece from The Atlantic appeared adjacent to this article on my dash: The Shame of College Sports, on the exploitation of young athletes.

Hello. I noticed your comment on your reblog of my post, and I understand what you’re driving at. I don’t mean to attack you, insult you or otherwise criticize you for taking that viewpoint on my post. But what I would like to do is congratulate you on missing the point of my post so brilliantly. It goes without saying that my pride of being a Buckeye and of being an Ohio State graduate goes far, far beyond any connection I had to the football team. My experiences with the school, my brilliant professors, the relationships I developed, the first-class education I received and the sights, sounds and happenings of that wonderful campus affect me much more deeply than any football team ever could. My Ohio State pride ultimately has very little to do with football or college athletics.

My post was not meant to be some general assessment of how my Ohio State pride is directly related to the success of the football team. My life has had its ups and downs. Briefly before attending Ohio State, my life had many more downs than ups. The Ohio State University, and Columbus as a whole, saved me, it gave me an opportunity to change my fortune, to receive a wonderful education in a wonderful, lively city. My post was meant to convey that Ohio Stadium, this building in particular, is a building in which my dreams came true because as a journalism major, honing my craft and sharing the team’s success on the air with people around the world was something I could have never envisioned happening in what had been a very difficult life until that time. The post is about how this beautiful building is very special to me. Nothing else. My Ohio State pride is deeply rooted in education. But it’s personified mainly in the little parts of myself that I left scattered throughout the campus. And there is a lot of myself permanently stamped on Ohio Stadium.

Another Ohio-themed post. It’s been on my mind a lot lately.

The photo you see above is of the incomparable Ohio Stadium, the home of the Ohio State Buckeyes, and the place in which I was fortunate enough to broadcast Ohio State football for two seasons, 2008 and 2009. It’s as special a place to me as there is on this planet. It sounds cheesy, but my dreams really did come true in this place. It has a mystique, a lore, a majestic grandness to it, and it’s palpable throughout its signature architectural design, the team it hosts, and the rabid, passionate fans that fill its seats every Saturday. For two years I was fortunate enough to be a part of its history, doing football play-by-play on Scarlet and Gray Sports Radio and sharing Ohio State victories with fans who were listening around the world. For a young man who was looking to shatter the barriers of his past failures and believe I could do something great, it was a dream come true. On the night of my last home broadcast (A thrilling overtime victory against Iowa), I stood in the camera deck for hours, waiting for the stadium to clear out after the fans rushed the field. I wanted the stadium to myself before I left it one last time. I stood up there, looking down at the beautiful field accented by the bright lights, the mess in the aisles, my scribbled-on game notes sitting on the table, the cool air… and seeing it by myself, the sense of history and depth was overwhelming. It was one of many moments in that stadium that I will never, ever forget. When I exited the stadium one last time, I kissed my hand and touched the side of it, knowing I would likely never be calling a game in that camera deck again, but deeply appreciating every second I had done so.

On November 5th, I get to take Stef to her very first Ohio State game, and after two years I return to the place where my dreams came true. It might seem like a dumb, meaningless football game to a lot of you, but it will be one of the most personal things I ever share with my girlfriend. This place, this stadium, means so much to me it can bring tears to my eyes in an instant. And to have the honor of taking someone to their very first Ohio State game is truly special. To share this with someone will be something I never forget. I can’t wait to see the look on her face when the band does its trademark entrance, performs the incomparable “Script Ohio,” and the Buckeyes take the field looking for yet another victory. It can’t come soon enough.

Dear Columbus,

I just wanted to tell you that I think about you every day. When I came to you years ago as a bright-eyed, eager young adult, you welcomed me in with open arms. I was so determined to shatter every pre-conceived notion, every failure, every horrible part of my past and replace each terrible memory with something new. Something hopeful, something I could be proud of. More than four years later, a Cum Laude degree hangs on my wall in the most beautiful frame, and frames of my press passes from some of the most wonderful days of my life are across from it. Columbus, I can’t help but want to cry whenever I think about you, because I’ll forever know you as the city where all of my dreams came true. I did things I never even knew I was capable of. I’m proud of every last thing I accomplished while I was with you, and your warmth and love helped to make it all possible. It’s amazing to think who I was when I arrived and who I was when I left. There are times I miss little things about you… walking through the oval at night, brushing the snow off of my car, unwinding at the Stube on the weekends, walking across the crowded parking lot to call Saturday’s game, drinking a Columbus Pale Ale on a friend’s porch at 4:00 AM, being on a first-name basis with the chef at the sushi restaurant, the view of your skyline from 315, the feeling of coming into my apartment after a long day of classes… the list goes on. But at the same time, I’m happy to have them where they are. Perfectly stuck in time. Because if I ever doubt myself, I look back at my time with you, and am instantly proud. You changed my life, forever, and I can never, ever thank you enough for it.

- <3