Day’s dilemma….The days of four-year starters, graduating on time, and playing for the state’s honor has been replaced by football mercenaries, and no guarantees. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
People left the stadium in droves Saturday, heads a shakin’ in disbelief over the score, while naive to the culture of college football that every Ohio State, Michigan, and LSU is trying to figure out. Is there any reason to play…besides money?
Dateline: Tuttle Garage (Saturday) – Like thousands of others who were convinced by the middle of the third quarter Saturday, I was pretty sure about the eventual outcome of Ohio State vs. Oregon.
And considering my priority of getting out of the adjacent Tuttle Garage before the crushing crowd – where the media is privileged to park during football Saturdays – I packed my gear and walked briskly up the ramp on the south end of Ohio Stadium, out the gates, and turned toward the quarter-mile walk to my car on the third floor of said garage.
Publisher Sonny Fulks writes OHSAA and Ohio State sports for Press Pros Magazine.com.
Knapke Kitchens and Baths proudly sponsors Ohio State sports on Press Pros Magazine.com.
I was not alone. The sidewalks were crammed, others seeking to evacuate the sinking ship – football Titanic. There were at least a thousand people walking north towards Woody Hayes Drive and Lane Avenue, intent on beating the rush to the lifeboats (their cars) and the traffic out of town.
I sensed an opportunity, for there was no shortage of conversation between people, and even perfect strangers. What the hell had gone wrong? Why were the Buckeyes getting embarrassed by Oregon? They were two-touchdown favorites. And now the season, as Press Pros writer Jeff Gilbert would write overnight, was becoming one to forget!
I caught up with a hurrying couple and made mention of our shared intent (my media credential in clear sight) and asked as we walked briskly towards Tuttle.
“What did you think of the game?” I said, fighting my own breathlessness. I learned their name – Nichols – and that they were hearty walkers.
“It was ugly,” the man answered, shaking his head. “But it was ugly last week, too. And it was ugly at Texas. It’s really hard to understand what’s going on with football, anymore. But it’s hard to understand what’s going on at Michigan, too. And that’s not even a great [Oregon] team if you believe what you read. They lost to Illinois two weeks ago, and we beat Illinois. I think they’re all just chasing the money…where can they make the most by playing college football? Not even professional football – college football. A million dollars to play college football! They won’t even be here next year? That’s what I think.”
I’m paraphrasing what he said, of course, because it was a struggle to keep up with both his pace of walking and his speech. He was passionate, frustrated, tired of believing a myth.
For decades coaches and alumni have proudly pointed to Ohio State recruiting for bringing to campus those who first and foremost wanted to be ‘Buckeyes’ – proud to play for the honor of Ohio. Woody Hayes said it. Fred Taylor said it. Earle Bruce, Thad Matta, and Greg Beals (the baseball coach) even said it. You win with people…right?
People like Aaron Craft, the squeaky clean basketball guard about whom the entire state talked about for pursuing a career in medicine after his playing days were over. Craft is now in residence at the Wexner Medical Center.
Arnie Chonko was an OSU standout in both football and baseball, but went on to be distinguished in medicine at the University of Kansas.
Long before Aaron Craft there was Arnie Chonko, a caption for Woody Hayes during the early 60s. Chonko would go on to become not only a physician, but head of medicine at the University of Kansas medical center.
Various other Ohio State athletes, like tight end John Frank, who later distinguished himself in the field of otolaryngology – disorders of the head and neck.
Jake McQuaide, whom you’ve never heard of, studied aeronautical and astronautical engineering and went on to a long NFL career as a starting long snapper, and later conducted transonic wind tunnel research on Blackhawk rotor blades.
Long-time major league pitcher Steve Arlin enjoyed a post-baseball career as a dentist in San Diego.
And when I finally arrived at my car in Tuttle Garage Saturday night there was a group parked next to me who freely shared their own diagnosis of what they had seen across the street – the crumbling house of cards following the almost-forgotten-about 14-0 lead in the first quarter.
“We got all these portal guys who came here who aren’t Ohio State-type players,” said a man on his way back to Mansfield. “They didn’t come here for Ohio State football. They came here for Ohio State football money…more than they can get someplace else. It’s not the education, it’s the money ($54 million dollars) that’s different at Ohio State.”
The famous quote from Cardale Jones regarding college sports and academics: “Why should we have to go to school if we came here to play football? We ain’t come to play school!” (circa 2012)
The culture of college sports is different from that which you remember. Gone – long gone – are the days when you came to college to become educated first, and an athlete, second. I played college baseball for four years, and enjoyed some success with it. But my dad, who saw me play just twice in those four years, rarely asked about baseball. No, his questions were always centered around school. “How’s your grades? You’re going to class, aren’t you? You’re going to graduate on time, right?” Never once did he ask about my earned run average. He was unhappy when I graduated a quarter late, because we had to pay for it.
Bunny’s Pharmacy, in downtown Sidney, supports Ohio State sports on Press Pros Magazine.com.
Today, every sport suffers from the same pandemic as football. A million to play fastpitch softball? Players come and go because even $50 thousand is as much as they’ll ever make as an athlete; because most are never going to be a professionals, except in something besides sports. You get what you can while you can get it.
Mercenary? So be it. You win with people has become just a memory of a better time, like letter jackets and parents framing your diploma.
Television shows like the Woody Hayes Show on Saturday nights after the game don’t exist anymore – hilarious to watch the replays, and how Woody made players talk about their classes, and their majors. Then maybe they’d about football. Does that happen today? Heavens no. Not unless they’re getting paid to appear.
I asked the question…..
“We’re not gettin’ Buckeyes,” said the man from Mansfield. “We’re gettin’ players that couldn’t get what they wanted at another school. So they come here because it’s Ohio State. Might get a national championship, might not. But they know there’s more money than at New Mexico or Kansas.
Hard to prove, perhaps. But you can’t dismiss it, either…not after 38 unanswered points and a blown first quarter lead. Perception becomes reality. Reality becomes frustration. Sunday’s headline in the Eugene (Oregon) Register-Guard read: The Only Red Left Was On The Seats.
Those still buying the necklaces and Tressel vests…face the here and now. If you were to write the book in this day a more proper title might be You Win With People (With Different Priorities)!
Acknowledge a different reality. Like, what would make you leave Kansas and come to Ohio State? It makes sense to perfect strangers.
Like….getting out of Tuttle Garage ahead of the crowd.
After the game stop by for a winning ‘Big Buy’ at The Spot, in Sidney. The Spot is a proud sponsor of Ohio State football on Press Pros.