OSU vs. Michigan… Meh.
Let me preface this diatribe by saying that I have never and will never attend Ohio State University. I attended Ohio, the state university, and attained my first degree there. If I were to support any college team, then it would have to be Ohio University or the college I am currently attending. That said, begin diatribe.I’m sure the OSU/Michigan game is big for alumni, current students, and other fans. Due to OSU’s Big Ten status, its size, and its recent national championship victory, it has many fans throughout the state of Ohio and beyond. Today is even OSU vs. Michigan day at my workplace, where employees are encouraged to dress in school colors to show support for their favorite team. I’m not wearing either team’s apparel. Even the appeal of wearing jeans and tennis shoes could not persuade me to swear devotion to one of these teams - the reason being that I couldn’t care less about this game or any other OSU game.
From the time I was born up until the present, I have had OSU and their trials and tribulations forced upon me at every turn. Something about OSU turns some fans into obsessive monsters during the academic year. Fires are set when the team loses, and people still whine and complain about every slight when the team wins. I have had to live with these people inundating me with their feelings and views about how wonderful OSU is my entire life. Even at my other job where we have no central location other than the Midwest, I have received snippets at the bottom of emails about this upcoming game.
At one time when I was younger, I actually supported OSU because my brother attended the university. I was young then and didn’t know any better. When I started to be more “in the know” about what was going on after games and with the athletic program, I decided to start supporting Michigan just because the fans and their madness made me sick. I watched the news and saw all of the scandals and arrests. Some of my friends began attending OSU and I heard about the class sizes and lack of academic strength provided by the university. I began to realize that the sole focus of this establishment might be their athletic program due to the enormous revenues it generates. Please know that I am not knocking the quality of education alumni of this institute have received. If you graduated from OSU, then you should be applauded, because more than likely you had to work really hard to do so. This opinion I am basing on the fact that they do not spend enough money on academics to keep class ratios at a size that is manageable or academically productive.
By the time I reached OU, I wasn’t supporting either team. I supported my alma mater’s athletic program instead. When OSU tried to cancel OU’s trademark on the word “Ohio”, that was the last straw for me. We were OHIO University. They were Ohio STATE University. OU was founded in 1804 by the statues present in the 1787 Northwest Ordinance. OU is the first school in the Northwest Territory. OSU was not founded until some 66 years later. OU had already acquired the trademark “Ohio” which would prevent its use on all of OSU’s athletic uniforms. This was a very similar trademark to OSU’s trade marking the word “Buckeyes” for use on their athletic forms. For more info, see this article: http://www.ohiou.edu/news/months/DEC97/112.HTML
So, between my own negative perceptions of OSU and this attack on OU, I decided to once and for all conscientiously object to any active or passive participation on my part related to OSU.
Anyway, to all of you Buckeye fans: I’m completely apathetic to anything related to OSU and would appreciate it if you all just respected this and didn’t try to force me to care about it or discriminate against me for my apathy. I think my apathy is well-deserved. So the big game this weekend – meh.
GO BOBCATS!
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