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October 02, 2006
It's Necessary....
Simply put, the upcoming Bowling Green-Ohio State football game is necessary. Since 2001, as you would figure, Ohio State has the best record of the state's eight Division 1-A teams. Bowling Green is second. It would be hard to imagine Florida and Florida State not playing in a season, so it only seems logical the two best football programs in Ohio play. And I don't necessarily mean the two best teams right now, I mean the two best programs in the state the last five years.free video susan featherly
Now that we have that out of the way, I can begin my rant. Up front, I am not from Ohio and I am not an Ohio State fan. My love for BG Falcon sports is exceeded by very few things. It certainly doesn't bother me that students at this school cheer for the Buckeyes. After all, it's the team they grew up with and Ohio State has one of, if not the most loyal and extensive fan bases anywhere. Their rabid fan base rivals that of an elite European soccer club, and just as a lover of college sports, I respect that kind of commitment and enthusiasm mightily.free video susan featherly
I just wish we had one tenth of that enthusiasm for Falcon sports.free video susan featherly
If we did, the athletic department wouldn't be receiving idle threats from the NCAA concerning BGSU falling below the minimum football attendance requirement for a Division 1-A program. How a team that compiled a 43-17 record between 2001 and 2005, went 8-3 against BCS conference teams (including 3-2 against the Big Ten) and won two bowl games in that same span can't draw an average of 15,000 fans per game is mind-boggling.free video susan featherly
What does bother me, are when BGSU students, who identify themselves as Falcon sports fans, place a higher premium on Ohio State than their own school, their own livelihood. Again, there is no problem with being an Ohio State fan and a Falcon fan. When you were born you didn't know you were going to BGSU, and if you lived anywhere within this state's border it's likely you were conditioned to be an OSU fan beginning at an early age. But seriously folks, this is your school. You made a conscious choice to attend BGSU because there was something it had that Ohio State didn't, something that made you want to come to this special place. Maybe I am just too rah-rah when it comes to supporting this "Mid-Major" school.. But upon coming to BG I was anticipating more people would embrace the Falcons and all the tradition they stand for. You only have a limited amount of time here, and although there are so many more important things than intercollegiate athletic teams that define a collegiate career, I feel that sports serve as a good metaphor for being proud of your university as a whole. free video susan featherly
A degree from this institution means a lot. It distinguishes you amongst your competitors and peers. Students, although you may be die-hard Buckeyes at heart, your affiliation with Ohio State is unofficial. You may define yourself as an OSU fan until death, but the mark of a BGSU education is so much more defining. With each waning credit hour completed, I fear many students on campus aren't fully embracing the short time they have here. Sure, it is only natural to be looking ahead at this point in our lives as we prepare for our budding careers. It's necessary to plan ahead to be successful. However, I consider it a tragedy to pass through this school and not take advantage of every opportunity to enjoy what it has to offer. As I said, with a BGSU education you will most definitely command respect. I'd just like to see more people reciprocate that respect to our athletic programs, because they most definitely deserve it. free video susan featherly
It really does sadden me to hear students say they will be rooting for Ohio State to beat Bowling Green this Saturday. The explanation I usually get is "It's more important for Ohio State to win because they compete for National Championships. When Bowling Green loses this game, they can still win the MAC." free video susan featherly
Now I fully understand this point of view, and it makes sense. MAC teams have not been put in a position by college football to compete for national championships, and Big Ten teams have. However, you tell those men in orange and brown that winning the MAC is "less important," and observe the fire in their eyes. Every single one of them, ignoring the fact no one outside of ay-ziggy-zoomba.com will pick them to even keep this game close against OSU, will go to bed Friday night thinking a victory is entirely possible. Call them crazy, but that kind of confidence is the real mark of a winner. Ohio State expects to win every game, which is part of what makes them so intimidating. So hey, why not us? Even if you're rooting for the Bucks, bear in mind the Falcons are still playing for you, as they are saddled with the pressure of representing the entire university on that field. Please show them you appreciate that. free video susan featherly
I fully realize how unlikely a victory is for the Falcons, and I also realize how likely it is OSU will win in a runaway. But I just can't pick against BG. The kind of commitment a Buckeye has for Ohio State is my attitude ten-fold for the Falcons, if that helps explain where I'm coming from. From what I've observed in three and a half years, the majority of BGSU sports fans do not feel as strongly as I, and I guess I'm venting because I'm a little disappointed.free video susan featherly
When I bring up this sensitive issue, the response is invariably the same.free video susan featherly
"You don't understand how important Ohio State football is to Ohio because you're not from here."free video susan featherly
This is always the ultimate justification for choosing the Buckeyes over BG. And its complete bull. No I'm not from Ohio, but I, like you, had my favorite big name local team where I grew up with a rabid fan base of its own. But when I got to BGSU the allure of the Falcons was just too much. I'm still a huge fan of my original team but the Falcons will be number one from here on out, so if I can do it, so can you. (Believe it or not actual Ohioans have done this too!) And don't tell me that OSU football here is unlike anywhere else. The ego of that statement is absolutely infuriating. Until you've been to USC, Texas, Auburn, or every other site of a Division I-A college football team for that matter, no one has grounds to make that statement. It's another faulty argument I am sick of hearing. free video susan featherly
I am not suggesting anyone leave the Buckeyes behind, I know the tradition is important. I am just simply asking our student body to embrace the tradition at Bowling Green with the same passion it exudes for Ohio State. free video susan featherly
Die-hard Buckeye fans I'm sure find it laughable that I consider BG-OSU the same type of match-up as Florida-Florida State. But I have just not been conditioned to think OSU playing a non-BCS conference school automatically equals a victory. It's funny, us media types constantly yap about how much the overall quality of the MAC has improved and how much the MAC has closed the gap between it and BCS conference schools. Yet we still constantly write-off MAC teams almost immediately when they play BCS conference programs, and then act completely shocked when one them pulls off an "upset." (See Akron 20, N.C. State 17 on 9/9, or Western Michigan 17, Virginia 10 two weeks later). Maybe it's true, maybe I "just don't understand OSU Football." But as I watch the Falcons and Buckeyes run onto the field at Ohio Stadium Saturday, I won't see the MAC versus the Big Ten, or "David against Goliath," as I'm sure every media type in the Horseshoe will crack out the holiest of all sports clichés. The only thing I will see are the two most consistently successful college football programs in Ohio this decade. Predict a lopsided score if you must, but to me that's a pretty good match-up. It's just necessary.
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Paul M. Braverman
Assistant Sports Director/Play-by-play Announcer
Bowling Green Radio Sports Organization
88.1 FM WBGU, Bowling Green, Ohio
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Posted by Ziggyzoomba at October 2, 2006 09:33 PMfree video susan featherly