Ohio State Football fans: UGH!!!! (Columbus, Dublin: to buy, theater, luxury)

[jbcmh81]

Originally Posted by Zen_master

I refer to the culture in Columbus as Ohio State hegemony. From the news anchors on Friday morning wearing Ohio State gear (despite being Wright State grads) to Speedway selling Ohio State shirts in the main entrance to nearly every license plate in Columbus being some vanity plate version of BUC I, BUCKLUV, etc. There is no recognition that someone living here might not be head over heals infatuated with Ohio State football. It gets old quickly.

It's really no different from sports in other cities, especially soccer cities.

However, I find it kind of strange that people merely seeing or hearing about a sports team should bother them that much. If you're not a fan, you really don't have to live your life as a fan. It's weird people feel that much compulsion either way.

[jbcmh81]

Originally Posted by Rocco Barbosa

I'm a big sports fan. But I've lived in cities where all the major 4 were present. Pro: football, baseball, hockey and basketball in addition to college teams. Therefore the balance was nice.

Not here. It reminds me of a country town. It's like the circus is coming to town. I'll never get it.

Every restaurant (with a big screen) is packed with red jersey's. Once I leave next summer, I sure will not miss it neither.

I'm the only guy in the office not wearing "the colors" on Friday.

Is it really a balance? Taken together, all 4 sports would likely easily equal or surpass the same level of fandom you find with Ohio State. That it's broken up into more teams doesn't actually make the overall presence of sports less than in Columbus.

Also, frankly it seems very dramatic to like or dislike a city based on how much people are into a particular sports team. I was never a big OSU fan. I don't own a single piece of clothing with OSU logos and never have. You have made it your focus and choose to make it a bigger part of your life than it really needs to be. You can't blame Columbus for what you're unable or unwilling to filter.

[msgsing]

Former Columbus resident and OSU alum. Give it a break. OSU football is a tradition that is enjoyed by a lot of people in the area. If you don't like local college football just ignore it. By the way Chargers football here in San Diego has the same kind of diehard fan base even though they don't win a lot like Ohio State.

[Cbus76]

So do other things - there are plenty of people out and about during OSU games who could care less about the Buckeyes. If sports are your outlet become a Blue Jackets fan - yes, they've been one of the worst teams in the NHL for a long time, but they finally seem to be getting their act together. Or support the Columbus Crew, one of the more successful MLS franchises since the league's inception.

[chet_kinkaid]

being originally from denver,and a huge broncos fan,denver is just like columbus when it comes to its football team.in some ways even more fanatic,now when i lived in cincy,there just isnt the passion for football that you see in some other cities,like cleveland or denver,or columbus.i think its a great thing for a city to be fanatic for a sports team,its a sign of life in the city,these people who poo poo sports havent studied history,when we study great past civilizations like greece,the incas,rome,alot of what we know about those civilizations is sports related,yes its just as important as plays and art etc,and im a huge shakespeare fan and art fan,im not comparing beethoven to an athlete but sports is very important to a culture.

[conusmound]

Buckeye football season is the time to see Columbus at its worst. On a game weekend, it is impossible to walk down High St. or anywhere near the 'Shoe without some drunken idiot in scarlet and gray shouting "O-H!" in your face, and getting more and more belligerent until you reply with "I-O!" I was so proud of my daughter (14 at the time) when she and I were walking back from lunch at a High St. restaurant. Some Buckeye clown shouted "O-H!" at her, and she replied, "Get a life!"

Hands down, the best reply I've seen to the "O-H!" Neanderthals was a guy who straightened up and let out the loudest belch I have ever heard (before or since) into the "O-H!"-er's face. Priceless!

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by conusmound

Buckeye football season is the time to see Columbus at its worst. On a game weekend, it is impossible to walk down High St. or anywhere near the 'Shoe without some drunken idiot in scarlet and gray shouting "O-H!" in your face, and getting more and more belligerent until you reply with "I-O!" I was so proud of my daughter (14 at the time) when she and I were walking back from lunch at a High St. restaurant. Some Buckeye clown shouted "O-H!" at her, and she replied, "Get a life!"

Hands down, the best reply I've seen to the "O-H!" Neanderthals was a guy who straightened up and let out the loudest belch I have ever heard (before or since) into the "O-H!"-er's face. Priceless!

God, I hate when people have fun.

[jbcmh81]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

God, I hate when people have fun.

Exactly. I don't get the hate. Ignore it if you want (I did), but there's nothing wrong with people enjoying sports, even excessively so, as long as they're not hurting anyone or anything.

[thinkalot]

If people can forget their problems for 3 hours on a Saturday afternoon or night, good for them. People need that. I don't know why a person would care if they are not fans. It hurts no one and helps many.

This Saturday is the 3rd time I get to see OSU on TV in Arizona. Probably more OSU grads here than my home town in Ohio.

[American Luxury]

It's just worse because that's really the only thing they have going on, sports wise. My dad is up there a couple times per month for meetings and he says that's all they ever talk about.