Why are you cheering for Ohio State?

[BGSUfalcons]

There is nothing wrong with people from Ohio rooting for Ohio's largest state university. In fact, I think it is a good thing.

There is something wrong with BGSU students and alums claiming OSU (or any school that they did not attend/graduate from) as their favorite school.

I am an OSU fan (I have connections to the university), but I would never root for OSU to beat BGSU in any sport under any circumstance.

[h2oville rocket]

Anyone else start to laugh when the "your from Ohio you have to cheer for OSU" line comes up. I mean if we use that logic wouldn't we have to cheer for Ohio University as well, and by no means am I doing that.

That's an interesting point.

Next time, I hear about how Ohio State is Ohio's team, I'll have to launch into a monologue about Bobcat football, and then stop and ask: "You do follow the Ohio Bobcats, right?"

Keep a camera handy. The looks on their faces will be priceless.

I've done this several times- never works. People say "Well sure-I support ALL the Ohio teams but you just don't hear much about ONU football like yo do OSU." After I pop the "what about Ohio's other teams" question I have never had anyone say they only cared about OSU. They're all lieing, but they never say it. And cameras are useless -they keep straight faces throughout.

[Metz]

Anyone else start to laugh when the "your from Ohio you have to cheer for OSU" line comes up. I mean if we use that logic wouldn't we have to cheer for Ohio University as well, and by no means am I doing that.

It doesn't make sense to me, either. I'm from Ohio. (Sylvania). But if we're talking geography, I live closer to Ann Arbor and Detroit than any of Ohio's teams. So we tend to be U of M/Tigers/Lions/Pistons (oh my) fans. I usually use that argument if the "you live in Ohio" line is used.

I hate having to use excuses. So I was born in Ohio, it's not like I had a choice! I came out where my mom let me out. Haha.

I'm a proud Maize and Blue fan and always will be. But they'll always be 2nd behind BG!!!

[jpfalcon09]

Anyone else start to laugh when the "your from Ohio you have to cheer for OSU" line comes up. I mean if we use that logic wouldn't we have to cheer for Ohio University as well, and by no means am I doing that.

It doesn't make sense to me, either. I'm from Ohio. (Sylvania). But if we're talking geography, I live closer to Ann Arbor and Detroit than any of Ohio's teams. So we tend to be U of M/Tigers/Lions/Pistons (oh my) fans. I usually use that argument if the "you live in Ohio" line is used.

I hate having to use excuses. So I was born in Ohio, it's not like I had a choice! I came out where my mom let me out. Haha.

I'm a proud Maize and Blue fan and always will be. But they'll always be 2nd behind BG!!!

People give me the same rub being from Oregon. My family are big hockey fans and when Columbus got a team, almost all my friends were shocked and appalled when I told them I was a Red Wings. They gave me the whole "you're from Ohio and you probably support the Browns or Bengals, why not the Blue Jackets?"

My answer? Had the Jackets been around long enough for us to consider them a choice, I probably would be. I think the debate about the OSU/BG garb worn on campus will always be a hot topic, but like most of us say, if you wear orange to the home football games, support your own school's teams, then there won't be a problem. Wear scarlet and grey 6 times a week, but when Saturday comes, please don your orange and brown for those who represent who you are and where you come from.

[eRichFalcon]

Like a cultural force, this mindset of disinterest has been passed along from one BGSU incoming class to another to another to another...............

It has always creeped me out how seemingly EVERYBODY in Ohio roots for Ohio State.

I don't think it's even close to EVERYBODY in Ohio rooting for Ohio State

Since I've been old enough to comprehend sports, I've lived in two places - Springfield, Ohio (about an hour from Columbus) and Perrysburg, Ohio (about an hour away from Ann Arbor), and I found there to be a solid number of Michigan fans in both places, though certainly more so in the Toledo area.

And I don't believe that disinterest is passed, it's that interest isn't passed, if that makes sense. I came to love Falcon Football quickly, since I moved into this area right as Urban Meyer began coaching and things got really exciting. Many students are not like this though, coming in still clinging to the big schools they've rooted for growing up.

I don't fault people for maintaining life-long fanships, but I agree that your own school should come first. Furthermore, I don't think that students are convincing other students to stick with their big school convictions, it's that they aren't convincing them to put BG first.

[BGSUFootballFan]

im afraid we're beating a dead horse on this one. this has come up numerous times in the past. i believe it was paul braverman who wrote a great article on the same topic about a year ago

With US it may be a little of deceased equine flogging, but it's also preaching to the choir with us as well.

To students there are thousands of new students every year on campus. Not to mention how many thousand may not have picked up the BG news on the particular day last year that the article ran. Personally I think an article such as this should be included in the BG News on a yearly basis, sometime around the first home football games, to remind students where they're attending school.

No, we cannot force anyone into rooting for who we think they should root for. Still, I think it is good to remind them that we also play D1A football. Remind them that they may have classes alongside these athletes and they would love to have the support of their peers. As a recovering OSU fan, I understand growing up watching that team your entire life. Still, I cannot fathom how anyone could not put their own school #1.

I agree with this in some parts. It is important to get the students interested in cheering for their school first. However I'm putting Purdue and ND down by cheering for BG as my #1. But I guess I'm more of an exception because most fans don't view the world of college football as I do. I love it SOOOO very much that I like the idea of having a team that really needs my support and help in the fan department. Still I think it would be possible to convince some OSU/any top team fans to stop "following the crowd" and to get a team of their own like BG. It's still D1A football and we have pretty dang exciting team.

So I guess I would like to see a little bit of both. More students saying, BG is where I go to school they are #1 over everyone else.... AND people saying I love college football so much that I would be better off getting a team of my own and try to bring them up rather than do what everyone else does.

[tiznow]

I guess I am an exception, weird or both, but I only following and support one college program - BG, one NFL team- Steelers, one NHL-Penguins,one MLB- Pirates ( I guess they are major league).

I have never had a second team to support. I will pull for any MAC program against any BCS program, but I don't have a second favorite.

There is nothing wrong supporting other teams, but to back the theme, If you got to BG, support the programs wearing Brown and Orange.

[bgmaggot00]

Part of the problem with the whole tOSU thing is that people in Ohio have a lot of civic pride in their state. We're taught from a young age about the US Presidents from Ohio, Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, the Wright Brothers, etc.

They did elect "W" though, unlike my ballot cast in IL. That should be at least a little humbling.

[Falconfreak90]

Part of the problem with the whole tOSU thing is that people in Ohio have a lot of civic pride in their state. We're taught from a young age about the US Presidents from Ohio, Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, the Wright Brothers, etc.

They did elect "W" though, unlike my ballot cast in IL. That should be at least a little humbling.

Ummm....no. Many states elected President Bush. Had the Dems had anyone with a pulse and half a brain, Bush wouldn't be in the White House today. John Kerry? Are you serious? Al Gore in 2000? Please. Bush isn't the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree but dang. All the Dems do is trash the man while failing to realize they couldn't beat him...TWICE.

Now, back to the topic at hand.

"Next time, I hear about how Ohio State is Ohio's team, I'll have to launch into a monologue about Bobcat football, and then stop and ask: "You do follow the Ohio Bobcats, right?"

I do this ALL the time now. They never know how to react. When I hear that sickening "OH-IO", I ask "How long have you been a Bobcats fan?"

"Huh?"

Exactly. OHIO is Ohio University. At least say "OH-IO State". Then I could see it happening.

They aren't the brightest bunch of people, these Buck$ fans.

[takeoffeh]

Jeebus,
I wasn't going to reply to your post yesterday, but the more I thought about it, the more disturbing it became. You said that OSU has better players than BG. I'm sorry you feel this way. Both schools are both NCAA D-1 schools. Sure, OSU is a BCS and BG is not, but that's a whole other debate in itself. But to classify OSU athletes as Better Players?? No. More Depth on the sidelines? Sure! But better players? When BG plays BCS schools, the coaches don't tell them in the locker room, "hey guys, let's put on a good show! Let's not get embarrassed out there!" Heck no, they expect the team to go out, play physical, and play to win. I'm sure the current BG players don't appreciate your comments. I know the former players don't.

Roll Along You BG Warrior...

[Peregrinner]

Took me a while to respond to this thread, but I just wanted to say kudos to the author of the article.

As someone who was born near Detroit, MI, I was a UofM fan my entire life up until junior year of HS. After that point, however, my loyalties changed because I had decided on a school, that school was mine, and it was BG.

I went from standing up to beatings on the playground for being a Michigan fan in Columbus, OH to being a fan of BGSU. Please don't tell me it's not possible to be a bigger fan of your school than one you've cheered for your whole life. I dealt with a lot of crap to be a Michigan fan, but when it comes down to it, I support my school first and foremost.

I've cheered against Michigan only a handful of times in my life - any time we've played them in hockey (especially the last two victories at home!) and when App. St. socked them in the mouth. That's it, and it's never felt so good to root against someone.

I think we're at a time right now when spirit at BG should be accelerating through the roof. We've got a women's basketball team that's kicking AZZ and taking names, we've got a promising start to the football season, a new coach for the men's basketball team, non-revenue sports like volleyball and softball making their mark, and an athletic director who's willing to do what it takes to get this school firmly cemented on the map and on the tongues of everyone around the country. Now the only thing left is for the fans who already know what's up to spread the word to those who don't. I think we're all up to that challenge.

[redskins4ever]

Lizzie's Op Ed piece should be included in the freshmen orientation packet and repeated throughout the year, at Move In, again during Basketball season. It is a timeless piece of writing.

Maybe someone should send it over to the Alumni Office to be mailed out in their next publishing.

[Falconfreak90]

Lizzie's Op Ed piece should be included in the freshmen orientation packet and repeated throughout the year, at Move In, again during Basketball season. It is a timeless piece of writing.

Maybe someone should send it over to the Alumni Office to be mailed out in their next publishing.

Great idea...I love it.

[BGGrad01]

Maybe someone should send it over to the Alumni Office to be mailed out in their next publishing.

Agree, agree, agree. In general, I think the students are proud to be enrolled at BGSU and support the athletics teams, student organizations, etc. The problem IMO lies in the transition to alumni status. When a student leaves BG for other parts of Ohio or the US, most lose that sense of pride and fall back to rooting for OSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, or whoever else they liked before going to BG. Those alums end up buying OSU gear and spend absurd amounts for tickets to OSU/NW. In the end, BG loses out on attendance, merchandise sales, and general donations to the University and/or Falcon Club.

[KeyWestParrot]

I can't believe how long this thread has been going and I'm amazed that an OSU apologist hasn't responded yet.

As stated before I am a BG fan first and foremost but I do have other college teams that I cheer for with Michigan being first in line. But when I attend BG games I sure as hell don't wear any Michigan clothing. When BG played OSU a couple years ago one of the people we went with, who also attended OSU, couldn't understand why people she knew was affiliated with BG was wearing OSU garb. She even said they shouldn't be so gutless and support BG.

Another observation from that game are the idiots who wore the half and half shirts. You know, proclaiming they supported BG and OSU. Choose one for gods sake, you either want BG to win or OSU to win but for goodness sakes pick a team to win you gutless swine!!

I think OSU fans are arogant and obnoxious and I feel the same way about the ESPN crews who cover college football as well. Ball State should have beaten Nebraska and Sportscenter showed Nebraska's touchdowns coming back to take the lead and the only highlight they showed of Ball State's was the final missed field goal. Talk about big-time program homers!

Before anyone says that I'm biased against OSU I'm also aware that Michigan State fans feel the same way about Michigan. MSU fans can't stand Michigan and they were very welcoming a couple weeks ago. But I don't understand why they act like they have never heard of Bowling Green before. One person even asked if we were I-AA, what the hell is up with that?

Oh hell since I'm on a rant.....What is so great about script Ohio?? It is four letters and two are the same. Now if a band can do a script Mississippi or California....that would be impressive!!

Great article Lizzie!!

GO BG.....SCREW THE BCS CONFERENCES!!