Peregrinner wrote:I wasn't sure I was going to get into this thread, but I decided to, since I feel I have a bit of a unique perspective. I was born near Detroit, MI and grew up surrounded by immediate and extended family that were all Michigan fans. I was one as well. I liked the team, I liked the colors, I love the state. So sue me. Hell, if I'd stayed there I'd probably have ended up hating MSU more than anOSU and that would have been that. But it didn't go that way. We moved to Columbus.
And thus began my negative feelings towards Ohio State. It turns out the ultimate offense in or near Columbus is to be from Michigan, GOD FORBID a fan of Michigan. I had more people respond with "Oh, I'm sorry for you." or even "MICHIGAN SUCKS!" just because I told them I was born there than I ever could have imagined. No offense intended, but since when is the state of Ohio so much better than Michigan?
Anyway, after after having a handful of change whipped at my head by a grown man (when I was 8 or so) just for wearing a Michigan shirt in November I decided there weren't too many things that were worse than obnoxious OSU fans in Columbus (redundant, I know.) After a few more years of profanity and getting hit just for being a Michigan fan, that's all I really needed.
One of my favorite moments this year was when I called home one day and my mom asked me "Are you and your friends getting together to watch the game this weekend?" and I said, "BG's game isn't on TV. What do you mean?" and she reminded me that the UM v. OSU game was coming up. I had no idea.
At this point, Freak, I'm with you. As far as college sports are concerned, BGSU - Orange and Brown - only and always.
I have to say, I am just the opposite...Born and raised in Ohio, and much of the time around the Columbus area...Growing up my family was indifferent about OSU. We all kind of thought it was ridiculous how crazy the town got over football...So I was indifferent, until I moved to Detroit...
I moved there in 2001. And all I heard was UM rocks. OSU blows. Ohio is full of a bunch of country bumpkin pig farms. Did you bring any corn...And so on. The Cooper era had just ended and UM was riding high and their fans were pretty obnoxious.
But here is why I think OSU rules the State. 1) As I said before, they are the largest University in the state. Why is SW Ohio less affected by Buckeyemania? B/c Cincy is the 2nd largest university in the state. 2) It is the only team, on a national stage, that has been worth a damn when it comes to championships in the state of Ohio for the past 40+ year, Professional or otherwise. If UM was the only team in the entire state to win any sort of championship in over 40 years, don't you think that fans would be even that much more rapid?
Lastly, my opinion of the the Detroit metro area (and hence a significant portion of Michigan's population) is one of the most unfriendly groups of people I have ever encountered. IMHO, people live in metro Detroit for 2 reasons 1) they grew up there. 2) They went to College there and decided to stay. Hence everyone has their own cliques of people to hang out with. My only friends were my wife's (then girlfriend) friends. And the Esprit de corps for residents is terrible. Believe me, Cleveland is not exactly the garden spot of America...But MAN, people from Cleveland freakin' LOVE Cleveland, and i am sure it is the same for people from Cincy. (Columbus is a little different since it is a newer city). But the people that live in Detroit, and have grown up there have this general malaise and almost out-right disgust about their own city!
Here's a quick story and then I have to go...My In-laws are all life-long Detroiters (they now live in the burbs after the white-flight in the 60's). None of them had been to Columbus. I was having my bachelor party in C-bus in the arena district. So my FiL and two of my Uncles-in-law were coming down. I of course got some friendly ribbing about what were we going to do, pick corn or tip cows? Long story short...They were AMAZED and how open and friend the people in Columbus were. They felt that they were welcomed. That people were glad they were there. Even now, 3 years after the fact, they still talk about what a great City Columbus is and what a destitute dump Detroit is in comparison. My in-laws would LOVE to have us live back in Detroit, but they even told my wife not to come back because it's just an awful place that's not going anywhere and that if we move back to the mid-west we'd be better off living in a place like Columbus. And again, this is from life-long Detroiters. Not some jaded, Buckeye-loving, Ohioan. Anyway...I just thought I would share.
but I still think all this childish. Grow up and deal with it Ohio is owned by OSU and their fans aren't changing I ain't changing. One thing I don't understand is some BG fans act like they are entitled to respect. You got to earn it. Expecially when you aren't consistant. When you make to the NC 3 of 5 years then you are entitled to something. So lets just quit crying and lets just get ready for this bowl game Go Falcons!
