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I have said in the past that Urban Meyer wouldn't have been my pick to be head coach at Ohio State. I did find something today that I like about him. This past week was a bye week for Ohio State. There was no practice this week. Kids went home to see their familes this week. The ones that lived too far away went to teammates homes. While it may not addressed any of the problems Ohio State has been having, it gave the players a chance leave the game for a week and see their families, see their friends, and be college kids. Meyer did have one rule, that he better not get any late night calls from police and the playersstill have tomake weight when practice starts today. Letting them go for the week is something I didn't think would be part of the Urban Meyer philosophy. I alway got the feeling he could be fake. I like this about him anyway.

Urban Meyer has always been about "Family". That was his reason given as to his leaving Florida. However, he almost immediately took a job with ESPN, that probably got him away from the Family more. Then to the Ohio St job, that I would think would require as much travel and time away from his family.

As you might tell, I am not an Urban Meyer fan, but I do agree giving the players that time off is pretty nice. It also probably has something to do with this week's opponent, the Iowa Hawkeyes.

RazorHawk wrote:Urban Meyer has always been about "Family". That was his reason given as to his leaving Florida. However, he almost immediately took a job with ESPN, that probably got him away from the Family more. Then to the Ohio St job, that I would think would require as much travel and time away from his family.

As you might tell, I am not an Urban Meyer fan, but I do agree giving the players that time off is pretty nice. It also probably has something to do with this week's opponent, the Iowa Hawkeyes.

I'm on the same page mostly with him. I'm trying to give him the benefit of the doubt because he is our coach, but I have experience with him at BG, ND, and Ohio State the first time. He comes off as arrogant to me and I don't like that. I don' t mind confident, but when it crosses that line, it rubs me the wrong way.

I always thought of him as a players coach. I like him a lot which is why I'm surprised others see him completely different. I don't like selfish arrogant people either but i've never seen that side from him.

Vileborg wrote:I always thought of him as a players coach. I like him a lot which is why I'm surprised others see him completely different. I don't like selfish arrogant people either but i've never seen that side from him.

I've seen it. More than once.

Vileborg wrote:I always thought of him as a players coach. I like him a lot which is why I'm surprised others see him completely different. I don't like selfish arrogant people either but i've never seen that side from him.

Same here. Meyer impresses me to know end, at least as a coach. I say that even after the crude way Tressel was cast aside, in all likelihood to make room for Meyer. Tressel and Meyer are two of my favorite coaches, Tressel because he seemed to ooze integrity, never gave up, and coached the team that revived my interest in college football, and Meyer because he does not appear to pay any deference to convention or PC and is a consummate winner.

I do think the thing that both coaches have in common is they are player's coaches. I liked coach Tress. Even with what happeded. He is a Buckeye. will always be. Meyer has to prove something in that regard, I think.

Spence wrote:I do think the thing that both coaches have in common is they are player's coaches. I liked coach Tress. Even with what happeded. He is a Buckeye. will always be. Meyer has to prove something in that regard, I think.

That makes sense. As Vileborg notes above, it is interesting to learn the views of insiders. Would you say your view is common among OSU fans? Maybe a bit of trepidation towards Meyer?

No most Buckeye fans love him. Most Buckeye fans, though, are real kool-aid drinking fanatics. That along with being the nation's biggest alumni base and one of the top fan bases (we are everywhere), is the reason I think we are not liked across the nation. Ohio State is one of those teams people like to hate. Our fan base has something to do with it.

Spence wrote:Most Buckeye fans, though, are real kool-aid drinking fanatics.

It seems that is the case for the fans of all teams. It's no accident the word "fan" is derived from the word "fanatic".

But allow me to post an observation. I grew up in the south, and I recall an abundance of fair-weather feelings. Teams had to perform or else. In my anecdotal experiences, based solely on a small set of people I've met who are Cleveland Browns fans, I'm absolutely struck by fan loyalty of Ohians. It's really something remarkable, and unlike anything I've observed elsewhere in the country. It appears Ohioans love their teams unconditionally, and if I'm getting to the core of what you are saying, there's some fall-out that can come from that.

Duke1632 wrote:But allow me to post an observation. I grew up in the south, and I recall an abundance of fair-weather feelings. Teams had to perform or else. In my anecdotal experiences, based solely on a small set of people I've met who are Cleveland Browns fans, I'm absolutely struck by fan loyalty of Ohians. It's really something remarkable, and unlike anything I've observed elsewhere in the country. It appears Ohioans love their teams unconditionally, and if I'm getting to the core of what you are saying, there's some fall-out that can come from that.

That is right. The Browns are a good comparison. I'm not a Browns fan, but the Buckeye and Browns fans are very close. Most Browns fans are Buckeye fans. Football is a big deal in Ohio. It is especially a big deal in central and northern Ohio where the fan base is mostly Browns and Ohio State fans. Even though Ohio has several D-1 teams (Akron, Kent State, Toledo, Bowling Green, Ohio U, and Miami U. Most fans of those teams are Buckeye fans too. The only exception is the Cincinnati area. Cincy natives are largely not Ohio State fans. The split between Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Michigan, and Kentucky with a sprinkling of them being Buckeye fans.

Ohio State fans live everywhere, though. I was in Orlando in October a few years back and we were looking for a place to watch the Ohio State game. They played Indiana so it wasn't a game of national interest. We found a Buffalo Wild Wings close to our hotel. We were hoping we could get them to turn a TV close to us to that game. When we got to the parking lot we saw cars everywhere with Buckeye bumper stickers, license plates, and other stuff. Most every one in the building were Buckeye fans there to see Ohio State - Indiana. Every five minutes someone started the O-H-I-O cheer. It was just crazy. One TV was devoted to the Florida- Georgia game. That is one of the reasons I think lots of people from around the country hate Ohio State. The fan base being so large and so fanatical and in your face. You can't find a sports bar in Ohio completely dedicated to a school from another state. They may show the game on TV, but it not completely taken over and in your face. I have seen the same things in other places as well.

On the West Coast.....As long as there is a SEC, Ohio will not even make our list of any kind.........With some degree of truth, when you talk football and even mention the SEC moans and groans.....and it has nothing to do with football prowess.

[/quote="donovan"]On the West Coast.....As long as there is a SEC, Ohio will not even make our list of any kind.........With some degree of truth, when you talk football and even mention the SEC moans and groans.....and it has nothing to do with football prowess.[/quote]

It's not as bad on the West coast. There is a real hatred in the south. Especially in Florida and South Carolina. I don't know what sets those states apart except for there are quite a few Ohio natives that move to Florida and South Carolina. There is also a big Ohio group in Phoenix, though, and the attitude isn't as bad.

I have a golf cap I wear that has an Ohio State ball mark on it. It is small, but when I am out of Ohio and I pass a fan I always hear "go Bucks", Not matter the place, if you are out in public and yell O-H, you will almost always get an I-O. And when it comes to football games, no matter where Ohio State plays they always travel really well. That, I think, really bugs other team fans. When you hear O-H-I-O in your stadium and it is louder than the home team's fans.

Spence wrote:That, I think, really bugs other team fans. When you hear O-H-I-O in your stadium and it is louder than the home team's fans.

Now that you mention it, I recall a game many years ago in which the Buckeyes playing on the road, did the wave in the other team's stadium--pretty much the whole way around. It was the other team's homecoming too.