Our Honor Defend

I’ve been running all around town on business today, which is unfortunate since today is the day that I like to better know Buckeyes.  At least running all around town today gave me the opportunity to have an Office Space moment.  You remember Michael Bolton getting his gangster rap on during his drivetime commute, only to panic when a black guy popped into frame? I got to be on the delivering end of that today with some dude in his F-950 pickup while I was walking to pick up lunch.  The song of choice was “Natural Born Killaz”.  I was very proud of myself for embarrassing him.

Anywho, Corey Linsley should go online next week today.  In the meantime, here are some things to consider:

• Ken, longtime reader, agreed to help me out with the Block O Table recap of the Spring Game.  If you haven’t chipped in with your thoughts, please feel free to do so.
• I post weekly at Bucknuts‘ Blog O.  This week, I bring up why Ohio State is being scoffed at nationwide for its record-setting turnout.  I conclude that there’s nothing Ohio State could do here to avoid derogatory comments.  If they mirrored USC’s dismal turnout, we have proof that football isn’t as important as it is in the South.  But since we did break Alabama’s record, we have proof that we have no lives and, worst of all, we have no beaches (no beaches!!).  Damned if we do; damned if we don’t.  Ultimately, any snarky, mean-spirited comments about our fandom or our passion about Ohio State football can be directed to the nearest brick wall.
• Chris Spielman was finally elected into the College Football Hall of Fame.
• Jordan Whiting received his Kentucky Farm Bureau Male High School Athlete of the Year award recently.  However, as I wrote, he had won this award in March.  The presentation was recent, I guess.
• Adam Rittenberg chimes in with more fluff about Thaddeus Gibson.  Trust me, I’m glad that Gibson is asking so many questions and trying to become a student of the game.  However, after a certain point, he needs to have the self-confidence to stop asking questions and just go out and destroy everything moving.  For as much as everyone piles on Jim Heacock, this part — giving Gibson the necessary self-confidence — I have full faith that Heacock will get done.
• Lamarcus Joyner has become the object of more than a few mancrushes for Ohio State football fans.  While the recruiting trail is a long way from its conclusion, Ohio State’s Spring Game (which Joyner attended) impressed him greatly.  It also left a profound impact on Joyner’s uncle, who accompanied him on the trip (along with ND target Cody Riggs and Buckeye commit Duron Carter).  Joyner’s uncle, who posts at BuckeyePlanet under the username genron187, had this to share about Jim Tressel.

Coach Tressel is a great man and a great coach. To describe him is hard because he’s more than a football guy, he knows football. He’s more than a coach, he can coach. More than a teacher, he can teach. More than a leader, he can lead. He’s like a mentor, father, and friend put into one. He makes you feel so comfortable around him. He greeted me like we have been buddies for a while. The 1st thing we did when we meet with him was take a tour of his office. Now that may sound corny and i would have thought so but it reallys open you up to what he’s all about. Im not going to go ove the whole tour but the highlight of it was a card collection he keeps of all the Ohio state players..I mean he had cards of old players as well. It was neat. He then told us a story of a former player who went back to graduate at the age of 70. The guy graduated at 72 and let us know that your buckeye for life and that he’ll never turn he back on you. That was great to hear. I asked him about recruiting Fla and about his youngstown state days. He had a bunch of stories of former fla guys and explained how the fla guys really pushed then over the edge and why they were so successful. But the big highlight of the meeting was when he pulled out the BLOCK O. I cant accurately explain it but it describes the program’s philosphy. Coach Tressel described it like it was his life. Everything Ive been about and everything that Ive been having LJ focus on was on that. As he was talking all I could say in my head was “perfect match”. I dont about the cold or fans or classes but i do know there are no better set of coaches with a big heart. By the way he also showed us an article stating Columbus as one of the top cities in the nation for africans americans..i enjoyed that…But its much more that was impressive, including the players alternative playbook in which i’ll describe later.