I was born and raised in northwestern Ohio - "the flatlands", as my friends from Pennsylvania like to sneer. Along with the flat lands came football. Soccer fields were nowhere to be found and basketball was for the tall kids, but football - everyone played football. My brother and his friends played backyard football and then high school football. Football was on TV every Saturday and Sunday afternoon at my house. My dad loved a good football game, though he had to get up and leave the room if the game got too close. It was hard on his blood pressure.
By the time I was fourteen, I had a favorite NFL team - the Miami Dolphins. I didn't understand all of the finer points of football then. I picked that team because I liked their uniforms. My dad got a chuckle out of that, but I think, secretly, he was just glad one of us girls had taken an interest in the game.
I moved to Kentucky for my college years. Basketball is huge in Kentucky the way football is huge in Ohio. I couldn't understand all of the excitement over basketball. It made me homesick for football and so, I embraced both football and home by becoming a fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes. "Fan" is maybe not quite the right word....?
- Before my daughter was three, I taught her to respond with the word "Boooooo....!" when asked what we say to Michigan.
- I bought a truck last year. I told the salesman I wanted red, white or gray. I'd even settle for green or black, if that was all he could find, but under no circumstances did I want a blue truck.
- I actually attended a Penn State - Ohio State game a few years ago, in Happy Valley, wearing a red sweatshirt. Stupid? Brave? I don't know - I just couldn't abandon my team that night.
- I am a fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes and anyone playing against the University of Michigan. (Thus, tonight's game.)
My husband is fond of saying, "You can take the girl out of Ohio, but you can't take Ohio out of the girl." In a way, he's right. I haven't lived in Ohio for twenty-six years, but it's the only place that will ever really feel like home. My kindred spirits are there. I can walk into the supermarket at home and folks will embrace my love of OSU, rather than tolerate it. There are other reasons that Ohio will always feel like home, of course, but no other reason as highly visible as all of us decked out in our red.
Excuse me. There is only two minutes left in the game and it's 28-30 in favor of Iowa. I'm going to go cheer them on - all in the name of the Buckeyes, of course....
