The Game - Dave’s Midwestern Ohio Memories

A Series of Guest Blogs by an out-of-state Fish Report reader originally from this area about fond memories of growing up in Midwestern Ohio during the 50’s & 60’s

The Game

Ok, Sports fans! Saturday I won't be routing for the Buckeye’s! Here’s how it started; why I root for the Buckeye’s every day but one each year. It began in the summer of 1967 when Tom Jacobs, a Minster native now living in Ft. Loramie, invited me spend the weekend in Michigan to attend a fraternity party at General Motors Institute, where he attended and I was enrolled for the upcoming fall semester. We were connected by a cousin who also attended GMI. Tom was driving a brand new 1966 Pontiac GTO just like the one pictured on the right. The car was a beauty and I distinctly recall Tom getting a speeding ticket for going 85 along I-75 near Wapakoneta on the way to Michigan.

We finally arrived at the fraternity by early afternoon in time to join a pick-up football game underway in the frat house yard. I was wearing a tee shirt with the inscription “Property of the Ohio State University Athletic Department”, pretty much like the photo on the left and just about as wrinkled. That shirt obviously drew some attention from my fellow competitors, with some believing the shirt (and me) were actually affiliated with OSU. I didn’t do anything to dispel the notion.

The frat party was OK; however, since the school at that time was predominantly all male, there were about 3 guys for every girl, an affliction I was to suffer through for the next four years. But during those years, I had a chance to attended several Michigan games and began to appreciate the game-day excitement in the Big House. Especially memorable was the 1969 Ohio State-Michigan game, when the defending National Champion Buckeyes came into Ann Arbor undefeated and again ranked number one. It was Bo Schembeckler’s first year as Michigan’s head coach, having coached under Woody Hayes earlier in his career. The rivalry was definitely rekindled at that point when Michigan went on to win that game and earn a spot in the Rose Bowl on New Years Day. For more on that game and the "ten year war" that ensued, click on this previous blogpost.

Legendary Michigan announcer Bob Ufer provided many unforgettable highlights during that period. My father-in-law, a staunch OSU fan, even liked to listen to Ufer on fall Saturday afternoons. Here are some of my favorite Uferisms:

Ufer goes crazy in this video when OSU players tear down the Michigan Banner.

When Bob was ailing from prostate cancer, the above banner was raised by the M Club and below the band’s halftime tribute honoring him.

Bob Ufer unfortunately died in 1981, broadcasting U of M games right to the end. This video tribute was created capturing some of his best Michigan broadcasting moments.

Ufer was Michigan’s super-fan for years, while OSU has had the above characters roaming the tailgate parties and stands for years. Now Michigan has a new super-fan as shown in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDMrdAhBWh0

Some of my favorite OSU-Michigan jokes:

Jim Harbaugh is on the Ohio 5 yard line in the closing seconds of a game tied 14 - 14 and prays for inspiration. He looks to the heavens and says "God what play should I call." God answers "throw a flat pass to the right". Harbaugh calls the play and it is intercepted and returned all the way for a touchdown giving Ohio State the win. Jim once again looks to the heavens and says "God why did you call that play". God pauses and says "Hey Woody why did we call that play?”
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A Michigan fan and an Ohio State fan go to the restroom and stand next to each other at the urinal. They finish about the same time. The Michigan fan goes to the sink to wash his hands and the Ohio State fan starts to walk out. The Michigan fan yells to the Ohio State fan and says hey in Michigan they teach us to wash our hands after going to the bathroom. The Ohio State fan replies back. At Ohio State they teach us not to pee on our hands…
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A young man hired by a supermarket reported for his first day of work. The manager greeted him with a warm handshake and a smile, gave him a broom, and said, "Your first job will be to sweep out the store." "But I'm a graduate of the Ohio State University," the young man replied indignantly. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that," said the manager. "Here, give me the broom - I'll show you how.”
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Once upon a time, there was a season when neither Ohio State nor Michigan made a post-season bowl game. It seemed so unusual that the teams figured there should be some sort of competition anyway. So they got together and decided on a week-long ice-fishing competition. On the first day, Michigan caught 100 fish and OSU caught none. On the second day, Michigan had caught 200 fish and OSU still had zero. OSU coach Woody Hayes, suspecting cheating, dressed one of his players in maize and blue and sent him to the Michigan camp to act as a spy. At the end of the day, the player came back to report. "Are they cheating?” asked Woody. "They sure are," the player said. "They're cutting holes in the ice!"
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What do you get when you drive through Columbus really slow?
A: A degree.

Sorry Fish Report readers; On Saturday: Go Blue! Any other day Scarlet & Gray!