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LGHL Podcast: I Want to Go Back - A Legend Arrives on Campus

Podcast: I Want to Go Back - A Legend Arrives on Campus
Jim Baird via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

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Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
Relive the greatest stories from Ohio State football history in Season 2 of Land-Grant Holy Land’s exclusive podcast series.

Ohio State football has an unrivaled tradition and history. Now, it’s time to relive those epic moments once more. Each Monday over the coming weeks, you can listen to a new episode from Season 2 of I Want to Go Back — Land-Grant Holy Land’s exclusive podcast series that brings to life the greatest lost stories from Ohio State football history. This season, we’ll go back to OSU’s rise to power in the early days of the Big Ten Conference.

On this week’s episode — a legend arrives on campus...


The Ohio State football program was taking on water leading into the 1913 season. The program was about to take a major step up in conference play — moving from playing the powers of Ohio in the Ohio Athletic Conference to the powers of the Midwest in the Western Conference. Unfortunately, OSU had become a revolving door for head coaches — three consecutive coaches left after a single season. The biggest blow of all happened after the 1912 season.

Ohio State put its faith in head coach Big John Richards to lead the team as it prepared to join the Western Conference. The West was the forerunner to the Big Ten and the Buckeyes were set to start conference play during the 1913 season. Coach Richards played and coached at Wisconsin and knew what he was doing from the sidelines. Ohio State finished as conference champs in 1912 in their final season as members of the Ohio Athletic Conference. But Richards, the coaching magician, saved his greatest trick for the offseason: he decided to disappear. Big John quit to pursue a business opportunity in Chicago.

Now the Buckeyes were again on the hunt for a new head coach. A coach who could bring stability to the program. A coach who could recruit top talent. A coach that could help the program take the next step against the ferocious step-up in competition in the Western Conference. OSU didn’t have a lot of time to find the right fit. The moves Ohio State made next built the program we know today.

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Name, Image, & Likeness (NIL) at tOSU

ScriptOhio
OPENDORSE ESTIMATES JUSTIN FIELDS COULD MAKE OVER $400,000, OTHER BUCKEYES WOULD REACH FIVE-FIGURE ANNUAL SUMS FROM SOCIAL MEDIA UNDER RECOMMENDED NCAA RULES

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College athletes, in a little over a year, should have the ability to profit in a variety of ways from their name, image and likeness.

A couple of weeks ago, the NCAA Board of Governors – which is chaired by Ohio State president Michael Drake – announced its support for recommendations allowing athletes to profit in ways that have always been barred. There’ll be some “guardrails” put in place by the NCAA to regulate certain aspects, but provided the finalized plans pass when the NCAA member institutions meet in January, the changes will go into effect by the time the 2021-22 academic year rolls around.

The opening of the floodgates won’t lead to a truly free market, but it would give Ohio State athletes the chance to profit in ways they haven’t been able to before. Profiting from a YouTube channel? Getting paid to appear on a television commercial or on a billboard? Making ad revenue from streaming themselves playing video games? Selling merchandise? All of that would be allowed, provided they aren’t advertising with the Buckeyes’ logos.

Possibly the most obvious way college athletes could profit, though, is as social media marketers, otherwise known as influencers.

“This is really our first education on what and who ultimately can be a digital entrepreneur, and we know that this is a new business, so to speak,” athletic director Gene Smith said on April 29.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...ve-figure-annual-sums-from-social-media-under

WOW!!!, I knew people made $$$ off social media sites; however, I'd never had guessed that a college football player could make $400K a year just from social media sites. You know if Justin Fields could make that much so could players on other teams too. It's already started to change tOSU's football recruiting strategy:

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Like most powerhouse programs, Ohio State football’s recruiting team had already made its personal branding opportunities a major staple of its program and a major staple in recruiting pitches. We can expect that to pick up even further in the future, and as pointed out by Eleven Warriors’ Colin Hass-Hill last week, that has already started with Ohio State coaches on Twitter.
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Besides recruiting I wonder how it will effect:

1. Team chemistry: I can see jealousy and/or envy between the "have" and "have nots" on the football team.

2. Players objectives: Players may become more interested in boosting up their stats to hopefully increase their popularity (i.e. star status) to increase their (potential) NIL $$$ than achieving "team goals".

3. Title IX and non revenue teams: I can see some problems and/or complaints from women and other non revenue producing teams because the star players on these teams aren't getting any significant NIL money, etc.

4. Declaring for the draft: I can see some football and basketball players (that get a significant amount of NIL $$$) not declaring early for the draft (i.e. staying in school another year.).

Needles to say this will change the future of college football.
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May 17 1980 - Mount St. Helens

ExpatAkronite
I was in Paris. There were massive student protests and the US embassy was heavily guarded (because of Iran). We hung out in cafes watching French troops double time down the boulevard and sat on our hotel balcony drinking cheap wine late into the night discussing whether Newsweek or Time was the more important magazine. Meanwhile, in the NW something big was about to happen:

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The Long Walk Home - The Aseneth Dukat Project

Buckeyeskickbuttocks
My parents moved our family from Long Island, NY, to Upper Arlington, Ohio in January of 1980. The first thing I remember about being in Ohio, other than sleeping on the living room floor without furniture the first night, was the Steelers Rams Super Bowl played on January 20 and won by Pittsburgh. I was 9 years old.

I attended CCD, which if you don't know is Catholic Sunday school, at Our Lady of Victory in Marble Cliff. Among the other kids in that class was Aseneth Dukat, a happy young girl with a whole lifetime in front of her. She was in my grade at school, Barrington elementary, but we had separate classrooms and teachers.

On June 3, 1980, Aseneth, aged 9, was walking home from school. She was abducted, strangled, raped, and finally killed via a 20 pound stone being dropped on her head. She had nearly made it home, as her body was found in a culvert not even 500 feet from her house. Her assailant(s) has/have never been found.

I was going to wait to post this until the 40th anniversary of this horrifying event, but because the case remains open and there may be some remote chance someone here has ANY information, I decided to share it now.

The Long Walk Home - The Aseneth Dukat Project

May you rest in Peace, you precious soul. It's been 40 years, and in just 6 months together, I barely knew you, but I shed tears for you even as I write this today missing you.

If you know ANYTHING at all that could possibly help solve this crime, please contact those who run the linked site.
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LGHL Column: Thoughts on NCAA eligibility and why Jim Harbaugh might be right for once

Column: Thoughts on NCAA eligibility and why Jim Harbaugh might be right for once
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

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Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Yeah, who’d a thought?

The debate around college athletes going pro will likely never cease, as, even in light of widely-applauded rule changes, judgments still abound about players who leave early being “selfish” or “money grabbing” or, more positively, “sharp” and “in tune with their value.” Of course, in the case of football, the rules are not in favor of college athletes, whose decision to turn pro is, with few exceptions, no better than a coin flip.

The relationship between collegiate/amateur athletes and professional athletes is perhaps the most archaic in football compared to any other sport. Not only do the NBA, NHL and MLB support robust farm team or developmental league networks, but the governing bodies for the three other “major” sports in the US (sorry, soccer fans) have also seen fit to update their policies regarding college players going pro.

Which leads us to an anomaly for this column and this site. It’s not often when we can give credit to Michigan football, but today might be the closest I come. Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh released an open letter last week which discussed empowering student athletes on their decisions to turn pro. Although, Harbaugh clearly stated that he was writing on behalf of himself and that his thoughts were not those of the University of Michigan. So, credit to Michigan is still limited.

Harbaugh’s plan centers on three tenets:

  1. A player choosing when he wants to declare for the draft - regardless of class year or years removed from high school.
  2. The opportunity for a player to complete his degree either concurrent with his time in the NFL or after his playing career.
  3. An increased ability for players and families to consult with lawyers and agents before signing a professional contract.

To me, these changes are no brainers, though I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve always been pretty conservative when it comes to professional eligibility for NCAA athletes. For example, I’ve felt the one-and-done rule in the NCAA for basketball hurts everyone by forcing athletes to take essentially a year-long hiatus on their way to the pros. It’s unlikely they’re making major headway in terms of their education, while their early departurest hurts their teammates and programs.

In the case of football, I’ve always felt that prep-to-pro is a bad look. Sure, you get some high school players who enter college with the size and strength to make it in the pros, but these individuals are the exceptions rather than the rule. Imagine an eighteen year old — any eighteen year old — taking on JJ Watt. Watt himself was just 6-foot-5, 220-pounds coming out of high school (he’s currently 6-foot-5, 288-pounds). Players — granted, in some positions more than others — need the time to grow and develop for the contact that defines football.

But when it comes down to it, the rules truly punish student athletes in football, with the common issue being the immediate and permanent loss of amateur status players experience when they opt to go pro. In 2019, 49 of 144 players who entered the draft early ultimately went undrafted. Those players can’t go back to college.

When you consider the NBA, back before the one-and-done rule was implemented, there were certainly plenty of examples of direct high school to pro athletes who were successful: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard and Tracy McGrady, to name a few. There were also many high schoolers who had every reason to believe they’d go straight to the NBA and be successful and whose names are long but forgotten except as cautionary tales.

Sure, it was apparent that LeBron would be successful in the pros. By the time he left high school, James was 6-foot-8, 240-pounds. In other words, he had the measurables which showed he could do well at the next level.

Of course, LeBron isn’t the standard, and it’s hard to gauge who will be successful at a higher level. Only a small percentage of high school athletes will end up with Division I offers, and many high schools are small and/or don’t always make cuts for their teams. What that means is that the “outstanding” players we see might not pan out, because we can’t really tell how “outstanding” they are until we get some data against tougher competition.

We’ve all been watching The Last Dance, because what else are we doing now? Scottie Pippin grew seven inches in college at the University of Central Arkansas (because he didn’t receive a single Division I offer). If we’d projected his NBA success based on his senior season in high school, we’d miss out on one of the greatest players in NBA history.

But back to football, which is a completely different game than basketball, which might lead to some of the disparity in eligibility rules between the two sports. Football is a high-contact sport, while basketball, with the exception of the Pistons in the 90s and also the Monstars in Space Jam, is not. Again, with notable exceptions, football players need some time to develop physically before they move to the pros.

That’s where the adjustment in eligibility, mentioned by Harbaugh, comes in handy. Though it doesn’t solve the issue of players getting drafted and then ultimately failing out of the professional league, it does solve the problem of kids who think they’ll get drafted who don’t get selected and who then lose out on their future opportunities. Additionally, the plan outlined by Harbaugh provides a contingency for players who fall out of the NFL - a trip back to school on scholarship. And considering just 55% of black male student athletes earn their degrees within six years, it’s a relevant change that truly supports the players.

For comparison, the MLB and NHL also have progressive draft policies, which support players’ education and professional prospects simultaneously. While it’s unlikely the NHL’s model which, for instance, drafts players between the ages of 18-20, would work for other leagues, it’s a cool concept in that it allows teams to draft players well before they leave school. Players can stay in school, grow and develop their games, while teams have the rights to players to support their franchise one to three years down the road.

I love the idea of restoring amateur status to players if the draft doesn’t work out for them, as well as the stipulation that players and families can get additional information from agents and lawyers ahead of the draft. The information asymmetry between players and franchises is one of the major problems in drafts.

The NBA, per the usual, has been one of the more progressive leagues in leveling the playing field between players and franchises, allowing players to return to college after working out at the NBA Combine and receiving a scouting report.

Now, the NBA allows prodigious players to bypass college entirely to go to the G League. While the conservative in me, who thinks players need that extra step to develop in college, is mildly horrified, the move makes a ton of sense for all parties involved: college teams can be built around the expectation of players staying for more than a year. Perhaps we won’t see the rapid rise and fall of teams in a single year as freshmen develop and burn out. Recruiting becomes smoother as coaches build rosters on a four year cycle instead of one, and are forced to build teams instead of collections of superstars we’ll never see in the NCAA again (looking at you, John Calipari).

Moreover, the new experience is better for the players who stick around. Just like most high school players don’t go to Division I, most collegiate players don’t make the pros. Now, the college game is reserved for those who are committed to being there for probably more than a year, while those prodigies who can and desire to make it to the pros outside of college don’t take scholarships from others who want to play in college.

Once again, I’ve gotten distracted by the lure of basketball’s progressive system. Back to football, and what Harbaugh’s system would mean for Ohio State. Realistically, these rule changes would affect those with high draft stock - those who would benefit most from leaving early and whose stock wouldn’t improve with an additional season of play.

What would that mean for recent years? Maybe Chase Young would have come out a year early. Maybe Nick Bosa would have come out a year earlier, which, in hindsight, would have really worked out for him. Maybe Justin Fields would choose to enter the draft, though he’d have to be competing with Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert for a top-10 spot in 2020. The rule would certainly benefit players like Bosa or Tua Tagovailoa, whose final seasons were cut short due to injury.

Sure, cynics might say that Harbaugh wants eligibility rules relaxed because it would favor Michigan. Keep in mind Michigan had five early entries in the 2020 NFL Draft to Ohio State’s eight, so while there’s still a disparity, it’s not an all-or-nothing.

Realistically, from a team perspective, the rule would benefit teams like service academies (hey, Air Force!) or Utah, where players generally take a full four to five years to develop or, in the case of service academies, don’t have the option to leave early.

The NCAA has proven itself shockingly progressive in recent years with changes that finally benefit student athletes. Relaxing transfer rules more clearly aligns player benefits with those of coaches. Now, these proposals, even if they come from a Michigan man, might serve to further level the playing field for players.

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LGHL Which Marvel hero or villain is each Big Ten basketball coach most like?

Which Marvel hero or villain is each Big Ten basketball coach most like?
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

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Photo by Mike Carter- USA Today
As part of SB Nation’s Marvel Week, we’ll try to match each coach in the conference with their MCU counterpart.

It was just Marvel week at SB Nation, the parent site of LGHL, so we’re gonna go wayyyy off the deep end and pair every single Big Ten basketball coach with the Marvel hero or villain they’re most similar to. You’re probably asking, “Isn’t it a stretch to compare a sentient tree that only knows three words to a basketball coach?” And my answer would be yes, it absolutely is a stretch. A really fun stretch, too.

But basketball content is hard to come by right now, SB Nation said it’s Marvel week, and I’ve watched 20 Marvel movies over the past four weeks so I could write this. So why in the world shouldn’t we compare a sentient tree to a basketball coach? Let’s get into it.

1) Groot and Greg Gard

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Photo by Mike Carter- USA Today

What do Groot and the balding head coach of the Badgers have in common, you ask? Defense. Wisconsin allowed just 62.2 points per game last season, which was the best in the B1G and 13th in the country. The year before that their defense was even better, allowing 61.7 points per game, good for 8th in the country. In fact, Wisconsin has had a top 30 defense in the country all five seasons that Gard has been the head coach.

Groot knows a thing about defense, too. In Guardians of the Galaxy, Groot sacrificed himself for his team, extending his branches around everyone to create a giant protective cocoon so that they wouldn’t be harmed by an explosion. The team survived, but only one lonely branch was left remaining from Groot.

2) The Black Panther/ King T’Challa and Steve Pikiell

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Photo by Jeffrey Becker- USA Today

What does T’Challa care about more than anything? Protecting Wakanda, his home. What does Steve Pikiell do better than any other coach in the country? Defend home court.

The main conflict in Black Panther arises from a disagreement over whether Wakanda should share their technology with the world. This could save millions of lives around the globe, but would also open Wakanda up to foreigners, threatening their way of life. T’Challa is hesitant to share Wakanda’s gifts with the world, fearing that it could harm his citizens if they get too involved.

Rutgers knows all about protecting their turf as well. The last two seasons, Rutgers has gone a combined 28-8 at home, including 18-1 last season. Those 18 home wins weren’t just a school record, but the most home wins in the country last year too.

3) Nick Fury and Chris Holtmann

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Photo by Mark J. Rebilas- USA Today

Nick Fury is the reason the Avengers came to be. After meeting Carole Danvers (Captain Marvel) in the 1990’s, he was inspired to put together a team of powerful combat operatives who would help protect the country from danger. One by one he recruited the members, some of whom were more eager than others to assist. While he was occasionally involved in combat, Fury acted mostly as a strategic planner for SHIELD.

Chris Holtmann has been playing a role similar to Fury’s lately, as his Ohio State has seen three players transfer, another leave for the NBA, and a fifth graduate from the program just since March. Holtmann, in turn, was able to recruit three transfers to Columbus (Seth Towns, Jimmy Sotos, and Abel Porter), while also holding onto his two incoming freshmen, Eugene Brown and Zed Key.

4) Yondu and Juwan Howard

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Photo by Rick Osentoski- USA Today

This was especially tough, because Juwan Howard has been the head coach at Michigan for less than a year. There’s still a lot to learn about how he’ll coach the Wolverines and if his recruiting will keep pace with the rest of the conference, but one thing is certain: he loves his players and his players love him.

Howard broke down in tears at his introductory press conference last year, overjoyed with the sudden realization that he’d become the head coach at his alma mater. An upbeat and loose coaching style helped him connect with players that he himself did not recruit. But as much as you want to root for Howard, he is still the coach at Michigan. Good guy, but wrong side.

Similarly, it’s easy to like Yondu when you watch Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. He is a member of the Ravagers, a savage gang of thieves who travel the galaxy searching for loot and valuables to steal. At the same time, Yondu shows over and over he isn’t just another villain. He saved a young Peter Quill from his dangerous father when Peter was little, and ultimately sacrificed his own life for him. Kind of like Juwan Howard, Yondu is a good guy, but working for the wrong team.

5) Rocket and Pat Chambers

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Photo by Mike Carter- USA Today

Rocket, a genetically altered raccoon who can speak English and modify/use technology with ease, was created through years of genetic experimentation and manipulation. He is introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy as a common thief, working with Groot to find valuables to sell for profit, and later teams up with others in the Avengers series.

If Rocket was going to play for anyone, it would be Pat Chambers and his Nittany Lions. Penn State has averaged over seven steals per game each of the last two seasons, leading the B1G each year. Even more impressively, PSU has been top three in steals in the B1G for each of the past four seasons. If Rocket wanted to continue his thievery on the hardwood, Penn State is where he’d need to go.

6) Vision and Archie Miller

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Photo by Patrick Gorski- USA Today

Vision was created by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner to be a physical manifestation of artificial intelligence, stronger than any machine or suit Stark had ever built. While Vision had unbelievable powers, including the ability to phase through objects, he often took a back seat in combat and was ultimately dispatched by Thanos in Avengers Infinity War. For someone with the power Vision had (he had one of the infinity stones in his head for God’s sake), Vision rarely used those powers. He could have been one of the strongest Avengers, but rarely showed it.

Archie Miller was hired to be the head coach at Indiana in 2017 with a whole lot of hype and fanfare. He’s recruited two elite recruits to IU in Romeo Langford and Trayce Jackson-Davis, but in three seasons has amassed a record of 55-43 and has not made the NCAA Tournament. Much like Vision, Miller’s results have fallen far short of expectations, and could soon cost him his job at IU.

7) Ant-Man and Tom Izzo

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Photo by Mike Carter- USA Today

Okay, this one couldn’t be avoided. At 5-foot-5, Tom Izzo is one of the shortest coaches in America. Nothing makes me chuckle more than Izzo screaming at one if his players, with his neck angled upwards so that he can yell at their face rather than their stomach. Luckily for Ant-Man, he can shrink OR grow, but Izzo is kinda of just stuck being small forever.

8) James Rhodes aka “War Machine” and Fred Hoiberg

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Photo by Tommy Gilligan- USA Today

Hoiberg is a tough comparison too because, like Howard, he has not been at his current school for very long. I settled with “Rhodey” because both he and Hoiberg recently transitioned to a somewhat similar role, but may not realize how drastically different their new circumstances are.

Rhodes, a close friend of Tony Stark and former Marine, transitioned from serving the U.S. military in a traditional sense to serving our country in a...less traditional way. Despite not having any “powers”, Rhodes uses an iron suit built by Stark that is armed with machine guns and explosives, as well as the ability to fly. In Captain America: Civil War, Rhodes is shot down in battle while flying, falling over one hundred feet to the ground. He suffered spinal injuries that limited the use of his legs forever. Quite a rude awakening to his new line of work.

Similarly, Hoiberg has returned to college basketball after spending three seasons and some change in Chicago coaching the Bulls, where he went 115-155 before getting fired 24 games into the 2018-2019 season. The Huskers have inferior talent to any of his Bulls teams (or do they?), but yikes. In Hoiberg’s first season at the helm in Lincoln, his squad went 7-25, good for dead last in the conference. Welcome back, Fred!

9) Peter Quill aka “Star-Lord” and Chris Collins

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Photo by Jeffrey Becker- USA Today

Chris Collins is like Star-Lord because they’ve both really sucked at their jobs recently. In 2017 Northwestern made it to their first NCAA Tournament ever, which is awesome and fun (they lost in the second round, but that’s irrelevant). In the three seasons since, Collins’ wildcats have gone 36-59, finishing in the bottom of the Big Ten each year. Gross.

Just like Collins, Quill was a hero in Guardians of the Galaxy when he held onto the power stone with his bare hands long enough to vanquish the antagonist and save his team. After that, his performance drops off. In Avengers: Infinity War his temper ruined a potential thwarting of Thanos right then and there, allowing the mad titan to escape. In Endgame, he was seconds from being killed by a random alien in battle, but was saved by Gamora. Recent results really do not reflect kindly on Quill or Collins.

10) Wanda Maximoff aka “Scarlet Witch” and Matt Painter

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Photo by Brian Spurlock- USA Today

Both Scarlet Witch and Matt Painter are severely underrated, in my opinion. Painter has coached Purdue for 15 years, amassed a record of 337-174, won three B1G championships, and won at least 20 games 11 times. Matt Painter might be the best coach in the conference if the guy whose name rhymes with Lizzo were to retire. But he’s rarely ever mentioned. Why not?

Scarlet Witch has an argument as being the single strongest Avenger before Captain Marvel appeared in 2019. She is the only character that was able to single-handedly subdue Thanos, even if it was just for a few moments. She can lift boulders, buildings, or whatever she wants with her mind, and can create a huge impenetrable shield as well. She isn’t mentioned a whole lot either. Why not?

11) Obadiah Stane aka “Iron Monger” and Brad Underwood

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Photo by Patrick Gorski- USA Today

Aside from the fact that they both look like your drunk uncle, Obadiah Stane and Brad Underwood both are untrustworthy back-stabbers. Obadiah Stane, aka the “Iron Monger” was a good friend of Tony Stark’s father, and after the elder Stark’s death, worked with Tony on the family business. He eventually tries to kill Tony in the first Iron Man film and take the company over.

Underwood, while not a criminal, did leave Stephen F. Austin in 2016 to take the job at Oklahoma State. After leading tiny SFA to three straight NCAA Tournaments and an 89-14 record, Oklahoma State was elated to have him on board. In his one season at OSU (not that OSU), he went 20-13, made the NCAA Tournament, and then took the job at Illinois when the season ended. He probably didn’t even know all his players’ names yet before he was already out the door again.

12) Thanos and Mark Turgeon

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Photo by Matthew O’ Haren- USA Today

At first glance this is a terrible comparison, but hear me out. Thanos is roughly nine feet tall, probably weighs about 400 pounds, and can fight off three Avengers with just his big meaty fists. Mark Turgeon is about 5-foot-10, probably weighs about 180, and gets offended a little too easily by opposing student sections (shout out to the Buckeye Nuthouse).

However, they both have intentions that they think are genuine but really are just misguided and whiny. Thanos’ whole shtick is that the world is too overpopulated, so he is doing it a favor by snapping his fingers and eliminating 50% of the population. Then, there will be enough food, water, and resources for everyone. How thoughtful! But also very bad!

Turgeon complained this past season that officials were letting Ohio State’s Kaleb Wesson get away with fouls on both ends of the floor, likening him to a “bully” Later that week, he also complained that tip-off times during the week need to be earlier, because he doesn’t like getting home so late. Turgeon may think he is a valiant knight fighting for more sleep for his team or their safety against “bullies”, but it actually sounded kind of nagging and whiny.

13) Thor and Richard Pitino

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Photo by Mike Carter- USA Today

Who has bigger shoes to fill: Thor, the son of King Odin, or Richard Pitino, the son of one of the most successful/shady coaches in college basketball history? Both of these men were given a choice: follow in your father’s footsteps or choose your own path.

Thor could have become the king of Asgard, but in the end chose to be who he is, not who he was supposed to be. He passed the throne up and gave it to someone he felt would do it justice. He then walked into a space ship and blasted into space with some aliens and a talking raccoon.

Richard Pitino could have copied his dad’s winning ways of scandal and questionable practices, but chose not to. He has amassed a 127-108 career record at Minnesota, which is acceptable but not as good as his father’s 133-74 record in his first seven seasons. The elder Pitino also has been to the NCAA tournament 21 times and been booted out of college basketball once already for scandals, neither of which Richard has done. Way to blaze your own path at Minnesota, little Pitino!

14) Aldrich Killian aka “The Mandarin” and Fran McCaffrey

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Photo by Jeffrey Becker- USA Today

This was a no-brainer. Fran McCfaffery is one of the most emotional coaches in college basketball. It doesn’t take much for him to scream at his players, other players, students, and refs. Hell, he’ll even go after officials after the game and cuss them out. The guy really does not care.

Aldrich Killian, better known as “The Mandarin” is the main antagonist in Iron Man 3. Fueled with hatred for Tony Stark ignoring and disrespecting him years ago, Killian’s goals include killing Tony Stark, stealing his wife (I’m sure she’ll go for that), and selling a super-soldier serum that will let other people spit fire and have lava hands, just like him.

He and Fran should have coffee sometime.

Notable Exclusions


Because the goal was not to match the most popular characters with a coach, there were some important Avengers and villains left out of the piece. Unfortunately, I just didn’t draw as many parallels between some of those characters as I did these. Those left out include:

  • Spider-Man
  • Captain America
  • Iron Man
  • Doctor Strange
  • Hulk
  • Black Widow
  • Loki
  • Captain Marvel
  • Probably a dozen others. Sorry folks!

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LGHL After recent offer, 2022 defensive tackle hopes to visit Ohio State soon

After recent offer, 2022 defensive tackle hopes to visit Ohio State soon
Charles Doss via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

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Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images
The Indiana native isn’t taking his offer from the Buckeyes lightly.

While you were trying to enjoy the weekend you might’ve missed out on some the latest recruiting news surrounding the Ohio State Buckeyes football squad. Don’t worry! Land-Grant Holy Land is here to help get you caught back up with things.

2022 DL talks OSU offer


Regardless of graduating class, if Ryan Day and crew think you can help the Buckeyes football program out down the line, they’re probably going to offer you a scholarship to suit up in the Scarlet and Gray.

Looking to finish the class of 2021 strong, the Buckeye bosses are still hard at work tracking down 2022 talent to bring into the fold. Already off to a rather decent start to their junior class, Ohio State has issued scholarship offers to many other highly sought after 2022 prospects, including four-star defensive tackle Caden Curry.


Honored to have received an offer to play football for The Ohio State University. Thank you to @ryandaytime @R2X_Rushmen1 and the entire staff. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/wTRlMGs5Hw

— caden curry (@CadenCurry14) May 6, 2020​

Earning his offer from Day himself, the Buckeye scholarship isn’t something the Center Grove (IN) three-sport standout is taking very lightly.

“Coach Day was the one that offered me. He said he loves how I play hard and play with a high motor and wants me to love the grind and love the game which I do very much,” the 6-foot-5, 250-pounder told Land-Grant Holy Land. “Moving forward I would love to get on campus and meet the coaches in person and see the campus. I think of OSU football as a top tier team that I will definitely always be close with.”

Holding offers from the likes of Arizona State, Boston College, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas State, and Purdue, Curry is hearing from a pair of Big Ten programs the most. With more than two years left to figure out where he’d like to continue his hopeful path to the NFL, he’s starting to give some major thought into what he’s look for in a program on and off of the football field.

“At the moment the two schools that have reached out to me the most is Indiana and Ohio State. Definitely the facilities and the people i’m going to be around (are things I’m searching for in a University.)”

Currently considered the No. 4 defensive tackle, and 134th overall prospect in the entire class of 2022, according to 247Sports, Curry put together a huge sophomore campaign for the Center Grove Trojans. An All-State selection for his play on the field, he accounted for 100 total tackles, and 10.5 quarterback sacks last season.

Want to see what Caden Curry could potentially add to the Buckeyes defensive front? Check out these highlights of him in action:

Quick Hits

  • Class of 2021 running back and Ohio State verbal commit TreVeyon Henderson will suit up in the annual All-American Bowl. Henderson, a five-star recruit from Hopewell, Virginia, will join fellow future Buckeyes quarterback Kyle McCord, offensive guard Donovan Jackson, linebacker Reid Carrico, and running back Evan Pryor at the event held in San Antonio.

blessings.. @AABonNBC @ErikRichardsUSA @rlacey23 pic.twitter.com/ne6EbO4qlf

— TreVeyon Henderson (@TreveyonH15) May 10, 2020​
  • Five-star offensive tackle Tristan Leigh announced his top 15 over the weekend. Trimming things down from well over 35 college offers, Ohio State, Georgia, Miami, Florida State, Penn State, Oklahoma, Virginia, Maryland, LSU, Florida, Central Florida, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Alabama, and USC are still in the mix for the Robinson Secondary (VA) class of 2021 road grader.

T O P 15.... #AGTG pic.twitter.com/KudQ7VJ068

— Tristan Leigh (@Leigh71Tristan) May 9, 2020​
  • Leigh’s wasn’t the only short list Ohio State found itself on this weekend, as the Buckeyes also made the cut for four-star tight end Dametrious Crownover. Holding at least 25 different offers, the 6-foot-6 Texas product is the No. 8 TE in 2021, and the No. 222 player in the nation. OSU made the top 11 for the Grandview native alongside Auburn, LSU, Oregon, Texas and others.

Top 11!! pic.twitter.com/DWK72GlLNy

— Dametrious Crownover (@Dametrious1) May 10, 2020​

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LGHL Drew Rucinski’s journey from Ohio State to South Korea

Drew Rucinski’s journey from Ohio State to South Korea
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

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Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
ESPN introduced us to the Korean Baseball Organization earlier this week. One of the league’s pitching stars is former Ohio State hurler Drew Rucinski.

Right now, the options when it comes to watching sports are pretty much non-existent. The UFC is back holding fight cards again, but who knows how long that will last after it was revealed one of their fighters tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. WWE and AEW has put on weekly shows without fans. Soon the PGA Tour and NASCAR will be returning to action, but there is still no timetable as to when we may see the NBA, NHL, and MLB get back to work.

Those who really need a sports fix got a boost earlier this week when ESPN announced they would be airing six KBO games per week. What is the KBO, you ask? Until earlier this week, I had no idea that the KBO is the Korean Baseball Organization. Originally slated to open their season in late March, the KBO pushed back opening day to Tuesday. The KBO is playing without fans in attendance, which is what fans of other sports around the world will have to look forward to when sports are deemed safe to return.

Now that you have just found out about the KBO, it shouldn’t surprise you that one of the best pitchers in the league is a former Ohio State Buckeye. Drew Rucinski pitched in 257.1 innings for the Buckeyes, which is the 16th-most in school history. By the time his Ohio State career had wrapped up, Rucinski was a four-time letterman, and posted a 22-13 record. Following a senior season in which he posted a 5-3 record with a 2.92 ERA, Rucinski was named Second Team All-Big Ten.

Following the conclusion of his Ohio State career, Rucinski signed a free-agent contract with the Cleveland Indians. Rucinski didn’t last too long in Cleveland’s organization, pitching just 37 innings in three stops between their A-ball and Rookie League teams. Following his short time with Cleveland, Rucinski would pitch for the Rockford in the Frontier League, which is an independent baseball league.

During his time with Rockford, Rucinski was able to showcase his skills, amassing a 7-4 record in 2012 with a 3.13 ERA, and following it up with a 2013 season where he posted a 2.88 ERA and struck out 101 batters in 100 innings. Rucinski’s efforts were enough to earn him a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Angels in August of 2013.

Things started to heat up for Rucinski in 2014, when he was named a Texas League All-Star for the Arkansas Travelers, which was the AA affiliate of the Angels. Rucinski would go on to make his MLB debut on July 10th, pitching an inning for the Angels. After heading back to Arkansas to close out the Texas League season, Rucinski would return to the club when rosters were expanded in September and make two other appearances.

2015 and 2016 would be a couple of tough years for Rucinski. During the 2015 season, Rucinski would make just four appearances for the Angels, posting an 0-2 record and 7.71 ERA during that time. Things weren’t much better in AAA with Salt Lake City for Rucinski, as he was 5-7 with a 5.69 ERA in 2015, and he was designated for assignment by the Angels on September 1st.

The Chicago Cubs took a flyer on Rucinski in 2016, but he continued to have issues in the Pacific Coast League, which is a hitter-friendly league. Rucinski was just 7-15 for the Iowa Cubs, with his ERA hitting 5.92, which was Rucinski’s worst as a professional when he pitched more than 10 innings for a team in a season.

2017 is where Rucinski started to turn things around. The Minnesota Twins signed Rucinski to a minor league contract after the 2016 season. There was an almost immediate turnaround for Rucinski, as he was able to move to the International League, which is a lot friendlier to pitchers. Rucinski was just 2-6 but he saw his ERA fall to 2.57 and his WHIP finished at a very impressive 1.01. The former Buckeye raised enough eyebrows to make it back to the majors for a couple appearances in May for the Twins.

After being released by the Twins, Rucinski’s next stop took him to Miami, but this is where he was able to see the most major league action of his career. Not only did Rucinski appear in 32 games for the Marlins, but he also was able to register his first MLB win after pitching 2.1 innings of relief against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 6th. Rucinski finished the year with a 4-2 record.

Even as he started to see some success with his baseball career at the major league level, Rucinski still wasn’t able to find a home. After bouncing around four organizations during his career, as well as spending a couple years in the Independent League, Rucinski took his talents across the Pacific Ocean for the 2019 season, signing with the NC Dinos.

Moving to a new country and having to learn a new language might be daunting to many, but if Rucinski was having any issues, he certainly didn’t show it when he toed the rubber. Rucinski was a workhorse for the Dinos, tossing 177 innings last year and finishing the year with a 9-9 record and 3.05 ERA. Rucinski was so good that he was named an All-Star in his first season in the league.

After a successful 2019, Rucinski decided to return to the Dinos for the 2020 season, where he’ll try and help the team win their first title in just their eighth year as part of the KBO. Rucinski’s stock continues to rise in South Korea, as he pitched the season opener for the Dinos, working six scoreless innings in a 4-0 win over the Samsung Lions. The next start for Rucinski was scheduled for very early Sunday morning on ESPN, but was pushed back to Tuesday after a rainout on Saturday.

So if you’re sports crazy like me, I suggest picking up interest in the KBO to get you through this tough time. Even though the hours when games are broadcasted aren’t ideal, ESPN is doing their best to try and help introduce us to the only game around right now. And if we are going to dive in to KBO action, what better way to do so than by rooting for the team that has a Buckeye? Hopefully Drew Rucinski will give us plenty to talk about with some tremendous pitching performances this year!

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