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Deep In Enemy Territory

cincibuck

You kids stay off my lawn!
Deep in enemy territory


On Thursday I took off for Grand Rapids, Michigan. The weekend centered on a reunion with other Vietnam Vets.

Pulled up to the front entrance to the Amway Grand Hotel. The parking valet spotted my scarlet and gray rugby shirt, "Go Buckeyes! Are you here for the game?" Turns out he had recently moved here from Dayton and has had a difficult time with his peers who can't believe he roots for Ohio State. Tipped a bit more than I would have normally.

GR is fairly evenly split with MSU and UM fans. The former are still in shock over the complete collapse against Notre Dame. Not a one of them expressed any faith in the Spartans against the Buckeyes.

I checked my car out Saturday morning to head north of here to play golf with a good friend. One of the valets spotted my OSU window sticker. "It's going to be a sad time in Columbus on November 18th."

"The 90?s are over." I said.

I expected an argument, but he just nodded, "Tressell certainly seems to have our number."

I continued to wear something with OSU connections since several of the attendees live in Michigan and the host, an otherwise delightful person, is a scUM alum. Watched most of the game in a sports bar, wearing rugby shirt and cheering as the Bucks opened up a can of whup ass on poor John L and his team. The patrons pretended to be more concerned about the Tigers.

Last night was a dinner party at the scum alum's gorgeous house. Two women came in to prepare and serve the hors d?ouvres. One spotted my rugby shirt, "OH Aitch!" I gave her an enthusiastic, "Aye Oh!" Turned out she was an MSU grad, but her father was none other than Dick Elwood, who had been an end on three Wes Fesler teams, and her uncle was Frank Elwood, qb for some of Woody's early teams.

The excitement for The Game is certainly present up here. Several fans thought that Michigan finally had the speed at the corners to keep up with the Buckeyes, and that Mike Hart was back to being Mike Hart. None of them think the Bucks can stop Manningham.

Last night didn't make much of a case for them. This was certainly a dispirited Spartan bunch and when they couldn't score following Well's fumble, and then watched the Bucks drive for the first score, you could see them just seem to sag. It was over by the end of the first quarter. Not that you can count on same team comparisions, but the Bucks certainly handled the Spartans with greater ease than did Michigan... and on the road. Michigan certainly didn't impress against Penn State, but then OSU didn't show much either until the very end, and OSU was at home. Conclusion: PSU remains an enigma wrapped in a shroud of secrecy.

Final thought: Bring it on, Michigan. Lloyd 's going to get his 'V' and it ain't going to be for Victory. VLloyd? I like the looks of that.
 
Last edited:
cincibuck;634194; said:
Deep in enemy territory


On Thursday I took off for Grand Rapids, Michigan. The weekend centered on a reunion with other Vietnam Vets.

Pulled up to the front entrance to the Amway Grand Hotel. The parking valet spotted my scarlet and gray rugby shirt, "Go Buckeyes! Are you here for the game?" Turns out he had recently moved here from Dayton and has had a difficult time with his peers who can't believe he roots for Ohio State. Tipped a bit more than I would have normally.

GR is fairly evenly split with MSU and UM fans. The former are still in shock over the complete collapse against Notre Dame. Not a one of them expressed any faith in the Spartans against the Buckeyes.

I checked my car out Saturday morning to head north of here to play golf with a good friend. One of the valets spotted my OSU window sticker. "It's going to be a sad time in Columbus on November 18th."

"The 90?s are over." I said.

I expected an argument, but he just nodded, "Tressell certainly seems to have our number."

I continued to wear something with OSU connections since several of the attendees live in Michigan and the host, an otherwise delightful person, is a scUM alum. Watched most of the game in a sports bar, wearing rugby shirt and cheering as the Bucks opened up a can of whup ass on poor John L and his team. The patrons pretended to be more concerned about the Tigers.

Last night was a dinner party at the scum alum's gorgeous house. Two women came in to prepare and serve the hors d?ouvres. One spotted my rugby shirt, "OH Aitch!" I gave her an enthusiastic, "Aye Oh!" Turned out she was an MSU grad, but her father was none other than Dick Elwood, who had been an end on three Wes Fesler teams, and her uncle was Frank Elwood, qb for some of Woody's early teams.

The excitement for The Game is certainly present up here. Several fans thought that Michigan finally had the speed at the corners to keep up with the Buckeyes, and that Mike Hart was back to being Mike Hart. None of them think the Bucks can stop Manningham.

Last night didn't make much of a case for them. This was certainly a dispirited Spartan bunch and when they couldn't score following Well's fumble, and then watched the Bucks drive for the first score, you could see them just seem to sag. It was over by the end of the first quarter. Not that you can count on same team comparisions, but the Bucks certainly handled the Spartans with greater ease than did Michigan... and on the road. Michigan certainly didn't impress against Penn State, but then OSU didn't show much either until the very end, and OSU was at home. Conclusion: PSU remains an enigma wrapped in a shroud of secrecy.

Final thought: Bring it on, Michigan. Lloyd 's going to get his 'V' and it ain't going to be for Victory. VLloyd? I like the looks of that.
Great article ! I hope the kids are all Buckeyes :biggrin:
 
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I lived in GR for 20 years. Unfortunaltely, most of those were during the Cooper era. The distinction between an MSU and a UM fan are pretty basic. A MSU fan either went to MSU or has family going to MSU. A UM fan, with some exceptions, is everyone else in the state.

I wore my OSU gear all the time and had great fun with the rivalries. I really only had one bad experience with that, when a drunken UM fan, probably not a grad, gave me shit at the Whitecaps baseball game. Being with only my 7 year old daughter at the time and he with a brood of drunken friends, I just blew him off as the ahole he was.

Buckbackhome, can relate to living in GR and having some OSU experiences as well.
 
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