Welcome to the Present
By Jon Thoma
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Now, first off, I want everyone to know that receiving illegal benefits is most definitely not a team-wide epidemic. I know for a fact that I can speak for most of the team when I say this.
I had never heard the names Edward Rife, Dennis Talbot, or Bobby DeGeronimo before all of this funny business. I hear you, people saying that little known walk-on punters get less perks than the stars showing up on ESPN every week, but I think that this helps prove my point.
Not once did any of this come up in locker room banter, nor did I ever hear anything about it in any casual conversation. With all the down time we spent together, believe me when I say there was a lot of casual conversation.
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My suggestion is a change of mindset. What if for one year, we weren?t the big kid on the block? What if, for one year, we were the talented young team who was a year away? What if, for one year, we were the ones who ruined other teams? run to the Rose Bowl and/or National Championship?
We are not going to get this chance very often. Like it or not, The Ohio State Buckeyes are a perennial powerhouse, and the word ?rebuilding? is considered blasphemy in these parts.
So, to all those out there who like to root for the upset, enjoy it. This is a part-time gig. We will be back on top soon, but we simply are not right now. Whine, bitch, moan all you want. It?s going to take a second to get back to where we want to be, so let?s try to have as much fun with this dose of humility as much as we can.
Cheer your butts off for these boys. Celebrate each win rather than taking them for granted. Be the 12th man this team desperately needs. I mean, what other choice do we have?