Brett Ludwiczak
Guest
This or That: Which Ohio Stadium special event are you catching?
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Arianne Bergeron/NHLI via Getty Images
Soccer or hockey? How are you supplementing your Buckeye football?
We will take any excuse to take in an event at Ohio Stadium... Except Buckeye Country Superfest. Nobody needs to see that, especially in the sweltering heat Columbus saw yesterday.
Luckily there will be another reason to get to The Horseshoe before the 2024 Ohio State football season begins, as well as a one-of-a kind event on the books for 2025.
In early August, Ohio Stadium will be the setting for a friendly between EPL powerhouses Manchester City and Chelsea. The two squads will be in the midst of a tour of the United States ahead of the start of the English Premier League season later in the month.
Then on the first day of March in 2025, the Columbus Blue Jackets will finally play an outdoor hockey game at Ohio Stadium. While it feels like a game should have been played in the iconic setting years ago, the NHL and Ohio State were finally able to come to an agreement for the speciality contest to be played at The Horseshoe, as the Blue Jackets will be hosting the Detroit Red Wings.
Today I want to know which event you are getting down with. There are numerous reasons why it feels like the Blue Jackets game will win out, but since it’s the dog days of summer and not much else is going on, why not at least have a little discussion and give both events a little shine?
Earlier this year it was announced the Citizens and Blues would be making a stop in Columbus as part of their United States tour. Manchester City is fresh off their fourth straight EPL title, while Chelsea is trying to return to the top-four after rebounding from a 12th place finish in 2022-23 with a sixth-place finish in 2023-24. This friendly should feature appearances from some of the best players in the world who spent the earlier part of the summer playing in the European Championship and Copa America.
A number of years ago I attended the friendly between PSG and Real Madrid at Ohio Stadium. Even though the match meant nothing since it was on the heels of the 2016 FIFA World Cup, it still was an interesting event to attend. Since it was at the end of July, it was unbearably hot but that didn’t keep a big crowd from taking in the battle of two of the best teams in Europe. About the only thing missing from the match was an appearance from Cristiano Ronaldo. PSG went on to win 3-1.
It’ll be interesting to see if the crowd in early August can match the 86,000 who saw PSG and Real Madrid play back in 2016. One complaint I have heard about this year’s match is the pricing of the tickets. Then again, it feels like the price of all tickets are going up. Also, there could be a lot of fans coming in from out of town, or even out of state since these are two global brands and Columbus could be the closest venue for some fans.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25502047/2154123030.jpg "Manchester City v Manchester United - Emirates FA Cup Final")
No matter how many fans are in attendance, it feels likely Erling Haaland will make and appearance since the striker from Norway didn’t play in any summer tournaments like some of his teammates like Phil Foden and Rodri. Chelsea has a new manager in Enzo Maresca and a rising star in midfielder Cole Palmer.
Back in March, the NHL announced a battle between the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets would be played on March 1, 2025 at Ohio Stadium. Nearly every team in the NHL has at least played in a Stadium Series game, so it’s refreshing to not only see the Blue Jackets be a part of one, it’s even better an outdoor game finally is being played at Ohio Stadium.
A big reason why an outdoor game hasn’t yet been played at Ohio Stadium is because of some stadium issues, as well as the school and NHL not being able to come to an agreement. There have been questions about the winterizing of Ohio Stadium to be able to hold cold-weather events, but there was some movement on that end when it became a possibility the Buckeyes could be hosting a College Football Playoff game in mid-November.
Another reason is the Blue Jackets haven’t been all that competitive of late. The franchise has just a handful of playoff appearances and has only won one actual playoff series, not counting the qualifying round win over Toronto in the bubble back in 2020. The 2024-25 season could be another tough one since Columbus is looking for a new head coach after shaking up the front office recently with the hiring of Don Waddell. The Blue Jackets have the fourth pick in this year’s draft, but it isn’t expected to yield a player that can contribute immediately.
Despite their struggles, Columbus fans always show out for the Blue Jackets. I’ve been a quarter-season ticket holder for a few years and have watched a lot of bad hockey. Still, I always have a fun time when I head down to Nationwide for games. I’m already looking forward to being at Ohio Stadium in March. It’ll actually mark the anniversary of when I attended a Columbus Crew match, Ohio State basketball game, and a Blue Jackets game on the same day in 2020.
Obviously I think the Blue Jackets game is going to be the more interesting event, I just thought it would be a fun question to pose. The contrast of grass/ice, hot/cold, using feet compared to sticks, and a number of other differences is fun to look at. Plus, never doubt how passionate soccer fans are. Even those who don’t go to Ohio Stadium in August have a shot at seeing a couple of other great footy events as the MLS All-Star Game is at Lower.com Field, as well as a friendly between Aston Villa and the Columbus Crew.
No matter what, enjoy both events if you have the chance!
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Arianne Bergeron/NHLI via Getty Images
Soccer or hockey? How are you supplementing your Buckeye football?
We will take any excuse to take in an event at Ohio Stadium... Except Buckeye Country Superfest. Nobody needs to see that, especially in the sweltering heat Columbus saw yesterday.
Luckily there will be another reason to get to The Horseshoe before the 2024 Ohio State football season begins, as well as a one-of-a kind event on the books for 2025.
In early August, Ohio Stadium will be the setting for a friendly between EPL powerhouses Manchester City and Chelsea. The two squads will be in the midst of a tour of the United States ahead of the start of the English Premier League season later in the month.
Then on the first day of March in 2025, the Columbus Blue Jackets will finally play an outdoor hockey game at Ohio Stadium. While it feels like a game should have been played in the iconic setting years ago, the NHL and Ohio State were finally able to come to an agreement for the speciality contest to be played at The Horseshoe, as the Blue Jackets will be hosting the Detroit Red Wings.
Today I want to know which event you are getting down with. There are numerous reasons why it feels like the Blue Jackets game will win out, but since it’s the dog days of summer and not much else is going on, why not at least have a little discussion and give both events a little shine?
Manchester City v. Chelsea - Aug. 3, 2024
Earlier this year it was announced the Citizens and Blues would be making a stop in Columbus as part of their United States tour. Manchester City is fresh off their fourth straight EPL title, while Chelsea is trying to return to the top-four after rebounding from a 12th place finish in 2022-23 with a sixth-place finish in 2023-24. This friendly should feature appearances from some of the best players in the world who spent the earlier part of the summer playing in the European Championship and Copa America.
A number of years ago I attended the friendly between PSG and Real Madrid at Ohio Stadium. Even though the match meant nothing since it was on the heels of the 2016 FIFA World Cup, it still was an interesting event to attend. Since it was at the end of July, it was unbearably hot but that didn’t keep a big crowd from taking in the battle of two of the best teams in Europe. About the only thing missing from the match was an appearance from Cristiano Ronaldo. PSG went on to win 3-1.
It’ll be interesting to see if the crowd in early August can match the 86,000 who saw PSG and Real Madrid play back in 2016. One complaint I have heard about this year’s match is the pricing of the tickets. Then again, it feels like the price of all tickets are going up. Also, there could be a lot of fans coming in from out of town, or even out of state since these are two global brands and Columbus could be the closest venue for some fans.
No matter how many fans are in attendance, it feels likely Erling Haaland will make and appearance since the striker from Norway didn’t play in any summer tournaments like some of his teammates like Phil Foden and Rodri. Chelsea has a new manager in Enzo Maresca and a rising star in midfielder Cole Palmer.
Detroit Red Wings v. Columbus Blue Jackets - March 1, 2025
Back in March, the NHL announced a battle between the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets would be played on March 1, 2025 at Ohio Stadium. Nearly every team in the NHL has at least played in a Stadium Series game, so it’s refreshing to not only see the Blue Jackets be a part of one, it’s even better an outdoor game finally is being played at Ohio Stadium.
A big reason why an outdoor game hasn’t yet been played at Ohio Stadium is because of some stadium issues, as well as the school and NHL not being able to come to an agreement. There have been questions about the winterizing of Ohio Stadium to be able to hold cold-weather events, but there was some movement on that end when it became a possibility the Buckeyes could be hosting a College Football Playoff game in mid-November.
Another reason is the Blue Jackets haven’t been all that competitive of late. The franchise has just a handful of playoff appearances and has only won one actual playoff series, not counting the qualifying round win over Toronto in the bubble back in 2020. The 2024-25 season could be another tough one since Columbus is looking for a new head coach after shaking up the front office recently with the hiring of Don Waddell. The Blue Jackets have the fourth pick in this year’s draft, but it isn’t expected to yield a player that can contribute immediately.
Despite their struggles, Columbus fans always show out for the Blue Jackets. I’ve been a quarter-season ticket holder for a few years and have watched a lot of bad hockey. Still, I always have a fun time when I head down to Nationwide for games. I’m already looking forward to being at Ohio Stadium in March. It’ll actually mark the anniversary of when I attended a Columbus Crew match, Ohio State basketball game, and a Blue Jackets game on the same day in 2020.
Obviously I think the Blue Jackets game is going to be the more interesting event, I just thought it would be a fun question to pose. The contrast of grass/ice, hot/cold, using feet compared to sticks, and a number of other differences is fun to look at. Plus, never doubt how passionate soccer fans are. Even those who don’t go to Ohio Stadium in August have a shot at seeing a couple of other great footy events as the MLS All-Star Game is at Lower.com Field, as well as a friendly between Aston Villa and the Columbus Crew.
No matter what, enjoy both events if you have the chance!
Continue reading...