It may seem counter-intuitive to start with this statement given the title of this post, but it needs to be said: I am not a sports fan. Those who knew me as a child would likely not be shocked by this statement. While other kids were happy to be outside riding bikes, playing ball or exploring nature, I was happy playing on my Commodore 64 computer (64 because it had 64KB memory as opposed to my current iMac computer, which has 8 GB of memory or about 8,000,000 KB). I could also be found sitting at a card table in the living, watching my VHS tapes of Star Trek while designing new star ships. None of my hobbies remotely resembled anything having to do with sports. Look at my junior high school picture for goodness sakes – there’s NOTHING resembling athletics in that picture. I was a (proud) geek before comi-cons and Marvel movies were even around. Further, as it relates to the title of this post, I didn’t know the rules to any sport, and that most certainly included football.

My 8th Grade School Picture

Enter my sophomore year at Ohio State. The spring prior, I was somehow convinced to buy a student season ticket for Ohio State football. For reference, I properly use season ticket in the singular because, in the mid- to late 1990’s, my $50 ticket and was literally one single ticket that was hole-punched for each game. I digress. The purchase of that ticket started my infatuation for something I should never have cared about in the first place. So, here’s why Ohio State football won over this geeky kid’s heart those many years ago.

Being a Part of Something that’s Good

We can talk about the records and history over the years, but ultimately, Ohio State football has a strong track record for winning. Winning seasons, bowl games, and national championships make it easy to cheer on a team. Of course, beating that team up north is always a thrill. Even when there were “disappointing” years, Ohio State’s overall record is exceptionally strong. I use the word disappointing in quotation marks because the first thing I think about is the 1998 season where the team was ranked number 1 until they lost against an unranked Michigan State at home. At the time and in that moment it was VERY disappointing. However, it’s easy to focus on a blemish like that when the team still finished the year as number 3. I’ve also studied or worked at universities where the football teams’ records have not been as consistently strong, so trust me, even amidst Ohio State’s so-called disappointing seasons, they are consistently good. People usually don’t want to be part of or give to something that is not good (or does not have the potential to be good). Being a part of something good makes you feel special. Being a part of something good is infectious. And, being a part of something good also has a way of connecting you to others who are also a part of that something that is good.

Being a Part of Something that Builds Community

I have some of my fondest Ohio State football memories connected with my group of friends. My friends are the likely culprits behind the intensity of love I have for Ohio State football. A few years ago (18 years after our last season together and my first season back living in Ohio), my group of college friends got together for a tailgate reunion. We quickly slipped back in time to our days as students. It was a magical experience. It was like those 18 years had slipped by in mere seconds. The laughing and cheering and story telling could have last for days on end. After a tour of campus to see all that had changed – including an impromptu stop by our old dorms, we were ready to cheer on the Buckeyes!

Tailgate with college friends – October 2016

I cherish the memories I share with my friends. Those football games together are an important part of the tapestry that is part of the larger cloth that is our Northwood Avenue community. Beyond my group of friends, however, there is a larger Buckeye community. For example, I was standing in line at one of the stands at a recent game when the guy next me randomly said to me, “I love how sports just bring people together.” Not being a sports aficionado, I wasn’t sure where this was heading. He proceeded to say that it doesn’t matter who you are, what you believe in or where you are from, we’re all here for the same thing. And he was right. When everyone is at a game, things simplify. It’s one team and it’s one cause. In this case, that one cause is a Buckeye victory. It’s nice to feel a part of a community where you might be coming at the world from different perspectives but you are bonded by a similar passion.

Ohio State football has a way of not only building new bonds, but fostering a stronger sense of community in bonds that already exist. My wife and two daughters enjoy Ohio State football as a family. It wasn’t until 2016 that my daughters were Ohio residents, but upon our move back to Ohio (back for my wife and I), I made sure we were at a game that first season. They loved it! It’s something we share together. We cheer together and we we share the entire experience together.

Me and my family at the new Script Ohio monument after the September 22, 2018 football game

Being a Part of Something Bigger than Itself

For me, I enjoy watching the football games themselves, but it is more than that. Cranking up the fight song before heading to a game. Tailgating. Attending the Skull Session. Sitting in the the Shoe. Celebrating after the football games. It’s an entire experience before and after the game. I try to be in my seats at the stadium before the band marches down the ramp. I love being a part of a stadium the cheers O – H – I – O in a round. I love when the “i” is dotted at the end of Script Ohio. I love that the team sings Carmen Ohio at the end of every game. It’s a package deal. What happens for four quarters on the field is fun and exhilarating, but it’s even more so because of the other pieces before, during and after. If those other pieces were not in place, I might still love Ohio State football, but likely not as much. Sometimes, we tend to hone in on one singular aspect of an experience, and we forget to look up to see the larger landscape. I like looking up at the big picture to see my entire Ohio State football experience. It’s a breathtaking view when you think of the components of that picture.

So What?

My should I wax poetic about Ohio State football, especially if I’m not a huge sports fan? One, because it’s OHIO STATE FOOTBALL. But two, and more seriously, because this one part of my life is an excellent example of me: 1. being open to trying new things and 2. finding things that are good, build community and are bigger than itself. There are reasons I shed a few tears when the band plays Carmen Ohio or when the team runs out on the field or when the “i” is dotted in Script Ohio. This one part of my life has been enriching in ways that I can only begin to fathom (and translate into a blog post). However, I have other parts of my life that fit the bill of being good, building community, and being bigger than itself. Growing up, 4-H and FFA definitely fit the criteria. Being a part of my profession also fits the bill. I hope you have things in your life like I have with Ohio State football. Reflect on those things for a moment. What are they and why do they fit the bill? And if you don’t have an example, stop for a moment, open your eyes and be on the lookout for such opportunities.We need things that enrich us and help us find meaning. I’m glad I found something like Ohio State football, even if it seems I was destined not to find it in my life!

So my question to you is: what’s your Ohio State football? or FFA and 4-H? What things do you find that are good, where you feel part of a growing community, where being a part of that thing is bigger than that thing itself?