Talking sports can be a real icebreaker
- col-aaron-dorksen
- November 1, 2023
- 610
A few thoughts from the week in sports …
I didn’t know what to expect when a neighbor left a flyer on my doorstep that read “Halloween Party October 28 … Ohio State game will be on TV.”
I’m glad my family went: It turned out to be a near-perfect fall evening.
The conversation was good, weather was perfect, and there was pulled pork, treats for the kids and “daddy” drinks in a cooler. The 10-foot-tall animatronic werewolf and skeleton decorations also were pretty cool.
The Ohio State football team’s performance was the most questionable part of the evening, but as they have done all season, the Buckeyes found a way to get it done in crunch time to get a win.
Ohio State led only 10-3 at halftime and 17-10 after three quarters, but the defense made the plays it had to, and TreVeyon Henderson’s 33-yard TD run with 5:15 left in the game iced a 24-10 victory.
There’s a lot to like about Ohio State (8-0), which is ranked No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff rankings and No. 3 in the AP Poll. (More on the Buckeyes shortly, but first back to the party.)
Neighbors don’t talk as much as they used to when I was growing up. Many people are busier than ever, getting home and going straight into their homes.
If they have attached garages, you barely even see them as they zip in and out in a matter of seconds.
Several of my neighbors I talk to regularly, but others I got to know for the first time. Sports proved once again to be a great icebreaker.
I heard opinions about what the Buckeyes need to do better. Another neighbor told me about going to see the Cavaliers’ NBA Championship parade in 2016 — all by herself.
“My husband didn’t want to go, but I really wanted to see it,” she said.
I agreed, replying, “I know. I felt like I had to be there too. I went with a couple friends, though. You were brave to go by yourself with over 1 million people downtown.”
Talking sports is a fun way to find common interests or experiences. Sports talk usually only leads to low-stakes arguments at most, unlike discussing politics.
As the night went on, us neighbors branched out to sharing a little more about ourselves, and our block will be better for it. Thanks Dar and Brittany for a fun night!
Now, about those Buckeyes
One of my neighbors compared Buckeyes quarterback Kyle McCord to former standout Craig Krenzel, who led OSU to the 2002 national title win over Miami.
McCord has had his ups and downs as a first-year starter but has more overall talent than Krenzel. McCord has made some big plays late in games, which helps bring back memories of the cerebral Krenzel and his late heroics.
Having Heisman candidate Marvin Harrison Jr. to throw to would certainly make any quarterback better.
McCord and “Marvelous” Marvin have a chemistry that dates back to their high school days at St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia. It’s not very often that a high school pass and catch duo goes on to team up at a top five college program.
The best thing I took from the win over Wisconsin was seeing Henderson carry the ball 24 times for 162 yards and one TD in his first action since suffering a cheap-shot injury against Notre Dame on Sept. 23. After rushing for 1,248 yards and 15 TDs in 2021, Henderson has battled injuries ever since.
The Buckeyes haven’t allowed more than 17 points in a game all season and are 18-point favorites against Rutgers on Nov. 4. With the toughest part of the schedule behind them, Ohio State will be heavily favored to be 11-0 entering its matchup at Michigan on Nov. 25. After the road game at Rutgers, OSU will host Michigan State on Nov. 11 and Minnesota on Nov. 18.
Let’s hope McCord can sharpen up, the team can stay healthy and the Buckeyes can be clicking on all cylinders when they take the field in Ann Arbor for a noon kickoff.
Michigan cheating scandal
Stealing signs in sports is an age-old tactic.
“If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying,” an old adage states.
Lots of teams have watched opposing coaches and tried to figure out what their signs mean. But if they’re breaking a written rule, that’s wrong and deserves punishment.
Football teams use visual signs to quickly communicate play calls, and there’s nothing wrong with opponents attempting to read those signs from across the field.
However, Michigan football staff member Connor Stalions is accused of buying tickets to opponents’ games for the purpose of filming teams’ sidelines, ESPN reported.
The NCAA rule book prohibits “off-campus, in-person scouting of future opponents” and using electronic equipment to record those signals.
If it’s proven the Wolverines did this, they could be viewed just as poorly as the Houston Astros, who used cameras to steal signs and relayed information to batters during the 2017 season when they won the World Series.
Buckeyes fans will point to sign-stealing as the reason the Wolverines won the last two OSU games and snapped an eight-game losing streak.
One of the best memes I’ve ever seen is the Michigan “M” logo with a tiny Astros logo where the copyright “c” usually is.
Jim Harbaugh has denied any knowledge of Stalions’ actions, which is extremely hard to believe. Keep a close eye on this story, which could become one of the biggest scandals in recent college football history. It will add a lot more fuel to the fire for this year’s edition of the Ohio State vs. Michigan game.
Parting shots
Round two OHSAA football playoff matchups slated for Nov. 3 involving area teams were as follows: Division IV, Region 14, No. 5 Galion (8-3) at No. 4 West Holmes (9-2); Div. V, Region 17, No. 6 Clearview (9-2) at No. 3 Norwayne (10-1); and Div. VII, Region 25, No. 9 Lucas (8-3) vs. No. 1 Dalton (9-1) at Orrville.
This column was submitted prior to the games being played. I picked all three area teams to win and advance to the regional finals.
—A whopping four girls soccer teams from the Wayne County Athletic League advanced to district finals.
The surprise member of that group was Waynedale, which defeated Wickliffe 2-1 in a Div. III district final decided by penalty kicks.
The Golden Bears advanced to the first regional in program history but lost to Pemberville Eastwood at Sandusky High School.
Congrats to Waynedale (13-6-1), which took its lumps against perennial powers Norwayne and Chippewa and used those lessons to make school history.
In the PK shootout win, Hayley Hilty scored the decisive goal to send Waynedale to regionals. Keeper McKenna Baney was spectacular with 17 saves.
Email Aaron Dorksen at aarondorksen24@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AaronDorksen.