Hopefully everybody survived the Fourth of July weekend and didn't end up incarcerated. Unless you drove drunk, in which case your stupidity has rightfully wrought you thousands of dollars in fines, court costs and lawyer fees.
There are 53 days until Ohio State football kicks off, but don't quote me because I failed Algebra II twice in high school and I detest anything that involves numbers. Is there any way to hibernate until late August?
I used to like summer, but that was because I was a stupid child who didn't know anything. Liking summer is my biggest life's regret other than the 2-3 years I spent in the form of a literal baby. (Thankfully all proof of my baby days are where they belong — entombed in dusty photobooks at my mom's house — not splashed all over the internet on an Instagram page without my permission.)
What is there to like about summer if you're not half-naked and in the immediate vicinity of a cool body of water and a hot grill? I don't like showering in my sweat while walking to the corner store. I don't like sweat in general. I don't like increased electricity bills. I also don't really like a game where failing seven out of ten times is considered successful and takes four hours to play one of roughly 300 regular season games.
With an honorable mention to spring, there is only one true season: fall. Stringer Bell once declared "nobody remembers 40 degree days" (link NSFW), but I disagree. Forty degree days, aka jeans and hoodie weather, is pretty much my ideal day. We need more 40 degree days. ***sees today's high in Columbus is 86 degrees and dies inside***
FLORIDA'S 2008 FOOTBALL TEAM RODE DIRTY. According to the New York Times, out of the 121 bros on Florida's 2008 National Title Team, 41 have been arrested.
Many of the charges were typical of college campuses: under-age drinking, disorderly conduct, violations of open-container laws. But other, more serious charges included aggravated stalking, domestic violence by strangulation, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and fraudulent use of credit cards, according to criminal record databases. Most of the cases never went to trial, the charges having been dropped or pleaded down.
Football is an inherently violent game, so I think the idea of elite football rosters all containing choir boys is pie-in-the-sky, but there's no doubt 1/3rd of a football team running into trouble is a eye-popping. (Especially when it includes charges like "domestic violence by strangulation.") People have used this issue to force Meyer's hand to comment on the Aaron Hernandez saga, going so far as to call Meyer an "enabler," as if he was the one who gave him millions of dollars and sold Hernandez the glock used in the execution of Odin Lloyd.
I doubt Meyer is proud of his team's arrest numbers, but I don't recall hearing anything like this about his reign at Bowling Green and Utah, so I think this is what smart people call an "anomaly." Those kind of arrest numbers certainly wouldn't be tolerated at Ohio State, and I'm sure Urban learned a few things from his experiences at Florida.
So please, Ohio State footballers, try not to do crime.
AARON CRAFT "MAYBE" THE COUNTRY'S BEST PEREMITER DEFENDER? It was day two of the LeBron Skills Academy, and while the group didn't impress Frank Burlison, he did have this to say about Ohio State's Aaron Craft:
None of the other PGs could dribble penetrate against Aaron Craft of Ohio State. Maybe best perimeter defender in college.
— Frank Burlison (@FrankieBur) July 7, 2013
Couple this with reports of Craft holding his own against Kyrie Irving, and I'm starting to warm to the idea of Craft having a place in the NBA one day. I'm definitely not as high on Craft as most Ohio State fans, but if he can guard NBA point guards and can continue developing his slashing/passing game, there's no reason why he won't be a solid NBA role-player for years to come.
Webb has already won me over.DAMON WEBB IS A BOSS. Damon Webb, a 2014 DB Ohio State commit from Cass Tech in Michigan, sat down with Scout to talk The Rivalry, Malcolm Jenkins being his favorite Ohio State cornerback, his chase for a 5th star and his love for Kerry Coombs, among other things. This was probably my favorite part of the exchange:
SCOUT: Why didn't you pick Michigan?
WEBB: At first, I thought I was going to be a Wolverine, but as the recruiting played out, I knew that Ohio State was the place to be because I knew I wanted to win.
I have yet to see Damon Webb play in a live game, but I've watched some highlights and read some interviews, and I'm willing to endorse Webb as a future star for the Buckeyes. Before you smirk at my blogger-styled talent evaluation, try and remember Justin Zwick and Joe Bauserman would have never played a meaningful snap for Ohio State if I were running things. (Alas, Antonio Henton, if only you hadn't solicited an undercover cop...)
OHIO STATE TICKETS AIN'T CHEAP. It doesn't take a genius to spot the prices of college football tickets trending upwards, but this fall Ohio State tickets will be some of the nation's most expensive. National journalism treasure AL.com has ranked the thirty priciest tickets for the 2013 season — Alabama/Texas A&M is #1 with an average price of $626 — but Ohio State appears on the list four times:
#8 Ohio State vs. Michigan. Average price of $380.
#14 Wisconsin vs. Ohio State. Average price of $335.
#22 Penn State vs. Ohio State. Average price of $302.
#28 Iowa vs. Ohio State. Average price of $272.
THOSE WMDs. Top hoops recruit (and OSU target) Jahlil Okafor had a 40.2 PER at the FIBA U19's... Suds for Drugs: How TIDE became a drug currency... The Rise and Fall of Viktor Bout, Arms Dealer... Egypt's Soccer Ultras and the Revolution... Former Auburn RB Michael Dyer is looking to return to college football... California sterilized a bunch of women prisoners without their approval... The best watch face ever?... Hangovers cost the American economy $1.37 per drink...
