Recap from Day 2 of Big Ten Media Days:
- Notes and video from Urban Meyer's opening address.
- Mike Weber tabbed as starting RB heading into fall camp.
- Michael Jordan tabbed as a "possible" starter at guard.
- Ohio State ruled DL Dylan Thompson academically ineligible for 2016 fall semester.
- Report: Big Ten commish Jim Delany to retire in 2020.
- Video: J.T. Barrett, Pat Elflein, and Raekwon McMillan stop by BTN Live.
- Eleven Warriors' Big Ten Media Days hub.
PSA: Deadspin released my favorite annual sports article yesterday, the Cleveland Browns edition of Why Your Team Sucks. I achieved a life goal of getting a comment featured, and I plan to list "Deadspin writer" on my non-existent résumé.
Don't worry, y'all, I'll never forget who first showed me love (until I joked Ohio State will lose four games in 2016).
ABOUT DAMN TIME. I verbosely defended Terrelle Pryor all the way back in 2011. I did the same in 2014 when I said the university should welcome him home and end its dissociation of him.
Well, there are no more excuses. The five-year ban is over.
From cleveland.com:
"It's over, it's great," said [Ohio State athletic director Gene] Smith, who didn't know Tuesday was the end of the ban. "He'd be welcomed back with open arms. He's a grown man now."
Pryor will be back in Ohio Stadium for the Browns scrimmage in Columbus on Aug. 6. A year ago, Pryor was back for that scrimmage, which brought up questions about his ban.
It didn't apply to him playing in Ohio Stadium with his pro team. So it didn't keep him from signing autographs after the scrimmage -- and saying again he wanted to come back.
It's still ridiculous to me that Pryor got banned while Tressel got lauded in front of home crowds at The Game.
Don't get it twisted, I would put my life down for The Vest. But it defies logic to ban a player while not doing the same to the coach who "illegally" played him (and others).
And to anyone out there who may still hold ill will towards Pryor, think of this: Urban Meyer would not be coaching at Ohio State without Tatgate.
Build the man a damn statue — complete with his resplendent tattoos — and put it next to Woody's. (As always, I'll let the reader decide if I'm serious or if I'm being hyperbolic to make a point.)
BUCKEYES EARN NFL SHOT. The NFL dreams of two former Buckeyes aren't dead yet.
Former defensive tackle Joel Hale signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Blessed to have an opportunity #GoBucs pic.twitter.com/CioYUcMmJi
— Joel Hale (@WHAT_da_HALE51) July 26, 2016
And good ol' Uncle Darryl signed with the Dallas Cowboys in an effort to clear the road for Ezekiel Elliott once again:
The Cowboys waived T David Hedelin and placed T Charles Brown on Reserve/Retired. The club signed T Darryl Baldwin and T Cameron Bradfield.
— Charean Williams (@NFLCharean) July 26, 2016
Obviously, these two face uphill climbs to make the final roster, but practice squad players put money in the bank too.
ANOTHER KIND OF FOOTBALL IN THE SHOE. Reigning Champions' Cup winner Real Madrid, the second-most successful athletic franchise in the world next to Ohio State, and fellow European power Paris–Saint Germaine F.C. collide tonight in the Horseshoe for a friendly on the stadium's temporary grass field.
When Ohio State announced the game in March, visions of Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimović squaring off in the circle drill at the 50-yard line danced in my head.
Sadly, Manchester United bought the immortal Zlatan during the summer window and Ronaldo blew out his knee in the 2016 European Cup finals during the 25th minute.
Here's the available selection to Real Madrid's Zinedine Zidane, who most fans will know from his infamous headbutt during the final of the 2006 World Cup, and PSG's new frontman, Unai Emery.
From ibtimes.com:
REAL MADRID
Goalkeepers: Keylor Navas, Kike Casilla, Ruben Yanex, Alex Craninx, Luca Zidane
Defenders: Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane, Danilo, Dabi Carvajal, Marcelo, Nacho, Philipp Lienhart, Alvaro Tejero, Achraf Hakimi
Midfielders: Casemiro, Luka Modric, Isco, Mateo Kovacic, Marco Asensio, Martin Odegaard, Enzo Zidane, Diego Llorente, Aleix Febas
Forwards: Karim Benzema, Alvaro Morata, Jese Rodriguez, Lucas Vazquez, Mariano, Sergio DiazPSG
Goalkeepers: Kevin Trapp, Alphonse Areola, Remy Deschamps
Defenders: Serge Aurier, Alec Georgen David Luiz, Presnel Kimpembe, Layvin Kurzawa, Maxwell, Thomas Meunier, Thiago Silva
Midfielders: Lorenzo Callegari, Angel di Maria, Grzrgorz Krychowiak, Jonathan Ikone, Christopher Nkunku, Javer Pastore, Adrien Rabiot, Benjamin Stambouli, Thiago Motta, Marco Verratti
Forwards: Hatem Ben Arfa, Edinson Cavani, Odsonne Edouard, Lucas Moura
The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. And yes, Eleven Warriors is sending me to cover the game. If there's no Thursday Skull Session just know I tried my best but internet access is limited when you're Interpol's Most Wanted Fugitive.
THANKS, OBC! I knew there was a reason I liked Steve Spurrier. As it turns out, he helped play a role in Ohio State landing a five-star linebacker from Georgia.
Raekwon McMillan said Spurrier and staff didn't know who he was or that he was visiting on an official visit to SCAR pic.twitter.com/Vg9nPz6Wvf
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) July 26, 2016
Spurrier goofed. If you're in a position like that and you don't give a shit, you have to pay a competent person to give a shit. Otherwise, you end up 44-40 in conference play and are forced to quit on your team midway through the season.
THE WITCH IS DEAD. Back in high school, I enjoyed few things more than talking trash to #dads of enemy Marion-area high schoolers on JJ Huddle, which at the time was the premiere internet destination for anyone wanting to discuss Ohio high school football.
Old man JJ and I fell out in 2005 after I melted down in historical fashion on the legendary Sports Trivia/Info board. Before being banned for the sixth time, I vowed I would see that forum into the grave.
I'm proud to announce I have done just that.
From jjhuddle.com:
Since its unveiling in 1999, JJHuddle.com has featured message boards. With so many other choices for fans to interact with one another via social networks we think it best for JJHuddle (and our partners at MaxPreps) to concentrate on what we do best. Moving forward, JJHuddle’s focus will be high school sports scores, stats, schedules, rosters, rankings; and especially Ohio’s best-known preps recognition program, our famous athlete and team of the week awards
The JJHuddle message boards will close August 1.
My Marionaire friend summed up the rest of my thoughts thusly:
@marion_ohio @KyleRowland Just ventured over to JJHuddle. Saw a post from NewarkCatholicFan about crude oil prices and promptly left.
— Brett Gates (@BrettGates) July 3, 2013
Ok, you caught me. I put that one in there because it still makes me laugh over three years later.
@marion_ohio @fab4runner @BroLoPYH Let's go to a live look-in of NewarkCatholicFan finding out the news pic.twitter.com/KaaMUwIaq8
— Brett Gates (@BrettGates) July 26, 2016
Somebody please notify ESPN when it starts production on its 30 for 30 on JJ Huddle; it's not a true documentary unless Sage gets a mic.
THOSE WMDs. The 2016 Olympic refugee team... Miss Cat-geniality... Columbus centennial beer stein from 1902... Six stages of wasting food... Gil Dobe on the evils of passing.
