Wild how Michigan played one good team during the tournament and lost by 17.
Some Ohio State writers yearn to be respected on both sides of "The Rivalry." Not me. I'd gleefully heckle a Wolverine t-ball team. Michigan losing is my second favorite team, and I will never apologize for that.
If those weasels ever did snipe me, my mediocre son "Donte" will carry my flame forth.
ICYMI:
- Urban Meyer waiting for a quarterback to seize the starting role.
- Defense ahead of offense so far.
- Linebebackers on the rise.
- Trustees to vote Thursday on plan to bring wifi to the Horseshoe and Schott for the 2019-20 season.
- Reserve your (or your business’) spot next to the life-size statue of Woody Hayes coming to Newcomerstown!
Word of the Day: Margrave.
TATE THE GREAT? Urban Meyer has gone out of his way to praise Tate Martell since last season when he "almost" put Tate in against Rutgers and "burned that redshirt."
Martell has yet to play a live snap at Ohio State and entered spring ball No. 3 in a three-man race. Meyer, however, has praised him in unique ways.
From cleveland.com:
"Tate had a much better day today," Meyer said. "He's got a skill set that's a little bit JT-ish as far as the quarterback run, he's just built for that and he actually threw the ball well too."
Now there are two ways to be compared to Barrett, the leadership and the play on the field. This isn't Meyer comparing Martell to Barrett the leader, because Meyer wouldn't do that for any quarterback on this roster. Not yet. Have to earn that. But part of Meyer's infatuation with Barrett was the get out of jail free card that's provided by an elusive quarterback.
Martell's got that. So in a quarterback competition that's still even -- Meyer said that again on Monday -- it sounds like Martell is stuck in Meyer's brain a little bit as he tries to make this decision.
Meyer likes Martell, no doubt. But part of that is keeping a notoriously capricious quarterback engaged. Martell could be a backup if Burrow or Haskins transfer after failing to win the job.
Not saying Burrow or Haskins will transfer if they lose (though it'd make more sense for Burrow than Haskins). But it's a contingency for which Meyer wants to be prepared.
Say Haskins wins and Burrow bolts. Maybe Martell wants to leave, too? Better to keep him gruntled. Otherwise, your backup could be a true freshman coming off a knee injury.
JEROME BAKER WILL FIGHT. The NFL Draft process has become so convoluted, teams can basically ask players anything and act like it's deep psychoanalysis that relates to on-the-field performance.
One team asked Jerome Baker what he would do if a coach punched him in the face.
From draftwire.usatoday.com:
JM: What was the strangest question a team asked you?
JB: I didn’t have any really weird questions. The one question that sticks out is I sat down, and the first thing the coach asked me is what I would do if he punched me in the face right now? To me, being from Cleveland, my natural reaction was, “Coach, no disrespect but if you punch me in the face, we’re gonna fight right here.” That was just my natural response. I guess that’s what he wanted to hear, because he said, “Good.” It was definitely a fun interview. I didn’t get asked too many weird questions.
JM: So he liked your response?
JB: I crossed paths with him a little later in the day and I asked him why he asked me that. He said most guys freeze up or say they wouldn’t do anything when he asks them that. He said, “I don’t know about you, but if somebody were to randomly punch me in the face right now, I wouldn’t just stand there. I’d fight back.” I guess he liked my response (laughs).
Punching Baker in the face would end in a $30,000 hospital bill for 97% of men over the age of 28.
Most men under 28 would say they would kick a guy's ass for throwing a punch. A wiser man wants to know things like... what kind of punch is it? Who is throwing it? If it's a boxer who gets to crowhop sucker-punch my fat Irish dome, I may die.
ALABAMA COMES AT KING, MISSES. Alabama brought back Julio Jones and other NFL players and filmed a video of them walking down memory lane while getting their hair cut in the campus barbershop.
It was a good idea. Unfortunately, LeBron James told them to cut that shit out.
From espn.com:
On Monday, UNINTERRUPTED sent a letter to Alabama addressing concerns over copyright infringement and intellectual property appropriation.
"The Shop" was developed by James and UNINTERRUPTED co-founder Maverick Carter. Its first episode, which premiered during the 2017 NBA Finals, generated approximately 4 million views across UNINTERRUPTED.com and ESPN's YouTube channel, according to a copy of the letter obtained by ESPN.
"Your continued exploitation of 'Shop Talk' infringes 'UNINTERRUPTED's' copyright, trademark rights and other valuable intellectual property rights in 'The Shop' and significantly damages 'UNINTERRUPTED's' commercial prospects for 'The Shop,'" the letter reads, in part.
The barbershop is a community institution almost as old as humanity itself. Hollywood even produced a movie about one once. LeBron is a top tier Ohioan, yet I'm not sure even he created the idea of "filming the bros shooting the breeze at the barbers."
On the other hand, the defendant is Alabama, who, like Ohio State, sends cease and desist letters to grandmas selling cookies out of their trunk for medication money. So they must submit to the King.
THOSE WMDs. What it's like to go through life as a beautiful woman... When cops become robbers... The death row book club... "This is March": Unpacking college basketball's most uncanny Twitter account... Will Ferrell interviews Joaquin Phoenix.
