I dedicate this Skull Session to Piqua Ward 2 Commissioner Bill Vogt, the voice America needs in in our annual seasonal crisis.
From The Piqua Daily Call:
During commissioners’ comments, Commissioner Bill Vogt asked residents to stop mowing grass into the streets, saying that it is a safety issue and that it also clogs up the storm sewers. Vogt threatened to expose those who continue to do so. “I will announce you publicly,” he said.
Keep the clippings on your lawn, folks! They're a supplemental fertilizer.
ICYMI:
- Returning veterans will anchor the 2018 Buckeyes.
- Joe Burrow will reportedly visit North Carolina and could decide his destination by the end of the way.
- Jamarco Jones signed with the Seattle Seahawks.
Word of the Day: Centrifugal.
BLUE REVIEWS SIDELINE POLICY. We all remember when a cameraman injured J.T. Barrett within 20 seconds of kickoff in Ann Arbor against Michigan. Was it an honest mistake in tight working conditions? Or was an attempted assassination by a larger conspiracy? It's hard to say.
Either way, Michigan is now reviewing its sideline policies when hosting the Buckeyes and the Spartans.
From landof10.com:
Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said Tuesday at the Big Ten spring AD meetings that sideline access at Michigan Stadium this fall will likely be further controlled — and in some cases, restricted — in order to protect the safety of the student-athletes and staff.
“One of the things [we’ve talked about], for example, for us, is how do we control the sidelines better, particularly with [the] incident with Ohio State?” Manuel said, referring to a knee injury suffered by Barrett, then the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback, during a 31-20 win over the Wolverines last Nov. 25.
“And in particular, when we had bands on the field when we play Ohio State and when we play Michigan State and, more than likely, when Notre Dame comes [in October 2019], it becomes very dense down there.”
We would feel more passionate about this had the local team replaced J.T. Barrett with John O'Korn. Still, it's clear Michigan needs to rework policies. Prior to the Barrett debacle, I had never heard of a cameraman injuring a starting quarterback at a sporting event that wasn't also a fixed wrestling match.
Perhaps most interestingly, the Wolverine athletic director also praised his revenue sport coaches.
From mlive.com:
"I love my coaches across the board, love those two guys in particular," Manuel said on Tuesday afternoon during meetings featuring Big Ten athletic directors and men's basketball coaches at the conference headquarters just outside of Chicago. "I'm extremely pleased with where we are from a staffing, coaching standpoint and Jim and John are two people that I would love to see retire from this institution, retire from coaching."
Warde noted we should "stay tuned" about a possible extension for Beilein, the basketball coach with three years left on his contract.
Compare that to the words offered on Jim Harbaugh, who has four years left.
Harbaugh, 54, is entering the fourth season of a seven-year contract he signed in December 2014 that is projected to pay him $5.5 million in base salary this year and he's eligible to draw on a $2 million life insurance policy. He led Michigan to back-to-back 10-3 seasons before finishing 8-5 last year.
"I don't want Jim to go anywhere either, but he's got four more years at this point," Manuel said. "Jim also knows how I feel about him. We've had great conversations and I don't want him to go anywhere either."
"Jim also knows how I feel about him, [but he also knows I won't hesitate to fire his ass if he can't beat Ohio State]."
HOOKER CLOSER TO RETURN. Malik Hooker tore his ACL and MCL in October against the Jaguars. He inches closer to a return.
From profootballtalk.com:
Colts safety Malik Hooker was on the field Tuesday for the first time in his recovery from a major knee injury, Kevin Bowen of 1070 The Fan reports. Video shows Hooker back pedaling and cutting, another step in his rehab.
He will miss the entire offseason program for a second year. Last season, Hooker needed surgeries to repair a torn labrum and a hernia.
I hope Hooker doesn't feel a pressure to return as soon as possible. Andrew Luck sure didn't. Hooker has talent and time. No reason to rush back and suffer another injury.
POWER TO THE PELL GRANT. A lot of fans think college football players get "free school." However, scholarships don't cover everyday expenses and players aren't allowed to hold jobs most of the time.
Enter the Pell Grant, which, as a wise woman first told me is better than a loan because it doesn't have to be repaid.
From Sheridan Hendrix of The Lantern:
That lack of freedom is seen most clearly in a student-athlete’s demanding schedule, [former Ohio State wide receiver Roy] Hall said. The inability to work a part-time job on top of practices puts financial strain on some athletes, like Hall, who were already struggling to make ends meet. Finances were often still tight at home, despite being relieved of the burden of paying for school. That’s where Hall said the Pell Grant helped him and his family.
Hall said many of his teammates at Ohio State would send their Pell Grant checks to their families to help out at home. For those that didn’t, the money went towards buying extra food, a new set of clothes or a pair of shoes. Regardless of where the money went, Hall said receiving a Pell Grant was a celebration for every recipient.
...
“What the Pell Grant does is it allows us to not have to do illegal things to make a couple extra dollars, to pay for an outfit or to pay for shoes or to pay for whatever it may be,” Hall said. “The temptation for the football player or the basketball player to sell a jersey or to take a check or cash from somebody illegally is there because they are struggling. They are struggling at home. What do you do when mom is living check-to-check, the lights aren’t on at home and you’re playing for this great university?”
It may not happen tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year. But eventually revenue sport athletes will be able to cash in on their name and likeness, and every Pell Grant dollar will go to students who don't yet have a profitable skill.
LSU = POWERED BY RED BULL. Joey Burrito most likely won't land in Baton Rouge. And after reading this article about the pregame rituals of Tiger head coach Ed Orgeron, it's easy to see why.
From al.com:
"Before one of the games," Etling said, "he'll come down and drink a whole Red Bull, smashes it on his head, lifts off his shirt and he's punching himself in the jaw getting us ready, pumped up to play. That's Coach O for you."
There were times, the two-year starting passer said, he had to calm himself down after a pregame pump-up "because I need to be nice and calm in the pocket."
Clapp, the former center, remembered a similar story about Orgeron's return to Oxford this fall.
"Before Ole Miss, it was his first time going back to their stadium this year," Clapp said. "We got down to the hotel before the busses left. His pregame speech was he came in, started screaming and yelling. Then he chugged a Red Bull and then we got on the bus."
Remind me to fly to Vegas Atlantic City the week of the LSU-Alabama game and put every dollar I have on the Tide. That's free money.
DESTINATION CITY. If you grew up in Ohio and emigrated, I can't recommend the thrill of returning to the Buckeye State while hauling a U-Haul trailer.
From columbusbizfirst.com:
Central Ohio rose one spot to land in the top 10 for U-Haul's migration trends report, which measures where people drive those diminutive orange-and-white vans on one-way trips. Last year, the city saw a 5 percent uptick in arrivals of these do-it-yourself moving vans, the company said.
"Columbus is becoming a destination city and a well-known gem in the Midwest," Dean Haske, president of U-Haul Company of Ohio, said in a statement. "Many people pass through on their cross-country drives, but more and more are choosing to stay and are making Columbus their home."
Old Columbus Town is calling... are you listening?
THOSE WMDs. The twisted saga of a jailhouse saga... The lexicon of Tom Wolfe... Meet the people who can't get enough hotel points... How four kids from Dayton ended pay toilets in America... Colombia's new generation of drug traffickers... The man with the stolen name.
