Sister Hazel... what does a blogger have to do to earn a backstage pass to your show tonight at the Bogey Inn? I have often been called the No. 2 Sister Hazel fan in the world.
Please have your people email my people.
ICYMI:
- Ohio State owned the last 25 NFL Drafts.
- Urban Meyer breaks the wide receiver mold with recent recruiting.
- The non-specialists who have a chance to contribute to special teams this year.
- Have a tailgate recipe the world needs to know about? Submit it to the Official 11W Tailgate Cookbook. The author of the highest-voted recipe receives a $50 gift certificate to the 11W Dry Goods.
Word of the Day: Pulchritude.
TIGER ROLLS WHATEVER A BEARCAT IS. Some Ohio State fans get mad when you mention Joe Burrow now. They'll even read an article and then log in to tell you how much they don't care, which is always the sign of somebody who does not care.
Little do they know, Joey Burrito will be a topic in the Buckeye blogosphere until January 2019. Maybe beyond, depending on the trajectory of his and Dwayne Haskins' career.
LSU head coach Ed Orgeron spoke Tuesday about how the Tigers tugged Burrow away from Luke Fickell and the Cincinnati Bearcats.
From theadvocate.com:
“When he came here, he was thinking about Cincinnati pretty hard,” Orgeron said. “When he came and saw the opportunity he had, met some of our players and met coach (Steve) Ensminger — we had about a 3-4 hour meeting with him — He liked it, liked what we presented to him. I think that turned the tide a little.”
Orgeron gave new safeties coach Bill Busch, a friend of Burrow’s father, Jimmy, who is defensive coordinator at Ohio, much credit for helping landing Joe.
“He was the lead recruiter on this,” Orgeron said. “Did a tremendous job. Bill knew Jimmy (Burrow). Steve (Ensminger) knew Jimmy. His brother Dan was here and really, really was instrumental in convincing him to come to LSU throughout the week.”
"When he came here and saw the opportunity he had" is coach speak for "when he came here and saw the mediocrity of our quarterback room." Let's just put that on the table right now.
SHAZIER LEADS THE WAY. Ryan Shazier may never play football again. That won't stop him from making an impact on the 2018 Pittsburgh Steelers.
From espn.com:
'Still submerged' in rehab: Shazier still gets so much support mail from those inspired by his story that the local mailman told the family he must make extra trips to fit it all in the box, said Vernon Shazier, Ryan's father.
...
"He’s always around. He’s in meetings, I see him working in the training room, working in the weight room," James said. "Just taking it one day at a time, doing his thing, helping the team as much as he can.”
Vernon calls this "finding a way to lead other than making tackles."
As an Ohio State fan, I recognize the same lion spirit that carried Shazier when he played on one leg as a freshman in Ann Arbor. As a Cleveland Browns fan, I'm telling Shazier to take it as easy as possible this season.
GOLDEN BEAR STILL RING LEADING. The Memorial Tournament officially tees off Thursday. But it officially began Tuesday when Jack Nicklaus grabbed the mic in Dublin.
From Kyle Rowland of The Toledo Blade:
“Our tournament has always been a significant tournament,” Nicklaus said. “We always felt like when you put on a golf tournament, you try to put your best foot forward, try to put the best golf course you can in the best condition. You take care of the golf professionals and make sure that they have the things they need that facilitate their week to become pleasant, enjoyable, and fun. And make sure that you do what you can for the fans and the people that come in so that they can enjoy and see the best golf.”
This year’s edition features eight of the top 10 players in the Official World Golf Ranking — only No. 4 Jon Rahm and No. 9 Brooks Koepka are not playing — and 22 major champions.
Tiger Woods. Phil Mickelson. Rory McIlroy. Jordan Spieth. Justin Thomas. Dustin Johnson. They’re all in Dublin, just like (virtually) every other year. So too are Jason Day, Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Patrick Reed, Adam Scott, and Bubba Watson.
“We have a who's who of players,” Nicklaus said. “We’re delighted. Probably as good a field as we have ever had.”
Woods. Mickelson. McIlroy. Spieth. Thomas. Johnson. Yawwwwwwwwwwwwn.
Let me know when the Stone Cold Glass breaks and the Golden Bear comes rolling down the ramp with a FourLoko in each hand and a glint in his eye. Maybe then I'll tune in.
For those actually attending, please note it's no longer possible to roll from private properties onto Muirfield.
From Kevin Stankiewicz of the Columbus Dispatch:
In an attempt to boost security, residents who host parties during the tournament — or the corporations that rent homes — weren’t allowed to pay for entrances to the course from their property, said Executive Director Dan Sullivan.
There were too many entry points — 54 in 2017, to be exact — to ensure that everyone entering the Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course went through appropriate security, Sullivan said.
“We need to continue to remain diligent,” Sullivan said. “I don’t care if it’s Ohio Stadium or the Crew or Nationwide Arena. Any entertainment or sports property needs to make sure that they’re diligent about the security process.”
I'll just say this: Any security official will be making a mistake if they prevent Urban Meyer from entering the fray directly from his front lawn. He did not take a 45 minute break from recruiting to be accosted by a volunteer feeling froggy.
SURLY SABAN SPILLS SHIT. Nick Saban really wants you to know that he's a member of the NCAA's oppressed class:
Nick Saban on new NCAA rule on limiting staff to 20 headsets: I dont know who is driving all this stuff, but to me its kind of like mouse manure when youre up to your ears in elephant doo doo." pic.twitter.com/QBltiA4cVe
— Mike Griffith (@MikeGriffith32) May 29, 2018
I... I have no idea what that means. Saban also made a salient point while forgetting his team benefits by playing middle schoolers in late November:
My issue with the playoff is that if you lose late in the season it has a much greater impact than if you lose early in the season - Nick Saban pic.twitter.com/VArMOp4CT8
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) May 29, 2018
Touché to Saban, however. The Prince of Darkness triggered me all over again about the 2015 Buckeye football season.
BRING BACK THE STAR. Columbus in 2018 needs an "sensation-seeking tabloid," but preferably one obsessed with something other than naked people.
May 29 in University District History: It's Sunday, it's spring, it's the Thirties, and Columbus' sensation-seeking tabloid "The Columbus Star" is obsessed with nudists again. In 1938. pic.twitter.com/dMVHrCrEHH
— Univ Dist History (@UDHCMH) May 29, 2018
Starting a Columbus-based tabloid is my new No. 1 goal after winning the Mega Millions tonight.
THOSE WMDs. Star Wars is not a rebellion... Lanternflies eat everything in sight, and the US is looking like a snack... How an aspiring "It" girl tricked NYC's party people... Dostoyevsky predicted the ‘true crime’ craze... Why is there an abandoned highway in downtown Columbus?
