M-Borg vs. THE Flavortown U Thread, Orig. by Buckeye Paul, absconded w/by talent.

[Tony G]

I completely understand Liney and think the citizens of that mid-ohio cesspool and the "students" who seem to participate in animal husbandry as an encouter session should never be cut slack. But until Hoke beats the sweater the talk means as much as the Hoosiers calling U-M mean words

[lineygoblue]

I know, Tony. But I'll never admit it to anyone that lives south of Dundee

[Tony G]

I work south of dundee (assuming the raisin river is straight e/w) Beford is the cutoff

[entropy]

If AlabamAlum was here, he'd smack you with his purse ...

and then lecture you that the SEC doesn't cheat.

[lineygoblue]

and then lecture you that the SEC doesn't cheat.

Correctamundo. And for good measure, he'd extol us with a 5,000 word essay on the virtues of Coach Saban

[SeanB]

I don't think SEC fans are capable of 5,000 word essays.

[entropy]

A vandy grad writes it for him...

[lineygoblue]

I knew there was a reason we kept Entropy around ...

[Rob F]

I thought it was because of his odor...

[entropy]

I thought it was because of his odor...

he likes corn. Leave him alone.

[Regelbuck]

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Thad Matta hasn't experienced this before. In his seventh season at Ohio State, the coach for the first time Sunday will go through a Senior Day with players he recruited to the program and spent four or five years coaching.

Buckeyes Greg Oden, Mike Conley and Evan Turner never had a Senior Day. Sunday, fans will watch Cleveland's David Lighty, Solon's Dallas Lauderdale and Jon Diebler of Upper Sandusky play their final home game. Senior walk-on Eddie Days of Richmond Heights will be honored as well.

"Each year you get to know them more and more," Matta said, "and these guys, the fans have gotten to know them as well."

The three seniors will be in the starting lineup, as usual, when No. 1 Ohio State (28-2, 15-2 Big Ten) hosts No. 10 Wisconsin (23-6, 13-4 Big Ten). The outright Big Ten title was clinched Saturday when Purdue lost at Iowa, but the Buckeyes will still be motivated to avenge their first loss of the season -- at Wisconsin three weeks ago.

Lighty and Diebler both average more than 30 minutes and 11 points per game. Lauderdale's situation is different, as the senior shot-blocker, rebounder and dunker starts but yields much of his playing time to freshman point guard Aaron Craft, who comes off the bench. Lauderdale averages 17 minutes and five points -- and Matta said that has never been an issue, noticing how Lauderdale's attention never wavers in the huddle during timeouts.

"His attitude has been tremendous," Matta said. "Dallas is a guy who likes to win. He's committed to winning."

So if the season hasn't always been easy, you wouldn't know. And off the court, it hasn't always been easy. Lauderdale's father, also named Dallas, and sister Tahja will be at Value City Arena Sunday. His mother, Carol, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, will watch from home, as she usually does.

Here, in his own words, is Lauderdale's farewell to Ohio State, which he gave to The Plain Dealer this week:

As I sit here playing Mario Kart on the Wii with my brothers from different mothers -- Dave Lighty, Jared Sullinger and Evan Ravenel -- I realize [Sunday's] game against Wisconsin is probably the last time I will ever play in the Schott, in front of the best fans in the land.

Some might say it's very emotional, and yes it is. But honestly, it is more exciting for me than it is emotional. I am excited to see what God has for my life next, because wherever he leads me I will go. One of my favorite verses in the Bible says in Romans 8:28: "All things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to his purposes." That's a very encouraging scripture for anyone in any situation.

People always say cherish this time of your life because it goes fast, and I didn't listen to them. But my, oh my, did it fly. You guys like that rhyme? Ha ha.

I think about all the great relationships I have developed with my teammates, probably some of my best friends in the world. Can you imagine waking up and seeing the same exact faces during the day for four years straight? Well, that's how it was for me, David Lighty and Jon Diebler. These are the two that I can honestly say I have been through everything in college with.

The good days and bad days. Good practices and bad practices. Good games and bad games. But what has made the team so special this year is that every single one of us gets along well. I have continuously said that someone can lock any two players in a room together and they will get along just fine. That's what has made us so special on the court -- it's our relationships off the court.

When I think about how much this team has meant to me, it helps me connect my Ohio State team to the actual team that I also am a part of, and that's the team of my family. This team consists of my father, Dallas Jr.; my mother, Carol; and my older sister, Tahja.

As many of you may know, my mother suffers from multiple sclerosis, and it's been a team effort to get through this, just like it is a team effort to win basketball games. Everyone has their role on the court, just like my father, sister and I have our roles. Just like I love my Ohio State teammates, I also love my family teammates, probably even more. And that's a lot.

To sum it all up, my four years at Ohio State have been great. I am graduating in a couple weeks and that's a blessing in itself. Take away the whole basketball part, and just to be able to graduate from this fine institution with all the distractions and bad things I could have been doing further lets me know that God kept his hands on me. I know he will continue to watch over me.

I do not know what the future holds, but I definitely know who holds my future. I appreciate the continued support from all the Ohio State fans. I love you Dad, Mom and Tahja.
_________________

[lineygoblue]

The reason its so unusual for OhNo to have a "Senior Day", is because most of the athletes don't want to make the trip thru JUCO twice ....

[hack]

Has this been posted yet?

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel was informed that several Buckeyes players were selling memorabilia more than eight months before the school claims it was made aware of the scheme, a two-month Yahoo! Sports investigation has found.

Tressel received information that players were selling items to Edward Rife – the owner of Fine Line Ink Tattoos in Columbus – as early as April 2010, according to a source. However, neither Ohio State nor the NCAA investigated the transactions or the players’ relationship with Rife until December 2010, when the school claims it was informed of the situation by the local United States Attorney’s office.

Ohio State director of compliance Doug Archie declined immediate comment when reached Monday by Yahoo! Sports. Tressel and athletic director Gene Smith were unavailable for comment. The NCAA declined comment.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=ys-osuprobe030711&print=1

[WM Wolverine]

Some way or another this won't stick to Teflon Tressel.

[lineygoblue]

And even if there's something there, they won't go after the vest. They like him too much.