Uncle Crappy

Earlier this season, GQ published a humor piece naming the 25 Douchiest Colleges in the United States. Hey, look — there’s Ohio State:

19. Ohio State

Home of: The Excessive-School-Pride Douche

Affectations: Dressing for class each morning as if you were the offensive-line coach; writing prison letters to Maurice Clarett.

Overheard at Buckeye career-building workshop: “You can put ‘Won a national championship’ on a résumé, right?”

Most likely to: Suffocate a hapless Boilermakers fan with a giant foam Number One after offhand comment about how the marching band’s “Script Ohio” wasn’t all that impressive.

Honorable-mention excessive-school-pride institutions: Duke, Michigan, Texas, Penn State, Yeshiva University.

OK. Guilty, at least of dressing each morning as if I were the offensive-line coach. But to be honest, I’m not really sure what the problem is.

This came up in HBO’s excellent documentary about the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry a couple years ago. The producers interviewed a bunch of Michigan folks who said Ohio State fans were excessive in their loyalties; they also implied that we’re so passionate about Ohio State football because there’s little else to be excited about in Columbus (a point that certainly is debatable — Ann Arbor is a fun town, but it’s just a town. And I’m not certain that anyone would classify Detroit as entertaining…).

Our college friend Aaron Marshall, one of the Ohio State fans represented in the documentary, asked this: since when is passion and enthusiasm a bad thing? Why should it be hidden, as the Michigan folks seemed to suggest, behind some facade of elitism? Why shouldn’t I live and die with my team?

One interesting thing about the timing of the documentary — was prepared during the 2006 season, after which Jim Tressel upped his record against Michigan to 5-1 (now, of course, 7-1). I have to wonder if Michigan fans would find enthusiasm a little more tasteful if they had won more than one game since the start of the decade.

If you’re in Columbus on Friday, it won’t be hard to spot me as I buy the brats, the beer and the Ohio State gear we need for Saturday’s game — I’ll be the one dressed head-to-toe in scarlet and gray.

Just like everyone else.

Apparently you & OSU have infected my brain. I’ve worn my grey OSU shirt every day this week.

And I plan to do laundry on Friday so that I can wear my red OSU shirt on Friday night (to the fancy “SUIT UP” rugby downtown happy hour – who said a nice red OSU shirt, good jeans, and heels isn’t dressed up? huh?) and my grey one to the drive in on Saturday… heh.

Comment by annoyedangelrants November 19, 2009 @ 2:12 am

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Wow I can’t believe Penn State isnt all over this. They’re the reinging champs of all things douchebaggery

Comment by doogle November 19, 2009 @ 9:57 am

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Your post just says it all! I even sent the link to a friend who likes that other team.

BTW, are you completely out of your mind by now, or what?

Comment by hellpellet November 19, 2009 @ 10:12 am

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they’re just jealous b/c they are all fairweather fans! O-H…

Comment by Sheila November 19, 2009 @ 10:26 am

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I’d rather read unclecrappy.com than GQ.

Comment by ClumberKim November 19, 2009 @ 10:40 am

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Here’s to all of the douches that will be celebrating on Saturday!

Comment by Blown621 November 19, 2009 @ 11:14 am

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As a side note, I wore my douchiest possible outfit to work today — the gray Tressel sweater vest with the scarlet buckeye leaf tie. Whoooo!

Comment by Uncle Crappy November 19, 2009 @ 12:24 pm

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I think the same thing is said about Steelers fans: They’re excessive. They jerks for being such huge fans. Etc. Etc. I agree with your college friend: since when are passion and excitement bad things?

I’m wearing a red long-sleeve tee under a gray sweater today. I just realized that. You’ve even infected people who don’t follow college ball. Good job.

ciao,
rpm

Comment by albamaria30 November 20, 2009 @ 11:20 am

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