Have more comments, questions? Reach out to me at bwhite1@dispatch.com. Letters are lightly edited for clarity.
On Ohio Stadium
To the editor: Big news at THE Ohio State University. They’re going to conduct a survey to determine what upgrades fans would like to see in THE Shoe. (By the way, the Dispatch article mentioned “premium seating” over and over. And over.) Yeah, more premium seating is at the top of my list. How about you? I wonder how many tiny, butt-cheek-to-butt-cheek seats for us common folk must be ripped out to accommodate even just one more luxo box for the fattest of the fat cats? Show your work, OSU. What’s the ratio?
You know, college football used to be fun. Still is – all the spirit, the ambiance – but they sure are chipping away at it. Amateur sports, student-athletes, all vestigial remnants of the good ol’ days. Why not just declare the champion by a formula of how big a budget and how much is raked in? Or number of luxo boxes.
We’re No. 1? ($)
Vernon Will, Worthington
To Vernon: Yes, Ohio State is catering to the rich folks. Their thinking is that if those fat cats give more money, the Buckeyes can buy better players and keep paying Ryan Day and his multimillion-dollar coordinators, and that more championships will come. And that, they believe, will delight those crammed into uncomfortable seats or waiting in hour-long bathroom lines.
On the Blue Jackets
Hi Brian: Did you see [Rick Bowness’] rant after the Blue Jackets’ loss against the Capitals? He literally threw the players under the bus for lack of effort. Unfortunately, I can only rank this No. 2 all-time when it comes to postgame bashing of players. No coach will ever top the famous “Playoffs? Are you kidding me?” rant by Jim Mora when he coached at Indy. (By the way, Peyton Manning was the QB. It was an offensive disaster.)
Rick Higgins
Hi Rick: First off, if Bowness literally threw his players under the bus, we’d have a bigger story. And the Blue Jackets would need a lot of new players. But enough editor-speak. … Yes, Bowness’ rant was an all-timer and will forever stay in Blue Jackets lore, right there with all the losing seasons and with Mike Babcock asking to peek into his players’ phones. There are great examples in sports history of coaches bashing their players, but one of my favorites was not in a rant but in a quick one-liner. When he was coaching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, John McKay was asked about his team’s execution and his alleged reply was “I’m in favor of it.” There was also Casey Stengel’s “The only thing worse than a Mets game is a Mets doubleheader.”
On the NFL draft
Dear editor: Caleb Downs of Ohio State will be a top-10 draft pick in this year’s NFL draft. … At least Matt Miller, in an ESPN article, sure thinks so. In fact, he goes so far as to predict Downs going No. 3 overall. Others predict him going at No. 10 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals, whose troubled secondary plagued them all season long. Downs is a versatile playmaker with a high football IQ and is exactly what you would want in a safety prospect. Downs was also a key part of the Buckeye defense this year, and this year’s Buckeye defense was a good one, allowing only 11.4 points per game, the best in the nation.
I agree, and can’t see him falling past the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 10.
Grant Noltemeyer, Oxford
To Grant: I have seen mock drafts in which Downs is projected to be picked after teammates Arvell Reese, Carnell Tate and Sonny Styles. Downs is a better player than all three, but in the NFL world, safeties are easier to acquire than edge rushers, impact linebackers and starting receivers. So, yes, the team Downs falls to will be fortunate. You should hope the Bengals don’t screw up that pick.
More from the Mailbox
Why don’t girls wear helmets in lacrosse?
An appreciation of Muzerall’s greatness; and should dunking be banned in basketball?
Rob Oller is right, and Rob Oller is wrong
Should Rob Oller be punished for missing Ohio State football bandwagon?
Reader comes to Rob Oller’s defense, and what Is Ross Bjork doing?
What would St. Peter say to Woody Hayes, Ryan Day?
Does Ohio State really think it would beat Miami 9 out of 10 times?
Fans’ treatment of Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding is ‘unhinged’
Can Brian Hartline be focused enough for Ohio State CFP run?
Ohio State football play-calling vs Indiana didn’t make sense
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Are luxury boxes really what Ohio Stadium needs? Mailbox
Reporting by Brian White, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
