Last week it was Browns vs. Steelers. This week it is Ohio State vs. Michigan. The intensity is high not only on the field, but in the stands as well. A strange creature emerges during the week these games are played. They are the people who live in Cleveland, but root for the Steelers and/or the Wolverines. Perhaps you know one of these insidious creatures.
Now, I’m not talking about those who grew up in Pittsburgh and Michigan and continue to support those teams. I’m sure if I moved to another city, I would continue to root for the Indians, Browns, Cavaliers, and Buckeyes. Heck, I’ve rooted for them my entire life. I’m referring to those who grew up in Northeast Ohio, yet have switched over to the dark side.
Most of these frontrunners who support the black and gold grew up in the seventies, when the Steelers were the dominant team in the NFL, winning four Super Bowls. They have no recollection that from 1950-1970, Pittsburgh was pretty much the doormat of the NFL. These fans can usually be rooted out by asking if they follow the Pittsburgh Pirates. Normally, the answer is no, because the Pirates have not won a division title since the early nineties. Since then, the Indians have been to two World Series.
These Terrible Towel (by the way, is there anything more stupid than that?) waving idiots don’t realize the Steelers haven’t won the Lombardi Trophy since the 70’s. Sure, they’ve been to some AFC title games and one Super Bowl since, but have come up short due to their coach, Bill Cowher. Cowher is a disciple of former Browns’ coach Marty Schottenheimer, and has picked up his nasty little habit of losing the big game. However, the Steelers are where the Browns want to go, so we will not go further.
These fans will come back to the Browns when Cleveland is successful for awhile and Pittsburgh takes a downward turn.
The Michigan loyalists are just as ridiculous. I have a friend who grew up in Parma and roots for Michigan, especially against Ohio State. His rationale is that he hated Woody Hayes when he was a kid, so he rooted for the maize and blue. Who was coaching Michigan at the time? Bo Schembechler, nicknamed "Little Woody" by the media.
I always ask him did he realize he was for the team whose coach was a younger version of his hated Hayes? It doesn’t matter. Logic is lost here. It was bad for Buckeye fans when John Cooper was the head man at OSU, and never got how important the rivalry is. Woody Hayes knew. Earle Bruce knew. Jim Tressel knows. That’s why it will be fun when the Scarlet and Gray win for the four time in Tressel’s five years on Saturday.
The contrarians in Ohio will have to hide their Michigan gear for another year. Either that or trade it in for some Ohio State stuff. Anyway, this is way these rivalries are so much fun. It is always good to have a knockdown, drag out sports argument.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 