What Should An Ohio State Fan Do?

BY JOHN PATRICK
KTIK.COM

It’s been a week since Ohio State announced the suspension of football coach Urban Meyer. I have heard and read plenty of opinions about the outcome. Some I agreed with, and some I didn’t. My question is, as a fan of Ohio State, what am I supposed to do?

When news broke that Meyer lied to the media about his knowledge of an assistant’s involvement in domestic assault incidents, the critics came out in force. Meyer deserved every bit of criticism. I levied my own:

His initial statement was without feeling and showed little remorse. His second apology was too late and forced. I understand the criticism of those who blindly supported Meyer no matter what. However, I don’t understand those who attacked Ohio State fans just for being Ohio State fans.

I read things like: “How can you still be an Ohio State fan with Urban Meyer as coach?”

Or “Why would anyone ever want to go to Ohio State?”

To me, these are somewhat ignorant statements. Am I supposed to quit rooting for my team because the head coach made a big mistake? It’s the same as saying I should denounce my U.S. citizenship because I disagree with the president? Humans are flawed. I can criticize the coach and still support the team. It happens all the time in sports. Remember that in case that your squeaky clean program ever runs afoul.

I don’t think Meyer should have been fired, but part of me wishes he had been. He has a stain on his legacy as a coach and as a person. In the meantime, I will continue to support the team, hoping Meyer does something to redeem himself, instead of winning games.

 

John ā€œJPā€™ā€™ Patrick produces Idaho Sports Talk with Caves & Prater weekdays from 3-6 p.m. on KTIK 93.1 FM The Ticket. He can be found @JPKTIK (Twitter).