Mids: It’s OK, Buckeyes, boo if you must
August 26th, 2009 | Life at Sea Naval Academy Video | Posted by Phil Ewing
The Naval Academy Midshipmen celebrate their victory over Army Dec. 6, 2008 in Philadelphia // MC2 Kevin O'Brien/Navy
Here’s a tip if you ever find yourself in Central Ohio: If you need to shop for groceries, get your oil changed, or do anything else for which you hate crowds and waiting in line, do it on a Saturday afternoon in the fall. From Springfield to Newark, the Columbus metropolitan area will be shut down so everyone in town can pack into the infamous “Shoe” and watch Columbus’ pro football team the Ohio State Buckeyes beat the stuffing out of some Big 10 patsy.
Only for the first game this season, the Bucks are hosting an unusual opponent: the Naval Academy Midshipmen, who face long odds going up against the Scarlet and Gray Barricade. Still, Ohio State officials don’t want the home crowd of sports patrons to give the Mids the usual High Street Welcome, a.k.a. booing and hissing. Instead, OSU is calling for Buckeye fans to politely applaud the Mids, to thank them for their service.
But the Mids aren’t some delicate-boned JV squad that expects an obsequious reception everywhere it goes:
“My dad always says how awesome it is when we run in and [opposing fans] clap,” Navy senior linebacker Clint Sovie said. “But I always say I kind of hate it. We love going into hostile environments.”
The Midshipmen have felt that, too. They all remember being booed at Rutgers two years ago. But worse, they remember entering the stadium at Wake Forest last season, when Navy was 2-2 and the undefeated Demon Deacons were ranked No. 16.
“We got the golf clap,” said senior defensive end Matt Nechak. “And then we were beating them at halftime and we came back out and got booed.” Frankly, the Midshipmen loved that. They went on to their first win over a ranked team in 23 years.
So let’s hear it in the comments: Navy at Ohio State. Predictions? Trash-talk? You’ll never find a bagel in Central Ohio like the ones at Annapolis’ Naval Bagels. Your turn, sports fans.
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Mids: It’s OK, Buckeyes, boo if you must Says:
August 26th, 2009 at 9:30 am[...] News Sources wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptThe Naval Academy Midshipmen celebrate their victory over Army Dec. 6, 2008 in Philadelphia // MC2 Kevin O’Brien/Navy Here’s a tip if you ever find yourself in Central Ohio: If you need to shop for groceries, get your oil changed, or do anything else for which you hate crowds and waiting in line, do it on a Saturday afternoon in the fall. From Springfield to Newark, the Columbus metropolitan area will be shut down so everyone in town can pack into the infamous “Shoe” and watch Columbus’ pro [...]