School Rivalry

First before I begin let me say I have a lot of respect for both the Univeristy of Michigan and Ohio State University. Both are very proud schools with long standing traditions of accidemic excelance and very rich sports programs including and an impressive history of mens football. Growing up a UofM fan I have always loved the rivalry of a good football game especially the end of the year game between UofM and Ohio. Not much could beat the days of Woody and Bo on the field. I am sure if you follow sports at all you probably know of at least one rivalry. So I am going to take a little biased look at the UofM / Ohio State rivalry.



Michigan has an impressive but simple flag. It has the colors of the school, maze and blue and a big block letter M for Michigan. The Fight Song is impressive "Hail! to the victors valiant Hail! to the conqu'ring heroes Hail! Hail! to Michigan, the champions of the West!". The mascott is a wolverine although I can not say I have seen anyone dressed up like a wolverine before (for that matter I have not seen anyone dressed up like a Buckeye either). Here is a little exerpt about wolverines.




The wolverine is the largest land-dwelling member of the family Mustelidae (animals such as minks, weasels,otters, skunks). For its size, the Wolverine is probably one of the smallest and most powerful top-of-the-food-chain predator. It makes a Tasmanian Devil look like a sissy. The wolverine is powerfully built, and well adapted for winter survival. The wolverine walks on the soles of its feet as do bears and humans. This is called a plantigrade posture and allows the animal to move much easily through soft, deep snow.

I must say, a little bit odd but not a bad choice for a mascott.



Now Ohio State on the otherhand. Once again a fairly impressive flag for the university. It too shows the school colors which is scarlet and grey and prominently features a large O for Ohio. In at least this version that I have the words Ohio State are also present. So we are off to a good start although I think maze and blue are much more fationable (I warned you I was biased). The Fight Song makes me wonder "(It's) Round on the end and "Hi" in the middle. Tell me if you know. Don't you think that's a cute little riddle Round on the end and "Hi" in the middle You can find it on the map if you look high and low. The O's are round, it's high in the middle. O-H-I-O That's the riddle! Round on the end and "Hi" in the middle. O-HI-O!". Oh wait, that is not the fight song but still what is up with that anyway. So rather than the school song here is the Fight Song "Hit them hard and see how they fall Never let that team get the ball Hail, hail! The gang's all here So let's win that old conference now!". OK so that is a little better. The mascott is a buckeye. Now some places they say it actually is referring to the great people of the state of Ohio. Anyway, lets look at what a buckeye is.

The Ohio Buckeye is Aesculus glabra Willdenow. It is a small tree with a short trunk and narrowish crown usually reaching a height of about 50 feet, but very old individuals may be taller. It is most easily recognized by its palmately compound leaves (with 5-7 leaflets arranged as fingers on a hand) and clusters of small, pale yellow flowers that occur at the ends of branches in late April to early May. In native settings, it is usually found along river banks. It occurs throughout Ohio, which is near the eastern edge of its range, but it ranges west through Indiana, Illinois, southeastern Iowa and Missouri to eastern Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Today the Buckeye is not widely used by man except occasionally as a cultivated landscape plant and sometimes for its seeds, which are carried as good luck charms.


So lets see, we have the mighty wolverine vs a bunch of nuts. Hmmmmmmm! Then again some of my best friends are nuts but still...

GO BLUE!

Sorry Crabcakes, it had to be done. Now I am afraid of what may follow...


Oh, it's not a rivalry at all. I haven't seen Biaggi win anything. --Faster