RIVALRY WEEK IS HERE

 

                     This Saturday is the Rivalry week between the Ugly of Manure (That's what U. of M. stands for) team up North against The Ohio State University is here & we have another contest running hopefully someone will pay close attention to this posting. The first person to comment with the correct total will win their choice between a their choice a team lot of 50 cards from various years or a future Game Used card from their favorite team or the complete 1991 High number set of Upper Deck Football. 

              In honor of what is happening at the moment in Columbus, Ohio I have done what every Buckeye fan should do when it comes to a certain letter in the alphabet. Especially with this weeks opponent & as for me as my blog rolls on you can count on year after year especially when it comes to this week against your Arch Rival. Recently a co-worker asked me what I have against my home state. To answer that question is quite simple my Grandmother on my mother's side of the family was originally from Ohio. She taught me at an early age during 1 New Years Day celebration after having our traditional New Years Day Meal of fried oysters & oyster stew *gags* sorry I prefer Ohio beef & homemade noodles my father & little brother as well my grandmothers brother my Uncle Dale prefer the oysters, anyways we were watching the Grand Daddy of all bowl games the Rose Bowl this was in 1985 & she pointed out to me a linebacker on the team by the name of Chris Spielman who was a freshman at the time take down a USC Trojan player. 

                     She explained that player will be a future NFL star if he continues to play like that & that team in Grey is The Best Damm Team in the Big Ten Conference it was a shame that they weren't wearing their Red jerseys cause the Blood wouldn't show. Mind you she was 74 years old at this time she saw greatness in this player & after Chris finished off his senior year she was upset that he fell to the 2nd round of the draft but was happy to see that he went to the Detroit Lions. Why he hasn't been elected to the Hall of Fame in Canton still puzzles me the guy was a beast, a warrior, team leader 4x Pro-Bowler & took a year off to help his first wife & childhood sweetheart Stephanie fight cancer. But a guy like Michael Irvin sure he won 3 SuperBowls for the Cowboys still had off the field problems with Drugs is there & Chris had no bad press isn't.

                Every time I would got a new Spielman card for a set I built I would show Grandma saying got your favorite Buckeye, it would always put an extra smile on her face until her passing in 2006. 

            So then my co-worker asked is there any players that I liked that played for the Manure. There's been a few of those players. Here's my list of players who I think had they been a Buckeye instead Might been had more following in the card world. Mind you they are not any particular order.

Barry Larkin

Chris Sabo

Hal Morris 

Those 3 were all members of the 1990 Cincinnati Reds World Series Champions.

Jim Abbott 

The guy had 1 hand & threw a No-hitter & led the 1988 Olympic team to a Gold Medal against Cuba.

Bill Freehan

Another Underrated player who should be in the Hall based on his reflection of his Gold Gloves in the 1960s at his position.   

Dylan Larkin 

Current Detroit Red Wings Captain leads like his boss Steve Yzerman.

Glen Rice

Even if Glen is a sore to find in completing some of my basketball sets he was a very underrated player which you can read about why I consider him in an older post about him on the blog.

          I am sure that I might get some hate comments back about post but I don't care I won't bash that team no more in it instead the contest is simple just count how many "M's" are in All This Post. Again I am reminded what Rogers Hornsby once said about signing autographs for kids "Any Ballplayer who doesn't sign autographs for little kids ain't an American, he's a Communist." GO BUCKEYES!!!!!