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Topic: An open letter after our great gameday experience (N. Illinois game)

Topic: An open letter after our great gameday experience (N. Illinois game)

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lovebobcat
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Member Since: 12/23/2004
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Post Count: 521

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An open letter after our great gameday experience (N. Illinois game)

Posted: 2/7/2011 12:43:18 AM

Here's my open letter to Coach Groce, the team, and Bobcat athletics...

I live in Cincinnati, so we usually only make it in to Athens a couple times a year, so yesterday's game was our only game we'll see this season in the Convo. We came with my 9-year-old son's friend and his family. The game was fun, including the halftime show, in-game promotions, the band, and the dance team.

What I'd most like to applaud came afterward. First, Coach Groce went up into the stands to give high-fives to several Ozone members. (Maybe he does that every game; I don't know.) We went down on the court to let the boys run around a while and take some pictures on the court. We've done that before, but I just think it's neat that OU allows people to do that, shooting hoops and stuff. I'm guessing most schools don't allow that.

After a bit, Coach Groce and some players emerged from the locker room. I know Coach Groce a little bit from my former life as a sportswriter, and he graciously chatted with me a minute and posed for a picture with my son and the other three boys we had with us. Then the boys went over and, one by one, met some players. We got autographs and pics with Ivo, Tunji, D.J., Reggie and Tommy. All were quite gracious.

(In an unrelated event, we had lunch today with Jeff King from the football team. My wife teaches with his aunt, and Jeff had previously come to my wife's classroom to read books to my wife's first-grade class. Jeff also signed autographs and posed for pics.)

As an alum, I'm like all of you fellow fans ... I want OU to win every time, and I get frustrated when they don't. Like a lot of folks, I probably neglect to applaud the positives. But after such a wonderful weekend in Athens, I want to be sure to point out how meaningful a little goodwill can be. For little boys, and even for us adults, it's wonderful to meet players, be on the court, etc. Everyone we met this weekend were great ambassadors for the university.

I'm proud to be a Bobcat, and I wish the team and Coach Groce the best of luck the rest of the way. Go Bobcats!

Sincerely,
Neil Schmidt, class of '93

Mike Johnson
General User

Member Since: 11/11/2004
Location: North Canton, OH
Post Count: 1,736

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RE: An open letter after our great gameday experience (N. Illinois game)

Posted: 2/7/2011 11:29:42 AM

I can see your son and his friends all going to Athens in another 9 years - as students.

Happens. Examples:

* My niece Molly Parrish is OU '01. She "fell" for OU after visiting on a football game day.

* My nephew Phil Johnson is a senior and "fell" for OU while accompanying me to Athens on a pre-season scrimmage day.

* My next door neighbor Emily Dent will be starting in Athens this coming September. She "fell" for OU while visiting Athens on a football game day two seasons ago.

* Heck, I "fell" for OU while there as one of my high school's delegates to Buckeye Boys State. Of the other 3 delegates that summer, 2 went to OU.

http://www.facebook.com/mikejohnson.author

SBH
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Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 4,288

Status: Offline

RE: An open letter after our great gameday experience (N. Illinois game)

Posted: 2/7/2011 1:31:11 PM

Michael: You list of recruiting successes would make a nice letter to the editor in The Post and/or Athens News. Perhaps Prof. Vedder reads those publications.

mf279801
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Member Since: 8/6/2010
Location: Newark, DE
Post Count: 2,473

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RE: An open letter after our great gameday experience (N. Illinois game)

Posted: 2/7/2011 3:45:13 PM

I went down to visit OHIO one day senior year with some friends simply as a free day out of school, had no intention of attending. I fell in love within minutes. The rest is history.

SBH
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 4,288

Status: Offline

RE: An open letter after our great gameday experience (N. Illinois game)

Posted: 2/7/2011 5:07:27 PM

My high school Latin teacher (a '44 alum) heard I was going to Miami and filled out an application for OU without my knowledge. Imagine my surprise upon receiving an acceptance letter. He subsequently told me Miami sucks.

Last Edited: 2/7/2011 5:09:58 PM by SBH

rpbobcat
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Member Since: 4/28/2006
Location: Rochelle Park, NJ
Post Count: 3,598

Status: Offline

RE: An open letter after our great gameday experience (N. Illinois game)

Posted: 2/7/2011 6:29:16 PM

Living in northern N.J. in the early 1970's,I have to admit that I had never heard of O.U.
I don't know why,but my college advisor told me to apply there because the school and I would be
a "good fit".
I applied and got accepted.
The first time I saw O.U.,other then the pictures in their literature, was at precollege.
Driiving into Athens,the first building saw was the Convo.A soon as I saw it, I knew I made the right choice.
Then my first day on campus for fall quarter I went to a football game at Peden and saw the 110
for the first time.
That sealed the deal.
Bobcat forever !

Mike Johnson
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Member Since: 11/11/2004
Location: North Canton, OH
Post Count: 1,736

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RE: An open letter after our great gameday experience (N. Illinois game)

Posted: 2/7/2011 7:18:28 PM

SBH wrote:

Michael: You list of recruiting successes would make a nice letter to the editor in The Post and/or Athens News. Perhaps Prof. Vedder reads those publications.

Here's my favorite such story. Picture this.

During the autumn of our daughter Andrea's 10th grade year, one afternoon she and i were raking leaves. Without warning, she declared: "If there's one college I won't even think of attending, it's OU. So please don't you or Mom try to talk me into it."

Up to that moment, neither Lynne nor I -- we had met in Ellis Hall -- had said Word One about selecting a college. Later that afternoon I told Lynne what Andrea had said, and our silence as to OU continued. During the ensuing months Andrea visited other schools.

Then one day, again with no warning, she said, "I think I'd like to visit OU."

I had to bite my tongue to refrain from making a smart alecky comment. Instead, I asked mildly, "You mean schedule a formal visitation?"

"Yes."

On her OU visitation day, the schedule began in the then new Morton Hall with a large group of prospective students and their parents. That group then broke down into smaller groups by college. Then the groups grew smaller still in meetings with individual professors. Then came the campus tour. At the end of the day Andrea, Lynne and I got in our car to begin the 4-hour drive back to Lyndhurst. We had barely left Athens when Andrea, sitting in the back, leaned forward and said, "I could see myself there."

Andrea is OU '94 and a passionate alum. She just told me she is looking forward to attending the Bobcat Caravan when it hits Columbus where she lives and works.

http://www.facebook.com/mikejohnson.author

anorris
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Member Since: 7/6/2010
Location: Bristol, CT
Post Count: 2,262

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RE: An open letter after our great gameday experience (N. Illinois game)

Posted: 2/7/2011 7:40:03 PM

To the original post, regarding Groce shaking hands with the students, he has done that following every game since he has been a head coach. I know there are also more than a few of us he recognizes and says hi to on the street as he walks by -- a small gesture that certainly doesn't go unnoticed.

Since we're telling stories of our decisions to come to OU, here is mine:

I knew when I started looking at colleges that TV was what I wanted to study, which gave me two schools to consider in Ohio -- Ohio and Kent State. Ohio's programs rated better, so I went for a visit to Athens first. I absolutely fell in love with the town and the campus on that tour. Told my parents on the way home that Ohio was where I wanted to go to college, and didn't take another tour. I only applied to one school.

4 years later, I can say it has been even better than I ever could've imagined.

perimeterpost
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Member Since: 7/6/2010
Post Count: 3,165

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RE: An open letter after our great gameday experience (N. Illinois game)

Posted: 2/7/2011 10:51:39 PM

I chose OU without ever visiting Athens. I grabbed a brochure one day and as soon as I saw the bricks and the green trees I knew where I was going, I didn't even look at another school. One of my favorite movies as a kid was Animal House and the campus had a Faber College look to it.

I remember my first day on campus, I had just unpacked, sent my parents on their way, and was getting to know some of the guys that lived on my floor. A group of us decided to head out to check out the town, and as we were standing on the corner of Union and Congress we see a guy up the street get out of his car with a case a beer and walk into his house. We decided, in a moment of inspiration, to go up to the house and ask him if he'll take us to buy some beer too. At the time, it made sense.

We knock, the guy comes to the door, and we give our pitch. He looks at us and laughs and says 'What, are you guys freshmen or something?" Sheepishly we say yes, he then says "'cool, let's go!" A couple of us hop in his car while the rest of us sprint back to the dorm to get a big duffle bag. We meet up in the dorm parking garage, a case of Old Milwaukee for us, and another one for our mystery shopper. We thanked him profusely and he just smiled and said "enjoy it. welcome to OU." and drove off.

I have no idea who that guy was but that was the one of coolest thing I'd ever seen anybody do. I think he defined for me what the OU mindset is all about- there are no strangers in Athens, just fellow Bobcats you haven't partied with yet. Needless to say, I did my best to pay it forward.

true story.

MY STATE. MY TEAM.

Tyler
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Member Since: 7/7/2010
Location: Arizona
Post Count: 894

Status: Offline

RE: An open letter after our great gameday experience (N. Illinois game)

Posted: 2/7/2011 11:01:05 PM

My story is pretty similar to anorris's. I knew I wanted to major in something media related since my entire high school senior year consisted of yearbook, newspaper, TV communications and photography classes. I visited Rochester Institute of Technology (one of the best photography schools) the summer going into senior year and had mixed feelings about it. I came down to Athens early in my senior year and absolutely fell in love with everything. I only applied here because the Scripps application was due so early (mid-December). I figured if I didn't get in I'd have enough time to apply elsewhere.

I remember finding out I got accepted day or two before Christmas. I screamed so loud I woke up my mom and sister. I knew at that point my college search was over. I honestly have no idea where I'd be if I didn't get into Scripps. I guess Kent, RIT and Missouri would have been the next choices.

My sister is a freshman at Kent now. Every time I visit her I'm reminded of what a great choice I made. Youngstown State offered me a full scholarship plus room and board in their honors dorm, despite the fact I didn't even apply there. I remember telling my mom that the day we left to move in freshman year. She was a little upset, but she understood what a great opportunity I'd have here. Seeing what I do here compared to what friends with similar majors do at YSU I know it's well worth the cost, plus the atmosphere of a true residential campus is far superior to YSU's primarily commuter base.

Monroe Slavin
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Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Oxnard, CA
Post Count: 9,121

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RE: An open letter after our great gameday experience (N. Illinois game)

Posted: 2/7/2011 11:36:39 PM

I came because they let me bring my Basset Hound, The Beast, to campus.

And, apparently, with my usual exceptional forethought, to lay groundwork for coming here and aggravatating those of you who don't want your horizons expanded.

sense of humor, anyone?!

Where's the band?!
WHERE"S THE BAND?!

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Old Zone
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Member Since: 2/28/2005
Location: Rocky River, OH
Post Count: 266

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RE: An open letter after our great gameday experience (N. Illinois game)

Posted: 2/9/2011 1:03:33 PM

After my too fast five years at OUr university (undergrad and grad), I "encouraged" my daughter to follow my legacy by telling her from the moment she could comprehend that, "You can go to any college you want, but I'm going to Dad's Weekend at OU." Oh yeah, and the familiarity bred by constant trips to Athens throughout her formative years didn't hurt. She's now a proud alum (undergrad and grad also) and I'm a proud dad. But truth be told, I was compelled in fairness to take her on a couple of other college visits and I'd have been equally proud of her if she had chosen another college . . . except Fiami, of course. And yes, Dad's Weekend without her would have still been fun, but not the same. She went to OU for 5 years and we went to Dad's Weekend together for 10!

Last Edited: 2/9/2011 1:05:32 PM by Old Zone

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