In case you missed it is Men of the Scarlet and Gray’s semi-weekly look at items that would interest the casual and hard-core Ohio State fan, be they news items, interesting blog posts or funny memes you probably saw on Reddit last week. It’s all here and it’s all for you. Have a tip that should be included in the next ICYMI? Send it our way!
DECISION FROM THE HEAD, NOT FROM THE HEART. This is a great story about the work that Urban Meyer and his staff put in to landing top safety Vonn Bell, who clearly has his head on straight and has a couple of parents raising him the right way:
“I’m old school and I told Vonn to look at this process like he would getting married,” Vincent said. “You go through the dating process, then you pick the one you want to be with and you stick to it. You don’t commit and then flirt with another program like some recruits do. You make a decision and then it’s over. That’s what a commitment means.”
It also highlights the lengths that this coaching staff is willing to go to show their commitment to a player they want on their sideline. Fans of other teams can moan about Urban Meyer’s “ultra competitiveness” and his drive to “win at any cost” but those poor fans and their teams are being left in the dust. This isn’t just about winning at any cost. This is about setting the bar high, aiming for the best and working as hard as you can to achieve it. This isn’t about some “honor code” or something about “doing it the right way.” Urban Meyer and his staff have evaluated the talent available and have worked hard to attract that level of talent. The rest of the Big Ten had better get on board and set their own sights higher or it’s getting left behind.
THE VILLAIN WITH A HEART OF GOLD. Evan Turner, all-time Buckeye Hero made an appearance at New Albany High School’s senior night for the varsity basketball team to surprise his friend Devon Pitts. It’s not much, but it’s little things like that that make cheering for guys like Evan Turner a little easier.
SPEAKING OF A GUY WHO’S EASY TO CHEER FOR. Aaron Craft is a finalist for the The Bob Cousy Award, which is given to the top collegiate male basketball point guard. MotSaG readers have made their voice heard as to who the best Point Guard in the Big Ten is, with Aaron Craft garnering over 64% of the votes in a head-to-head competition against Trey Burke. Craft has shown in both games against Burke that he can hang with the best and Craft has shown throughout the season that he isn’t going to be outworked by anyone he’s matched up against.
THE REAL JOHNNY FOOTBALL. We’ve mentioned this before, but now John Simon himself makes the case: Vote him and the Buckeyes as the cover athlete:
As the Chicago politics saying goes…. “Vote Early and Vote Often”. John Simon needs your votes.