Make Way

“The hardest part about writing a blog is the intro” – Me, just now to my friend Taylor

It seems like I am on a one blog every five month diet, now if I could do that with my Skyline Chili habit I might lose that last 10 pounds huh?

Well looks like I am SOL for any sort of diet because as the autumn weather settles in around Columbus that can only mean one thing.

Hear that? The Chimes are playing. Feel that? The leaves are blowing around your feet. Smell that? Someone just cracked a *takes a wild guess* Raspberry White Claw at 8am for a noon game. I know its hopeless but some part of me hopes people go back to good old fashioned Bud Lights on GameDays.

Football is back!

This season is a very interesting one, there was no wild offseason stories being thrown everywhere from TMZ to (checks notes) facebook, stadium.com, and oh yeah ESPN. That is a good thing. The biggest difference with my beloved Buckeyes is that it is a #NewDay in Columbus. It’s also a #NewDey in Cincinnati but its different than the #NewDay in Columbus. Try to keep up with our hashtag puns please.

The Bengals New Dey is much more shocking because thanks to all that is good in this world, Melvin Marvin is finally not the Bengals head coach. That legitimately feels like a new vibe for the fightin’ Who Deys with Zac Taylor launching footballs all over the field. This post isn’t about the striped professionals though.

This is all about the Buckeyes! As much as Ryan Day has his own brand that he will instill on THE Ohio State Football program, there is a certain beat that still goes on. If you think for one second that when you see the Eleven Warriors, brave and bold come firing out of the tunnel for the first time this year on Saturday that you won’t see an elite football team than you better check if Dan brought you a Great White instead that raspberry claw.

Of course the way both coaches go about their jobs will not be the same. There are life values that are different between the two men. Their offices look different.

The new boss isn’t the old boss. Ryan Day has opened up about mental health and has started an absolutely necessary fund at Nationwide Childrens Hospital for Pediatric and Adolescent Mental Wellness.

About On Our Sleeves
Because kids don’t wear their thoughts on their sleeves, we don’t know what they might be going through. That’s why Nationwide Children’s Hospital launched On Our Sleeves to build a community of support for children living with mental illness through advocacy, education and fundraising for much-needed research. For more information about children’s mental health and to help break the silence and stigma around mental illness, visit OnOurSleeves.org.

In a time where mental health and the associated issues are at what seems to be an all time high, Ryan and Nina Day get it. Everything about discussion and treatment about mental health needs to be destigmatized. It is as real as a cold and it is as fateful as a heart attack. Please if you are having issues or questions or anything, talk about it. There is help available and all you really need is a friend.

 

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When it comes to winning football games Ryan Day and Urban Meyer are the same. Winning is what matters in terms of keeping their day job (pun not intended but I am proud of it now that is written). An elite football team will take the field each Saturday this fall on the banks of the Olentangy. That isn’t changing.

“Meet the new boss, same as the old boss”

When Ryan Day and Urban Meyer see each other at The Woody Hayes Athletic Center I am picturing something in between a ruthless Tommy Shelby (Welcome back Peaky Blinders) and the Spider Man meme.

 

A fictional Tommy Shelby has it, Nick Saban has it, Bill Belichick has it, Urban Meyer has it. Whether you call it arrogance, ego, killer instinct, swagger, whatever…the head coach of Ohio State has to have it as well. Ryan Day will come through the tunnel on Saturday for the first time as the full time head football coach of The Ohio State Buckeyes and I can just imagine what is going through his mind sounds a little something like this.

“They ain’t got whats running through these veins, make way for the king”

GO BUCKS.

BEAT FAU.