Have more comments, questions? Reach out to me at [email protected]. Letters are lightly edited for clarity.
On Ohio State football
Dear Sports Editor White: Given the treatment of Ryan Day and his family after the loss to Michigan − including despicable death threats (it’s just a game) − it wouldn’t be surprising if he chose to leave. Frankly, that would be the easy choice.
What many Ohio State fans may not realize is that before winning his first national championship in 1954, Woody Hayes faced similar criticism. After a 4-3-2 record in 1951 and back-to-back 6-3 seasons in 1952 and 1953, he endured significant pressure from OSU fans who doubted him.
Imagine where Ohio State football might be today if he had left after winning his first national championship in 1954. Woody built the culture, values and traditions that still define the program. That legacy is why buildings and roads bear his name. Would every coach who followed have achieved the same success without that foundation? Maybe, maybe not. As the saying goes, culture eats strategy for breakfast.
To date, only one Ohio State coach has won multiple national championships: Woody Hayes. Staying at Ohio State, especially given the sky-high expectations, the challenges of coaching in the CFP/NIL era and the passionate (sometimes irrational) “lunatic fringe” of the fan base is not for the faint of heart.
Thankfully, Ryan Day has a strong heart and an unwavering passion for coaching, leading and developing young men at our university − just like Woody did. He understands the importance of culture and player development and has become the standard-bearer of a legacy that began decades ago. That commitment has led to a 70-10 record, a 5-3 CFP record and a national championship. More importantly, it has helped shape outstanding young men who represent the values our university aspires to uphold. If it means taking losses now again and playing and winning with integrity, I’ll gladly accept those values versus what is going on up north any day of the week.
We are grateful for your leadership, coach Day. You’re on your way to becoming the next Woody.
HS Orth, Columbus
To HS: I will note that your letter was written before Day received a new contract and a nice raise to $12.5 million a year. Still, that doesn’t mean, as many media outlets wrongly say, that Day is locked in to Ohio State through 2031. He can be fired or resign any day. Day is a great and under-appreciated coach, but I don’t understand why, with the money he’s already pocketed, he would want this job. If a large part of my fan base wants me fired even though I rarely lose, and a part of that base goes after my family and forces me to get around-the-clock police protection, I’m gone. I’d be off either to a more sensible school, where I don’t have to worry that my wife and kids are being harmed by crazy people, or to the NFL, where I don’t have to recruit 52 weeks a year.
Buy Ohio State books, posters, gear from CFP title win
To the editor: Rob Oller had a great article on Monday. He correctly called out the psychopaths who go to the extreme over the loss to Michigan. However, he should have called out the radio and television sports media as well. Some of these expert-after-the-fact “coaches” could not handle a peewee-league team. Along with stopping the TTUN labeling, how about stopping the silliness of crossing out all M’s on campus and the nearby neighborhood.
Lastly, The 2024 season should not be ranked at all since, along with the championship, it had death threats to the coach and his family. It was maybe a small lunatic fringe but that is all it takes to eliminate the joy.
Raymond D’Angelo, Westerville
To Brian: Buckeye Nation is in a stir over the sudden bailout of Chip Kelly and Jim Knowles. What seemed to be a friend-in-need partnership for coach Day, Kelly now joins Knowles and oft-criticized Justin Frye – his persistence rewarded – in their respective career moves. But none enjoyed a victory over Michigan. Isn’t that why they were hired? Yet, regardless of football’s current state of volatility (e.g. the portal, expansion), they can’t be faulted for pursuing offers. Pity Day. Back through the wringer. But, as witnessed, problems led to greater goals for him. No shortage of personnel choices or athletes.
It’s not the same game in college-town America. Transferring schools at a page-turning frequency is almost trendy. Disloyal? Like it or not, get used to it.
Larry Cheek, Dublin
To the editor: I am no Einstein, but I do understand addition by subtraction. So does coach Day, even though he is not Einstein’s cousin, either. In saying goodbye to carpetbagger Chip Kelly and adding a tried and true Buckeye in the person of Brian Hartline, the Buckeyes are geared up to beat Michigan and also win the national championship. That is a winning equation for me.
Michael Oser, Columbus
To Brian: Woody Hayes gave us the admonition, “Nothing that comes easy in this world is worth a damn.” Easy, it was not. Buckeye players who stepped into the arena did stumble. But then they got back up and they tried again and ran a gantlet to achieve ultimate victory. Good for them. And congratulations also to Notre Dame and others who gave great effort and, to paraphrase TR, whose place will never be with those timid souls who would criticize them who never stepped into the arena to ever know neither victory nor defeat.
Dennis Singleton, Dayton
On letters to the sports editor
To Brian: The Dispatch Mailbox disclaimer states, in part, “we don’t have room in the print edition for all the great reader feedback we’re getting.” Here’s a suggestion: Lose some of the advertisements in your print edition in favor of more letters from your readers. The Jan. 26 Mailbox page contained 75% advertising and only 25% reader feedback (or sports news, for that matter). Sorry, Brian, but this print-edition reader doesn’t need to turn to the sports section (or any other section of The Dispatch) to find a plumber, mason, electrician, attorney, etc. I read the sports section for sports news, and the rest of The Dispatch for, well … news!
BTW, I seriously doubt that The Dispatch readers who subscribe to your online edition are there for the advertisement, either. Hey Columbus Dispatch – more SPORTS and more NEWS please!!
Donn Smith, Marysville
To Donn: I’m no finance expert, but our business is in enough trouble that I think eliminating forms of revenue might be a bad idea.
On college sports
With all the changes that are ongoing in college sports, it is time to rethink the role of sports in colleges and universities. We know that our OSU won the national championship, but we don’t know how much was spent to chase that dream. We do, however, know that the athletic department finished some $37 million in the red.
We dropped the term amateur when referring to college athletes quite a while ago and now we need to drop the word student from the archaic term “student/athlete.” These athletes are paid (and in some cases highly paid) to play a game while supposedly representing a college or university. In many cases they represent the institution they happen to be currently playing for.
If I were Adam Silver or Roger Goodell, I would be literally giddy. The NFL and NBA now have professional development leagues that they don’t have to organize, regulate or pay for. They can just sit back, relax and reap the benefits. And, in some respects, the development leagues have advantages over the “big” leagues. The college level has no salary caps, so get as many sources of money as you can. And the free agency in college (transfer portal) is much more lenient than in the NBA or NFL. At the college level an athlete can transfer at any time and there is no limit to how many times that athlete can transfer.
A more realistic approach would be to call them what they really are (development leagues) and grant franchises for teams. The franchises would not have to cost anything. Universities like Ohio State would not want to lose their team, and you could allow all current college teams to have a franchise. But the monies would be kept separate. No university money could be used to support teams in any way. If the developmental league needs some funds, let the NFL and NBA pay; after all, besides the players they are the ones reaping the benefits. Athletes could go to class if they wanted to, as they are players first and possibly students second, just as it is now. No more would they be called student/athletes.
I realize that I am suggesting a radical approach, but the transfer portal and NIL have already created radical changes in the way things are run. And, in this wild wild west atmosphere, the NCAA has become completely obsolete.
Alan Summers
On Michigan football
The Michigan response to the NCAA and reported in The Dispatch seems be: “We didn’t cheat and even if we did, it didn’t affect the outcome because we would have won anyway and our cover-up by deleting 52 texts is OK because you can’t prove what we cover-uped.“ In the legal profession, it’s called “alternative pleading,” and in Yiddish it’s called “chutzpah.“
Mike Gertner
More from the Mailbox
Is Knowles just a ‘gunslinger’, or is there more to his departure?
Is rude fan treatment of Ohio State football coach Ryan Day, family part of job?
Dispatch’s Ohio State football ‘best plays’ bracket guilty of recency bias
Rob Oller needs to have more appreciation for Ohio State football QB Will Howard
As some traditional powers falter, Ohio State football rolls on
Michigan is in Ohio State football fans’ heads; Blue Jackets games are too loud
Too-serious Ohio State football fans need to find something that brings them joy
Do Ohio State football, Ryan Day need to ‘chill’ when it comes to Michigan?
Ohio State football fans still trying to figure out ‘genius’ play-calling
Would Ohio State football’s Jim Tressel, Earle Bruce have taken a knee?
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This content is reposted from the source: https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/columns/2025/02/09/ohio-state-football-coach-ryan-day-reminds-some-of-woody-hayes/78332948007/
