Script Ohio

[StewieG]

I was reading the piece on Ohio State traditions, and while I can't really disagree with anything on Furls' list, one sticks out for me personally.

Script Ohio is my favorite tradition for any team, in any sport, hands down. If you've never seen it, watch it. It gives me goosebumps every time I hear Le Regiment playing. Watching TBDBITL perform Script Ohio before the National Championship game this year, I knew we were going to win. There wasn't a doubt in my mind.

Of course we didn't, but that's beside the point. The feeling I get from that song, watching them do that march...it was enough to give even me, who's been worn down by years of TCE, the feeling that there was no way we could lose. And if something beats down the feeling of TCE, then it's very powerful indeed.

[intenso]

I had never seen it until the Michigan game last year when they showed it on TV and was amazed. It is no doubt the greatest pre-game in all of sports.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-TQcqRWbDA

[BadBecks]

The actual dotting of the "I" is truely what its all about. Memories of an emotional Woodie Hayes recieving the honor still give me chills. See'ing The Golden Bear get the honor before the big game last year was good too.

[Bayou Tribe]

It is no doubt the greatest pre-game in all of sports.

Yeah it is definitely awesome on tv. I've only seen a few different pre-game traditions other than LSU's live but here's my take on some:

Flight of the Eagle (Auburn): Awesome, they let the eagle go and (as trained) will circle the entire crowd before landing back on the handler's arm as the play the national anthem.

Power T (Tennessee): I guess some wouldn't get the big deal with it, but I like it alot. Band marches in formation, breaks off to form the "T" that they use as their logo and the team runs through that formation. Simple, but pretty cool nonetheless.

Sooner Schooner (Okla): This the stupidest redneck tradition I've seen. The ponies look sick, the frat boys riding the wagon have cap guns, and at least once a game they'll make their post touchdown ride through the endzone on a play that end up coming back for a hold.

The Grove (Ole Miss): Different strokes for different folks I guess. If you like the idea of tailgating all day in a shirt and tie with slacks and possibly a sports coat off of linen tablecloths with crystal candle sticks than you should check it out. I never understood why they go through all of the trouble to set this up yet eat/drink off of plastic plates/cups but I digress. Two things they have going for them: The Grove is a great setup for tailgating because everyone is in one place and there is good tree coverage(shade) and the women...... just wow.

[intenso]

Auburn's Eagle Flight is great.

Tennessee's T...not as good as Arkansas' run through the A.

[intenso]

regarding the article, I think it's funny that you mid-westerners call the beanbag game "cornhole."


We call it baggo.

[Mr. MacPhisto]

Funny thing is that it was the Michigan marching band that first spelled out "Ohio" on the football field as a tribute to Ohio State during a game. They didn't originate the tradition of how the script is formed or how the "i" is dotted, but it's interesting that the genesis for Script Ohio may have actually come from Ohio State's archrival.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Script_Ohio#Script_Ohio

Script Ohio is the signature formation of The Ohio State Marching Band performed before or during halftime, or after home games. Script Ohio was first performed by The Ohio State Marching Band on October 10, 1936 at the Ohio State versus University of Pittsburgh football game. According to The Ohio State University Library, a similar floating formation was first performed during the 1932 season by the University of Michigan Marching band, however, it was a set-piece, instead of being formed through marching described below.

Michigan Marching Band director Jamie Nix said, "Yes, that's true (that Michigan formed OHIO with its marching band), but certainly not in the complex form it takes on now with the OSU band."

http://library.osu.edu/sites/archives/O ... ptohio.htm

I think it's an interesting story of how rivals can feed off of one another.

And I do agree with ya'll, Script Ohio is the best tradition in college football. I'm not an Ohio State fan and I enjoy watching it. I've seen them do it live on several occasions when I've watched Ohio State at bowl games down here in Florida. It's always thrilling to see executed. I can only imagine how difficult it is to teach that and coordinate it. Just stunning.

[Bayou Tribe]

Tennessee's T...not as good as Arkansas' run through the A.

It's hard to get a good perspective at War Memorial because you are at ground level. When we went to Tenn we were so high up we could see the entire "T".

[furls]

Thanks for the feedback,

couple of points....

The rivalry in 1936 was a lot more civil. It took Woody Hayes to amplify the rivalry to a truely epic level, so the rivalry that we all know now is not the rivalry in which the tradition was born.

It took Hayes' irrational hatred of Michigan to drive it to its current state. THis was further aided by one of Hayes' own assistants taking the helm in the late 60's (famous guy you might have heard of named Bo something).

As far as Sript Ohio being second, there is only one thing I can think of that actually moves me more before a Bucks game than Script Ohio. That is walking out of the concourses to a packed SCARLET horshoe and experiencing the insane energy of 105,000 fans who bleed scarlet and grey so profously that they (like myself) passed on offers of over $1,000.00 to see Ohio State beat Michigan.

There is no experience like it anywhere is sports. Swerb can tell you, as walked out to our seats last year it was staggering. You just had to stop at the concourse exit and take it in.

[intenso]

Tennessee's T...not as good as Arkansas' run through the A.

It's hard to get a good perspective at War Memorial because you are at ground level. When we went to Tenn we were so high up we could see the entire "T".

Yeah...my seats in Razorback Stadium are almost in the south end zone, four rows up from the field, so I can't get a great view of the A from my seats. But when the team runs out they are running right at me, which is pretty sweet.

[Mr. MacPhisto]

Thanks for the feedback,

couple of points....

The rivalry in 1936 was a lot more civil. It took Woody Hayes to amplify the rivalry to a truely epic level, so the rivalry that we all know now is not the rivalry in which the tradition was born.

It took Hayes' irrational hatred of Michigan to drive it to its current state. THis was further aided by one of Hayes' own assistants taking the helm in the late 60's (famous guy you might have heard of named Bo something).

I would say the 1969 game may have been the one that really catapulted the rivalry into the stratosphere. That was a huge game and both my parents were at it. Bo came in during my mom's senior year at the University of Michigan and she recalls that the intensity, at least on the UM side of things, was greatly ratcheted up that year after Bump Elliot was given the heave-ho.

[furls]

'68 was very significant in developing hatred too.

Nothing like going for two in the closing seconds of a game that you are winning 48-14. If that doesn't inspire some bad feelings, I am not sure what would.

Here is something I put together last year for the rivalry:

http://www.theclevelandfan.com/article_ ... hp?id=1019

[Buck-Nut]

And I do agree with ya'll, Script Ohio is the best tradition in college football. I'm not an Ohio State fan and I enjoy watching it. I've seen them do it live on several occasions when I've watched Ohio State at bowl games down here in Florida. It's always thrilling to see executed. I can only imagine how difficult it is to teach that and coordinate it. Just stunning.

I was a snare drum player in TBDBITL for 3 years starting in '79. As a member of the band, marching Script is easy. Tough part falls to the Drum Major 'cause he's got to make sure he's hitting all his marks. All the rest of us are simply playing "follow the leader".

True story . . . while I was in the band they reinstuted use of the slide trombone. If you watch Script, you'll see there's a couple of crossover points, like when members are marching up the right side of the 'O' and other members are marching through to the 'h'. Members snap their instruments down just before crossing through, then quickly snap back up and start playing again. One unfortunate trombone player waited too long to snap his trombone down, with the result being the other crossing member hitting the slide of the trombone, thereby causing the trombone player to have his metal mouthpiece slam up against his teeth. The result was front teeth getting knocked out and lots of blood, but the trombone player kept going like nothing happened. Rather a gruesome site later as he was draining blood from his spit valve. Yuch! Made me glad I played a drum at that point.

And for me the thrill was the first time I participated in a "Ramp" entrance. This is the pre-game entrance for the band where the percussion session is the first out onto the field. I cannot describe in words the thrill and excitement of the thunderous sound coming from 88,000+ fans when they saw us start marching onto the field. And every time I think of it, even though it happened 25+ years ago, I *STILL* get goosebumps!

[mswerb]

The Ohio State Band performed at halftime at one of the Browns games last year. It was the first time I had seen it in person, and it was awesome. The fans cheered louder for this than the ENTIRE Browns game.

[jeck]

It's also the only time people stay in there seats during halftime