Reader says Buckeyes ‘dropped the ball’ by not starting Burrow
Editor’s note: Unfortunately, we don’t have room in the print edition for all of the great reader feedback we’re getting. For more of the letters, go to Dispatch.com. Have more comments, questions? Reach out to me at bwhite1@dispatch.com.
On Joe Burrow
To Brian: Good luck to Mr. Joseph Burrow, the former third-string QB and clipboard holder at The Ohio State University, in the upcoming Super Bowl. We wouldn’t let poor ol’ Joe take a snap against Akron, but LSU allowed him to lead them to a national championship, and now the Bengals are giving him the reins against the dastardly Rams of La La Land. For a football factory, I’d have to say the Buckeyes dropped the ball when it came to evaluating and appreciating the talents of one J Burrow Esquire.
Thad Woodman Westerville
To Thad: Fans will argue for decades now about why Burrow didn’t start at Ohio State, and as time advances some facts will get overlooked. Whichever side of the argument you’re on, I suggest to not forget that Dwayne Haskins, the player chosen to start ahead of Burrow in 2018, set Big Ten passing records of 4,831 yards and 50 touchdowns that season. Burrow was actually ahead of Haskins on the depth chart in 2017 but broke a hand. After Haskins rallied the Buckeyes to a win at Michigan, he had an edge going into spring ball and the coaches didn’t feel Burrow did enough to beat him out. Burrow transferred, and Haskins had his record-setting season.
To the editor: Burrow fit at LSU with his teammates and assistant coaches. This was back when college football was a team sport. COVID, free agency and NIL have ended that, except for Nick Saban.
Billy Matherne
On the Super Bowl and Nesser brothers
To the editor: I live in Los Angeles, but today my heart is in Columbus, Ohio. Super Bowl LVI is Sunday. The news is everywhere. This is really a huge event to be held here in L.A. I can’t help but wonder what my grandpa Frank Nesser would have to say about all that today. Who is Frank Nesser? He and his brothers made up the most famous team in the history of football in Columbus from 1907-1920s. They, along with other early teams, were the founding fathers of American football.
I can remember growing up listening to my mother speak of the friendship between her father and Jim Thorpe. Although they played on opposing teams, they often practiced kicking the football together. By that, I mean a huge, watermelon-size one! My mother was born in Columbus, as well as a few of my siblings. One day I will visit and stand in awe in the place where such huge accomplishment began in the humble beginnings of an immigrant family from Germany. A tremendous Super Bowl in Los Angeles leads me back to the tremendous accomplishments of a football family in Columbus. May their memory live on.
Patricia Huff, South Pasadena, Calif.
On Big Ten expansion
To Brian: I believe the success of Big Ten expansion is in question. In one case, financially. A recent story on Rutgers University revealed their athletic department’s huge debt is $256 million. Rutgers and Maryland were added to the conference in 2014 (Nebraska joined in 2011; Penn State in 1990). Prior to that time (2014), those newcomers already had financial issues.
It was thought the successful Big Ten Network would rescue them. But apparently, it hasn’t helped Rutgers. Maryland is still in the red. And, surprisingly, Nebraska thrives. And what about success of their teams on the field? Nebraska was 22-10 under Bo Pelini (2011-14) in the conference. Since then, they are 22-39. Maryland’s best conference record was 4-4 in their first season. Since 2014, it is 19-47 and Rutgers is 12-58. In basketball, Nebraska has only two winning seasons since joining (Penn State, three in 31 years). Maryland had been successful under
Mark Turgeon until he chose to leave in December. Rutgers has been .500 at best in the past but is currently has a better record.
Iowa State and Pittsburgh would be better additions both historically (i.e. with rivals) and geographically. So, can contracts be annulled (Nebraska)? Can schools be limited to basketball only (i.e. Rutgers, Maryland)? Is there “contraction” in the future of college sports?
Larry Cheek, Dublin
On the Baseball Hall of Fame
To Brian: The explanation from reader Bob Burke justifying David Ortiz’s election into baseball’s Hall of Fame while simultaneously excluding Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens falls considerably short of the mark. If the Mitchell Report is flawed as Mr. Burke alleges, then it should no longer apply to keep Bonds and Clemens out of the HOF, as neither player, though suspected, ever officially tested positive for steroids. Further, the fact that “PED suspected” Ortiz received the necessary 75% of the votes for HOF induction does not resolve the issue but instead creates the perception of bias among the baseball writers.
The more rational approach is either use the results of the Mitchell Report and the 2003 PED survey test conducted by MLB, the latter of which implicated Ortiz, keeping all listed players suspected of PED use out of the HOF, or simply cast aside the report and survey test as inconclusive and allow all deserving players to have a plaque in Cooperstown. Any other conclusion like the present one allowing only Ortiz to be admitted flies in the face of equality and fundamental fairness.
Jonathan Gurian, Columbus