LET'S GO BUCKS!
We're Now In 3rd Place With 10
Purdue Leads With 25, Michigan State In 2nd With 18
LET'S SHOW THEM WE BLEED SCARLET & GRAY
Dallas – Fort Worth
2008 Big Ten Blood Drive
Scholarship Challenge
Participating* DFW area Big
Ten school alumni chapter
with most donated pints
March through September
will receive $100 for their
scholarship fund from each of
the other participating* local
alumni clubs
See www.carterbloodcare.org to find the convenient
location nearest you, and to schedule your donation
(For your contribution to count for your alma mater in this challenge, you
must provide Carter the appropriate code when donating)
OHIO STATE* Spon038627
Standings Through June 15:
Illinois – 6
Indiana – 2
Iowa – 4
Michigan – 7
MSU – 18
Minnesota – 5
Northwestern – 1
Ohio St – 12
Penn St –5
Purdue – 25
Wisconsin – 4
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Suddenly, Everyone Wants To Play For The Buckeyes
Tressel Has 23 Verbal Committments For The 2009 Freshman Class
| PLAYER |
POS |
HT |
WT |
HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL |
| C.J. Barnett |
DB |
6-1 |
180 |
Clayton, Ohio (Northmont) |
| Dorian Bell |
LB |
6-2 |
220 |
Monroeville, Pa. (Gateway) |
| Adam Bellamy |
DL |
6-4 |
275 |
Aurora, Ohio |
| Zach Boren |
LB |
6-1 |
245 |
Pickerington Central |
| Corey Brown |
ATH |
6-1 |
190 |
Monroeville, Pa. (Gateway) |
| Duron Carter |
WR |
6-3 |
185 |
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Aquinas) |
| Dominic Clarke |
DB |
5-10 |
170 |
Frederick, Md. (Tuscarora) |
| Melvin Fellows |
DT |
6-5 |
255 |
Garfield Heights, Ohio |
| Chris Fields |
WR |
6-1 |
180 |
Painesville, Ohio (Harvey) |
| Reid Fragel |
TE |
6-8 |
258 |
Grosse Pointe, Mich. (South) |
| Justin Green |
ATH |
5-11 |
178 |
Louisville, Ky. (Male) |
| Jordan Hall |
RB |
5-11 |
190 |
Jeanette, Pa. |
| Adam Homan |
LB |
6-2 |
230 |
Coldwater, Ohio |
| Carlos Hyde |
RB |
6-1 |
235 |
Naples, Fla. |
| James Jackson |
WR |
6-0 |
175 |
Grand Ledge, Mich. |
| Storm Klein |
LB |
6-2 |
225 |
Newark, Ohio (Licking Valley) |
| Corey Linsley |
OL |
6-4 |
285 |
Boardman, Ohio |
| Bradley McDougald |
DB |
6-1 |
190 |
Dublin Scioto |
| Jack Mewhort |
OL |
6-6 |
285 |
Toledo (St. John's) |
| Jonathan Newsome |
LB |
6-3 |
230 |
Cleveland (Glenville) |
| John Simon |
DT |
6-3 |
265 |
Youngstown (Mooney) |
| Jordan Whiting |
LB |
6-1 |
230 |
Louisville, Ky. (Trinity) |
| Jamie Wood |
ATH |
6-2 |
185 |
Pickerington Central |
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Team Of Waldorf & Smetzer Win The June 21st Euchre Tournament
Jim Smetzer & Jim Waldorf Show Their Winnings
Morgan & Kazmierski Model Their Euchre Team Jerseys
Ron Morgan & Fred Kazmierski In Their Team Shirts
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SAVE THE DATE FOR OHIO STATE REUNION!
OSU Alumni Reunion Weekend: Sept. 5-7, 2008
How long has it been since you strolled across the Oval or dipped your toes in Mirror Lake? Have you wondered how campus has changed since then? Your alma mater continues to grow and evolve, but one thing that remains the same is the joy of reliving college memories and visiting with old Buckeye friends from near and far. Save the date for 2008 and come back for your reunion to enjoy a jam-packed weekend of things to do and people to see.
OSU Alumni Reunion Weekend: Contact Lisa Peck at peck@ohiostatealumni.org, (614) 292-2371 or (800) 862-5827 for more information.
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'It's not just about winning games'
Gene Smith and his staff have outlined a specific set of goals for each sport, including graduation rates and the number of community service hours athletes should provide.
Gene Smith, starting his fourth year as athletic director at Ohio State, recently received one of his profession's higher honors, the John Toner Award, from the National Football Foundation.
Named after the former University of Connecticut athletic director and NCAA president, it goes annually to an athletic director "who has demonstrated superior administrative abilities and shown outstanding dedication to college athletics and particularly college football."
But Smith, along with OSU President E. Gordon Gee, wants to push the athletic director position beyond simply athletics. It's one reason Smith expressed no interest when the position opened two weeks ago at Notre Dame, his alma mater. "I am very happy being at the Ohio State University and am excited about its new leadership of the university," he said.
Smith recently sat down with The Dispatch's Tim May to discuss recent developments and strategies.
Question: What did it mean to you to win the John Toner Award?
Answer: I will never forget -- 1984, I'm sitting in a meeting with NACDA (National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics) officials, and John Toner and Bill Flynn, two great athletic directors. When I'd sit in those meetings, almost everything (Toner) said I wrote down. I was a young athletic administrator and I was learning. I mean, the guy is a stud. To have my name associated with his in any way is a huge honor. And this award caused me to reflect on the people I've worked with every day -- not just here, but everywhere I've been. I don't think it is recognition for a single year, (but) for what's been accomplished over time.
Q: When you walked into Ohio State, you opted not to sweep the athletic administration ranks of those loyal to your predecessor, Andy Geiger. You did shuffle some jobs the past three years and brought in a few new faces, but there was no wholesale purge.
A: That's my leadership style. Everyone knows I had a lot of respect for Andy, so I knew he had good people here. I needed to organize them to fit my style. We went through that first year, assessing people and situations. And we had a few fires when I got here. The NCAA investigation (of the men's basketball and football programs) was bigger than what most people realize relative to time and the commitment it needed to get the outcome we got.
But in the second year I was able to organize and start the process of the strategic plan. It was easy to do, though, because of the people here and their values. In an organization as large as this, if you have people whose values are not aligned, you are going to have trouble creating a culture. We have a culture right now of collaboration, communication and innovation, the things most corporations would enjoy having. That's why we're on this trajectory, because 319 people have bought into the vision.
Q: Can you elaborate on those goals?
A: In forming our plan, we said, "We want to strive for excellence." So what does that mean? Let's use wrestling as an example. We quantified it. We said, "Once every five years we want to win a national championship. We want to be ranked in the top 10 on a consistent basis, and we always want to be in the top third of the Big Ten." So we wrote it down, for all 36 programs.
Like our graduation rate -- we want to be north of 80 percent, and we developed strategies for getting there. And we determined how many community service hours we want our athletes providing to this city and area. We went through each sport, and this is the first year we have a tracking mechanism to keep up with that. So we can, for example, stand in front of our swimming team and say, "Hey, this is what you did, these are the people you touched." And you look at it at the end of the year and say, "Wow, this is cool."
Q: Why are community service and outreach so important?
A: It's about having a higher purpose. It's not just about winning games. We've had 892 athletes this year, and we want to teach them life lessons. When, say, a pistol athlete walks into the James Cancer Hospital and meets with a 4-year-old battling cancer -- well, you're probably feeling that little chill right now just like I am, about what it means. That's what we want them to experience, the value of life, of giving back. We want people to know that when you send your daughter or son to us, we want them to develop beyond academics and athletics. We want to develop them as a whole person. I am committed to that. When they leave here, we want them to be Archie Griffins of the world.
Q: You laid out the goals for each of your sports, in terms of on-field performance. Are there some you're disappointed in at the moment?
A: We have some concerns with some of them, and I don't want to talk about that publicly. But we have some sports that we know we have to put some more resources in to give them a chance to do better. Those sports know they have to step up, though we also feel we have to do some things administratively to help them.
Q: Ohio State is No. 3 in the latest Directors Cup rankings (it has since slipped to No. 5), which is a barometer of the on-field strength of the department as a whole. Are you pleased?
A: Yeah, that's awesome. When we sat in that meeting a few years ago quantifying things, we said we want to rank consistently in the top five in the Directors Cup. When you have 36 sports, we should be able to rank in the top five. And we want to win it eventually. For us to be in third place signals to everyone in the department, "Hey, we can actually do this."
Q: It's a long way from Eastern Michigan, where you had your first athletic director's job. But what important lessons did you learn as a beginner?
A: It became clear as I listened to everyone that we needed to strengthen our relationships within the department to help one another and improve communications. Everyone was operating in their own silo and didn't know what was going on with others in the department. It's about people and interaction. I never lost that.
Q: As an athletic department, OSU has flourished in what otherwise have been some tough economic times. Is the biggest challenge maintaining that?
A: The challenge is sustaining success, the upward trajectory in all areas, including finances. We're blessed, because -- people forget this -- we are totally integrated with this institution. We're not on an island. We think about and talk about what's going on in different areas of the campus. When we talk about the $26 million that we transfer to the institution, of which $13 million is for grant-in-aids (scholarship costs) and the rest is to support different programs on campus, we understand that is part of our challenge.
We are a revenue resource to help the institution do what it has to for 50,000-plus students. We're not like a place down south that says, "We eat what we kill." That's why, from the financial side of things, we don't feel guilty about our ability to generate revenue. We know it is helping the rest of the campus. Now, are we concerned about sustaining that? Yes, because, like everyone else, we're going to have a cost increase of about 8 percent this year just because of the rise in gas prices. We fly our teams a lot of places, and a lot of them bus, and the increased cost at the pump is hitting our budget big time.
Q: What are your impressions of president Gee, now that you've been him around for a year?
A: I am enjoying him. He is truly a leader. He has been very forthright with me, and I like that, because I'm not a gray-area guy. So when we chat, we talk straight up, and I love that.
Q: For example?
A: He wanted to have a weekly update on our sports teams. I had to think that through, because we do a review every week ourselves, but we'd never generated a written report. But he wanted a report every week on how the teams do, what recognition individual athletes get, and so on. Every Sunday night we send him a report and he loves it. And what I've figured out is that is a way for him to imbed in his speeches things about athletics.
Q: In other words, he is connected?
A: Oh, absolutely. He's awesome. When I meet with him, we have our agenda and we go through it. Boom. Then he wants to talk about, say, Terrelle Pryor or James Laurinaitis, and why he stayed for his fourth year here instead of jumping to the NFL. He is into it.
Q: Recently your job title was enhanced to include being an assistant vice president of the university. What does that mean?
A: When I talked to Gordon after he first got here, he told me, "Gene, I want you to stay here. We are not going to eliminate the athletic director position" (as he had done at Vanderbilt). That's a good thing. But he said he wanted to talk about where I wanted to be in terms of a career. So I shared with him my talents and skills as I would assess them, and that I was to a point with our department where I felt comfortable that I could assist the institution in different ways. A couple of weeks later he said he was going to give me the new title, and that he would assign me to different tasks as they emerge, and he has done that. He has put me on a task force, and on a search committee.
Q: Why is that important to you?
A: Because we're educators, first and foremost. It's part of the integration process. We need to make sure that this position of athletic director is a position around campus where people understand it's not just about football games. We want to break down the jealousies and perceptions that exist on our campus and anywhere else, so that athletics is in the room, we're at the table where appropriate, in helping the institution beyond just winning football games. That is a huge, important thing for me.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Archie Griffin Comes To Dallas
OSU Alumni Association President & CEO Griffin and Director Of Alumni Clubs, Kimberly Lowe Hold A Networking Luncheon For Local Alumni & Club Members
April 22, 2008
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Archie Greeting Local Alumni
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Archie Delivering The Message - "Paying Forward"
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Kimberly Lowe - Director Of Alumni Clubs
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Archie & Tom Hague, Member of the 1953 Football Team
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Board Members (from left), Russ Carpenter, Diane Ruth, Jeff Bland, Tom Hague, Archie, Anne Hoffman, Dave Francis, Becki Johnson, Bob Elwell
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Archie With Dave Francis - Member Of The 1962 Football Team
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More Pictures On Photo page
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Second Annual Buckeye Cruise For Cancer
Travel Partners in Dublin is proud to announce the second annual Buckeye Cruise for Cancer, www.buckeyecruise.com, hosted by Stefanie and Chris Spielman, February 12-16, 2009. The four night cruise onboard Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas will sail out of Tampa Florida to Key West and sunny Cozumel Mexico. The Buckeye Cruise for Cancer will unite Buckeye fans together in the tradition of team spirit to raise funds and awareness for cancer research. Funds raised on board the Grandeur of the Seas will benefit the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research, at Ohio State's Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
Celebrities joining the Spielmans on the cruise will include Bobby Carpenter, Doug Datish, Simon Fraser, AJ Hawk, Kirk Herbstreit, Craig Krenzel, Nick Mangold, Mike Nugent, Chris Spielman, Brutus Buckeye and many more!
Entertainment will include the OSU Alumni Band, alumni cheerleaders, Columbus's own Chris Logsdon, and top entertainment.
This year's cruise highlights include: an autograph and photo session by the athletes, Buckeye Idolwith celebrity judges, "Football 101" for women only with Ryan Miller and Craig Krenzel, onboard ship Olympics with athlete participation, a book signing and trivia with Jack Park, stories of the Buckeye Flags by the Flag Ladies, question and answer session with the athletes, a Cancer survivor breakfast hosted by Stefanie Spielman, "The Let's Make a Buckeye Deal Game Show", auctions and raffles for fabulous prizes including cars from Buckeye Nissan/Honda, shopping sprees from the Kroger Co., priceless autographed memorabilia, and athlete experiences, where you can win dinner or a round a golf with one of the celebrities.
When New York Jets kicker Mike Nugent was asked to return for the cruise in 2009 he replied , "I am completely in! The cruise was the most fun I have ever had. I loved mingling with everyone."
"My wife, Beth and I had a tremendous amount of fun on the first cruise. The players and fans were great and Stefanie continues to be an inspiration to all of us. Everyone likes a mid-winter vacation, especially one that benefits such and incredible cause. We can not wait until the next one!" Craig Krenzel....
Cabins are selling fast and some cruise categories are already sold out. Book now, don't be left at the dock
"Our hope is that Buckeye fans will join us onboard to fight cancer. Together we can make a difference!" Stefanie Spielman..-
For more details, please call 614-792-6204 or visit the web site at www.buckeyecruise.com.
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THE GAME
Days Until - 141
Days Since Last Loss - 1689
As Of 7/7/08
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BUCKEYE BASH APPLICATIONS LIVE JUNE 2; HOTEL INFORMATION AVAILABLE NOW
Make plans to see the Buckeyes on the road this year with the Alumni Association's Buckeye Bash program. The Buckeye Bashes allow Alumni Association members to purchase ticket-and-tailgate packages for most away games.
Event pricing and ticket availability have not been finalized for the 2008 season. This information will be posted as soon as it becomes available. Applications will be available online at 1 p.m. (Eastern) on Monday, June 2.
You must be an Alumni Association member to purchase ticket-and-tailgate packages. Buckeye Bash ticket-and-tailgate combinations are non-transferrable. For more information about the Buckeye Bash program, visit our FAQ page.
USC Sept. 13
NO GAME TICKETS AVAILABLE
Pricing bash-only: $10 per person
Game time: 8 p.m. (EDT) 5 p.m. (PDT local time in California)
Bash time: 5:30 p.m. (EDT) 2:30 p.m. (PDT local time in California)
Location: California Science Center in Exposition Park
Alumni hotel: Renaissance Hollywood Hotel
USC Athletic Department Web site
By following this link you are leaving the Ohio State Alumni Association's Web site. The Alumni Association cannot confirm the availability of tickets through this site, this is merely an informational link.
WISCONSIN Oct. 4
Pricing: Bash-and-ticket $91 per adult/$66 per child 12-and-under;
Bash-only $45 per adult/$20 per child 12-and-under
Game time: 8 p.m. (EDT) 7 p.m. (CDT local time in Wisconsin)
Bash time: 5:30 p.m. (EDT) 4:40 p.m. (CDT local time in Wisconsin)
Location: Union South
Alumni hotels: The Dahlmann Campus Inn (on campus)
and Crown Plaza Madison (Madison)
MICHIGAN STATE Oct. 18
Pricing: Bash-and-ticket $115 per adult/$90 per child 12-and-under;
Bash-only $45 per adult/$20 per child 12-and-under
Bash time: 2.5 hours before kick-off
Location: The tent will be located on Demonstration (Dem) Hall Field. It is located just south of Red Cedar Road (just to the west of lot A62).
NORTHWESTERN Nov. 8
Pricing: Bash-and-ticket $95 per adult/$70 per child 12-and-under;
Bash-only $45 per adult/$20 per child 12-and-under
Bash time: 2.5 hours before kick-off
Location: Frank Govern Memorial Golf Course (same as 2006)
Alumni hotel: Courtyard Chicago Downtown/River North
ILLINOIS Nov. 15
Pricing: Bash-and-ticket $105 per adult/$80 per child 12-and-under;
Bash-only $45 per adult/$20 per child 12-and-under
Bash time: 2.5 hours before kick-off
Bash location: On campus between Assembly Hall and the Bielfeldt Athletic Administration Building off Fourth Street
Alumni hotel: Holiday Inn Hotel & Conference Center (Urbana)
Buckeye Bash is a trademark of The Ohio State University and used exclusively and with permission of the Ohio State University Alumni Association.
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USEFUL OSU LINKS:
The Ohio State University Alumni Association: http://www.ohiostatealumni.org
Join the Alumni Association http://www.ohiostatealumni.org/membershipservices/joinnow.php
Alumni Leaders’ Handbook http://www.ohiostatealumni.org/clubsandsocieties/handbookmain.php
Student-Alumni Council: http://sac.ohiostatealumni.org
The Ohio State University: http://www.osu.edu
The Ohio State University Department of Athletics: http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com
The Lantern: http://www.thelantern.com
Big Ten Conference: http://www.bigten.org
Ohio State Points of Pride http://www.osu.edu/pop/
OSU MP3 and image downloads http://www.osu.edu/download/index.php
Stay Connected. Make Ohio State Stronger.sm
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