Without a doubt, Ohio State football is the biggest thing in the state of Ohio. It is so important that tickets for games and events have been at the center of a few recent high profile political scandals. So it is no surprise that Ohio State head coach, Jim Tressel, is probably the most popular man in state.
Around the Horseshoe on gameday, signs around the stadium read "God wears a sweater vest" and there is consensus that should Tressel decide to run for Governor, he'd win in a landslide. As a testament to his popularity, when he published a book this summer about his coaching philosophy, the publisher ordered an initial print of 70,000 copies and hundreds of people camped out over night for a book signing.
I was therefore taken aback Saturday afternoon as I was watching ESPN and Lee Corso said that Tressel has stolen a page from Obama and adopted "the fierce urgency of now" as the motivational motto for his team this season.
It is not an unequivocal endorsement of Obama's candidacy, but it is certainly an endorsement of his message. The Cleveland Plain Dealer gives us more details.
As proven in his "Winner's Manual," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel will quote anyone with a message that he likes. Add Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., through Barack Obama, to the list.
At interviews today, the Buckeye linebackers were talking about the "fierce urgency of now," the line that Obama has used to explain his run for the presidency. Of course, Obama is only citing the "fierce urgency of now" first articulated by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
"Coach Tressel brought it up from Barack Obama's speech," senior James Laurinaitis said, "and he just said the acronym is FUN. We have a lot of guys who are seniors and have to have that fierce urgency of now because all we have is now.
It is important to have a bit of context though, as Tressel notes in response to questions about him running for Governor, “They’d better hold the election before I lose a game.” So it is important for us to know which team to root for this year, particularly when the Buckeyes go to USC on September 13th.
Will this help Obama? Who knows, but it certainly cannot hurt in Ohio. Additionally, it is more evidence of how successful his campaign has embedded it's message into the national psyche. There is one question that still remains however, how will this play in Michigan?
© Jed Lewison