Thanks for popping by on a Wednesday morning, even if the news for today probably won’t be as exciting as it was seven days ago. Thanks, too, for your patience with the website this week… the people responsible for the tech glitches have been appropriately dealt with. Given our lead bullet point today, here’s your Wednesday Musical Distraction.

We’re Watching…

Buckeye 411

• Hey y’all… Watch This! It’s “pre-season watch list” time again, and the Ohio State squadron is pretty well represented as you might imagine. Braxton Miller returns to the Maxwell Award list for the best player in the nation, while tight end Jeff Heuerman finds himself on the Mackey Award list for the best player at that position. Wrapping up the offensive, Dontre Wilson is on the list for the Paul Hornung award, given to the most versatile player in the country. A pair of Buckeyes anchor the Bednarik Award watch list for the best defender in America- that both Joey Bosa and Michael Bennett are on there says quite a bit about the state of the Buckeye front. UPDATE: You can add our favorite Aussie punter to the “list list”, as he’s a candidate for the Lou Groza award. Hopefully he’ll get zero chances to earn it this year.
• Getting Freaky- Bosa’s on there due to his excellent play as a first year student, but he made another list due to his amazing athletic ability.
• Redemption- We talked a few weeks ago about how Buckeye fans should respond when there favorite players end up on their least favorite pro franchises, and used Ryan Shazier’s tenure with the Steelers as a prime example. If you needed another reason to pull for Mr. Shazier, how about the fact that he’s taking the roster spot and jersey number of a former Wolverine who’s not real excited about those turn of events?
• Cost Of Attendance, Yay! So sayeth our favorite athletic director… who also highlights my passion that student athletes should be allowed to complete at least one degree if they’ve been a part of revenue production for the University.
• I Demand A Recount- Ohio Stadium finished second to LSU’s “Death Valley” in a recent survey… which was supposed to assess “Best Stadium”, but seemed to be more about “Best Gameday Experience”, given the parameters outlined by the Athlon staff. Speaking of surveys, this one is total crap.
• Wanna’ See For Yourself? Single game tickets go on sale on Thursday… and my grandmother is convinced that those game tickets are sure to find that special someone someday.
• Let There Be Lights! If you get tix for one of the night games this season, you’ll get to enjoy the new luminescence. I’m glad this is finally happening; we can’t always rely on God to drop a beam of light onto his favorite team.
• A Bit Late- but happy anniversary to Coach Meyer and Shelley!
• Cover Your Opening- With Oregon Nike doing their annual “It’s not creepy to fawn over high school kids, no not at all. Nope.” event in Beaverton this week, you can bet your bippy that the Buckeyes are well represented (and recruiting others to join the #Elite15). Even though yours truly has connections in Oregon, my schedule this year kept me from traveling north… so I’d strongly advise you to follow longtime Buckeye Brother Jeremy Birmingham, who’s on site and covering the gig for Eleven Warriors. From the sounds of it Hilliard, Cornell, and Tyler Green are all in the ears of Damien Harris (RB), Van Jefferson, Torrance Gibson, and Josh Sweat. Two or three of those fellers would be ice cream on top of the icing on the cake.
• As If That Weren’t Enough- Sounds like there’s at least one other Buckeye at the Opening preaching the gospel of Scarlet and Gray as well-

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Tags: 'Da U, Braxton Miller, Cameron Johnston, Dontre Wilson, Gene Smith, Jeff Heuerman, Jerry Sandusky, Joey Bosa, LeBron James, North Carolina, Purdue, Ryan Shazier, SBP, Stacy Elliott, The Horseshoe
Categories: Humor, Ohio State Football

Welcome to this week’s edition of Weekend Wonderings.  I hope that everyone has enjoyed their 4th of July celebrations and are finding relaxing family time this weekend. Grab whatever beverage that you need and let’s proceed.

The James/Wexner:

Obviously, a cancer patient goes through numerous and profound physical and emotional changes during treatment. Here is a list of several physical changes to expect.

Here is a great pic of the new James Hospital framed by a rainbow.

Finally, here is a brief video introducing the BMT (Bone Marrow Transplant) Unit at the new James.

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Tags: media excitement, Ohio State football recruiting, OSUCCC-The James, Question, The Moody Blues
Categories: Humor, Miscellaneous, Pay It Forward

Look, I know that today’s SBP is the girl that you’re dancing with while you’re looking around the club for that special someone else.  I can live with that, and assure you that the news you’re refreshing your computer for will be here around… say… 10:00 or so. In the meantime this is stuck in my head (thanks Jason), so let it wash over you until you find your next dance partner.

Oooo! Shiny!!!

Buckeye 411

• Hoops News- Well, after getting shut out in the NBA Draft, it’s great to hear that Craft and Ross have found great landing spots. Senor Swoon will start the summer playing for the 76er franchise in Orlando’s Summer league, and will have pretty good company. “Q” is headed my direction to play with the Lakers during the summer season, and we’ve even heard that DeShaun will be getting another look with the Spurs program during this evaluation time.
• Recruiting News- Later today we’ll find out the futures of Justin Hilliard and Jashon Cornell, with Benedictine’s Jerome Baker to announce next week.  If that weren’t big enough, the Buckeyes could grab a verbal of the shooty hoops variety as well… stay tuned.
• Boys Will Be Boys- Wherever Cornell and Hilliard end up, they’ll probably spend a lot of time talking about where they are now.  Because… sure.
• Women’s News- The B1G will be kicking off it’s first women’s lacross season this coming year, and the Buckeyes are expected to be in the thick of things from day one.
• Ticket News- Ohio State actually has some extra seats this year, and will be selling them starting next week.  If you’d like to gift those to any of your favorite tBBC writers, you know, with airfare and so forth…. that might be awesome. You know where they won’t be selling? Groupon.
• B1G Air- With the newbies a part of the conference now, the mascots have taken over the DC Area and the Big Apple.  While it will be a minute or two until the basketball tournament will make it to Madison Square Garden, Brutus decided to show the rest of the folks what to eventually expect:

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Tags: Aaron Craft, Big Ten Network, Deshaun Thomas, LaQuinton Ross, Maryland, NCAA, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rutgers, Stephen Collier, Tickets, Uniforms, Women's Lacrosse
Categories: Humor, Ohio State Basketball, Ohio State Football

Welcome to this week’s edition of Weekend Wonderings. Here we are, end of June, which means we are getting closer to football season. If your appetite needs whetting, you can check out Patrick’s weekly season opponent preview series.  Since your appetite is now properly whetted, grab whatever beverage that you need, appropriate for time of day of course,  and let’s proceed.

We have a little something regarding The James, some baseball and our Sunday Song. Of course, accompanied by our article soundtrack from Maroon 5.

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Tags: Baseball, Grant "Home Run" Johnson, OSUCCC-The James, Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research
Categories: Humor, Miscellaneous, Pay It Forward

Welp, there’s only so much Midwest my family can handle.  Wait… that’s not right. There’s only so much of my family that the Midwest can handle. That’s more accurate.  Since I’m flying back to LaLa land as we speak, here’s some traveling music for your morning interlude.

If Only They Went To LAX

Buckeye 411

• We’ve Got A New Shiny Hoopster! After some concern about grades and qualifying scores, the jewel of the Ohio State basketball recruiting class has finally been admitted into the University.  I’ll withhold my thoughts regarding academic readiness at premier institutions for later; like most Buckeye fans, I’m also excited about all of the hoops being shooty-ed.
• Crafty Drafty? The big day is coming up for LaQuinton and Aaron, and there is some speculation that Monsieur Swoon may actually end up taking the DeShaun/Diebler path and playing in Europe rather than hearing his name called. Personally, I’d love to have him end up in Toronto, if only for the continual trolling that would commence.
• Band Together- I’m sure that Charles will have more on this on Friday, but while you’re waiting for tBBC Radio Hour to return to your Apple device you should check out the awesome new app from The Best Damn Band In the Land.
• Steele Yourselves- Monday was Phil Steele day, and the guru of college football predictions has Ohio State winning the B1g and making the first College Football Championship Playoff; although the Seminoles are predicted to repeat. As a part of the festivities, he names Miller, Heuerman, and Bosa to his All-American teams, a designation they also received from Athlon.
• At Your Service- Congrats to Buckeye Blaz Rola, who won his first match at Wimbledon and now will face the defending champion.  We believe in Blaz!
• Buncha’ Sellouts- Ohio State is expanding it’s stadium this summer, adding 13% more seating to the south end zone.  They also announced this week that they’ve completely sold out of the student seating allotment for this area… just one more area where Ohio State destroys that school up north.

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Tags: Aaron Craft, Academics, B1G Presidents, Blaz Rola, Braxton Miller, D'Angelo Russell, Finances, Jeff Heuerman, Joey Bosa, NCAA, Phil Steele, SBP, TBDBITL
Categories: Basketball Recruiting, College Football, Humor, Ohio State Basketball, Ohio State Football

Welcome to this week’s edition of Weekend Wonderings. We have tidbits regarding The James, a couple miscellaneous commentary topics and a musical finale. Fire up the speakers, cause it’s Sunday morning!

Grab your beverage and let’s proceed.

 The James/Wexner:

Here is some research from the folks at The James regarding the use of a deadly life form, a virus, along with a cancer targeting agent to kill cancer cells. This is a creation of a hunter-killer approach to cancer treatment and therapy.

Giving low doses of a particular targeted agent with a cancer-killing virus might improve the effectiveness of the virus as a treatment for cancer, according to a study led by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James).

• Viruses designed to kill cancer cells are being used in clinical trials to treat brain cancer and other malignancies.

• This study suggests that combining a particular targeted agent with a cancer-killing virus might improve the virus’s ability to kill cancer cells.

• The findings support the testing of this combination therapy in a clinical trial.

In other news, Dr. Carbone of The James discusses specific biomarkers to assist in diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. It’s a long, long journey, but, small steps, folks..

Commentary:

Talkin’ Football: Musician Jon Bon Jovi’s name has been bandied about as a potential buyer for the Buffalo Bills.

That’s fine with me — someone has to own them. Read More

Tags: Buffalo Bills, Jon Bon Jovi, OSUCCC-The James, Virus-Cancer
Categories: Humor, Miscellaneous, Pay It Forward

Peter King doesn’t get much love for his TV gig

A little while back I let it out of the bag that one of my favorite writers is Sports Illustrated’s Peter King.

Forget what you think of him as an analyst on Sunday Night Football, his columns are top notch and he has a style unique to himself. (One of these days I’ll spill who my favorite is and if you read his work you’ll instantly see the influence)

One of King’s mainstays is his Monday Morning Quarterback segment that goes live (you guessed it!) on Monday mornings. Inside the MMQB piece each week is a segment he calls “10 things I think I think”. His 10 things encompass everything from the NFL to his favorite order at Starbucks.

Last summer I did my own tribute to Peter King by going through some things I think I thought. With this being the dead period for college football, I figured “why not” and decided to do it again. So, without further ado, here are: Things I Think That I Think.

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Tags: Andrew Wiggins, Braxton Miller, Clint Dempsey, Jabari Parker, Joel Embiid, John Brooks, Johnny Manziel, Mike Pettine, MMQB, Peter King, Team USA Soccer, World Cup
Categories: College Football, Football Analysis, Humor, Miscellaneous, Ohio State Football, Ohio State Football History

Greetings from the Windy City… the family vacation continues, and we’ve survived a trip to the Mitten State That Sucks.  Today’s soundtrack is my wife’s favorite song about Carl Sandburg’s home.

Visitor’s Hospitality

Buckeye 411

• My New Favorite Recruit- Sure, he’s only been a Buckeye for a little while, but Tyler Green (seen on the right there reminding a certain program of who owns them) has worked his way into my heart with his wardrobe and actions at the Michigan football camp on Tuesday. We need to get him better socks, though…
• Congrats! to the Ohio State Men’s and Women’s athletes of the year, wrestler and all around badass Logan Steiber and rower/person you’d want to be on the Titanic with Catherine Shields!
• Paying It Forward- Malcolm Jenkins a finalist for a prestigious award as well… who knew “laying the wood on people who go across the middle” was deemed humanitarian.
• Name Game- Soo… I guess that we’ll have to use a lot of last names in Ohio area elementary schools in the coming years, since everyone will have the same first one.
• On Track- Congrats, too, to Coach Karen Dennis, who was named the coach of the entire running program at Ohio State; Men’s and Women’s track AND cross country. This is similar to the Hockey program at OSU, where one person provides leadership for both opportunities.
• Soccer Fever- Your humble correspondent is watching the World Cup alongside the rest of the world… and (as Crew fans know) Columbus is a pretty decent home for “the international game”. Would you go to a game in the ‘Shoe, or would that be sacrilegious?

Across The NCAA

• Damn, TBPU- Strange things are afoot in Stillwater- First allegations of child pornography on top of other issues, then we get a receiver stabbed and abducted? Guess they’re all grown up now…
• Thinking Globally- OK, so it’s not college football… but fat guy touchdown is fat guy touchdown.
• Denard Robinson, Keeping Busy- That’s the only explanation I’ve got for this remarkable display of passing prowess.
• Happier Valley- There are a lot of folks who will be happy to see Penn State’s athletic director resign. Unfortunately, many of them also want to rewind the clock and put Joe Paterno back on the sidelines.

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Tags: Catherine Shields, Denard Robinson, Karen Dennis, Logan Stieber, Malcolm Jenkins, Oklahoma State, Penn State, SBP, TPBU, Tyler Green
Categories: Humor, Ohio State Football