Radio Host Has Rivalry Idea For Ohio State Fans That No One Likes

Ohio State Buckeyes. Michigan Wolverines. A sports rivalry that has no equal in college football, and few anywhere else.

I once heard someone say that the fans on each side of this rivalry love their teams so much that their love breeds hatred for the other. Man, is that true. Fans don’t even refer to the other team by their real names — they call each other "That Team Down South" or "That Team Up North" — and normally civilized people turn into rabid bandits when they see each other on game day.

But one Ohio sports radio host thinks that Ohio State fans should stop with their hatred of Michigan.

Seriously.

One of the things Buckeyes fans do to express their hatred of the Wolverines (in addition to calling them "That Team Up North") is place red tape in an X shape over any letter "M" on campus. While I’m a Wolverine fan, I respect the ingenuity and dedication; not many fans go that far.

But Anthony Rothman wants all of this to stop.

"I’ll tell you what else I’m done with," Rothman said. "Stop crossing out M’s all over the place. It doesn’t do anything. Stop with the TTUN. Call ’em by their name. They’re Michigan, and you can’t beat them."

That did not go over well with Buckeyes fans.

Brace yourself, I’m about to defend Buckeyes fans. Someone check to see if pigs are flying.

Rothman gets it completely wrong here. The point of traditions in any rivalry is not whether they work, because in reality, they don’t affect what players do on the field. It’s for fans to get riled up and put their dedication on full display. 

Plus, it maintains traditions that have been part of rivalries for decades, and tradition is something that keeps fans grounded, especially in today’s age when so much changes on a yearly basis.

So Ohio State fans, I implore you to go for it. Cross out every "M" you can find and keep refusing to call us by our real name. Let the rivalry spirit and hatred for the Wolverines flow, because you can expect the same from us towards the Buckeyes.

It's what makes this rivalry so great.