The Campus Sports Guy
A weekend in the life of the campus sports guy
By Corey Ryan, Sports Editor
September 4, 2006 | 1:29 p.m.
As for titles, all major professional sports have commissioners. All professional teams have general managers and presidents of operation.
Most of the time, titles are earned. Nicknames are usually given either by teammates or the media.
At the top of this weekly blog and below my picture (that's my Heisman Trophy pose) there to the right, it says that I am the "Campus Sports Guy," while most of the people reading this don't even know me. For all most of my readers know, I may be an imposter or an embarrassment to the title and nickname.
In all truth, I gave the title "Campus Sports Guy" to myself because I was sick of my columns going under the title "Ryan on Sports." I feel really bad about this and I actually sort of feel like an imposter.
I'm like Deion Sanders when he started calling himself "Primetime," except I do not refer to myself in the third or fourth (when someone refers to themselves with a nickname) person.
So, in order to gain some credibility, I'm going to recap what a weekend in the life of the "Campus Sports Guy" is like. When my lone Friday class is canceled, the weekend starts Thursday night. On this particular Thursday night, I enjoyed ESPN's Thursday night college football match-up between Georgia Tech and Virginia from the comforts of my close friend's four-bedroom, luxury condo located in the convenient University Commons.
After watching Calvin Johnson, who is a complete stud and will be a complete monster in the National Football League, and Georgia Tech destroy Virginia, I decided to call it an early night, as I had scheduled nine holes of golf for Friday.
I woke up on that sweet, class-less Friday morning, ready to walk nine-holes at the lavish Ohio University golf course. For all of you wondering, I don't keep score; I measure myself with other golfers by my height.
After a few choice beverages and a small nap, I was ready to meet up with some buddies in town from Columbus and have myself a good ole fashioned college-student Friday night.
Saturday morning, I woke up in a strange bed in a familiar place. After reevaluating the previous night and early morning in my head, I ventured off to a much needed shower.
Then, I woke everyone up by turning on the Wisconsin at Michigan game.
Why would a devout Ohio State fan turn on the Michigan Wolverines so early in the afternoon rather than sleep? First off, Big-10 football is the crème de la crème of collegiate football, and is always worth watching, with the exception of Illinois against Indiana. Second, it is okay for an Ohio State fan to silently be on the same side as the fans of the dirty school up north. When those (explicit) are undefeated for the showdown at the Horseshoe this year, and Troy Smith and the Bucks annihilate them, thus sending them to non-BCS purgatory, it will be that much sweeter.
A few more choice beverages later, and I'm outside engaging in my normal, pre-Buckeye game ritual of tossing around the pigskin. Ten minutes before game time, I'm planted on the couch in front of the television with more choice beverages and some pizza rolls.
For no reason whatsoever, during a commercial break, I decided to demonstrate the proper technique of recovering a fumble. Now, my hand is still swollen and my thumb is experiencing limited mobility.
That's correct"”only the true "Campus Sports Guy" could injure himself while watching a game.
The rest of the weekend is really all just a replay of what I've been through thus far, minus a few choice beverages and plus a little extra sleep. Substitute college football with NFL football, scramble in a couple meetings, and you get my Sunday.
If this tale of swollen thumbs, choice beverages, and sports movie references has not convinced you that I am worthy of the title "Campus Sports Guy," then I am sad. Actually, I don't really care.
Along with being a sports fanatic, I am also an avid believer in the first amendment.