Opening Volley
I’ll be the first to admit I used to associate Columbus with one thing: Ohio State football.
Well, you can obviously tell by the photo at right that long before I arrived here, I celebrated this place as the home of the Buckeyes—especially when later my first address away from Mom and Pop (Morrill Tower), was literally right next door to The Horseshoe.
To be fair, as a child I had consumed an All-American’s share of Junior Bacon Cheeseburgers, but as I had yet to become a student of civic history for my future home, the Buckeyes had sole ownership of the map marker.
That’s why this issue is one of my favorites every year.
Yes, we’re good at football. In fact, the Associated Press went ahead and did us a favor by making official what we all of suspected, naming Ohio State the best collegiate football program ever.
But the main reason why I love this issue is now, every September, we celebrate much more than the scarlet and gray. For the fourth consecutive year, we’ve filled the pages with our Fall Arts Preview, which to be honest begs for more coverage than our beloved Buckeyes.
It’s a secret little pleasure that I take as editor of (614), knowing that football and the arts aren’t exactly traditional bedfellows, but I make the case that in Columbus, it’s a little different. Being honest, I always hope that an issue that contains a heavy focus on sports and art will potentially bridge the gap between the two. Maybe a few of you planning to make it out to Chas Ray Krider’s last motel fetish show might find a storyline or two you feel like following on Saturdays. A man can dream can’t he? Or maybe we can start with Land-Grant Brewing Co., a clear shrine to all things OSU but also a Franklinton outpost where art gets equal playing time with athletics.
In fact, Columbus can boast plenty of greatness in many areas, this issue being solid proof of such claims.
So, while the football nerds will pore these pages to agree and disagree (vehemently, of course) with our predictions for the 2016 team, allow me to give you a quick breakdown of similar All-Stars this month (with their corresponding numbers to find them in your program):
Lydia Loveless (#28)
The wily young veteran out of Coshocton has fearlessly changed up her playbook, a move that may result in her finally bringing home some hardware.
Riley Silverman (#40)
Finally in the role she was born to play, Silverman comes home after developing into a top talent on the West Coast.
Fritz Peerenboom (#54)
At 82 years old, he still gets his best work done while the rest of us are sleeping. Along with his co-coordinator, Mike McGraner, they’re the best duo since Batman and Robin.
Charles Wince (#70)
What can you say about Wince? The man’s a living legend. Plus, he’s not afraid to draw up something creative on the fly.
Shellie Edington (#116)
Edington isn’t one of those who wish they could still get out there and compete with the young athletes—she still does, and leaves them in the dust.
Veronica “Roni” Stiffler (#124)
The girl behind the guys and girls. Roni’s the reason why the troops are scared to get out of bed—and equally scared not to show up for training sessions.
Damn, we’re gonna be good this year.
Go Bucks—I mean, Columbus.
Cheers,
Travis Hoewischer, Editor-in-Chief
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