As I begin a new season of trying to distract you from the hegemonic influence of college football social media, I must at least begin by addressing the Buckeye-shaped elephant (Crimson Tide?) in the room . . . the culpability of Urban Meyer, head coach of THE Ohio State University's college football team.
1. I am NOT surprised by the choice that tOSU made in retaining Meyer. tOSU's football team is the most visible public face of the University, it generates a ton of revenue, and Meyer is the most highly-paid member of that organization. When faced with giving all of that up . . . the school found itself unable to turn away.
2. The university's decision to suspend (without pay) Meyer and the AD for only the first three games of the season is a token punishment that needs no further comment from me.
But if I had to add any further comment, that would only be . . . disgraceful.
3. I have no other specific notes to make about this.
There are people who earn their living thinking about Urban Meyer, tOSU, the state of college football, the outsized influence of college football in American society, toxic masculinity, the NCAA, and whatever else you want to pin to this headline. I am none of those people. A quick trip to your favorite search bar will yield a bevy of other opinions on this topic.
4. In honor of this counter-programming season-long (?) topic of distraction, I am considering illustrating each week of the FC-P with an OSU-related visual. Do you have an opinion on that? (Or would you rather I just reuse some variation on Sad Pizza memes for thirteen weeks?)