Before you ask, no, I did not attend The Ohio State University, nor do I teach there. But I was born and raised in the state of Ohio, and I live in the state of Ohio, and it is THE Ohio State University, so I will live and die as a Buckeye. There are many ways to describe my loyalty to the Bucks, but let me just put it this way: I went to see an Ohio State football game on my honeymoon.

Now that Ohio State has won a national title, there's only one thing left on my list before I can die in peace, and this one will be a bit tougher: the Cleveland Indians have to win the world series. If I die five minutes after the last out when it finally happens, I will have lived a full life.

Don't ask why unless you have a few minutes - it's a long story - but I grew up as a Pittsburgh Steeler fan in Cleveland. If that doesn't toughen you up, nothing will.

I'm very excited to have big league hockey in Ohio in the form of the Columbus Blue Jackets. In the great tradition of Ohio professional sports teams, the Jackets stink, but home games up in Columbus are really a hell of a good time.

The airwaves are absolutely packed with soundalike sports call-in shows these days. "Yeah, I was uhh, wondering if you think the Reds will be good this year." YAWN! Only one show is truly different: the Jungle. If you're going to call or e-mail, you better run some solid smack, or you'll be ridiculed by about a million people for three days or so. If you hear an e-mail from "Dave, C-Town Native in the 'nati", that would be me.