^ And now you have just proven our point that you don't get it.  Thanks for playing.

..and if you will notice I only have a handful of posts on this Ohio Athletics Board and ALL of them relate to this.  Yes, I do support my alma matre's teams before any other because I love my alma matre.  But that isn't the point.  It isn't about some athetic rivalry.

Or, Eroc, Let me put this another way.

If when OSU was placed on probation the Internet were full of statements like “Michigan placed on Probation” and the perpetrators when asked just responded with “Aren’t they both in the Big Ten?  I’ve been getting those schools mixed up for 40 years.  It doesn’t really matter.  It is close enough.  You’re just being petty," then would you be bothered?

You can call OSU Scumbags-Columbus and refer to us Scumbags-Athens if you want.  You can cook up any direct insult and  I don’t think that we would be bothered.  While that isn’t nice it is typical of sports sometimes.  However, Calling OSU “Ohio” isn’t just not nice it is intellectually dishonest.  It is something totally different everything else that you hear.  It isn’t hurting Ohio St, anyway.  It really just injures Ohio.

I worked in the Ohio Athletics department when this legal battle was being waged.  When Ohio State tried to get Ohio University's trademark on the word "Ohio" revoked there was one MAJOR problem.  If you would do your homework you would find that the University of Michigan has the name "Michigan" trademarked as it relates to college athletics meaning no other college sports property is allowed to represent itself as "Michigan" because it violates the trademark.  Other universities that were submitted as legal precedent as owning the trademark to the states names as it relates to college athletics were Indiana, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Texas, Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Arizona, Iowa, Minnesota, Pennsylvania (not Penn State), Kentucky among others.  In fact, every university in the US whose name bares only the states name plus the word University, owns the trademark.  That is why Ohio State could not get the trademark revoked.

Let someone start producing some maze and blue merchandise without the University's permission and watch university's attorneys pounce.  If they try to say they are just promoting the state of Michigan and not UM they will lose.

You would also probably be amazed to know that Ohio University is not allowed to produce any merchandise with only the letter "O" on it  because,  and you may have guessed it, Ohio State owns that trademark as it relates to college athletics for universities in the state of Ohio.

these 3 pages of comments could have been shortened drastically  if the conversation went like this-

Michigan fan- we call OSU Ohio because we think its funny.

OHIO fan- I understand that you don't mean any harm but we feel its disrespectful to use our name to mock another school, especially one we share a mutual disdain for. We'd appreciate it if you stopped.

Michigan fan- I never looked at it that way but I see your point. If Notre Dame called the school in East Lansing "Michigan" in a mocking tone I think eventually I would want the name of my school left out of it all together too. My bad.

OHIO fan- no problem, good luck on Friday and we'll be pulling for you this fall.

THE END.

If if weren't for the trademark on the avatar and the success of the U of M marketing the distinct blue and yellow M, I might mistake the avatar to stand for moron.

Gallia Cat, good summary of the legal case.  I have but one thing to add.  OSU's lawyers also told their clients that they were going to lose if the case went to court because we were able to produce photos and other documentation of references to Ohio University, both athletically and academically, as simply "Ohio" way back into the 19th Century.  There were no similar references to be found referring to Cowtown U. as "Ohio" in that time period.  That came much later. 



I believe these guys were saying, "I don't give a damn for the whole state of Michigan because I'm from OHIO."

You can choose to yawn if you want but in reality this is a mcuh bigger issure for the University and even for the basketball program in the long run than the game itself.

It is rather arrogant to think you can call a university by the name you would like instead of university's given name. We had alumni who lived full lives and were dead and buried before most higher education institutions in this country were founded.

I think we look ridiculous explaining this to everyone.  Fact: Hoke is stupid for thinking he is tweaking "THE" by calling them Ohio...he made up that story about doing that since he was 10 - he looks like an idiot - we don't need to complain about it, we just need to "turn the lights on".  I think it reflects much better on us to take the high road and refer to them as Michigan and politely refer to the legal ruling on the proper use of our name when necessary.  If we have the good fortune to come out on top Friday night in Nashville we can then toss in a "what's my name, bitch?" on the way to the second round...but outside of that I think its best to just "be Ohio" and not complain about what Brady Hoke is doing.   Otherwise we look like the guy in my avatar.

What I think they are actually saying is "This is the dawn of pro baseball before the NCAA and we'll damn well play for whoever pays us the most.  If that's Ohio, then so be it, but I look better in this Glouster Athletics uni."

 What all the cool kids are wearing at University of Michigan Bayside. Maybe Brady will show up in a tiny tank on Friday.

OH MY GOD!

Suck it, Hoke!