The Webster’s dictionary definition for being color blind is as follows: Effected with partial or total inability to distinguish one or more chromatic colors. Apparently our university had a severe case of the affliction mentioned above.
I’m calling you out Toledo; every single one of you, regardless if you are directly guilty of the soon to be named crime. We are a single university, a single entity and with that comes a single cause. When you join a group whether, it is a team or a school, you do so because you believe in the message they are delivering and the beliefs they hold. Understand that although you may have your own goals, beliefs, and accomplishments, you join a university to help you accomplish these goals. Without such organizations, these accomplishments would be near impossible to attain. You realize that you need the support of your friends and your family to help further your goals while at the same time bettering yourself.
This is where I become baffled about the way our students displayed themselves at last weekend’s game. We are students of the University of Toledo. We should be proud of this fact and we should let everyone else know this. We failed that mission this past weekend. We let our team down and we let ourselves down. In a neutral stadium for both opponents, the scarlet and grey overtook the Cleveland Browns’ stadium like a fungus. I do not believe this is because Columbus brought more fans to the stadium than Toledo. This became obvious because many of our very own students were donning the scarlet and grey, representing the Buckeyes as if they were students directly from Columbus. That’s worse than Brett Favre leaving the Packers for the Vikings. It’s worse than Michael Jordan trying to play baseball. It’s like cheating on your girlfriend, and all of you should be on your way to confession right now. Anybody have any purel in the audience? If so, we could use some serious sanitation right now.
The very fact that this thought would even come into a student’s mind baffles me beyond this universe. I’ll be the first one to admit to all of my readers that I have been an Ohio State fan my entire existence in this world and always rooted for the Buckeyes as if they were one of my own. Even so, I realized what university I chose to attend, who gave me the opportunity to further my goals and give my career a chance. It was not Ohio State, it was Toledo. I not only had to support them, I wanted to support them. I wanted to root for my Rockets. I wanted to see them succeed because I believed in our message. I understand the support system I am in and the gratitude I feel must be repaid in any way possible. It was a prime opportunity for me to showcase the blue and gold and represent the Rockets the way they deserve to be represented.
Before my weekly interview with Coach Beckman I was sitting in his office lobby with starting quarter back Aaron Opelt and heard some sobering comments. As he turned and picked up our very own news paper, the Independent Collegian he began to read a student’s comment about the game. “I rooted for Ohio State because my sister goes there”. He was dumbfounded, he asked himself out loud, “yeah your sister goes there, but where do you go?” Someone needs to check their transcripts.
I am not asking you to worship our university. I’m not even asking you to attend every football game or athletic event we host. Rather, I am asking you to show your support for our university when it is called upon you. Do not run from the moment to showcase our city. Instead, embrace it and shout our name to the world. Be proud to call yourself a Toledo Rocket. If we don’t, who will?
