My Apologies to Columbus

Columbus hit a major depression when its Buckeyes were beat by the Florida Gators in Monday night's national championship bowl. Up until this game, OSU was undefeated, making them the number one team in the country. Despite Ted Ginn Jr.'s breathtaking 93 yard touchdown in the game's first play, the Bucks could not win against the underdog Gators. Not only did they lose, they lost in a horrific showing, with the final score leaving them behind by nearly 30 points.

Many Buckeye fans are wondering what exactly went wrong. Was it overconfidence? Did the team suffer from the long break between their last game and this game? Were the players preoccupied by wondering (like I was) if Jim Tressel buys his sweater vests individually or in bulk at a coach's version of Sam's Club? One might consider any or all of these positions, but I know the truth: OSU's catastrophic loss was caused by the fact that I was watching.

It may sound crazy, but let me present this evidence: The number of the games OSU lost before the championship was zero - The number of the games I watched before this game was also zero. Exhibit B: Note the other teams I cheer on. The Indians, The Cavs, The Browns. Save the Cavs' play-off appearances, can you think of the last time they've won anything important. I know there hasn't been a World Series for the Indians since I was in grade school. The Browns have never even made a Super Bowl appearance. Even teams I only mildly root for are at risk - Remember the incredible season the Detroit Tigers had last year only to lose it when it mattered the most? Guess who was cheering them on in the 2006 World Series? If you guessed Ms. Laura Team-Jinxer, you're correct.

I would stop cheering all together, but I can't help myself. I'm like a virus that feeds off the teams I love. So my apologies go out to Columbus and one Mr. Jim Tressel. Maybe next season my curse-like powers will have disappeared. But just to be safe, I'll test that out before a championship game.