Civil War 150

For the student of Civil War history there will be lots of Events coming up commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War. I will be listing some of those from time to time on this site.

On April 30, and May 1, there will be a Civil War Show in Ashland, Ohio. It might be fun to plan on meeting up there. It is a good halfway point for most of us. Check it out here. What say you men?

Turner Classic Movies says it will commemorate the 150th anniversary of America's Civil War with a month-long programming spotlight.

Among the films the cable network will screen in April are "The Birth of a Nation," "The General," "Raintree County," "Friendly Persuasion," "Southern Yankee," "Glory," "Gettysburg," "The Littlest Rebel," "The Red Badge of Courage" and "Golden Girl."

Read more here.

Brutal Buckeye

I really don't think fans of other schools understand what being a Buckeye Fan truly is all about. The Season long highs followed mostly by, more often than not, vicious, nasty falls from the summit. UK fans have no clue. Neither do Notre Dame, Alabama, USC, or any other "Big Time" program. This isn't just in our one dominant program it happens to the Bucks in every sport. Personally I blame a little know secret, something that has been hidden away in the recesses of Buckeye fandom for a very long time. Brutus Buckeye has an evil twin. When he makes it to a game Ohio loses and more often than not it is in a "big" game. And much like these brothers

he kidnaps the good Brutus and causes agony and havoc for OSU fans. Every so often the evil twin manages to break out of the cell inside Ohio Stadium where he is kept locked away and creates chaos and mayhem for the Buckeyes. His name you ask? Brutal Buckeye. Think of him from a weird alternate, bizzaro type world.

Here are the Top (or Bottom depending on how you look at it) 10 Brutal Buckeye losses in my lifetime.

10. March 25, 1961 in Kansas City. Basketball. The undefeated, and defending National Champion Buckeyes lost 70-65 to Cincinnati in the Championship game. OSU was led by Jerry Lucas, John Havilcek and Larry Siegfried. Ohio State finished the season 27-1.

09. March 24, 1962 in Louisville. For the third straight year OSU was in the Championship Game. And for the second straight year they lost to Cincinnati, this time by the final score of 71-59. It was a great run for Lucas and Hondo. Bucks finished 26-2 capping a three year run of three straight Championship game appearances, 1 National Championship and a 3 year record of 78-6. They lost only to Utah, Kentucky, Indiana, Wisconsin and Cincinnati (twice) during that span.

08. November 22, 1969 in Ann Arbor. Football. The defending National Champion Buckeyes came in undefeated and ranked number 1. New Michigan coach led the school up north to a 24-12 upset victory, probably costing OSU another National Championship.

07. January 1, 1971 in the Rose Bowl. Football. 27-17 loss to Stanford and Jim Plunkett and Randy Vataha. The Buckeyes end their three year run with 1 National Championship and a record of 28-2, losing only to Michigan and Stanford.

06. April 3, 1993 in Atlanta. Women's Basketball. Cheryl Swopes and Texas Tech beat the Lady Bucks 84-82 for the National Championship. Ohio State was led by Katie Smith and Averill Roberts. They finished the season 28-4.

05. June 12, 1965 in Omaha. Baseball. Ohio State dropped a 2-1 heart breaker to Arizona State, Sal Bando and Rick Monday in the NCAA title game. The Bucks would win it all the next season and have a two year record of 57-19-1.

04. April 2, 1998 in Boston. Hockey. The Cinderella Bucks lost to Boston College 5-2 to deprive the world of an OSU-UM NCAA Hockey championship game. Glass slipper shattered!

03. November 7, 1998 in Columbus. Football. Brutal reared his ugly head in the rain as the Number 1 Bucks lost to Michigan State 28-24. Oh the humanity of it all

02.April 2, 2007 in Atlanta. Basketball. The young stud Buckeyes lost to Florida 84-75 in the National Championship Game.

01. Probably, to me last night's basketball game. Dis-Honorable mention to several Rose Bowl loses to USC.

As you can see there are no shortage of games where Brutal has made an appearance and ruined a Buckeye season. You could easily do top ten lists for both football and men's basketball but I wanted to show everyone that Brutal is an equal opportunity spoiler of Ohio State Seasons.

GenCon-Indy

On Thursday August 4 the Indianapolis Indians have a home game against Toledo at 7:00 PM. I can't think of a better way to enhance our GenCon experience than to add some baseball. We can probably get tickets for about $10-$15. What say you men?

Tale of the Tape

Here is a brief history of the UK/OSU basketball series.

Kentucky leads 10-8 but the Bucks lead the more important category NCAA Tournament wins 5-0.

The last time they played in March of 1987 Dennis Hopson scored 32 to lead OSU over Rex Chapman, Ed Davender and the Cats 91-77.

On March 16, 1968 The Bucks beat the Cats 82-81 to advance to the Final Four. Dave Sorenson and Bill Hosket led the way over Dan Issel. Sorenson scored on a last second in bounds play for the victory.

In 1962 Jerry Lucas and John Havlicek led the Bucks to a 74-64 win.

In 1961 Lucas and Larry Siegfried led the way over Roger Newman and Bill Lickert 87-74.

In the first Tourney meeting, held in NYC in 1945, the Buckeyes won 45-37.


My Prediction for this one? I think UK will give Sullinger fits underneath and Diebler will have problems shooting over the top of the Cats defenders. But when the dust settles, and Sullinger fouls out, OSU will come out on top with a hard fought 67-61 victory.

New Game to Check Out

A new game that looks like it would be worth checking out sometime this summer. Fortune and Glory: The Cliffhanger Game is from Flying Frog Productions. Put it on the list to demo at JonCon or GenCon.


From Boardgame Geek:

It is the late 1930's and the world is in turmoil. Humanity is on the brink of war as imperialist nations in the Far East and Europe work aggressively to expand their domination. The Nazis have taken control of Germany and now spread darkness across the globe in their hunt for powerful occult artifacts that can give them the upper hand in the days to come. But the spirit of adventure and freedom won't be stamped out so easily.

Heroic adventurers from around the world answer the call, racing against time to hunt down ancient artifacts, explore deadly temples, and fight back the powers of darkness from engulfing the world in flames. It is a race of good versus evil and only a cunning and agile explorer can claim the ultimate prize of... Fortune and Glory!

Fortune and Glory: The Cliffhanger Game is a fast-paced game of high adventure, vile villains, edge-of-your-seat danger, and cliffhanger pulp movie action. Players take on the role of a treasure hunter, traveling the globe in search of ancient artifacts and fending off danger and villains at every turn in a quest for the ultimate reward of fortune and glory!

Featuring a beautifully rendered adventure map of the world as the game board, eight pulp adventure heroes to choose from (such as Jake Zane the Flying Ace, Li Mei Chen the Night Club Singer and Martial Artist, or Dr. Zhukov Master of Science), an army of ruthless villains and thugs (including the Chicago Mob and the dreaded occult-hunting Nazis), ancient Mayan temples to explore with a zeppelin hovering overhead, a wealth of coins to horde as heroes collect fortune and glory throughout the game, and a unique mechanism of dangers to overcome and the classic cliffhanger moments of suspense that can result. Fortune and Glory is designed to create a pulp serial cinematic feel as the story and game unfolds.

So strap on your adventure boots and goggles, fire up the engines on the seaplane, and grab some extra ammo for your revolver...the Nazis already have a head start and in this race for fortune and glory, there's no prize for second place!

The Sweet 16

Well if the Buckeyes end up National Champs they will have earned it. Of course if they can keep shooting it like they did today they'll be in for the long haul. Aaron Craft had a school record 15 assists and David Lighty had 25 points. Teams that OSU might see are Kentucky on Friday, and if they win either North Carolina or Marquette on Sunday. If they survive that they will see either Duke, UConn, Arizona or San Diego State. We'll cross the championship game bridge when we get there. Here are the Sweet 16 Teams:

Ohio State
Kentucky
Florida
Richmond
San Diego State
Butler
BYU
Wisconsin
UConn
North Carolina
Duke
Arizona
VCU
Marquette
Kansas
Florida State

Go Bucks!!!

The Reversible Fan's Conundrum

Merriam-Webster lists a definition of Conundrum as: an intricate and difficult problem.

Well that is what I have. I have been called the Reversible Fan by our friend in Indiana and I not only accept that nom de pleur but I like it.

For all of my life I have been a fan of the University of Kentucky basketball program. From Adolph Rupp's teams to Joe B. Hall and on to John Calipari I have been a Wildcat basketball fan. Period. End of Sentence. I write them on my brackets in the down years when they didn't make the tournament.

flashback to the fourth grade and my school had three visitors from the OSU Men's team and I had new heroes. And a secondary team.

But I always rooted for the Cats when the two went head-to-head. I was upset when OSU won 82-81 to go to the Final Four but rooted hard for the Buckeyes against North Carolina. They lost, stupid four corners, but rebounded to beat Elvin Hayes and Houston in the third place game. Most people don't remember that Houston lost both games that year to UCLA and the Bucks.

I was also one of the few who rooted for KY when they came to town to face the Clark Kellogg led Buckeyes in the early 80's. Overall the KY-OSU series is 10-8 in favor of the Blue. But the Buckeyes are 5-0 against the Cats in the tournament.

And come next week I will be sad when the game is over for one of my two are going down but not for long. And I will root hard for the survivor to win it all.

Sweet 16?

Well my brackets are blown to the netherworld and back but it has been an exciting tournament so far. Ohio State plays at 5:15 PM against George Mason. The Bucks better be ready to plat because these kids are more than solid and they are very good, comparable to Wisconsin. I only hope their guard, Cam Long, doesn't have a monster game against Ohio State. Villanove pretty much shut him down and here's hoping Lighty and company can do the same.

• Junior F Mike Morrison finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds against Villanova. He secured the double-double in dramatic fashion, with a game-clinching dunk in the final seconds.

• Senior G Isaiah Tate came awfully close to being the goat for George Mason in the opener. He fouled Corey Fisher shooting a three with 31 seconds left, and Fisher made all three free throws to give Villanova a 57-56 lead. That didn’t last long, fortunately for Tate, as Mason scored the final five points of the game to win it.

• Senior G Cam Long was the focal point of the Villanova defensive effort, and it showed. He was held to seven points, more than eight below his season average.

• Senior G Cam Long, who led the Patriots in scoring at 15.1 points a game, was named to the All-Colonial Athletic Association first team. It was the third straight season was named to an All-CAA team. He finished eighth in scoring, sixth in steals, 11th in field-goal percentage, 12th in assists and was the league’s top 3-point shooter (44 percent).

• Junior F Ryan Pearson was a second-team All-CAA selection after finishing in the top 12 in the conference in scoring (14.7 ppg) and rebounding (6.9 rpg) and coming in fifth in field-goal percentage (52.6 percent).

• Sophomore G Luke Hancock, all-Rookie Team performer a year ago, landed on the All-CAA third team. He averaged 11.1 points a game and was third in the conference in assists at 4.4 per game while ranking fifth in assist/turnover ratio and seventh in free-throw percentage (82.0 percent).

Prediction

Bucks "struggle" early and the game is close for about 15-20 minutes. Then talent overwhelms Cinderella and the Bucks roll to a match up with Kentucky. Final 79-61 Ohio State

Wonder Woman back on TV?

It looks like NBC is filming a pilot for another super hero TV show, (hopefully it works out better than The Cape) Wonder Woman. Adrianne Palicki from Friday Night Lights (Tyra) will star. The network released a photo of her in the famous outfit.



And just in case you don't remember the original here is a side-by-side shot.



The original series aired in 1975 and ran through 1979 for a total of 60 episodes.

Go Bucks!!

Ohio State cruised to an easy 75-46 win over University of Texas at San Antonio in Cleveland. The Bucks will play George Mason, in what will be a tough game for them, on Sunday. Hopefully Diebler and Buford will stay hot.

Loco Gringo Baby

If you are thinking of a Mexican getaway I'd suggest you check these guys out!

Let The Games Begin

Happy St. Patrick's Day

A Good Game

A good game that some of us have played. I highly recommend it. Check it out here.

Pray for Japan

In wake of the ongoing devastation of Japan I'd like to ask everyone to pause for a moment and pray for their country and people.

Happy Steak and BJ Day

This kicks off one of the greatest weeks for men of the year. Following up the men's holiday are St. Patrick's Day and March Madness. Sit Back and enjoy the week guys with the lady you love.

Steak and BJ Day was invented by Tom Birdsey, may he live forever, and may the gods eternally bless his fate. Men everywhere should write, and sing, songs in his honor, build shrines and worship at the alter for this man who has been so benevolent as to bless us with a day devoted entirely to devouring massive hunks of cow flesh and being the recipient of one of life's simplest, yet greatest, pleasures. Truly, he is a saint among swine, and deserving of the highest accolades in the worlds beyond.

Oh this is a great week

Beginning today with the Big Ten Championship Game and continuing through next Sunday we men are blessed with a near perfect week.

At 3:30 PM The Ohio State University squares off against Penn State for the Big Ten Tournament Championship. PSU has been a bit of a surprise playing in Indy this week but the Buckeyes should prevail on a "neutral" court.

Monday is mans answer to Valentine's Day; Steak & BJ Day. Sweet!!

Thursday is St. Patrick's Day.

Thursday and Friday are host to the greatest event in sports; the first two days of March Madness!!

Enjoy the week! What say you men?

Change/Set Your Clocks

Big Ten Update

Another big day for college hoops today. The Buckeyes have to deal with a re-energized Michigan team to advance to tomorrow's finals. It was a real shame to see Wisconsin get beat by Penn State. I was looking forward to seeing the Bucks beat them by 30 or so again. Go Bucks!

Let The Games Begin

What do you do next?

Gentlemen,

As your group is encamped two days from Marsember when one of your sentries sees a large owl fly low over the camp and land in a nearby clearing. A few moments later a large bear approaches the camp, stopping at the edge of camp and sitting quietly and watching you. It is your initiative ...

Gentleman I need your Player info... names, classes and levels. Also I need a list of all magical items your character possesses. I will also send this via email and Facebook. Thank You

The Civil War They Never Taught Us In School

Last Confederate Town in America?

Here is a story I have never heard and I am betting you haven't either. A small village east of Buffalo New York voted to secede from the Union in 1861 and did not return until 1946!
A hat tip to Standard Publishing for using this as a sermon illustration idea. Read the story here.

A Day of Reflection

What a sad day for Tressel

The coach and the university have imposed a $250,000 fine and two game suspension in the wake of revelations that Tressel indeed had prior knowledge of tattoogate. It is unknown at this time if the NCAA will impose other sanctions against the coach or University.

Party On, it is Fat Tuesday...

or Mardi Gras. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and Lent begins. Party on Adventurers, party on!

New JonCon Logo

93-65 consider it dealt with

Go Bucks!!

Congratulations to Ohio State which won the Big Ten outright today when Purdue lost to Iowa 67-65 in a pretty good game. The Buckeyes will be the number one seed in next weeks Big Ten Tourney. Go Bucks!! Let the Madness Begin

me wants, me wants

This game, from Mayfair Games, looks like a something we want to demo this summer. Set in post WWI Europe it looks like it could be fun. Read more here.

Are You Registered Yet?

Make sure to pre register if you plan on attending this year and save some cash. $68.00 for the 4 day pass if you pay before June. $78.00 If you pay after.

What say you men?

Happy Birthday Durwaine Leaflander

Happy Birthday to our own, lovable, oft imitated but never duplicated, man about town Durwaine Leaflander!! So my brothers raise your glasses where ever you are this fine day and join me in a toast to the illustrious Durwaine.

There are good ships, and there are wood ships,
The ships that sail the sea.
But the best ships, are friendships,
And may they always be.



Durwaine have a great day and:

"May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night, and a smooth road all the way to your door."

Looks like a good game for kids!

10 Days in the USA, part of Out of the Box games series, looks like it would be a pretty good game for kids to teach geography and some planning and communication skills to your elementary age kids. I have it on my list to pick up for my grand kids this summer.


I am definitely going to demo this at either Origins or GenCon.

Jon 3bler owns the record!! Buckeyes Win

Jon Diebler went 10 for 12 from behind the arc and scored a career high 30 points to lead the Bucks to a 82-61 victory over Penn State. The Bucks clinched at least a share of their 4th Big Ten title in the last 6 years. If they beat Wisconsin, in Columbus, on Sunday they will have their 3rd outright title in that span.

Diebler now has 348 career 3's to smash the unofficial record by Michigan's Louis Bullock (339). William Buford added 21 points.

March Madness is Here!!

Well the best time for college basketball is here. It is March and let the madness begin! Confrence Tournies first and the Big Dance starting on March 17.