First Post

Welcome. Thanks for visiting South Stands, the newest and least-proven Ohio State football blog. I have a few introductory words for you, my new reader, which will hopefully exemplify what South Stands will be about, my perspective on college football, and what I can contribute to a saturated market. These goals and ideals are far from static; however, a first post seems to be a perfect chance to crack open my skull and let a bunch of nonsense flow through my fingertips, allowing you, the crucial half of this dichotomy, to close this window feeling like you didn't waste your time (and hopefully, you bookmark or subscribe, excited for actual content)

The college football blogosphere is a dense and potentially unnavigable forest; I know this, having navigated and parsed hundreds of thousands of words as a dedicated reader for years via Google Reader. If I were you, I would be quite happy that there is a new blog out there. Logic dictates that the more material there is out there, the more quality material there is. As absurd as it may sound, there are numerous niches within the Buckeye blogosphere which can be handled by different authors with varying degrees of effectiveness. When a dozen or more sources coalesce into one news feed, a reader should have everything they need. Varying perspectives, writing styles, focuses, levels of criticism, etc. can mold a lay reader into a pantheon of knowledge. Recruiting, game analysis, predictions, news, notes, and on and on; there is a load of information out there, and I would like to parse it for you, while introducing my personal opinion where appropriate. Hopefully it's palatable.

I know what you're thinking: "Well, what will SS give me that AtO, OHD, BtB, BC, MotSaG, DtI can't?" I'm glad you asked, sort of. The fact is that, like you, I'm just some guy on the internet. I'm not a member of the press, so I will not be able to write incisive investigative pieces featuring in depth interviews with players, coaches, trainers, or recruits. All the primary sources I will present herein already exist, and had I never ventured onto blogspot on this fateful August evening, you would still be able to find all the same raw data. That being said, I do have one thing to offer that no one else does, and that's me. I figure you read blogs due to the loose aesthetic; we crack jokes, make typos, say dumb stuff from time to time, and make posts much like we would make comments at the bar on a fall evening. It gives the medium an inherent purity in my opinion. It's likely that you already know what's going on, and if you decide to read what I have to write, it will because you find I offer something (whatever that may be) that no one else does--a unique perspective.

The logical progression of this epic first post is the question: "Well who the hell are you, and why should I care what you have to say?" The second part is far too intimidating for me to try to answer, but I can tell you who I am. My name is Nick. I'm 23 years old. I was born in Columbus, OH at Grant Medical Center. My mother and father are both Columbus natives. My parents were both lifetime Ohio State fans (lol obv), and my late-December birth was viewed as wholly inconvenient, as it ruined a potential trip to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl. I've probably attended at least 100 Ohio State games. I graduated from Ohio State in 2007 with a dual degree in English Literature and Economics. I am currently a rising second year law student at Ohio Northern University. I like reading, writing, fall weather, cooking, music, card games, and, of course, watching and talking about football. I am definitely one of those guys who wakes up at 9 AM on Saturdays, and watches football until the Pac 10 finishes up, then I pass out (perhaps with a few beers in me) on my couch watching highlights on College Gameday Final or Sportscenter. While my playing career was cut short by a compound fracture of my desire to enjoy any sort of physical exertion, I did play long enough to realize what the hell was going on at an Xs & Os level. I'm a critical observer of a game; no one likes to watch football with me, especially if it's at my place, and I've got my hand on the DVR remote. I don't blame them. I get pretty fired up, especially if there's booze involved.

So that's enough for now. 800 words should be plenty for the first post. I've already got my wheels turning, thinking about new content. Two and a half weeks until the season starts. Feel free to comment or email southstands@gmail.com with any and all questions, comments, concerns, non sequiturs, minutae, etc.

Later