Stories of the Shoe was at Media Day in Ohio Stadium yesterday and what a festive occasion it was. Aside from recording the players, coaches, wives and families tell what Ohio stadium means to them, several other things struck me.

One of these is how great the turf felt to me as I walked around the field...it is soft, forgiving, and if you were blindfolded, I don’t think you could tell it from grass just walking on it. Being a trained agronomist, down deep I simply love the look, feel, touch and smell of lush green grass. But my training also helps me understand why it was so difficult to grow healthy grass deep in the shade and humidity of the Shoe, so I understand why this was done. The new turf will be fine.

The second thing that struck me was how bright, articulate, polite and down to earth I found the players as I talked to them in person. Going in I knew that of course, but it is one thing to get it from reading about them and watching them interviewed on TV and so much different and more genuine when you can talk to them in person and face to face. Wish you all could have that experience.

Oh, and one last little thing that impressed me.... up close and in person James Laurinaitis’s biceps are huge! Those things are big as my thighs and if you know me, that says a lot!