From ESPN.com


On a day when the most-hyped game in the 103-year history of the most-hallowed rivalry is played, we should stay in the Midwestern moment. At least long enough to see how Ohio State offensive lineman Kirk Barton celebrated it.


Barton knows how to do it right. When you wrap up a 12-0 record, a wire-to-wire regular-season run ranked No. 1, an undisputed Big Ten championship, a third straight victory over your ultimate rival and a Heisman Trophy for your star quarterback, you break out the good stuff.
Right away.


Ohio Stadium is a smoke-free facility, but Barton didn't give a damn about that. Or, as the song goes, about the whole state of Michigan.
The Ohio State junior offensive tackle sat on a chair in a mob-scene interview room puffing curls of cigar smoke into the air. Barton said his stogie cost $125.


So where'd you get it, Kirk?



http://espn-ak.starwave.com/photo/2006/1118/ncf_us_barton_195.jpg




"The ghost of Red Auerbach," he responded cryptically.
Barton did cop to buying a bottle of Dom Pérignon to go with his smoke. Said it set him back "half a scholarship check. I'm eating Spam the next three weeks."


Veeeeeeery interesting......

Addendum:

From ESPN.com



Turns out the Massillon, Ohio, product is more Spam than Dom by nature.
"I'm such a hillbilly, I had to ask the lady at Whole Foods how to open it," Barton said.


http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=2667714

From Wikipedia:






As of the census (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Census)GR2 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Geographic_references#2) of 2000, there were 31,325 people, 12,677 households, and 8,328 families residing in the city. The population density (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Population_density) was 722.1/km² (1,870.3/mi²). There were 13,567 housing units at an average density of 312.7/km² (810.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.18% White (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_%28U.S._Census%29), 9.39% African American (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_American_%28U.S._Census%29), 0.23% Native American (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_American_%28U.S._Census%29), 0.25% Asian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_American_%28U.S._Census%29), 0.34% from other races (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_%28United_States_Census%29), and 1.60% from two or more races. Hispanic (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hispanic_American_%28U.S._Census%2 9&action=edit) or Latino (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Latino_American%28U.S._Census%29&action=edit) of any race were 0.96% of the population.
There were 12,677 households out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage) living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,734, and the median income for a family was $41,058. Males had a median income of $32,021 versus $22,327 for females. The per capita income (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Per_capita_income) for the city was $17,633. About 8.3% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_line), including 15.5% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massillon,_Ohio



Let's see: if he describes himself as a hillbilly, then I'd assume he belongs to the 10.7% below the poverty line.



Dom Perrignon costs approx. $100 + a $125 cigar = a lot of $$$ for a sophmore.... a "hillbilly" soph from Massillon.

Nothing new. That school gets away with anything they want. CBS Sportsline wrote a long article about it last week.

http://www.sportsline.com/columns/story/9799793

An excerpt:

There were 14 player arrests from 2001, when Tressel became head coach, until 2004. It was a Tennessee-like streak that received as much press coverage as would a grand opening of a weather museum in Puxatony.

The arrest rate has gotten better at Ohio State. Four Buckeyes players, according to media and Internet reports, have been arrested over the past 10 months.

This year, before playing Texas, Tressel told the media that he had voted the Longhorns the top team in the country on his USA Today ballot. The newspaper knew the truth: Tressel had voted his own Buckeyes the top team. Tressel explained the discrepancy of him saying one thing and doing another as some sort of administrative snafu.

Ping, pong went the bullets.

Imagine the rancor that would have been generated had Larry Coker made such an, ahem, mistake.

The NCAA cited Youngstown State in 2000 for impermissible transportation and money to an athlete, in addition to lack of institutional control, while Tressel was coach and athletic director.

Athletes, their free cars and cash are in Tressel's history, and no one seems to care.

Well, we've got about a month to MAKE people care.[smilie=blaha.gif]

Nothing new. That school gets away with anything they want. CBS Sportsline wrote a long article about it last week.

http://www.sportsline.com/columns/story/9799793

An excerpt:

Kettle calling the pot black or is it the other way around? I always mess that one up.

Dude, because you're my friend we're always able to say shit here that we can't say to each other in real life, but you're making it very hard for me to keep this shit up. I'm starting to say things I shouldn't say either way.

You keep bringing this same shit. Kettle pot, who gives a fuck? Michigan basketball fucked up. We got it the first 8,000 times you brought it up. It got tired 3 years ago. Either way, we paid our price and it killed our team.

Meanwhile, I'll stop pointing at Ohio State when they pay their price, whioch hasn't happened. We lost 5 or the last 6, you're right. Should their coach have been fired and scholarships yanked years ago? Absolutely. Call me a pot or anything you want, but until the NCAA shows some consistency your comments make you look fucking retarded.

Dude, because you're my friend we're always able to say shit here that we can't say to each other in real life, but you're making it very hard for me to keep this shit up. I'm starting to say things I shouldn't say either way.

You keep bringing this same shit. Kettle pot, who gives a fuck? Michigan basketball fucked up. We got it the first 8,000 times you brought it up. It got tired 3 years ago. Either way, we paid our price and it killed our team.

Meanwhile, I'll stop pointing at Ohio State when they pay their price, whioch hasn't happened. We lost 5 or the last 6, you're right. Should their coach have been fired and scholarships yanked years ago? Absolutely. Call me a pot or anything you want, but until the NCAA shows some consistency your comments make you look fucking retarded.

First of all relax. It's WTF. Your getting way too riled up over stupid shit. Second, it was a random comment with little behind it. Third, I'm tired of UM fans bringing up possible OSU infractions. It's ridiculous. As long as you whine about OSU infractions, I'll point out your history.

Just emailed this to Pat Forde:


Mr. Forde

In reading your article, "Ohio State unparalleled on the field", you speak of self-proclaimed sophmore "hillbilly" Kirk Barton puffing on a $125 stogie and sipping Dom Perrignon. It sparked my curiousity. Now, I've never been to Massillon, Ohio, but according to Wikipedia's census information it's not quite the place where pricey cigars are the norm.

In an age where simply by looking at an expensive vehicle might gain a young athlete a world of NCAA hurt, here's young Kirk Barton, pulling from a three digit cigar and swirling top notch champagne. Now, unless Nike supplied the valuable tobacco and juice combo to the entire team as a shoe contract bonus for making it to the big game, I'd really love to know how Kirk Barton can blatantly pull this off without a mumble from the national media?

Have a great Thanksgiving.

His email addresss is ESPN4D@aol.com

This thread gets an immediate 4 star status if you get a legit reply with vulgarities included.

No vulgarities, but kinda general, too:

Response from Pat Forde:

Thanks for writing. I don't even know how much a bottle of Dom Perignon costs, but I'd imagine we're looking at a total price tag of $250 for Barton's celebration material. I think it's within the realm of believability for a college kid to have $250 to spend on a once-in-a-lifetime post-Michigan victory splurge. When I was a college senior I went to the Rose Bowl and Fiesta Bowl with friends, and that set me back about that much for tickets and gas and food and beer. And I pinched pennies to make up for it. As Barton himself said, he'll be eating Spam for three weeks. Scandal? I'd suggest not.

Pat Forde


Kudos to Forde. He responded immediately. I'm now a fan.[smilie=blaha.gif]

Good. I hope you do point out our history. I will too, as a reminder that the NCAA stands for Not Consistant About Allegations.

If everyone write to Forde, then he must take a stand.

Or ignore us.:huh:

If everyone write to Forde, then he must take a stand.

Or ignore us.:huh:

Can you rewrite this post as a haiku please?

TIA

Can you rewrite this post as a haiku please?

TIA

If we write to Forde

Then he must choose position.

Or ignore our ass.


:lathamjahnke: "Jahnke is not a funny name!"

If we write to Forde

HAIKU VIOLATION NOTIFICATION STATEMENT: 6 syllables in first line

It's pronounced "For-dee".

HAIKU VIOLATION NOTIFICATION STATEMENT: 6 syllables in first line

It's pronounced "For-dee".

Fuck a Haiku, yo.

Sincerely, Krista Latham.

Correction...Jahnke.

May I politely butt in and say... Who gives a shit?

Those of us who want an even playing field. I don't think this particular occurence is a big deal, but anything that will blow the whistle on Ohio State deserves coverage. Tressel has been crooked for over a decade, and as Michigan's biggest competitor I'm tired of it.