Have more comments, questions? Reach out to me at bwhite1@dispatch.com. Letters are lightly edited for clarity.
On Ohio State football
Mr. White: I laugh when I see reporters and former coaches when they say, "I would have let Texas score in the final minutes of the game to give OSU more time to mount a comeback." Coach Day made a decision which turned out to be not good.
Looking back in time, hindsight, is always 20-20 vision or better. Further, letting Texas score with one minute and one timeout remaining still does not guarantee an OSU score.
Lauri Turevon, Dublin
To Lauri: Analytics aside, such a predicament is difficult for a coach who has to explain to his defense why he had zero faith in it stopping an opponent. If the Buckeyes win, the defensive players and staff
shrug and accept it. If they lose, it's one unhappy bunch. Decisions such as those, on a big stage, are why Day gets paid the big bucks.
To the editor: I love, love, love when Ohio State loses. Now, don't get me wrong. I'd rather see the Buckeye win. But there is nothing quite as entertaining as the aftermath of an Ohio State loss.
That's when the trash-talking fans come crawling out of the woodwork and into the Sports Mailbox. Fire coach Day! He can't coach! He can't call plays! He doesn't know what he is doling! Apparently, Ryan Day just fell off the turnip truck and wandered into Ohio Stadium. The controversy after a loss makes great reading.
Games like Kent State, where Ohio State wins a laugher, don't produce much excitement afterward. Everybody shrugs, says "Go Bucks!" and moves on.
But let Ohio State lose? For the next week, Columbus becomes one giant coaching staff. Everybody knows which play should have been called, which player should have been in the game and, of course, who should be fired.
So, yes, I want Ohio State to win. But when they lose, I grab my coffee and wait for the Sports Mailbox. That's when the real game begins.
Michael N. Oser, Upper Arlington
Brian: Whenever Ohio State does lose a football game, I am reminded of my favorite quote by Theodore Roosevelt applauding the man in the arena and criticizing the critic on the sideline, which is worth looking up, and I wish also to remind people that among major college coaches with more than five full years on the job, only Knute Rockne had a better winning percentage. And remember Day has done this with today's postseason format which provides for many more games against other top-ranked schools, which previous generations did not have to struggle with.
Dennis Singleton, Dayton
On the Blue Jackets
To Brian: I don't always watch the most irrelevant franchises in professional sports, but when I do, I prefer the Columbus Blue Jackets. Stay thirsty, my friends.
The most uninterested fan in the world.
Steve Wilson
To Steve: How irrelevant? This week, USAT Today published a story titled "Which NHL teams could make postseason after missing last season?" Writer Mike Brehm listed the Panthers, Capitals, Sharks, Devils and Maple Leafs. Then, under "Other teams to watch" were the Predators, Blues and Islanders. Not a good early sign for the local squad.
More from the Mailbox
Ohio State lost a football game, and fans are not happy
Does Ohio State really have the best fans in the land?
Fans frustrated by more Columbus Blue Jackets bad news
Should Long Island be banned from holding major golf tournaments?
Maybe Ohio State AD Ross Bjork should sit in regular-guy seats, wait in line, etc.
Are luxury boxes really what Ohio Stadium needs?
Why don't girls wear helmets in lacrosse?
An appreciation of Muzerall's greatness; and should dunking be banned in basketball?
Rob Oller is right, and Rob Oller is wrong
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Should Ohio State have let Texas score? And angry fans are good entertainment. Mailbox
