BEREA, OHIO -- When the No. 10-ranked Ohio State University Buckeyes play the No. 3-ranked University of Texas Longhorns in the Fiesta Bowl on Monday night, January 5, 2009 at the University of Pheonix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, it will be a reunion of sorts on the FOX television network's pregame show "First and Goal on Fox". The show will air approximately an hour before the Fiesta Bowl game.
Hosted by 1979 B-W graduate Jude LaCava, the main sports anchor at the Pheonix FOX TV affiliate, the show will detail everything the viewer will want to know about the game that pits OSU against Texas. The show also will detail the B-W connection between OSU and Texas.
OSU is coached by 1975 graduate and former football standout quarterback Jim Tressel. He is assisted by 1970 B-W grad, former standout, current OSU backfield coach and brother Dick Tressel.
Texas, coached by Mack Brown, has a pair of B-W graduates as part of its sports information staff in Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations John Bianco, a 1989 B-W graduate and former track standout, and 1996 graduate and Asst. SID Thomas Dick.
On December 31, LaCava e-mailed B-W Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple. "The Valley of the Sun is swarming with B-W grads," said LaCava. "I just talked with Shelley (OSU SID Shelly Poe) from Ohio State and John Bianco S.I.D. from Texas. The Yellow Jackets are everywhere."
In addition, LaCava, who still has ties to the Greater Cleveland area in his sister Sandy, still professes his love for Northeast Ohio and the College.
"I have always loved Cleveland and Baldwin-Wallace," said LaCava, who broadcast B-W football and basketball games while in College for campus radio station WBW. "I had a great experience at B-W. It provided me with plenty of opportunities that have helped me to get where I am now. I am forever grateful. I have just loved having Ohio State here five times in the last six or seven years. Its like a big family reunion with Buckeyes and Yellow Jackets everywhere."
While the Buckeyes and Longhorns are in Arizona and if they need any other local assistance other than LaCava, they can call upon 1991 B-W graduate and current SID at Arizona State Doug Tammaro.
Maybe LaCava is right. There really are Yellow Jackets everywhere, including many from the Tressel Family.
Stay tuned!
