One by one, they stood and up and spoke. Each person began the same way: "I don't like Miami because..."
What seemed like every player on Ohio's roster (plus several coaches and student managers) gathered in the batting cages adjacent to Bob Wren Stadium Thursday after practice. They stood up one at a time and voiced exactly what it was about the Bobcats' rival that rubbed them the wrong way.
After each answer, there was either a murmur of agreement or a burst of laughter.
The typical responses, like popped collars and preppiness, were brought up. So was a certain Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback. But there was no shortage of creative responses.
Some were simple: "I don't like Miami because I don't like red."
Others were surprising: "I don't like Miami because my parents went there," or, "I don't like Miami because I had to dress up like a chicken."
Still others were just true: "I don't like Miami because they think they're better than everyone else."
And some can't be repeated here.
After everyone had gone, coach Joe Carbone said he didn't like Miami because their mascot, the RedHawk, isn't a real animal (as mentioned here and here).
After he said this, a player said, "If there was a red hawk, there'd be a season for it, and it starts tomorrow." The meeting ended there.
As the players cleared out, one player hopped into a zip-up chicken suit. Why?
"He's dressed as a RedHawk," Carbone said.
