My mother told me a thousand times not to judge something before I see it. Well I saw Miami, and even Mom would make fun of it.
Known for its pretentious, overly preppy atmosphere, Ohio students ridicule Miami's bros or, my personal favorite, brahs
almost every chance they get. For a while, I thought it was entirely exaggerated, and I didn't have much ill-will toward the place.
All that changed last month, when a few colleagues from The Post joined me on a trip to cover Ohio's first meeting with the RedHawks this season. Upon arriving in Oxford, I realized quickly my 2002 Chevy Malibu was one of the oldest, cheapest cars ever to grace its sacred grounds.
We arrived at the arena about 30 minutes before the tip. Because only one of us obtained his press credentials beforehand, we asked somebody to help us locate the media will call to get the rest of them.
A woman takes us down to the floor, where I find a man dressed like a secret service agent. He vows to bring us our credentials - so help him God!
After a 10 minute wait and a good look at the Miami cheerleaders, another man tells us the passes are on their way. He then uses a walkie-talkie to contact somebody else, who finally presents our small pieces of paper that say we're allowed to be there.
I felt the process was overly formal. Wait. That might not be a coincidence.
Finally, I sat down and prepared for the game. I looked around the arena and saw Ohio brought as large of a cheering section as the home fans.
Maybe that's a reason why Millett Hall was so quiet you could have heard somebody's collar pop.
The game started and the Miami student section stood about 10 feet to my right. This provided me with all the comedy I needed for one afternoon.
Standing in the front row, a student looked like he was ready for a middle-school dance instead of a basketball game. Gelled and spiked hair, khakis and a button-up sweater vest made up the guy's outfit.
Three others joined him in the front row, all them wearing matching khakis, red sweaters with white collars and a backwards white hat at a moronic angle.
I should have told those jokers that the Backstreet Boys auditioned more than a decade ago. Is this really a basketball game?
Ohio freshman forward Ivo Baltic entered the game after about four minutes. For the rest of the game, the Miami fans yelled things like Go back to Serbia! every time he touched the ball. If the fans were smart enough to look at the nice, cardboard rosters in front of them, they would have figured out Baltic is from Missouri - not Serbia.
The RedHawks won the game, but we all went home satisfied. The realization that we were not from Miami was enough to make the ride home joyful.
I left with renewed hatred for the school and a lifetime of punch lines.
Forgive me, Mom, for being disrespectful. 2
Sports
Vince Nairn
