+
Sign up for
The Upworthiest
Our top stories of the day delivered straight to your inbox.
upworthy

college football

Joy

13 times Ohio State's marching band threw hilarious next-level shade on Michigan

By next-level, we mean WOW.

@historyinmemes/X

Ohio State's marching band throwing the Michigan flag into the "trash."

What do you get when you mix a 127-year college football rivalry with highly competitive and talented musicians? The Best Damn Band in the Land, that's what.

Ohio State's marching band, which unjokingly refers to itself The Best Damn Band in the Land—or TBDBITL for short—even has the acronym for the nickname included in its website URL.

The rivalry between The Ohio State University and University of Michigan football teams is legendary, and so is the back-and-forth between their marching bands. Ohio State just keeps upping its delightfully petty game of trolling Michigan in its pregame and halftime shows, much to the delight of Ohio State fans.

In one performance, the Ohio State marching band members form two ships, one bearing the Michigan flag and one bearing Ohio State, and the Ohio State ship "sinks" the Michigan one. In another, the create a car race between the two teams with Ohio State hitting the "finish line" first. In another, the band storms a Michigan castle and replaces its banners with Ohio State flags.

Michigan's flag has been thrown away, donkey kicked, smashed with sledge hammers, stomped on, sliced with scissors and more as the TBDBITL members pull off impressive feats of choreography, all while playing their instruments.

Even if you don't give a rip about college football or either of these teams, you gotta admit this is unbelievably cool:

Marching bands don't often get the respect they deserve, especially in the shadow of the big football programs they support. But what these folks do is not easy. They work hard—in fact, one study found that “the physical challenges and demands of participating in competitive marching band is similar to athletes who compete in sports."

Add in the skill of playing a musical instrument and the coordination it takes to do both in a highly choreographed performance, and phew. Seriously, give these kids some accolades.

And in case you were wondering, yes, Michigan's marching band does similar trash-walking in their performances, such as this 2021 game in which they made Ohio State lose a game of beer pong:

People can root for whatever team they want, but I think we should all root for the marching bands, whatever side they're on. They certainly deserve it.

From Your Site Articles
marching bands
Culture

A boy was bullied for making his own Tennessee Vol's shirt. Now it's the school's official logo.

It all started with an amazing teacher.

via Laura Snyder / Facebook and University of Tennessee / Twitter

Jerry Seinfeld once perfectly described the arbitrary nature of being a sports fan, saying:

"Loyalty to any one sports team is pretty hard to justify, because the players are always changing, the team can move to another city. You're actually rooting for the clothes, when you get right down to it."

Seinfeld is right in saying that being an obsessive sports fan can be a little silly, but he misses the wonderful feeling of community created among people who root for the same clothes.

Over the weekend, fans of the University of Tennessee were a perfect example of the great things that can happen when fans get together.

RELATED: The 'legen—wait for it—dary' Neil Patrick Harris is pushing snack bars to help teachers

Recently, an unnamed boy at Altamonte Elementary School in Altamonte Springs, Florida, told his teacher, Laura Snyder, that he wanted to wear a Tennessee Volunteers shirt for the school's college colors day.

"This particular child came to me and told me that he wanted to wear a University of Tennessee shirt, but he didn't have one," she wrote on Facebook. "We discussed that he could wear an orange shirt to show his spirit. He told me every day leading up to it that he had an orange shirt that he was going to wear.

On college colors day, the boy proudly wrote his orange shirt and then made it "official" by drawing a U of T logo on a piece of paper and attaching it to his orange shirt.

via Laura Snyder / Facebook

Unfortunately, the child's clever display of ad-hoc ingenuity didn't sit well with some of the girls at his school.

"After lunch, he came back to my room, put his head on on his desk and was crying. Some girls at the lunch table next to his (who didn't even participate in college colors day) had made fun of his sign that he had attached to his shirt. He was DEVASTATED," the teacher wrote.

RELATED: A stranger's shaming note about lawn care went viral. Their neighbors weren't having it.

The amazing teacher decided to buy her student a Tennessee Volunteers shirt and reached out to her followers on social media to see if anyone had any UT connections to make things "a little extra special."

The post went viral among Volunteer fans and UT sent a care package to her class room to support the young fan.

via Laura Snyder / Facebook

"My student was so amazed at all the goodies in the box. He proudly put on the jersey and one of the many hats in the box. All who saw had either goosebumps or tears while we explained that he had inspired and touched the lives of so many people … My student got to pass out UT swag to his classmates. They were ecstatic!!" the teacher wrote.

The moving gesture by the school didn't stop there. The team used the boy's design to create an official UT shirt with proceeds going to STOMP Out Bullying, a national non-profit organization that is dedicated to eradicating bullying of all forms.

So many people went to the site to buy a shirt, the site crashed.

The gesture from the school and her son's teacher was too much for the boy's mother.

"I am overwhelmed by the love I feel from this extended community and the pride I feel for my son and for being a VFL," she wrote.

"Every comment, item sent, and action taken on behalf of my son will never be forgotten and hopefully will serve as inspiration for him throughout his life."

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
bullied boy tennessee volunteers shirt
Most Shared

12 captivating pics that sum up what happened this week around the globe.

Did you miss the news this week? I got your back.

Whether you missed the big headlines this week because you were busy living your own life (YOLO!) or you simply needed a break from the 24/7 news cycle (believe me, I get it), don't worry — I got you covered.

Here's this week in news, in 12 captivating photos.

1. The "British Forrest Gump," who'd had a bad case of wanderlust, completed a 10,500-mile journey on foot.

Photo by Chris Ratcliffe/Getty Images.

Jamie Ramsey finally made it home to Britain on Jan. 10 after running from Vancouver, Canada, to Buenos Aires, Argentina. It took him roughly 17 months to complete the cross-continental trek, and he raised a boatload of money for charity along the way.

2. The world said goodbye to one of music's all-time greats, Mr. David Bowie.

A fan mourns Bowie's death near a mural of him in London. Photo by Chris Ratcliffe/AFP/Getty Images.

Bowie died of cancer on Jan. 10 at the age of 69. The world took a moment to remember how he profoundly changed the music industry in more ways than one.

And, of course, Bowie wasn't the only beloved British entertainer lost to cancer this week. On Jan. 14, the world learned that Alan Rickman had died in London.

3. President Obama confessed one of his "few regrets" during his final State of the Union address.

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images.

“It’s one of the few regrets of my presidency — that the rancor and suspicion between the parties has gotten worse instead of better,” Obama said in Washington on Jan. 12. Sure, a lot of things have improved on Obama's watch (job creation, LGBT rights, an increase in clean energy use) but bipartisanship isn't one of them.

4. This Hindu holy man had a smoke before taking a dip in honor of Makar Sankranti.

Photo by Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP/Getty Images.

A Hindu holy man, or sadhu, smoked cannabis on Gangasagar Island (also known as Sagar Island) on Jan. 13 in India. He was one of about half-a-million Hindu pilgrims that made the voyage to take a holy dip where the Ganges River and the Bay of Bengal meet in recognition of Makar Sankranti, a holy day of the Hindu calendar, according to Getty.

5. Lawrence Erekosima made ... confetti angels? ... in celebration of his team's big win on the football field.

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images.

Roll tide! The University of Alabama's football team knocked off the Clemson Tigers, 45-40, in the College Football Playoff National Championship game on Jan. 11 in Arizona. As seen above, Alabama's #43 Lawrence Erekosima clearly enjoyed the win.

6. This woman used her animal instincts to help protect creatures in China.

Photo by ChinaFotoPress/ChinaFotoPress via Getty Images.

A woman dressed up like a giraffe and fed a real giraffe at Songcheng Theme Park in Sanya, China, to promote animal protection, Getty reported. She was just one of 10 others in the park that day who used body paint to send the message to onlookers.

7. Taraji P. Henson snagged a Golden Globe for her role in "Empire" ... and looked great doing it.

Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images.

Taraji P. Henson won big at the 73rd annual Golden Globes in Los Angeles on Jan. 10. Leonardo DiCaprio, Brie Larson, the creator of "Mr. Robot," and many others all had stellar nights to write home about too.

8. The ocean lost a few of its most magnificent creatures.

Photo by Remko de Waal/AFP/Getty Images.

Five sperm whales died on Jan. 13 after being beached on the Dutch island of Texel. Rescue teams were unable to save the poor things after they were spotted ashore on Tuesday.

9. China's unstable stock markets continued sparking global anxieties.

Photo by STR/AFP/Getty Images.

An investor checks out how his country's economy is fairing in Hangzhou, China, on Jan. 11. Stocks over there haven't had the best 2016 so far (to put it lightly). They plummeted after the New Year, as CNBC reported, but seem to be reaching at least a bit of stability in recent days.

10. The National Guard had to step in to help save Flint, Michigan, from poisonous public water (yes, in America).

Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images.

Two years ago, Flint, Michigan, switched up the community's water supply to save a buck. The decision — which was ultimately the state's — turned out to be a disaster, as residents began consuming poisonous levels of lead. This week — after the National Guard began delivering water to residents (seen above on Jan. 13) and news broke that the failure may be linked to a spike in cases of Legionnaires' disease — community members are (justifiably) furious with Gov. Rick Snyder.

11. A shoe-shaped church (for real) now exists in Taiwan. So, naturally, tourists are all about it.

Photo by STR/AFP/Getty Images.

If you've ever wondered if a glass slipper shaped church exists, well now you know. This one's in the Southwest Coast National Scenic Area of Taiwan — not in Eagleton, Indiana ("Parks and Recreation" reference, anyone?). It'll officially open its doors in February. But in the meantime, these tourists, spotted on Jan. 11, couldn't help but a snap a pic.

Although it may technically be a church, there won't be religious services there, as BBC News points out. It'll mostly be used as a space for weddings. And if you're wondering ... why a shoe? Well, duh — they're trying to attract brides to use the location. Because everyone knows that all women just adore shoes, right? (Smart move, guys.)

12. An artist created this masterpiece gown out of 5,940 ruffles of red paper ... and some elbow grease.

Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images for Sotheby's.

Zoe Bradle completed her ridiculously cool art piece made out of (just shy of) 6,000 ruffles at Sotheby's in London on Jan. 14. (Yes, you're looking at a red paper dress sculpture, not an actual dress.)

More

A college football coach shouldn't have to buy job interview suits for his players.

By all accounts, University of Southern Mississippi football coach Todd Monken is a super-good dude.

Just look at that smile! Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images.

Not only was the guy named Conference USA Coach of the Year, he finished out the season by giving each of his players a snazzy parting gift...

Photo via Johnny Magnusson/FreeStockPhotos.biz.

...a brand-new suit.

Jason Munz in the Hattiesburg American has the scoop on Monken's generosity:

"For the second straight year, Monken also outfitted his departing seniors with suits as a gift.

'I’ve always thought, "What could we do for our departing seniors that they can take with them?"' he said. 'Something beyond their memories. And so [the suits] are really for their first [job] interview.'"

Now, when ex-Southern Miss football players show up for post-graduation job interviews, thanks to Monken, they will do so lookin' good.

This is, by all accounts, a great idea, and Monken is clearly a total mensch.

A man who cares. Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images.

The money for the suits came from funds donated to the football program, and it was Monken's idea to do the good deed.

It does, however, raise a teeny tiny question.

Why do college football players need their coach to buy them suits in the first place?

College football is a lucrative business.

In the 2013-2014 season, teams in the top five conferences took in $2.8 billion in revenue — about $1.4 million of which was pure profit (though many smaller programs like Southern Miss essentially break even). And the players have a lot to do with this!

I mean, who can't do that? Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images.

In fact, all of the major NCAA sales items like tickets to games where players play, TV rights to those same games, and merchandise with players names and faces on it — things that allow coaches and school administrators to swim in a pool of money (or whatever it is they do) each week — involve the players' hard work.

Yet college football players don't see a dime of that money.

Zero. Nada. Bupkis.

But wait, what about tuition? These guys get a degree!

Yes, and that does count — for something. But frankly, not that much.

Southern Miss estimates the out-of-state cost of tuition, room, and board at just around $26,000/year. Not only is that pretty darn paltry, that money comes with the obligation of attending class — on top of what is already a full-time job.

In some cases, student-athletes don't even get to reap the benefits of an actual education, as in the case of the University of North Carolina, where administrators enrolled many players in a series of fictional classes so as to monopolize even more of their time.

The coaches and administrators are making bank while the players get squeezed.

NCAA Division 1 coaches, artist's rendering. Photo via iStock.

Mary Sue Coleman, president of the University of Michigan — home of one of the country's top football programs — earns just shy of $1 million/year in total compensation. Rodney Erickson, former president of Penn State, earned a whopping $1.5 million/year in 2013-2014.

But public university presidents may as well be heating up ramen in their two-bedroom converted studio apartments compared to the kind of money football coaches rake in each year.

In the vast majority of states, NCAA coaches are the single highest-paid public employee on the payroll.

University of Alabama coach Nick Saban makes over $7 million/year while his players make precisely $0. The generous Monken himself makes $700,000 annually.

How are these salaries even possible? Because the labor provided on the field and in practice week after week by the highly trained, expert, professional student athletes is — essentially — free.

What can be done about all this?

Photo by Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images.

College football players deserve to be compensated for the work they do and the ridiculous profits they generate. And the thing is, the players actually have a lot of leverage.

When University of Missouri football players went on strike to protest racial injustice, fears over the potential loss of revenue helped convince the university president to resign.

And while Northwestern football players' unionization drive ultimately failed (for now), it helped catalyze at least some reform in the NCAA — and the National Labor Relations Board decision was narrowly tailored enough that players at other schools may yet succeed.

Bottom line: If players continue to organize and demand their rights, good things might start to happen.

'Cause in a perfect world, college football players could afford to buy their own suits — and still have a little left over to all go in on one for the coach.

Instead of the other way around.

Get that man a jacket and some slacks! Photo by the NFL/Getty Images.

Trending Stories