Buckeyes Practice Hard & Dine at Lawry’s – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
LOS ANGELES – Ohio State opened its practice Sunday afternoon for members of the media to shoot footage and then later on the football team took part in the annual “Beef Bowl” at Lawry’s The Prime Rib.
Media members used the time to shoot footage of the team and watch practice for well over an hour before being ushered out so the team could conclude its two-hour practice session.
The players worked up a good sweat as the sun peeked through the haze (or clouds) for much of the most-pleasant day that included temperatures in the mid-60s.
Things got intense, too. Practicing in full pads, there was seriousness in the air and on the field with players finishing tackles and a flare-up or two, too. It’s obvious its game week.
Speaking of the Air Talking to a handful of players at Lawry’s The Prime Rib, a number of them said they noticed during practice the air was heavy and it made breathing when winded a bit difficult.
On to the “Beef Bowl” A Rose Bowl tradition for 54 years, the “Beef Bowl” is not so much a competition to see which of the Rose Bowl teams can eat the most prime rib, but rather an opportunity to let the players dine on some of the finest beef around. Some notes on the event:
- Ohio State’s typical four-bus caravan was reduced to three for the trip to Lawry’s as one had engine difficulties. Four busses were on hand for the post-meal ride back to the hotel.
- Kurt Coleman and Jake Ballard, along with coach Jim Tressel, spoke to the media at Lawry’s. They were stationed in front of a Lawry’s backdrop and had literally nowhere to move as a media throng engulfed them.
- The meal consisted of brontosaurus-sized portions of prime rib, mashed potatoes with gravy, a sweet, sweet creamed style corn creation and apple pie. Oh yea, and salad, too, but this night was about beef, not salad.
- This was the 54th “Beef Bowl.” Ohio State first attended in 1980.
- Lawry’s was packed. Absolutely packed. And not just with the Buckeyes. There were Rose Bowl representatives and the Rose Queen and her Royal Court, too. The Royal Court member – Ashley, a local high school senior – that James Georgiades, Ricky Crawford, Nic DiLillo, Nate Ebner and Rocco Pentello dined with ate a pot pie, though. She’s not a vegetarian. She just doesn’t like prime rib.
110 Ounces An Ohio State athletics department representative who has been to seven or eight Rose Bowl games said a handful of players ate 110 ounces of prime rib each during the 1980 “Beef Bowl.” He also said coach Earle Bruce was not too happy with those players after the dinner.
Assist to Barclay Ohio State kicker Devin Barclay, who played MLS soccer before becoming a college football kicker, never played in the Home Depot Center, but he has played against the LA Galaxy “many times” in the Rose Bowl, the Galaxy home before the Home Depot Center was built. Playing for the Tampa Bay Mutiny, Barclay recorded his first MLS assist against the Galaxy in the Rose Bowl in 2001.
Leaving the Trees Ohio State’s Rose Bowl-appointed team coordinator is Hatcher Parnell, a personable young man who has an interesting job when he isn’t taking good care of teams during Rose Bowl week. The former football player and Cal Berkeley graduate is a member of the Cal Berkeley Police Department.
Last year Parnell was part of a 24-7 police lockdown of an area of trees on campus that protestors and activists had climbed and stayed in to keep them from being removed. After several months the last four activists were removed and about half of the 85 coastal oak trees were removed so the school could build its student-athlete high performance center.
Offensive Interviews Offensive line coach/offensive coordinator Jim Bollman and four players will meet with the media Monday morning in the first of four official Rose Bowl interview opportunities. Check back tomorrow for notes and audio from the interview session.
Click on “View Photos” above to view an album of images from Sunday.
###OhioStateBuckeyes.com###
