Nelson Ledges Chaplain’s Notes

 NOVEMBER 2007

 RIVALRY

This is the week of the Ohio State Michigan game. It is arguably the greatest rivalry in all college sports. The Big House & the Horseshoe, Hail to the Victors & Script Ohio are all wonderful backdrop to the over 100 year war between the Buckeyes and that team up north. There were those special 10 years of Woody Hayes verses Bo Schembechler. They had that love/hate relationship that comes when the mentor and the student compete. Woody once went for two extra points, so he could score 50 points on Michigan. When asked why, he said “because I couldn’t go for three.” Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson struck the Heisman pose in the end zone leading their Michigan team to victory on their way to winning the Trophy. The Buckeye team gets a small gold football pants charm every time they beat the Wolverines. It is always a hard fought but clean rivalry.

Racing has sure had its share of rivalries. When I first started following racing, it was Ford against Ferrari in international endurance racing. The legend is that Henry Ford II tried to buy Ferrari and all was in agreement until the name of the race team was discussed. Ford wanted Ford Ferrari and Enzo Ferrari want Ferrari Ford. It was the deal breaker. Enzo Ferrari was always the Immovable

Object. Ford, known as “The Deuce,” vowed to beat Ferrari at his own game. Millions of greenbacks later, after defeats at the Le Mans 24 in 1964-1965 and at the 1965 24 Hours of Daytona to maybe the most beautiful race car ever, the Ferrari 330P4, Ford came back to a 1, 2, 3 sweep at the 1966 Le Mans 24 with the Ford Mk II. This was followed with the record setting win the next year by my racing hero, Dan Gurney, and A J Foyt in the Ford Mk IV. Variants of the Ford GT went on to win the next three Le Mans 24 races.

 We have also seen many great rivalries between drivers. Senna and Prost was a classic battle. Later came Schumacher versus Damon Hill. Stock car racing had more than its share. Petty vs Allison, Petty vs Pearson, Earnhardt vs Elliot, Earnhardt vs Waltrip, well I guess, Earnhardt vs Everybody!

There is also that rivalry in your heart. You know, the one between the good angel on your one shoulder and that little devil on the other. May your good angel always win!

God Bless,

Chaplain Gray    Ohio State 1971

chapnlrc@aol.com