In Friday’s column, I told about four years of my
dad’s pranks — most recently an ad in The Michigan
Daily in which “a big blue lover” was encouraged to
call my cell phone and ask for “Little Lost Jimmy
Weber.” Then, I guaranteed he would regret making the trek
from our home in Columbus to Ann Arbor this weekend.
- Janna Hutz
- Jim Weber (right of his father) checked on “Old Man Columbus” at halftime. (TONY DING/Daily)
He did.
Not only did my dad have to sit through a 35-21 loss to
Michigan, he did it in the Michigan student section. My dad was due
to sit in the Ohio State section, but when he stopped by my house
Friday, I did him the favor of secretly switching his ticket to the
more energetic student section.
While I was in the press box, students surrounding my dad
affectionately referred to him as “Old Man Columbus.”
He was mocked throughout the game for constantly shaking his head
at the Buckeyes’ misfortunes and reminded to take his useless
Ohio State seat cushion as he exited the game midway through the
fourth quarter.
According to students around him, when my dad left the Big
House, he had just one thing to say: “I’m not coming
back for a long, long time.”