The Ohio State Fair opens its 157th year this week, but it wasn't always held in Columbus. Indeed, Wikipedia tells us that at least 13 different places have hosted the Ohio State Fair. Even Licking County hosted the state fair.
Wouldn't someone have a butter cow, though, if the state fair was proposed to be moved outside of Columbus?
No one would even think of moving the state fair now.
However, after 20 years of Stark County hosting the state high school football championships, a push by Columbus and Ohio State resulted in a political, proverbial punt. Now, Columbus will host the championships for two of the next four years, maybe longer.
Though I now live closer to Columbus than I do to my hometown Massillon, I think someone should have a cow about that Ohio High School Athletic Association's decision.
Ohio Stadium and its 100,000 seats will host games with cities' teams playing where the combined two cities don't have 100,000 population. There will be more empty seats covered by tarps than seats covered by people.
I know because I attended a state Division I title game in Ohio Stadium in the early 1980's. It was cavernous.
The 20,000-seat stadiums at Massillon and Canton are just ideal in size. Plus, the volunteers in these cities serve to make the games family-friendly and the competitive atmosphere fun.
A generation of players knows getting to Massillon or Canton as their ultimate goal every year. The 20-year history was worth preserving.
Moving the games should have been thought of like moving the state fair. Wish it was.
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