Ohio Stadium is a monument to one of the most celebrated teams of college football. A nearly 100-year-old colossus designed after the Parthenon in Rome, the stadium draws over 100,000 fans decked in red and grey sweatshirts and face paint to cheer on their beloved Buckeyes. As Columbus native Matt Martin explains in this short film (crafted in response to our monuments video), "The Shoe" has become the hub for a community searching for strength, unity, and belonging in a diverse and fragmented city. But does their fan performance inside the stadium have any bearing on their common flourishing outside of it? How do sports in your own hometown facilitate—or hinder—shalom?
Deborah Gregory is a documentary filmmaker living in Columbus, Ohio, whose recent work includes the feature documentary film Saving Carren.
Ohio Stadium: The Buckeye State's Monument to the Glory of Football
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Jan
Idols, Idols, false idols. Dear God help us. But will He. Has He not been kicked out. The stadium in place of God.
Mike Rizzio
Debbie, False idols and soma...that is a lethal combination. Now multiply this 1,000 times over each Saturday/Sunday and you can see the fix we're in. We have shoehorned religion into a one hour block and even then, are hearts are miles away. As a side note, the temple to all gods is the Pantheon in Rome, the Parthenon is in Athens. And the Pantheon is now a consecrated Catholic Church where Jesus Christ is King.
Nate Clarke
Hal, I don't think the piece was meant to be an exhaustive examination of Columbus but rather what one city's monument says about its population. I would also direct you to this previous story published by Christianity Today http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/december/kingdomcolumbus.html
Hal Merz
What a bad job you have done at looking at Columbus Ohio and not seeing the many evidences of God's people working hard there to redeem the city! Some of us even call Columbus a "spiritual Silicon Valley" because of the things going on here. Like a church that took up a $625,000 offering one Sunday to help people affected by the recession. Like many groups of middle class Christians who have moved to at-risk urban neighborhoods to work with the poor.
Dennis
Nice piece Deb. I couldn't help but chuckle a bit that Matt wore blue to an Ohio State home game. A true Ohio State fan would understand that's a no no. And forgive me for being petty but it is scarlet not red. It is unfortunate that football,for some, has become like a religion. Yes, it provides a sort of community and connecting point, but pales in comparison to true biblical community. Again, nice job Deb. Go Bucks!
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