General Forum

Wondering how others would view this as far as a collection completion.  My personal goal is to collect trading cards depicting anyone associated with Ohio State, whether as a player, coach, or attendee.  This includes across all sports, even obscure sports, as well as non-sports (actors, politicians, etc).

If you were building such a collection, would you include:

a) honorary degrees, which would include the likes of several presidents along with Jack Hanna, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Marcel Marceau, John Glenn, Walter F. Mondale, and others? 

b) Rutherford B Hayes, who was governor of Ohio and signed the legistlation that established The Ohio State University?

I have my opinion, and I know the ultimate answer is "whatever makes me happy with my collection," so no copout answers.  XD  If this were your collection, would either of those goals make you happier with your collection or not move your needle?

a) No. Honorees did not attend Ohio State. Did not attend classes at Ohio State. Were never part of the Ohio State campus community. IMO, honorary degrees are a slap in the face of people who spend 4 years (and a lot of money) earning their degrees.

b) Yes. Can't give a specific reason, it just feels right.

Neither goal would make me happier nor move my needle.

What C2C said, +1.

Ooops, was that a copout?

-Tom

I agree with Lea DeFoote who agrees with C2Cigars

I disagree. 

a) Yes. If your collection is "anyone associated with Ohio State" then honorary degrees count towards that, despite your opinion concerning said "degrees". (Personally I agree with C2C.)

b) Yes, for the same reason.

still gonna keep this open to hear other thoughts.  My initial lean was similar to kcjays, and include honorary.  If Ohio State thought enough of a person to bestow an honorary degree, then that's good enough for my collection.  And as someone that has spent lots of time and money at OSU, I never felt slighted when an HD was handed out, considering those that 'earn' it have done, generally, remarkable things for Ohio and / or the nation.

I started this thought by trying to remember if Lebron James had been given an HD.  As of now, he hasn't, but it wouldn't surprise me for him to receive one after he retires from NBA playing.  He already is one of OSU sports' better ambassadors, and has said repeatedly that if he were forced to attend college, it would have been as a Buckeye.  But if my collection includes HD, that would add several thousand cards to my need list, and I wasn't sure how 'appropriate' that would be.  Of course, he could always go back and attend classes at OSU after retiring, making my decision to include him easy.  But that got me thinking about the variable in the first place.

I am now thinking that I may lean away from HD, and simply add Jack Hanna and John Glenn as wants for my collection without storing them with the other Buckeyes.  I also collect St. Louis Cardinals, Columbus Bluejackets, and other teams, but enjoy pulling, for example, George Brett and Nolan Ryan even though neither had anything to do with Cardinals or Buckeyes.  Hanna and Glenn may fall under that category.

I'm not done deciding, though, so please continue to give me input.  Thanks!

Also, I have all but decided that Rutherford B Hayes should be included in my Ohio State collection.  Similar to C2C, I can't really describe why other than it just feels right.

I am on the fence. Here is why, I collect any player accociated with the Edmonton Oilers NHL team, draft picks, obscure trades, and of course Minor Leaguers ......... but for the last one only to a point. I include the main farm team and not the secondary. Why? Because the amount of players who have nothing to do with the Oilers. At what point do you cut a collection off. I allow F/A player tryouts and minor leaguers signed by the main farm team to be included as the amount of Oilers property players vs other players is heavy to the Oilers favor where as the secondary team is leaning WAY over to the other side, maybe one or two ever play down there. So to keep my collection managable I exclude the secondary team completely as more often that not the players that DO play for the secondary are in the draft pick or trade section of my collection already. Sorry to ramble on like this but it is making a point. You as the collector have to make the decision as to how deep you go in to the "anybody who" catagory. So on one hand I say yes the Honorarys should be included as you state "anybody who" but on the flip side, why include somebody who made a speech and got a peice of paper. That to me is not all that important. Use everyone's opinion to help you out and MAN regardless that will be a massive collection!! Good luck =)

I believe  no HD from the school, but a card of Garfield would be good as his signing started Ohio State.

but what about the athletes?  they don't go to class either, ha ha

mark