NAILED ITWhen you hear things about Ohio State athletics nowadays, it’s usually about NCAA violations, cars, tattoos, or Jim Tressel. But on Tuesday night, Ohio State’s finest athletes displayed their talents off the field at the 5th annual Buckeyes Got Talent show for the Boys and Girl’s Club of Columbus.
Several student athletes from every sport, including the recent 2011 champion men’s volleyball team, put on a talent show for several members of the Boys and Girl’s Club of Columbus. Judging the show were seven judges, including notables: Ron Stokes, former Ohio State basketball player from 1981-1985; Jerod Smalley, sports broadcaster for NBC 4 sports; and the one and only Mark Titus. The show’s host was Kelsey Webb, a 2004 graduate of OSU and current member of WCNI’s Morning Zoo.
The show featured 10 acts from various varsity athletes. The top three acts of the show, according to the judges, were the football team, the men’s volleyball team and finally the fencing team coming out on top with the victory.
The football team’s act featured senior defensive lineman Evan Blankenship. Blankenship, who has performed in three previous Buckeyes Got Talent shows, played a guitar version of Rihanna’s “California King Bed”. But that’s not all, the man can sing too. People sat in utter amazement as the 6’3-275 lineman belted out a beautiful voice, which prompted judge Mark Titus to demand that Blankenship walk out of the room with the trophy.
The men’s volleyball team’s second place act featured two of its members playing a personally written song on guitar and bass for one of the performer’s girl friend. But of course they had to brag a little bit about their recent triumph with winning the NCAA volleyball national championship. So each member of the team came on stage and sang “We are the Champions” behind a screeching electric guitar played by one of their teammates.
Without a doubt though, the fencing team’s performance stole the show. Michael Jackson lives on through Ohio State’s men’s and women’s fencing teams, as they did a near perfect imitation of Michael Jackson’s music video for the hit “Beat it.” In case you were wondering, yes, they even did the moonwalk a couple times.
But after the day was done, the true winner was the Boys and Girl’s Club of Columbus who raised $11,400 from ticket sales and a donation from Safe Auto. Besides the members of Boys and Girl’s Club who were there, the majority of the seats were filled by student athletes who wildly cheered on their fellow team mates. It’s very refreshing to see a school that has come under such scrutiny from the NCAA do something great for the community.
As the Ohio State’s mens volleyball put it at the end of their performance, “Although we all play different sports, we’re still on the same team."
