Killer Nuts Tailgating

A couple weeks ago, I announced that here at Killer Nuts Tailgating, we would no longer recognize the Big Ten’s chosen names for its two football conference divisions, as they are stupid.

I also said the B1G’s chosen names would be replaced here by Beef and Pork, appropriate, I thought, for our solidly Midwestern culinary sensibilities.

I am standing by those two assertions.

However. Over the weekend, I began to reconsider the third part of the re-naming equation, which stated that Ohio State plays in the Pork Division. It was the notion that Minnesota and Iowa, both members of the other division, play annually for the Floyd of Rosedale Trophy, pictured above. I thought about Wisconsin, a member of our division, and its reputation for dairy farming. I thought about the pastures that dot northwest Columbus, all owned by Ohio State, and the hundreds of cattle that peer through those fences at traffic on Kenny and Sawmill roads.

And I thought about a delicious, juicy double cheeseburger. (I had been sick all week, and was dying for something other than soup.)

When I announced that we were members of the Pork Division, I immediately got some pushback from other KNTers. I stuck by my pronouncement at the time … but I’m now reconsidering.

So now I’m asking. Are we pork, or are we beef? And you guys get to decide.

A few things to consider:

• Pork is inherently, and infinitely, more fun.
• White Castle, which claims to use 100 percent beef in their hamburgers, is based in Columbus.
• Two members of the other division, Nebraska and Iowa, are among the Top Five beef-producing states.
• Bacon.
• Four of the five states represented in our division — Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Illinois — are among the Top 10 pork-producing states.
• But so are Iowa and Nebraska, members of the other division.
• Carnitas.
• Wisconsin, a member of our division, is second only to California in dairy production.
• Steak.
• Without pork, there would be no stuffed pork chops.
• Without beef, there would be no double cheeseburgers.

So what’s it going to be, boys and girls? Poll closes at 11:59 p.m. Friday.

—

Photo source.