WDYM What Do You Mean?
WDYM What Do You Mean?
Eating the Loss: Finding Power in Football Defeat
Ohio high school football kicked off last week with the seventh meeting between Hamilton and Badin, a crosstown rivalry that has become a showcase for our city. Despite Hamilton's talent and momentum from last year's win, Badin secured their fifth victory in the series with a 38-20 final score.
• The energy seemed off from the start with Hamilton
• Badin returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, immediately shifting momentum
• Hamilton led 14-10 at halftime but couldn't maintain their advantage
• Coach Nick Yordy's second-half adjustments proved too much for Hamilton to overcome
• Hamilton's talented roster includes a poised quarterback and explosive skill players
• The Greater Miami Conference (GMC) title remains within reach despite this setback
• Players should "eat this loss" and use it as motivation for next week against Sycamore
• A Talawanda running back made national headlines with 423 rushing yards in Week 1
Next year game is at Matandy SportPlex, creating another chapter in this evolving rivalry. Go Big Blue!
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Intro by Kobeofei via Fiverr
Season 2 Artwork: Ishida1694 via Instagram
you're listening to the wdym the what do you mean? Podcast, hamilton's number one podcast. Now sit back and relax. Here's hamilton's own, michael gillespie. Welcome to the wdym, welcome to the WDYM. I'm your host, michael Gillespie. As Kobe said, how you guys doing? Hope everybody's doing good. Hope everybody is doing well.
Speaker 1:This episode. This episode is a recap of week one in Ohio high school football. It just started this past Friday and, yes, we have some. We have a, we have a game to discuss. You know the big game in Hamilton Hamilton versus Baton seven. This is the seventh time these two schools in Hamilton has has played each other and it's still wild to me that I'm saying that. But again, I'm glad that it's still happening because it just, it's just such a good thing for the city to see the two schools in our city going against each other, because every game has a story and this one does too.
Speaker 1:But first we have to talk about senior living and the ways to avoid conversation. That's how I'm putting it the ways to avoid conversation. So lately I've had this lady who stops me every time she sees me. Every time she sees me, she has stopped me and tell me a story or something to that nature where we have a conversation where it is 10 minutes too long. You get what I'm saying. This lady has stopped me within the past couple of weeks three times to talk to me about nonsense, or I have come across her while I'm out on somebody and it has to be talked about because it's driving me nuts a little bit.
Speaker 1:So the first time, the first time, this lady stops me in the hallway, she gives me one can of soup. She gives me one can of turtle soup, right? So initially, when I get this can of soup, I'm thinking to myself like is this, is this real turtle soup? Is she just gave me something that the shredder couldn't do is put the turtles in a can and and serve it for food, or something like am I cooking leonardo, donatello, michelangelo and rafael? I know, I know this ain't real turtle soup and it could be a fake turtle soup, but anyway, she gives me the can of soup. She's like can you make us turtle soup With one can of soup? Now, realistically, I'm not. I'm not making this soup. One, she only gave me one can. Two, it's not from an authorized distributor. And three, it just seems disgusting the idea of making turtle soup. So she gives me the can, she's like I think you should make it for everybody, everybody would love it. And blah, blah, blah. So, like I'm looking at this can, I was like, well, you know, trying to be nice, like, well, you know, you only gave me one can and I don't think this would be enough to feed 80, 90 people or whoever comes down. And she's like, well, you know, you could just take it and expand on it. I'm like, okay, well, I will think about it and then I walk away.
Speaker 1:You don't know how many times people give me stuff to cook for them or a pan to cook for them. When we have meatloaf, we have meatloaf and I'm used to having a meatloaf pan. I'm used to having a pan, a thin pan, so I could, you know, stack my meatloaf in and everything. So I make the meatloaf in a hotel pan and sometimes it falls apart. It doesn't cool off enough for me to cut it. When I start cutting it comes undone this, that and the other. Sometimes it comes off crumbly and all that stuff. And then when I go out and do the meet and greets and table touches and all that stuff, I always ask how was the food? The food was great. But the meatloaf fell apart and it's like well, chef, well, what are you going to do about it? Blah, blah, blah. And I'm like you know, I'll try to fix it. You know, I don't know what you want me to say at this juncture, because at the end of the day, I'm just making sure the food is good, so the food is good. So, yeah, she drops off the the turtle soup with me and I go about it.
Speaker 1:The second time I've come across her she was out there talking to somebody and then she started cussing. So when she was cussing, she kept saying the same word over and over again beach, beach, beach, beach again. Remember, this is a g show, I don't be cussing, and all that stuff, right? She just keeps saying beach, beach, beach, beach. And I stopped her and said ma'am. I said ma'am, you don't got to be cussing like that. And she looks at me like I'm crazy and I continue walking. Well, then I hear her motorized scooter. She's following me and you she's following me and you know you can hear as it gets closer I was like, oh shoot, she's trying to run me over and she's like, excuse me, like she's mad at me for for stopping her cursing, like you know you shouldn't be cursing rightfully, so you shouldn't be cursing in public like that.
Speaker 1:She's like excuse me, sir, um, I recall shows from my time that would let people say beach all the time. And here's where the story goes a little bit to the left and she's like, well, there was this one show where there was a negro. And she says that, right. So once she says that, I completely just turn into just like, oh boy, here we go. And I'm just like listening to her, but not listening to her, like just nodding my head because she went to the back in the day. I used to watch this negro show. I'm like, well, which negro show was it? And she's like, oh, I can't remember.
Speaker 1:And I'm like, oh lord, and when they, when, when they start that, it's like I just tune out because like I don't even want to hear where this is going, because this either can go bad or really bad. You know what I'm saying. I don't want to know where you going with this. So at this time I completely zone out and let her talk about this show which I'm assuming was Sanford and Son, but I just didn't. I just, you know when they start with this and then when they start off and they're talking and then they say Negro, the Negro show, or something like that, it's like I don't want to hear what she has to say. So again that interaction happened and it was just weird because I don't want to hear what she had to say.
Speaker 1:The third time she came up to me she was like put up in her motorized scooter. She says when are you going to make us liver and onions? I said me. She said yeah, you promised us. Point her finger, got her little finger out and pointed it at me. She said you promised us liver and onions. And I know for a fact I didn't promise that at all, because I hate liver and onions. I despise the smell of liver and onions.
Speaker 1:Back then one of my former cooks, judah, we used to talk about this all the time. It's like you know, we used to cook liver and onions for them all the time. And I would tell Judah like, look, I don't do liver and onions. Okay, chef or no, chef, I can't stand the smell of liver and onions. I can't do liver and onions. Okay, chef or no chef, I can't stand the smell of liver and onions. I can't do it. If you want to cook it, judah, and satisfy them. Do it on a day that I'm off and so I don't have to smell it. You get what I'm saying. And he would do it. He's like, yeah, okay, I'll do it. And he did it like one time.
Speaker 1:So back to this story. She's in my inner finger, inner finger on my face, like you promised us liver and onions. I said okay, all right. So I go up to her and I talk to other people. I say, hey, you know, did I ever promise you guys liver, onions? And then the idea of liver and onions must take over their brain, because they like the idea of eating liver and onions and like, yes, yes, you did, chef, you promised us liver and onions. I said I did. I said that's weird, because I hate liver and onions. I will never, to this day, I will never, not on purpose, never cook liver and onions, never, I will never cook it. So I kept asking people and some people was like nah, you never said that. But majority of them said yeah.
Speaker 1:So I wanted to stand on the tables and get everybody's attention Attention people, elderly people at this facility and get everybody's attention. Attention people, elderly people at this facility. I, michael Gillespie has been told that I said I will cook you guys liver and onions. This is what I want to do and I want to get them all excited Like, yeah, like, yeah, these chefs are going to make us liver and onions. Because most of the times that I cook something, they like it, they like most of the things I cook, and I want to get them so excited. Again, this is I want. I won't do this, I will never do this, but I will be like, yeah, I want to get them all excited about, yeah, like you promised us liver and onions. And they all get, you know, all excited like, yeah, when are you going to make us liver and onions? And I just want to say, ladies and gentlemen of this facility, I will never cook you liver and onions.
Speaker 1:I hate the smell of liver and onions. So you could take that idea and throw it away, because I will never, ever cook liver and onions for you. I don't care, I won't do it. I will't care, I won't do it. I will make up any excuse not to do it. I just can't stand the smell, let alone cook it. Where it's still the aromatics of it, it's still going to be in the kitchen. I can't, I can't, I won't, I will never, ever cook liver and onions for any facility. If I'm not even going to cook it at home, what's the odds of me cooking it at work? I'm going to tell you never, never, ever, ever will I cook liver and onions.
Speaker 1:So I don't know what she got today when I cook liver and onions. So I don't know what she got to do. I'm pretty sure she got me and Judah confused, which still. It's funny that I say that, because me and Judah are two very different people and it just goes to that stereotype that all black men are the same or we can't tell the difference between two black guys, whatever, not the case here. Judah's taller than me. Judah got better skincare than me, judah's, just he's. He's a different, different person altogether. Like you can't, there's no way you could, you could get us mixed up. There's no way, but I'm pretty sure this lady did. But, needless to say, I will never make you liver and onions. Okay, great conversation.
Speaker 1:So the main topic today is we had the first week of Ohio high school football. Now, I know that a lot of you guys are, you know, are from Ohio, right, and I've had, I got friends from Texas, florida, georgia, pennsylvania that all can say, hey, our state has the best high school football, and I'm going to say you're wrong. I want to say Ohio has the best high school football. Now, we all know Texas likes to build their stadiums and what I've been coming across lately is that Texas high schools are putting millions, millions into Texas high school football stadiums. They are immaculate, they look great, but you never hear from you. Well, I should say I shouldn't say you know, hear from these programs. Just that I've never invested into. Ohio has the best high school football. I can't, I can't, I can't say otherwise, I can't say it doesn't Otherwise. I've been to Georgia and I've seen the rivalry in Valdosta, georgia, with Louds County, oh, and the Valdosta Wildcats itself. It's a great game, great atmosphere and everything, but nothing comes close to Ohio. In my book. Nothing comes close to Ohio and, to bring it even closer to home, nothing compares to my school. I love Hamilton, I love Hamilton High, I love the Bulldogs, I love everything about the history of Hamilton as documented.
Speaker 1:I have talked about Hamilton football for numerous episodes and even the rivalry we have with Baton. Baton is our Catholic school rival and you know every time, anytime you bring up Hamilton high school football or Ohio football in general, you're going to talk about, in some aspect of it you're going to talk about and back in the 80s, 90s, early 2000s, it's all it was all about, and rightfully so, and rightfully so is elite is an elite school, in my opinion. All about Bate, and rightfully so and rightfully so. Bate is elite. It's an elite school, in my opinion. Elite football program that was led by the great Terry Malone. Terry Malone was the coach for Hamilton Catholic, which is now Bate. He was one of the winningest high school coaches in Ohio and he had a way of playing the game of football really, really well. And so in the 1980s, the Hamilton-Bayton games started 80, 81. And then we took a 20-year break and started it up back in 1999, 2000. Take another 20, 23 years, come back in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Now I don't think I talked about the games in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Speaker 1:Needless to say that Bain has dominated this rivalry recently with wins in 1980, 1981, 2000, and 2023. Last year last year was a win for Big Blue on the road quote unquote at Dayton, which was in Fairfield Ohio. Long story short, dayton doesn't have its own stadium. They've never had their own stadium. They've always used other people's stadiums and that's the way it's always been. So last year it was a a dominant performance by hamilton getting the win over baiton and beating them. I think it was 15 to nothing. 15 to nothing, hamilton's getting their first shutout of baiton, making the series more interesting. It was then 4-2. So the momentum, you would say it was on Hamilton's side, because last year's win and a successful season, it just seemed like things were going in the right direction for Hamilton against this rivalry with Dayton. Because, again, we don't play that off this again seven times since 1980. So I mean that says it right there. So, heading into 2025, there was still a good mix of players from last year and players that were coming up to play Baton this year.
Speaker 1:Now, again, I don't talk about kids Before we even get into the game. I don't talk about kids If they are young and they're just doing what they're supposed to do, and I don't like going after kids like that. That ain't it. I don't do that. This is a celebration of a rivalry game and again, these are kids. So it ain't fair for me to say he did this and he didn't do that? Blah, blah, blah, blah blah.
Speaker 1:So, as planning the game, getting ready to go to the 2025 version of the Hamilton versus Baton game, I believe in energy, right, I believe in certain energy, karma, whatever you want to call it. There's got to be certain things put in place. So the energy is right. Call me weird about it. Right, there were certain things that caught my attention Before the season even started, before the game even started. I'm on Twitter XXTwitter, whatever you want to call it and you just see the kicker doing his thing, you see the quarterback coming up doing his thing, you see the running back doing his thing, you see the defense doing their thing. It's like this team is ready, this team is. They just look like they're locked and loaded to do some good this season. Right, do some real good this season. It's like this might be the most momentum Hamilton's had in a very long time where they're consecutively winning. They're winning, you know, seven and three, eight and two seasons constantly going through the playoffs. They're representing Hamilton in a good light and there's no other way to start than starting with Baton. But, like I said, energy is is a certain thing, right, you just believe there's energy out there that has to be straight.
Speaker 1:Number one so there's, there's things that I noticed about the game that caught my attention. Number one was the media. Like there was so much media with the kids from Hamilton. Now, this might be my fault, because I'm looking for this energy. I'm looking for, like, how they're responding, how they're talking and all this stuff. And I just see so much stuff online. It's like yo, these kids are ready, they are so ready to do some good stuff this year and I just see a lot of media and it's like oof, because back in the day, coach Minnery, he was like no, we ain't talking to the media at all. He was shut it down. He said, no, we ain't talking to the media at all, let the game talk. So I'm like, okay, you know, that's an energy thing. He was like all right, you know, maybe we're getting too far ahead of ourselves. I'm like whatever. So that was number one. Like the media energy. It was there, but it was like, you know, I'm a little nervous about it.
Speaker 1:Number two special jerseys. The team Hamilton Big Blue that's the team's nickname. Right, you're expecting the blue jerseys, or maybe they want to be the? Hey, we wore white last year. Maybe we continue to wear white this year. Okay, you know, blue or white, those, those would have been acceptable, jerry. You know just acceptable colors to wear in a rivalry game.
Speaker 1:We pull up into the stadium, me and my wife and I see the black jerseys. Ooh, black jerseys. They look cool, they look, they look really cool. But this is this to me, is energy like this is not the energy we're projecting. I mean, this is just my opinion. We are hamilton big blue. We should be wearing blue jerseys. I don't know this energy. It's just an energy thing for me. And so I'm like, oh, like I don't know why I'm wearing black jerseys. I'm always like chill, chill out, you know it's cool, it's, you know it ain't nothing like that. And all the media and the shots on Twitter, they're all wearing their black jerseys. I'm just like mm. Energy, mm, the energy's not right, mm-mm. Just got this feeling, the energy's not right.
Speaker 1:Then the third thing the game actually starts and Hamilton defers, which is cool. That's nothing wrong with that. The game started. As soon as the game starts, bain takes the kickoff straight to the house for a touchdown. Immediately, the game starts 7-0. And it's like ooh, energy. The energy has just spiked in Bain's favor.
Speaker 1:But I will say this, I will say this, I will say this Hamilton is loaded, hamilton is loaded with talent and it's just. You know, it's just if Hamilton can bring it together. So as the game plays and you can see the energy, the defense, the offense, everything is is working well for Blue and for Baten and you know it's a back and forth game for a while and Hamilton has the lead at halftime 14-10 and the defense is playing lights out. The offense is slow and staggering, but it's the first game. It's the first game. It's the first game and you got all these new pieces that are trying to figure this thing out. Which comes back to my first thing of energy. The energy is there, it's just the connections of it, the connectivity of it. All that stuff is not there yet and you can see it.
Speaker 1:Halftime comes and third quarter comes and this was the the funny thing my wife is sitting there like oh my god, this is the longest quarter in high school football history and I tend to agree that third quarter was very long and the reason part of the reason why is because Baton made the adjustments and just basically came out with a killer mentality, basically ran up the score, so they beat him for the fifth time. The final score was, I believe it was 38-20 and this is now a. The seventh game is concluded and it's now a. The seventh game is concluded and it's now a five to two lead for Bain. Seeing the boys a little dejected again, I let we left about four or five minutes left in the game and, as we're leaving, bain scores again to cement the win and it's like it's frustrating as a fan of Hamilton. It is frustrating to know that last year you put up a solid defense performance, a great offense performance, a shutout win, all the momentum, and yet Baton beating us for the fifth time. Great offensive performance, a shutout win, all the momentum, and yet Baten beating us for the fifth time. They have beaten us. Oh my God, again, again, again, again, again. Oh my God, nice over. And like I, always, when, when this happens, when, when Baten wins this game against Hamilton, minus the 80-81 games because wasn't born yet and everything, 19 or let's see 2000, understand, understand why the 2000 game, why they won again was Tommy Puma. Tommy Puma scored every point in that game to win the game practically by itself. 2023 game was just a just a, a dominant performance by bait. And now this, this game was the adjustments game. The adjustments that they made by coach nick yardy of baiton just proved to be too much, and it's always and that's what happens it always feels like Hamilton's one step behind, and so it is now 2-5, 5-2, whatever you want to call it.
Speaker 1:I was reaching out to some of the parents of the kids that play, and some of them are, you know, dejected, especially some of the seniors. They will be dejected and obviously so. They're 1-2, depending on when they're playing and everything. They're 1-2 against Baton and that's it. They can't play Baton, no more, and they're dejected. And probably the team is dejected because I'm pretty sure that they felt like they had a chance and the scores indicate that they did have a chance. Just, it wasn't put together, the energy wasn't put together Like like I want and like the team wanted.
Speaker 1:But what I say, what needs to be said, is um, they need to eat this, they need to eat this loss. And you may ask yourself what does that mean? What does that mean exactly? It means you take that into next week. Yes, you lost to the Bain Rams. There's no real shame in that Frustrated yes, but there's no shame in losing to a team that goes to the playoffs. Almost every year Bain has a high-quality team, so there's nothing to be disappointed about. What I will say is eat it. Eat this loss and carry it with you next week when you play Sycamore and when you play Lakota West. Take that, eat it and embrace it. So you, you have that feeling that because they play bait next year at baiting, so, like I said, baiting now has their own stadium, now and this will be the first time Hamilton plays Bain at officially at Bain and they need to take it and just eat it. Eat this man.
Speaker 1:So the players that do come back, they should be ready. I mean you, that's what you, that's what you say every year that you guys should be ready. But take this and keep going, man Cause, again, this team is talented. I have never seen a high school quarterback at hamilton that has so much pocket presence that it seemed like he was not worried at all. That's something. The running back he was getting the holes open, shooting through just not all. It just not all there. Yet I mean, you have so much talent. On the receivers end, the defense was playing, the O-line was playing Double nickel, that boy, he's talented. Double nickel, 5'5" Talented.
Speaker 1:And the thing about it is that the GMC, the conference that we're playing the hardest conference in Ohio, is up for grabs. I'm going to put it out there. It's up for grabs for Hamilton to win, because Hamilton hasn't won a GMC since 19,. Yeah, I went there 19,. I believe last night was 1997 or 98. That was a long time ago, ladies and gentlemen. And this team is loaded man, and I know, I know the blue side is hurt right now Because we won. I know, like, looking at the game and we were up 14-10. And even if they scored that first touchdown off a kickoff, like they fought back. And that's what I love about this team this year they have character, they have every tool in the toolbox to be successful and I hope, and I hope that they take it and eat that bait and loss and take it with them and then go up there because they play Sycamore next week and put their hands on them because they are so loaded, they are so loaded, so they are so loaded. So I hope that they take that L and eat it and then show Sycamore what Big Blue is all about. But it's going to be tough man. It's going to be tough because the GMC is loaded every year.
Speaker 1:Since the birth of the GMC there's always been one dominant team. Even in the 80s it was Princeton, the 90s Colerain, the early 2000s Colerain, and now we're at a point where it's Lakota West that is dominating. But it seems like anybody can get it. Anybody can get it if they play hard and all that stuff. And I think Hamilton this year, I think we're loaded, and then next year, next year, take that L, eat it and play Baton at Baton. Just imagine that, imagine being next year's team and they're like hey, we have, we have a chance to to really create some history and take it to them on their field, something that's never happened before. They just got their new stadium. Well, how great would it be for Hamilton to say, hey, we got you. And so they could be worrying about losing to Hamilton again at Baton.
Speaker 1:And one other thing I want to add about this game I'm sick of playing Baton at Hamilton Because it seems like every time we play him in our stadium we lose. Now again, mind you, they didn't have a stadium then, but 99, 2000,. 99, 2000, 23, 24 and 25. Five times we've lost to them 2000, 23, 25, three times. I just think we should just play somewhere else, because when we played at Fairfield we handled it, but again could be the energy.
Speaker 1:And one last shout out for Baton they probably have the best fans period. They are loud, they are supportive. It's a good feeling. And again to see them across the way being loud, being supportive, that's what I love about the game. Even we are. It's a rivalry game. About the game like even we are. It's a rivalry game and we don't like them, they don't like us.
Speaker 1:At the end of the day, we're all Hamilton and it's a great display of what people in Hamilton are all about. And it's fun, it is absolutely fun to see these kids go out there and play and they're playing hard. They are playing so hard. It's a wonderful game. It's a wonderful game and maybe next year I don't know how many losses we can handle. I don't know. I don't know if we just admit defeat because this one was rough man, because I I swore up and down like hamilton will have the talent to know about, because we're playing them consistently now. So it's like, hey, we know how talented they are and vice versa. I would have put money on it. I would have put money on Hamilton winning, but it's okay, it's all right. Eat the loss and use that as energy for the rest of the season. I mean playing a caliber team like Baton. It gets you prepped for the season.
Speaker 1:And one last thing, one last thing, one last thing I want to say Can we quit playing this game on week one? Week one rivalry games are weird, are so weird to me. Could you imagine Michigan and Ohio State playing week one? That would just awkward. No, michigan and Ohio State playing week one, that was just awkward. No, I enjoyed end of season heck, and then in the 80s it was mid season. But you know, that's just me as a fan. If we can get that at the end of the season, where all the teams are locked and loaded and ready to go and playoffs are coming, I think that'll be a better game. But I digress, I am just a fan and I'm looking forward to next year sitting in Baton watching Hamilton and Baton for 2026.
Speaker 1:Before we go, I do want to talk about this young man, this running back in Tallahassee, or Oxford, ohio, to be exact. This man has gone absolutely bonkers. Why do I say that he's a leading rusher, not in Ohio, in America. In America, this man rushed for 423 yards. Where are you going, man? Where are you going? 423 yards in one game? Did they have 11 players? Obviously they did, because he went ham. Now I want to go see this man play and thankfully, taliwanda has four games in a row at home and they got a beautiful stadium too. So that's on my what do you call it? My bingo sheet for 2025 to go watch this man, this young man, play football.
Speaker 1:423 yards in one game. Is that not maddening stuff or not? That's crazy. But yeah, hamilton players I know you're probably not going to listen to this, and that's cool Eat the loss and come back with some ferocity if that doesn't work. Ferocity, ferociousness, there you go, come out and play like the Hamilton players that you are right. Whoop up on Sycamore and then we'll talk about it next week. I'm your host of the WDYM, my name is Michael Gillespie. Go big blue and I'm out host of the WDYM. My name is Michael Gillespie, go Big Blue and I'm out Girl Scout, boy Scout, peace.
