It feels wrong to reach the week of Michigan vs. Ohio State without Tom Adelsberg. Many of you knew Tom as a die-hard Buckeye fan. He was the guy always posting pictures with his family and friends at OSU games, drinks at the bar, the food he was about to eat, or scenes from his vacations. He lived for this rivalry and showed that you could passionately love your team while keeping things fun and kind.
Tom always rocked Ohio State gear, loved chatting about all things Buckeyes, and somehow, his closest friends included Michigan fans who loved him just as much as he loved them.
Tom sadly passed away earlier this year and this week—one of his absolute favorites—doesn’t feel the same without him. He used to do a countdown post every day leading up to The Game. To honor him, @embattledbuck and I created the @TomAClock, which now continues his countdown tradition.
It’s a nice reminder, but let’s be honest—it’s not the same as having Tom here. He was a model for how we should all approach this rivalry: passionate about your team, respectful of rivals, always able to laugh at a good joke (even when it was about his Buckeyes), and willing to dish out some friendly trolls of his own. Tom also often shared pictures of his wife and daughter—proof of how much he loved and cherished them.
I had planned to meet Tom in person but sadly our scheduled plans were for a few weeks after he passed. It's strange how you can get to know someone so well on here that you've never met and consider them a friend, but I did and I miss my friend a lot.
Let's honor Tom's memory by following what he did: enjoy the rivalry banter and have some laughs but make sure it is never hateful, personal or truly unkind. This place was always a little lighter and a little brighter with him here. Tom knew that people life was far more important than sports.
If you're still reading this, I hope you’ll join me in keeping this space the way Tom would have wanted it: fun, respectful and uplifting. And if you see someone taking things too far, maybe gently remind them what this place should really be about.
I believe Tom will be watching The Game this week, yelling “Go Bucks!” from above. If Ohio State wins, I bet he’ll belt out Carmen Ohio loud enough for all of Columbus to hear. And if Michigan wins, he’ll still smile, congratulate Wolverine fans, and start counting down the days until next year’s matchup against that team up north.
We miss you, Tom. We love you. And we’ll always remember you. I’ll be thinking of you this week—especially during The Game. Go Bucks and Go Blue forever. 💔🥹
Former Jim Harbaugh staffer who had a then-current Jim Harbaugh staffer on his sideline in disguise last year for game vs. Michigan State retires. Nothing to see here.