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The Daily OrangeRace | Angered by Michigan losses, pastor puts allegiance on eBay
By Bill Palka
Posted: 9/25/07, 12:14 AM EST Section: Sports
What Chad McCallum did after Michigan's 39-7 loss to Oregon on Sept. 8 could be considered one of the seven deadly sins in Ann Arbor, Mich.
McCallum, the pastor of Compass Church in Byron Center, Mich., decided enough was enough after the Wolverines' second consecutive crushing defeat to start the 2007 season. His life-long affection for the maize and blue was beginning to fade, so he put his allegiance up for auction on eBay, promising to donate proceeds to Byron Community Ministries. As a result, McCallum would have to root for the winning bidder's favorite college football team.
Unfortunately for McCallum, the $280 winning bid came from the worst of all supporters.
An Ohio State fan.
"Ohio State, that's about as painful as it gets." McCallum said.
The possibility of an Ohio State fan winning the bid did not stop McCallum from expressing his displeasure about the Wolverines. Witnessing the opening week loss to Appalachian State in person was a painful experience that was the tipping point for the former season ticket holder.
"I am done with Michigan," McCallum wrote on the eBay auction page. "With (running back) Michael Hart offering guaranteed victories over 0-2 teams. With the level of arrogance that is obvious at the Big House."
What started as a joke turned quickly into a hot topic of debate. McCallum spoke to a former college roommate about writing letters of resignation to local newspapers and the Michigan athletic department. It dawned on them that they could raise money for a good cause by selling McCallum's loyalty.
"I never heard of people doing it," McCallum said. "It's funny because after I did it, I received multiple e-mails from people saying, 'How unoriginal of you' and 'Did you know so and so did this' and 'Last year, some Detroit Lions fan sold his allegiance' and all of these things. I didn't do it as a publicity stunt, but there's no doubt it brought publicity."
The debate over McCallum's actions got play on local radio shows, as well as Mike and Mike in the Morning on ESPN Radio and shows in Columbus, Ohio. The auction received 39 bids and the page got approximately 4,000 hits, according to McCallum.
All the media attention was displeasing to McCallum's wife, Julie. She is an alumna of Michigan and offered her opinions on the eBay auction page.
"I do not support the actions of my husband," Julie McCallum wrote. "I am proud to be a Michigan alumna. I will stand by my alma mater and their football team, no matter what the outcome of a game or games. My allegiance can not be purchased, as its value to me is priceless."
"She still loves me nonetheless," Chad McCallum said of his wife. "She still has pledged her love to me even though she is a little bummed that now I'm supposedly an Ohio State fan. It's going to take a while for me to grow into that role."
McCallum's existence as a Wolverine fan will be tarnished when he officially changes his allegiance to the Buckeyes. He set increments of money on the eBay page, with each amount promising to do something a little extra in proving his status as a fan of a new team.
For $50 raised, McCallum wears a scarlet and gray jersey on game days.
For $100, the pastor will wear Buckeye colors to church, where it is certain more than a few members will voice their disagreement.
For $150, McCallum will learn the Ohio State fight song and sing it in a public place.
Lucky for McCallum's two sons, the bidding never reached $300, or they would have to don Buckeye garb. True to his occupation of pastor, McCallum will practice what he preaches.
"Some people said, 'Well, you only have to do the thing that is the final bid,'" McCallum said. "My plan is to do all of the things leading up to it, not just the one thing. My wife is probably filing the papers for divorce as we speak."
McCallum might have some regrets of betraying his beloved team. With a 14-9 win over Penn State on Saturday, Michigan has evened its record to 2-2 and is 1-0 in Big Ten play. McCallum conceded he would root for the Wolverines to beat Michigan State, but will keep his word of pulling for the Buckeyes when they face Michigan on Nov. 17.
It's all fun and games for McCallum, who knows he has to keep a sense of humor in order to complete this Judas-like betrayal.
"I'm not saying (UM head coach) Lloyd Carr ought to be fired, and I'm not saying Mike Hart is a bad running back and that Chad Henne is a lousy quarterback," McCallum said. "I'm just saying, 'Hey, this is a lot of fun, and let's try to make something good come out of something bad.'"
Palka's Picks
No. 5 West Virginia (-7) @ No. 18 South Florida
Friday, 8 p.m., ESPN2
Big East beware: The Bulls are for real. South Florida has shown incredible athleticism in its 3-0 start and faces a whole new level of talent against the likes of West Virginia quarterback Pat White and running back Steve Slaton. The Mountaineers get revenge from last year's loss to USF and win a tight one on the road.
Pick: West Virginia 31, South Florida 28
No. 6 California @ No. 11 Oregon (-4.5)
Saturday, 3:30 p.m., ABC
If the Oregon Duck tries to beat up Oski the Bear like it did the Houston mascot, it will probably lose to the more imposing creature. Same goes for the teams on the field. DeSean Jackson will be the difference maker on special teams in a game that will be dominated by offense.
Pick: California 38, Oregon 36
Michigan State @ No. 9 Wisconsin (-7)
Saturday, 3:30 p.m., ABC
The Badgers have won some close games to get to 4-0. Look for Wisconsin to make a statement this week to the voters that it's serious in contending with Ohio State for the Big Ten, and with the rest of the top teams for a national championship.
Pick: Wisconsin 27, Michigan State 17
No. 22 Alabama @ Florida State (-2.5)
Saturday, 5:00 p.m., CBS
Just as conference play has started, this non-conference battle surfaces in a showdown between the SEC and ACC. Alabama suffered a heart-breaking overtime defeat at home to Georgia and will go on the road in hopes of proving the SEC is the best conference in the land.
Pick: Alabama 23, Florida State 20
Syracuse (-2) @ Miami (OH)
Saturday, 3:00 p.m., Time Warner
Who knew Syracuse could turn Louisville into upset city? In a remarkable display of offense against the No. 18 team in the country, the Orange completed one of the biggest upsets in Big East history. It must be careful not to fall into a trap as West Virginia looms ahead.
Pick: Syracuse 23, Miami 17
McCallum, the pastor of Compass Church in Byron Center, Mich., decided enough was enough after the Wolverines' second consecutive crushing defeat to start the 2007 season. His life-long affection for the maize and blue was beginning to fade, so he put his allegiance up for auction on eBay, promising to donate proceeds to Byron Community Ministries. As a result, McCallum would have to root for the winning bidder's favorite college football team.
Unfortunately for McCallum, the $280 winning bid came from the worst of all supporters.
An Ohio State fan.
"Ohio State, that's about as painful as it gets." McCallum said.
The possibility of an Ohio State fan winning the bid did not stop McCallum from expressing his displeasure about the Wolverines. Witnessing the opening week loss to Appalachian State in person was a painful experience that was the tipping point for the former season ticket holder.
"I am done with Michigan," McCallum wrote on the eBay auction page. "With (running back) Michael Hart offering guaranteed victories over 0-2 teams. With the level of arrogance that is obvious at the Big House."
What started as a joke turned quickly into a hot topic of debate. McCallum spoke to a former college roommate about writing letters of resignation to local newspapers and the Michigan athletic department. It dawned on them that they could raise money for a good cause by selling McCallum's loyalty.
"I never heard of people doing it," McCallum said. "It's funny because after I did it, I received multiple e-mails from people saying, 'How unoriginal of you' and 'Did you know so and so did this' and 'Last year, some Detroit Lions fan sold his allegiance' and all of these things. I didn't do it as a publicity stunt, but there's no doubt it brought publicity."
The debate over McCallum's actions got play on local radio shows, as well as Mike and Mike in the Morning on ESPN Radio and shows in Columbus, Ohio. The auction received 39 bids and the page got approximately 4,000 hits, according to McCallum.
All the media attention was displeasing to McCallum's wife, Julie. She is an alumna of Michigan and offered her opinions on the eBay auction page.
"I do not support the actions of my husband," Julie McCallum wrote. "I am proud to be a Michigan alumna. I will stand by my alma mater and their football team, no matter what the outcome of a game or games. My allegiance can not be purchased, as its value to me is priceless."
"She still loves me nonetheless," Chad McCallum said of his wife. "She still has pledged her love to me even though she is a little bummed that now I'm supposedly an Ohio State fan. It's going to take a while for me to grow into that role."
McCallum's existence as a Wolverine fan will be tarnished when he officially changes his allegiance to the Buckeyes. He set increments of money on the eBay page, with each amount promising to do something a little extra in proving his status as a fan of a new team.
For $50 raised, McCallum wears a scarlet and gray jersey on game days.
For $100, the pastor will wear Buckeye colors to church, where it is certain more than a few members will voice their disagreement.
For $150, McCallum will learn the Ohio State fight song and sing it in a public place.
Lucky for McCallum's two sons, the bidding never reached $300, or they would have to don Buckeye garb. True to his occupation of pastor, McCallum will practice what he preaches.
"Some people said, 'Well, you only have to do the thing that is the final bid,'" McCallum said. "My plan is to do all of the things leading up to it, not just the one thing. My wife is probably filing the papers for divorce as we speak."
McCallum might have some regrets of betraying his beloved team. With a 14-9 win over Penn State on Saturday, Michigan has evened its record to 2-2 and is 1-0 in Big Ten play. McCallum conceded he would root for the Wolverines to beat Michigan State, but will keep his word of pulling for the Buckeyes when they face Michigan on Nov. 17.
It's all fun and games for McCallum, who knows he has to keep a sense of humor in order to complete this Judas-like betrayal.
"I'm not saying (UM head coach) Lloyd Carr ought to be fired, and I'm not saying Mike Hart is a bad running back and that Chad Henne is a lousy quarterback," McCallum said. "I'm just saying, 'Hey, this is a lot of fun, and let's try to make something good come out of something bad.'"
Palka's Picks
No. 5 West Virginia (-7) @ No. 18 South Florida
Friday, 8 p.m., ESPN2
Big East beware: The Bulls are for real. South Florida has shown incredible athleticism in its 3-0 start and faces a whole new level of talent against the likes of West Virginia quarterback Pat White and running back Steve Slaton. The Mountaineers get revenge from last year's loss to USF and win a tight one on the road.
Pick: West Virginia 31, South Florida 28
No. 6 California @ No. 11 Oregon (-4.5)
Saturday, 3:30 p.m., ABC
If the Oregon Duck tries to beat up Oski the Bear like it did the Houston mascot, it will probably lose to the more imposing creature. Same goes for the teams on the field. DeSean Jackson will be the difference maker on special teams in a game that will be dominated by offense.
Pick: California 38, Oregon 36
Michigan State @ No. 9 Wisconsin (-7)
Saturday, 3:30 p.m., ABC
The Badgers have won some close games to get to 4-0. Look for Wisconsin to make a statement this week to the voters that it's serious in contending with Ohio State for the Big Ten, and with the rest of the top teams for a national championship.
Pick: Wisconsin 27, Michigan State 17
No. 22 Alabama @ Florida State (-2.5)
Saturday, 5:00 p.m., CBS
Just as conference play has started, this non-conference battle surfaces in a showdown between the SEC and ACC. Alabama suffered a heart-breaking overtime defeat at home to Georgia and will go on the road in hopes of proving the SEC is the best conference in the land.
Pick: Alabama 23, Florida State 20
Syracuse (-2) @ Miami (OH)
Saturday, 3:00 p.m., Time Warner
Who knew Syracuse could turn Louisville into upset city? In a remarkable display of offense against the No. 18 team in the country, the Orange completed one of the biggest upsets in Big East history. It must be careful not to fall into a trap as West Virginia looms ahead.
Pick: Syracuse 23, Miami 17
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Phil
posted 9/25/07 @ 2:05 PM EST
It serves you right, to become a Buckeye. You should never quite on anything, you should no that considering that you are a minister. You were never a real fan anyway. (Continued…)
Verbalist
posted 9/27/07 @ 12:27 AM EST
No real, self respecting Wolverines fan would ever even think of doing this. Ya, the start was disappointing, but this is where true fans stand strong and fans lie him become dust in the wind! Thank God, he has moved on!! Go Blue 4 Life!!!
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