Russia, Russia, Russia

Hey everyone, it’s Steve, Brett, and Norm here from Common Sense Ohio, fresh from another packed episode. Summer flew by, but Ohio’s just heating up—and wow, did we have a lot to unpack this week.

First off, shoutout to Canton! If you missed it, this is the spot where the NFL was born back in 1920. We had a bit of fun remembering the Canton Bulldogs, Dayton Triangles, and of course, our own college days floating peanut shells in dark beer up there. If you’ve never made the pilgrimage to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, put it on your Ohio bucket list.

But it wasn’t all nostalgia. The Russia-Ukraine situation dominated our conversation, especially with Trump and Putin’s recent meeting in Alaska. We had to laugh at the media’s predictable panic: no matter what Trump does, it’s somehow the wrong move in their eyes. From staging intimidating flyovers to lining up direct talks between Putin and Zelensky, there was a lot going on behind the scenes. Norm pointed out how rare and risky these negotiations really are—let alone in the middle of a hot war. We threw back to history, too, comparing today’s chest-thumping with moments like FDR dealing with Stalin or Reagan’s “united front” era. It’s wild how much has changed (and hasn’t).

Closer to home, we dove deep into the Blendon Township police shooting. There’s no sugarcoating how tragic this event was—the intersection of police work, public compliance, and societal attitudes about crime is more complex than ever. We all agreed: it’s a mess when lawlessness becomes the norm, officers are put in impossible situations, and tragedies like this happen.

And then, curveball: Gordon Gee’s back at Ohio State for a (third!) stint, apparently as a well-paid advisor. Norm’s not thrilled. What’s up with making OSU harder to get into than ever? (And, where’s the affordable, accessible state university we knew?)

We capped things off with some good, bad, and just plain weird (hello, “trad wife” and “delulu” additions to the dictionary). As always, we’re bringing Ohio’s news to you—right from the middle.

Thanks for hanging with us. Drop your thoughts at CommonSenseOhioShow.com and let’s keep the conversation going. Go Bucks!