Don't Put Me In, Coach

February 13, 2012
Titus, a four-year Ohio State University basketball benchwarmer, first garnered national attention for Club Trillion, his humorous blog detailing his adventures riding the pine. Now a staff writer for ESPN’s Grantland Web site, Titus recalls his mischievous days on a perennially powerful squad, where he did everything—including declaring himself eligible for the NBA draft—to distance himself from the scrappy, just-happy-to-be-here walk-on stereotype. Thanks to a Will Ferrell–loving coach who tolerated Titus’s antics, the young man enjoyed himself, “pulling pranks on superstar teammates, routinely falling asleep during film sessions, and basically spending every day with the team trying to figure out exactly how much I could get away with.” The Maxim demographic will revel in Titus’s rebellious tales, which come with a heaping portion of snarky, bro-friendly prose, scatological humor, and pop culture references. Those who can overlook that style—a difficult request, perhaps—will find an enthusiastic narrator who colorfully reveals that the unifying concept of a team doesn’t always triumph over an array of personalities. And under all the pranks and immaturity, Titus is a likable, forthright narrator.