Prior to this evening’s Oregon v. Ohio State National Championship game in Dallas, ESPN cameras picked up the following signage, the handiwork of Parma, OH resident Ken Ross Jr. Via the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Death Of Samantha’s John Petkovic provides the fascinating backstory :

You know Ross, right? He’s the happy-go-lucky guy that manages the Rivergate Café in Cleveland’s Flats? Yeah, the dude with the big beard. Yeah, that guy.

“I woke up from a dream and it hit me,” says Ross, via phone from Dallas. “I figured some would get the Cleveland reference and some wouldn’t, but I don’t care.”

Of course, the sign refers to a scene in “A Christmas Story” where Ralphie’s mom comes out against duck heads.

Soon after unveiling the sign today, Ross realized that he had a winner on, er, in his hands.

“Troy Smith was doing an interview with ESPN and he stopped and looked at me and laughed and pointed at the sign,” says Ross, referring to the former Bucks QB. “Everywhere I go people are taking pictures of me – I’ve become the guy with the funny sign.”