Stupid

[Derek]

What good does it do to suspend the coach for two games?

[donovan]

Here are the emails, which further muddle it for me.

http://www.610wtvn.com/pages/template/tressels_emails_march2011.pdf

This Doug Archie is the compliance officer for OSU. So how can they say it was not reported to the compliance officer?

[Spence]

Here are the emails, which further muddle it for me.

http://www.610wtvn.com/pages/template/tressels_emails_march2011.pdf

This Doug Archie is the compliance officer for OSU. So how can they say it was not reported to the compliance officer?

He found them while searching the coaches email on another unrelated matter in January. So Coach Tressel didn't report them at all, much less when he should have reported them. Not good IMO.

[Spence]

What good does it do to suspend the coach for two games?

The way I understand it he can have nothing to do with the team for the first couple of games including practices leading up to the games.

[donovan]

I have changed my mind. OSU President Gee continues to be a egotistical inarticulate pompous rear end. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCutRJvTK6c(Maybe he should observe the Little Sisters of the Poor do not trade their habits for tattoos; or maybe they do..hmm.)

AD Smith...may be a good administrator...but AWOL on this one.

Tressel as good as a man that he may be, tried to slip this one by. There are so many more questions than answers here.

Fire them all. Then rethink your values. Does not matter if all the schools in the country do the same thing...Explanations should not make understanding even more confusing.

[Spence]

This is what I believe happened - Tressel got the email from the attorney informing him of the federal investigation, the NCAA violation, and asking it to be kept quiet. I believe Tressel did take it to Gene Smith and maybe Gee, because Tressel would cover his butt on something like this - that is just his nature. When it all came down the fact that they knew didn't come out so they left it alone. (which is a huge NCAA violation) Then in January, OSU's compliance found the emails while working on another matter. OSU compliance's job is to act as an arm of the NCAA, so they started a formal investigation and notified the NCAA. Smith and/or Gee had no defense for not including this info in the first investigation. ( that is lack of institutional control in a big way) They decided that Tressel had an excuse - however flimsy (he was asked to not impede a federal investigation), but still kept it quiet after the investigation was over - and Smith and/or Gee doesn't enjoy the same stature that Tressel has with the board of regents, alumni, and fans. Basically, they threw the coach under the bus ( but saved his job) to save their reputations, jobs, and keep the school from really getting hit hard because of this. Not absolving Tressel of this, because this is worse than the story that he gave, but I can't imagine this coach not informing someone at the school of this earlier. He is to sharp to let something like this slide.

I think that at the very least Gene Smith should lose his job here. Probably all three involved.

[Spence]

I guess Jim Tressel was never questioned by the NCAA, so he technically never lied to them. This is starting to sound like the Clinton impeachment testimony.

The more I know about this the more disgusted I am by the attitude. I thought Garrett's arrogance in the face of the NCAA investigation of SC caused the NCAA to come down harder on them and I think Gee, Gene Smith, and JT expecting people to buy what they are selling here smacks of the same kind of arrogance. Not good.

When are schools going to get that this is a very different time than twenty years ago and longer. Every reporter in every town is looking to break a big story bringing down a successful program, which has been true since the 70's, but know cell phones w/ camera's, email, you tube, and instant contact across the country make that light shine so bright that the truth is going to come out. The more successful you are the brighter that light is going to shine on you.

[GoBoilers]

From the tattoo parlor to where Pryor sold his rings, to free loaner cars. The NCAA is IRRELEVANT. As I have opined on another thread, if your team is constantly in the top 15-20 in fball or bball (that will catch my Boilers), there is dirt somehwere. Not saying every coach knows-because they don't want to know. But, $$$ flows to our indentured "student/athletes". The very word is becoming more hilarious every month. Get rid of the NCAA and the money. The game won't be as prolific but it will survive. I have come to the conclusion this is a bigger problem than most of us want to believe at MANY institutions and to a lesser degree at ALL.

[Spence]

I don't think you can stop kids breaking the rules completely. I do have a problem with the guys who are getting paid breaking the rules. That is far worse IMO, then anything the athletes do.

[donovan]

Spence is right. The keepers of the gate need to be forthright. The students can do whatever they want. They just may not able to play ball or attend the school. These rules...right or wrong...are not a secret to these kids. But for this on going saga of all these coaches "covering up" is not acceptable. I can buy the NCAA is out of control and dated and the Presidents have abdicated their responsibility. But covering up transgressions is pretty basic. In this case you have a college president who brags about his presidency of several conferences. He is not an athletic novice. An AD who is AWOL and a coach who had a serious error in judgment, and it seems to continue. What is bothersome is we send our kids to these schools to be taught, among other things, civility and ethics.

[Spence]

Spence is right. The keepers of the gate need to be forthright. The students can do whatever they want. They just may not able to play ball or attend the school. These rules...right or wrong...are not a secret to these kids. But for this on going saga of all these coaches "covering up" is not acceptable. I can buy the NCAA is out of control and dated and the Presidents have abdicated their responsibility. But covering up transgressions is pretty basic. In this case you have a college president who brags about his presidency of several conferences. He is not an athletic novice. An AD who is AWOL and a coach who had a serious error in judgment, and it seems to continue. What is bothersome is we send our kids to these schools to be taught, among other things, civility and ethics.

I agree completely and I would really rather defend Ohio State here, but I just can't. I would like to go back to when Andy Geiger was AD. During the Clarrett mess Clarrett told the AD that he could "blow up" Ohio State football with what he knew - in a room with Geiger, the NCAA, and himself - and Geiger said "OK then, blow it up - tell us everything you know". That is how a responsible AD should go about controversy. If anyone at the school who knew about this would have handled it right to start with, there would be no trouble. A couple of players would have missed a couple games and the school could have used it as a teaching moment. Instead, they make it so much worse. I hate to say it, but they deserve everything the NCAA throws at them - when they throw it at them. I won't say a word about unfair or compare this situation with any other.

[GoBoilers]

I agree. That is why so many coaches don't want to know. Once they are aware of a violation the are obligated to act. IN this case, it appears Tressel just "overlooked it"?1? He sure seemd to be aware of potential problems based upon the emails.

[Spence]

He didn't say he over-looked it. His excuse was that he had a play that was murdered in the past, one that got lost in the drug culture, and mixed up with unsavory characters and he was "afraid" that if he interfered in the investigation that something bad might have happened to one or more of his players. Probably playing on his Youngstown State days. The Youngstown Canton area is one of the most dangerous parts of Ohio. It is a big organized crime area. Columbus is big city, but not nearly as dangerous. Anyway that was his excuse. I would think if you had a couple players involved in something like this you call in their parents, the school administration, and the NCAA and let them know what was happening and get the kids away from this mess. That would take all the power away from the "bad guy".

I believe Tressel went to someone and they decided together not to do anything. Then when it didn't come out after the investigation was over, they decided not to do anything about it. Then when compliance caught it they couldn't say anyone else knew because that is "lack in institutional control" and big time penalties. So coach fell on the sword. I don't think that Tressel will coach another game at Ohio State. I think the hole is too deep. It is a shame because he is a well respected coach from a repected coaching family in Ohio. I think generally he has done the right thing as a coach and in the community, but he clearly broke the rules here and nothing anyone says will change that fact. I don't think even if everything Tressel said was completely true that he can walk away from this. I hope at least this is the start of not letting coaches look the other way and get away with it.

[donovan]

What is a travesty in all of this...some two-bit punk athlete takes down a coach... Schools would be best to steer away from these five star narcissistic, spoiled, puerile, self delusional throwbacks.

[Spence]

What is a travesty in all of this...some two-bit punk athlete takes down a coach... Schools would be best to steer away from these five star narcissistic, spoiled, puerile, self delusional throwbacks.

I know what you are saying, but the coach brought himself down. It isn't like he hasn't been around and knows the score. Tressel grew up in the college football world and has played and coached at all levels. He knows the rules, he knows the value of discipline. He knows what to do and what not to do in every facet of the game. The kids only have the power coaches give to them.