5 players suspended for 5 games in 2011 regular season (Appeal has been denied)

[LordJeffBuck]

I can't sit here and stop shaking my head when we have 5 guys losing 5 games next year for selling stuff that belonged to them....

The reason that the players get in trouble for "selling stuff that belonged to them" is as follows ... if they were allowed to sell rings, trophies, jerseys, etc., then the school would have an incentive to provide the players with an inordinate amount of memorablia, i.e. gold pants for every win ... and every loss, too. Instead of Buckeye leaf stickers, how about silver medals instead? And let's loosen up the requirements so that everybody gets a couple of dozen per game.

At some point, the school's giving players "stuff" to commemorate accomplishments is a pretext for giving them commodities that can easily be turned into cash on the open market. Players would have an incentive to go to the schools that gave out the most goodies ... pretty soon you'd have a pretty obvious "pay for play" situation.

One way to alleviate this problem is to give the kids their goodies when their eligibility is up. So if a player wins four gold pants, three Big Ten championship rings, and sportsmanship award during his career at Ohio State, the school would hold onto the items until the player left school, at which time he would be given physical possession of the items that he won. That way, he can't sell the items in the mean time ... although, of course, he could still agree to sell the items later in exchange for cash now.

Maybe we should just get rid of all the hardware and let the kids play for the love of the game ... and if that's not good enough then they can sit for three years and then apply for the NFL draft.

 

[Meyer]

this is the thing that probably should be emphasized.....I just don't want to come off like a Beaver blowing sunshine and rainbows up people's asses.

but these were kids being stupid and going out on their own looking for some cash. they weren't hooked up through the University to a booster who gave them hundreds of thousands of dollars. they're individuals who got the dumb idea all on their own.....which also shows they aren't being "taken care of" by boosters with deep pockets.

This is bad, but could certainly be worse.

The way you put it makes me feel like it's almost a GOOD thing.

Obviously it's not, but you know we run a clean program. This is all on the kids....

 

[Onebuckfan]

Let me get this right ..players did wrong made money off their fame ..though they are elligible for the bowl so ESPN, the Sugar Bowl, NO, LA,the Big 10 abd the SEC can make millions of their fame . For 40 years I have been on the side of no benefits ..just the scholarship but allowing these players in the Bowl is over-the-top hypocrisy! I almost wish the 5 would come forward and say we broke rules and our conscience won't allow us to participate in the Sugar Bowl!

 

[mercer_buckeye]

Merry Fucking Christmas.

 

[SloopyHangOn]

It's petty, irresponsible stuff that has an extreme impact on each of these players individual careers and the success of the program takes a hit as well. Next year is going to be an adventure for sure, but at this point I'm almost willing to cut my losses as a fan and have that "rebuilding" year that we haven't had for a decade. Tressell and Co. know what they're doing and are entirely capable of pulling out another successful season next year with the abundance of talent that's on the board out in Columbus. I would almost RATHER these 5 take their talents to the Draft now. In a way, it would almost be selfish of them NOT to. They had their shot, they made poor decisions, they got caught and now they have to deal with the consequences.

You'd rather them just leave, then work hard this off-season, prove them self to their teammates and to Tressel, and earn a spot on the team next year? Yes they are replaceable, but leaving IS the selfish thing to do. It's the easy way out.

Selling memorabilia wasn't the easy way out? I think we're on the same page in regards to much of this:

No matter what the reason for them selling these things, nor how insignificant you feel that this violation is, it is still a violation, and one that is so obvious that all the players had to know what they were doing was against NCAA rules.

They made the decisions to sell these items and therefore knew that they were putting the whole football program at risk. This is a black eye for everyone at Ohio State, not just these specific players, and the fault is theirs alone. Ignorance is never a valid defense in our country. There are always people you can ask if something is okay to do before you do it.

I applaud Gene Smith for saying that OSU needed to improve their education to the players on this matter. He is just saying the right things, though, and the fault is really not his nor any lack of education. These kids were taught, and they knew. And even if they weren't sure, they would have asked if they were worried about breaking the rules.

Sit these players on January 4, Coach Tressel! They should not play one down. There are other players who have not violated the rules who deserve to play in this game. If you let them play I think it casts even more of a shadow over the game, and the program. These players have already given the university a black eye, no need for them to do any more damage by playing in the bowl game. Plus what kind of message would playing them send to the freshman on the bench. Especially when these players may just enter the NFL draft this winter.

Send the right message. Ohio State should not stand for this. Good for the NCAA suspending the kids five games. But now Ohio State needs to do the right thing and suspend them for the bowl game.

This I agree with.

However, this is where our opinions differ:

And wanting to sit the players does not mean I don't like them nor wish for them to have success on or off the field. I hope they are very successful in their football careers, and more importantly their life. If they were my kids, the punishment they would get at home would make being suspended for five football games seem like nothing.

It is a privledge to play football at Ohio State. These kids spent their whole lives earning that privledge, but they lost it by selling these things. It will take awhile for them to earn it back, which they can and should. But they will not have earned it back by January 4th.

They lost the privilege to play. I wish them all success on the next level, but I would rather see success out of some of the other players that have earned the right to step in and fill these roles on the college level who HAVEN'T made poor decisions that reflect upon the institution. There will be a 5 game* span next season where these players will be unavailable. 5 games* (not to mention all the practices between now and then that will inevitably be spent polishing the players who will fill those spots) is PLENTY of time to get a deserving player ready to be the guy. Once he's ready and has played those 5 games*, is it not selfish of the suspended player to expect those guys to go ahead and slide down a spot on the depth chart? This is different than an injury. These are poor choices that got these guys suspended, not something outside of their control. Poor choices reap the consequences.

 

[Tlangs]

I always wondered how it was within the rules for the OSU athletic department to give gold jewelry to the players. Is there a rule that says, "you can give you players items up to a value of $x in a given season for rewards"?

 

[Nicknam4]

One way to alleviate this problem is to give the kids their goodies when their eligibility is up. So if a player wins four gold pants, three Big Ten championship rings, and sportsmanship award during his career at Ohio State, the school would hold onto the items until the player left school, at which time he would be given physical possession of the items that he won.

This times sixty nine thousand.

 

[Gothmog8]

Not condoning the actions, but hard to call a player not sincere about being a Buckeye based on one incident.

Especially since one of two (IIRC - so much information to digest) players who sold his pants, has a prominent tattoo of the Block O on his arm.

Ok maybe that was a little harsh. I just meant that perhaps they don't understand or take being a Buckeye as serious as others would, Block O tat guy excluded.

 

[SidehatchHusker]

The reason that the players get in trouble for "selling stuff that belonged to them" is as follows ... if they were allowed to sell rings, trophies, jerseys, etc., then the school would have an incentive to provide the players with an inordinate amount of memorablia, i.e. gold pants for every win ... and every loss, too. Instead of Buckeye leaf stickers, how about silver medals instead? And let's loosen up the requirements so that everybody gets a couple of dozen per game.

At some point, the school's giving players "stuff" to commemorate accomplishments is a pretext for giving them commodities that can easily be turned into cash on the open market. Players would have an incentive to go to the schools that gave out the most goodies ... pretty soon you'd have a pretty obvious "pay for play" situation.

One way to alleviate this problem is to give the kids their goodies when their eligibility is up. So if a player wins four gold pants, three Big Ten championship rings, and sportsmanship award during his career at Ohio State, the school would hold onto the items until the player left school, at which time he would be given physical possession of the items that he won. That way, he can't sell the items in the mean time ... although, of course, he could still agree to sell the items later in exchange for cash now.

Maybe we should just get rid of all the hardware and let the kids play for the love of the game ... and if that's not good enough then they can sit for three years and then apply for the NFL draft.

Or the student-atheletes could simply give their goodies to their parents who could then sell them behind the scenes, thus allowing the kids to walk away with zero punishment.

It's probably already happening...

 

[Dryden]

I always wondered how it was within the rules for the OSU athletic department to give gold jewelry to the players. Is there a rule that says, "you can give you players items up to a value of in a given season for rewards"?

No shit. Instead of "gold pants," we should give out "money trees" or "buckets-o-cash."

That Igloo cooler with $100K in it? Oh, that's just our MVP award. We'll give that out at the team banquet.

 

[Hodgepodge]

I've been trying really hard to try and find a silver lining in all this. The best I can come up with is that I expect the theoretical records for the 2011 and 2012 season will now be flip-flopped. I think most of us expected a national championship caliber team next season, but that seems highly unlikely now. However, I personally was looking at 2012 as a "rebuilding" year because of the loss of so many important players that would have their last year of eligibility in 2011. Now, 2012 is looking more promising because of more kids with starting experience will be returning.

Yeah, I know. I'm reaching.

 

[Nicknam4]

Which one of the five will be the first to come out and take responsibility?

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

The way you put it makes me feel like it's almost a GOOD thing.

Obviously it's not, but you know we run a clean program. This is all on the kids....

hehe....well, part of running a good program is educating the players enough so they don't do stupid things, but I know what you mean.

 

[SloopyHangOn]

Which one of the five will be the first to come out and take responsibility?

Well, TP did pay for his tattoos.

 

[AuTX Buckeye]

No [censored]. Instead of "gold pants," we should give out "money trees" or "buckets-o-cash."

That Igloo cooler with $100K in it? Oh, that's just our MVP award. We'll give that out at the team banquet.

Only if its given to the parents at the banquets...