Posted on Tue, Dec. 28, 2004
ALAMO ADMISSION
Geiger concedes something amiss in OSU football program
By Tom Reed
Beacon Journal staff writer
SAN ANTONIO - Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger made a painful concession Tuesday with regards to the controversy surrounding the Buckeyes football program.
Some allegations levied by former OSU star Maurice Clarett, concerning improper benefits bestowed on players, have merit.
Geiger's admission came on a day he announced the athletic program would ``disassociate'' itself with Dayton-area businessman and OSU booster Robert Q. Baker, who allegedly gave quarterback Troy Smith an unspecified amount of cash in the spring and attempted to arrange jobs for Smith and freshman tailback Antonio Pittman.
The university suspended Smith last week for tonight's Alamo Bowl against Oklahoma State for violating team and NCAA rules. The quarterback also is likely to miss the 2005 season opener, making it a two-game suspension.
Ohio State is taking no action against Pittman. The Buchtel graduate was cleared of any wrongdoing after school officials met with Columbus attorney and Buckeye booster Geoffrey Webster, who informed them Dec. 9 of Baker's indiscretions.
Neither Webster nor Baker returned phone messages.
The Buckeyes football program has been mired in controversy since last month when Clarett accused it of wide-ranging improprieties in an ESPN The Magazine story. Part of his accusations included cash payments from boosters and the arrangement of high-paying, no-show jobs.
``I'm not sure that I think that everything that Maurice said lacked credence,'' Geiger said. ``But what wasn't there is what is there now -- we have an example of something that has happened.
``Do I think it's systemic or widespread? I have no evidence of that.''
Geiger has been the university's most vocal critic of Clarett, whom he suspended a year ago for taking improper benefits and lying about them to investigators. The athletic director had said last month he was ``very confident'' the program would be exonerated when the NCAA reopened its probe.
Coach Jim Tressel, who admits to knowing Baker, said the latest revelation fails to support Clarett's claims. Baker, 46, is a 1981 graduate of Baldwin-Wallace, where he played football for Tressel's late father, Lee Tressel.
``They are not close,'' Geiger said of Tressel's relations with Baker.
Baker and two others rent a luxury 35-yard-line suite at Ohio Stadium. Geiger said possible sanctions against Baker could include: barring him from purchasing tickets or buying into a suite. He also could lose the privilege of attending practice, a perk for some boosters.
Geiger and Tressel believe the Buckeyes are not guilty of the NCAA's most serious charge ``lack of institutional control,'' insisting they had no prior knowledge of boosters supplying Clarett or Smith with improper benefits.
``I don't know if anyone inferred if there is any bliss and, certainly, ignorance is not bliss,'' Tressel said. ``Are we flawless? No.... But I don't feel bad at all about our intentions of doing things the best we can possibly do.''
Geiger said compliance education needs to become ``a mania'' at OSU, but that if a rogue booster is intent on breaking rules, ``I confess to you that I feel defenseless in that regard.''
The athletic director expressed dismay that any athletes would take improper gifts after all the attention the Clarett case generated a year ago.
``I think Troy is a good kid who made a mistake,'' Geiger said. ``He probably had a legitimate need, and he was stretched and stressed.''
Webster, 56, an attorney for Baker's former Columbus-based company Poly-Care Services, told the Associated Press that he called the university after employees described an envelope being given to Smith.
``No matter what was in it, if you don't have to do anything for it, it's wrong to lay that in front of a 19-year-old man, who's just stepping out on his own,'' said Webster, an Ohio State graduate and longtime booster.
Baker helped found Poly-Care but left the company for unrelated reasons a month ago. Webster, who handles Poly-Care code of conduct violations, received an employee complaint regarding two football players who in the spring briefly visited the office of Baker's assistant, Benjamin Dutton.
Geiger said Webster informed OSU investigators that Pittman never returned or received improper benefits.
``We have no evidence whatsoever that Antonio did anything wrong,'' Geiger said.
The interoffice complaint states Smith received an envelope, and Dutton asked Baker by phone what work Smith needed to do in exchange.
``(Dutton) was told: `Nothing, just take it and leave,' '' Webster told the Associated Press. ``The remark was made by Mr. Baker: `Good, now I own him.' ''
The comment disturbed Geiger.
``There are those who want to control some sense of proprietorship or ownership with regard to student athletes, and the reasons for that are scary,'' he said.
Baker's former company is no stranger to the Buckeyes program. Former OSU star Chris Gamble signed autographs for nursing home residents while delivering supplies for the company in 2003.
OSU investigated the incident but found no wrongdoing. Geiger said it's unlikely they will look into Gamble's ties again.
Tressel was asked if the accumulation of accusations and player arrests is tarnishing his reputation or that of the program.
``We've talked about what does that word reputation actually mean,'' he said. ``I guess it's in the eyes of the beholder.... But I feel good about the way our institution attacks helping young people and the job we do of creating educational opportunities.''
