Family is rarely, if ever, perfect. BuckeyePlanet is a family, but we all have our off days. We've all said and done things here on the forums (and elsewhere) that we later regret. We all make mistakes, and for the most part, our family here accepts that (and us) and moves on. Move outwards from our local sphere, and we're part of a greater whole -- the Buckeye nation proper. Just like ours, that family lacks absolute purity. Mistakes have been, are being, and will be made by members of our extended family. Other sites, players (past and present), coaches (past and present), personalities in satellite roles inside and outside of the program. While Jim Tressel was a brilliant manager of perception and handling of the wild rabid boar that is the media, he was not a perfect man. How far from the perfect pole he may have actually been will likely be something that we debate for years. What we don't have to debate is that he was (and is) a crucially important figure and force in Ohio State athletics. We don't know how tarnished his legacy will ultimately be, we don't know how terrible a beating our program will take; we do know his time as head coach ended today, and at least on some levels (even for those who wanted this and/or simply saw it as a necessary step) that's a terrible thing -- even if it turns out to be the best thing for us and perhaps him.
But let's get back to family; ours, here. Never in BP's existence has it been more important that our core family stay tight and intact. While few (if any) other fan bases have had to face the hate and scrutiny as we have over the last decade, it's only going to get (and be) worse for some time and we're best prepared for that together. As fans, we're only really individually responsible for our love for the program, and how we represent ourselves and each other by proxy. I'm glad each of you is still here; it's this local family that helps me (at least) get through moments like this, and I hope most or all of you derive the same sort of comfort. That's why we're always careful about what we say, or rather how we say it, here. BP should be a place where we can discuss things honestly and in depth, but not have pain and/or angst worsened as a result. Ohio State, as a program, is alive and well -- no matter what the NCAA does to us, no matter who our coach was, is, or will be. Players come and go, coaches and ADs too. We carry on through. I can handle losing a head coach, even one (and I'm not at all excusing anything he's done by saying this) like Tressel. I couldn't handle losing our immediate family here, so thanks to each of you for being part of it.
Hang in there, everyone. We'll keep taking these shots to the gut and the face, and when it's over, we'll be stronger for it and we'll remember who stood there with us when things were most terrible. What I'm trying to keep in mind, myself, is that failure and adversity makes success that much more sweet. After all of this has passed and we claim our first major post-season victory as part of the new era of OSU football -- well, that's just going to be an extraordinary day. Even as we're in the thick of a terrible time, we know better moments are ahead. We'll enjoy those times with the same people with whom we suffer now, and our family will be even stronger.
Do your best to enjoy Memorial Day with your friends and families. Family is what matters. Yours, ours here, even the bigger spheres to which we belong.
