The juxtaposition of "smarmy," "cheating" and "odor" is amusing, to say the least.
Bottom line for me personally? I've realized that I now regard violation of NCAA rules in much the same way that I regard violations of minor traffic laws. If you can get away with them without being caught, OK by me. (All right, that's not entirely true, but bear with me for a bit.)
In all seriousness, as the parent of a D1 athlete I believe firmly that collegiate athletics is a wonderful thing that provides the opportunity for young men and women to get a college education when otherwise they might not be able to. And I know for sure that college athletes are put onto a pedestal much less high than would have been the case in the 1950s, thanks to our cynical modern society. Sportswriters seem to get an especially firm stiffy when they get the chance to opine that Big College Sports is corrupt, venal, dirty, and [insert insulting and demeaning adjective here]. But they couldn't be more wrong - collegiate athletics are terrific, and they expand the educational mission of the universities in myriad wonderful ways.
Here's the deal: I observed when a high-school girls' track team (not one I cheered for, BTW) was forced to forfeit a meet they won because one of the girls wore a black sports bra under her singlet instead of a white one, as required by OHSAA rule. The wrong color sports bra. Granted, this was not tats-for-jerseys, but still - how bad was it? It was a rule set by a governing body of student athletics.
I have to admit I got a tear in my eye when I watched The Journey on BTN during the feature on Darius Morris, the young Wolverine hoopster whose best friend from HS died in January of this year from complications from numerous congenital conditions. And also during the feature on Brett Valentyn of Wisconsin, a walk-on sharpshooting guard whose big sister attends a few home games in her wheelchair (she also has been struck by several nasty congenital diseases that have sapped her strength and robbed her of her vision). The young cripples were inspired and given joy by the chance to see their heroes (best friend and brother, respectively) play, getting vicarious thrills by the athletic achievements of those players. What an ennobling and edifying experience college sports can be - and usually is.
Now, does Tressel's violation mean he has feet of clay? Yep, he sure does. But remember King David? God's favored was a pretty slimy dude in many ways; his good points, though, were enough to put his foibles well in the background in the grand scheme of things. No doubt Jim Tressel is going through some soul-searching, being told by the Powers That Be that he has done Really Bad Things by putting NCAA rules at too low a level of significance in his system of priorities.
But NCAA rules may not, in fact, be the most important thing to concern yourself with when you're charged with the lives of young men who, in many cases, come from pretty tough backgrounds. And who are likely to make selfish decisions that could run them afoul of the NCAA rules. And who, if you could sweep the minor stuff under the rug, would not come out of the experience less well-prepared for life After Buckeye.
This no doubt comes off sounding to many like a massive rant of self-delusion and inappropriate justification; maybe it is. But I have a new perspective on just how important NCAA rules are in the grand scheme of life - and that is, IMO, really not very. What's more important than those rules is whether the young men and women who leave your program are well-prepared to face life with the skills they need in order to make a difference. Based on what I've seen, Jim Tressel measures up about as well in this regard as any coach in college athletics. And maybe that's the conclusion E. Gordon Gee has come to as well.
"Smarmy?" Yeah, maybe JT is, a little. But "excellent," "caring," and "other-centered" too, without any doubt. Maybe that's what I care about most when I see a coach, and maybe I'm willing to put up with a few NCAA shenanigans if the coach we have exemplifies those virtues.
GO BUCKS! And Jim Tressel, I remain feeling proud and privileged that you are our head coach.
