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QB Troy Smith (2006 Heisman Trophy Winner)

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Agreed, Dubs. Seems like the guy had an agenda, rather than being just a misguided attempt to 'help' a player. The "Now I own him" quote really raised a flag for me.
 
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Should Troy Smith be ejected from the team?

Now that we know Troy Smith took an inappropriate payment from a booster, knowing full well that he was wrong to do so, isn't it appropriate that he be allowed to complete his education at OSU (if he chooses) but that he be forbidden to take part in any athletics?

Kicking him off the team will send a strong message about compliance and morality at OSU.

I want this to be posted before the Alamo Bowl starts. If Zwick has a great game, this is a lot easier to answer. I don't want to rain on the parade, let's have a great game, but isn't this something that needs to be done? I mean, if we really believe in the honor and decency we all claim is supposed to be the core elements of OSU, isn't this the only option?
 
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Steve19 said:
Now that we know Troy Smith took an inappropriate payment from a booster, knowing full well that he was wrong to do so, isn't it appropriate that he be allowed to complete his education at OSU (if he chooses) but that he be forbidden to take part in any athletics?

Kicking him off the team will send a strong message about compliance and morality at OSU.

I want this to be posted before the Alamo Bowl starts. If Zwick has a great game, this is a lot easier to answer. I don't want to rain on the parade, let's have a great game, but isn't this something that needs to be done? I mean, if we really believe in the honor and decency we all claim is supposed to be the core elements of OSU, isn't this the only option?
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To be honest, the easy thing to do for Tressel and Geiger would be to throw Troy under the bus. But it is not the right thing to do. Troy needs the punishment appropriate for the crime. A 1 or 2 game suspension will be more than appropriate, especially with the external damage already done to him (starting job is gone, maybe never to return).

Now, that said, it would not be a bad thing for Tressel and Geiger to sit the entire team down now and be very clear in saying to them the following,

"The punishment has now changed. The problems here have sullied the great name of this University and the reputation of the great individuals on and associated with this team and it will not be tolerated.

If you have something in your past which you have done that falls outside of the rules this program goes by, you have the opportunity to speak up in the next week to JT or AG directly. You will receive punishment appropriate to your crime per guidelines previously set forth. Once that week is up, any new situations that arise, whether arrests or team or NCAA rules violations will be given due process (innocent until proven guilty), and if found guilty, you will be removed from your role as an active member of this football team for one year for your first violation and for the rest of your career for a second violation. The status of your scholarship and standing within the university will be dependent on the severity of the crime. If removal of those is not warrented, you will have the full support of the athletic department to complete your degree.

This program's reputation is at stake, and we will not stand for it. We are proud to be Buckeyes and we want you to be proud as well. We feel these measures will help us restore our pride."
 
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Alpha Boosters Policing Beta Boosters?

I asked early on to know the why and who of all this. Who turned in Troy and Why?
Turns out the intent was not to "turn in" Troy Smith. The intent of Geoffrey Webster was to turn in a lesser, errant booster one Robert Q. Baker.
Troy was almost incidental to Webster's goal of getting a bad seed away from any of the Buckeye players.

Alpha boosters policing beta boosters?
Frankly, I find some comfort in this development.

It is too hard for tOSU to police all this action themselves.
Having a helping hand from their booster network is a good thing.
 
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They need a proctolgist to find their heads

as Geiger alluded to.. Baker and Troy BOTH went thru formal sessions where the rules were articulated and explained... BOTH unequivocally knew it was wrong... yet but BOTH still did it... objectively and for the betterment of OSU football reputation, Troy should never play again... subjectively and for the betterment of OSU football, I want Troy back ASAP...

Can you imagine the pain Troy had to be going thru while watching the game yesterday... You know he had to be glued to the set... and constantly to hear your name on natl TV as a villain... and for him to see how he let his team down... The punishment, guilt and shame had to be immense... The crime so stupid it defies words...
 
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I want this to be posted before the Alamo Bowl starts. If Zwick has a great game, this is a lot easier to answer
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Why would it be easier to answer.

I have to say... I continue to be dumbfounded by these repeated suggestions by people that the Troy Smith 'situation' has anything at all to do with how good a QB Justin Zwick is, or how many games it might cost us to kick off the football team... Are we weighing victories against potential damage to the reputation of the football program and the University? Are we weighing the reputation of the football program against the best interests of Troy Smith the Student Athlete? Are we weighing the Interests of Troy Smith against the actions of others? I don't see how the 'right thing' and winning have much to do with each other in these kinds of cases.

For those of you who are in favor of booting him off the team forever because he was an idiot... I see where you are coming from. On the other hand, the 'standard' sanction appears to be a two game suspension... so, that's what he should get. As tired as I am about defending the reputation of Ohio State Football... and I am... I'm not wiling to throw a member of that family... starter or scout team walk-on... under the bus to make me feel better. Throwing Troy off the team for what amounts to a 2 game violation is as stupid as Stuart Mandel's assertion that we should give ourselves the death penalty for something that Maurice Clarret said to a magazine writer.

I know many of you jsut wnat the problems to 'go away' but, no matter what you do... they aren't going away any time soon... the damage has been done... we're under the microscope now... you know that when Sammy Maldonado has become of of the poster children for an 'outlaw' program... and all that happened to him was that he sat around gettign stoned, got bad grades and didn't transfer many credits.... but that's the 'administrations fault.' Making an 'example' of Troy isn't goignt o make that go away... and sooner or later... its inevetible... soemone else will misbehave... and the Athleotics Department and football coaches should deal with that the same way we we've dealt with this, on its own merits and within the set rules of the football team.
 
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AKAKBUCK said:
Why would it be easier to answer.

I have to say... I continue to be dumbfounded by these repeated suggestions by people that the Troy Smith 'situation' has anything at all to do with how good a QB Justin Zwick is, or how many games it might cost us to kick off the football team... Are we weighing victories against potential damage to the reputation of the football program and the University? Are we weighing the reputation of the football program against the best interests of Troy Smith the Student Athlete? Are we weighing the Interests of Troy Smith against the actions of others? I don't see how the 'right thing' and winning have much to do with each other in these kinds of cases.

For those of you who are in favor of booting him off the team forever because he was an idiot... I see where you are coming from. On the other hand, the 'standard' sanction appears to be a two game suspension... so, that's what he should get. As tired as I am about defending the reputation of Ohio State Football... and I am... I'm not wiling to throw a member of that family... starter or scout team walk-on... under the bus to make me feel better. Throwing Troy off the team for what amounts to a 2 game violation is as stupid as Stuart Mandel's assertion that we should give ourselves the death penalty for something that Maurice Clarret said to a magazine writer.

I know many of you jsut wnat the problems to 'go away' but, no matter what you do... they aren't going away any time soon... the damage has been done... we're under the microscope now... you know that when Sammy Maldonado has become of of the poster children for an 'outlaw' program... and all that happened to him was that he sat around gettign stoned, got bad grades and didn't transfer many credits.... but that's the 'administrations fault.' Making an 'example' of Troy isn't goignt o make that go away... and sooner or later... its inevetible... soemone else will misbehave... and the Athleotics Department and football coaches should deal with that the same way we we've dealt with this, on its own merits and within the set rules of the football team.
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Most articulate reasoning I have seen yet. Awesome job AKA.
 
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AKAK and Cincibuckeyenut, I really respect your rationale of putting the student first and I am persuaded to accept your reasoning on why we should support a two-game suspension.

What is important is that Geiger and Tressel make this point repeatedly, that is, the easy thing to do would be to get rid of the kid, the tough thing is to act in his interest and help him grow from the experience.

Thanks for the contribution, both of you!
 
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I think they should get all of the athletic departments together and see which ones do the most to protect against situations like this. They should see who has the best procedures in place, who commits the most resources to it, and who preaches the loudest. Then Ohio State could be properly criticized, if they are dilatory.
 
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How Will Troy Smith be received? How should he be received?

IMO, Troy Smith has damaged his position on the Buckeye team beyond repair.

His close relationship with Clarett allowed him to see firsthand what kind of damage a rogue player and a rogue booster can do to a program.

With that knowledge he went and deliberately broke the cardinal NCAA rule regarding boosters. He took money. He knew the rules and he broke them. He put the team in jeopardy for $700. That's his price.

He single handedly lent credence to the allegations made by his buddy Clarett. ESPN had stopped. They were done. They had been called out by Geiger and had nothing to back it up. ESPN had egg on their faces and were quite happy to shut up. Once the Troy Smith story broke, they had no choice but to put everything they had into it. They were vindicated by Troy Smith's selfishness.

Trev, Mark, the GameDay crew all had to comment on it. Outiside The Lines had Tom Friend on saying "SEE?!?!?!" All of this was brought on by Troy Smith.

No matter what Troy accomplishes in the rest of his career, this will follow him. No matter how well he plays, opposing fans will be able to say "Yeah, he's the best quarterback money can buy!!" Not that the feelings of the fans matter, but as long as Troy Smith is playing QB for OSU, the Buckeyes will get ZERO respect from anyone nationally.

I for one don't think that he should be on the team. He had his chance and he blew it. An example needs to be made. These players have lived through scandal after scandal and it seems that some of them still haven't learned. He has undermined the other 99% of the team that are doing things the right way!!

Kick him off the team and let him try his luck elsewhere. Arrests for underage drinking and disorderly conduct are going to happen, but this type of behavior puts the entire program in jeapordy.
 
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Unfortunately I agree with most of your post. I think that Tressel needs to lay down the clamp to help restore respect into a proud program, he has to lay down the smack on Troy. I think anything short of a 4-6 game suspension is too little.
 
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the key to what you said is that espin had completely dropped the story and were, in fact, starting to kiss up to tOSU......then the smith story broke...

and the ncaa was not interested in investigating tOSU again....now they are....

the damage caused could be enormous....
 
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I agree something has to be done. Smith has tremendous talent but attracting talent has never been an issue at Ohio State. I have know doubt we will continue to attract quality "blue chippers".

Talent comes and goes...but no one player is above OSU...just ask Maurice.

I do believe a long suspension is in order...but let's face it guys...this happens at every program in the country. Whether or not it is public knowledge...I'm not trying to defend him...he was wrong and needs to be disciplined....but kicked off the team?
 
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If it sounds like I am being an apologist for Troy Smith then so be it. Kicking him off of the team is not going to change a thing. There is always going to be some kid out there who thinks that they can beat the system here at OSU or anywhere else.

Lets not throw stones at this guy. He screwed up big time like many of us have, but I think most of us have gotten a second chance.

It was reported that he can petition for reinstatement to the team which the NCAA will most likely accept. The money or "gifts" were returned and he is serving his suspension and going from a hero to a zero in Columbus should be enough.
 
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