QB Troy Smith (2006 Heisman Trophy Winner)

[osubartender23]

imo he should not be kicked off the team......

I agree. I think he should be made to sit out 4 to 6 games, and then when he is able to play, dont allow him to start a game next season, or even play in one. Have him become the scout team QB for the year, and maybe that will teach him to think about his team before himself. On top of that , the OSU coaches need to make it impossible for him to ever become a team captain. A captain shows leadership skills, and by taking a boosters money Smith has shown that he doesnt have the maturity to lead.

 

[stxbuck]

It's so easy for all of you to say "He knew it was wrong." And yes he did know it was against the rules. But like i said before none of us have ever been in that posistion. And he is having people tell him it's OK (such as the boosters). He knows that this stuff goes on all the time at other collages and kids never get caught. Before people want to put TS on a steak make sure this issue is addressed at all collages.

Plus for those of you who dont like what is going on with TS and are pissed Geiger is going well tuff maybe he should have done something about this problem before it started.

Guess what -hundreds of other young men-many from the same economic situation or worse than Troy Smith-are in the same position-and they don't take the cash. I think it is pretty arrogant to assume that this goes on at every college and use that as justification. Does it happen at other schools-yes, I'm sure it does. However, the "everyone else is doing it/ you haven't caught the others" defense is pathetic. I tell the students in my classes that honor is doing the right thing when no one is looking. Apparently you and Troy Smith don't share that thought.

 

[osugrad21]

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="95%"> <tbody> <tr> <td bgcolor="#000000"> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="1" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td class="headings" bgcolor="#eeeeee" valign="top">Author </td> <td class="headings" bgcolor="#eeeeee" valign="top">Comment </td></tr> <tr bgcolor="#cccccc"> <td align="left" nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" width="20%">Boz93
Millennium Club
Posts: 2542
(1/5/05 6:10:29 pm)
Reply </td> <td class="m" align="left" valign="top">

Mike Nugent on WKNR today came out swinging- <hr size="1"> he said "I know for a fact Jim Tressel and Andy Geiger would never(emphasized) do anything to hurt Ohio State". He also said that the coaches grill the players on doing the right things and ALL the players are aware of the rules.He said there might be 1 or 2 % of players not doing the right thing but 98-99% of the players are doing the right things(He may be low balling that but that's obviously the way he feels).
--He also said he(and other players) saw a tape of the game and could'nt believe the things ESPN was saying about Geiger and Tressel.He said seeing that(what ESPN-May and Alberts) hurt worse than anything else and what hurts him most is that he knows Geiger and Tressel do everything they can to make sure things are run right(he mentioned the whole athletic dept). He said it's impossible for anyone to control the acts of an individual.He mentioned Coach Tressel eats meals with the team and spends tons of time with ALL the players.
--I really,really wish ESPN would have played an interview with him-This is very similiar to when the Colorado players emotionally denied the allegations at CU(in which ESPN aired BOTH sides of the story-something they have'nt done for OSU.
--I think OSU should have allowed more players to speak on this I get the feeling many,many more players would have come in to support Geiger and Tressel.
--Think about this-if players and fans were affected by what ESPN said how could 17-18 year old HS kids not be affected.ESPN did a hatchet job on OSU and unfortunately there is nothing OSU can do about it.(Except maybe the Big Ten could go somewhere else when the TV contract expires-of course money talks with that) </td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody> </table>

 

[buckiprof]

It's so easy for all of you to say "He knew it was wrong." And yes he did know it was against the rules. But like i said before none of us have ever been in that posistion.

It's easy for people to state what are simple facts. And I am sure that everyone here has been in a situation, not exactly like the one TS was in, where either their moral compass of right and wrong was tested or breaking a law/rule was presented for some immediate gratification. How one responds in those situations is quite illuminating.

And he is having people tell him it's OK (such as the boosters). He knows that this stuff goes on all the time at other collages and kids never get caught.

I guess that your point here is that this makes it even more difficult for TS to do the right thing and follow the rules?!? This is simply irrelevant.

Plus for those of you who dont like what is going on with TS and are pissed Geiger is going well tuff maybe he should have done something about this problem before it started.

Please see osugrad's post where Nuge discusses all that AG and JT have done. I'll put this quite simply: TS fucked up in a very big way. Don't try to justify/rationalize his behavior/actions, as they are his and he knew what the rules were. I don't think he should be kicked off the team, but a lengthier than 1 game suspension may be in order. And he should not be eligible to ever be voted as a captain. A captain should be a team leader and TS's actions of March/April indicate to me that he does not have a necessary trait of putting the team first.

 

[DCBuckFan]

I say you take the NCAA typical punishment, which I have heard numerous times is two games, and TRIPLE it.

I know he is supposed to also pay back the money he recieved. On top of that, he should volunteer as many hours as it would take to make that much at minimum wage to a local charity over the next year or two.

Key thing that I think we have to do here is say, this is the typical punishment that has historically been given out. We are going far above this for our players.

Hopefully this will accomplish a few things. First, it will send the message to that other 1-2% (per Nuge) that may be thinking about the same things. Also, it will show the NCAA we are taking this very serious. Lastly, we don't come off looking like the Lloyd Carr with the weak punishments.

Maybe tripling the suspension is a bit much, but at least doubling.

 

[DeVryBuck]

A captain should be a team leader and TS's actions of March/April indicate to me that he does not have a necessary trait of putting the team first.

Exactly and a quarterback should be a leader on and off the field. This does not allow for coach bashing to the media and taking money from boosters as Smith has done. Jeff George is an example of a fine quarterback who is a horrible leader. He bounced from team to team because everytime he worked out for the coaches he looked great, but he is and will always be a me first kind of guy who is just a cancer to his teams. That is why his career was cut short and he had little sucess on the field.<!-- / message -->

 

[DEBuckeye]

I do know that I would most likely take the money.

Then I would most likely kick you off the team as well.

 

[smith403]

Kick him off and move on!

 

[archman62]

Troy didn't learn anything from all the times he was told over and over again that you can't take money from boosters. He didn't learn anything from Maurice getting busted for taking money and lying about it. Troy didn't learn anything from the time he was arrested at OSU (maybe he should really work to keep himself extra clean now). He didn't learn anything when Tressel constantly preached that you need to take care of things on and off the field.

When this all clears does anyone really think that if he was offered money again that he wouldn't jump at the chance to take it. His past history shows me that he wouldn't hesitate.

I can't imagine him being the leader of our team next year. It makes me sick to think of it. I know kids make mistakes, but to me he has used up all his chances.

 

[martinss01]

as someone else pointed out he made a choice, not a mistake. that choice was to put financial gain before not only his future, but the future of his team mates and many directly linked to the football program. whether or not he thought his choice was going to have that kind of far reaching impact is beside the point. ingorance is NOT an excuse for action taken.

to say we all make errors in judgement is 100% true. we all have made decisions that we regret and if we had the chance to change them, would. but then, every single day people loose their lives because of errors in judgement. sometimes making the wrong choice can't be answered for with a "sorry". sometimes the consiquences to action are a touch farther reaching.

with that said i do not want to see him kicked off the team. i wouldn't be upset if it happened, but that is not what i seek. i would like to see him learn from his mistakes, make amens to those he has wronged, and grow from it as a person. while i wouldn't like the idea of him walking back into the starting line up, ill let the judgement come from jt and the team.

 

[BrutusBobcat]

Frankly, and this is an emotional response I admit, I don't want to see Troy Smith start another game for OSU as a QB. If Tressel wants to keep him in the family, then there's plenty of stuff he can do. Scout team QB, garbage time QB, kick returns, trick plays, and insurance to keep the redshirt on Schoenhoft next year. A starting QB needs to be a leader, and part of being a leader is following the rules that EVERYONE on the team has to follow.

It's too bad, because I like his play on the field. But we've already had one star player turn out to be a nightmare off the field, and we don't need another one.

 

[Saw31]

A few here have touched on why this is such a big deal. Forget for a second about what TS did to himself and his future. Think for a minute about all the people this has affected. From his team mates and coaches to the athletic department and the University. And to a smaller degree, the fans and the entire state of Ohio. This is OUR University and anyone, and I mean anyone, who thinks they are bigger than that should be shunned by all of us. To think that this is just about $700 bucks and "making a mistake" is laughable. His, along with MoC's actions have hurt so many people. Quit apologizing for people who haven't done it themselves, and I don't mean leaked stories to the media where he said "gee, I'm sorry coach". God damnit this makes me so mad when people want to apologize for others behavior!! You don't have the power to apologize for him!! I've heard "these are just kids, they make mistakes". These are NOT kids!! They are adults who must pay adult penalties for their "mistakes".

 

[BucksinFL]

I seriously think he should be off the team. Thanks TS for a great performance against scUM and helping us out of our funk at the time, but what you did was unacceptable, IMO. He hurt the most important part of everything involved here, the program. I hope he is ashamed that JT and AG have to answer all these questions about him constantly by the attacking media and I hope he can't even look in the mirror or his teammates in the face again.

I, for one, LOVE Ohio State. I wish I had the means to go there(finances, I live in florida) but Ill never stop loving that school, basketball program, football program, and etc....

I know many of you share my sentiments and I consider you all my friends for the simple cause that this IS a great school and JT and AG ARE upstanding men of God and do whatever they can to keep the program clean. I am extremely proud that AG is/was our AD and that JT is our football coach and I wouldn't want anyone else. Not only does he win, but he helps the kids do better in the academics...

I don't care about the pro game as much as I do the college game. I love seeing our team come out and play hard every week. I love seeing how MOST of our players are complete class acts and believe and LOVE OSU. I love hearing a football player in the pros announce where he came from as THE Ohio State Univerisity. Some call it arrogant, I call it proud.

To me, like I said this is all inexcusable. I say good riddance if he is going to break the rules while knowing its wrong or thinking he "deserves" more because he is a star football player..I know it sounds self-righteous of me, but if he doesn't take more pride in wearing the scarlet then GET RID OF HIM....

 

[jwinslow]

The point is none of us have the right to crucify the kid. There is a reason that people don't hire 20 year olds as CEOs, financial advisors, and other wisdom-related positions. Sure he's an adult in the strict sense of the word ,but he is still just out of high school. It doesn't excuse his mistake, but it puts it in context.

He did commit a very small crime that has huge implications. He has been penalized accordingly and has received the hatred of millions of buckeye fans, such as the ones who want to tar and feather him on this thread.

He will forever carry teh burden of legitimizing Clarett, and ruining the integrity of the Ohio State program. Had the program stayed clean for the next 10 years, with merely a few arrests and that sort of thing, the Clarett scandal would have made ESPiN look very stupid. But as a result, he has made them look like heroes, which makes me want to vomit.

How much more punishment do you want him to have?

Your cries for him to be removed from the team are from a selfish desire for the NCAA to not be punished. Smith has been made an example of, considering he may not be involved with team activity until the week before the Texas game, possibly removing him from the starting lineup forever and perhaps a shot at the NFL.

 

[BucksinFL]

I just don't agree to "feel sorry" for the kid because of what he'll have to endure from fans, coaching etc...

Im sorry but thats what I get from your post and apologize if Im wrong...

I don't think it can be looked at like every other case because of what has been going on at OSU and that is not only embarrassing to the university but the student-athletes as well whom are now going to be harrassed about all this by answering questions from the media, by investigators trying to find out if THEY are taking money and from the coaching staff pounding them with "its not ok to take money" and the SLIGHTEST little bit of circumstantial evidence and then they will be hounded and so might OSU...