QB Troy Smith (2006 Heisman Trophy Winner)

[Saw31]

I just think the media is doing its best to dictate how this story is going to end. That's their thing these days, create the news, not just report it. Look at the BCS. They want to decide who plays in the game. Reporters have all forgotten that they're to report. It's all about opinion, personal perspective, and rhetoric now. Sensationalism over substance. Get people outraged over balanced objectivity. It all makes me sick.

Pure Poetry!!

I began typing a story of my personal experience with our local media but decided it could be too painful if by some outside chance the people involved happened to see it. Let me just say that there is no lower, bottom feeding, scum sucking (no offense to scUM), slimy, filthy profession than being in the media. I have more respect for convicted politicians than I do journalists. They are leaches who feed off of other's misery. They self-righteously portray themselves as public watchdogs, while searching out tragedy to promote their own stardom and fame. Sending the whole lot of them to the bottom of the ocean would be to good for them.

 

[jackson]

This is the exception not the rule. People who are not moral always suspect everyone else of just hiding it.

I sure am glad Troy got caught the only time he ever took money and then told the truth when confronted. Puts me in mind of the thief who gladly admits to recieving stolen property because thats all they can prove and he don't want them to dig furthur because he's honest about it. Besides lots of people get caught the only time they break a rule.

If Troy sees the field again as a buck it will be because tressel is doing him a favor.

 

[VprHis]

Real people do real work. The media sit around writing about that work. Maybe it hurts when that realization hits home, a few years post graduation. Maybe the need to actually DO something twists them into the pathetic creatures housed in Bristol. I've never had much but contempt for your average media type... and this entire process is not helping.


I know... glass houses... what have I ever done with my life? But... I do real work. I know it's important to report the news. I just resent that the media feels the need to make the news, as well. Sorry I guess there's not much point to this, just a numb sort of energy-depleted diatribe... much like the majority of this thread, I'm afraid.

Troy? Grill him slowly over hot coals. Half a season. DON'T kick him out. The media will canonize him for that. He loses 6 games next year. THEN he has to fight up from #4 on the depth chart (yes, behind Schoenhoft). Community Service? Lots. And if he ever wants to see the field again, he will maintain a 3.5 GPA (He'll have lots of time, as he won't be playing much football, right?).

I agree with JT's stated position that kicking people off the team is not the answer. Hit them where it HURTS. Take them off the field--just don't hurt their chances for (eventual) redemption, or at least a good education. I think a few people have lost sight of the fact that Troy Smith needs the Ohio State University. We do NOT need Troy Smith.

 

[gost8]

This goes back to the post about TS not crying about playing time anymore. This might be just what the doctor ordered for JZ. JT started him for a reason in the beginning of the season and didn't pull him for losses or bad play. It was because of an injury. Those of you wishing for TS not to ever start a game for OSU again may get your wish whether he gets kicked off the team or not. That is unless JZ losses two or three in a row and TB does the same. Then I guarantee the same people calling for his head now will be screaming for TS to start.

CF

 

[Steve19]

I think the key thing that is emerging in this thread is that Troy Smith is not the way out. My first reaction to news about what he did was to be very puritanical about this and, perhaps, take on the attitude of the old Army sergeant I once was. Drop, you green slimy maggot, crawl, clean the latrines!

However, AKAK really made me think, and I realized that I was trying to hang all of this on Smith. ESPiN (it's SPIN:atom:, not news, Clarity) and their behavior, this despicable "where's the money, Mommy" Clarett (another reality check from the Supreme Court on the way) and all the harm that's being done to a place and people that I feel strong emotion and respect for, because of all the good things they did for me.

That's not fair and the University has a mission to help educate this kid. Of course, you can't help those who will not help themselves and we have yet to see if Smith can rise to meet these challenges. As Tressel says, he'll play it out and see what he deserves.

Eventually, this all will go away. We all have agreed repeatedly that, in the case that OSU is dirty (and we don't think it is) then we want those responsible to be punished. Perhaps there will be additional revelations, maybe not. Maybe ESPiN will go away now that Geiger has gone, although I suspect this will just intensify the onslaught in the short term. There's a lot of mess to get through the next 18 months with Obie and whatever. Who knows what is next?

Whatever comes, I hope we don't make the mistake that I did and subconsiously lay all of this on the doorstep of this foolish kid. He's not his friend Clarett or ESPiN. I also hope we don't let what we think about ESPiN staff (they are journalists only in their own minds) stereotype all journalists (I know that is NOT what previous posters meant), there are still some good ones out there and a few of them are among the best contributors to BP (Isn't Buckiprof one?).

Perhaps it is best that we trust Geiger and Tressel and the NCAA to find the appropriate punishment for Smith, avoid ESPiN, and not let our anger overwhelm us. It's the last one of these that may be the hardest.

 

[Saw31]

I'm sorry Steve, but it will take a lot more than one "good" journalist to change my opinion. Send all but Buckiprof to the bottom of the ocean then. I'm willing to compromise.

And yes I am very angry and I will not pretend that I can "forgive and forget" what TS has done until HE asks me to. No I don't mean he needs to send me an e-mail, but HE needs to be the one in front of the microphones and cameras shedding the tears. Not AG. That is where I am.

I know, I know, he's probably not allowed to talk to the media and all that stuff. Just letting you understand where I stand.

 

[ysubuck]

I disagree, Steve.

Troy Smith is ultimately responsible for the brand new investigation and for the bashing that ESPN is giving to Ohio State.

The NCAA was done, ESPN was done, and the story in ESPN the Ragazine had no credibility. It was over.

Because Troy Smith decided that he wanted to take money from a booster it's all back and raging. He saw first hand what his buddy Clarett did to the university (remember he's Clarett's closest friend on the team).

Mike Nugent stated that Andy and Coach constantly drill into the team's heads about what they should and should not be doing.

Troy Smith made a conscious choice that is now damaging the program. I'm not sure how he could return and look his team mates in the face. I'll grant you that this is very bad timing for Troy, but if he had made the right choice, none of this would be happening.

ESPN threw some shit against the wall hoping it would stick and it stuck to Troy Smith. He needs to be gone.

 

[FKAGobucks877]

ysu - TS had taken the money before the Clarett story even broke. I'm not trying to make excuses for the kid, but when you say "ESPN threw some shit against the wall hoping it would stick and it stuck to Troy Smith", that isn't entirely true. Yes, Smith messed up. Yes, he deserves to be punished. But you people need to realize that Smith's offense occurred long before the ESPiN rag article was released. I understand you people are hurt, angry, upset, etc., but I think you are way over-reacting. As Steve19 said, don't let the blame for all of this shit fall onto Troy Smith's shoulders. There is not an excuse for what he did, but he does not in any way deserve to be thrown off the team. The NCAA says what he did warrants only a 2 game suspension. It's up to Tressel whether he wants to increase that or not, and I will once again trust his judgment.

The lot of you that want Smith thrown off the team....I just don't get it. I was hammered by a lot of you same people when I said I wanted MoC gone after his little sideline "incident" with Tim Spencer. I said then he was nothing but a selfish prima dona, and I saw nothing but bad things if he stuck around. Troy does NOT have that same attitude. He messed up one time, and he will be punished....but then he deserves to get thrown back in the mix, whether it be 4th string or 1st string, again, I will trust JT's judgment on that. But Smith is not responsible for the drama that ESPiN is shitting out of their slanderous goatdick receptacle.

 

[ScarletInMyVeins]

Except that it lends credibility to the ESPN argument of "You don't start paying players with your backup QB...

Well my friend (and espn) back in March or April or whenever TS took the money there was no backup QB as the starter had not been named yet so that statement is horseshit.

 

[AKAK]

However, because of the timing of MoC's (his friend) accusations, it's damning for the school. Troy has in effect cost us at least one recruit, forced Geiger into retirement, put the very program itself under an ever harsher spotlight, and who knows what else. He showed a blatant disregard for the team, his coaches, and the institution.

This is a Clarity quote... not picking on him... but it seems that a lot of people have been echoing this kind of sentiment.


My thoughts.

First, the reason Troy isn't getting crucified for lending legitimacy to ESPN the Mag, is exactly the timing. You do get more pissed when your kid does somehting right after you told your other kid not to do it.... you only get disappointed when you yell at your kid for doing something, and you find out your other kid had been doing the same thing all along but you never caught them.


Troy has in effect cost us at least one recruit-- Ahh... this happens all the time... I don't remember anyone wanting to boot MoC for Banging future scUM players GF's.... and if we're referring to Mr Bemoll.. you can thank Petey a bit too, I'm sure.

Forced Geiger into retirement- hmmmm... is the worst part of this stuff... for Geiger... the Medai reports around MoC, Smith, etc worse? Or is the fucking lunatic level reactions by Chicken Little Alums worse?

That's the kind of thing he meant by "the atmosphere after losing three games," Geiger has had enough of this calling for Tressel's head shit... enough booster shit... and enough of people screaming as loud as they possible fucking can for him to do what they want.

Remember all that "People from Ohio State" have been in contact with Urban Meyer shit... That stuff was real... but it wasn't the athletic department... it wasn't the Administration... but somebody did it. How do you think Gieger responds when there are idoits out there who want to enter the 'hot coach' arms race/sweepstakes when they don't even need a coach. How tiring would it be to argue with some booster named Schottenstein only to have them remind them that you aked for 10 million dollars for a basketball arena, and they delivered?

How do you think Geiger feels when he's bent over backwards to accomodate boosters... to raise money... and to sell this product, only to find out that those people were giving money to his players?

Troy Smith is a pretty small peice of this puzzle... He's an easy target... but I bet to Andy Gieger, if all you ever had to do was deal with Troy Smith and help Troy Smith along... he would love his job.

Finally... The last lenghty interview I heard with Gieger, you could tell things were wrapping up for him... he told Herbstreit that his last project was to get a boat house built for the Crew team... Kudos for making rowing a priority (its not "football uber alles" remember) but, I can't imagine boathouses blow your hair back either.

Troy didn't cost us Geiger.... I don't even think Troy was the last straw. I think the last straw were whackos calling for Tressel's head... for no good reason... I just think he wanted, and Holbrook wanted, to get through the season.

Finally, I can only imagine that the last thing Andy would want is for people to turn their back on Troy on his account.... its tough enough to stick together as Buckeyes as it is....

-- Probably should have put this on the Gieger Retiring thread-- oh well.

 

[buckiprof]

I also hope we don't let what we think about ESPiN staff (they are journalists only in their own minds) stereotype all journalists (I know that is NOT what previous posters meant), there are still some good ones out there and a few of them are among the best contributors to BP (Isn't Buckiprof one?)

One of what? A journalist? - NO
Among the best contributors to BP? - Only in my mind

Send all but Buckiprof to the bottom of the ocean then.

Even though I am not a journalist, I appreciate not being banished to the bottom of the ocean.

 

[ysubuck]

FKA,
That's my point about the whole thing being about timing.

The fact is that there was no "story" to the ESPN article. It was a re hash of everything that happened with Maurice Clarett and Ohio State. The only new allegations were made against Jim Tressel. Clarett claimed that Tressel was the "mastermind" behind the cash and cars that boosters were providing.

Nobody with half a brain thought that this was true and that's the reason that Geiger came out against the story so strongly. ESPN was beaten. They had nothing and the story died for awhile and ESPN looked like a bunch of hacks. They threw the allegations out there and hoped they would stick. They weren't sticking until the story about Troy came out.

Now Troy couldn't know that that story was coming out when he chose to take money from Baker the Booster. That's why he's a victim of bad timing as well as his own stupidity. One has nothing to do with the other, but because of the timing Ohio State is taking yet another national hit. The fact remains that he knew what he was doing and he knew what kind of trouble that kind of behavior can lead to. He chose to take the money anyway and put the Ohio State football program in jeapordy. That's why he should be gone.

 

[exhawg]

I actually think it would be worse for Troy to make him run the scout team for the rest of his career and never let him sniff the field unless there are no other options. At least that way our D will be ready for Vince Young next year. If they kicked him off the team right now he could transfer someplace else and play again. From what I hear Troy might be getting in more trouble than we know about so at some point keeping him on the team won't be an option.

 

[AKAK]

If they kicked him off the team right now he could transfer someplace else and play again. From what I hear Troy might be getting in more trouble than we know about so at some point keeping him on the team won't be an option.

He's suspended by the NCAA as of now....so.... transferring is a little more complicated.

 

[FKAGobucks877]

FKA,
That's my point about the whole thing being about timing.

The fact is that there was no "story" to the ESPN article. It was a re hash of everything that happened with Maurice Clarett and Ohio State. The only new allegations were made against Jim Tressel. Clarett claimed that Tressel was the "mastermind" behind the cash and cars that boosters were providing.

Nobody with half a brain thought that this was true and that's the reason that Geiger came out against the story so strongly. ESPN was beaten. They had nothing and the story died for awhile and ESPN looked like a bunch of hacks. They threw the allegations out there and hoped they would stick. They weren't sticking until the story about Troy came out.

Now Troy couldn't know that that story was coming out when he chose to take money from Baker the Booster. That's why he's a victim of bad timing as well as his own stupidity. One has nothing to do with the other, but because of the timing Ohio State is taking yet another national hit. The fact remains that he knew what he was doing and he knew what kind of trouble that kind of behavior can lead to. He chose to take the money anyway and put the Ohio State football program in jeapordy. That's why he should be gone.

Not to attack you, but what I get out of this is that Smith should be kicked off the team as some kind of vengeance for you? That Smith didn't do something that warrants him being tossed, but because of the timing he should be? No effing way.

Yeah, the timing of these misdeeds was awful. Think maybe that was also orchestrated? It's quite "coincidental" to me that the MoC saga came out right before scUM week, and then the Smith saga came out right before the bowl game. But that is beside the point.

Yeah, the timing sucks...but that doesn't, or at least shouldn't, have anything to do with Troy's punishment. Just because the timing was bad doesn't mean he should be kicked off the team for committing what the NCAA determines is a 1-2 game suspension. If he did more, and broke other/more rules, then yeah, give the kid what he deserves. And what he deserves right now is what the NCAA and Tressel decide...he doesn't deserve extra punishment just because the timing was off, and some people believe (rightly or wrongly) that the University was permanently damaged because of it.

Remember, the biggest douchenozzle here is still MoC. If you want to call for someone's head, call for his. Nobody has ever been kicked off of a college team for committing the offense that Troy did. Troy shouldn't either, especially just because the "timing was bad".