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SI Mandel on legal problems

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Buckskin86

Buckskin86

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http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/writers/stewart_mandel/05/10/mailbag/

The recent arrests and indefinite suspensions facing Buckeye players Ira Guilford and Louis Irizarry, as well as numerous other legal troubles surrounding OSU football players, make me wonder -- why can't Ohio State's football program stay out of trouble?
--Billy H., Dublin, Ohio

Too often we forget that these things do not happen in a vacuum. Back in February, when the Gary Barnett pile-on was in full effect, I tried to point out that critics were ignoring the fact that the Colorado campus as a whole is hardly a trouble-free environment (studies showed unusually high binge drinking among all students, not just athletes). Similarly, in trying to figure out why Ohio State's arrest total (15 since 2001) is so high, I tried to find some unusual contributing factors, because I highly doubt the Buckeyes are recruiting significantly worse characters than any other powerhouse.

One that jumps to mind is the fact that Ohio State is one of the only high-profile programs set in a big-city, urban environment. If you've ever been there, you know what I'm talking about. According to FBI statistics from 2001, Columbus has the seventh-highest rate of crime per capita of the 56 biggest cities in the U.S. Is it any coincidence that the football program mirrors that of the larger population? And as AD Andy Geiger pointed out, Buckeye football is the biggest media story in town, unlike USC or Miami, where player crimes can more easily go unnoticed. None of this should be viewed as an excuse for unacceptable behavior, but it may help shed some light on the source of the problem.
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That's very reasonable, unlike the crap from the PD and some other sources.
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Actually, the article in Sunday's Plain Dealer was quite thorough and factual. It actually chronicled each arrest and what resulted from the arrest. (That is, some went to trial and were acquitted.) Too many people in this country seem to think that an arrest means guilt and the PD article at least showed otherwise. (Now the columnist Bill Livingston is another story!)

As for some of the other articles I have seen, well they seem to be nothing more than stories from "reporters" acting like sharks in a feeding frenzy. At least this one reporter from SI did some type of investigating.
 
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welcome to jail recruits!

every school has kids getting into trouble, here in Columbus everything is magnified 100% due to the Bucks being the most popular thing in the state, no matter who the coach is, the kids will make mistakes from time to time.

I support coach T and his decisions off the field and on.....GO BUCKS :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

:osu:
 
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someone should do a study to see what percentage of the scholarship athletes (or just football players) get arrested compared to all other 18-23 yr old males in the area.. might be an intresting graphic, doubt there would be much difference.
 
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Funny thing is that I don't recall seeing full media coverage of the 2 ND players arrest. It may be a local thing, how has the coverage been iin and around South Bend? Truth be told I had not even seen anything about it until you brought it up here.
 
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