Team Meeting and Presser (Merged)

[tones3778]

Cut and Paste of AP Article found here:

School to up spending to $100K


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<!-- begin text11 div --> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top"><!-- begin leftcol --><!-- template inline --> COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Days after drug charges were brought against two football players, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said Wednesday the athletic department is expanding its drug testing.

"When there's more testing (there are) more opportunities for a guy to slip up," Tressel said at a news conference at the team's practice facility. "But that's a good thing. Because in my mind, the more highway patrolmen there are along the interstate, the more you're going to watch your speed."

Several football players, however, maintained they don't believe there is a pervasive problem with drug and alcohol abuse in the program. They said part of the reason the team members have been charged is they are under increased scrutiny because they are football players in a football-crazed city.

All athletes are currently tested once a year for drugs and the university will increase random tests and double the amount of money spent on the program to $100,000, athletic officials said. The tests also will be more comprehensive to detect more types of drugs, including anabolic steroids.

"The frequency of testing and the investment is going to be significantly much, much more," said Tressel, who told his team of the new policy on Tuesday night. "The amount of counseling and support service will be enhanced a great deal."

During a 60-minute roundtable with reporters, several senior football players said they were embarrassed by the program's sullied reputation due to disciplinary and legal problems.

In the span of eight days earlier this month, backup kicker Jonathan Skeete was charged with marijuana trafficking and running back Erik Haw was cited after a university police officer said he saw him smoking a marijuana cigarette while standing outside a dormitory. Last weekend, defensive lineman Tim Schafer was charged with disorderly conduct after police said they twice had to break up early morning fights between him and another man.

"Some of the things going on in the program, they can't go on any longer," offensive lineman Rob Sims said.

Vince O'Brien, a trainer with the men's basketball program, is heading up the new expanded drug and alcohol testing program at Ohio State.

"This was in the works," he said. "I don't want anybody to think it's a knee-jerk reaction to anything that's happened in the last two weeks. This is something that's ongoing."

Gene Smith did not speak at the news conference, but O'Brien said Ohio State's new athletic director was the driving force behind the new policy.


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[BrutusMaximus]

Really hope Tress can get control of the situation.........for his own sake, as well of the players. What really bothers me, is that I am SO pumped up for this season. In fact I dont know if I can remember a team that I had this much hope for, and to see this kind of shit happening, really pisses me off. I realize it does happen, these are college kids. I was a college kid, a good college kid actually, but I still got into trouble at times.

 

[Steve19]

Steve, it's not a matter of comparing the Bucks to the Beavers or Ducks, it's a matter of national perception. The same defense of the Bucks goes on everywhere across the country. Those who live outside of Ohio know about this first-hand. It's getting really old having to explain evertything to college football fans that we're not REALLY that bad. Comparing us to Tennessee, South Carolina, and the like is already a demonstration that we are treading on thin ice. The fact of the matter is that the rest of the country is under the perception that the Bucks are crooked, Coach Tressel is crooked, and the players are either A) paid, B) felons, or C) both. It doesn't matter what the NCAA found. This is going to take a long time to shake off on a national scale.

I'm with Oh8ch on this one. It is long since time that we dealt with this stuff in-house and stuck a finger in the cracked dam. No more wood on the fire. I don't think our team is anywhere near as crooked as my co-workers think, but it's all about perception, and I'm tired of hearing about it. That being said, I'm glad that the team is publicly addressing the need to take care of business.

Habanero, NW, I think we all are in agreement. I am not saying that we need to compare ourselves to Oregon or Oregon State. I am not saying that I am not concerned.

My point is this. When Ohio State is wrong, they're wrong and I am quite willing to admit that. If we were what ESPiN had painted, I would stand beside that and I have a long history of posts saying just that on BP.

But, if Ohio State isn't the pole cat of college football, I will not agree that it is. And let's be honest, it is not. Take away O'Brien and his Serbian connection and OSU is a relatively solid citizen. Smith took money for work he did not do and he has paid that back and is finishing up on his suspension. Skeete's drug bust is a major crime. Clarett's apparent perjury was major.

The bad perception about Ohio State, about which you speak, is the result of ESPiN's campaign against Ohio State. It can't be from the number of arrests because (a) there have been fewer arrests at tOSU than many other major programs and (b) the nature of the crimes at tOSU has been much less severe.

As an alumni, I think ONE ARREST IS TOO MANY. I can't believe how ungrateful these kids are about something I would have sacrificed body parts to achieve. I don't understand how they cannot respect Ohio State and their opportunities any more than they do, but it's another generation and we see these behaviors everywhere. I accept that, but I don't accept that our athletes should be participating in these behaviors.

That said, there is a huge difference between typical college stupidity (i.e., drunk driving, getting in a fight, or passing off an invalid coupon at a strip joint) and committing serious crimes (e.g., breaking and entering, robbery, drug dealing, rape, public indecency or murder). And in only a handful of instances in which our guys have committed major offenses, and again one is too many in my view,, Ohio State has been quick to move them out of the program, while observing the student's legal rights.

I am not an apologist for problems. Personally, I think I would have set a few examples already. But, I have to rely on Ohio State to make appropriate and reasonable reactions.

So, my point is this. When confronted with these perceptions, I encourage my friends to consider other major programs that HAVE NOT BEEN PUT UNDER THE MICROSCOPE, such as USC, South Carolina, Iowa, Tennessee, Miami and others, so that they can compare the arrests objectively and decide for themselves just how "dirty" Ohio State is.

I don't like even one arrest. I can't believe some of the stupidity we have seen. But, I don't think Ohio State is the pole cat of college sports.

I remain proud to be a Buckeye.

 

[Tlangs]

In fact I dont know if I can remember a team that I had this much hope for, and to see this kind of shit happening, really pisses me off.

I would say that the 2003 team that was pre-season number 1 in sports illustrated during the MoC investigation would qualify. The only thing that could match the 2003 team incident would be for Ted Ginn to be suspended from the team for a season. This springs incidents are bad but won't have as large an effect on the field as MoC being kicked off the team.

 

[BrutusMaximus]

That's a good point, but to be honest, that team didnt have half the talent that this team does.

 

[BuckeyeInTheBoro]

The tests also will be more comprehensive to detect more types of drugs, including anabolic steroids.

Oh good grief.. here's the next thing. You think steroid use is limited to the pros? There are high school FB players on this stuff... I think a little girl playing against my daughter in soccer a few weeks ago was juiced.

My prediction? We will find players on 'roids and it will get widely reported and everyone will pretend we are the only school doing it (because the other schools aren't dumb enough to check).

I think this policy would be great... if it were the NCAAs. By setting ourselves to a higher standard, we are setting ourselves up to have more failures than other schools. This will be lost on the media who will simply point out that we have twice as many people failing drug tests as the average school.

I hope our new AD is planning on lobbying the NCAA (or at least the Big 10) to join us in this policy, and I hope he has enough clout to make it happen. Otherwise, we are effectively admitting it's a problem for us and no-one else... which is ridiculous.

 

[Folanator]

Another point of view.

We try to hold these athletes to the same standards when it comes to admissions, grades, GPA and day to day life at TOSU. We get upset when the athletes are held to a higher standard (Dennis Kennedy) by the university admissions department. We all would be honked off if the football team had to keep a 3.0 to maintain playing status.

Much talk about mandatory drug testing and special conditions for athletes. At what point is the football team/scholarship athletes becoming to separated from the rest of the student body? It is almost like these kids are (dare I say it), paid professionals?

I am in full agreement for testing, and the threat of being tested for athletes on scholarship. I also think that the penalties need to be toughened. However, these kids are students first and not full time professionals that are being payed $ for their talents.

At some point OSU will cross a line if they go to a mandatory drug testing program for the entire team. I agree with Mili that it will affect morale. But the bigger point is that it will separate the STUDENT athlete from the rest of the school.

 

[BB73]

My prediction? We will find players on 'roids and it will get widely reported and everyone will pretend we are the only school doing it (because the other schools aren't dumb enough to check).

I think this policy would be great... if it were the NCAAs. By setting ourselves to a higher standard, we are setting ourselves up to have more failures than other schools. This will be lost on the media who will simply point out that we have twice as many people failing drug tests as the average school.

I hope our new AD is planning on lobbying the NCAA (or at least the Big 10) to join us in this policy, and I hope he has enough clout to make it happen. Otherwise, we are effectively admitting it's a problem for us and no-one else... which is ridiculous.

I think the concern about tOSU's image being further damaged by having more incidents reported is a legitimate one. I think the press conference was unclear about how the positive drug tests will be reported, if they are at all.

I don't think it's necessary to publicly report all the athletes that fail tOSU's internal drug testing. I'm no expert on privacy laws, but I believe that those need to be considered, along with the public perception of the program.

But if the failed drug tests aren't publicly released, that will surely lead to speculation among fans. Imagine some message boards whenever somebody that's a starter or 2nd-teamer doesn't get into a game. Did they report an injury (not always done with privacy considerations), or is he faking an injury, or did he fail a drug test? If he failed a drug test, which substance was it - marijuana, hallucinogens, ecstacy, cocaine, crystal meth, steroids or something else?

That could become a sad occurrence after each game, tracking the participation chart and comparing it to information released by the team's coaches and medical personnel.

I think the increased drug testing is a good move. I believe that it will deter some of the players some of the time, resulting in fewer incidents in the future. However, I hope that the method of enforcing and/or reporting any failed drug tests is very carefully considered.

 

[Piney]

I posted earlier to the Indiscretions of May thread concerning the rumored early morning meeting in which Coach Tressel laid down the law for the players, reportedly making example of certain players.

Word has it that certain senior players will also appear before the media tomorrow to address the recent news reports and, more specifically, perhaps talk to what is being done to curtail the blood letting.

If this is true, it seems like these are steps in the right direction. Rather than being buried at the tail end of an enormous thread I hold that these events, which represent a turning of the corner, deserve a thread of their own.

While the drug testing is a good step forward I am wondering what else came from this press conference. The thoughts before the press conference was some sort of policy would be set for any other "distractions" & arrests. Meaning some announcement that any further incidents would be dealt with quickly and harshly. While not a true one and done punishment but more of a one and you are sitting for a year policy.

That did not seem to come out of this meeting and all the press coverage after this press meeting just surrounds an introduction of a stricter drug testing policy.

I am somewhat disappointed that more was not said about this. Is anyone else? It just seemed more of a dog and pony show bringing out the seniors and fielding general questions and focusing on testing over punishment. Of course if more was said in the press conference in those regards then I might feel more comfortable.

 

[Oh8ch]

So I pick up this morning's Dispatch and above the fold I see a headline that reads "Torture Concerns Grow".

Beneath is a picture of a determined looking Jim Tressel.

My first thought is, nice to see the coaches take sterner measures, but how will THIS impact recruiting.

 

[BB73]

So I pick up this morning's Dispatch and above the fold I see a headline that reads "Torture Concerns Grow".

Beneath is a picture of a determined looking Jim Tressel.

My first thought is, nice to see the coaches take sterner measures, but how will THIS impact recruiting.

I think ESPiN is now investigating JT's role in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo. :!

 

[Buckin' A]

I am glad to see more testing, but unless there are stiffer punishments, that may all be for nothing. I got no indication that JT is planning to "make an example" of anyone. I guess I am left wondering ...why dig deeper if you don't intend to hammer the bad seeds?

 

[KevinBuck]

I am glad to see more testing, but unless there are stiffer punishments, that may all be for nothing. I got no indication that JT is planning to "make an example" of anyone. I guess I am left wondering ...why dig deeper if you don't intend to hammer the bad seeds?

JT made it very clear, talking to Herbie after the PC, that he does not intend to change his methods of dealing with individual infractions, because that would be in effect punishing players for all the transgressions that came before them. He questioned why a punishment that was good enough for Bellisari was not still good enough for Erik Haw, and he made it clear Gene Smith agrees with him. The punishment should always and only fit the crime, and there is no "making an example" of any specific player. He put this all into his family concept of team-building, and I think this approach will pay off in the long run by not scaring off potential recruits (and that is always a concern).

JT also said OSU's testing programs were far behind his expectations when he arrived here, and the intensified drug/alcohol program is the culmination of several years of planning/discussion. I think this is a great idea, seeing as the 3 latest incidents involved drugs/alcohol, and the focus is more on helping players make right decisions than punishing them for wrong ones (as it should be at the college level).

 

[BB73]

JT also said OSU's testing programs were far behind his expectations when he arrived here, and the intensified drug/alcohol program is the culmination of several years of planning/discussion. I think this is a great idea, seeing as the 3 latest incidents involved drugs/alcohol, and the focus is more on helping players make right decisions than punishing them for wrong ones (as it should be at the college level).

OK, who are you posting with that ID, and what have you done with the real KevinBuck?

Just kidding, KB, I agree with you on this.

 

[strohs]

How are they going to be testing for alcohol?
I have never heard of a drug test involving it.
Its only in your system for a few hours.
Plus, half the team is 21+ (like Schaefer), you cant do anything to them for drinking.
And the ones that arnt 21, drinking is a part of college life, I dont see why they cant be allowed to have a normal college life (they are STUDENT-athletes).

As for the rest of the testing stuff though, im all for it.