Dispatch
Tressel, Carr not exactly buddies
Theirs is a relationship that?s typical among coaches
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Jim Tressel leaves the field with Lloyd Carr after Michigan?s win in Ann Arbor in 2003, Tressel?s only loss to the Wolverines in five tries.
Two years after "Bomb-Sniffing Dog Gate," relations between Jim Tressel and Lloyd Carr have returned to normal. Of course, for anyone who coaches Ohio State and Michigan, "normal" is defined as somewhere between cool and tepid. As Tressel?s No. 1 Buckeyes and Carr?s No. 2 Wolverines prepare for their game Saturday in Ohio Stadium, it?s clear that the intensity of this rivalry affects the relationship between the coaches.
Certainly, there?s not the level of animosity that can exist between rival fans. But the extreme pressure on Tressel and Carr to win The Game has an effect. Their jobs are on the line, and coaches already are competitive by nature.
It?s just the natural order of things. Lions don?t lay down with lambs.
"I think we?ve always had an extremely professional relationship," Carr said of Tressel. "But I do think that the rivalry is so intense ? sometimes you have closer friendships than others. I don?t think you?re going to see the Ohio State and Michigan coach going to parties together."
Former Michigan coach Bo Schembechler said of the two, "I don?t think they?re friends."
They don?t have to be, of course. Like Carr, Tressel described their relationship as professional, limited to meeting several times a year at Big Ten functions and shaking hands before and after their teams play.
During their pregame confab in 2004, Carr complained to Tressel about the Michigan contingent being stopped as they came into Ohio Stadium and having their bags subjected to a security search by bomb-sniffing dogs.
Former athletic director Andy Geiger said the search usually was done at the visiting team?s hotel, but the Wolverines were running late and had to be searched at the stadium.
Carr said he found the search, "extremely disrespectful at best," and "at worst, a violation of our individual rights."
He said he asked Tressel about it before the game.
"He said, ?Well, I didn?t know anything about that,? " Carr said. "If he told me that, I?d have to believe him."
Last year, Tressel said, "Obviously, we regret if there were any surprises a year ago. They certainly were not intended."
Carr shouldn?t worry about that this year. Ohio State officials said security procedures have been changed.
Tressel said he has great respect for every coach in the Big Ten, but he didn?t have many personal feelings about Carr.
"There might be a little bit more understanding on my part, knowing exactly what he?s living every day, because the expectations are tremendous, just like ours are," Tressel said. "So there might be a little bit more feeling from that standpoint, but no, we?re so busy we don?t have a whole bunch of time to feel."
John Cooper coached against three Michigan coaches in his 13 seasons with the Buckeyes: Schembechler, Gary Moeller and Carr.
"Obviously, being an intense competitor, you want beat them the day you play them, but after that you can be friends," Cooper said.
"Just because the guy coaches Notre Dame or Michigan, you don?t hate him. You want to beat his ears back, but you?ve got to be a good football coach to coach at Ohio State or Michigan, so you have great respect for someone in that capacity."
Schembechler coached under Woody Hayes at Ohio State before taking the Michigan job. From 1969 to 1978, the two met in what became known as "The Ten Years? War."
During that time, Schembechler said their friendship "was dormant. It did not change, it was just dormant."
But in the ultimate proof that the rivalry?s hard feelings stopped at the sideline, Schembechler said once Hayes? coaching career was over, Woody had no problem with helping his friend.
"Once he retired, we got together quite a bit and talked quite a bit," Schembechler said. "I used to have him talk to the Michigan team. He?d be up here on a speaking engagement and I?d say, ?Come on over, talk to the team.? And he did.? "
Tressel, Carr not exactly buddies
Theirs is a relationship that?s typical among coaches
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Two years after "Bomb-Sniffing Dog Gate," relations between Jim Tressel and Lloyd Carr have returned to normal. Of course, for anyone who coaches Ohio State and Michigan, "normal" is defined as somewhere between cool and tepid. As Tressel?s No. 1 Buckeyes and Carr?s No. 2 Wolverines prepare for their game Saturday in Ohio Stadium, it?s clear that the intensity of this rivalry affects the relationship between the coaches.
Certainly, there?s not the level of animosity that can exist between rival fans. But the extreme pressure on Tressel and Carr to win The Game has an effect. Their jobs are on the line, and coaches already are competitive by nature.
It?s just the natural order of things. Lions don?t lay down with lambs.
"I think we?ve always had an extremely professional relationship," Carr said of Tressel. "But I do think that the rivalry is so intense ? sometimes you have closer friendships than others. I don?t think you?re going to see the Ohio State and Michigan coach going to parties together."
Former Michigan coach Bo Schembechler said of the two, "I don?t think they?re friends."
They don?t have to be, of course. Like Carr, Tressel described their relationship as professional, limited to meeting several times a year at Big Ten functions and shaking hands before and after their teams play.
During their pregame confab in 2004, Carr complained to Tressel about the Michigan contingent being stopped as they came into Ohio Stadium and having their bags subjected to a security search by bomb-sniffing dogs.
Former athletic director Andy Geiger said the search usually was done at the visiting team?s hotel, but the Wolverines were running late and had to be searched at the stadium.
Carr said he found the search, "extremely disrespectful at best," and "at worst, a violation of our individual rights."
He said he asked Tressel about it before the game.
"He said, ?Well, I didn?t know anything about that,? " Carr said. "If he told me that, I?d have to believe him."
Last year, Tressel said, "Obviously, we regret if there were any surprises a year ago. They certainly were not intended."
Carr shouldn?t worry about that this year. Ohio State officials said security procedures have been changed.
Tressel said he has great respect for every coach in the Big Ten, but he didn?t have many personal feelings about Carr.
"There might be a little bit more understanding on my part, knowing exactly what he?s living every day, because the expectations are tremendous, just like ours are," Tressel said. "So there might be a little bit more feeling from that standpoint, but no, we?re so busy we don?t have a whole bunch of time to feel."
John Cooper coached against three Michigan coaches in his 13 seasons with the Buckeyes: Schembechler, Gary Moeller and Carr.
"Obviously, being an intense competitor, you want beat them the day you play them, but after that you can be friends," Cooper said.
"Just because the guy coaches Notre Dame or Michigan, you don?t hate him. You want to beat his ears back, but you?ve got to be a good football coach to coach at Ohio State or Michigan, so you have great respect for someone in that capacity."
Schembechler coached under Woody Hayes at Ohio State before taking the Michigan job. From 1969 to 1978, the two met in what became known as "The Ten Years? War."
During that time, Schembechler said their friendship "was dormant. It did not change, it was just dormant."
But in the ultimate proof that the rivalry?s hard feelings stopped at the sideline, Schembechler said once Hayes? coaching career was over, Woody had no problem with helping his friend.
"Once he retired, we got together quite a bit and talked quite a bit," Schembechler said. "I used to have him talk to the Michigan team. He?d be up here on a speaking engagement and I?d say, ?Come on over, talk to the team.? And he did.? "
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