Yahoo, Tattoos, and tOSU (1-year bowl ban, 82 scholly limit for 3 years)

[powerlifter]

I keep seeing this but really don't understand it.

What is the argument here? That if Tressel were kind, open and cooperative with the media throughout his career and this scandal, that they wouldn't be sent into a feeding frenzy by Pryor's tidbits? (he's not alone, but the volume of things he brings to the table warrants isolation)

Baloney. OSU has a number of juicy tidbits to reveal (whether some are circumstantial or hearsay is irrelevant to today's journalist) and they would have scooped up as many as they could find.

I'm glad to see someone avoid the rationalizing and finger pointing. It appears a lot of people on here honestly believe the media done this. Then of course you have to throw in a few Cam Newton comments along the way. Reminds me of children getting caught with their hand in the cookie jar. It was anybody but "us". "Everyone else does it".

Some will call it acceptance but it's reality.

 

[BUCKYLE]

I'm glad to see someone avoid the rationalizing and finger pointing. It appears a lot of people on here honestly believe the media done this. Then of course you have to throw in a few Cam Newton comments along the way. Reminds me of children getting caught with their hand in the cookie jar. It was anybody but "us". "Everyone else does it".

Some will call it acceptance but it's reality.

I still can't believe SI's Pulitzer winning investigative reporter didn't find anything at Auburn or Oregon. Funny, that.

 

[SmoovP]

I wasn't just making something up - I'm referring to the stuff about Lowder and McGregor and Auburn. It's not proven yet, but it's not just a figment of my imagination.

And about your father - I guess you're jealous because that skips a generation.

I get that and don't necessarily disagree, but still.


Regarding skipping a generation: Don't I know it. My wife points and laughs at me every night.

 

[MaxBuck]

It appears a lot of people on here honestly believe the media done this.

Is Jim Tressel responsible for his own mistakes? Of course he is, and they were serious ones. But the media is responsible for mischaracterizing a good man, and for calling him all manner of insulting names - and the people who are doing so aren't qualified to clean Jim Tressel's boots.

 

[matcar]

bull [Mark May] we don't. you don't see a difference between a school paying 180k for a player vs a player going out and finding the scumbags who will slip you cash whenever you want it?

before Cam Newton suited up for Auburn he had already committed at least 1 violation. Pryor had to find the skeezy boosters after he decided to come to Ohio State (which I'm sure also happens at Auburn).

No, I don't see a difference in turning a blind eye to it versus any other form of enabling it. Sorry you feel differently.

 

[SmoovP]

I keep seeing this but really don't understand it.

What is the argument here? That if Tressel were kind, open and cooperative with the media throughout his career and this scandal, that they wouldn't be sent into a feeding frenzy by Pryor's tidbits? (he's not alone, but the volume of things he brings to the table warrants isolation)

Baloney. OSU has a number of juicy tidbits to reveal (whether some are circumstantial or hearsay is irrelevant to today's journalist) and they would have scooped up as many as they could find.

There may be some validity in it - a smidge perhaps.

During our long nightmare with Houston Dale Nutt, the press that he was very friendly with covered for him, enabled him and generally sucked him off at every opportunity.

They were so enamored of their access that they weren't going to do anything to put that in jeopardy.

But, generally speaking, the Arkansas sports media are idiots. So that may not be y'alls experience.

 

[DaBears]

I guess I started a bit of a firestorm with my SEC comparisons/accusations. The broader point that I think is more important than the SEC is dirty concept (just like Ohio State) in all of this is that the current NCAA setup encourages violations. Given how almost anything is a violation, if you are a big time recruit, I'm sure you have hangers on (fans, boosters etc) from every program that you are interested in trying to convince you to come to their school with some sort of preferential treatment (free food at a restaurant, cash handshakes, better deals on cars, getting out of a ticket etc etc etc). It is impossible to police all of that, but all of that stuff is a violation. The bigger issue that all of this has brought up for me is whether it is even possible to keep a "level playing field." College football is so big nationally now that it is impossible for the NCAA to keep tabs on every program, player, and booster. I love college football, but I'm afraid of where it is going, especially when you have all of these recruits who have been coddled every step of the way.

(I want to be 1000% clear that I'm not condoning or excusing any of the stuff that went on at OSU. I love OSU, I have two degrees already from here and I'm pursuing a third, but we cheated, have cheated for a while, and heads deserve to roll and vacated wins, Tressel's firing, Gene Smith's likely future dismissal, and scholarship reductions are all in order and well deserved. I'm not trying to deflect anything away from OSU. The reason for my post is that because this happened to my school, I have started to think more about what this means for the college football and the NCAA in the future. OSU's cheating has forced me to reexamine my perspective. Lastly if I'm OU's football team or any other small school team (who let's hypothetically say is 100% clean) that came in and got clobbered by OSU last year, I would be irate.)

 

[matcar]

If the NCAA wishes to be credible, they should be proactive rather than reactive. Actively investigate all programs at random, rather than wait for some [Mark May] to pop up, and investigate after. They are almost as guilty in regards to "turning a blind eye" as the programs themselves.

Local Police depts actively patrol known areas of criminal activity. The NCAA won't be back at tOSU after the current investigation ends until someone else tips them off or we self report again. Waiting on the cheaters to tell you they are cheating is [censored]ing ridiculous.

My main complaint isn't that it's ok because everyone else is doing it. My issue is that the NCAA doesn't care if you're doing it, so long as you don't get caught.

And while I'm at it, if SI is sending it's Pulitzer winning reporter to tOSU, then next stop should be Oregon or Auburn.

I think the random school tests by the NCAA is a good idea. Someone floated that yesterday and I agree, that's a good way to handle it. Perhaps that might come out of all the recent messes at various schools.

 

[NFBuck]

I think the random school tests by the NCAA is a good idea. Someone floated that yesterday and I agree, that's a good way to handle it. Perhaps that might come out of all the recent messes at various schools.

I don't think the ncaa wants to get into that. They don't want "money programs" going down. They'll act when it's shown to them, but I wouldn't look for them to be too eager to go searching this kinda stuff out.

 

[SmoovP]

I agree. Pete Carroll was the media's wet dream. They still went after USC when USC's actions gave them something to look into.

I don't remember that the press went after Carroll with the gleeful vindictiveness that has been directed at Tressel.

But I didn't follow that one as close as I've followed this one, so I could be wrong.

 

[NateG]

I still can't believe SI's Pulitzer winning investigative reporter didn't find anything at Auburn or Oregon. Funny, that.

He's from Notre Dame... He only cares about USC and Ohio State being in the dumps.

 

[UpNorthBuckeye]

You know, I was gonna let the [mark may]storm blow over before I analyzed this much more... but I do have an ignorant question.

One of the throwaway lines I keep hearing is, "and then there was the Troy Smith thing, and Tressel got in trouble for that." or something to that effect.

What did Tressel actually do in that case? I understood Troy went to this guy, in the Akron or Cleveland area, to ask about a job, and the guy gives him $500 cash. Did anyone ever say that that was the agreement? That Tressel knew that would happen?

Did the guy (who, if I recall, was considered a 'booster' because he owned one fourth of a season ticket or a seat license or something) ever rat out JT or the program???

Is there a definitive answer to what happened??

and one more thing, the summer camp with the "rigged raffle" - wasn't that in 1984 or something??

Yes, I know I have to read the stupid SI article. just wondering if someone couldn't give me a quick shot of facts here....

'ppreciate it.

Go Bucks!

 

[Jaxbuck]

I keep seeing this but really don't understand it.

What is the argument here? That if Tressel were kind, open and cooperative with the media throughout his career and this scandal, that they wouldn't be sent into a feeding frenzy by Pryor's tidbits? (he's not alone, but the volume of things he brings to the table warrants isolation)

Baloney. OSU has a number of juicy tidbits to reveal (whether some are circumstantial or hearsay is irrelevant to today's journalist) and they would have scooped up as many as they could find.

I agree with you on they were going to stick the knife in no matter if they liked him or not. I do think he got an extra twist of the blade for the Senator/Ward Cleaver/lock out the media routine.

They loved Pete Carrol and still went after USC true, but it seems the character assassination is worse for Tressel because he held himself out there a certain way whereas Pete had no real character to assassinate.

Also, obviously I think we are all more sensitive to the character assassination part being closer to the situation than the average non Buckeye fans.

 

[MaxBuck]

Pete had no real character to assassinate.

 

[powerlifter]

Is Jim Tressel responsible for his own mistakes? Of course he is, and they were serious ones. But the media is responsible for mischaracterizing a good man, and for calling him all manner of insulting names - and the people who are doing so aren't qualified to clean Jim Tressel's boots.

You can't hold onto raw steaks at a zoo in front of lions and never expect to get ate. It's a bigger story then a normal college football coach simply because nobody thought it was possible coming from JT. There are people here who still haven't absorbed it.

If this was another school this board would be full of "they've been doing that for years" "that's how they have won" etc. Don't expect the world to change just because this time it's OSU on the chopping block. There's people here that want to see a lynching over Cam Newton,but there wasn't enough evidence to drop the guillotine.Irony