First of all, let me say. Yes, OSU is the rival of my Michigan Wolverines, and yes this is funny situation that is unraveling in front of us sports fans. I personally chuckled my butt off for a day because it's Doomsday over there in Columbus. It was a perfect storm of allegations that's about to ruin the athletic department. When all said or done, it'll probably a little bit more penalized than USC. And for what? Tattoos and free car rides? LOL.
Listening to some fellow Michigan fans/OSU haters on the message boards, Facebook, or even my text messaging inbox, you would think Tressel murdered their wife and children. I think everyone and their brothers knew that OSU players were getting some nice treatment from community members. Tressel hung around this long, because it wasn't serious until the NEWEST allegations about Pryor. Even he is finally OVER IT and is going to move on. Maybe some of the haters should to? He basically owning up to the fact that the football program has some major issues and he wants to begin the process of cleaning house by leaving. Others should follow.
However, I feel some of you are really spreading the hate in the wrong places. The hate period is stupid. This does NOT make Tressel a bad person. A lot of you want to throw out that he's dirty and he's had 400+ violations. Well, think about that for a second. He's had that many minor violations and neither OSU nor the NCAA did ANYTHING to him. Immediately when Clarett got busted, he was SHIPPED OUT. When Smith got busted (for $500), he missed a game. So why would he change what he does if the program or himself have gotten any heat? Yes, he's the head coach and he SHOULD know everything that's going on behind his back. But come on, that's unrealistic. By the time he hears from it, EVERYONE should know. The community, the other coaches, the other players, other students, family, friends.....etc HOW ABOUT THE PARENTS? Why are we directing hate on Tressel but not the others? Is Steve Fischer a sleaze ball and a bad coach? No. Things just got a little too out of control under his watch. Same for Tressel. The funniest part is that OSU is gonna allow the interim coach to continue coaching. What? How is it that the "next in line" guy doesn't have any responsibility on this football team? A great person and man has been turned into the world's biggest scapegoat. This man is well respected, great family man, great teacher, great friend, good author, and a church oriented person. I think I read somewhere that he reads the bible every morning with his peers. I have heard nothing but GOOD about him. Sounds like a guy I'd like to have as my neighbor.
Are you a parent? What if your 14 year old son came home and told you that he cheated on his math exam and got a C? He peeked over to his neighbors and changed a few answers? Now, some of you can CLAIM that you would run to the school and tell on your son, but I think we know what would really happen. You would have a talk with your son, maybe get him a math tutor, or even help him yourself. YOU WOULD NOT squeal on your son and you know it. Would you turn your daughter into the police if she drove home drunk at 2 in the morning? It was a TATTOO for Christ sakes. Tressel acknowledge the incident and forward it to a mentor of T.P. Personally, I think the whole selling your stuff being an infraction is silly to begin with. Yes, I acknowledge that it's wrong, but I can't believe it's about to ruin a football program worse than point shaving, steroids, or paying recruits. Did he handle it incorrectly, he sure did, but does it mean we should hang him and call him the devil like he's O.B.L? And yes, I'm well aware of bigger things could be in the horizon (maybe paying players) and yes, I would be the first person to say, "Give them the SMU treatment." For those of you that have no clue, SMU is the last university to get the death penalty in sports.
Any person who thinks their program isn't committing infractions is stubborn. In this day and age, you don't win without allegations on your butts. USC, Auburn, Lance Armstrong, Roger Clemens, Tonya Harding, that Nascar driver, Spygate, Marion Jones, etc. If you aren't winning, you probably aren't "Cheating," or not doing it very good. Like Wilbon said on PTI, they were caught just like Lebron and Noah were caught slurring on national T.V. These kids got free tattoos and a few got new cars to drive each month. LOL. These are the same stuff that you and I would gladly take for free as well. Think if some community hot shot came up to you in college and handed you $500 and told you to keep up the good work in your college courses? Or if a car dealership said, "Hey man, wanna drive a car around for a week?" Or if a friend of yours needs a book you own for class and said he'll give you a tattoo for it. Any of you saying you wouldn't, ARE LYING....or just don't really like tattoos (like me).
OSU is not a prestige academic university like Duke, Notre Dame, or Michigan. They are more vulnerable to get a lot of bad eggs. Heck, why the hate? It's college football. Jeez. CHILL OUT. After what happened to our basketball program, I don't think we are in any position to do all this bashing. Every football program (at least successful one) has infractions going on. They didn't kill anybody. They didn't take steroids. They didn't (well not yet) cheat in their college courses, or spy on other football programs. NCAA ALLOWED the "Tat 5" to play in the bowl game. NCAA ALLOWED OSU to stay afloat after the Clarett and Smith situation. You want someone to hate, hate the NCAA. Hating kids and coaches for accepting free cars and tattoos is ridiculous. As for Michigan vs. OSU. I don't want to hear, "Well they cheated so we should at least be 5-5." I'm not playing the WHAT IF game. OSU, with NO extra advantages has whooped our frigging butts for a decade. Tressel has out coached Carr and Rodriquez, not OUT-CHEATED. Yes, some of these so called, "thugs" have done some stupid things since being at OSU, but it did NOT make them a better football team. The Big Ten is severely damaged without OSU's tradition and Jim Tressel. It's a sad day for OSU football fans but it's also a sad time for our conference and even more, our rivalry. Some of you really need to examine your own life and the bitterness that surrounds you.
