3 months ago it was unthinkable that Jim Tressel’s job could ever be in jeopardy but the way this thing has been handled has been abysmal from the start. It’s like every time there’s a choice to be made they go out of their way to make the wrong decision. My problem isn’t as much that he didn’t forward the email, it’s the way he handled it when the truth came out in December. He should have come forward at that point and didn’t. Rewatch this press conference:
Tell me after watching this that you aren’t a little bit angry. Watching that makes me feel like my dad did something stupid then lied about it. No Buckeye wants to admit it because we were all in love with Coach Tressel but he lied to us. Not only lied but admonished us for how he was handling the situation. This quote is the one that bugs me the most,
“I’ve gotten lots of help with emails and opinions. It’s been an interesting lesson for me, so many of the opinions seem to revolve around what we would look like as opposed to a lesser number that would be what would be best for the student athletes involved. As I thought about that I hope that no one has the impression that when we visit hospitals it’s because of what we might look like … It’s been an interesting lesson. It’s my 36th season of coaching and it’s just a reminder that you learn lessons as you go and there’s not a whole bunch of what we can talk about in terms of these youngsters other than they are in the family, they’re on the trip, they want to be Buckeye in 2011, they’re obviously very remorseful for misjudgments made, and they’re anxious to have a great experience at the Sugar Bowl.”
I remember that quote specifically because I thought that press conference was a masterpiece and it shamed me as I was thinking more about image than the kids. 3 months later and I am amazed at the gall Jim Tressel had in admonishing Buckeye fans for not thinking of the kids while at the same time he was lying to the NCAA. His lie may cost future Buckeye kids a lot more than one game and it has tarnished Ohio State’s image more than selling 1000 trophies would ever have done.
Despite all that I still love Jim Tressel and feel he is a good man and coach. He made a mistake and I’m willing to forgive but he owes Buckeye nation a much better apology than we’ve received so far.
