A Worthy Rival
Its rare for me to praise anything coming out of Columbus, but I was struck today by the class (!) shown by Tressel and members of the Buckeye team (!) who stated with eloquence what just about every M fan has been saying from Day 1-- as long as the workouts are truly voluntary, you can't keep kids away from practice, and any top CFB team in America will be practicing significantly in excess of 20 hours a week.
Time will tell how this NCAA violation story plays out, but I think that the stormclouds are beginning to break a bit, given the backtracking of the Freep following RichRod's emotional press conference, as well as the beginning of Martin's investigation. Realistically, this was a tempest in a teacup, and hopefully the team captains and coaching staff will work this all out, but we really won't know until the season is in full swing.
It's a shame that this non-story has been sucking away so much attention from the talented young corps of players that will take the field for the Maize and Blue this season-- but that will soon be remedied. In spite of it all, the season ahead remains bright and begins anew Saturday, when all the punditry and editorials will become meaningless with the first BOOM of kickoff at 3:30.
If it's true that who you keep as enemies says at least as much about you as who you keep as friends, it's nice to know that OSU and Michigan at least have significant respect for each other off the field, even with both devoted to such a vicious rivalry. I firmly hope that we can bring some respect and parity back to our end of this rivalry and annihilate them in November, but I'll remember their comments this week as I root for us to do so. I hope ya'll do as well.
Time will tell how this NCAA violation story plays out, but I think that the stormclouds are beginning to break a bit, given the backtracking of the Freep following RichRod's emotional press conference, as well as the beginning of Martin's investigation. Realistically, this was a tempest in a teacup, and hopefully the team captains and coaching staff will work this all out, but we really won't know until the season is in full swing.
It's a shame that this non-story has been sucking away so much attention from the talented young corps of players that will take the field for the Maize and Blue this season-- but that will soon be remedied. In spite of it all, the season ahead remains bright and begins anew Saturday, when all the punditry and editorials will become meaningless with the first BOOM of kickoff at 3:30.
If it's true that who you keep as enemies says at least as much about you as who you keep as friends, it's nice to know that OSU and Michigan at least have significant respect for each other off the field, even with both devoted to such a vicious rivalry. I firmly hope that we can bring some respect and parity back to our end of this rivalry and annihilate them in November, but I'll remember their comments this week as I root for us to do so. I hope ya'll do as well.
September 2nd, 2009 at 3:27 PM ^
It is also a shrewd PR move. You can probably guess that stories like the one in the Freep may come out soon about the OSU program. So OSU is beating them to the punch, and making the "too much hard work = NCAA violation" investigative report seem ridiculous... BEFORE OSU gets called out.
Some have also mentioned Herbstreit. He's probably on board with Tressel. Also, Herbstreit is smart enough to praise UM at all times when it's in OSU's interest (which is most of the time). A well-respected UM team translates to a good win (or perhaps a not-so-bad loss) for OSU in November.
September 2nd, 2009 at 3:48 PM ^
to stfu, because they operate the exact same way.
September 2nd, 2009 at 3:54 PM ^
I don't think they operate exactly the same way
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:47 AM ^
They probably want him to stay out of it and are wondering how much of a sissy they picked up.
September 2nd, 2009 at 5:21 PM ^
have never read the Columbus Dispatch. Not exactly a hot-bed of anti-OSU investigation. That idea would likely get the reported canned over there. The day the Dispatch runs a real investigative report into the OSU football program, I will honestly shit bricks.
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:04 PM ^
I think you might be reading into it a little too much. They're not rushing to our defense in the media shitstorm, nor are their comments some elaborate strategy to stem the tide that's headed their way. I think they were simply asked their opinion and answered it honestly: 20 hours per week is the freakin' minimum, not the maximium.
I am, however, relieved that a rival answered such questions in a straight-up way. I have a sneaky feeling that MSU, if given the chance, would have taken the opportunity to qualify their answers in such a way as to stir the pot.
Also, I think it's crazy to suggest that Herbstreit is somehow protecting OSU with his dismissal of all of this. I think he's simply calling a spade a spade.
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:20 PM ^
I may get hammered for this, but I disagree w/ the general sentiment on this board that OSU is a dirty program and Tressell is corrupt...I'm no insider, but I do hear quite a lot about the football team. I think OSU has a clean and excellent program and that Tressell is a stand-up guy...Don't get me wrong, I very much want U of M to beat OSU every time they play. I just don't think OSU is dirty.
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:32 PM ^
Totally true. What's frustrating about OSU isn't that they cheat, or pay players, or play dirty.
It's that they've beaten us senseless since the end of the Clinton administration without doing all of that.
September 2nd, 2009 at 8:32 PM ^
Just ask Maurice Clarett how clean the program was when Tressel took over tOSU.
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:44 PM ^
It's not there is really anything wrong with the team or the players...it's the fans
September 2nd, 2009 at 7:31 PM ^
dmblue, you nailed it. We often forget that the players and coaches have deep respect for one another, not to mention so many of them have known or known of each other for years. It truly is the fans that make the experience acrimonious.
Despite my views of whether Tressel is crooked or not, he has always been class in public.
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:45 AM ^
I feel the same way I did about my big rival in college (D3 baseball). The team may have been our biggest rival, and we hated them (mostly hated losing to them), but they were a classy group of guys and their coach was a really good guy. So hated the school, but liked the team.
I think it goes for most sports too, it takes a lot for me to have anything but respect for the athletes playing the game.
September 2nd, 2009 at 5:17 PM ^
I believe a lot of D-1 programs had their proverbial head on a swivel this week. If the Freep can whip up something like this against UM, any other rag can do the same regarding their local D-1 program. It sounds like "pre-hab" to me.
September 2nd, 2009 at 5:27 PM ^
Yep, you have to tip your hat to ol' sweater vest himself... as much as he wants to win, he knows it takes two to tangle...
Also he is laying a smoke screen so he does not get attacked also... He's playing defense already, and is smart about it, even if its not needed yet or ever.
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:42 PM ^
that this whole Freep Jihad will do two positive things for Michigan. First, everyone in America thought about us this week. Look at it like Howard Stern - who cares what they say about you as long as they're talking about you. Michigan is front of mind in the nation right now, and beating WMU & Notre Dame will stir up a bigger reaction than it would have minus this event. I bet Sportscenter does a longer piece on the WMU game because of it.
Second, the team will be ULTRA focused for this weekend. I know that they are all in it 100%, and that they want to win regardless of silly BS printed in a local tabloid paper. However, the team now has an "us against the world" mentality and a reason to get behind their coach. I think watching RR get emotional on national TV was probably a sobering moment for these guys, and if it got you a little pumped up - just imagine what the players are feeling right now.
September 2nd, 2009 at 7:32 PM ^
Rich Rod and the Michigan football program has, in the last four days, been defended by Carson Butler, Kirk Herbsteit, and Jim Tressel. Excuse me while I crack open a beer and wait for the universe to rip apart.
IMHO - The fact OSU players said the same thing tends to disprove the Tressell-media-savy-pre-accusation-defense thing. I think they just answered honestly because, get this, the rules allow for players to work as hard as they want to get better.
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:04 AM ^
And Lou Holtz picked us to win "a minimum" of seven games!!!
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:07 PM ^
Oh no, now we're really screwed!
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:29 PM ^
He also picked Notre Dame to be the favorite in the BCS national championship game vs. Florida. Everything about Lou Holtz makes me want to vomit glass shards through my nose. Hate that guy.
September 2nd, 2009 at 10:05 PM ^
"given the backtracking of the Freep following RichRod's emotional press conference"
when did this backtracking happen? Did I miss something?
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:51 AM ^
I would like to hope that Michigan would do the same thing if the tables were turned but I can't really say whether or not they would have. Either way, it was definitely a class act by OSU.
September 3rd, 2009 at 8:55 AM ^
Look, our fans bases don't like each other - we can spin whatever we want to make it better for our side. But these 2 top notch programs, with their ups and downs, are similar as heck. Do you think that because a kid picks Michigan that he immediately becomes a saint, fabulous player, etc? Do you think a kid that picks OSU over Michigan has now been corrupted forever? But for a few quirks of fate, you may be us, and vice versa. Let's ... get it on!
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:00 AM ^
Yes, it's nice to see our fellow Big Ten teams coming to the rescue. I still can't root for them though. Go Trojans! Also, has anyone heard from Coach Carr yet?!? Has he spoken up in defense of RR?
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:41 AM ^
I am not the best on the computer, i dont know how to start a dairy, but im wondering what everybody else is doing about the free press, myself i quit reading them on internet. I know its not much, but why support someone who is trying to hurt you... lot of us(cant speak for everybody), live our lives and follow Michigan as a hobby and enjoy the games on saturday... for me its such a relief, no worries no nothing just the game...I know Brian was taking a poll but im just wondering if their is a conCerted effort to not support them... Yes, lets just worry about the game ahead, BUT would like to know...
Ps... If the free press cared about Michigan they could of presented their story to Martin and Mary Sue to deal with it, instead they tried to sensationalize it...
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:28 PM ^
This article (and several other like it) makes me think this whole thing is settling into a pattern as we close out the week: The football people of the world (players, ex-players, coaches, etc.) see the time spent and mandatory/non-mandatory aspect as normal and routine and par for the course and sort of ridiculous (ie., UM didn't do anything wrong and this is really unfair to RR).
However, the sports media (particularly the national media) is now much more focused on the "dissent in the locker room" angle..RR sitting on the hot-seat with the UM nation...RR better start winning quick...UM fans now leery of RR...etc. (i.e., less focussed on the number hours worked). I think they are sort of missing the boat here. I sense that the "UM Family" is now generally squarely in RR's camp. This whole thing has galvanized the fan base (not 100% but for the most part).
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:43 PM ^
No matter how much torment the vest has inflicted on us in recent years, you have to appreciate what he is doing. In recent years (and more markedly so since the Dantonio hire), the majority of my football-rival focused animosity has shifted to Sparty. Tressel has never seemed to me to be vengeful, spiteful, or arrogant. I could just imagine Dantonio's comments had he been the one to steal Pryor from us. By the way, why have not any more Big Ten coaches stepped up to take some of this pressure off of Coach Rod and show a little support. Brewster and Tressel have both weighed in. Fitzgerald seems a little too law and order to say anything (he looks like a state trooper or a sherriff to me). But it would be nice if Dantonio or Ferentz or Zook could show a little love. Well..maybe not Dantonio. I don't want my flames of hatred to be weakened at all by it.
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