Mandel on Tresselgate
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/stewart_mandel/03/08/ohio…
"Don't buy Jim Tressel and Ohio States' defense for Coach's violation"
GO BLUE!
Asked whether he'd considered dismissing Tressel, Gee, OSU's notorious bowtie-clad cheerleader, offered this sarcastic gem: "No. Are you kidding me? I just hope the coach doesn't dismiss me."
I love it! This is the best day ever! Even the ongoing torrential rain and high winds in my part of the country cannot dampen my spirits.
Nice time line of lies, I mean events.
Good rationale for more penalties too - OSU is making the NCAA look like clowns.
Not sure how Gee and Smith can downplay this so much...I think 2010 will be vacated for them and stiffer penalties for Tressel and/or the program will come for 2011. Tressel HAD TO KNOW that these players would be ineligible for at least of portion of the 2010 season as of the date of those e-mails and chose to do nothing. The head coach KNEW his star players would be ineligible and did and said nothing and then (presumably) lied to the NCAA about it. The NCAA will view this as a very big deal.
I normally do not enjoy this kind of stuff, but I must admit, this one tastes dreamy.
Yeah I believe that the OSU report even stated that when Tressel was interviewed after the e-mails were discovered, he admitted that he knew the players might be ineligable. Seriously, that report and the e-mails were much worse than the punishment he got.
The NCAA is going to really catch flak (NOT flack) if they let OSU let Tressel off easy. I don't like the possible double standard of pulling a player's eligibility (Dez Bryant) and yet letting a coach get away with two games. Coaches are supposed to be grown-ass men, so shouldn't it be the other way around?
Overall, the letter was pretty damning. One thing among many that I found interesting was on page one which described the possible punitive penalties. In there it stated that JT would have no involvement in Spring Practice 2011 or Summer Camps. Then, at the end, a list of the self imposed penalties was listed and there was no mention of Spring Practice.
There is a lot going on here and I think OSU is in some major trouble with the NCAA. Ask Michigan, once the NCAA gets on campus, they find more things then they may have originally been looking for. It could be a slipperly slope and bad next year for Sweatervest. I predict he is not coaching the Buckeyes in 2012. My guess is he "resigns" after this season, right before the totality of a lengthy investigation wraps up.
But...but...Coach Tress was scared! He didn't know what to do! Murder and drugs are one thing, but a confidential tip about an ongoing criminal investigation involving his players? Vince Lombardi wouldn't know what to do with those emails!
It's all good. Everybody murders.
I will be interested to know how major sanctions can be avoided when Tressel lied multiple times about known violations.
The excuse about playing the players that "had earned the right to play" rings so hollow. Tressel could have easily sat them and simply recited the "violation of team rules" statement. There is absolutely no justification for playing those players based on what he knew other than pure self interest. And instead of acknowledging it, the president (what a joke of a president by the way), the AD and Tressel create the pathetic excuse of being scared for the player's safety.
I also have a hard time believing that the attorney will not face sanctions - he violated his client's confidentiality by trying to help out the football program.
I still can't get over how bad, and arrogant that press conference was.
YOU'RE MISSING THE MOST IMPORTANT PART -- AT LEAST THE KIDS WEREN'T INVOLVED IN A DRUG CARTEL!!! WE SHOULD ALL BE THANKFUL WE HAVE TRESSEL WATCHING OVER THOSE KIDS!!!!!!!!!!!
WON'T SOMEBODY PLEEEEEEEEEEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN?