More Gordon Gee: Full audio
The full audio of Gordon Gee's comedy routine is now on the internet. SI summarizes most of it here along with the full audio:
http://college-football.si.com/2013/05/31/ohio-state-gordon-gee-controversial-comments/
That's gold, Gordon. Gold.
EDIT: Louisville's president's response:
"I would say in that particular president's case, it's not unusual at all, to make statements, and then have to retract them later," UL president Dr. James Ramsey said. " I thank my lucky stars I'm not president of Ohio State and had some of the probation problems and some of the NCAA problems that they've had."
http://www.wave3.com/story/22460650/uofl-reacts-to-comments-from-ohio-state-president
I read the topic as "Full Auto", and was all like "That's impossible, Gordon Gee can't be fired!"
To quote that "great" Spartan, Darryl Rogers, from when he was coaching the Lions, "“What does a guy have to do around here to get fired?"
That's good stuff. There's a gold mine of information in there. It's one of those "he says what we're all thinking!" moments.
I'm sure people will feign outrage, but this is the most insight we've gotten into the Big Ten expansion process, and the Bielema comments are just a bonus.
Most of his comments are of the "that's what we're all thinking type". But for me, when you start to disparage people on an ethnic, religious, racial, or national basis, you've crossed the line and I am offended.
But he's going to apologize and it will be accepted. At that point I'll cease to be offended. And all will be well again until he says something else dumb, like he's prone to do.
Not Gonna Happen -- Gee getting fired, I mean. Yes, he's a goofball, he talks off the top of his head, his head is empty of actually relevant information, etc. BUT... he's brought in like $2.5B with a B for tSIO. The people who count (meaning, the people who got caysh) love him, so, he's not going anywhere.
Which means... moar popcorn, please!
I have a hard time reconciling his propensity to make dumbass comments with his fundraising ability. This is the guy that makes people want to fork over cash to his institution? This seems very Chauncey Gardner-esque.
Even though his donors are rich, they are still Ohio State supporters.
Interesting stuff in there. I'm sure everyone will feign outrage, but Gee didn't say anything that every sports writer and commentator has acknowledged as truth. The B1G isn't going to take schools of low academic standards, Maryland and Rutgers was a TV money grab, Ohio can't lock down Cinncinnatti, etc.
The only controversy is that everyone in the NCAA lives a lie that somehow college athletics are an amateur sport.
That's a trick used to separate the wheat from the chaff at tOSU. Those who can't spell it are granted admission. I hope that was intentional. If it was - very funny.
Did you mean - to separate the chaff from the wheat?
wants to know what all the fuss is about.
Just listened to it. What are people mad about? The jokes that everyone laughed at? I kind of like the guy. I'm going to send him 15 dollars.
Not unexpected http://youtu.be/dCutRJvTK6c
This one has a lot more football to talk about, and might have a chance of surviving, if we can all be nice.
- I don't know that they're really getting 50 million more viewers, but however you want to justify it, B1G.
- I find Ohio State and Penn State to be wusses. They don't have any problem with MSU being in the Big Ten, but Pitt and Cinncy have to stay out?
- Bielema was a thug. Thanks for noticing, Barry!
So if Bielema is a thug, does that make Tressell a white collar cheater?
You don't think if MSU wasn't already in the Big Ten, that Michigan wouldn't go out of it's way to block them from joining?
But once you set the precedent and say it's ok you can't really say "it was ok for them, but not for us." At least in Ohio/Gee's case. Penn State at least wasn't around when MSU was admitted.
You've probably seen this, but I thought this was interesting:
http://alumni.msu.edu/magazine/article.cfm?id=1154
It's all about how MSU fought valiantly against the evil forces of the University of Michigan to gain entry into the Big Ten.
That was in 1946... I don't think it was the same guys.
Bo Schembechler, Brady Hoke, Charles Woodson and Desmond Howard? Oh, and Dan Dierdorf, just to name a few.
Needless to say, the Ohio State Board Of Trustees is becoming leery of Gordon Gee.
Summarizing a March 11th letter from the Board to Gee:
"It lays out several steps Gee must take following the revelation of remarks he made last year jabbing Notre Dame, Roman Catholics and the Southeastern Conference. Those steps include issuing personal apologies and getting help from professionals to revisit Gee's personal communications and speechwriting processes. "
They also demanded that he reprioritize which engagements he appears at. CBS also reported that the language of the letter hinted that future mistakes could very well lead to Gee being dismissed.
I really hope that they fire Gee, and his bff/protege Mark Emmert becomes vindictive toward them. Wouldn't it be great to see a serious investigation of what goes on at Ohio State, and some real punishment for ten years of cheating under Jim Tressel?
They really deserve some USC-style scholly restrictions for at least five years.
I could not find anything to disagree with in the highlights SI provided. In fact, Gee comes off as pretty funny. I can see how several people would be offended, and I can see how the ACC would be pissed. In a short speech, he pissed off: ND, ACC, SEC, Catholics, Big 12 (see the predatory expansion comments regarding Kansas), and who else? Pretty impressive.
Louisville. Kentucky. It really was an epic troll.
Gordon Gee straddles the line dividing crazy like a fox from straight-up crazy... If he had just replaced "Catholics" with something ND-specific, it would be hard to describe anything as "controversial." Provocative, maybe... Epic troll, certainly. But, I found myself in agreement with 90% of what he said and I wanted to hate it. I would bet a huge majority of the rank-and-file Buckeye fans loved the comments--especially the shot at the SEC at the end.
At least this time, he didn't denigrate the Little Sisters of the Poor. Except for, of course, the Catholic ones.
At least this time, he didn't denigrate the Little Sisters of the Poor. Except for, of course, the Catholic ones.
Gee is the perfect assclown to represent the delusional Ohio allums who continue to support and accept him. Stupid is as stupid does. That clown would have been fired years ago if he was at Michigan
The best part is no one from Ohio realizes the joke is on them. The only group who should be offended by his comments are the Ohio State students, faculty and alumni, but they are the ones who are blindly defending him. This guy is the face of their university and the one who signs their diplomas.
should have fired him when he had the chance.
that Urban Meyer is Catholic (I think named after 1 of the 8 Pope Urban's)....
This makes me like the guy and makes me think that the best part of getting old is that one day I'll be an old man who says whatever he pleases and people will laugh it off.
Gee is way bigger than Ohio State. He's someone who has lead numerous universities successfully and improved every one of them. I think it's great that someone is so good at his job and so well respected that he can say what's on his mind without repercussions.
There are dozens of reasons to hate Ohio State; Gee's comments aren't one of them.
Most of the country sees OSU as a bunch of arrogant assholes anyway. And then their President just throws fuel on the fire.
Most of what is said is probably true...and everyone knows it. Which is excatly why you don't need to say it.
Folks I gotta tell you, other than the 15 seconds of stupid comments where he trips over his own dick trying to be funny for the locals, this was one of the most interesting and informative discussions I've heard on the B1G and expansion.
He can be an ass and a clown, but it's only 1% of the time, not the 99% we are lead to believe.
I would not want him to replace Mary Sue, but I can see how he can raise money for Ohio State, which unfortunately is the main function of a university president these days.
While the anti-Catholic and other derogatory comments were ill-advised (and that's an understatement), the audio made me like the guy more than I did before listening. My sense from listening was that the anti-Catholic jokes were aimed squarely at Notre Dame rather than at the largest Christian denomination out there. And I was primed and loaded to be more outraged after listening.
Instead, I think he made the mistake of thinking he was speaking in a non-public forum - as if such a thing exists these days - and made a few gaffes. And w/r/t his comments re: Cincinnatti, Louisville, Kentucky, Bielema, and a few other topics, the comments may have been impolitic but I could not really argue with them.
I'm still not a fan of this guy, since when the rubber met the road he stood by Tressell rather than doing the right thing. And the anti-Catholic stuff grates, as does the ungracious slamming of other schools (truth of the matter notwithstanding w/r/t the academic issues). But the audio tamped down my outrage considerably. Sure, a lot of the statements were stupid, and unbecoming a university president - but they did not strike me as hateful (and they appeared so in print).
Plus, the insights on his view of conference expansion, the B1G's relative power, the interplay of money and academics, etc., were flat-out fascinating.
Good thing he'll likely say or do something foolish that will reawaken the full-on disdain.
The Bielema/Alvarez comments are actually the most shocking to me. He shared some information that probably shouldn't have been said there and pretty much made Alvarez - an active B1G AD - sound like a jerk.
I agree that most of it is pretty informative, but man, the guy can't avoid putting his foot in his mouth every few minutes.
I don't mind the guy. But if we are on the topic of trashing our rivals, here is a little treasure a friend posted on facebook. I think everyone will appreciate it.
He's not married. His first wife died of breast cancer and he divorced his second wife. He does like to tailgate apparently.
Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee’s discretionary spending from Oct. 1 2007 through June 30, 2012:
Travel: $1.09 million
Tailgating: $813,000
President’s special events: $2.17 million
President’s office: $1.6 million
Residence operation: $2.1 million
Grand Total: $7.77 million
http://m.daytondailynews.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/exp…
It keeps finding its way out of his mouth. Whether its conference expansion or Alvarez/Bielema or ND's negotating tactics or the real organizational chart at tOSU, he just can't hold it in. It reminds me of the Truth Snake episode of Coupling.
...but the Kansas/Missouri comments, and the UC/Pitt little-brother comments, have me wondering about something.
The schools the conference has added so far have been from one-school states. They could add Nebraska and Rutgers and Maryland, and could have added Missouri, without any discussion of what would happen to the other major state school.
But what happens if expansion continues into ACC or B12 territory? Is North Carolina added without State, or Duke for that matter? Does Kansas come without State? Oklahoma without State? Texas without any of the other Texas schools?
Gee's made it pretty clear that they consider it more important to maintain recruiting dominance than to admit natural rivals to the conference. But I'm not sure state legislatures will see things the same way.