OT: Opportunity to meet Tressel
Background information:
I live in NE Ohio and work in a corporate office that has about 40 people. I am the ONLY Michigan fan (shocking, I know), and I constantly take crap from these know-nothing "fans". On top of that, our company owners are very strong Christians and with JT's espoused beliefs, it makes him a semi-deity around here.
So as you can imagine, Tressel's lying & covering up of the tattoo scandal have provided me with loads of ammo in the good fight.
Last night as I checked my phone, I saw an email come in from the head of Human Resources:
Team, John Maxwell and Coach Tressel will be speaking at Ohio Christian University on 4/26/11 @ 6:00pm. (See attached brochure)<company name removed> has already purchased seats for this evening event and would like to bless those who would like to go. If you would like to attend, please get back with me no later then 4/21/11.
Let me know…
For any of you not familiar with John Maxwell, he is a famous author & leadership coach who has had a few books sell over a million copies. He's also a close personal friend of one of the owner's of our company and JT.
So, the question popped in my head: 'What to do?' The first thing I did was reply to the email: Will Tressel be autographing any items? I'm awaiting an answer. Assuming he is signing items, I came up with some fun ideas.
1) Print out the email chain between JT and Chris Cicero and get it autographed.
2) Get JT to sign something "I will get on it asap !! jt !!"
3) Get a picture of myself in UM apparel giving the double thumbs up while JT signs the emails or other memorabilia like the autograph event of a few weeks ago.
These were just off the top of my head, and in between snarky responses, I'm sure the MGoBoard can come up with some good ones as well.
Can't you do all three? I would love to see your pictures from the event.
If I had to pick, photo shop a dialogue bubble of "I'll get on that ASAP" into an existing picture of him looking a bit baffled and have it signed.
please do all three you would be my hero
Until I see the pictures, I'm going to assume you're talking a big game on the internet but wouldn't dream of ever doing this. Once I see the pictures, you will immediately become my hero.
and I've been representing UM since I was 7 (I'm 30 now) and taking all the shit that goes along with it the entire time. This would be sweet revenge.
The only issue is that the place is about 3 hours from me and I have a 2 year old and a 1 week old at home.
If you can pull this off, and post pictures, I will up-vote every one of your posts for the next year. BlueDragon it.
so forget about 'em and get going!
go, be an adult, placate your boss, use your salary to support UM. think of all the tacky annoying shit they do to you to rub your nose in recent losses and do the opposite - be the bigger man, take the high road, etc. at most, you would wear a UM lapel pin.
lots of companies and bosses have a very low tolerance for being embarassed by employees, regardless of current events.
I live in Ohio and I can sympathize about having to deal with the dumbass buckeye fans. But don't go down to their level.
Agreed.
I grew up on the east side of Cleveland and took shit every day about being a UM fan. Tressel is a hypocritical douche and isn't worth any of our time.
The best thing you can do is to stay away. Tressel will get his during the next year.
Like have him sign a picture of the scoreboard after the 2003 GAME and say something like, "hey you can't just point out all the times you won..."
I know that is corny, but you dont embarrass yourself or your comapny, but you can still rib a little...avoid Tat-Gate to their deity if you like your job.
Good luck
April 12th, 2011 at 10:13 AM ^
Buzz Killington
April 12th, 2011 at 11:43 AM ^
Job Keepington
The only thing going through my head is really "Ugh... don't be a douche and make Michigan fans look like Douches."
BUT, I guess it really doesn't matter in Ohio.
Exactly. Until we, you know, beat Ohio State, the best thing to do is to keep our mouths shut and show the guy some respect. Otherwise we look like Buckeye fans. I would wear some form of maize and blue, though.
April 12th, 2011 at 11:03 AM ^
would you want to show respect for a guy who cheated by playing guys he knew were ineligible, and then lied about it because he apparently did not know enough about computers to realize deleted messages could be found? oh, and is a raging hypocrite because he writes preachy books about always doing the right thing. this is a different issue from taunting him, but for me Tressel has forfeited the right to respect no matter how many games he has won in the past or wins in the future.
April 12th, 2011 at 12:52 PM ^
Obviously, no one should show him respect, but the OP doesn't have to attend.
If he does attend and disrespects Tressel, it's more of a reflection on the OP.
Don't go, don't allow your actions to reflect poorly on Michigan, but most importantly, don't let your actions reflect poorly on you.
If you don't do it, then don't go. It doesn't say it is mandatory, so why waste your time. If this was in Michigan, I doubt a Ohio State would waste his/her time to meet with Hoke.
about the enemy.
And mock him too!
Bring lots of hand sanitizer and Dawn dishsoap.
But seriously, I'd meet him, just as I'd take advantage of the opportunity to meet Meyer, Saban, Carrol, or any high profile coach. It's just a cool thing to do.
Imagine a Michigan fan 40 years ago, that got to meet Woody Hayes. It would be a story he could tell his kids and grandkids.
We don't need to resort to such things. That's why we're Michigan and they are Ohio State.
I would, however, encourage you to go and wear a jersey and a hat. If he should happen to call you out for that, then I would say he's inviting a retort, but otherwise you need only to sit there and respectfully listen.
Idoublee, your work environment sounds horrific on multiple levels. My sincere condolences!
To your question, I honestly think JT would be amused by #3. The guy clearly has his faults, but he seems to have a sense of humor.
As for the others, they sound like CLMs to me, but you'll be a better judge of that.
my best friend was recruited by him and played for him at YSU for one year before he left for Ohio State.
Side note, my friend, who really likes Tressel, is not surprised by anything going on with cover up and lying. There were shady things going on at YSU all the time.
April 12th, 2011 at 12:37 PM ^
I'm sure plenty of people think he's a nice guy...he just cheats.
im not even sure if he would do #2. but try #1 it would be the greatest thing ever. and you would have a awsome piece or i bet you could sell it for a lot.
of all these sopping wet blankets around you.
Having Jim Tressel sign a copy of those emails would be hilarious. Make it happen!
Take it. Go Blue.
hy·poc·ri·sy
/hɪˈpɒk
rəsi/ 
Show Spelled[hi-pok-ruh-see]
–noun, plural -sies.
1.
a pretense of having a virtuous character, moral or religious beliefs or principles, etc., that one does not really possess.
Don’t go. Instead, write a memo to the boss complaining that, in light of the recent indiscretions of Jim Tressell, you feel that it would be inappropriate to invite him to a company event given that his actions, or lack thereof, violate the “Christian values” professed by the company.
April 12th, 2011 at 10:02 AM ^
Sounds like a clm to me
April 12th, 2011 at 10:01 AM ^
dont worry man, I met JT before and he has a limp hand shake anyways, its funny enough.. (long story short, I was preparing for the state golf tournament at the scarlet and JT had a boosters outing and I got sucked into the JT is on the putting green crap with my team and ended up shaking hands) if I could embed the clip of hank hill shaking bushs hand my reaction was about the same except opposite really not excited to meet him and then after the weak shake of the hand I wanted to laugh. true story
April 12th, 2011 at 10:14 AM ^
It would be too infuriating and disgusting to hear him lying about his beliefs and other garbage. Plus seeing all those annoying Buckeye fans sucking up to him. Best to stay home and watch tapes of the 1976, 1997, and 2003 Michigan-OSU games.
April 12th, 2011 at 10:41 AM ^
Unless your company senior managers have a sense of humor. I am in Ohio too and proudly fly my Michigan flag in my office, on my house, etc. There is no way I would waste my time. I couldn't go and get an autograph from this man without gagging. But, as I stated, if your company has a sense of humor I would go wearing my Michigan hat, shirt, etc and have him sign something but I would keep it light hearted. My vote - just don't do it.
April 12th, 2011 at 10:52 AM ^
Remember, being a Michigan fan is akin to sitting at the grown-ups table.
April 12th, 2011 at 10:55 AM ^
I am a transplanted from Michigan and live in Canton and take all kinds of crap from the moron Buckeye fan base. No UM fan who lives anywhere else can explain the loyalty to evil and the willingness to hate us that exists here. It's ten times what the people living in MI have to deal with coming from MSU fans.
That said, there is no way to win with these idiots. Just let them believe the myth. Bide your time, save your breath, it will do no good anyway and wait patiently 'til we regain footing in the fall. Apart from the last six years, and only ON the field, they have been better, But we all know that we are the bigger people and have the vastly superior university and ethical history behind us.
The self-promoting way of the head man in Cbus makes us all sick, but after years of dealing with these guys I have learned the worst thing a Buckeye can get following a UM win (and make no mistake, this Tressel fiasco is a win in many ways) is silence.
April 12th, 2011 at 11:06 AM ^
Sounds like a dreadful place to work on many levels..
Don't worry about taking "the high road", you've taken your lumps the past 8 years I'm sure, and it's not like you're going to ashame the entire university and it's fanbase by having Tressel autograph e-mails which have put our most hated rival under the NCAA's microscope and might end up being their undoing.
If you need to think about this, getting JT to sign those e-mails is probably a smart financial decision, all jabs aside. It'll be considered a part of OSU and College Football history, depending on the size of the hammer that the NCAA drops, and having a copy of those e-mails autographed by the man himself could be worth something someday.
Do what you want to do. You only live once. Screw the high road, it's not like you're heckling him during his speech or throwing things at him. You're asking him to autograph an embarassing document. I say go for it.
April 12th, 2011 at 11:13 AM ^
You could show up with a blue book (i.e. blank exam) from the campus bookstore, folded. Tell him it's a subpoena.
April 12th, 2011 at 11:18 AM ^
If your could get him to sign that email it would be a admirable achievement.
Then forward that bastard right to the NCAA Infractions committee to make them more pist off at Tressel.
April 12th, 2011 at 12:05 PM ^
Developing the Leader Within You
Chapter 3: Integrity, The Most Important Ingredient of Leadership
April 12th, 2011 at 12:18 PM ^
This makes me sad to say, and neg me to Bolivia if you must, but this seems like RCMB material. Regardless of your religious affiliations, I'd like to believe people have a little bit better morals than this. You're offered free seats for what I'm assuming will be a night with some spiritual affliations seeing as it is taking place at OCU. Bringing sports rivalries into certain parts of life are ok, but bringing it into a spiritual setting is wrong. There are going to be people there that are actually going for a reason; don't be "that guy" that everyone leaves thinking is a complete idiot.
What are you talking about? He's not jumping on stage during the middle of his talk and disrupting, if JT signs autographs afterwards he's going to ask him to sign a copy of the e-mails.
Don't even bring the religious aspect of this into it, because it literally has nothing to do with it at all. Even if he's giving a religious talk, if he has an autograph session afterwards, there's nothing wrong with asking him to autograph something. Come on.
April 12th, 2011 at 12:30 PM ^
Wear a suit, but shave your head in the form of a winged helmet.
April 12th, 2011 at 12:39 PM ^
When it come to business...as soon as I get a whiff of politics or religion I'm heading in the other direction...nothing but trouble.
April 12th, 2011 at 12:49 PM ^
I would do all 3. Then make a ruckus if they try to kick you out.
April 12th, 2011 at 12:52 PM ^
The advice to play it straight is the best advice. If that doesn't work, be a bit more creative in what to ask Coach Tressel to sign:
Get him to personlize the autograph!
OP- "Coach Tressel, could I get your autograph?"
JT- "Of course! Who do I make it out to?"
OP- "My name is Will... Will Getonthisasap"
As long as you spell the last name out for him in segments such as "G-E-T-O-N-T.... H-I-S-A... S-A-P" it might work.
and when they ask why you did it, calmly answer "because I couldn't go for three".
No, don't do that. Whatever you decide, I like these words "Stay Classy Ann Arbor".
I suppose that would be the right thing to do, but wouldn't it be cool to recruit a few buddies, and just as JT begins his autograph session have them throw marbles and smoke bombs into the room, set off the fire alarms, then have them dress up in maize and blue uniforms and parade around the room like a band and play the victors?
Then you could have a Flounder moment, "Oh boy, this is great!"
Wear a Michigan tie and a big grin to Unlock Achievement: Trolling- Hard Mode. Michigan sweatervest Unlocks Achievement: Trolling- Expert Mode.
I knew that this would bring out the snooty, high-brow, UM fans. But, that's why this place is great. Everyone is entitled to your own opinion. I'm enjoying reading these. If only I could find a live wolverine for JT to sign...
and place him under citizen's arrest
Stay at work.
Hope Michigan wins this November.