Pick the biggest hypocrite - Izzo, Tressel or Dantonio
With the recent shocking revelation that Jim Tressel is not the pious model of integrity that he'd have us believe, I wonder which of these three coaches (in no particular order) is the biggest hypocrite:
1. Jim Tressel - The Ted Haggard of NCAA Football
He wrote a book titled, "Life Promises for Success; Promises from God on Achieving Your Best". He quotes Wadsworth in one of his preachy books as follows, "It takes less time to do the right thing than to explain why you did it wrong." He then lied to his bosses, the NCAA, the media and the fans about what he knew, when he knew it and why he didn't act on it. Why are the preachy ones always so full of shit?
2. Mark Dantonio - The Warden
Sept 1, 2007 - He began a shit-talking spat with the University of Michigan by offering a "moment of silence" when asked for his thoughts on Michigan's loss to App St.
Nov 3, 2007, Michigan beats State and has a mock "moment of silence" on their 50 yard line. Mike Hart makes the "little brother" comment.
November 5, 2007, Dantonio complains about Michigan's "moment of silence" and personally insults Mike Hart. Perhaps he forgot that he started the entire spat.
Of course, the "Dean of Discipline" has had a little issue with doling out...discipline.
3. Tom Izzo - The NIT Mascot
Tom likes to complain. When Darius Morris broke Izzo's press and scored a lay-up to take a massive SEVEN POINT LEAD with time running down in Michigan's second win over MSU in the 2010 season, Izzo took issue. He complained after the game that Morris should not have scored those points and that Morris deserved getting a ball thrown at his head. While the players acted like adults and dismissed the situation, Izzo would have none of it. Of course, Izzo chose to forget the way he kept his starters in to hold a 50 point lead over Michigan nearly ten years ago; the way he kept his starters in to throw last second alley-oops up 17 a couple years back; and how he ran plays to pad Draymond Green's stats against PSU (getting Roe hurt in the process). Tom Izzo cares deeply about padding stats and running up the score...unless a sophomore from Michigan breaks his press in a close game. Tom, get the fuck off our court.
Curious to see who the MGoFolks deem the biggest hypocrite...
March 10th, 2011 at 11:13 PM ^
I hear you, definitely. But I guess where I get hung up is when these guys are making what they are and trusted with college students, they're held to a higher standard. I also would absolutely classify Tressel's action as immoral. I would never sign an aggreement knowing it was a lie, which he did.
Again...it's the hypocrisy. Yes, people screw up all the time and that doesn't mean they're terrible people. BUT, those who publicly attest to their own moral/ethical superiority fall hardest. Personally, I think a person should live up to the standards they set for others. Period. None of these three seem to do that. That's why they're highlighted.
I think this thread is over the top. Or as Elaydin put it, "Perspective, people, perspective".
So in the spirit of perspective, would we give a rat's ass if the unholy D-I-T trinity had not beaten our football and basketball teams repeatedly and decisively? Heaping scorn on hypocrisy is much less satisfying than repeatedly defeating these hypocrites.
See, Izzo's snit about Morris making his layup offers a big fat clue: when we start kicking their asses repeatedly and with great gusto, their hypocrisy won't matter. We will simply let them snivel, whine, and lose.
Perspective. It's a bitch.
March 10th, 2011 at 12:39 PM ^
"Most fans don't know anything about them" - unless they watch ESPN or read any national newspaper.
"They're all good family men" - Do you know them personally? I mean, I know that's how Tressel protrays himself in his books, but often times, the facade is just that.
"None of them are criminals" - We don't know that either. If Dantonio and/or Izzo provided cover for crimes committed by their players, then they would be (unconvicted) criminals. Frankly, I think that Dantonio is no better than the criminals on his squad that he allowed to go from jail to jersey. Izzo...I really doubt the rape charges and think he's not a criminal...just a hypocrite.
"For some reason...some fans get all in a tizzy over this stuff" - It's the hypocrisy (and use of the word "tizzy"). A coach who complained about running up the score (when he was pressing the ball and is guilty of running it up time and time again) is a hypocrite. A coach who calls himself the Dean of Discipline but serves as a football halfway house is a hypocrite. A coach who preaches integrity all while lying to anyone with ears is a hypocrite.
People like those who practice what they preach. All three of the triumvirate are preachy.
March 10th, 2011 at 12:46 PM ^
" unless they watch ESPN or read any national newspaper"
Sorry if I don't form my opinions based on ESPN.
And yes, I have met Tressel, and don't think he's evil.
OR any national newspaper...
If you care, even slightly, about sports, you have heard about the Tressel incident. The others, maybe not as much. It's kind of odd to suggest that people don't know about him.
You "met" Tressel and formed an opinion as to his moral character? How long was this meeting? I met Bob Feller once. I don't know anything about him. I met lots of people. If that "meeting" was the only contact, I likely learned little to nothing about their character.
Hypocrisy is when one who accuses others of "hypocracy"
March 10th, 2011 at 11:57 AM ^
Jim Harbuagh.
March 10th, 2011 at 12:06 PM ^
I think all three are examples of the very best in humanity. They set such fine examples for all of their student athletes. They should be on the Mount Rushmore of great human beings. I am proud to be on the same planet with each of them. I watch ESPN a lot.
March 10th, 2011 at 12:13 PM ^
Dantonio blows Izzo and the other guy out of the water on the hypocrite scale.
He is a pile of sheet. I pray everyday we beat them this coming season and Brady Hoke meets him in the middle of the field, they shake hands, Brady pulls him in closer and says "Get used to this"
Go Blue!
"get the fuck off my field"
March 10th, 2011 at 12:13 PM ^
Dantonio is simply a perpetrator of Douchebagginess while Tressel is a molder and perpetuator of lies and unethical chosings to keep his team at the top no matter what.
Dantonio is a Tressel wannabee.
Tressel is misplanted SEC coach. OSU is the one school in the SEC North division playing all their games out of conference. They are as dirty as most in the SEC and are protected by the NCAA because they are the top team East of the MIssissippi and north of the Mason-Dixon line.
They will get a slap on the wrist that will be delayed until the end of this next season so TP can be the next Cam Newton and Tressel can walk off into the sunset.
Has USC actually been punished yet??? NO! They signed 30 players and they were supposed to lose 10 a year.
March 10th, 2011 at 12:26 PM ^
Then yes I would choose all three. Just don't make him angry, you will not like him when he is angry.
March 10th, 2011 at 12:33 PM ^
Tressel - 10
Dantonio - 5
Izzo - 3
They're all the devil - 4
I'll have to go with Tressel. It seems to me that he hasn't even been truthful yet at any juncture so far. He has broken major NCAA rules, and so far, Izzo and Dantonio have not.
March 10th, 2011 at 12:48 PM ^
Dantonio was Tressel's DC.
So that gives:
Dantonio:Vader::Tressel:Emperor
March 10th, 2011 at 12:53 PM ^
Is this a trick question?
Love the posts thus far. Don't know any of the three personally, any of them might be OK as a neighbor, but the point of this thread is their public conduct. All three project images which are contraticted by some of their actions, by reason of emotion (Izzo) or convenience (the other two). Tressel wins the tiebreaker because he looks like Joseph Gobbels.
I think Tressel is the biggest hypocrite(at this point), but I still think Dantonio is the biggest slimeball. He started out with the "Man of God" act, which he was forced to abandon after about 24 months on the job. He's in the spotlight much less than the other two, so he has a lot more leeway in his actions.
Izzo whines, but Dantonio takes it to a new level. If dantonio were in izzo's position he would have called Morris out more and made some rude remark about his personality and not related to the game. At least izzo kept it game related.
Trussell, FTW!
"Not. Even. Close. Bud."
All three suck. I'm going to give the tiebreaker to Tom Izzo for telling his players he's a "Spartan for Life" while his agent is putting out feelers to NBA teams.
They are all so deliciously squirrel-ly!
"perspective" guy is a buzz kill, though.
No contest. He lied repeatedly. He played kids he knew were ineligible. And he did this against the backdrop of his pious preaching about always doing the right thing. The question isn't who you like the least, it is who is the biggest hypocrite. No way does being a dick about a score or tweaking someone about a loss rise to the level of what Tressel did.
Tressel is the worst. Dantonio is second worst and Izzo is okay in my book.
Izzo doesn't bother me the way the other two scumbags do.
In the heat of the moment, they change their stripes, opinions, and how they think.
I think threads like this bring out the worst in fans more than they inspire good conversation. One thing I wonder is how a fan base that regards itself so highly devolves into a bunch of irrational name calling without adding anything substantive (the numerous XXX is a douche bag or asshat, etc).
The poster who said we're all angry at these coaches' hypocrisy because they kind of have been handing Michigan its ass lately--said it best.
Dantonio started the whole thing with "the state just got greener [because they hired me]"--then "Pride cometh before the fall"--which is actually an inaccurate quote anyway. He made a prideful statement upon his hiring--then accused Michigan of being prideful. His own words are his own trap. As usual.
Izzo? easy: Darius Morris' layup got his ire, but that is classic heat of the moment--let me rile my team--I don't even believe my own BS--press conference stuff. As for the alleged rapes--nothing has come of it--why should we worry?
Tressel: The Winner. The Book. God. Integrity. Teaching classes on ethics. And this lumps him into the category of most of the people who wear morality on their sleeves: Hypocrite.
March 12th, 2011 at 11:53 PM ^
1) Tressel - sanctimonious hypocrite.
2) Dantonio, too stupid to surpass Tressel.
3) Izzo - distant third, typical queasy slickster college BB coach.