TT: The Fall of Rome

Submitted by UAUM on

Apparently, the obnoxious osu fans have so insulted and harrased one of their own, Herbstreit, that he just moved his family out of Columbus.  http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2011/03/11/rumblings-3-11-art-gl0bu32m-1.html

This is not only further evidence that osu fans are douchebags (like we need any more), but that Rome is falling.  First, Tat-5, then Tresselgate, and now they've run their favorite son out of town for being "fair and objective."

Unless some federal law enforcement agency comes forward and says that they told Tressel and osu to keep Tat-5 "confidential," which seems really unlikely but possible, I think that Tressel forwarded those emails and the whole osu house is going to come crumbling down.

For once, it's nice to live in Columbus.  I get to watch the carnage first-hand.

Oh yeah, in other TT news, osu reversed its original position on suspending Tressel for spring and summer ball.  Whatever carless lawyer drafted their initial statement is now fired.

I just hope that Brady can capitalize on all of this self-implosion.  Go Blue!

justingoblue

March 11th, 2011 at 12:20 PM ^

It won't matter if they told him to keep quiet. He was legally obligated to tell, so unless they had a gag order of some kind, it's not going to matter. Even if they did though, he was still in the wrong for not going to the university's attorney.

Edit: Forgot to add my comment that Herbstreit moving is pretty funny.

Erik_in_Dayton

March 11th, 2011 at 12:24 PM ^

If Tressel was told by the FBI not to draw attention to the situation, a lot of people, myself included, will be very sympathetic to the fact that he breached his contract and also didn't follow NCAA rules.  If you're Tressel, who most gets your attention, OSU (with whom he has his contract), the NCAA, or the FBI? 

Erik_in_Dayton

March 11th, 2011 at 12:33 PM ^

I agree that he should have gone to the lawyer...To address what cali4uofum said, though, you have to consider the fact that he has a ton of political capital to expend with OSU.  They're not going to fire him.  It's easier to say that you'd stand up to the FBI than to do it.  The FBI can make things very difficult if they want to.  If my employer loves me, it's an easy choice that I would rather piss them off than piss off the FBI. 

UAUM

March 11th, 2011 at 12:40 PM ^

We have to look at this from the NCAA sanctions perspective.  If the FBI said to keep this confidential, then OSU, Jim Delaney, and the NCAA are all going to waive that as a Get Out of Jail Free card.  The NCAA will find yet another loopehold and say that a federal law enforcement agency trumps our rules, so no sanctions.  That's what I'm worried about.  But, it seems like osu would have played that card if they had it.  The could always lie, again, and make one up...

GBOD79

March 11th, 2011 at 12:40 PM ^

I am not implying he should have said: "No I will not keep quiet. Its in my contract nothing else I can do." By requesting that the FBI give him a legally binding document compelling him to silence, Tressel would have the law on his side in this case. Its not standing up to them but rather requesting they follow the law which they are supposed to uphold.

Greg McMurtry

March 11th, 2011 at 12:53 PM ^

Could have taken action against several players for something such as conduct detrimental to the team without giving out any detail of the federal case. In my mind, there are two separate parts to the story--breaking rules and federal case involvement. Just because the players' actions were indirectly related to an FBI investigation doesn't mean that JT couldn't have done anything until it was leaked.

Logan88

March 11th, 2011 at 1:51 PM ^

Tressel was asked in that dog-and-pony-show of a press conference they held why he didn't sit the players (impication: under the guise of the infamous "violation of team rules")  since he knew they were ineligible and his lame ass response was something like, "Well...that would have rasied some questions about why I was sitting them." As if coaches haven't dodged THAT question a million times...pathetic.

It's just a shame that OSU doesn't have the integrity to do the right thing and fire his lyin'/cheatin' ass. Fortunately, Tressel's mask of moral superiority has been forever ripped away and he's been revealed as the duplicitous, weasely prick he truly is.

Erik_in_Dayton

March 11th, 2011 at 1:26 PM ^

But, even if we assume that the FBI could get a court order against Tressel without that getting out, plently of people will be sympathetic to Tressel for just following its wishes.  I'm not saying that his behavior was ideal in the instance that the FBI told him to keep quiet.  But I do think that many people will see that as justification for his actions. 

justingoblue

March 11th, 2011 at 12:41 PM ^

Tressel also would have been treated with kid gloves by the FBI. I'm sure they politely asked him to keep quiet, and he could have politely asked for a cour order. It wouldn't have to be him saying "get a cour order or suck it". And while OSU won't fire him unless they're forced to, I still think what he did was highly unethical, FBI or no FBI.

Wolverine 73

March 11th, 2011 at 12:27 PM ^

nice to live in Columbus.  Whenever I have to visit that cow town, with all the pickup trucks with their OSU stickers on them and the rubes with their red OSU hats and--most of all-- the parochial view of everything, I leave feeling nothing but contempt.  That Herbstreit would feel he had to leave because of how he, of all people, is treated down there says all you need to know about the town.  Ugh.

UAUM

March 11th, 2011 at 12:36 PM ^

Trust me, I really don't enjoy living here, but the good thing is that next year, I'm going to host a tailgate for the MGoBlog community at our house for The Game.  We live about 1 mile west of the stadium (b/c it's a nice neighborhood) and it will be a blast. 

coastal blue

March 11th, 2011 at 12:36 PM ^

If the FBI comes at you and tells you to be quiet, you're probably going to listen, no matter how much you're getting paid. Seems like it would be a big deal. If this really was the case, then I'll take back everything bad I said about OSU and Tressel in thise case, as it changes the circumstances entirely.

However, let's be honest: Why wouldn't they have been able to say this now? Why wouldn't they come out at the press conference and lay that crucial bit of information out there? Why would they suspend and fine him if he was essentially breaking the rules for the greater good?

I find it very hard to believe that this is anything more than Tressel consistently getting away with violations by his players by pleading ignorance and thinking he could do it again. He knew he needed these guys to win last season. He knew he needed them to win the Sugar Bowl and get the SEC monkey off his back. He thought he was untouchable and now its come back to ruin him.

Urban Warfare

March 11th, 2011 at 2:04 PM ^

Also in the story:

<quote> In a speech to the Dearborn (Mich.) Chamber of Commerce, Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon gave Ohio State a compliment that once would have been considered a shocking admission in public:

He said that although he "hates" Ohio State, he considers its athletic department the standard he is shooting for as far as more revenue, more sports, better facilities and better academic standing in football. Brandon also listed Texas and Florida among the best departments in the country. </quote>

 

BlueDragon

March 11th, 2011 at 2:05 PM ^

In a speech to the Dearborn (Mich.) Chamber of Commerce, Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon gave Ohio State a compliment that once would have been considered a shocking admission in public:

He said that although he "hates" Ohio State, he considers its athletic department the standard he is shooting for as far as more revenue, more sports, better facilities and better academic standing in football. Brandon also listed Texas and Florida among the best departments in the country.

umjgheitma

March 11th, 2011 at 12:52 PM ^

but how does knowing kids selling school goods for other things have to do with a drug trafficing investigation? When would it be ok to tell somebody else something was going on? Would he have to keep quiet if he knew they raped someone? robbed a store? I know its a bit extreme but I think like if he thought he had to keep silent about that, what else would he not tell anyone?

Erik_in_Dayton

March 11th, 2011 at 1:31 PM ^

Playing the devil's advocate, my response is that any news that connects the tatoo parlor owner to OSU players being suspended is going to lead to people poking around his business, asking how it was that Tressel learned of the players' connection to him, looking into his background, etc.  There's a good chance, I think, that news about the players involvement with the guy would have led to publicity about the federal investigation.