OSU investigation to end in 14 days
not sure if that suggests one way or another.
In the #MeToo fueled climate of the day I cannot see any possible way OSU can justify keeping Meyer. I know it’s OSU, but the fan base lashing out and trying desperately to save their hero is NOT the administration and that administration has the entire university to protect. Meyer’s actions (and inactions) have boxed the OSU administration into a corner and ruining their football program’s run of dominance is by far and away the best possible outcome for the university as a whole. I don’t trust OSU to do “the right thing” but I do trust them to do the thing that is in their best interest, and keeping Meyer will damage not only their beloved football program (perhaps irreparably) but also the university at large.
Lol Urban isn't going anywhere and you know it
August 6th, 2018 at 10:38 AM ^
If they keep him, this will be a distraction for a lot longer than if they cut ties. From that stand point, either way is fine. From a "doing the right thing" stand point, he needs to go.
August 6th, 2018 at 11:46 AM ^
This is my point about protecting the best interest of the university, and the football program. What is pretty much certain is that if OSU keeps Meyer there will be a firestorm of national #MeToo protest. What is unknown, however is what the ramifications on the football program will be if they keep him. Perhaps it will be business as usual, or maybe it will be a huge distraction, fodder for intense negative recruiting, etc. Again, if we assume that institutions always act in their own best interest it's difficult to see how OSU can keep Meyer, there are just too many negative possibilities and only one positive outcome -- the story fades into the background, all journalists stop investigating, and there is no negative effect on the football program. Will they roll the dice?
August 6th, 2018 at 12:55 PM ^
I agree that the university will be driven by what is in their best interest, but I really don't think national public perception is a primary point of interest for OSU. What likely matters to them is donations to the university. I haven't seen the data, but have heard that donations to universities go up with success in major sporting programs like football. Unless keeping Urban somehow hinders recruiting (but his track record of 31 arrests at UF didn't seem to matter so why would this), I think OSU probably has more wins in football with Meyer, which means more donation $. One could argue there is significant risk in firing him if it results in decreased success in football. Sadly, I'd guess there is more donation money in having a dirtball coach who wins then in getting rid of a dirtball coach with a decrease level of football success.
I agree Red.
This is what is going to be most interesting about this whole scandal -- it's going to reveal what OSU's president is all about (what the fan base is all about is already crystal clear). Maybe a significant aspect of what is going in behind the scenes is contacting the short list of big money donors and asking them some serious, "what if … " questions to gauge the fallout on both sides of the equation. Obviously a significant part of a university president's mandate revolves around increasing donations, and I believe you're right that those donations are often tied to sporting success -- especially, I'd imagine, at OSU. From what little I've heard about the current president, he seems to have actually have a moral compass, but just how far that compass will lead him remains to be seen.
Here's my read on this:
1. Sh** hits the fan after the McMurphy report
2. OSU says Oh Sh** what do we do? We don't want to be like [other shameful school X], also it's the age of #MeToo, let's make an independent investigation and "get this right."
3. Committees and public universities are predictably slow. Meanwhile Meyer hits Twitter, McMurphy says he's sitting on more damaging info, fans are demonstrating, media circus continues. Practice starts.
4. OSU thinks about trying to hire a coach in the middle of the season if it comes to that, or having Meyer sitting the bench for a few games on "leave." Decides they better go fast. Tells the committee and firm to get it done in 2 weeks.
5. Meanwhile someone is surreptitiously reaching out to HC candidates to gauge interest, and figuring out what happens if they poach someone's coach 2 weeks before the season starts.
August 6th, 2018 at 12:18 PM ^
I don't think #5 is going on. I think they're prepared to start the year with Day as interim coach.
However, I could certainly see them reach out to coaches during the season to get a head start on the December coaching carousel.
people have been saying they've been admiring McMurphy's chess match in all of this. I wasn't sure either way until I realized the genius stroke he made with the timing of his report. He sideswiped OSU right before Media Days, created a huge distraction for them right before fall camp, and started the drip, drip, drip of damaging info to cause maximum chaos to OSU's FB season, also unleashing a million mangy dog reporters all over Ohio and Florida to keep the flood coming.
I don't know if he had an agenda (i mean it seems like it), but this dude is a one-man wrecking ball over Columbus right now.
August 6th, 2018 at 10:15 AM ^
I don't think he has an agenda. I think he probably knew after ESPN, he needed to find a big story to break to keep his name out there. This is just my theory but he probably went to Gainesville to dig into player issues there to see if he could find something. When he comes across a police report about Zach Smith, an intern who is still with Meyer almost a decade later. And then it snowballed.
Sure. But there's also something called common sense.
Out of all the coaches put on administrative leave only one of them kept his job - He abused a player during practice, he apologized immediately afterwards and after said administrative leave he was retained.
It'll be very interesting to see how the investigation proceeds, but that being said...
Nothing beyond a slap on the wrist is going to happen. Here's some background on the lead investigator from someone who knows her background.
Former chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Mary Jo White will lead the investigative team.
She was a Wall Street lawyer at a big Manhattan firm who defended all the banks from fraud charges. Then she was appointed head of the SEC by Obama and every time they tried to pursue an investigation against a bank she would say "Ooops! I used to defend them, so I can't preside over the investigation now. Sorry!" ...and so the SEC basically did nothing during her tenure.
Then she left the SEC to go back to her law firm and defend the banks again.
Appointing her to lead an investigation (ANY investigation) suggests that the fix is in.
August 6th, 2018 at 10:54 AM ^
Not really. She was in the SEC during the Obama admin right?
Fact that she was in securities regulation and represented banks tells us almost nothing about what she thinks about DV.
We just don;t know what she will think. Maybe she is not a huge fan of the general phenomenon of big time college sports and the sort of stuff that goes on (such as keeping Z Smith around...).
August 6th, 2018 at 10:12 AM ^
OP, LOL. Let me try and discredit a Redditor by bringing up his post to the largest UM Football site. LOL. Joke's on you Redditor. HAHA.
Why can't we negbomb OPs?
August 6th, 2018 at 10:17 AM ^
As others have mentioned, AD gets fired, Urban gets like 3 game suspension.
August 6th, 2018 at 10:22 AM ^
Is this POS site going to self destruct when Urban doesn't get fired?
August 6th, 2018 at 10:38 AM ^
"I support domestic violence enablers because THE ohio state footbaw." Weird and unhealthy perspective to have, but you do you, cooler pooper.
So you have no confidence in OSU doing the right thing? I can understand that.
But are YOU going to self-destruct if OSU does do the right thing and fires your sleaze bag coach?
August 6th, 2018 at 10:23 AM ^
Reality is we all just need to move on and concentrate on Michigan Football! OSU doesn't have a backbone, they are doing everything in their power to sweep this under the rug. They dont care about anything besides winning. Bring Tressel up sure, but the difference between Tressel and Meyer is Tressel gets you 9/10 wins a year no matter what, Meyer gets you 12/13 wins a year and a shot at the national title. This isn't about finding the truth or helping a victim, this is about football and thats all they care about down there.
August 6th, 2018 at 10:31 AM ^
In the end it wouldn't surprise me at all if OSU simply suspended Urban through the TCU game (read: 3 games - Oregon St, Rutgers, TCU). This would then position him to be back as full HC for a cupcake (Tulane) so he'd really have two weeks to drill since their next game is in Happy Valley and likely to be a White-Out.
There'll also likely be some public mea culpa but nothing else and Urban will have been saved what his true fate should have been - outright dismissal - all in the spirit of that school continuing to favor football success over everything else. Impact on recruiting? Initially there'll be a very slight downtick but only slight and that may only last really two seasons - long enough for this to have been buried in news cycles.
August 6th, 2018 at 10:31 AM ^
Apologies for asking a dumb question. But here it goes:
Let's assume for a second that urban simply lied on media days and, in fact, did follow the proper protocol in 2015 per his contract and Title IX, etc. How does that change that both him and Gene Smith knowingly employed a wife beater since then? I understand neither are law enforcement or of an investigatory role, but don't they have a responsibility to demand action when months (or years in this case) go by and they're still not hearing anything from the University, all while his wife is hearing unofficially that this stuff is still happening currently...
Let's be clear. I absolutely think this is simply urban and gene smith protecting Earl Bruce's grandson. Hopefully this investigation will prove it. But, regardless, it shouldn't matter -- should it?
August 6th, 2018 at 11:01 AM ^
I think this is a good question. Let’s say everything in 2009 and 2015 was on the up and up. And by the way, let’s say nobody saw those photos until after they were already split up and divorce processing.
So then it’s plausible that it wasn’t seen as a serial abuse case, just a couple dust ups.
So then the question is whether Meyer and OSU were aware of the ongoing police visits, 911 calls, and alleged abuse between 2009-2015. How many of these incidents got sent to Gene or Meyer?
August 6th, 2018 at 10:36 AM ^
This is about whether they have to pay him $40m or not. He is 100% gone.
August 6th, 2018 at 11:21 AM ^
I love when people speak in absolutes. He is 100 pct gone just like Dantonio and Izzo were according to many here. I’ll believe it when I see it. It’s 50-50 at best.
August 6th, 2018 at 10:49 AM ^
Here is how this will play out.
OSU Pres. Drake will be the one who decides.
The commission will probably give him a report that includes fireable things--lied to media/public, knew for a long time Z Smith has a DV problem but kept renewing his contract, possibly reported to his AD and not to Title IX officer, Meyer put 'don't rock the football boat' over making sure his staff had people of high integrity, sort of indifferent response on DV, etc., etc.
But the report probably will not give Drake an iron-clad basis to dismiss for cause and pay Meyer nothing. So if they want to get rid of him, they will probably have to pay at least some portion of the $38 million
Therefore, the outcome will turn on two things...
1. What sort of University President is Drake? Is Drake willing to have a HC that somewhat damages the reputation of OSU as a serious institution (kept renewing Z Zmith, lies to press/public, etc), and goes over the head of he Pres. to protect himself (putting out his twitter defense letter after Drake has suspended him and appointed the committee, etc.)?
Or is Drake another Gordon Gee who is willing to be de facto second in command on campus to the football HC and willing to let the brand be muddied with 'they care about winning more the DV'?
2. Even if Drake is the former (pretty sure Schlissel would dismiss the HC in similar circumstances) and would rather get rid of Meyer, is he willing to pay the millions on the contract (even if negotiated down) to get that result? How low can he get the buy out, etc.?
TL;DR--in depends more on the kind of guy that Drake is more than any other single factor.
August 6th, 2018 at 11:08 AM ^
Does drake decide or did the board take this on?
August 6th, 2018 at 12:13 PM ^
A University President is the one who decides. But they of course have in mind how the Board would react.
My guess: More risk of Board blow back if he keeps Meyer than if he fires him. But probably relatively little Board push back either way. Just can't see the Board campaigning to remove Drake on either keep or fire decision.
But it sort of depends on the facts in the committee report.
Said this a couple of times, but I think it is important. People keep talking about the $38 M that might be owed to Meyer. This dwarfs in comparison to donations (see quote below from OSU annual report). What impact does any action have on donation levels? I think this carries much more weight than how much they might have to pay of the $38 M or what the public perception of OSU might be.
"Buckeye Nation gave to Ohio State in record numbers in FY17, with more than 267,000 donors contributing over $532 million, including a cash total of $403 million. Fundraising activity increased almost 17 percent from the previous record-setting year."
August 6th, 2018 at 10:49 AM ^
Should not their press release state "OSU investigation into Meyer's innocence to be competed in 14 days"?
August 6th, 2018 at 11:14 AM ^
The basis for title ix us to eliminate sex discrimination in sports, how would this be a violation? When I read it all I see is blah, blah with my non lawyer mind.
Your analysis is correct as to the Original intent of title IX. However, like most governmental items, it has been wildly expanded to include rules and regulations WAY beyond the original scope. Some are good, some are a bit silly.
August 6th, 2018 at 11:32 AM ^
so lay low and wait for it to blow over. As expected
August 6th, 2018 at 11:46 AM ^
Looks like this is all coordinated in the direction of keeping him. Vis-a-vis the news cycle: Urban had the last word before the weekend, and Zach Smith 'corroborated' it. That shifted the pressure from Urban to Gene Smith. (And Gene Smith will probably say he told 'the proper authorities' and the whole thing will dissipate into bureaucratic ambiguity.)
Then of course on Monday people want more news, so OSU releases a statement late Sunday to, basically, not look for any news for a couple weeks. The timing seems to be in order to control the news cycle.
They know that their best chance of keeping him is by
(1) not making a decision while the national attention is still white-hot
(2) blaming relatively obscure officials instead of one of the most recognizable coaches in sports
August 6th, 2018 at 12:36 PM ^
Just heard David Pollack on the DP Show. Even he was saying it seemed like OSU was going to keep Meyer. Doesn’t surprise me at all.
August 6th, 2018 at 12:41 PM ^
I don't know anything about this Twitter account, but these are some really interesting facts and some good points I had never thought of. Link
https://twitter.com/BiggerTen/status/1026495716708036609?s=19
Now we're gong to know what it would be like if schools did investigations rather than have contestants answer general knowledge questions on old game shows like "Beat The Clock".
I don't remember a lot of these having set timelines - none to my knowledge, in fact.
For those that care and take with a grain of salt.... dont be surprised if Gene Smith is suspended by the end of the day and he eventually takes the fall for Urban Meyer to keep his job.....
Can't post new posts, but now Zach's mommy is talking to the media...
She can't believe people can put out things that aren't "truth" and she KNOWS what happens...
That means the outcome is pre-determined. They wouldn't put a time limit on an exhaustive investigation
August 13th, 2018 at 9:45 AM ^
Yes, I am aware. It's still an uncanny precedence of the mindset of OSU administrators in situations like these.
Urban will stay unless their hand is forced.