Greg McElroy: “All inidications are pointing towards Meyer being reinstated.”
I apologize for another Urban post. I am exhausted of them myself, but felt this was semi board worthy.
I was listening to ESPNU radio on siriusxm this morning and McElroy, who has stated several times since this news broke that he felt Meyer has no chance of coming back, is suddenly changing his tune.
He said he spent all day yesterday talking to multiple people who are plugged into this situation and now feels pretty confident in Urban returning. I felt this was a pretty big deal since McElroy felt strongly about Urban never returning to OSU. He did not mention any of his sources, but cited the fact that they all felt Urban followed correct protocol in reporting the incident and there’s no justification found to fire him.
McElroy isn’t a guy who i would go to for breaking news, but I do feel like he is somewhat plugged in. I’m not going to say we should all believe him and that Urban is definitely coming back, but just thought I’d share this and point out that some national media are starting to change their stance on Urbs returning.
While I think Meyer will be back with no punishment I put no credence into McElroy’s sources.
unless his source was one of the six committee members or Drake himself, then it is worthless.
And frankly, the only one that really matters is Drake. I imagine he talked to people close to Ohio State’s team and athletic department. Of course they’re going to say he will keep his job.
August 8th, 2018 at 10:10 AM ^
I agree. I have no clue who is sources are, but I feel he’s plugged in enough to have at least spoken to some credible people.
Certainly Drake is the only one that matters. Let’s hope he makes the correct decision.
August 8th, 2018 at 12:40 PM ^
I'm sure he's spoken to people in the AD and in the football program. They probable are credible. The question is what can they know and what can't they know? Probably they are hearing that Meyer is confident and that makes the staff confident. So everything is positive now. It wouldn't have been before the staff heard from Meyer. Maybe Meyer is confident for a strong reason. Maybe he is misjudging his situation.
I don't think the president and the investigators are leaking anything.
August 8th, 2018 at 10:17 AM ^
Yeah, agree. He may talk to a bunch of players, coaches, and other staff members of the team or people who do talk to those folks. But, the reality is those people don't know squat. The only people that know anything are the investigators and who they are communicating their findings with, whom I doubt are the people McElroy has access to.
If they keep him, then somebody needs to apologize to Jim Tressel.
August 8th, 2018 at 10:03 AM ^
Jim Tressel actively let his players break a bunch of ncaa rules, things that actually got OSU punished. Urban Meyer continued to employ a guy that wasn't even charged with a crime. These situations aren't even close to the same.
August 8th, 2018 at 10:34 AM ^
I'd say that enabling an abusive person is a lot worse in the big scheme of things than enabling players to get free tattoos.
August 8th, 2018 at 10:59 AM ^
Yeah, and he lied about it four times in public and on the record. Meanwhile at Chapel Hill, that bastion of higher learning in athletics, the football program just suspended a bakers dozen on their squad for selling gifted shoes to them. You'd think that once you receive a gift, you could do with it what you want. I mean does the NCAA prevent the kids from selling anything they get as bowl graft? The NCAA has never had a problem until recently profiting off the imagery of kids playing in their sanctioned games and then finding all kinds of restrictions to prevent students from sharing in anything of value.
I kind of remember that allegation being raised at Ohio State during Tressel's time, and players using that stuff to trade for tats.
Of course, the UNC case was about self-reporting. So self-reporting going on here, just self exoneration.
August 8th, 2018 at 11:49 AM ^
Being arrested for criminal trespassing after a previous warning from police for criminal trespassing, seems like grounds for dismissal to me.
Its extremely saddening but thats what it feels like. Their "14 days" is basically saying he is still the coach.
this isn't shocking its sad. its not sad because im a Michigan fan its sad because all they care about is winning
August 8th, 2018 at 10:25 AM ^
Lol take that high horse crap somewhere else nobody is buying it. Michigan cares about winning just as much as OSU
August 8th, 2018 at 10:40 AM ^
Honestly, if you think that is true, you just don't get it.
If this were going on in Ann Arbor, the coach would be gone already. Not even a question.
They know what the story is.
All he has to do is win the first few games, and all of this will die down.
For fuck's sake, Penn State honored Paterno at half time of a game last year.
August 8th, 2018 at 10:03 AM ^
FWIW I think the group who protested the other day represents the thinking of about 95% of the OSU fan base. Meyer's not being fired because nobody at OSU really gives two shits about anything other than winning games and he does that a LOT.
My only hope is that after he's reinstated McMurphy releases even more damning material little by little so they stay in the public eye. Hopefully he's kept a few bullets in his gun cause that would be fun to watch.
August 8th, 2018 at 10:25 AM ^
I don’t think McMurphy has anything else. Even if he does, I think whatever he does have only pertains to Zach Smith. In other words, any info he has wouldn’t hurt Urban any more than it already has.
Really?
Do you remember when he released those texts from Zach Smith admitting physical abuse and making threats of violence? It was immediately after Smith denied any physical abuse during his interviews. He was clearly saving them for when they would do the most damage and it was probably the most damning evidence he had against Smith.
Why would he release all of his damaging evidence against one, and hold some back against the other? If he could do to Meyer what he did to Smith it would be a much bigger story.
There's an old expression in chess; the threat is stronger than the execution. Even if McMurphy had nothing more, the possibility that he does has to scare anyone at OSU. It's really hard to be confident you know everything. If OSU comes out with a statement clearing Meyer, the people involved are going to be holding their breath. They know if McMurphy was saving something, that's what he was waiting for.
Heard McMurphy on an interview last week and he said he would not release everything at once because he doesn’t want to do all this quality work for Facebook post. He has more up his sleeve and he will wait til he has a larger medium to post it on once the time is right.
August 8th, 2018 at 10:26 AM ^
So you're generalizing 95% of a fan base based off a small sample at a rally? And why do you want Urban fired so bad?
August 8th, 2018 at 10:33 AM ^
1. Because I live in Ohio meaning virtually all my co-workers and friends are OSU fans and 95% of them support Meyer
2. I follow about 50 different Ohio-based sportswriters on Twitter and after every comment they make on the situation I read the mentions.and 95% of the people responding support Meyer.
3. I dont really want to see him fired and I challenge you to find me asking for his termination even once. As a matter of fact if you read my prior posts you'll see I've called out Michigan fans here on this board and in the twitters for being hypocrites as I dont remember seeing ANY domestic violence posts here prior to the situation unfolding and now everyone has the vapors at the mere mention of it. I just want OSU fans to be fucking honest about it too and admit they could care less if Courtney Smith got her jaw broken nightly by Zach while Urban filmed the attack as long as he wins football games and keeps beating Michigan.
August 8th, 2018 at 11:37 AM ^
I've called out Michigan fans here on this board and in the twitters for being hypocrites as I dont remember seeing ANY domestic violence posts here prior to the situation unfolding
I am not convinced the above point is a fair point.
This is a Michigan sports blog that is primarily postings about Michigan football. Way off topic posts tend to be discouraged on this board. I've never posted about many issues I care about on this place, because it is where I go for Michigan football and related news. That doesn't mean I care less about those topics, I simply post about those other topics elsewhere on internet sources that are more congruent for that topic or work on it in real life.
I am a teacher and I can honestly say that I bring up many topics in the classroom including domestic violence with my students. My wife and I have donated a modest amount of supplies and money to women transition shelters. I think it is ridiculous to call me a hypocrite and insinuate that I don't truly care about domestic violence, simply because I didn't talk about it before Urban on MGoBlog. I've even brought up various UofM scandals and been harsh on us in my classes.
Should I start making an infinite amount of posts about all topics no matter how off-topic they are from the Michigan sports universe at the moment so that I am covered from being told that I don't really care in case that issue intersects with the Michigan sports universe in the future OR would you complain that I was polluting the board with off topic posts?
P.S. If you want to claim that Michigan fans would behave exactly the same as OSU fans under the exact same circumstances that would be a topic different than the point I am making here - and I hope MGoBlog would have more people condemning the victim attacking that I saw on other sites.
P.P.S. When I was young there was some DV in my family, but apparently I don't care because I didn't post about it on "MGoBlog" until now.
August 8th, 2018 at 12:17 PM ^
That is a fair take. It would be nice if fans of both schools would just cut the crap and be honest. However, to say that OSU fans do not care about domestic violence is absurd. 0% of OSU fans will defend Zach Smith, who is the one all this outrage should be directed at, not Urban. Michigan fans want Urban fired because with him gone, UM has a better chance of beating OSU on the field. OSU fans do not want Urban fired because he wins. It comes down to on the field results, which is what fans care about. So many people on here act like they care about the victim in this case, which is just false.
By that logic Art Briles wasn't the problem at Baylor. After all, he didn't get accused of raping anybody. He only brought in some questionable characters, had very lax discipline and fostered a culture where they expected to get away with sexual assaults.
And don’t forget about about JoePa, who did everything he could to stop children from being raped but unfortunately Sandusky just kept doing for decades.
The OSU fans have the PSU defense down perfectly and they have added in victim blaming as well. To all our OSU fans who just had to come here and defend sleazy Urban, you can fuck right off back to Columbus
August 8th, 2018 at 11:17 AM ^
I think its more than a few bullets ... more like double-barrel, 12 gauge worthy. Courtney has major dirt and is out for revenge. Unless OSU investigators contact her to hear her story, it will be unleashed in ugly force. But OSU could negotiate a civil compensation deal with Courtney to put a gag on the story. That would be way less costly than Urban's buyout ...
Wasn't that pretty clear when they suspended him and then arranged for their "investigation" to end right before the season? Of course they never considered firing him.
And if you were planning to fire him, you would also want the investigation to end before the season.
Let the players and coaches get on with it and know who's in charge. That's much better than wondering if and when their coach would be back and following all the news and speculation about his status.
This sets a bad precedent. How can someone knowingly employ and individual who beats his wife???
It's the times we are in. When you have high level elected officials getting away with lying and poor moral conduct, it trickles down to the rest of society as ok behavior.
August 8th, 2018 at 10:05 AM ^
This is literally no different than any other time in history.
August 8th, 2018 at 10:09 AM ^
Is this anything new? Kennedy was a serial cheater and sexual predator, Warren G Harding was a pervert with an RNC-backed payroll full of mistresses, and Lydon Johnson had a freaking "Wife Warning" buzzer installed in the Oval office after his wife found him screwing one of his secretaries.
August 8th, 2018 at 10:34 AM ^
i would of to, Lady Bird Johnson, woof
There's a huge difference between cheating and beating.
Our POTUS is Trump. This is shocking!
Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos
August 8th, 2018 at 10:00 AM ^
First off, leave the politics out of it, okay?
Second, methinks you really don't know the whole truth about Trump's supposed behavior. I didn't want Trump for president, but I also know that a lot of these accusations about him are overblown and exaggerated.
Third, if you're going to call out Trump, better include Bill Clinton as well. IMO he did far worse.
Fourth, that's apples and oranges to Meyer. Meyer is not president.
August 8th, 2018 at 10:30 AM ^
Ironic to tell someone to stop talking politics when you go ahead and offer your two cents about politics as well.
August 8th, 2018 at 10:06 AM ^
Grow up, bitch.
Sometimes I wonder if this kind of information gets pushed "out there" just to test the waters and see what the public reaction would be to a given course of action. Use someone semi-creditable (McElroy)...float out a scenario through "sources"....see what the reaction and rumblings are....adjust course accordingly.
August 8th, 2018 at 10:26 AM ^
The official term is "Trial balloon", and yes, this happens all the time, especially in politics.
August 8th, 2018 at 12:09 PM ^
Not surprised there's an official name for it. I can even understand using that in some situations. This situation though....disregard what is real, figure out what is most publicly acceptable, spin as needed. I guess that's public life in general though.
Four months from now, ESPN’s GameDay will run a glowing if somber piece about OSU “overcoming” this hardship to contend for a Big Ten title. Every winning coach is a hero.
August 8th, 2018 at 10:28 AM ^
Tom Rinaldi is storyboarding and selecting sound tracks as we speak.
August 8th, 2018 at 10:03 AM ^
Urban Meyer listened to fellow Buckeye Chris Carter and got himself a "fall guy"... some unsuspecting chump named Gene Smith.
August 8th, 2018 at 10:07 AM ^
That Alabama boy McElroy din't learn no spellin' at that there school in Tuscaloosa!
August 8th, 2018 at 10:08 AM ^
Did anyone really expect anything else? OSU is beyond corrupt. They learned while Tressel was there that winning is more important than honesty, integrity, ethics, and morals. I was never convinced that there would be even the slightest chance that Meyer would be fired or resign.
August 8th, 2018 at 10:31 AM ^
Well there are no grounds for him to be fired, unless you have some new evidence that says otherwise. Care to share it?
August 8th, 2018 at 12:35 PM ^
I hope you're still around when Michigan beats OSU in November.
August 8th, 2018 at 10:09 AM ^
He did not "lie to the press."
He lied to everyone in order to cover up for the fact that he employed a serial abuser on his staff, and only fired him when a reporter revealed it.
August 8th, 2018 at 12:29 PM ^
Regardless of the outcome of this, I’m so sick of the “press” putting themselves on some sort of bastion of truth and democracy pedestal as if they are always completely transparent and honest and lying to a reporter about something is some sort of mortal sin. The media are the biggest liars of them all but they tend to be more subtle about it by implying things and trying to influence your opinion about every little issue of the day. Of course Meyer lied to the press, anybody would.
Not to get political but this is the same attitude as the dustup between the media and the White House in recent days. Don’t criticize us, we are perfect angelic JOURNALISTS!
"Not to get political but [gets political]".