So Ohio State self imposed a penalty that required the football team to vacate all the wins they amassed during the 2010 season, including the Sugar Bowl. They must also forfeit their share of the 2010 Big Ten championship, and go on two years probation. Yet this still isn't enough in the court of public opinion, where even some Buckeye fans believe the university is trying to pull one over on the NCAA.
This is a big deal. In fact, this might be the most talked about scandal in collegiate sports ever, bigger than the SMU ordeal, and certainly of a greater magnitude than the point shaving scandal in collegiate basketball.
The question then becomes, why does the penalty Ohio State receive for their transgressions matter so much to the general public? The answer is simple: arrogance and success.
Disclaimer: Buckeye fans(especially those sympathetic to Jim Tressel's plight), you might want to skip this next section, because I am going to be painfully blunt. I will, however, for your benefit, italicize this section so you know what not to read.
Ohio State has to be one of the more arrogant programs in the country. It all started with former head coach Jim Tressel. The man that Buckeye nation lovingly referred to as 'The Vest' has a dark side, and it is ugly. Problem is, he did a very good job of hiding it. As a matter of fact, his no-nonsense press conferences, behind the scenes work for charity, and undying love for all things scarlet and gray only furthered the perception in Columbus, Ohio that he was an all-around good guy. I must confess, that I, myself, was swept up in this glorification of Tressel, to the point I had defended him ad nauseum. Looking back, I can't say that Tressel's defiance extended all the way back to 2003, as Sports Illustrated claims. I do believe, however, that during the last two seasons of his career that winning took precedence over everything else.
But make no mistake, Jim Tressel did not just make 'an error in judgment' when he failed to report major violations to the NCAA in April of 2010. He intentionally lied to them on not one, but on four separate occasions because he wanted to win ball games. Apologists can argue all day that he was 'protecting the confidentiality of the correspondence', but, at the end of the day, if you believe something to be that sensitive in nature, you don't forward it to anyone, even if that someone does happen to be a close confidant of your star quarterback.
Ohio State's arrogance did not end there, however. Former and current OSU players, including but not limited to Terrelle Pryor and Ray Small, also exhibited a sense of entitlement as well. Small pretty much admitted they knew what the rules were, but they didn't care.
Then there is the arrogance of the OSU administration. That they threw Jim Tressel under the bus is not surprising nor, given what we currently know of the situation, wrong(I am assuming that the NCAA only has evidence on the players involved in the tattoo parlor scandal, and they also have nothing to suggest university officials had prior knowledge of said scandal). Yet Gee and Smith mishandled Tressel's dismissal from the university is a testament to their arrogance also. Gee's arrogance, when he foolishly stated 'I hope coach Tressel doesn't fire me' is nothing new, as he put his foot in his mouth in 2010 when he arrogantly stated TCU couldn't compete in the Big Ten. TCU would not only finish the season undefeated(with a tougher strength of schedule than OSU, btw) but it also defeated Big Ten co-champion Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl.
Smith's arrogance is a little harder to decipher, but it is still there. When the news initially broke that Tressel had committed major violations, Smith publicly came to the support of Tressel, along with Gee. But, as public support for Tressel began to dwindle, Smith, like Gee, would withdraw his support for the embattled coach. Several weeks before they called for Tressel's resignation, Smith would admonish the coach for not seeming contrite enough about the whole situation. Most recently, Smith laid all the blame for OSU's trouble on the former head coach. Even if that is true, Smith was Tressel's boss, and you would think that he would accept at least a little responsiblity for his employee's actions.
It is this arrogance that has many fans and members of the media across the nation calling for the NCAA to bring the hammer down on the Buckeyes. Of course, if you ask them why they believe Ohio State should be forced to give up scholarships, be banned from postseason play, etc., they will tell you that the program lacked institutional control. Nevermind that, as of right now, there is no concrete evidence to support a charge(There is an ongoing investigation that several current and former athletes received preferential treatment when purchasing cars, and that OSU compliance officials knew about such malfeasance but ignored it. To date none of the allegations have been proven true, and several current players have been cleared of any wrongdoing). Which brings us back to the point that almost everyone hates how arrogant OSU is acting about this whole thing.
Then there is the success factor to consider. It doesn't matter what level it is, people love to see a sports dynasty fall. Especially if the team that is part of that dynasty is not their own. During the past 10 seasons Ohio State has won one national title, seven Big Ten Titles, and five BCS bowl games. It's not hard to see why other teams, especially rival schools such as Michigan and USC, would love to see the Buckeyes get hit hard by the NCAA. Not to mention fans of these same schools, as well as media members who grow tired of seeing OSU in the top 5 teams in the nation on an annual basis.
At the end of the day, OSU fans shouldn't lose any sleep over what punishment the NCAA might hand out. So the NCAA hands out a two year postseason ban and the loss of a few scholarships(not a given, though). It is still a safe bet that OSU will be among the top teams in the Leaders Division of the new Big Ten, and, should the Buckeyes perform well this season, recruiting probably won't be hit as hard as everyone projects. To be honest, fans of OSU today are a little spoiled. They think that anything less than a 10 win season is a failure. Well, I don't know about you, but I'd take a 9-3(or even 8-4) record accomplished the right way over a 10-2 or 11-1 season that is tainted any day.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
New Weekly Column!! Coming Soon!!
As many of you may already know, J-Rod's Sportszone is not the only platform on which I publish articles.
I have also written more than a dozen articles for Associated Content from Yahoo!(http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/1064203/jarrod_argobright.html). Most of these articles deal with topics in professional and collegiate sports, but I have written a couple of political op-eds(both on the death of Osama Bin Laden) and some short stories as well.
The other major blog I write for is called the Bleacher Report, a website devoted to fans who wish to have their voice heard in the sports media world. I originally stumbled onto this website(www.bleacherreport.com) by accident, as I was writing another blog about the Cleveland Browns for cbssports.com at the time(I haven't contributed any new material to the blog in almost nine months, but if you would like to check it out, it was called Dawg Pound 34, and you can find it at (http://jarrod877.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/view/21843959/1). I quickly applied to become a syndicated writer, and, since I began writing for them in September of 2010, I have now risen to the rank of correspondent. I have written 63 articles for the Bleacher Report, most of them covering either professional or collegiate football, with a few articles about pro and college basketball sprinkled amongst them.
This leads me to the main point of this post. This summer I was approached by the college football editor of the Bleacher Report to write a weekly column for the Ohio State football Newsletter! They liked the worked I had done on OSU football over the past year and wanted to see me contribute on a more regular basis. (To be honest, during the football season I had written quite a few articles, but, due to combination of writing on multiple platforms, and the sheer volume I had put out--over 200 total posts to date--I have been a little burnt out as of late.)
So I accepted their offer, and I will now be writing anywhere from one to three articles per week on Buckeye football. If you want to follow me, all you have to do is go to Bleacher Report (www.bleacherreport.com, for those of you who have already forgot) and navigate to the Ohio State football homepage, then follow the links to sign up for the college football newsletter. I believe this is going to be a great opportunity for me, as I look to tackle some of the tougher issues, and hopefully secure some hard hitting interviews as well. I have already begun working on my first article for the newsletter, and it should be published for viewing on Friday afternoon.
P.S. If you would like to see more of the content I have already submitted to the Bleacher Report, you can do so by clicking on the following link: http://bleacherreport.com/users/320950-jarrod-argobright
I have also written more than a dozen articles for Associated Content from Yahoo!(http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/1064203/jarrod_argobright.html). Most of these articles deal with topics in professional and collegiate sports, but I have written a couple of political op-eds(both on the death of Osama Bin Laden) and some short stories as well.
The other major blog I write for is called the Bleacher Report, a website devoted to fans who wish to have their voice heard in the sports media world. I originally stumbled onto this website(www.bleacherreport.com) by accident, as I was writing another blog about the Cleveland Browns for cbssports.com at the time(I haven't contributed any new material to the blog in almost nine months, but if you would like to check it out, it was called Dawg Pound 34, and you can find it at (http://jarrod877.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/view/21843959/1). I quickly applied to become a syndicated writer, and, since I began writing for them in September of 2010, I have now risen to the rank of correspondent. I have written 63 articles for the Bleacher Report, most of them covering either professional or collegiate football, with a few articles about pro and college basketball sprinkled amongst them.
This leads me to the main point of this post. This summer I was approached by the college football editor of the Bleacher Report to write a weekly column for the Ohio State football Newsletter! They liked the worked I had done on OSU football over the past year and wanted to see me contribute on a more regular basis. (To be honest, during the football season I had written quite a few articles, but, due to combination of writing on multiple platforms, and the sheer volume I had put out--over 200 total posts to date--I have been a little burnt out as of late.)
So I accepted their offer, and I will now be writing anywhere from one to three articles per week on Buckeye football. If you want to follow me, all you have to do is go to Bleacher Report (www.bleacherreport.com, for those of you who have already forgot) and navigate to the Ohio State football homepage, then follow the links to sign up for the college football newsletter. I believe this is going to be a great opportunity for me, as I look to tackle some of the tougher issues, and hopefully secure some hard hitting interviews as well. I have already begun working on my first article for the newsletter, and it should be published for viewing on Friday afternoon.
P.S. If you would like to see more of the content I have already submitted to the Bleacher Report, you can do so by clicking on the following link: http://bleacherreport.com/users/320950-jarrod-argobright
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Does Ohio State deserve a harsher penalty than USC or Tennessee? Depends on who you talk to.
Ohio State should receive the death penalty in college football for all of its recent rules violations. Really. Well, that is at least what many people believe should happen to the Buckeyes, with most of those people living outside of Columbus or even Ohio in general.
The above represents a rather extreme opinion, and, while there are quite a few people who believe the Buckeyes deserve that harsh of a punishment, they may still be in the minority. The consensus is that Ohio State should receive a punishment somewhere between what Alabama received and USC received, and certainly it should be no more lenient than the penalty levied against the University of Tennessee men's basketball program.
Yet, are the crimes that Ohio State committed worse than what happened at USC? Or Tennessee for that matter? Well, let's look at what we know:
USC was investigated for two separate incidents, one being that Reggie Bush's parents were alleged to have a home worth at least six figures for Bush signing with an agent, all while Bush was an underclassmen at USC. The other involved basketball standout OJ Mayo reportedly receiving thousands of dollars in cash while playing for the Trojans. USC was ultimately found guilty of a lack of institutional control, and along with a two year postseason ban in football they had to give up 30 scholarships over a three year period. And recently they have been forced to vacate the national title they won in '04, as well as Bush forfeited the heisman he won that year.
Tennesse has come under fire for Bruce Pearl's involvement with a recruit. Pearl invited a potential recruit to a barbecue at his house, when, under NCAA rules, he wasn't allowed to do so. When Pearl was asked about the incident, he denied it ever happening. Furthermore, he has also been accused of having coached the potential recruit as to what to say if the NCAA were to question him. The Southeastern Conference suspended Pearl for eight games. I am not sure the NCAA has ruled on the matter yet, but Tennessee ended up firing Pearl anyway.
On to Ohio State. Everyone by now knows about the 'tat five' as it were, and Jim Tressel's coverup of the scandal as well. And, as we all came to find out this past memorial day, there might be even more wrongdoing. Of course that is where I think the difference of opinion comes in.
Right now, the NCAA has not found any further wrong doing, including whether Terrelle Pryor received cash/gifts in exchange for his autograph, on the part of the Ohio State program. At least that is what we, the general public, know for sure. This is key because it will determine whether Ohio State is found guilty of lack of institutional control, which could mean they not only forfeit the 2010 season but also receive a postseason ban and loss of scholarships.
That is why I don't believe Ohio State will receive nearly as harsh a punishment as USC. Without proof that coach Tressel forwarded the emails to university officials before the Buckeyes took the field against Arkansas, it will be hard to prove that they were not fostering an atmosphere of compliance. As a matter of fact, while Jim Tressel has deceived Ohio State and the NCAA on multiple occasions, the Ohio State University officials(including Smith and Gee) have been more than accomodating in this whole process, providing the NCAA with everything requested.
Furthermore, when the Ohio State University and Jim Tressel face the committee on infractions next month, they will make a strong case that Tressel acted alone in the coverup of the allegations. And while some may think that is a personal attack against a man who has done so much for the university, based on the facts we know, it may just be the truth.
So, at the end of the day, if the NCAA seems convinced Tressel acted alone? I believe OSU gets a slap on the wrist, vacating 2010 season and probation ala Alabama. Sure there will be a lot of angered fans out west, and maybe even in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but each case must be evaluated separately. Because they are not the same violations at all.
The above represents a rather extreme opinion, and, while there are quite a few people who believe the Buckeyes deserve that harsh of a punishment, they may still be in the minority. The consensus is that Ohio State should receive a punishment somewhere between what Alabama received and USC received, and certainly it should be no more lenient than the penalty levied against the University of Tennessee men's basketball program.
Yet, are the crimes that Ohio State committed worse than what happened at USC? Or Tennessee for that matter? Well, let's look at what we know:
USC was investigated for two separate incidents, one being that Reggie Bush's parents were alleged to have a home worth at least six figures for Bush signing with an agent, all while Bush was an underclassmen at USC. The other involved basketball standout OJ Mayo reportedly receiving thousands of dollars in cash while playing for the Trojans. USC was ultimately found guilty of a lack of institutional control, and along with a two year postseason ban in football they had to give up 30 scholarships over a three year period. And recently they have been forced to vacate the national title they won in '04, as well as Bush forfeited the heisman he won that year.
Tennesse has come under fire for Bruce Pearl's involvement with a recruit. Pearl invited a potential recruit to a barbecue at his house, when, under NCAA rules, he wasn't allowed to do so. When Pearl was asked about the incident, he denied it ever happening. Furthermore, he has also been accused of having coached the potential recruit as to what to say if the NCAA were to question him. The Southeastern Conference suspended Pearl for eight games. I am not sure the NCAA has ruled on the matter yet, but Tennessee ended up firing Pearl anyway.
On to Ohio State. Everyone by now knows about the 'tat five' as it were, and Jim Tressel's coverup of the scandal as well. And, as we all came to find out this past memorial day, there might be even more wrongdoing. Of course that is where I think the difference of opinion comes in.
Right now, the NCAA has not found any further wrong doing, including whether Terrelle Pryor received cash/gifts in exchange for his autograph, on the part of the Ohio State program. At least that is what we, the general public, know for sure. This is key because it will determine whether Ohio State is found guilty of lack of institutional control, which could mean they not only forfeit the 2010 season but also receive a postseason ban and loss of scholarships.
That is why I don't believe Ohio State will receive nearly as harsh a punishment as USC. Without proof that coach Tressel forwarded the emails to university officials before the Buckeyes took the field against Arkansas, it will be hard to prove that they were not fostering an atmosphere of compliance. As a matter of fact, while Jim Tressel has deceived Ohio State and the NCAA on multiple occasions, the Ohio State University officials(including Smith and Gee) have been more than accomodating in this whole process, providing the NCAA with everything requested.
Furthermore, when the Ohio State University and Jim Tressel face the committee on infractions next month, they will make a strong case that Tressel acted alone in the coverup of the allegations. And while some may think that is a personal attack against a man who has done so much for the university, based on the facts we know, it may just be the truth.
So, at the end of the day, if the NCAA seems convinced Tressel acted alone? I believe OSU gets a slap on the wrist, vacating 2010 season and probation ala Alabama. Sure there will be a lot of angered fans out west, and maybe even in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but each case must be evaluated separately. Because they are not the same violations at all.
Friday, June 10, 2011
LeBron better than Jordan? Hardly. Here's why King James will never be as great as "Air Jordan."
As the Dallas Mavericks put the finishing touches on last night's 112-103, taking a 3-2 lead in the best of seven series of the 2011 NBA Finals, a few things stood out to me. First and foremost is that Dallas will not go away, and if they can keep up their hot shooting, there is a good possibility they can take at least one of the final two games in Miami, thus becoming NBA champions. Then there was the play of Miami without Dwayne Wade, a team that at times looked worse than last year's LeBron James led Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics.
The story of the night, however, is that LeBron James is no Michael Jordan. In fact, LeBron is not even in Michael's area code when it comes to basketball, and, despite what happens in the future, King James will never be as good as the one they dubbed "Air Jordan."
All pregame talk centered on whether LeBron would be able to bounce back from what was the worst playoff perfomance in his career. To his credit, he did notch his first triple double of the series. Yet he couldn't help lift his team to the victory, and now he and his Miami teammates head home on the brink of elimination.
Lebron apologists will point to the fact that Miami was without D-Wade for a majority of the game. During Michael's prime, however, had Scottie Pippen been hurt Michael would not have made excuses, he would have found a way to win without Scottie.
In addition, Michael Jordan may have also been unofficially known as "Mr. Clutch", because when it came to the fourth quarter, and the game was on the line, Michael took over. LeBron's recent struggles in the fourth quarter of playoff games are well documented, with one fan even posting this on twitter:
" RT @damienwoody: If u ask @KingJames for a dollar, he'll only give u 75 cents; he never gives you the fourth quarter."
There are other reasons, though, that James will never be in the same stratosphere as Jordan, even if the Heat end up winning this series(and possibly another four or five titles). The first is that LeBron complains way too much. It's become pretty pathetic, actually, to the point you almost expect him to cry 'foul' every time he misses a shot. At least it seemed that way last Sunday while I was watching game four at a friend's house.
Jordan never made excuses, he just won ball games. And, if he ever talked any trash, he was always able to back it up. Lebron hasn't even won one championship yet, and he's already looking ahead to the day when he has more titles than Michael.
And what if Lebron does bounce back and leads the Heat to the championship? Or five? Or six? Or seven? The answer is he'll still never be as good as Jordan, primarily because he thought it was too tough to win in Cleveland. So he decided to "take his talents to South Beach." Why couldn't he persuade Wade and Bosh to join him in Cleveland? Oh, yeah, that's right, LeBron is much more marketable in Miami than he would have ever been in Cleveland.
Think Michael Jordan gave a rat's a-- about his marketability while he was on his way to winning six NBA Championships with the Bulls?
I rest my case.
The story of the night, however, is that LeBron James is no Michael Jordan. In fact, LeBron is not even in Michael's area code when it comes to basketball, and, despite what happens in the future, King James will never be as good as the one they dubbed "Air Jordan."
All pregame talk centered on whether LeBron would be able to bounce back from what was the worst playoff perfomance in his career. To his credit, he did notch his first triple double of the series. Yet he couldn't help lift his team to the victory, and now he and his Miami teammates head home on the brink of elimination.
Lebron apologists will point to the fact that Miami was without D-Wade for a majority of the game. During Michael's prime, however, had Scottie Pippen been hurt Michael would not have made excuses, he would have found a way to win without Scottie.
In addition, Michael Jordan may have also been unofficially known as "Mr. Clutch", because when it came to the fourth quarter, and the game was on the line, Michael took over. LeBron's recent struggles in the fourth quarter of playoff games are well documented, with one fan even posting this on twitter:
" RT @damienwoody: If u ask @KingJames for a dollar, he'll only give u 75 cents; he never gives you the fourth quarter."
There are other reasons, though, that James will never be in the same stratosphere as Jordan, even if the Heat end up winning this series(and possibly another four or five titles). The first is that LeBron complains way too much. It's become pretty pathetic, actually, to the point you almost expect him to cry 'foul' every time he misses a shot. At least it seemed that way last Sunday while I was watching game four at a friend's house.
Jordan never made excuses, he just won ball games. And, if he ever talked any trash, he was always able to back it up. Lebron hasn't even won one championship yet, and he's already looking ahead to the day when he has more titles than Michael.
And what if Lebron does bounce back and leads the Heat to the championship? Or five? Or six? Or seven? The answer is he'll still never be as good as Jordan, primarily because he thought it was too tough to win in Cleveland. So he decided to "take his talents to South Beach." Why couldn't he persuade Wade and Bosh to join him in Cleveland? Oh, yeah, that's right, LeBron is much more marketable in Miami than he would have ever been in Cleveland.
Think Michael Jordan gave a rat's a-- about his marketability while he was on his way to winning six NBA Championships with the Bulls?
I rest my case.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Why Corruption In College Athletics Isn't Going Away Anytime Soon
The recent scandal at Ohio State involving players selling memorabilia for discounts on tattoos(among other things) has brought to light the greater debate about corruption across all college athletics. And while it is true that higher profile schools such as Ohio State are more susceptible to violating the rules, it does not mean the smaller schools are exempt, either.
In fact, in an article in ESPN The Magazine dated May 30th, 2011, the magazine called 2010 the most scandalous year in college sports. It goes on to say that even schools such as Boise State are being investigated...for women's tennis.
A natural reaction is to point the finger at the head coaches of these programs, who are called upon to educate and enfore the regulations that the NCAA create. However, the scandal at the Ohio State begs an even bigger question.
And while I am not going to argue that Jim Tressel was made out to be a scapegoat, I think that Boomer Esiason, former quarterback for the University of Maryland, Cincinnati Bengals, and the New York Jets, makes some interesting points in this video I am reprinting from Sports Illustrated(ironic that it's from SI, the same SI I trashed yesterday, but remember these are the opinions of Esiason alone, and not necessarily the editorial staff at SI): http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/video/ncaaf_video/2011/06/03/060211.btm_boomer_selling.mov.SportsIllustrated/index.html
So maybe a change was necessary at the top of the Ohio State football program. Does that mean the next coach will have better luck convincing his players to follow the rules? Maybe. Only time will tell.
In fact, in an article in ESPN The Magazine dated May 30th, 2011, the magazine called 2010 the most scandalous year in college sports. It goes on to say that even schools such as Boise State are being investigated...for women's tennis.
A natural reaction is to point the finger at the head coaches of these programs, who are called upon to educate and enfore the regulations that the NCAA create. However, the scandal at the Ohio State begs an even bigger question.
And while I am not going to argue that Jim Tressel was made out to be a scapegoat, I think that Boomer Esiason, former quarterback for the University of Maryland, Cincinnati Bengals, and the New York Jets, makes some interesting points in this video I am reprinting from Sports Illustrated(ironic that it's from SI, the same SI I trashed yesterday, but remember these are the opinions of Esiason alone, and not necessarily the editorial staff at SI): http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/video/ncaaf_video/2011/06/03/060211.btm_boomer_selling.mov.SportsIllustrated/index.html
So maybe a change was necessary at the top of the Ohio State football program. Does that mean the next coach will have better luck convincing his players to follow the rules? Maybe. Only time will tell.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Ohio State mess: A diehard fan's perspective
This probably has to be one of the hardest entries I'll ever have to write. And not just because it seems that the bottom has fallen out on what was once the pride of Columbus, Ohio-the Ohio State Buckeyes football team. No, there is a lot I feel I have to say--and I sincerely hope that this turns out to be one of my better editorials.
Before I start I want to make something perfectly clear for those of you who are regular followers of my blog. A few weeks ago I made light of what Jim Tressel might have said to Gordon Gee to save his job in light of the alleged coverup of inkgate. But at that time(May 16th) I had no reason to believe he would be forced to give up his job, and I also thought that his error in judgment, while unfortunate--was nothing that he, the Ohio State University, and the football team couldn't put behind them.
Fast forward to today, June 2, 2011, three days after The Ohio State University announced that one Jim Tressel would be stepping down as head coach of its football program. Ray Small's admission that he received deals on cars, etc. and Sports Illustrated's article on Jim Tressel(more on that in a bit), have sent tOSU into a tailspin that it might take years to recover from.
Annoucement of resignation and Immediate Reaction
It was Monday morning, and I was kicking back at my apartment, enjoying Memorial Day as best I could. I was watching a little tv(I can't remember what was on, but I think I was tuned to TBS), and surfing the Internet. Actually I think while I was watching tv I logged on to Facebook to see if anyone had commented on my wall. There were no new comments on my wall. I then believe I went to the ESPN.com homepage to check the latest news in the sports world.
Along the side bar of ESPN's homepage, I see the headline that Jim Tressel is set to resign as head coach of Ohio State. I quickly turn the channel from whatever I was watching to ESPN, and follow whatever news they have to say about this turn of events. I reluctantly text my dad that Jim Tressel had resigned, that he was right. At the time, however, I remember wishing my dad had been wrong.
As the day went on, I would receive texts from my younger brother Rocky about my thoughts on Urban Meyer as the next head coach of Ohio State. I said I thought he would be a good fit because he could bring the recruits in, did not micromanage the game, and had an Ohio State connection. That his tenure at Florida was marred by scandals as well did not really cross my mind.
I think, however, my biggest reaction was disbelief. How could someone like Jim Tressel get himself involved in something like this? I felt disappointed in him but also furious at the NCAA. This is directly from my twitter account on that day : @jargobright: "Tressel's resignation sobering, but a wake up call? NCAA needs rule change. Athletes should be allowed to have a part time job."
Later I would find the article on the new NCAA investigation on Terrelle Pryor. Upset at the flamboyance Pryor has seemed to exhibit throughout(notice I said seemed, that is my perception of him) I sent my buddies an email saying I hope Terrelle Pryor never plays another down of football for the Buckeyes(the email itself was a little harsher than that, but I have cleaned it up in case impressionable young minds should read my blog).
I would take the news about Pryor to break a story about a potential qb controversy at tOSU on the website bleacherreport.com (you can read that article here ) I thought for sure this story would be placed on the front page of the website, but it would get buried in favor of articles about Tressel.
Then I found the article about Tressel on Sports Illustrated.com. After boasting that it was responsible for breaking the story that caused Tressel to resign(I'll have more on that in a bit) I went on to read the list of coverups the man they call "The Senator" was to have purported. I was in absolute shock. I could not believe that not only would Ohio State have to vacate their 2010 season, including a Sugar Bowl win over Arkansas, but they might also have to forfeit the 2009 season, which includes a Rose Bowl victory over Oregon.
Dealing with criticism both from both within and outside of Buckeye Nation
I hadn't even finished reading the word "resignation" and I already knew I was going to have defend my position on tOSU, right or wrong. It comes with the territory. Especially when you're as rabid a fan of the Buckeyes as I am. Who also happens to write several different blogs(including this one).
In the aftermath of Tressel's resignation, I had gone to facebook and twitter to show my support for the fallen coach. Sure he had some serious lapses in judgment, and this ultimately led to his downfall, but I refuse to believe that he broke the rules due to arrogance.
Of course, some of the people closest to me would disagree with that last statement. To protect the innocent, I will leave their names out of this discussion. They would argue Tressel knew full well what he was doing, and he had the audacity to think he could pull a fast one on the NCAA. I'm not sure Tressel was that devious, and I don't know if I will ever believe that.
Needless to say, I wondered if their comments to me in the past days and months meant they were truly glad OSU had gotten rid of Tressel(whose coaching philosophy they may not have agreed with anyway), or they were just trying to get a rise out of me, or both. If the latter was the case, they had succeeded in getting a rise out of me, as I would not let this die.
As for those outside of the Buckeye Nation, I am not sure why I listened to them at all. I read a couple of articles written by Michigan fans, one of which jokingly suggested that we hire Rich Rodiguez as our next coach. I should have resisted the urge to respond to this, but I couldn't help myself. The following is an excerpt of my comment, and the response to my comment:
i didn't even need to read this drivel to know you were a michigan fan. its all good though, we still have the better athletes to...
I knew Michigan fans were going to let us have it, but I could not resist. I think part of it has to do with the fact there are Michigan fans who live in Columbus. Not that they shouldn't be able to, but I really don't know any Buckeye fan who would willing move to Ann Arbor. And still root for the Buckeyes while living up there.
In the end, however, I am glad that I haven't replaced my car stereo so I don't have to change the station to classic rock every time Mike and Mike in the morning want to talk about Tressel.
A Fallen Hero
My aunt Cheryl had said when the news first broke out about Tressel that she felt the worst for her nephew (also my cousin), Jonathan. Jonathan had just learned that the man who was his hero, Jim Tressel, was not the man he thought he was. And I think, I, too sort of looked up to coach Tressel as a role model.
To outsiders, Tressel was an easy man to hate. He was the ultimate control freak, a man whose offense was as bland as the sweater vests he wore on the sidelines. Critics argued he scheduled weak opponents, and that he could never beat any real competition (read: SEC). They would further contend that his OSU squad would pad their win total over a "watered down" Big Ten Conference. And, when the latest scandal broke, they would point to his book, "The Winners Manual", as more proof that not only was he a cheater but also a hypocrite.
But inside Columbus, Ohio, Tressel had been revered the way no one around these parts had since Woody Hayes. Tressel apologists argued that he scheduled games against Ohio schools to give back to Ohio. They also noted how much he gave back to the univeristy, and that he even taught a class at the university(one that I would have liked to attend had my work schedule permitted me). They further went on to note everything he did for our fine men and women overseas.
All of that seems to have gone by the wayside with this latest scandal. For many, they will only remember Tressel's tarnished legacy. For myself, as well as others in Buckeye Nation, we will remember him as a good man who ultimately fell victim to a lapse in judgment.
Calling out Sports Illustrated
So if you haven't read it, Sports Illustrated.com first broke the news of the complete history of Tressel's trangressions. (Click here to read the full article, also reprinted in the June 6 magazine edition). The mag even went as far as to claim this story even led to Tressel's resignation.
But was Sports Illustrated's article motivated purely by a search for the truth? Or were they motivated by something else? Surely they want to sell magazines, but is it possible they also reveled in seeing the Ohio State football program collapse? And did Robert Rose and Thaddeus Gibson voluntarily offer that they traded memorabilia for benefits, or did the magazine receive an anonymous tip? And if the former is true, did you(SI) ask either Rose or Gibson why they chose to sell out a coach who treated them as if they were his sons?
I am calling on Sports Illustrated to respond to my claim of journalistic integrity. I would love to see someone respond to my claim. Heck, I'll be honest, I wrote this piece in part to see if they would even reprint it. They don't even have to pay me for it, as long as they credit me for the article.
I don't expect SI to even respond to my allegations, but I'd love to hear your thoughts, pro or con. And not just on SI. On the article in general.
Before I start I want to make something perfectly clear for those of you who are regular followers of my blog. A few weeks ago I made light of what Jim Tressel might have said to Gordon Gee to save his job in light of the alleged coverup of inkgate. But at that time(May 16th) I had no reason to believe he would be forced to give up his job, and I also thought that his error in judgment, while unfortunate--was nothing that he, the Ohio State University, and the football team couldn't put behind them.
Fast forward to today, June 2, 2011, three days after The Ohio State University announced that one Jim Tressel would be stepping down as head coach of its football program. Ray Small's admission that he received deals on cars, etc. and Sports Illustrated's article on Jim Tressel(more on that in a bit), have sent tOSU into a tailspin that it might take years to recover from.
Annoucement of resignation and Immediate Reaction
It was Monday morning, and I was kicking back at my apartment, enjoying Memorial Day as best I could. I was watching a little tv(I can't remember what was on, but I think I was tuned to TBS), and surfing the Internet. Actually I think while I was watching tv I logged on to Facebook to see if anyone had commented on my wall. There were no new comments on my wall. I then believe I went to the ESPN.com homepage to check the latest news in the sports world.
Along the side bar of ESPN's homepage, I see the headline that Jim Tressel is set to resign as head coach of Ohio State. I quickly turn the channel from whatever I was watching to ESPN, and follow whatever news they have to say about this turn of events. I reluctantly text my dad that Jim Tressel had resigned, that he was right. At the time, however, I remember wishing my dad had been wrong.
As the day went on, I would receive texts from my younger brother Rocky about my thoughts on Urban Meyer as the next head coach of Ohio State. I said I thought he would be a good fit because he could bring the recruits in, did not micromanage the game, and had an Ohio State connection. That his tenure at Florida was marred by scandals as well did not really cross my mind.
I think, however, my biggest reaction was disbelief. How could someone like Jim Tressel get himself involved in something like this? I felt disappointed in him but also furious at the NCAA. This is directly from my twitter account on that day : @jargobright: "Tressel's resignation sobering, but a wake up call? NCAA needs rule change. Athletes should be allowed to have a part time job."
Later I would find the article on the new NCAA investigation on Terrelle Pryor. Upset at the flamboyance Pryor has seemed to exhibit throughout(notice I said seemed, that is my perception of him) I sent my buddies an email saying I hope Terrelle Pryor never plays another down of football for the Buckeyes(the email itself was a little harsher than that, but I have cleaned it up in case impressionable young minds should read my blog).
I would take the news about Pryor to break a story about a potential qb controversy at tOSU on the website bleacherreport.com (you can read that article here ) I thought for sure this story would be placed on the front page of the website, but it would get buried in favor of articles about Tressel.
Then I found the article about Tressel on Sports Illustrated.com. After boasting that it was responsible for breaking the story that caused Tressel to resign(I'll have more on that in a bit) I went on to read the list of coverups the man they call "The Senator" was to have purported. I was in absolute shock. I could not believe that not only would Ohio State have to vacate their 2010 season, including a Sugar Bowl win over Arkansas, but they might also have to forfeit the 2009 season, which includes a Rose Bowl victory over Oregon.
Dealing with criticism both from both within and outside of Buckeye Nation
I hadn't even finished reading the word "resignation" and I already knew I was going to have defend my position on tOSU, right or wrong. It comes with the territory. Especially when you're as rabid a fan of the Buckeyes as I am. Who also happens to write several different blogs(including this one).
In the aftermath of Tressel's resignation, I had gone to facebook and twitter to show my support for the fallen coach. Sure he had some serious lapses in judgment, and this ultimately led to his downfall, but I refuse to believe that he broke the rules due to arrogance.
Of course, some of the people closest to me would disagree with that last statement. To protect the innocent, I will leave their names out of this discussion. They would argue Tressel knew full well what he was doing, and he had the audacity to think he could pull a fast one on the NCAA. I'm not sure Tressel was that devious, and I don't know if I will ever believe that.
Needless to say, I wondered if their comments to me in the past days and months meant they were truly glad OSU had gotten rid of Tressel(whose coaching philosophy they may not have agreed with anyway), or they were just trying to get a rise out of me, or both. If the latter was the case, they had succeeded in getting a rise out of me, as I would not let this die.
As for those outside of the Buckeye Nation, I am not sure why I listened to them at all. I read a couple of articles written by Michigan fans, one of which jokingly suggested that we hire Rich Rodiguez as our next coach. I should have resisted the urge to respond to this, but I couldn't help myself. The following is an excerpt of my comment, and the response to my comment:
Jarrod Argobright commented on 5 Reasons the Buckeyes Need to Hire Rich Rod
i didn't even need to read this drivel to know you were a michigan fan. its all good though, we still have the better athletes to...
- 2 replies – here are the latest…
- Oh-How-I-Hate ohio-state replied…
Make that 1 less athlete Jarrod .... Report: Pryor under investigation (Read MSN today) - Adam Hirshfield replied…
I literally LOLed at this.
I knew Michigan fans were going to let us have it, but I could not resist. I think part of it has to do with the fact there are Michigan fans who live in Columbus. Not that they shouldn't be able to, but I really don't know any Buckeye fan who would willing move to Ann Arbor. And still root for the Buckeyes while living up there.
In the end, however, I am glad that I haven't replaced my car stereo so I don't have to change the station to classic rock every time Mike and Mike in the morning want to talk about Tressel.
A Fallen Hero
My aunt Cheryl had said when the news first broke out about Tressel that she felt the worst for her nephew (also my cousin), Jonathan. Jonathan had just learned that the man who was his hero, Jim Tressel, was not the man he thought he was. And I think, I, too sort of looked up to coach Tressel as a role model.
To outsiders, Tressel was an easy man to hate. He was the ultimate control freak, a man whose offense was as bland as the sweater vests he wore on the sidelines. Critics argued he scheduled weak opponents, and that he could never beat any real competition (read: SEC). They would further contend that his OSU squad would pad their win total over a "watered down" Big Ten Conference. And, when the latest scandal broke, they would point to his book, "The Winners Manual", as more proof that not only was he a cheater but also a hypocrite.
But inside Columbus, Ohio, Tressel had been revered the way no one around these parts had since Woody Hayes. Tressel apologists argued that he scheduled games against Ohio schools to give back to Ohio. They also noted how much he gave back to the univeristy, and that he even taught a class at the university(one that I would have liked to attend had my work schedule permitted me). They further went on to note everything he did for our fine men and women overseas.
All of that seems to have gone by the wayside with this latest scandal. For many, they will only remember Tressel's tarnished legacy. For myself, as well as others in Buckeye Nation, we will remember him as a good man who ultimately fell victim to a lapse in judgment.
Calling out Sports Illustrated
So if you haven't read it, Sports Illustrated.com first broke the news of the complete history of Tressel's trangressions. (Click here to read the full article, also reprinted in the June 6 magazine edition). The mag even went as far as to claim this story even led to Tressel's resignation.
But was Sports Illustrated's article motivated purely by a search for the truth? Or were they motivated by something else? Surely they want to sell magazines, but is it possible they also reveled in seeing the Ohio State football program collapse? And did Robert Rose and Thaddeus Gibson voluntarily offer that they traded memorabilia for benefits, or did the magazine receive an anonymous tip? And if the former is true, did you(SI) ask either Rose or Gibson why they chose to sell out a coach who treated them as if they were his sons?
I am calling on Sports Illustrated to respond to my claim of journalistic integrity. I would love to see someone respond to my claim. Heck, I'll be honest, I wrote this piece in part to see if they would even reprint it. They don't even have to pay me for it, as long as they credit me for the article.
I don't expect SI to even respond to my allegations, but I'd love to hear your thoughts, pro or con. And not just on SI. On the article in general.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
No Football League? No Problem
It’s now going on 70 plus days since the NFL and its owners locked out the players. Accusations have been tossed at each side, along with the occasional news that progress is being made, even if all that progress amounts to is the two sides sitting down across from each other at the negotiating table. Both sides claim that they understand the fan’s concerns, and they are committed to getting back to the business of football.
Well, to paraphrase a line from “Gone With the Wind” frankly, I don’t give a damn.
To be sure I am a fan of pro football, my favorite team being the Cleveland Browns. My love of pro football goes even further than that, as I have a tremendous respect for the skills of such players as Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Brian Urlacher, Adrian Peterson, Charles Woodson, and others bring to the game. I have really enjoyed watching them entertain me.
If the lockout drags on into the regular season, however, you won’t find me whining that there is no football on Sunday. As a matter of fact, I think college football would do well to be proactive and start moving some games to Sunday this fall. Bottom line is that, I along with many other of my fellow football fans, will find something else to do with their time Sunday if there is no football.
I would hope that the players and the owners do not see this as the rantings of a disgruntled fan. Actually, I think the opposite is quite true. I find this whole scenario to be quite hiarious, kind of like “The Longest Yard” meets “The Replacements.”
On the one hand you have Manning, Tom Brady, and Brees acting like Paul Crewe in “The Longest Yard”, fighting what they believe is the good fight. Roger Goodell is the prison warden who wants Crewe to suffer for the fun of it. And the owners are his prison guards, making sure that the players don’t run the asylum.
Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Tom Brady all fashion themselves as a real life version of Paul Crewe in this lockout mess
On the other hand, you have guys like Ray Lewis saying that if the lockout extends into the regular season players will start turning to a life of crime. Really Ray? I mean, how ironic is it that the one individual accused of murder but nonetheless acquitted would go public with a statement like that. Kind of reminds me of that safety for the Washington Sentinels in “The Replacements.”
Of course, maybe this whole fiasco is more like the movie “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” than anything else. A player like Lewis making such an absurd statement about his colleague’s turning to a life of crime seems like something Jack Nicholson’s character in “Nest” would say. Players who cannot live on a salary of even half a million dollars a year should be ashamed of themselves. No how long it would take the majority of us middle class citizens to even gross half a million? I am not sure but it would probably be in the ballpark of 10-20 years.
This may be a little extreme, but wouldn't you agree that millionaires asking for more millions is kinda like this?
Which brings me back to college football. Sure this has been the most scandalous year in not only college football, but also college athletics in general. But give me the college game over the pros any day. While these guys are chasing millions, and some of them will do anything to make a buck, they aren’t millionaires yet. And that leads many of them to play with a passion that is not seen in the pros.
So this fall I will be glued to the edge of my seat awaiting college football on Saturdays. And maybe Sundays I will get to see a little football as well. Or maybe not. Not that it’s a big deal.
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