Hypocrit Jim Tressel hangs NCAA to dry, collects millions in dollars and laughs

Muskyburger On Tressel (hit the video link): gotta love Brent. He has much of this right: Tressel a hyprocrit, lying, cheating, and making the NCAA look bad... except Musky misses the part of values, where he says 1) "I would have been proud to send my kid to Ohio State" and 2) "if I was in the same position as him with regards to learning about the situation, I would have done the same thing."

Huh? Glad you ain't my dad, and glad I can teach my own kids different.

Response to #1) This ain't the NFL, Musky, and you know it ain't. So, with shady situations going-on at Ohio State for the last several years (or more), with respect to your kid you will settle on the con man (or any other gent/gal) him/herself conning you into everything is honky-dorey at Championship U? Ummm.... don't you get second or third opinions? You believe everything you hear and experience? As a journalist, you'd fit right in with Mitch Albom and the Fab Five. Eyes open and ears closed. Stupid.

As for #2) you would do the same thing? Huh? Where are your values? It is strict NCAA and institutional philosophy to hand over any perceived knowledge of violations to compliance staff (not that they are lawyers, but...) Ohio State is a membership organization. If they don't like NCAA rules, don't belong. As an NCAA member, you must comply by the organization's rules -- which means to hand over facts and perceived knowledge (yes, this is part of the rules... don't like it? change it!). If it ain't true, nothing to worry about. But, we all know now that The Vest knew the issues but was a moreover a hypocrit, a liar, and a cheat. So, if Tressel knew or smelled of a problem, be should have notified compliance and the man (NCAA). But, he is a bigger liar than he is a man of values, so he decided to lie. How pathetic.

This ain't over. NCAA looks terrible throughout this, with the extra pass to OSU players for the bowl game. Now, they may vacate the game for which they gave the extra pass? Huh? That is just brutally ugly, and Tressel left the NCAA and college sports hanging out to dry. The NCAA and fellow members should want blood on this. As, Musky said, "he should have learned from Nixon"... what is worse than the crime is the cover-up. And, it smells worse than that.

Tressel: You dumb-ass, tell the truth. What will you say on your million-dollar speaker's circuit? Lie and collect millions... you will laugh to the bank.

Jim Tressel is a piece of trash. I'm gonna pick up The Winners Manual... from the library. Tressel and Ohio State University are a piece of garbage. The NCAA won't do it, but they really should give OSU the death penalty. Jim Tressel and Terrel Pryor (a.k.a. Chris Webber) will make millions, and Pryor won't even graduate. Just to make everything look foolish, and professional.

NCAA and Pryor on edge of indictment

UPDATE - 1/3 - 10:50 pm: And here is a formal complaint filed by some nefarious group, "Playoff PAC," to the IRS. Is the shit hitting the fan for Ohio State and the NCAA? Wow, this one seems legit to some extent...

Or so, it looks that way... read Wetzel's column today and weep more.

The hypocrisy of the NCAA only gets worse. Memorabilia signing to drive used SUVs? And Ohio State's Tyrell Pryor stating, mocking ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit: “I already knew what I shouldn’t have done back two years ago.” Caribbean cruises from the Orange Bowl to 40 athletic administrators, tax-free?

Hey, I'm looking forward to a great Orange Bowl, but the lack of investigation of the finances of college athletics, Ohio State's athletics, etc. by the national media other than Yahoo's Dan Wetzel is truly extraordinary.

The accusation that there was pressure by Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney on the NCAA to give Ohio State players, including Pryor, a break in the Orange Bowl makes as much sense as the rationale given by the NCAA that the players shouldn't receive a penalty because a bowl game is a "unique opportunity." Yes, it makes perfect sense. Let that open the floodgates for future violations. Stupid, stupid decision by the NCAA that is not based on values of amateurism and fair play. An interpretation of rules should be based on values and mission -- in this case, when you read core value #2; "The highest levels of integrity" this falls flat and fails the test.

On top of all this, the NCAA may be trying to save itself, but it may be the federal courts that send it to the galley. Former UCLA hoopster Ed O'Bannon is suing the NCAA for using his likeness without payment... it's a class action lawsuit that is in Federal Court, and the comments from many legal scholars (not the ES) has the NCAA sweating. Why? "Legal analysts said that ruling will compel the NCAA to turn over many of its business secrets to the players' lawyers. No previous lawsuit has advanced to this stage." Read this for lots of lawyer-ese on this, but it ain't going away.

The NCAA is backpedaling since the new president, former U of Washington President Mark Emmert took charge. First Cam Newton, now five players at Ohio State for essentially the same thing -> the integrity of the NCAA has taken a hit to the gut and while it may make it to the final round, undoubtedly the public already has indicted the NCAA and sent it to defeat.

Greatest Article Ever on NCAA rules

Here it is, by Drew Sharp. He is 100% on the spot. I'd put NCAA president Mark Emmert in the crosshairs regard to this and DEMAND leadership.

http://www.freep.com/article/20101226/COL08/12260626/Weak-NCAA-penalties-driven-by-money-ratings

Read it: Sharp has policy and politics appropriately and accurately intertwined. And, thus Ohio State and Auburn get off SCOT FREE.

The ES is in tears and anger - in agreement.

Tech coach Mike Leach suspended for uncaring, unethical treatment of player

Does Mike Leach have as lack of empathy and compassion for his football players as was reported by ESPN today? Leach has been SUSPENDED by Texas Tech University for the Alamo Bowl because he reportedly told a trainer to confine one of his players to a dark (equipment) room (to stand up for hours on end) after the player was diagonsed with a mild concussion and an elevated heart rate in a December 17 practice. Not once, but TWICE. And, the complaint from the family of the player is that it was coach Leach WHO TOLD THE TRAINER how to take care of the player (ok, so if a doctor told you that you had an illness or cancer or whatever, would you then ask your employer or teacher about how to care for it?). If this is true, THEN LEACH IS AN INCONSIDERATE, UNCARING BASTARD, A MEAN INDIVIDUAL, AND A COMPLETE IDIOT. He may have lost sight of his true mission, and thusly, it is the cost of winning in major college football. But, it is no excuse. If this is true, this is the same level of mistreatment that led to Kansas dismissing Mark Mangino. And, if so, does TTU have the same level of compassion for its players, or does it value winning more at the cost of players' health? Let us see how the investigation unfolds and how they handle this. Already, Leach is stating that he DID tell the trainers how to take care of the player (inappropriately, if true) - but if that is the case the ES finds it hard to believe Leach has a leg to stand on. Because it happened twice. Or, maybe Leach is a medical doctor or licensed trainer?

By the way, who was that player? None other than Adam James, the son of Craig James, ESPN all-world reporter and former star player with Eric Dickerson on that Southern Methodist team in the early 1980s. In Lubbock, RedRaiders.com reports that James was acting "like a slacker and his father like a Little League dad."

To be fair, Leach's attorney responds that James “was placed in an equipment room as it was much cooler and darker [than the practice field] after a doctor had examined him and returned him to the field.” And, “Mike tries to keep the players that are unable to practice as close as he can.” Sorry, this is backtracking that sounds eerily like fellow southerners George W Bush and Bill Clinton. And, the ES ain't buying it. If he had any balls, he would acknowledge what he did was wrong and man up. But, instead he will likely deny everything and lie to his firing squad...

EFFECT ON ALAMO BOWL
Originally, it was Michigan State and the 14 suspended players that had a significant distraction for the upcoming game. Maybe, now it is even with the Leach distraction and suspension? What is worse - players stupidity or coach stupidity? This has huge implications for the Alamo Bowl, as Leach is a master motivator and Xs and Os guy down in Red Raider land. You can argue he may do more with less than any other coach in the country - as far as getting more Ws with the least amount of talent, and with a crazy scheme. Give a huge advantage to Michigan State in this game at this point. Going into today, the spread from the bookies in Vegas was MSU an 8-point underdog. Let's see how this changes in the next few days.

DOES LEACH GIVE A SHIT?
But, it leads to the question - does he really give a shit about his players welfare, or is he just treating them like meat? On the surface, this is borderline unethical; certainly uncaring.

In the past month, the ES attended an NCAA meeting with representatives from several coaches associations and other student affairs associations, and one of the things that was discussed was the need for education of coaches because "they need to understand the holistic environment of college for athletes as students instead of just treating players like meat." There was plenty of backlash by the coaches association ("we've had enough education") - and rightly so, as the vast majority of coaches care about their players' health and welfare. But, there ARE those extenuating circumstances and cases in which coaches (ummmm.... TTU's Leach, Kansas' Mangino, maybe like RR down in Ann Arbor pushing players beyond their off-season required limits ?) push their players too far because of the pressures to win. And, if it happens, then education IS still necessary. Too often, it is the rotten apple that spoils the bunch, no?

Charlie Weis fires himself; Fire Your Football Coach website update

Hilarious, as Charlie Weis has fired himself, "If they decide to make a change, I’d have to say I’d have a tough time arguing with that.... it would be tough for me to argue with that point."

So, it's that time of year - bowl bound or be fired. College football fans, the ES submits this list for your amusement. Here is a current list of "Fire Your Coach" websites for those NCAA Division I-FBS football coaches on the hotseat and in danger of being sacked.

• Arizona State: FireDErickson. Fire Dennis Erickson on twitter.
• Colorado: FireDanHawkins.net. Fire Dan Hawkins. Hawkins' Law: Any mistake that can be made will be made.
• Florida State: hireretireorfirebobbybowden.com. Hire, Retire or Fire Bobby Bowden: The Future of Bowden.
• Georgia: FireMarkRicht.net. Replace Mark Richt: Free Willie!
• Louisville: FireKragthorpeNow.com. Fire Steve Kragthorpe Now.
• Michigan: FireRRod.com. Fire Rich Rodriguez.
• Michigan: FireRichRodriguez.com. Fire Rich Rodriguez: Just kidding. We love RichRod where he is … in the losers bracket at scUM.
• Notre Dame: ChuckWeis.com. Fire Chuck Weis: Demanding excellence, not dreaming about it.
• Tennessee: KanKiffin.com. Dedicated to preserving the grand tradition of the University of Tennessee football and giving a voice to those fans who believe that the new head coach, Lane Kiffin, is embarassing the program.
• Texas A&M: firecoachsherman.com. Fire Coach Sherman: Please Save Aggie Football!
• Virginia: firealgroh.com. Fire Al Groh: I don't know when Duke became a stronger football program than UVA, but it has happened.
• Virginia: dontfirealgroh.com. Virgina Foosball wahooter.

Michigan State: Alas, a 6-6 season won't outdo the Spartan Nation which has one, too (though the ES is in strong disagreement): Fire Dantonio.com.