“There are two huge, important stories on campus here this week.
1. Fans can't wait for Ohio State's spring game on Saturday.
2. A faction of those fans -- call them get-a-lifers -- are hopping mad that <ST1
<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:PlaceName>Ohio </st1:PlaceName><st1:PlaceType>State</st1:PlaceType> is changing its jerseys. The gray part of the proud Scarlet and Gray has all but been left off the new tops. Looks too much like <st1:State><ST1Nebraska</ST1</st1:State>, <st1:State><ST1Wisconsin </st1:State>or even -- yuck! --<st1:State><ST1Indiana</ST1</st1:State>…."
"…It can be argued confidently that the condition of walk-on receiver Tyson Gentry does not crack the top two huge, important list this week….”
“…On the 100th anniversary of the NCAA, it's harder than ever to get tragedy right...”
This article is “journalism” at its finest. The jersey change was announced two weeks ago at Jim Tressel’s luncheon on Alzheimer’s (April 4<SUP>th</SUP>). Gentry’s injury happened last week (Friday, April 14<SUP>th</SUP>). The jersey “controversy” subsided considerably before Gentry’s injury. The way the article is written implies that they all happened simultaneously.
It makes <ST1
<st1:PlaceName>Ohio </st1:PlaceName><st1:PlaceType>State</st1:PlaceType></ST1
fans look like a bunch of heartless jerks who care more about a jersey than Mr. Gentry’s health. It’s like we’re all writing emails to the Dispatch and Coach Tressel complaining about gray stripes while one of the players is in the hospital.
This implication is flat out erroneous.
The problem, however, is that
OSU has been getting such bad press that past few years that any negative comment levied against the school or its fans is believed to be true no matter how inaccurate or contrived.
For the time being, there is not much we can do about the bad publicity. The best thing we can do, however, is pray for the young man’s recovery.<O
</O
<O
</O