Jim Tressel (official thread)

[Best Buckeye]

Is that a fair weather fan?

[GoodLifeSean]

The part about distancing himself from OSU football for a while bugged me a little bit. I grinned and beared watching my beloved Bucks choke year after year. Whatever swift kick in the balls game the choke was going to I grinned and beared it. However does that mean I liked those years.. HELL NO. They sucked.

I do agree however that I'm glad the thug years are waving buh bye. No more holding the ball out crossing the goal line, no more mugging for the camera saying hi mom or whatever. I like that. I like a team that cares about football first.

I do thin the biggest indicator of how things have changed is the reaction to Barton's Cigar and Bubbly celebration. In the Cooper era it would have been so what. In the JT era it is now amended by showing up Tuesday morning at the coaches office.

So in closing my loyalty has never waivered, or weakened, however its now nice to have a team that wants to be respected and not just a pro training camp.

[DaddyBigBucks]

Originally Posted by Best Buckeye

Is that a fair weather fan?

No

A fair weather fan is someone who would have bailed during the lean years in terms of wins.

I stated very explicitly that I was at my most passionate as a Buckeye during those lean times.

Or are you saying that I should remain loyal just because I once was a Buckeye and therefore should always be a Buckeye. Without going through every instance of their vile behavior in detail: Tell me

Best

, were they being Buckeyes??? Really??

It was not I who left them. I was always a Buckeye. But they weren't. Not by my definition.

I do not want this thread to be about this. From here we can take it to PMs.

Or you can stop questioning my loyalty.

[sandgk]

While I did not, like DaddyBigBucks, take a siesta from following the team during Cooper's years, I can empathize with his position. The fact is that Cooper made me sick from the get-go as coach at Ohio State. Remember the ridiculous and unnecessary commercialism of the Hot Tub commercials? Given the context and the years in which those happened I found those to be a stomach turner.

Toss in the late season fades after early season promises, the [censored]-poor and embarrassing grade issue stories, the hot-dogging even in defeat and it is a picture of team with a distinct lack of true leadership. Leadership that should have begun with the slack-jawed Volunteer transplant. It was thus no surprise to me that my initial reaction on hearing of Cooper's demise, while driving the PA Turnpike, was to repeatedly pound the dashboard like a male over-sexed stand-in from When Harry Met Sally, yelling "Yes, Yes, Yes!" I then turned to the wife and said, "anyone they bring in has to better than Coop."

Soon enough the waning signal of the radio station was carrying the pundits offerings on who might succeed Cooper. If you recall, Mason's name was high on that list - to which both the wife and I said, "no f*%c*i** way, they will get somebody better than that, and better than Cooper."

And OSU did, and we have this new set of Golden Years.

[pianobuck46]

Originally Posted by sandgk

While I did not, like DaddyBigBucks, take a siesta from following the team during Cooper's years, I can empathize with his position. The fact is that Cooper made me sick from the get-go as coach at Ohio State. Remember the ridiculous and unnecessary commercialism of the Hot Tub commercials? Given the context and the years in which those happened I found those to be a stomach turner.

Toss in the late season fades after early season promises, the [censored]-poor and embarrassing grade issue stories, the hot-dogging even in defeat and it is a picture of team with a distinct lack of true leadership. Leadership that should have begun with the slack-jawed Volunteer transplant. It was thus no surprise to me that my initial reaction on hearing of Cooper's demise, while driving the PA Turnpike, was to repeatedly pound the dashboard like a male over-sexed stand-in from When Harry Met Sally, yelling "Yes, Yes, Yes!" I then turned to the wife and said, "anyone they bring in has to better than Coop."

Soon enough the waning signal of the radio station was carrying the pundits offerings on who might succeed Cooper. If you recall, Mason's name was high on that list - to which both the wife and I said, "no f*%c*i** way, they will get somebody better than that, and better than Cooper."

And OSU did, and we have this new set of Golden Years.

Wow--I can relate to everything you said. I grew up with Woody Hayes, so to speak. After Woody, I thought that Earle bruce had possibilities, and that he was fired unfairly.

Cooper was a major dissapointment to me, for all the reasons you stated. I got tired of, after all the blowout wins during any given season, seeing the Buckeyes crawl out onto the field and go to sleep for three hours.

After the letdown of the 2001 Outback Bowl, my reaction tion Cooper's release was the same as yours--anybody but him. Like others, I was immediately sold on Tressel after the "301 days" speech.

Of course the 2001 victory over TSUN warmed my heart, but I was really sold after the 2002 Texas Tech "Pigskin Classic". I remember thinking, "That's Ohio State football as I remember it", and have very seldom been dissapointed since.

Indeed, we are in a golden age.

[Prof. Wagstaff]

Golden Age dittos !!

[Bleed S & G]

Originally Posted by sandgk

Soon enough the waning signal of the radio station was carrying the pundits offerings on who might succeed Cooper. If you recall, Mason's name was high on that list - to which both the wife and I said, "no f*%c*i** way, they will get somebody better than that, and better than Cooper."

And OSU did, and we have this new set of Golden Years.

I love JT, but Mason did build a helluva program at Minny.. no slouch, thats for sure.