A fair article from CFB: OSU has more Issues

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

http://www.collegefootballnews.com/2004/Columnists/Fiu/OhioState.htm

Analysis By Pete Fiutak

First of all, I've always been on the record that says $100 handshakes and booster involvement with payments and extra benefits to players should be absolutely and totally fine. There's nothing illegal about it, but the NCAA and its bizarre, inequitable and antiquated system has demonized the idea of handouts to athletes who generate hundreds of millions of dollars. In every other walk of life you're rewarded financially for performance, but not in college sports.

With that said, it's bizarre how ESPN's commentators, both in the booth and in studio, were making excuses for Jim Tressel, Andy Geiger and the Ohio State program when just about any other program would've been nailed to the wall by the media for the reported improper benefits that were given to QB Troy Smith.

Can you imagine this happening at Alabama, Miami or just about anywhere else? There'd be instant talk of firings, lack of institutional control and even worse considering all of the rumors and allegations being thrown around. I'm not saying it would be right, but Geiger and Tressel insisting that there was nothing they could do and they're going to "educate" everyone isn't working. The players know it's wrong to receive improper benefits. The boosters know it's wrong to provide them. Education complete.

Geiger and Tressel each stated that they don't think there's a lack of institutional control, but players are being paid and provided benefits as this latest incident wouldn't have been discovered unless one of the "rogue boosters" bragged about it. It all allegedly happened despite all of Ohio State's investigations into past allegations and best efforts that turned up everything as clean. They say that they can't police everyone in the program, so who actually has control of this institution?

No one should be fired yet and there shouldn't be probation or massive sanctions, but yeah, it's time to take Maurice Clarett's previous statements more seriously and not just dismiss him as a petty goofball. The funny thing about Clarett's allegations is that they're starting to turn out to be true. Worse yet, the whistle blowing booster Geoffrey Webster is being called a hero by Geigar, while Clarett is called a liar even though he did the same thing (although in a more self-serving manner).

For Geiger to now come out and admit that things are wrong goes to show either 1) the machine is out of control and that he's incapable of bringing it back or 2) he's being made a fool of by the Ohio State athletes and boosters who do whatever they want or 3) the program is flat-out corrupt, at least by NCAA standards, and he knew everything from the start or 4) maybe this Smith thing really is an isolated incident and Clarett is still nuts. But that appears harder and harder to swallow. To say, "well, if this happens again then action should be taken" isn't right. That was said after the Clarett fiasco, and something did happen again with even uglier allegations still out there.

Yes, it's important not to make any knee-jerk reactions to this as all the facts need to be uncovered, but it's also important to not go the other way either and throw up your hands and give the Ohio State program a free pass just because it's trying to do the right thing. Obviously there's a major, major problem happening at Ohio State and while the University appears to want to clean things up, it's not able to despite its best intentions.

Unfortunately, more discipline is needed and Ohio State has to get even tougher for anyone to take it seriously again. Can anyone watch Ohio State football now and not wonder how much the players are being paid? Sorry, but Smith is just a good quarterback; he's not the team's superstar. He got paid a few bucks and none of the other Buckeyes didn't at least get offered something from some other booster? Don't whiz on my back and tell me it's raining.

Smith should've been kicked off the team once this first happened, and anyone who is offered improper benefits and doesn't report them should be booted as well. To have any other policy at this point makes the program look soft at a time when it can't afford it. You take money, you're gone. You don't come to the coaches and administration when offered something improper and you're gone. Done, and it's not even a question. Welcome to real world where actions have consequences, and I don't want to hear some excuse that the player didn't know it was wrong or that he's just a kid who made a mistake. Tressel has stated that he thinks kicking players off the team is the easy way out and he wants to help Smith, but that doesn't fly at this point.

I desperately hope this is a one shot deal with Ohio State and things turn out fine. This is one of the college football's premier programs and a few rogues shouldn't be the representatives of a team and university full of good, honest people who want to win the "right" way (once again, right by NCAA standards). However, Ohio State is now guilty and has to prove to everyone that it's a University with a football team and not the other way around.

Smith should've been kicked off the team once this first happened, and anyone who is offered improper benefits and doesn't report them should be booted as well. To have any other policy at this point makes the program look soft at a time when it can't afford it. You take money, you're gone. You don't come to the coaches and administration when offered something improper and you're gone. Done, and it's not even a question. Welcome to real world where actions have consequences, and I don't want to hear some excuse that the player didn't know it was wrong or that he's just a kid who made a mistake. Tressel has stated that he thinks kicking players off the team is the easy way out and he wants to help Smith, but that doesn't fly at this point.

This is just my opinion but I have to agree with this part, I am a Troy Smith fan, load of talent, but at what point does the line have to drawn?

Would all of Buckeye Nation be calling for his dismissal from the team IF he had lost the SCUM game? Food for thought......

Its time to make some hard decisions for the University, the program and the kids on the team who are doing the right things, the right way.

Its hard to sit here and see the team that I love be thrown to the wolves and realize that at least some of it is justified by our own kid's actions.

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

With that said, it's bizarre how ESPN's commentators, both in the booth and in studio, were making excuses for Jim Tressel, Andy Geiger and the Ohio State program when just about any other program would've been nailed to the wall by the media for the reported improper benefits that were given to QB Troy Smith.

where has this idiot been? watch espin much?

 

[StoneColdBucki]

Why should OSU kick Smith off the team when no other teams in the country have done so? The NCAA set the penalty at 20% of the season and that is fair. This has happened many times and all players have served their 1 or 2 game supension.

 

[BuckeyeBlitz04]

I agree somewhat...

but I think coach is right! Booting him would be the easy thing. Then he wouldn't learn from it because he would just go play for another team and do the same thing. He did the wrong thing period. He was stupid and dumb but to crucify him that's not the right thing to do in my opinion. If you go out drinking with your buddies. Then drive drunk, get a dui. They don't take your license away for life, they just take them for a short time. Some people never get another one because they learned from it. If they investigate smith. And he has been taking alot of money for some time then boot him! Then he doesn't deserve to be a buckeye. If not, then make him earn his spot back as the starter by having him do community service for 1000 hrs or something like that. Be hard and send a message to others. If he doesn't want to do this to get the trust of the team back then boot him! Do something that makes him have to earn his spot back! That's all i'm saying.

 

[Steve19]

I am a real Troy Smith fan but I also think he should be kicked off. The NCAA penalty is a minimum and OSU should set a higher standard. Anything short of kicking him off just keeps this whole thing alive. It's like the Tylenol tragedy. J&J pulled the entire stock around the world off the shelf and incurred hundreds of millions in expenses in order to save the brand.

We dare not underestimate the damage that has been done to our brand. In my opinion, he should be kicked off the team immediately.

Why should OSU kick Smith off the team when no other teams in the country have done so? The NCAA set the penalty at 20% of the season and that is fair. This has happened many times and all players have served their 1 or 2 game supension.

 

[BuckNutty]

Why should OSU kick Smith off the team when no other teams in the country have done so? The NCAA set the penalty at 20% of the season and that is fair. This has happened many times and all players have served their 1 or 2 game supension.

While I'm in no position to tell JT or Geiger what to do with Troy Smith, and I trust they will do the right thing, I think the situation here is a little different than one would find at the average university. What Troy Smith did was wrong and he's certainly paying the price. Taking money from a booster is dumb enough but getting involved in something like that in light of the recent scrutiny of the Ohio State program is beyond dumb. Not saying Troy has to be the fall guy but at some point Geiger has to get the point across that this kind of BS will not be tolerated by the university.

 

[BB73]

With that said, it's bizarre how ESPN's commentators, both in the booth and in studio, were making excuses for Jim Tressel, Andy Geiger and the Ohio State program when just about any other program would've been nailed to the wall by the media for the reported improper benefits that were given to QB Troy Smith.

Can you imagine this happening at Alabama, Miami or just about anywhere else? There'd be instant talk of firings, lack of institutional control and even worse considering all of the rumors and allegations being thrown around

Pretty good article, but I thought ESPN was hitting tOSU pretty hard. Was Fiu watching the same pre-game and half-time I saw? I remember seeing 'Can Tressel Survive?' graphics on the screen while Mark and Trev talked ad nauseum about the possibility of AG and JT losing their jobs.

That said, I think that AG and JT need to come out and lay down the line for all infractions COMMITTED IN THE FUTURE. If more dirt is found on things that happened in the past, treat them the same as the way Troy Smith was treated.

But put a policy in writing, saying that any NCAA infractions, no matter how minor, cost 1 full year of playing time, and that anyone's second infraction in the future, whether the first one already occurred before this policy or not, means you're permanently gone from the team. Our Athletic Department's reaction to incidents should be more of a penalty than NCAA guidelines call for.

The bad booster, Baker, needs to be completly ostracized; while the booster that turned him in (Webster, I think) should be rewarded somehow.

Anyone convicted of a felony should be premanently gone from the team. This may already be a policy, but it needs to be in writing and publicized.

They need to do something very proactively, both to prevent problems and for the sake of appearances. Similar to the new recruiting policies that Colorado instituted after their big scandal earlier this year. It's all about the appearance of 'Institutional Control', and the perception that we're actively trying to avoid problems, rather than appearing to be saying 'What else can we do?'

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Why should OSU kick Smith off the team when no other teams in the country have done so? The NCAA set the penalty at 20% of the season and that is fair. This has happened many times and all players have served their 1 or 2 game supension.

With all due respect to your opinion, this is a fair question.

In my opinion this is not an isolated incident, there is to much smoke here. The booster in question has had ties with Chris Gamble and provided "jobs" to him and other unnamed members of the team in the past, I believe the NCAA looked into this and deemed it as legal at the time. Now we find out this incident took place in the spring and cash was given....this is not the average situation, this incident is the latest in a long line of off the field problems.

I do not wish Troy ill will or want him off the team, we would probably be better off with him on the field, but....his talent is not the question here and his character is in question.

When is enough...enough?

 

[Oh8ch]

The shame of all of this is that these boosters have this extra money and we can't find a way to funnel it where it is really needed - the salaries of the coaches and ADs.

Let's boost JT up to a million five and kick Smith to the curb. This kid owes us and he just doesn't get it.


The hypocrisy of the NCAA - and many of us - is mind boggling.

 

[BuckNutty]

The shame of all of this is that these boosters have this extra money and we can't find a way to funnel it where it is really needed - the salaries of the coaches and ADs.

Let's boost JT up to a million five and kick Smith to the curb. This kid owes us and he just doesn't get it.


The hypocrisy of the NCAA - and many of us - is mind boggling.

First, who said Smith "owes us" anything?

Whether athletes should be paid or not is a totally different issue. As long as they are not being paid and taking money from boosters is not an allowable practice kids should be smart enough not to do it, period.

Should prostitution be illegal? Should drugs be illegal? I'm sure it's open for debate but it's real simple, if you do the crime...

 

[Piney]

Pretty good article, but I thought ESPN was hitting tOSU pretty hard. Was Fiu watching the same pre-game and half-time I saw? I remember seeing 'Can Tressel Survive?' graphics on the screen while Mark and Trev talked ad nauseum about the possibility of AG and JT losing their jobs.

They need to do something very proactively, both to prevent problems and for the sake of appearances. Similar to the new recruiting policies that Colorado instituted after their big scandal earlier this year. It's all about the appearance of 'Institutional Control', and the perception that we're actively trying to avoid problems, rather than appearing to be saying 'What else can we do?'

Besides ESPN who is hitting tOSU hard? In the Colorado case EVERYONE was hitting them hard. You couldn't get past the National Nightly News without mention of it or panels about it. And it launched an NCAA committee to change recruiting practices. I think he is right that the media could be ALOT worse.

But I do find it funny that the Smith news was a week old before ESPN hit with anything. ESPN was silent up until the actual day of the game last night. If it was really big news they wouldn't have been able to wait.

Back to the issues at hand. I find it hilarious that ESPN is trying to make what Smith did as verification of what Clarett said. I still maintain the biggest issue with the Clarett story is that University knew about it. All Smith does is verify that there is a Mr Such-n-Such. The big question is do any of our coaches introduce the players to Mr. Such-n-Such and tell them that is who you see to take care of any monetary issues. That is the big story I want to know the truth about... because if that is true heads must roll.

But I don't believe that to be true. But Smith still must pay. A bowl game is not enough. But I say he starts on the bench for 2 games next year. Really, if Zwick plays the first game would you start Smith in his first game back against Texas??? Make a statement, say Smith is out for 2 games next year too.

For all the years I loved making fun of Florida State, Miami, Alabama and the rest of the SEC, I wish those days could be possible again, but I know it will never be that way again.

 

[AkronBuckeye]

Wrong Wrong Wrong Wrong Wrong !!!!!

These athletes are getiing paid dearly.....


Can you say "FREE" Education.....

Say it slowwww FREE


JMO

http://www.buckeyeplanet.com/forum/images/icons/icon8.gif
Angry

 

[AKAK]

These athletes are getiing paid dearly.....


Can you say "FREE" Education.....

Say it slowwww FREE


JMO

So how many hours do they spend working on football? What's that come to per hour?

I really don't know they answer...but I bet it ain't "dearly"

 

[Oh8ch]

Whether athletes should be paid or not is a totally different issue. As long as they are not being paid and taking money from boosters is not an allowable practice kids should be smart enough not to do it, period.

I agree - rules is rules and Smith and OSU have to be held accountable. But why go beyond that and suggest Smith should get more than the NCAA recommended penalty?

Point of emphasis - unlike prostitution and drugs accepting moeny from a booster is not illegal. Smith comitted no crime. He broke a rule that the NCAA set up for itself.

These NCAA rules were created so various schools could compete on a level playing field. That works just fine until you start pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into the mix. Now the effect of the rules (if not their intent) is to make sure that the players who compete and keep the cash flowing don't see any of it. How many commercials did we watch last night? I didn't sit through those so I could watch JT dodge a Gatorade bucket - I wanted to see Ted Ginn. But Teddy got nada.

The rules are the rules I agree - but they are hypocritical. These kids are the ones busting their butts - not us. To suggest we go beyond the rules and punish some kid even further when he has comitted NO crime is something I just don't get.

The problem is the money and exacting stiffer and stiffer penalties against the players who earn it isn't the answer.

Quick follow up to the 'free education' argument - which I knew was coming.

Put Ted Ginn and Jim Tressel both on the open market next year and see if the NFL offers Ginn anything more than the monetary equivalent of a 'free education'. See if the relative value of their compensation is anything close to the current margin of roughly 40 to 1 that currently exists in JTs favor.

 

[Alan]

hawaiianbuckeye, myself and several others were having this discussion last week....it was a good thread....let me see if i can find it.....