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ESPN catching on?

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Buckmark1

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In the latest article they actually have Geiger's take on some of it. Could it be that they are seeing the corner they are in and are trying to crawl out? The last two articles haven't attacked at all!!

Friday, November 26, 2004


Ohio State AD says school did nothing wrong



ESPN.com news services
Ohio State wants to interview former players who have corroborated Maurice Clarett's allegations of improprieties.




The son of a former Buckeyes assistant coach, an Academic All-Big Ten selection and a current NFL player spoke to ESPN.com about tutors doing classwork for members of the football team and of a booster culture that spawned "$100 handshakes" and high-paying, low-effort summer jobs.



Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger told the Cleveland Plain Dealer that he is not concerned by the latest allegations.



"If these guys cheated, then that's an issue for internal review within the university," Geiger told the paper. "... I read the [ESPN.com] story carefully. There was not a single allegation of wrongdoing on the part of the university, that I saw.



Former Buckeyes linebacker Fred Pagac Jr., whose father Fred Sr. was an assistant coach at Ohio State for 19 years, says, "There are always people who will help you and cross the line. I've personally seen it happen. You had tutors who if you asked them for help writing a paper they'd end up writing it. You'd go in and ask help about specifics, and then it would end up getting written."



Jack Tucker, an Academic All-Big Ten selection at fullback, also believes tutors complete homework for football players. "Absolutely," he says. "For someone to think it doesn't [happen], they're crazy."



Carolina Panthers wide receiver Drew Carter describes a culture in which football players would find a "hook-up" -- a tutor who does their homework for them or a booster who provides an easy, high-paying job -- and pass the information to their teammates. "Someone would be like, 'Man I got a paper due' and teammates would be like, 'Go to this guy,' " Carter says. "He'd write out a rough draft and say, 'Here, do it for yourself.' "



Geiger, however, told the paper that his review of the claims showed no wrongdoing by the the school.



"There certainly is no allegation that any of whatever they claim they did or was done for others was arranged by us," Geiger told the Plain Dealer. "I didn't see anything to worry about."



Geiger previously described previous players who backed Clarett's allegations as "colossal failures."



That statement, in part, motivated Carter to speak out.



"That's why Ohio State is being afraid -- because if other people, legit people, like Freddie and Jack and myself, say stuff, then they'll be like, 'Oh no.' "
Click to expand...
 
A little news over Turkey day. This is from someone that is close to Geiger. He says that if Geiger knows that the University has any direct involvement he's one hell of an actor. I know it's not much but it's something, I think. It's another source that I haven't previously spoke with when all of this shit broke out (someone I don't see too often). Take it for what it's worth. To me, it's another legitimate person saying OSU has no direct involvement in all of this.

Still...nothing was said about Tressel NOT being involved, only Gieger.
 
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Here's some stuff from the PD:

Carter, Pagac and Tucker were all members of OSU's national championship team in 2002, when Clarett played his only season and alleges he was given favorable academic treatment, cash by boosters and a high-paying, low-effort summer job.

Unlike the previous players to back Clarett's story, Carter, Pagac and Tucker did not encounter academic difficulty at OSU and completed their playing eligibility.

Asked whether that caused him greater concern, Geiger said: "Not really. We will try to interview these guys. We'll encourage the NCAA to if they wish. We'll help them with that, and they'll help us. We have no fear. We've never backed away from trying to do it the right way."

Geiger and Ohio State coach Jim Tressel have been skeptical of the previous players to support Clarett, charging each harbored ill feelings against the school for failing to complete their careers.

Geiger termed those players - Curtis Crosby, Fred Stirrup, Marco Cooper and B.J. Barre - "colossal failures."

Carter, who graduated from Solon High School, said that motivated him to come forward.

"Those are good guys who made some mistakes," Carter told ESPN.com. "But I don't think they're colossal failures. They're my friends, we went through it all together. If guys like Freddie and Jack and me went through it and didn't get in trouble and did everything right, but still, you know, got some perks because of it, are you gonna call us colossal failures, too?

"That's why Ohio State is being afraid - because if other people, legit people, like Freddie and Jack and myself, say stuff, then they'll be like, 'Oh no.' "

Pagac, whose father Fred Sr., played for OSU and was an assistant for 19 years until 2001, told ESPN.com that football-friendly tutors did school work for players.

Carter, currently on the physically unable to perform list with the Carolina Panthers, told ESPN.com that "hook-ups" would steer players to high-paying summer jobs that required little work.

"A fan or an [alumnus], that's the hook-up," ESPN.com quoted Carter. "You go up to the guy through a friend; you don't even know him. It wasn't like, 'Oh, I need an easy job this summer, Coach.' Not like that at all. Somebody on the team has a job and you ask them, 'Is it hard?' And they say no and you say, 'OK, I'm gonna try and get on it.' "

"You get a paycheck, $1,000 or something like that. It wasn't under the table; my job had my Social Security number and everything. But you still got paid quite a bit of money for sweeping, cleaning up stuff, doing like very, very light work. What you would call nonstrenuous work."

Geiger said that scenario, if true, would "not necessarily" mean OSU committed NCAA violations because the school did not orchestrate the violation.

Geiger said if Tucker, Carter or Pagac benefited from tutors doing their class work, that could affect their degrees, but would "not at all" impact Ohio State athletics.

"If these guys cheated, then that's an issue for internal review within the university," Geiger said. ". . . I read the [ESPN.com] story carefully. There was not a single allegation of wrongdoing on the part of the university, that I saw.
"It was kind of like a fraternity having a file of tests, which has gone on at colleges and universities for 100 years. 'I know a guy who knows a guy.' I don't condone that. I'm not happy about it. But it seems to me they were talking about themselves, and that's disappointing."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

[email protected], 216-999-4748
 
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BULLSHIT.

Again a repackaged news story from ESPN. Following a noticeable trend, ESPN's coverage of ANY opinion detailing OSU's side of the Maurice Clarett story is repackaged information from other news agencies. This article is particularly troubling as it simply restates much of a previous ESPN article regarding 3 former OSU players, Fred Pagac Jr., Jack Tucker, and Drew Carter. It lists 2 quotes from Andy Geiger ... period. While it is "nice" that ESPN actually quoted someone who doesn't hold their opinion (actually they quoted an article from the Cleveland Plain Dealer), they FILL the rest of this article with quotes from their previous stories. The quotes from Fred Pagac Jr., Jack Tucker, and Drew Carter litter this article that "supposedly" tells Andy Geiger's side of the story. This article is more a repackaging of ESPN's previous position on OSU that it is of Andy Geiger's statements. That is a major problem.

So much for balanced or fair reporting. Not once has ESPN done any hard reporting regarding the OSU position on the Maurice Clarett saga. All they ever offer is repackaged news that is edited with a bias to ESPN's position, then sprinkled with quotes from their previous stories to further slant the article with bias against OSU.

Don't think ESPN's position is softening in any way. OSU is being tried and convicted in the court of public opinion. Searching for news links each morning I see hundreds of stories by news outlets across the country with headlines that read "3 Former Players Backup Clarett's Claims". Slowly and surely ESPN's campaign against OSU is creeping into the subconscious of the whole country. Each time ESPN runs an article, hundreds of news agencies run with their headlines. This is NOT balanced reporting by ESPN, but a very weak attempt to claim some plausible position of journalistic integrity. If and/or when this whole mess comes to a conclusion, look for ESPN to point to these articles as their proof of unbiased reporting. Don't be fooled. These are simply well crafted "stories" that further reinforce ESPN's attack on Ohio State.
 
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3yardsandacloud said:
BULLSHIT.
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AGREED! I really have difficulty believing that this is not part of a planned marketing campaign. Attack OSU, generate a lot of traffic. Period of transition. Praise OSU, generate a lot of traffic. I don't think so!

My guess is that ESPN are thinking that this thing with OSU has gotten way out of hand and they are looking for an exit strategy that saves them from losing face. Usually, you make allegations and things start coming out of the woodwork but this time nothing of substance is emerging. Just stories about a few individuals whispering and cheating. Nothing of substance has emerged. OSU has immediately invited the NCAA to investigate. It's not about OSU but individuals, just like Geiger said. I hope that Geiger will proceed with charges of academic misconduct against those who have admitted to cheating and revoke their degrees.

The lack of substance hasn't stopped ESPN from trashing a University that had such an amazing and positive effect on my life. This has been disgusting and I don't think I'm alone in avoiding ESPN.

Who is it that thinks they are bigger than college football? Precisely!

Could it be that the price of this is beginning to be felt at ESPN? Maybe this time the playground bully picked the wrong fight? Is that increasingly cold and lonely feeling at ESPN the advent of winter or instead the lack of support by their media colleagues for a story that is indefensible? Will this supposedly emerging change in attitude end in a predictable personal attack on MoC and with wonderful things being said about other OSU teams (e.g., basketball, soccer). Has it been part of the marketing plan since day one in which the Buckeye Nation is supposed to say, "hey, there you go, ESPN love us after all, whew, let's be friends again?"

Yep, just run a few features on good old OSU and we'll all forgive and forget and really drive up your ratings to see the lovely things you have to say about the Buckeyes!

May I join you, 3yards? I don't forget that easy. Sorry, ESPN, we're not a bunch of hayseeds with no understanding of sharp marketing practice and a 30 second span of attention. We understand the entire marketing plan.

Here's your exit with honor. An apology. An admission of wrongdoing. A complete retraction! And to our dear "Friend", who in all likelihood will be looking for a job when this all plays out, your old NYT friend can help you with proper resume etiquette!
 
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I join you Steve19 and 3yardsandacloud - I just don't forget these things. You piss on me and my beloved university ESPiN - hell will freeze over before I cross the street and piss on you if you were on fire ESPiN. This is not reporting but a vendetta. I believe the Buckeye Nation should just forget ESPiN exists. I don't go to there web site any more and ignore anything they say - how can you trust it after what they have done to us. Shite - the Nazi's were never as good as ESPiN when it came to spin and propaganda. ESPiN has taken it to awhole new plane.
 
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ysubuck said:
From the sound of it Tucker, Carter, and Pagac might be in some academic trouble. :slappy:
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foot, meet mouth. k thanks bye :wink:

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett borrowed cars from relatives, friends and at least one car dealership while attending the university.
Click to expand...
thats to funny. i think its obvious tOSU dropped the ball here. its obviously tressel's responsibility to make sure clarrett doesn't borrow his mom's car.

i was a little conscerned on wednesday, if for no other reason the thought of "perceived guilt". but with the newest batch o crap, im feeling a lot better :).
 
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