Jim Tressel (National Champion, ex-President, Youngstown State University, CFB HOF)

[NateG]

I'm going to be honest here. Without me researching things when I understood football better and my Buckeye passion grew, the only thing I knew about Woody was that he hit a player and my mom told me that my dad cried when it happened. He knew Woody was going to be fired. When it comes down to looking into the two men, researching them like I had to research Woody to get the full understanding of who he was and why he was a big deal, you get the whole package. Not just the means to their end. The whole book.

The reason it hurts so much is because they were loved at the same rate. If they didn't matter, it wouldn't hurt. It wouldn't be polarizing. Coming from one that looked into history the way you all are saying. I got the whole story. Only those that are ignorant and don't look into things for themselves will get fed only the bad.

I was never involved in any of the direct conversations between Smith and Tressel. So I have no right to fully judge whether Tressel told others or not. We get mad because it hurts. But Jake, I have lied and I'm pretty sure you have to. I have hurt people that I love and I'm sure you have too. At the end of the day, I've been extended grace for some of my shortcomings. I didn't get the recourse I should have sometimes. Its not right for me to hold the same grace from others that made mistakes. Did Tressel kill someone that I love? No. Did he sleep with my wife? No. He made bad choices. But I'm not going to yell and scream that he should be shot or hung or made out to be a horrible person for something that isn't worth that. He's human. He did both great things and made big mistakes. He brought me the only title that I have been able to see OSU win with my own eyes.

And in the end, I'll miss him as my coach.

 

[Gatorubet]

If his silence was worth anything and this was some attempt to buy it, he'd be getting a hell of a lot more than this.

I demand......52.....THOUSAND dollars!

 

[WhereWasYurTeam]

I'm going to be honest here. Without me researching things when I understood football better and my Buckeye passion grew, the only thing I knew about Woody was that he hit a player and my mom told me that my dad cried when it happened. He knew Woody was going to be fired. When it comes down to looking into the two men, researching them like I had to research Woody to get the full understanding of who he was and why he was a big deal, you get the whole package. Not just the means to their end. The whole book.

The reason it hurts so much is because they were loved at the same rate. If they didn't matter, it wouldn't hurt. It wouldn't be polarizing. Coming from one that looked into history the way you all are saying. I got the whole story. Only those that are ignorant and don't look into things for themselves will get fed only the bad.

I was never involved in any of the direct conversations between Smith and Tressel. So I have no right to fully judge whether Tressel told others or not. We get mad because it hurts. But Jake, I have lied and I'm pretty sure you have to. I have hurt people that I love and I'm sure you have too. At the end of the day, I've been extended grace for some of my shortcomings. I didn't get the recourse I should have sometimes. Its not right for me to hold the same grace from others that made mistakes. Did Tressel kill someone that I love? No. Did he sleep with my wife? No. He made bad choices. But I'm not going to yell and scream that he should be shot or hung or made out to be a horrible person for something that isn't worth that. He's human. He did both great things and made big mistakes. He brought me the only title that I have been able to see OSU win with my own eyes.

And in the end, I'll miss him as my coach.

AMEN This is exactly how i've felt but i have'nt been able to put it into words. Thank you sir

 

[jwinslow]

I specifically explained "history" as the record books and spelled it out clearly.

No, you said history forgot it past tense, and then tried to justify that by making overall records the viewfinder of history. Then you went on to say other nonsensical things, like 0-12.

When your communication fails to express your argument coherently and clearly, that is your fault, not ours.

You took one sentence out of that paragraph, ignored the rest

you mean like you continue to do about woody?

You continue to intentionally ignore and omit/delete quoted sections dealing with woody's transgressions.

For someone so outraged over the misplaced focus on one sentence, you'd think you'd be interested in discussing the whole picture.

That is unless your moral indignation only matters when it is complaining about others, not when your behavior is identical to your complaint.

and suggested I meant no one remembers it happened. I never said any such thing, your straw man notwithstanding.

so you were arguing that history forgot woody's mistake in the sense that it wasn't forgotten.

I get why you tried to make it all about wins and losses in the record book, but that doesn't make it a very effective argument.

 

[jwinslow]

I'm not touching the victim routine for herbie, nor does that belong in this thread.

Meanwhile, Jim Tressel gets an entire season erased with more sanctions likely on the way - a black mark unlike any other in program history - and the Herbie bashers tie themselves in knots to make excuses for JT and get pissed off at anyone who dares to criticize him.

I hope JT can turn this negative experience into a positive down the line, and he may well do it, but his days of "sainthood" are over in my eyes.

Please keep screaming at your stereotypes & strawmen, it really helps your credibility. Especially when you are simultaneously fulfilling the opposite role: going to extreme lengths to defend Woody and argue that he didn't harm the image of OSU.

When you finally tire of hearing your own digital voice argue with itself, perhaps the rest of us can get back to discussing Jim Tressel and his many complexities, both in his choices as a man and his lasting impact at Ohio State.

Or you can just keep shouting that we are blind sheep anointing him as a saint above all reproach, when in reality those posts coincide with a number of direct criticisms from me and others. For crying out loud, not only was the last saint reference not blind defense of the blameless but in fact a critical reflection on how flawed they often are. But since you continue to misrepresent my position and others', I will repeat myself in big bold letters

Jim Tressel made a series of devastating mistakes and deserves harsh punishment under the system. I do not protest his firing. His other qualities and contributions are neither enough to excuse his transgressions nor minor enough to be ignored even after such a fall from grace

 

[MaliBuckeye]

Kitchel30134 is back with his latest highlight video, a tribute to Jim Tressel-

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEmNSXX5R_o"]Win It For Tress[/ame]
​

 

[Buckeye86]

As usual, a bit to melodramatic for my taste, but to each their own.

 

[matcar]

Telling me to read your posts properly and respond accordingly was particularly comical, considering you refused to address bb or myself on either of our rebuttals. oh I see, it is our fault you posted "Woody's gaffe is forgotten by history"

Since you can't support that claim, you go on the offensive insulting me for blindly defending Tressel.


I'm not defending Jim Tressel. I'm calling out your revisionist defense of Woody, who not only left in disgrace but also had cheating violations on top of that. That is what is such a shame, because he had so many great qualities and contributions overshadowed by the manner of his exit. People didn't want to hear that Woody was a good guy right after it happened, but over time the dichotomy of his flaws and greatness can finally be told, by bo, players, regular people touched deeply by his sacrifices, humility and leadership.

Jim made a mistake and deserved to be punished under the system. He will never escape the way he left but time will be kinder to him. It won't be because anyone forgot, but rather the whole picture will be in view.

Just like woody, that doesn't mean it will excuse or exonerate him. It simply means that an ugly ending dominates the scene more than it should because the emotions are still fresh.

Well said on all accounts.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

Woody's gaffe is forgotten by history.

Are you fucking kidding? For those outside of Ohio State fandom, that's the single thing for which he's most remembered.

Ripping up a yard marker or throwing a punch is a momentary lapse of reason due to losing one's temper.

Making a complete fool of yourself and embarrassing the program in a fit of rage is more than just a "momentary lapse", especially when it's done numerous times.

Watch the HBO documentary The Rivalry and you'll see how much those two incidents have been "forgotten".

 

[BigWoof31]

Are you [censored]ing kidding? For those outside of Ohio State fandom, that's the single thing for which he's most remembered.

For those that were intersted, apparently you can still buy Charlie Bauman throwback jerseys at Clemson's bookstore.

 

[Magua]

As usual, a bit to melodramatic for my taste, but to each their own.

I haven't watched this one yet since I am at work, but I will agree with you on the melodrama. Don't get me wrong, the videos are very well done and much appreciated - but each one makes me feel like the world is coming to an end and a CFB game is a life and death situation where the fate of the world rests in the balance.

 

[BUCKYLE]

I haven't watched this one yet since I am at work, but I will agree with you on the melodrama. Don't get me wrong, the videos are very well done and much appreciated - but each one makes me feel like the world is coming to an end and a CFB game is a life and death situation where the fate of the world rests in the balance.

So pretty accurate then?

 

[Peggy]

a CFB game is a life and death situation where the fate of the world rests in the balance.

Yes

 

[Magua]

So pretty accurate then?

If this were a Saturday between the months of September and January I would probably say very accurate. It's funny too because the few times things have not gone our way in the last 15 years i've been living breathing and eating all things Buckeye Football - my family and friends are reminding me "it's only a game" and to get off the floor, stop swearing, stop throwing things at the wall, and that i've had enough to drink. To which I tell them fuck off, chug a beer, and throw the empty at them.

 

[BUCKYLE]

If this were a Saturday between the months of September and January I would probably say very accurate. It's funny too because the few times things have not gone our way in the last 15 years i've been living breathing and eating all things Buckeye Football - my family and friends are reminding me "it's only a game" and to get off the floor, stop swearing, stop throwing things at the wall, and that i've had enough to drink. To which I tell them fuck off, chug a beer, and throw the empty at them.

If you throw a full one at them, they'll stop.