Attention eSECpn, Dennis Dodd, and All OSU Buckeye Haters

Yes, we get it already.

You hate Ohio State and you're running with this story faster than a fat kid runs to the buffet at Golden Corral.

In the words of former Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez, "Get a life."

Jim Tressel received several emails in early April, 2010 that stated that two of his players were involved with a somewhat less-than-reputable tattoo shop owner who was currently the subject of a federal investigation.

The emails suggested that the players may have sold or traded personal items (trophies, rings, etc) to the shop owner in exchange for money and tattoos, but Tressel did not confirm his knowledge of the situation until December.

Here's where we separate people of my ilk from the clueless dolts who have nothing better to do than assume they know everything that transpired and that Tressel indeed knew what was going on the minute these emails arrived in his email inbox.

The problem here for you haters is that just because Tressel received those emails does not mean he needed to pick up the phone and call the NCAA to inform them that violations had occurred.

Ever hear of due-diligence, or did you just expect Tressel to assume the emails were written by Jesus, so they are 100% true?

If you know anything about the lawyer who penned said emails, then you know he's about as believable as George H.W. Bush when he said and I quote, "Read my lips, no new taxes."

He has his own legal issues and has even had his license to practice law suspended on at least one occasion, so forgive coach Tressel if he wanted to look into the allegations before sounding the alarm.

Tressel and Ohio State could face further sanctions from the NCAA once they conclude their investigation, but don't believe the ridiculous "hammer-to-come-down" hype being spread by CBS college football "analyst"/resident Buckeye hater Dennis Dodd—This isn't the second coming of SMU, I promise.

And as for this talk of Ohio State being repeat offenders and how they should be punished as much or more than what USC was...

Talk about blowing this entire situation completely out of proportion.

USC bought OJ Mayo for their basketball team and knew that Reggie Bush and his family had been given cash and a free condo on "Slippery" Pete Carroll's watch.

The players and coach Tressel broke various rules (not to say that makes the rules in question right), but nobody at Ohio State gave these players money or houses to come to Columbus.

Instead, the players sold their own items for money that they needed/wanted.

The coach was informed of the situation but he could not just assume at the time that it was true beyond a reasonable doubt.

Then, of course, the haters like to ignore that whole ungoing federal investigation that Tressel could have unraveled all in the name of NCAA bylaw 10.1, which bans "unethical conduct."

Where I'm from, interfering with a federal investigation is much worse, and far more punishable that not telling your A.D. or the NCAA that you "think" some of your players "might be" involved in certain activities deemed unacceptable for the standards set forth upon student-athletes.

Just remember, these kids aren't allowed to have jobs and the stipend they get does not allow them to do much of anything other than eat. And most of them aren't from well-to-do, upper-middle class, or upper-class families.

Since when does being a college athlete mean you're supposed to be poor and never have money to enjoy college life, or to be able to afford to go out with your friends, all while you make MILLIONS for the university you attend and the TV network that hates you so much?

Apparently since right now...


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Could 2009 Be The Beginning of The End For Coach Jim Tressel?

by HD Handshoe
Founder
BlockONation.com


I consider myself to be a true, die-hard, never fairweather fan of the all sports teams I follow, especially the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Some may, and many have, even accused me of blatant, non-objective homerism!

I will admit I am kind of a homer, but I do not subscribe to the idea that being a homer means I cannot be objective as well.

And since when is being a homer fan of the team you root for a bad thing?

It doesn't mean I don't see things that I don't like or that I live in a Utopia as far as my teams go.

When there are issues, I acknowledge them and want them addressed just as much as the so-called "objective" fan, or fairweather bandwagon jumpers as I like to refer to them.

For example, I have often been critical of Ohio State's coordinators, especially Jim Bollman and their play-calling, which falls solely on the head of Jim Tressel.

It has become a common practice across the college football landscape for schools looking for head coaches to hire coordinators from successful programs like USC, Florida, etc.

Ohio State has been one of the most successful teams of this decade, yet nobody to my knowledge has inquired about hiring Jim Bollman or Jim Heacock.

There's obviously reasons no other teams have hired them away from Ohio State. I'll leave it at that.

I wholeheartedly believe that Tressel should have replaced Bollman this past off-season, and while he was at it, replaced himself as the de facto offensive coordinator with Bollman's replacement.

But alas, none of this happened, so I'll file away my off-season Buckeye wish-list until next January.

While this does worry me that we, as fans, are going to see more of the same old, tired, predictable, and uninspired play-calling of recent years, I'm not a booster, the AD, or E. Gordon Gee. I'm not in a position to implement the changes that seem warranted, so therefore, I digress.

Most sensible OSU fans will take a similar wait-and-see approach before passing judgment on our 2009 team.

But some "fans", still with 38 days to go before the start of the 2009 season, already have the Buckeyes losing three to five games, including blowout losses to USC and Penn State, and are predicting, if not outright calling for, Tressel's head on a stick.

Here is just some of the negativity our own (fairweather bandwagon) "fans" are spewing about our program, players, coaches, etc. over at my least favorite OSU site, Bucknuts.

"Since Michigan in 2006, we haven't won a big game on the national level. Some of those losses were embarrassing blowouts with the Texas game close but still a loss.

All those games were played on fields a long way from Columbus. This game will be at home and if we stink up the place, especially on offence (Tress and Bollman's department), then it will start to shake confidence in the locals about Tress's ability to match wits with the top programs."

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"Beating Michigan, which is basically a MAC level team means little in 2009. Tressel is safe of course—he is a great person, good for any program but only an average game day coach.

The fact that he is 0-6 vs. the last six BCS bowl teams cannot be ignored. Objective OSU fans know something is wrong and Tressel needs better assistants and massive help in play calling. Losing to USC will not help but can be expected as Carroll and USC's talent is still better the OSU's."

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"I think if we lose the USC game and our bowl game JT has one more year to get his **** together. It happens. Fulmer and Carr both won a national title early in their careers at their schools and they both became average coaches.

It's sad to say but I think the game has already started to pass JT by. How long can he live off one NC title while getting his ass handed to him year after year by the SEC and other top programs? His offensive play calling is a joke and he shows no signs of changing his mind.

I watched the Michigan game from last year over the weekend. I have never seen a team win 42-7 and look like ****. But we pulled it off nicely. The play calling in that game was awful. Tressel got lucky that Wells broke a long run or two.

Calling the same running play 5 times in 2 quarters and hoping your back finds a hole isn't coaching."

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"You're right. I am very happy to win the JV conference that is the Big Ten and get our asses handed to us EVERY time we step out of conference and play a real school.

If you want to go through life with blinders on than so be it. I for one think it's alright to question the bible by Jim Tressel. I am tired of a school that makes as much money as we do, recruits the type of players that we do, and sells out EVERY home game like we do being the laughing stock of college football.

For you blind ass homers let me spell it out for you.............

Winning the Big Ten and beating Michigan doesn't mean a damn thing. It's not good enough. I would rather beat USC and lose to Penn St and not win the Big Ten. At least that way we can show we can play with the big boys.

And I hope you're right about TP changing the way Tressel calls plays. Anything would be better than the sissy playing calling we've seen since Troy left. And you can't blame it on having a bad QB. Who's fault is that? Perhaps the head coaches for not bringing in a better QB?"

There are plenty more like these but I think you get the picture.

Some of these comments are worse than others and some hold more validity than others, but here's the blunt truth as far as I am concerned:

Some of you seriously need to get a clue or get a new team if you're so unhappy with Tressel and company consistently thumping Michigan, winning at least ten games per year and winning the Big Ten title nearly every year!

There are about 115 DI FBS football programs that would love to have the "problems" Ohio State football has had since 2006.

Of course, this is just one man's opinion and I could be wrong...

Or not.


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Miami Mitch's Apology To Ohio State Fans

So there's a guy named Mitch, who's kind of a geek and not a very good writer I might add, yet somehow is a senior writer on the Bleacher Report's College Football section and he is obsessed with hating on Ohio State.

His recent Mitch's Apology to Ohio State Fans article is riddled with sarcasm, jealousy and venom.

It makes sense though since he is a Cryami Hurricanes fan.

He and I do not like each other but I couldn't help myself. I just had to repost this.

It is yet another priceless article in which he drags our beloved Buckeyes, and fans, through the mud with personal attacks, all for the sake of hit and comment counts.

For the record, whenever someone on a sports forum launches personal attacks, it's because they, their writing, their team, and their pointless and baseless points are inferior to those of whomever it is they are attacking.

Let me preface what you are about to read by being the bigger man here and reaching out to Mitch:

Mitch, I'm sorry your sad excuse for a double-digit favorite (aka 2002-2003 Cryami) in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl BCS title game couldn't convert for a touchdown on four tries with the ball inside the 2-yard line in the third and final overtime!

Without further ado, here is the hatred and jealousy that a great program like Ohio State inspires!

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I'm sorry some of you aren't better at reading comprehension and can't differentiate between an article tagged opinion or history from one tagged with breaking news or the like.

I'm sorry you feel the need to use vulgarities, racism, bigotry, and other unacceptable behavior to dispute facts about your football team.

I'm sorry your athletic department has the most violations since 2000.

I'm sorry that no one in the Ohio State Athletic Department or Football Program has even a shred of accountability.

I'm sorry your team continues to restock itself with players who have run-ins with the law and most recently a drug addict.

I'm sorry your coaches can't figure out that there is a pretty big difference between a kid getting caught with 20 grams of marijuana and a guy who took a hit of pot at a party.

I'm sorry that you are forced to think that a reduction to a misdemeanor from a felony means it isn't illegal.

I'm sorry you think selling tickets and showing up in other cities is a more fitting criteria in determining the most deserving team than actual wins.

I'm sorry a portion of your fan base is an embarrassment to your once fine and proud institution.

I'm sorry that you are so delusional to think that winning one National Championship in 40 years is the mark of an elite program.

I'm sorry your football coach has no memory of what happened five minutes ago, if it was something negative.

I'm sorry you have been forced into a situation where winning a few football game and generating money from sports far supersedes your desire to be an elite academic institution.

I sorry you feel the need to make things up about other people.

I'm sorry you are too lazy to look up words like slander in the dictionary before using them.

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So, after reading his tribute to OSU and Buckeye fans everywhere, what do you think of Mitch?

Please, add your comment(s) and let us know!

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