Sooooo... it is well documented that I hate Ohio State. Along with Notre Dame they make up the make up the big two of arrogant, self righteous, mighty, we win because God wants us to win and it is the natural order programs in the NCAA. I know a lot of people at very successful NCAA schools. Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas (formerly Michigan and Michigan State had some claim), Florida, Alabama... you get the idea. Storied programs. But their students never seem dumbfounded when they lose. They are never anticipating that the next National Championship is anything but a year away. They believe it. Every year is THEIR year. But people conspire against them. The refs, the NCAA, cheating coaches for other programs. Everyone is OUT TO GET THEM when you are in the OSU/ND mindset. Granted ND has kicked themselves around and I really do feel for them because who what talented minority kid would go to a white, conservative, small, academically rigorous school in the armpit of America known as northern Indiana. But OSU? 7 National Championships but you would think from talking to their grads that the last one was just last year. Instead it was 2002. They did have great teams, year after year but in the last 9.... they never took it home. Tressel despite some problems at his last job appeared to be a paragon of virtue. 106-22 is... touched by God (even I see a touch of the design in that kind of a mark) but with their coaches and their players, all of these alumni put these people on a pedestal forgetting that they are just... people.
People make mistakes. Tressel made a mistake. I do not even want to guess or analyze why but the pressure to win in college athletics is relentless and shepherding over even the BEST intentioned 18-22 year olds is a suckers bet. I am sad for the fans but perhaps if everyone put college athletics in its proper place there would be a number of things that might happen:
1. Amateur sports could be just that.
2. Coaches in these programs would not be paid more than the governor or the President of the University. In almost every State the coach of the football team is the highest paid employee in the State. I don’t mean to be coarse, but how fucked up is that?
3. The NFL could start running a minor league as well as the NBA, rather than having it done for them.
In any case, this does suck. The asshole Pete Carroll cheats and cheats and materially damages his school and arguably a lot of kids and jumps to the NFL so his gravy train does not stop. I think, I hope Tressel is classy for that. If he loves the game he will keep coaching somewhere but perhaps it will not be all about the money, the power, the glory... maybe it will be about teaching kids the glory of the game and competition and learning sometimes through losing.
Blah, blah, blah...R.I.P. Jim Tressel.
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