Buckeye Blogger Network
Pointed to the coming storm?
The quiet of this week around Buckeye Nation provides a moment of peace prior to August’s chaos of fall camp and Olympic dreams. It’s completely different than July of 2011… and I don’t hear many complaining.
What I do hear, though, are the thunder and raging winds still swirling from last week’s Freeh Report. Both the national news coverage and the responses from Lion Faithful and PSU alums are clamoring- and, like what passes for dialogue these days, neither side are really listening to the other. Civility seems to be yet another casualty of this situation- although, it can be argued that this merely highlights the fact that it’s been dead for a long while.
So, this week’s SBP will take a look at some of the interesting articles and reflections on this almost indescribable set of circumstances. The view we’ll be taking will be a bit farther out- looking not at the particulars but at the “culture” that’s seems to have been on everyone’s mind lately… although, I’m not sure we’re looking deep enough.
If you’re tired of this story, I hope you’ll at least stick around for the commentary after the jump- there’s a lot to learn and think about from this, even if you’re not Nittany.
Responses to the Freeh Report
Everything about the crimes and the cover up is horrific, so please keep that in mind while you are celebrating Penn State’s coming reckoning. When you pop the champagne tonight in jubilation, try to remember that children were raped and grown men in charge of leading young men allowed it to happen. Then try to think of any reason why a human being should ever be happy that this could happen to a child, let alone children.
…
Don’t let football blind you, because that’s what Penn State did. They willingly let themselves lose sight of of what actually happened to these children, and then somehow found a way to ignore it. Hate Penn State for what happened here all you want, but don’t forget why you feel the way you do. And it should have nothing to do with football.
The Greggster must have gotten what he was looking for, because his next comments on the matter were… get this.. a complete change in tone that went against what others were saying. Read More
As all is quiet on the (mid)western front, here’s Wednesday’s bucket o’ links and commentary.
One Of Those Weeks...
Buckeye 411
Nope, this weekend starts the summer football camp season in Columbus, which is a B1G deal for the 2013/14 classes as well as for Coach Meyer’s continued scorched earth policy building relationships with coaches and programs across the state. This weekend’s a one day camp, and the process builds to July’s Friday Night Lights event. For many HS students, this might be the make or break opportunity that they’ve been looking- a number of OSU targets have been encouraged to camp in order to either earn an offer or to be evaluated and have their offer “bumped up” to “Commit-able”. Many thought that QBs Malik Zaire and Mitch Trubisky were in this category, as Urban wanted to see them camp prior to having them join the 2013 class… obviously they wanted to be somewhere else or wanted someone who didn’t require them to “audition”.
Names to keep an ear out for this weekend include national #3 safety Vonn Bell, who will be making his second unofficial in less than a month- that’s got to be a good sign, methinks. Also, Lakota’s Kyle Meadows will be participating, as will Wayne’s Lovell Peterson, both will be looking to earn offers. Finally, North Carolina DE/LB Tyquan Lewis will also be present- another interesting recruit from the Tar Heel State.
May’s second midweek madness gets existential. The big story of the day was the “discussion” about the future of our favorite sport- more on that after the jump.
Well, shoot.
Buckeye 411
But one thing is for sure – Urban Meyer will bring hardware back to Columbus with him before all is said and done. Gold pants, B1G titles and crystal footballs. For everyone who has piled on over the last twelve months – from those in Ann Arbor, Madison, and SEC country to those posted up at the headquarters of ESPN, Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News – there’s simply no way around it. Urban Meyer wins, and he wins big.
The benefactor? THE Ohio State University.
In this week’s edition of news and notes, we take a look at the ever swirling world of college “playoffs”; helping you get to the bottom of the matter. You can probably guess where this is headed…
Never forget
Buckeye 411
(Gee) knows more about bow ties than he does about journalism.
Probably true, but since Gordo is a fifteenth level bow-tie ninja, what does that say about your point?
OT J.B. Shugarts (seventh or free agent): Good size, but had false start and some foot problems with the Buckeyes.
Well, that was fast… Here’s what we know (updated as available)
The meeting lasted 3.5 hours for reference, USC’s hearing was 3 days (more programs under investigation)
Ohio State will donate the $338,000 they received from the conference’s award from their participating in the Sugar Bowl to local charities. No word on whether ESPN will forfeit their ad revenue from the game.
Tressel made a brief statement after the meeting-
They were well prepared and will now go about their work in deliberations. Again, I would like to apologize to the Buckeye nation, most especially to the players, staff and fans who remain so dear to me.
I have no further statement at this time.
Much more, and updates after the jump.
What's more American than blowing stuff up?
Happy Independence Day, Buck-aroos! As you’re enjoying the cold beverage and grilled meat product that the founded fathers gave their lives to provide, we thought we’d give you a quick update on the news you may have missed when you were stuck in traffic this holiday weekend.
Buckeyes
Updated below with Friday’s comments from Board Members-
This week is the annual Ohio State Board of Trustee meetings, and we’ve known their schedule for a while now.
However, given the “story” that is Ohio State Sports, and given whispers that members of the Board were influential in helping Jim Tressel choose to resign, all eyes and ears have been tuned to these usually dry proceedings to find any hints as to the state of OSU Athletics (including current staffing stability).
Closed glass door = mystery?
And, when you look for a story, you often find or create one to justify your perspective. On Wednesday, it was reported by 10TV that yet another scandal was brewing, this one at the highest levels. Seems that Wednesday’s “closed door meetings”, was such that folks were concerned that their very nature was a potential violation of Ohio’s Open Meetings Laws ; surely there must be something that “they” are trying to hide.
That someone would deign to break one of the ‘Sunshine Laws’ seems simultaneously ridiculous (especially with current media scrutiny) and just plain adorable. President Gee said that these were not “meetings”, but “dialogue”; as such, they weren’t subject to open meeting guidelines.
And you know what? I believe him. This “scandal” is not the most interesting thing to happen thus far in the BOT “dialogues”.
That happened today, when trustee Robert H. Schottenstein spoke to the media about a number of topics, including the the current concerns with the Athletic Department. His comments were actually quite refreshing-
There has never been any attempt to act with concealment or with indifference towards the NCAA, and I can’t emphasize that enough.
We believe we have very sound processes and protocols, many of them have been validated by third parties as being at or near best in class. Still as I said, we believe we can get better.
especially if you’re Gene Smith or Doug Archie, both of whom have every reason to have the air conditioner turned up around their desk chairs in order to mitigate the heat they’re under.
However, later comments would push those feelings of confidence back into the pit of a professional’s stomach; Read More
Part three of our attempt to process the “Memorial Day Melee“… it should be noted that all of these responses came before yesterday’s news regarding Terelle Pryor; as such, opinions may have changed.
Today’s question: Several groups of people are calling for Smith and Gee to be fired as well- what’s your take on it?
Jim- Gee, as evidenced by many of his quotes, is largely clueless concerning the goings on of the athletic department and he should be above all of this.
The tie that binds?
Smith is certainly getting a bad rap at the moment with many calling for him to follow Tressel, and it is hard to argue that he didn’t botch his handling of this situation at least a little bit. At the same time, I am willing to give him until the hearing on August 12th before passing final judgment on him and his job status. However, if the compliance department is found to be at fault, that is entirely on him and I think he should be held accountable.
Jay- While Smith leaving would probably be a good move, for perception if nothing else, losing Gee would not be a good thing. While football is a big thing at Ohio State, the strength of the overall university is a bigger issue, and I think that Ohio State with Gee right now is a good match. Firing him seems like it would really be putting football above the rest of the school.
Robby- Initially, I was impressed to see both were going to stand by Tress through the mess he was going through. After hearing about Jim’s resignation, I knew they forced him out with what was to come. That reason alone isn’t enough to fire both Smith and Gee, but how do the Athletic Director and school President not know about what the head football coach is doing behind closed doors? Those two were elected to keep the school and it’s administrators in line and they failed. I think that alone is enough to proof to fire both of them, and Smith’s stupid response over YouTube. If he was a real man, he’d have gone on ESPN or something like that to send out his response to the situation.
