Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel
has deservedly come under fire recently for the way he has handled
“tattoo gate” at The Ohio State University. Five Buckeye players
received tattoos in exchange for sports memorabilia that included Big
Ten Championship rings and game jerseys. The players Terrelle Pryor, Daniel Herron, Devier Posey,
Mike Adams, and Solomon Thomas fessed up about the situation and have
been suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season by Ohio
State. The suspensions are hypocritical since the situation surfaced
prior to The 2011 Sugar Bowl in which The Buckeyes defeated The Arkansas Razorbacks.
Originally Tressel denied have knowledge of the situation until reports
surfaced that the man with the sweater vest knew of the situation and
didn’t notify university officials. Tressel was originally given a two
game suspension by Ohio State for the situation until Tressel himself
went to school officials and took a five game suspension like his
players. I do not think that was enough. Tressel has always appeared to
be a stand up guy, but he made a big mistake. I am not endorsing that the man should be fired but he should have to sit down for 2011.
Ohio State is trying to sanction itself to lessen the blow it will receive from The NCAA
for the violation, but coaches should be held at higher standards than
players. The players are a group of 20 year old’s who made a mistake,
but Tressel is supposed to guide these student-athletes on and off the
field and he didn’t. If Tressel had come forward at the beginning, the
“black eye” that Ohio State has received may have been deemed a paper
cut. In a perfect world, the players could have been suspended for the
last game of the regular season versus arch rival
Michigan and The Sugar Bowl and many people would have been satisfied.
Now that the coach lied and allowed players to play when they should
have been suspended sends the wrong message.
If The Buckeyes had done that they still could have defeated The Wolverines but may have missed out making a BCS bowl game
with an estimated 17 million dollar purse. I the grand scheme of things
money isn’t everything it’s the only thing, and now for the love of it
The Buckeyes are left to clean up a mess the could have been avoided.
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