This could be bad folks. Yahoo sports is reporting that Coach Tressel knew that Ohio State players were selling items to Columbus tattoo shop owner Edward Rife back in April of 2010.
According to Yahoo Sports, Tressel was contacted in April by a “concerned individual” reporting that Ohio State players including Terrell Pryor had sold memorabilia to to Rife and that Tressel said he would investigate the situation. Officials at Ohio State say that they were not aware of the situation until contacted by the U.S. Attorney General’s office in December who was conducting an investigation on Rife.
At this point, it appears to be unclear whether or not Tressel initiated any sort of investigation but Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith stated in December that they were first made aware of the situation earlier that month.
Ohio State hasn’t responded to the Yahoo Sports story which broke last night but is expected to today. If Yahoo Sports is correct, Coach Tressel could be charged with any of a number of NCAA violations along with a breach of contract. Not only could Ohio State be forced to forfeit the 2010 season, Coach Tressel could be fired if he truly knew about the memorabilia sales and did not take action.
The one ray of hope is that the “concerned individual” that tipped off Coach Tressel was so obscure and the tip was so vague that it was quickly dismissed. How many of these “tips” does a NCAA coach receive in a year? How many pan out to be correct? How many are not even worthy of an investigation? Like I said, I’m searching for a ray of hope here.
As an allegory, my first job out of college was as an editor with a neighborhood weekly newspaper in Columbus. There was a guy who owned a local pizza shop who always wanted to fill me with tips and gossip that was going on in the area. One morning, he called me to his shop because his story was so hot he couldn’t talk about it over the phone. He went on to tell me how the Mayor of Columbus was renting property for a girlfriend and that there was an entire closet full of skeletons about to spill out on the mayor. At the time, it made a great story but it was so far fetched and from such an obscure source (who had tipped me off on a number of wild stories), I didn’t pursue it.
Within six months, the story had played out pretty much as the pizza shop owner had predicted and the mayor was out of office. Yes, I missed a big story but if I had pursued every tip of the sort I had received from everyone who wanted to break the next big story, I’d never have put out a newspaper.
Let’s only hope that if this story does have legs, the Coach Tressel’s source is just as vague and obscure or has cried wolf enough that whatever response Tressel gave is justified.
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Really? I’d like to dismiss this a bunk.. and I hope it is.. but for now, I’ll wait and listen.
But this shit is REALLY getting old folks.
I’m sort of amazed at the investigative journalism of Yahoo Sports (good or bad). My impression of them is an outlet that republishes AP stories. They claim they’ve worked on this for two months.
If there’s anything to it, I think it’s going to pivot on the credibility of the source and whether or not Tressel responded appropriately.
Agreed that it’s getting old. It’s getting old everywhere — not just with Ohio State.
AB – I didn’ know Craig ever owned a pizza shop.
So what do we anticipate the news conference will be about???
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=ap-ohiost-tresseltrouble
I’m holding my breath…
At least we’ll get some sort of response quickly..
There had to be a response of some sort today. I think Yahoo Sports is looking for a trophy for their walls.
Dispatch has a somewhat softer take on it http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2011/03/08/0308-osu-to-hold-news-conference-tonight.html?sid=101
Not much though.
From a once prominent poster on this blog…
“From this day forward… All Jim Tressell bobbleheads must be removed from every Mancave in America and no sweater vests are to be worn — until April 4, 2011 — 3 years after said offenses occurred — and when Terrelle and his posse return from Spring Break.”
“I don’t sleep, I wait!”
Chaz Sheen
The news conference is to announce that tuition at tOSU is increasing this fall. Again…
Should have known it was going to be a bad day when I saw TP’s Tweet this morning. It’s never a good thing when he’s on twitter
So are we really discussing this….Cam’s daddy walks with 200k and we are still arguing about tattoos…Da Plane – I think I see da Plane boss…
Tressel ain’t goin’ anywhere…NCAA needs to nip this in the butt and come up with a minimal compensation plan so these young people are happier and less tempted by their financial destinies.
Ridiculous – Mikie
Jim Tressell did something wrong? Garbage. Everyone knows that guy is squeaky clean.
I don’t believe it, The concerned person is probably a Arkansas fan or SEC fan. I’ll stand with the Senator and when it’s all over we will be the ones laughing. Why didn’t Yahoo give the name of this concerned person? Also how much did the pay for the story? Sound like a bucnch of journalistic crap to me.
Sure would like to see the emails. I assume if they were distributed, they will be published.
The ESPN article is pretty vague – you’re referencing specific info about Tressel receiving emails? I would have to assume the NCAA will have some kind of institutional penalty for a coach being aware of violations but not reporting them. I was fine with the players playing in the Sugar Bowl (although I might have rather just had a W), and maybe I’m biased as a Hog fan, but all of your last season has a worse smell to me now.
OK.. so I’ve seen the emails. I’m actually OK with it all. Jim has built up enough equity with me for me to believe he thought he was doing the right thing. Probably felt like he was in between a rock and a hard place and if he chose the safety of his players over NCAA rules.. I’m good with that.
Let’s hope the NCAA agrees and lets press on with next season..
There’s nothing to see here folks.. move along.
Let’s go watch some basketball!!