Tressel Till I Die

[CBUS_SOONER]

THE fans need a life...

Jim Tressel talks to fans at doorstepEmail Print Comments Associated Press

UPPER ARLINGTON, Ohio -- Former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel told people at a rally on his front doorstep that he would always be a Buckeye and that the team will beat Michigan again this November.

After a crowd of some 200 people had sung a song disparaging the archrival Wolverines early Saturday evening, Tressel said, "Don't forget: Nov. 26th we're going to kick their ***!"


“
Don't forget: Nov. 26th we're going to kick their ***!

”
-- Jim Tressel at doorstep fan rally regarding Michigan game

That brought the loudest cheer of the day from the group, which had walked a half mile in 90-degree heat from a rallying point at a nearby park to Tressel's expansive French Provincial home in this Columbus suburb near campus.

Tressel was forced to resign Monday for his role in covering up his knowledge of his players taking improper benefits from a Columbus tattoo-parlor owner.

Those in the rally cheered, sang the alma mater and held up signs that said, "You're in Our Prayers," "We Support You, Jim!" and "We Love You, Coach Tressel."

Tressel and his wife, Ellen, posed for dozens of pictures, shook hands and thanked those in attendance.

He had memorably guaranteed that the Buckeyes would beat archrival Michigan at an Ohio State basketball game shortly after he had taken the job in January 2001.

Saturday's rally was reminiscent of those held for two past Ohio State coaches. After Woody Hayes was fired for punching a Clemson player late in the 1978 Gator Bowl, hundreds of fans came to his residence to thank him.

The same thing happened after Hayes' successor, Earle Bruce, was fired late in the 1987 season. Again, a large group of fans and members of the university's band came to Bruce's house to serenade him with songs.


Big Ten blog
ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg writes about all things Big Ten in his conference blog.

• Blog network:
College Football Nation


Five Ohio State players -- including star quarterback Terrelle Pryor -- have been suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season for accepting improper benefits from a tattoo-shop owner. The NCAA continues to investigate Ohio State, which goes before the NCAA's committee on infractions on Aug. 12.

But the fans who walked from Thompson Park didn't dwell on the negatives.

One fan wore a red, white and blue T-shirt that said, "Jim Tressel For President."

"We're going to be Buckeyes for life," Tressel said, his arm around his wife. "What's that old saying? Buckeye born and bred, a Buckeye 'til I'm dead."The crowd cheered when he finished.

He showed no emotion, thanking the fans as they departed after 20 minutes or so.

[soonerloyal]

Ya can't fix stupid.

[Flagstaffsooner]

I hate to admit it but we have done the same.

[soonerloyal]

I appreciate the "_____ Fan till I Die" sentiment. I don't agree with the blind support of wrongdoing sentiment many Bucknut fans show.

[SoonerMom2]

This is one Sooner fan who would not have done the same thing -- it is great to support your coach but Tressel is bringing down the program as it looks like he has had a decade of cover-up. Today is a lot different than the late 80's or early 90's when it comes to the NCAA and sports. You had a major violation then for buying kids shoes. That's not the case today.

Tressel protecting his quarterbacks and a running back until he got the title and then threw Clarrett under the bus is not something that you want in a coach. Obviously it is more important to the fans that OSU win at any costs especially beating MI.

When I saw the picture of the fans, I burst out laughing.

[Flagstaffsooner]

I feel their pain. Remember us in 1999 and the 10 years after?

But I hope they suffer! I am a ahole.

[Flagstaffsooner]

Tressel protecting his quarterbacks and a running back until he got the title and then threw Clarrett under the bus is not something that you want in a coach. Obviously it is more important to the fans that OSU win at any costs especially beating MI.

When I saw the picture of the fans, I burst out laughing.

Mr Maurice jumped in front of the bus.

[soonerloyal]

The other, the shiny side, of the coaching coin:

http://newsok.com/article/3574387#disqus_thread

Berry Tramel: OU's Bob Stoops not interested in baby-sitting

In his first public comments since the Jim Tressel scandal, the Sooners' coach says he won't be following his players around.

Berry Tramel
Published: June 4, 2011

Bob Stoops is not in the baby-sitting business. Constant monitoring of ballplayers? Prior restraint of a 20-year-old's behavior? Staying on top of 100 guys?

Stoops is not interested. When that becomes his job description, he says he'll go all Johnny Paycheck. Take that job and ...

“Listen, if people think that I'm going to be chasing around, following my players around, that's not happening,” Stoops said the other day in his first public comments since the Ohio State scandal cost Jim Tressel his job.

“If I have to do that, I'm gonna do your (media) job, or do someone else's job. I'm not coaching.”

Stoops and Tressel have common bonds. Stoops grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, and has had family members coach Youngstown State football. Tressel coached Youngstown State to four NCAA Division I-AA championships.

“I love Jim Tressel,” Stoops said. “I think he's a fabulous guy. He's overall been a strong example for all coaches. And I don't know all the circumstances around his situation. So it's impossible for me to comment on that.”

But Stoops did comment on how he has handled and will handle players who receive impermissible benefits.

And it differs starkly from the way Tressel dealt with his Buckeyes. Tressel learned of allegations and did not report them to his athletic director or compliance officers or the NCAA. Ultimately, that's what cost Tressel his job.

Stoops, indirectly, indicted Tressel while explaining how Oklahoma football has handled and will handle misdeeds.

“We can't follow a hundred players around,” Stoops said. “That's just not realistic and not gonna happen.

“So, at the end of the day, our players are very well educated on what's allowed and what isn't. If something isn't appropriate, it's dealt with, I like to think, appropriately and in the right way. And that's it.”

Stoops chatted Thursday night, just before the OU Caravan's Dallas event. During the program, Stoops took questions from fans and was asked about the difference in the way Tressel handled the Terrelle Pryor allegations and the way Stoops handled Rhett Bomar's excessive benefits in 2006.

“Our conversation wasn't very long,” Stoops said of Bomar. Stoops said he confronted Bomar with the evidence that he had been paid by Big Red Sports & Imports for work not performed and told him, “You're not playing at Oklahoma.”

For a year, Bomar wondered?

“No, it's going to be forever,” Stoops said he said. “We'll move on. You can transfer.”

Said Stoops, “Our players are educated. They know. If you knowingly break the rules, we're going to move on. We'll find someone else to play quarterback.

“I felt it was in the best interest of our university. Our players know, we're going to do things right. At least that's our hope.”

Stoops bristled at the suggestion he deserves credit for the way he handled the Bomar case.

“I'm not looking for a bit of credit,” Stoops said. “I did what I thought needed to happen in our situation. All situations are different.

“All I know is, we will deal with our situations the way we feel needs to be dealt with. And to further educate our players on how they need to move forward. And if situations like this do occur here, this is how your situation will be.”

Swift justice seems to be Stoops' style. Wyatt Earp is walking the streets of Norman.

“It's impossible to know what everyone does behind closed doors,” Stoops said. “Even in families, you don't know sometimes what's going on. So to think we know, when families or wives and husbands don't know?

“No one knows. At the end of the day, if someone tries to conceal something they will, and when you find out, you deal with it. That's it. We can't possibly know everything that happens.”

It's the American Way. Freedom to do most anything you want. Just be prepared to pay the consequences, which Tressel did not demand of his Buckeyes.

[SoonerMom2]

I am so proud of Bob Stoops the way he handled the Bomar situation -- gone for good! Says a lot about OU and even more about OSU the way that Tressel coddled his offensive players and broke the rules because winning became more important than ethics which is something that a lot of their fans don't seem to get even now.

How OSU has handled this entire event gives their program a huge black eye and no amount of spin is going to change the fact that winning was more important than doing the right thing.

Stoops tossed Bomar off the team right before the season while Tressel played ineligible players and then went to bat for them to play in the Sugar Bowl.

OSU needs to be dealt with very harshly for snubbing their nose at the NCAA especially with that 11-day committee who could find nothing else wrong. Media comes in and suddenly there is a lot more wrong. Then all Tressel can say is they are going to beat Michigan. Is Tressel still going to be an advisor coach to the team?

[DarrellZero]

I imagine that after the ramifications start to kick in, the citizens of Columbus will be a good deal less enthralled with Coach Tressel.

[MyT Oklahoma]

[CBUS_SOONER]

This articl also further proves tre$$el was a fraud. Always squeaking clean and never swore. Once he get canned he shows his true colors and says stupid sh!t.

[soonerloyal]

As usual, a Thujone ShaggyBevo must-see: Tresselball. In MS Paint...

http://www.shaggybevo.com/board/show...l.-IN-MS-PAINT.

Every frame more golden than the one before it.

[SoonerRed]

The way they act is if he didn't do anything wrong.

[Jacie]

Different time and situation but most Sooners felt the same way when The King retired.

The entire football world knew of the shooting, the rape, the SI cover and we felt the shame of it but we still supported OUr coach and his style (though secretly wishing he would take some steps to be more of a administrator's coach rather than a player's coach everytime another incident came to light).

I don't recall hearing that Sooners spontaneoulsy rallied and then marched to his house to serenade him with a few choruses of Boomer Sooner though.

But I can appreciate what buckeye fans are going through.

[Sooner_Tuf]

I have known Barry for 40 years and I never knew he shot or raped anyone. SOB owes me some stories.

[Soonermagik]

He just set their program back for the next 5 years. They will hammer OSU worse than USC since their coach knew. These same people will curse his name when they are sitting idle during bowl season.

[Jacie]

I have known Barry for 40 years and I never knew he shot or raped anyone. SOB owes me some stories.

Silly comment but in that same vein, Tressel never got a tattoo but since it was players on his team that used their fame to trade for em, he's the fall guy.