Courtesy of Flickr Creative CommonsOne year ago today, as I woke up in the late morning, I learned that Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel had resigned. A couple of months before, when the news that Tressel had lied about rules violations became public knowledge, in a press conference, a reporter asked if Tressel was going to be dismissed. With all of the public savvy of Joe Biden, university president E. Gordon Gee infamously quipped, “I’m just hoping that the coach doesn’t dismiss me.” Later, Tressel coached in the spring game, and preparations were underway for the 2011 season.
But on Memorial Day, suddenly, the era was over. It was a dark day for the program and for the fans. For a decade, Tressel had been a source of stability. It had seemed like he was weathering the scandal. But then, suddenly, it was over. (more…)
It’s so easy to lose perspective. It’s so easy to complain out of habit, to get frustrated when things don’t go perfectly. We have our waiter make a mistake with an order and respond like they’ve committed some type of wartime atrocity.
We complain and we get bitter. I think it’s not because the things about which we complain are so important, but because complaining becomes our comfort zone. Instead of just being happy and finding joy in everyday life, we treat anger like a warm blanket and wrap ourselves in it. (more…)
On Saturday, the Ohio State basketball team lost to Michigan State by 10, snapping a 39 game home winning streak. The Bucks shot just 26 percent from the field, their worst home shooting night in 15 years. It was their third loss in conference play, and despite the fact that this team is still ranked in the top six, I think their longterm prospects of success in March are highly questionable.
Don’t get me wrong. I believe that this team is going to continue to succeed and win games. I still think that they will win the conference and that they will be a 1 or a 2 seed in the NCAA tournament,. I’m not worried about any of that. I’m not suggesting their suddenly going to tank. (more…)
There was always a sense of fatalism. Not that he would one day die, that’s an inevitably we all face. But for the serious fan of college football, I think that there was a thought that he was never really meant to live apart from the game. Even before the Jerry Sandusky scandal broke, I think that sentiment existed.
Joe Paterno died today.
He was the winningest coach in the history of college football, but for many years of that career, he was pursing the wins record of the famous Alabama coach Paul “Bear Bryant. When Bryant retired after the 1982 season, he was asked how he would spend his time and replied that he would probably “croak in a week.” (more…)
It was so metaphorical. The two offensive turnovers for Ohio State came from seniors Daniel Herron and DeVier Posey. They were two players who contributed to the tattoo scandal, and whose suspensions were extended past their initial penalties when news of further NCAA rules violations came to light.
It was their actions that helped contribute to the Ohio State bowl ban for next season. As they each fumbled offensive possessions away, they were assisting in giving up this bowl game, just as their rules violations helped to give up next year’s bowl game. (more…)
