How Much Trouble Is OSU and Tressel in Now?!

• queencitybuckeye

  ICEMAN59;704227 wrote:Sorry, but you're delusional . . . you get that info and you immediately consult your boss or university counsel

  
  Absolutely not. I consult my personal attorney before anyone, who may or may not advise me to do what you suggest.
• Fidmeister

  I'm betting Ohio State's lawyers are pretty good. Go to one of them first, your boss second and get out front of this.
  
  They could have avoided a lot of this blowback if they had been dealing with it up front. That fault lies with the one who knew first.
• Writerbuckeye

  

  queencitybuckeye;704241 wrote:Absolutely not. I consult my personal attorney before anyone, who may or may not advise me to do what you suggest.

  
  This is what I would have done. Why JT didn't think to do it, I don't know. It was dumb on his part.
  
  And I'm far from a delusional fan. I would be the first to call for JT's head if he had done anything that was clearly an effort to CHEAT in any way. This whole "scandal" hasn't provided any competitive advantage to OSU in any way, shape or form -- and that is the very heart and soul of what the NCAA is supposed to be most concerned about.
  
  You can't say the same for what happened at USC, Auburn or even Michigan.
  
  In any event, I hope the NCAA concurs with OSU's findings and this thing is over once and for all.
• september63

  

  Writerbuckeye;704211 wrote:I think the key to all of JT's actions is that he said he was scared.
  
  I believe him.
  
  You get information from an attorney telling you that some of your players are on the periphery of an on-going federal drug investigation (not involved, but dealing with someone who is the subject of that investigation).
  
  Then the attorney asks for you to maintain confidentiality (assuming here) until the investigation is complete.
  
  My first thought would be: shit, I've possibly got some players hanging out with a guy who is the subject of a federal drug probe. If I say anything to anyone, it gets out and my guys might end up in the middle of something far worse. Someone might think they were giving the feds information, and they might be in danger. Drug dealers have been known to kill people who give information to the police, after all.
  
  So JT sits on this and says nothing. Not even when it's brought up in December. He's probably relieved his guys aren't involved in criminal activity, but mad they were so stupid. He thinks the whole thing is over and is relieved nobody got hurt.
  
  Then in January, during meetings about this case, JT mentions the e-mail he got and OSU realizes they have an infraction on their hands. They contact the NCAA right away and are working on putting together a self report, penalties, etc. when Yahoo's story forces the whole thing public before they have finished what they were doing.
  
  Everything gets pushed forward very fast.
  
  I watched the presser and JT was obviously really down about this. You can tell he feels awful, and I don't think it's because he is losing $250,000 or being benched for at least two games. I think he feels bad for having brought anything bad down on the university, his program and the team.
  
  Having said that, I think the penalties fit the "crime" here and don't see why the NCAA would want more blood from this, all things considered.
  
  Unless there is something we're not aware of (yet), I'm hopeful that this will be the final disposition and -- honestly -- I can live with it.

  
  Agree.
• Fidmeister

  Writerbuckeye;704267 wrote:This is what I would have done. Why JT didn't think to do it, I don't know. It was dumb on his part.
  
  And I'm far from a delusional fan. I would be the first to call for JT's head if he had done anything that was clearly an effort to CHEAT in any way. This whole "scandal" hasn't provided any competitive advantage to OSU in any way, shape or form -- and that is the very heart and soul of what the NCAA is supposed to be most concerned about.
  
  You can't say the same for what happened at USC, Auburn or even Michigan.
  
  In any event, I hope the NCAA concurs with OSU's findings and this thing is over once and for all.

  
  So, he knew they violated rules before last season started, didn't report it or suspend them and that wasn't a competitive advantage?
  
  Also, at this point, Ohio State is guilty twice. Auburn hasn't been found guilty once. Can't lump them together.
  
  NCAA probably will hit him harder. They don't like being deceived. Good intentions or not, he held back information he knew from them, just like Bruce Pearl. The punishments should be equal, relative to length of schedule.
• ytownfootball

  

  Fidmeister;704289 wrote:So, he knew they violated rules before last season started, didn't report it or suspend them and that wasn't a competitive advantage?
  
  Also, at this point, Ohio State is guilty twice. Auburn hasn't been found guilty once. Can't lump them together.
  
  NCAA probably will hit him harder. They don't like being deceived. Good intentions or not, he held back information he knew from them, just like Bruce Pearl. The punishments should be equal, relative to length of schedule.

  
  Damn you're fucking stupid dude.
• elbuckeye28

  Fidmeister;704289 wrote:
  NCAA probably will hit him harder. They don't like being deceived. Good intentions or not, he held back information he knew from them, just like Bruce Pearl. The punishments should be equal, relative to length of schedule.

  
  The Bruce Pearl and Jim Tressel situations are completely different.
• queencitybuckeye

  ytownfootball;704290 wrote:Damn you're fucking stupid dude.

  
  He is, which is why for all the bluster about his great education, he's a middle-aged man working fast food.
• Little Danny

  

  Both Iceman and Queen City are right. You engage in counsel... period.
  
  My major issue with Tressel's statement is the fact he claimed he did not know what to do. That is the biggest pill for me to swallow IMO. I can assure you Coach Tressel has received correspondence, phone calls, emails, etc. every year of his lengthy career where he has to think to himself, "Gee, I really should consult legal on this". As someone in his position, the university pounds it in his head this is what he needs to do in these circumstances to protect the Ohio State University from her further liabilities. It is what happens in the business world. He's probably done it a hundred times in the past 10 years.
• Fab4Runner

  

  elbuckeye28;704184 wrote:I must have missed that. Who did he forward an email to?

  I also missed that. Iceman can you shed any light on that statement you made?
• Fidmeister

  ytownfootball;704290 wrote:Damn you're fucking stupid dude.

  
  Actually, no, I'm not. My opinion differing from yours doesn't make me stupid. It means I think differently from you. Vastly different things.
  
  Not suspending players he knew were guilty of rules violations gave them a competitive advantage. You think the Tattoo Parlor Crew didn't make them better?
  
  Like I've said all along. Seek law advice. Go you your AD. Get out in front of this. The players would have seen lighter punishments and he would have seen no punishment at all. Then they could have swept all of this under the rug and when it came out why they were suspended, the reaction would have been "Oh, that's why? Good for Ohio State."
  
  Tressel's intentions were good if he was worried for his players. But we know what road good intentions paved.
• bo shemmy3337

  queencitybuckeye;704294 wrote:He is, which is why for all the bluster about his great education, he's a middle-aged man working fast food.

  
  at least he is working though many are without a job.
• Fidmeister

  queencitybuckeye;704294 wrote:He is, which is why for all the bluster about his great education, he's a middle-aged man working fast food.

  
  Says a guy who has never met me, never will and can only go to something he has no clue about rather than debate on facts at hand. You don't even know how old I am and you don't know what I do.
  
  Stay classy, though.
• derek bomar

  

  I'm pretty much in agreement with everyone else - I just can't get past the whole him not knowing he should'be gone to legal with this...just makes me think he's lying. Idk
• ytownfootball

  

  Fidmeister;704300 wrote:Actually, no, I'm not. My opinion differing from yours doesn't make me stupid. It means I think differently from you. Vastly different things.
  
  Not suspending players he knew were guilty of rules violations gave them a competitive advantage. You think the Tattoo Parlor Crew didn't make them better?
  
  Like I've said all along. Seek law advice. Go you your AD. Get out in front of this. The players would have seen lighter punishments and he would have seen no punishment at all. Then they could have swept all of this under the rug and when it came out why they were suspended, the reaction would have been "Oh, that's why? Good for Ohio State."
  
  Tressel's intentions were good if he was worried for his players. But we know what road good intentions paved.

  
  No shit asshat. Why the fuck do you think they self imposed?
  
  He didn't "report" because he felt obliged to confidentiality...no counsel was his mistake, not knowing how to protect himself was a mistake. You're not willing to admit to the conflict there...that's stupidity, not an opinion.
• karen lotz

  

  scanned images of the emails that were exchanged. I haven't read them and they are kind of fuzzy with all of the names blacked out but...
  
  http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/documents-read-the-actual-jim-tressel-emails-29547
• Fidmeister

  ytownfootball;704310 wrote:No shit asshat. Why the fuck do you think they self imposed?
  
  He didn't "report" because he felt obliged to confidentiality...no counsel was his mistake, not knowing how to protect himself was a mistake. You're not willing to admit to the conflict there...that's stupidity, not an opinion.

  
  No. My opinion is he should be smart enough to know what to do, fucktard. (See, I know insults, too. Want to actually discuss things now instead of acting like you're 16?) He's been around long enough to know better than this and to know that as soon as you think legal issues might be coming, you go to a lawyer. If you think people in your charge are in trouble, you go see the fucking cops. You don't sit on information like this because of many things. If you're scared, you protect who you're scared for. A man in Jim Tressel's position could have pulled plenty of strings to make that happen.
  
  But, you deal with shit like this up front, not after it goes public.
  
  They self imposed because they didn't have a choice. The NCAA would have hit them harder without any self-imposed sanctions.
• elbuckeye28

  karen lotz;704313 wrote:scanned images of the emails that were exchanged. I haven't read them and they are kind of fuzzy with all of the names blacked out but...
  
  http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/documents-read-the-actual-jim-tressel-emails-29547

  
  For some reason I expected the emails to look a lot more official.
• centralbucksfan

  Fidmeister;704289 wrote:So, he knew they violated rules before last season started, didn't report it or suspend them and that wasn't a competitive advantage?
  
  Also, at this point, Ohio State is guilty twice. Auburn hasn't been found guilty once. Can't lump them together.
  
  NCAA probably will hit him harder. They don't like being deceived. Good intentions or not, he held back information he knew from them, just like Bruce Pearl. The punishments should be equal, relative to length of schedule.

  
  Clueless. Read up on the Pearl issue. He lied diretly to NCAA during interviews. I'll make a wager the NCAA wont' add anything else. OSU has done their homework, spent big bucks on this to cover their ass.
• ICEMAN59

  

  Fab4Runner;704299 wrote:I also missed that. Iceman can you shed any light on that statement you made?

  
  Sure.
  
  He was asked in the presser if by continuing to state that he was only concerned with confidentiality, that meant that he did not forward or share the emails with anyone . . . he began to answer and then was cut off by Gene Smith, who stated that Tressel could not answer that question due to the current NCAA investigation.
  
  I'm inferring . . . but I think it was made pretty clear that he forwarded the emails onto someone . . . otherwise, he'd have been permitted to answer, and the answer would have been a simple "no."
• Fidmeister

  centralbucksfan;704319 wrote:Clueless. Read up on the Pearl issue. He lied diretly to NCAA during interviews. I'll make a wager the NCAA wont' add anything else. OSU has done their homework, spent big bucks on this to cover their ass.

  
  And when the investigation was going on, Tressel told the NCAA exactly what he knew? If that was the case, we wouldn't have had the dog and pony show today.
  
  I don't think they should hit him more. That doesn't mean that's not a vindictive, spiteful organization. My opinion is the NCAA, as a rule, sucks. They get on someone, they go overboard. Doesn't mane it right. Makes it reality.
• elbuckeye28

  ICEMAN59;704326 wrote:Sure.
  
  He was asked in the presser if by continuing to state that he was only concerned with confidentiality, that meant that he did not forward or share the emails with anyone . . . he began to answer and then was cut off by Gene Smith, who stated that Tressel could not answer that question due to the current NCAA investigation.
  
  I'm inferring . . . but I think it was made pretty clear that he forwarded the emails onto someone . . . otherwise, he'd have been permitted to answer, and the answer would have been a simple "no."

  Could it be possible that he forwarded them to his own legal counsel, as opposed to the University's?
• Little Danny

  

  ICEMAN59;704326 wrote:Sure.
  
  He was asked in the presser if by continuing to state that he was only concerned with confidentiality, that meant that he did not forward or share the emails with anyone . . . he began to answer and then was cut off by Gene Smith, who stated that Tressel could not answer that question due to the current NCAA investigation.
  
  I'm inferring . . . but I think it was made pretty clear that he forwarded the emails onto someone . . . otherwise, he'd have been permitted to answer, and the answer would have been a simple "no."

  
  I saw that exchange as well. Iceman, if I recall you are a lawyer. You know as I do how much that is going to hurt if true.
• karen lotz

  

  Who is Doug Archie?
• Little Danny

  

  elbuckeye28;704331 wrote:Could it be possible that he forwarded them to his own legal counsel, as opposed to the University's?

  Possibly, but he got some shitty legal advise if so.