Red Vest Cheaty Pants

Could this happen to a nicer program?

Apparently Ol' sweatervest knew things were wrong in Buckeye Land long before anyone else.  But he was afraid to do anything.

According to Patrick Rishe on a Forbes.com blog:

This incident will leave a “black-eye” on the program, lessening the ”Ohio State brand” and perhaps more importantly leaving a sour taste in the mouth’s of parents whose children are being recruited by Coach Tressel’s staff in subsequent years.


On Tuesday evening, Ohio State Athletics Director Gene Smith announced that the Buckeye athletics program have imposed self-sanctions on their football program after it was discovered that Coach Jim Tressel had withheld information received in April 2010.


The self-sanctions include (a) a public reprimand of Coach Tressel, followed by a public apology from Coach Tressel, (b) a 2-game suspension for Coach Tressel during the 2011 season, (c) a $250,000 fine for Coach Tressel, and (d) Coach Tressel must attend a compliance seminar.

During the press conference, the impression I received from the joint comments of both AD Smith and Coach Tressel was that Coach Tressel chose not to share information received in April 2010 because he was protecting his players. He mentioned that he was “scared”, and in light of earlier references in the press conference to past players that had been killed or involved with malfeasance, the implication was that somehow Tressel’s silence was motivated by his intention of protecting the safety of his student-athletes.

Killed?  Getting a free tat????  Are you serious?  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

The latter was uttered by E. Gordon Gee Whiz, president of this fiasco, according to Mark Schlabach of ESPN.

Ohio State president E. Gordon Gee said he never considered firing Tressel.
"No, are you kidding me?" Gee said. "Let me be very clear. I'm just hoping the coach doesn't dismiss me."

Ohio State officials say Tressel broke NCAA rules because he didn't tell athletics director Gene Smith or the school's compliance office about e-mails he received from an attorney in April 2010, which indicated Buckeyes players were receiving improper benefits.


"I don't think less of myself at this moment," Tressel said.
How's that for looking in the mirror?

Please click the links and read all the details.  This is some good stuff. 
Oh, Dick Faust, where for art thou now???
 
Of course, will anything really come of this?  Does any non-Buckeye fan believe for a moment that sweatervest will not get his $250,000 back in some form or other of bonus or equal remuneration?  Are not the first two games against Akron and Toledo?  I think his team will be okay without him on the sideline.  It's as much a joke as the suspensions of the guilty players who will miss only one Big Ten game and still got to play in their bowl game--hey, bowl rings for sale!