Yeah, it’s Memorial Day weekend, and you’ve got burgers and beer and barbecue and brats to take care of, but there were a few things I wanted to be sure that you we were aware of.
First, even though it’s a weekend where we honor those who have passed away, it’s important that we note that The Ohio State University Athletic Program is not among the recently deceased. This may seem obvious, but if you read much of the media coverage, you’d think that if it wasn’t dead it was certainly on it’s last legs. And, the line of people who are vying to pull the plug is longer than the one to get onto the Windians bandwagon.
And that’s why it’s important that you read the following things. In all of the coverage of the things that went wrong, that might have happened, and that are making people assume that the WHAC is a den of iniquity, you don’t hear much about the impact that Ohio State football and Jim Tressel have had on people. So, when these came across our email account, it was like a breath of fresh air.
First, former Buckeye Harrison Till sent a letter in to Adam Jardy at the Buckeye Sports Bulletin responding to Ray Small’s original comments in the Lantern. Till writes,
To say that I was sad and beyond disappointed to see a former Buckeye teammate and Ohio native provide false information to a media outlet this week about how he spent his once lifetime opportunity as a member of the Ohio State football team along with the rest of his teammates is an understatement. With all of the current controversy surrounding Ohio State‟s football program, I knew that there would be several players mentioned in numerous articles, but I never thought that someone would make such a regrettable and defaming comment as did Ray Small. I personally witnessed countless moments when Jim Tressel supported Ray Small in times of adversity when others were prepared to throw him under the bus. I cannot comprehend the lack of appreciation for the man who is Jim Tressel – who would do anything to ensure his athletes get an education and have an impact on his student athletes’ lives.
Most importantly, I am a better person because I had the opportunity to learn about life from Jim Tressel.
That sounds a lot like what we’ve heard this week from Jonathan and Malcolm.
Earlier Saturday, then, we heard from a current member of the Buckeye team, one who has a longer relationship with Coach Tressel than most, since he’s entering his sixth year in the program. Ty Moeller spoke up on the controversy and allegations of widespread violations that have been leveled at the program over the past few weeks.
Most interesting, though, were his comments regarding Jim Tressel:
Coach Tressel is a better person than most people can ever dream about becoming and has helped me grow as a person since my first day at Ohio State. Yes, he made a mistake that has been blown out of proportion, but one mistake does not define a person. It’s funny, I walked into church last Sunday to find Coach Tress worshipping in the front row – 20 minutes early so he could give a speech to our group because a student intern asked him if he would come talk to us. That is just one of the things he does all the time that people don’t see. They don’t see the 1000′s of hours he has spent with young children, sick patients, our armed forces, etc… Sadly, many just see a coach in a sweater vest that “lied”. They miss the great man that gives back to the world 24/7 and helps young kids like me grow into men; even the ones that everyone had already given up on like Ray Small.
Not making excuses for what happened, but giving another perspective. Tyler goes on to talk more about the situation and the coverage; it’s well worth the read.
Finally, Saturday night the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association sent a letter of support to Coach Tressel, Gene Smith, and E. Gordon Gee. The OHSFCA’s letter reads, in part,
During the next few months, when some individuals may try to detract from the outstanding accomplishments that you and your staff have achieved, the OHSFCA wanted to go on record to show our loyalty and appreciation for you and all you have done for our association, Ohio High School Football Coaches, and the athletes who participate in this great game. Coach, thank you so much for everything you do and have done for Ohio High School, Football. You are without question the best thing to happen to Ohio Football in a long time, and we want you to know we hope you will continue to be here for a long time to come.
Can good people make bad decisions? Absolutely. Should those people be held accountable for the impact of those decisions? Absolutely.
But while that’s all happening, let’s not forget that “scandals” involve people…. people who are a lot more than just the soundbites and commentary can accurately portray them.
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