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Posted on Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 9 a.m.

Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel suspended 2 games, fined $250,000

By AnnArbor.com Staff

tressel-smith-horiz-mfjpg-f6ba8dafdec1f660.jpg

Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel addresses the media Tuesday night as athletic director Gene Smith looks on.

Marvin Fong | Cleveland Plain Dealer

This file has been updated.

Ohio State gave football coach Jim Tressel a two-game suspension and fined him $250,000 for failing to disclose to university officials e-mails he had received about a pair of student-athletes had sold memorabilia, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Tuesday night.

The university also will give Tressel a public reprimand and require a public apology.

From the Plain Dealer: "The suspension stems from a trio of e-mails received by Tressel in April and June of last year that detailed the sale of memorabilia to Edward Rife, a Columbus tattoo shop owner.

"The e-mails, which Tressel said were sent by an attorney for Rife, should have been reported to school officials and failure to do so constitutes a "major" violation of NCAA rules, said OSU Athletics Director Gene Smith at a news conference near OSU's campus."

Tressel, speaking at a press conference Tuesday, said "quite honestly, I was scared," when he read the first of the e-mails. "Admittedly, I probably did not give quite as much thought to the potential NCAA part of things as I read it," he said. "My focus was on the well being of the young people."

Doug Lesmerises, the Ohio State beat writer for The Plain Dealer, was biting in his criticism of Tressel and the way Ohio State administrators handled the controversy.

In a column published Tuesday night, Lesmerises writes:

His football coach had been caught in a cover-up, and Ohio State University president Dr. E. Gordon Gee was praising Jim Tressel's contributions off the field -- supporting the university library, university hospital and troops overseas with both his time and money.

All true. Indisputable. And, in this moment, off point.

That's Jim Tressel, the person. This is about Jim Tressel, the coach, who lied to his school about knowing his players were involved with selling memorabilia to a suspected drug trafficker and tattoo parlor owner months before their actions were discovered.

Tressel said he thought the violations would eventually catch up with him, yet he never came forward, his previous knowledge discovered only through a school check of his emails in January. If that hadn't occurred, Tressel would have remained silent to this day.

Later, Lesmerises writes that "anyone not clouded by an overriding Buckeye passion" realizes that Tressel's reputation and legacy have forever changed:

This isn't Troy Smith taking $500 from a booster, something a coach may not know about. These aren't Maurice Clarett's charges of academic fraud and illicit benefits, which the NCAA never proved. These aren't the NCAA violations Tressel committed at Youngstown State, when he was provided with information about potential violations regarding a player and did almost nothing to follow up on that information, which proved to be true. Those were at another school, easier for Ohio State fans to get past.

This is 58-year-old Jim Tressel, entering his 11th season with the Buckeyes and 26th as a head coach, hiding from the truth in part because he said he didn't know who he should tell. Yet the contract that pays him more than $3.5 million per year requires him to promptly report any violations he knows about to his athletic director.

This is on him.

"The integrity of this program and the integrity of this coach is absolutely superb," Gee said.

That's just not true anymore.

Here's a roundup of national coverage of the press conference:

• ESPN.com: Scandal tarnishes Tressel, Ohio State

• CBSSports.com: A look at the Jim Tressel e-mails

• USA Today: What was Ohio State coach Jim Tressel thinking by not talking?

• SportsIllustrated.com: There's no buying Tressel and Ohio State's defense for coach's violation

Comments

D21

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 9:41 p.m.

Contact the NCAA and tell em how you feel about this: The National Collegiate Athletic Association 700 W. Washington Street P.O. Box 6222 Indianapolis, Indiana 46206-6222 Phone: 317/917-6222 Fax: 317/917-6888

D21

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 9:03 p.m.

The Ghost of Woody Hayes Declaring before the trembling eyes Of the deceitful Vested One "Woe upon you and now begone" Woody growled and Tressel's days And legacy at O-h-i-o are gone.

Edward R Murrow's Ghost

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 9 p.m.

"In fact, I'll take it one step further. I am so looking forward to Coach Hoke building Michigan back into a tough, power program and taking on Coach Tressel at his best. The one thing I will say about Jim Tressel is Jim, watch your back they might not be so kind to you next time." Naaaaaaaaaah, Portage. Just like those so-called Michigan "fans" who think it's OK to cheat to win, OSU will put up with Tressel so long as he wins. When Barry Switzer was head coach at OU I was stationed at Ft. Sill, OK. Just before the football season started it was revealed his staff was involved in wife-swapping. No problem. Later that season it was reported that there was an SEC investigation into Switzer's buying and selling of stocks and his connections with those companies (i.e., insider trading). No problem. But when, at the end of the season, the team had gone 7-4 for the first time in anyone's memory, pichforks and axes came out. Kinda like they did for Lloyd at the end of his career. Good Night and Good Like

PortageLkBlu

Thu, Mar 10, 2011 : 1:48 a.m.

I'm actually referring to the NCAA which is under a lot of heat right now for letting Jim Tressel off so easy throughout his carreer. They came down on Michigan fairly hard considering t he extent of the crime of the century committed at Mich. not to mention the extent of damage to the Mich. integrity when all was said and done. If they are going to destroy programs or the integrity of programs then I say,"What's good for the goose is good for the gander", another words let's destroy programs on an equal opportunity basis.

Edward R Murrow's Ghost

Thu, Mar 10, 2011 : 1:15 a.m.

No Kidding??!! Hence my next-to-last line. Good Night and Good Luck

PortageLkBlu

Thu, Mar 10, 2011 : 12:14 a.m.

ah Ed ghost, I wasn't referring to OSU.

PortageLkBlu

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 8:50 p.m.

In fact, I'll take it one step further. I am so looking forward to Coach Hoke building Michigan back into a tough, power program and taking on Coach Tressel at his best. The one thing I will say about Jim Tressel is Jim, watch your back they might not be so kind to you next time.

Amaiz'nblu

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 6:47 p.m.

Oh thats the AD.. I only thought that cause the PC was a big joke...

Amaiz'nblu

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 6:45 p.m.

Is that Steve Harvey standing behind sweater boy?

beanie wells

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 6:37 p.m.

hi everybody! what's new!?! man... happy day for you all, huh? must feel like christmas. i'm not going to lie, though. i chuckled a bit when michigan got hit with violations last year. of course, those violations were rather ridiculous, but what are you gonna do, right!?! @SemperFi: i agree, tressel's issue has little to do with players selling personal items. it's an integrity and compliance issue, plain and simple. i disagree, however, with the assertion that this isn't an NCAA administrative issue. it absolutely is in that their investigative and enforcement wings are inconsistent at best and laughably incompetent at worst. michigan gets hit with sanctions for a few extra hours of practice, but cam newton doesn't miss a beat? in tressel's case, i think he may be getting off a bit light. but, how can one tell? the NCAA has been so inconsistent that it's hard to say what an appropriate punishment is. for those holding out hope for stiffer penalties, remember... a vacated win doesn't count as a forfeit. so, at best you'd be 1-8 over the last ten years. go bucks!!!

MjC

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 10:54 p.m.

Beannie - I only tried to express how unChristmas like it FEELS when a beloved college football team tarnishes its reputation for excellence. Of course none of us are perfect. But if you make the choice to accept a college scholarhip with the knowledge that you're to set a good example for an entire student body, then duh... you should follow the RULES. OSU football players and coaches CAN read can't they? I can't believe this kind of junk doesn't hurt OSU fans. The RR stuff hurt us. But, of course, I forgot that I'm talking about OSU! So thank you Beannie because you have reminded me of our rivalry... ohhowihateohiostate! And our stadium IS bigger than your stadium (na na na na na). :-)

beanie wells

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 10:30 p.m.

@missionbrazil: rules do/should apply. the point is was making was more on a character basis. let's use your scenario. maybe the doctor broke the rules for a particular reason. maybe he defrauded the medicare system because it was the only way to get treatment for a patient who desperately needed that treatment. how do we label that doctor? a cheat? dishonest? a criminal? perhaps... and those labels may be apt. some might have a more understanding view. some might call that doctor heroic, but it would also be completely reasonable for that doctor to face punishment. so let's look at tressel's case. maybe he was genuinely trying protect his players. maybe he was trying to protect the university. maybe he was more afraid of ruining his reputation. or maybe he just didn't want to risk wins. is he a cheat? maybe. maybe he just made a bad decision. labeling someone without knowing the person's motivations and all the facts is dangerous. of course, i'm not excusing his behavior, and he has certainly earned punishment. i wouldn't argue that fact. i've already gone on record saying that his punishment was probably too light. he knew that he was breaking a rule, but did it anyway. his actions deserve repercussions.

missionbrazil

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 8:11 p.m.

beanie "all people - doctors, lawyers, teachers, clergy, and yes football players and coaches - are flawed. to denounce them for these flaws surfacing and to place red letter "A"s on people is close-minded and dangerous" Yes all people are flawed, but that argument holds no water here. Let's use your example of a doctor ... if a doctor lied to defraud the Medicare system, should he/she not be punished for breaking the law/rules ? Of course he/she should. The law is the law, and there are penalties for breaking them. Mr. Tressel is not above the rules. Just because he is a good guy doesn't mean that he didn't break the rules... and now he needs to pay the price.

beanie wells

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 7:43 p.m.

@MjC: there are very few people in any walk of life who live a perfect life. those who hold others to unrealistic standards run the risk of hypocrisy. i try not to live under such delusions. all people - doctors, lawyers, teachers, clergy, and yes football players and coaches - are flawed. to denounce them for these flaws surfacing and to place red letter "A"s on people is close-minded and dangerous (especially when you apply that label to anyone who associates with them). i feel no less pride in rooting for my team today than i did yesterday. am i disappointed in the actions of some representatives of that team? yes. will it make me root any less? no. i am wearing scarlet and gray today, and i will wear it no less frequently than i ever have. maybe that makes me a cheater and a loser too...

Edward R Murrow's Ghost

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 7:36 p.m.

The apocalypse must be upon us--this is twice in two days I've agreed with Portage. Just as true OSU fans have been dismayed by what whatshisname did to OSU's greatest rival, true Wolverines ought to be similarly dismayed by these revelations. Good Night and Good Luck

MjC

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 7:19 p.m.

Doesn't feel like Christmas to me. Whenever any college team dishonors tradition and excellence it hurts the entire community. Such dishonesty and arrogance makes a team nothing more than a collection of cheaters and losers. When Buckeye fans put on the OSU colors next fall, that sense of pride they felt will not be the same for some time to come.

PortageLkBlu

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 7:04 p.m.

These types of problems surely bring out the child in many fans. na, na, na, na, na, na. Man, I'll be glad when this upcoming season starts.

Cash

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 6:19 p.m.

Besides being fired, Tressel-gate should conclude with him dotting the script "O-Lie-O" at the UM game.... with a sweater vest with "LIAR" on the front in scarlet letters...and "CHEATER" on the back in scarlet letters. Maybe even better, have him shirtless with a tattoo of "CHEATER" and "LIAR" front and back in scarlet letters. I'm sure the players could suggest a good tattoo parlor.

lugemachine

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 4:26 p.m.

The NCAA needs to weigh in quickly. Lots of kids who signed national letters of intent who might want to re-think their decisions if given the opportunity. Might even be a few who would look awfully good in maize and blue.

truebluefan

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 4:24 p.m.

$250k and 2 games. Take care Tressel, you may need to see a doctor about that little red spot on your wrist. Please. Tressel probably makes more than $250k in one of his incentive bonuses.

r treat

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 4:17 p.m.

Where are all the buckeye fans?? They are constantly on these boards shouting their rhetoric, but seem to be missing and without an opinion in re.

truebluefan

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 4:16 p.m.

"This is 58-year-old Jim Tressel, entering his 11th season with the Buckeyes and 26th as a head coach, hiding from the truth in part because he said he didn't know who he should tell." Quite possibly the funniest thing I've read so far this year.

johnnya2

Thu, Mar 10, 2011 : 2:34 a.m.

I know if only Sweater vest had a person in a position of power at OSU. I don't know maybe they should create a position. Maybe somebody who could be in charge of ALL athletics at the university. Maybe they can call him an athletic director.

RudeJude

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 3:49 p.m.

And Boren left Michigan because of a lack of family values! What a sad joke.

RudeJude

Thu, Mar 10, 2011 : 3:29 a.m.

@beanie wells: Maybe, if you are a mob family. Don Tressel didn't want to rat nybody out for the, uh, good of the family...

beanie wells

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 7:49 p.m.

there are probably a few parents out there who might lie or withhold information to protect their child or the well being of the family... all depends on your definition of family values.

Edward R Murrow's Ghost

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 7:33 p.m.

Might tell us that the atmosphere under whatshisname was worse than we had imagined. Good Night and Good Luck

a2roots

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 3:30 p.m.

@happyfunball...Appears you think rules should not apply to o-liar state. Nice double standard there. The NCAA starts digging and I would bet the dirt will start flying. As stupid as the NCAA is lying is as bad as it gets and sooner or later o-liar state will get theirs.

a2girl

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 3:29 p.m.

Any self respecting fan should demand that a coach be fired for these violations.

RudeJude

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 3:25 p.m.

This has little to do with Pryor and Tattoo-gate, but is about a head coach, the most accountable person on the team, lying to the NCAA. Dez Bryant lost a season for lying about having lunch with Deion Sanders. This is a bigger lie and a head coach making it. If the hammer does not come down hard, the NCAA is a farce. Vacated 2010 wins, 30+ scholorships loss, no bowls for at least two years, and more conference game suspensions for Tressel, at the minimum, maybe worse. USC did less and got a similar penalty. The hammer is coming down.

missionbrazil

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 3:25 p.m.

It's time for the NCAA to step up on this one and come up with a penalty that means something. OSU's self imposed 2 game penalty and $ 250,000 fine means absolutely nothing, especially since the games are against weak teams. Nice try to get out of a serious situation with minimal damage ... hopefully it won't work.

Meangoblue3

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 3:19 p.m.

Maybe he gets fired and OSU hires whatshisname "the king" He could then be called WCIOSH

1bit

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 3:10 p.m.

Expletive cheating cheaters.

SemperFi

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 2:40 p.m.

I'm a Michigan Man and a Big10 fan. What the OSU is doing is despicable. Tressel's past indescretions have been glossed over from his Youngstown State days to his handling of Clarret and Smith at OSU. That OSU President Gee can talk about Tressel's integrity with a straight face and OSU AD, Gene Smith, can say that he "trusts him implicitly", is outrageous. Something stinks in Columbus.

Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 2:39 p.m.

First - Michigan is still going to lose in November - so you have that to look forward to. Second - the NCAA digging around AA for 'practice schedule' violations was about as stupid as it gets. Imagine the NCAA telling your son that he is not allowed to practice at his best skills - perhaps Biology students should not be allowed in the labs or English students should only have one hour in the Library. Lastly - at OSU - the troubles of the NCAA all revolve around events like "selling jerseys, championship rings and special "Gold Pants" charms - all private property of just a few athletes - for what amounts to maybe $300 average per item - also stupid. The NCAA has cornered itself with remarkably stupid crisscrossed rules and has to defend its own bad position - so they throw up massive suspensions and quarter million dollar fines - because a student athlete, who is flat broke, should not be able to sell his private items. Can a star athlete sell back an English Book to the bookstore? Can he sell anything? Sounds like slavery or 'anti-trust' violations. This is an NCAA administration problem - end of story.

johnnya2

Thu, Mar 10, 2011 : 2:31 a.m.

1. The courts have ruled on the "anti-trust violation 2. Slavery? Really? Hyperbole much? How about you throw in a Nazi reference too 3. EVERY player agreed to the rules. Nobody fforcced them to play in an NCAA school (there are other schools you know) 4. OSU VOLUNTARILY is a member of the NCAA. IF they do not like their ways, they can leave 5. All NCAA rules are voted on by the members. It is direct democracy. If they want the rules changed, get 50.1% of the voters to change them 6. "what amounts to maybe $300 average per item" What amount is "real" money to you? If your bank made a $300 mistake on your account would you say no big deal? 7. Whether Michigan loses in November does not matter. Michigan will have a better coach and a better MAN leading them on the field. That matters far more to me than winning

beanie wells

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 6:57 p.m.

@r treat: you are right about the number of violations, but keep this in mind. the overwhelming majority of those infractions are ticky-tack in nature. what OSU is doing by self reporting all of those is buying currency with the NCAA. it's a lot harder to make a case against a program/university that is constantly showing the desire to play by the rules and to cooperate. now, if the violations get more severe in nature, and those become repetitive in nature, then big problems will ensue. as for this situation, OSU (because of it's continued cooperation with the NCAA over the years) may get the benefit of the doubt. sure, tressel's untruthful actions are uncooperative by their very nature, but the school's history of cooperation certainly helps balance that. we'll see, though, won't we?

r treat

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 6:11 p.m.

The team with the most ncaa infractions in college football from 2000 to date is???? Ohio State! This is not an isolated infraction and you know it. There are all kinds of corrupt programs out there and this proves Ohio State is one of them. Win all you want and boast all you want, but cheating to win never feels good... ask Barry Bonds!

truebluefan

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 4:21 p.m.

All I know is, your OSU football team will need to start thinking about how they're going to recover from what will no doubt be major NCAA violations and sanctions.

1bit

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 3:14 p.m.

1. Tressel knew about a violation. 2. Tressel did not report violation. 3. When questioned about violation, Tressel covered it up. In life, hiding your mistake is almost always worse than the mistake itself. It is difficult, now, to believe there aren't other things hidden in the program that have been overlooked.

SemperFi

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 2:48 p.m.

1st - Let's wait until November and see how that ends up. 2nd - The biology students aren't competing against other schools and probably aren't on a full-ride scholarship. 3rd - The troubles at OSU revolve around coaches and administrators that don't tell the truth and purposefully break rules that they pledge to uphold. The NCAA rules are very clear about taking money or profiting from items received as part of being a student athlete. These athletes knew they were breaking the rules. If they didn't, then the school failed them. This isn't an NCAA administration problem, it's a player, coach and institution problem. If you don't understand that, then your head is in the sand.

jcj

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 1:57 p.m.

Funny how conspicuously absent the OSU supporters are now. They were very free with their comments when RR was being dragged through the mud! Come on don't be bashful Buckeye fans speak up!

1bit

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 3:15 p.m.

The funny thing is watching the stages of grief - particularly denial - from the more rabid fans. These were the same folks complaining about how much the SEC cheats (and they do, by the way).

lugemachine

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 2:25 p.m.

Same thought crossed my mind. The Buckeye trolls have gone silent. How very odd...

a2roots

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 1:45 p.m.

So the censors are at work...Well then how about I sure hope that Tressel's rosy rump and o-liar state get dragged through the mud by the NCAA the same as Rich Rod and the UM. The NCAA can show what guts they have now. My guess is they will not take kindly to a liar. Let the party begin and let's see how much o-liar state likes this spotlight.

Forever27

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 1:35 p.m.

OSU just called the NCAA's bluff with these self imposed "sanctions." If the NCAA doesn't hand down legitimate punishment for this, they are opening themselves up for a wave of criticism. What Tressel has done caused SMU to get the "Death Penalty." Covering up an investigation and failure to report player violations are two of the most damaging ethical violations a coach can commit. The ball is in the NCAA's court. Either they do what they know is right, and punish Tressel and OSU accordingly. Or, they let this sad excuse of a punishment slide, only further perpetuating the problem of corruption in college football.

Edward R Murrow's Ghost

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 5:48 p.m.

The Death Penalty is imposed if the program is found to have had had two occurances of major violations of NCAA rules TWICE within a set number of years (i.e., Michigan's multiple major violations under whatshisname's tenure count as one occurance). This would be OSU's first (if it were found to be so). It would take a second for the NCAA to impose the death penalty. Good Night and Good Luck

1bit

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 3:17 p.m.

Not quite SMU level (Tressel would have to allow the violation to continue even after saying it had stopped) but I agree that the NCAA has to send a stronger message to OSU that they are not above the rules (and that their self-imposed penalty is ludicrous).

81wolverine

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 12:30 p.m.

Adding to my last comment: The two game suspension and $250,000 "self imposed" penalty by OSU is a complete joke. If the NCAA has any integrity left, they'll give them a REAL penalty. Sweatervest sitting out games against 2 cupcakes and paying $250K out of his $3.5 million compensation is laughable. But, then again, look who we're talking about.

81wolverine

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 12:26 p.m.

Sweatervest has always been portrayed as someone of the highest integrity and a super nice guy. Reality appears to be quite different, at least about the integrity part. The fact is that he's always shown a behavior of "looking the other way" and then weakness when a violation or incident does occur. I agree with Inside the Hall - if the NCAA spent a bunch of time in Columbus prying under a lot of rocks, I"m sure they'd find a lot of nasty stuff. OSU President Gee's quote when he was asked if he considered firing Tressel was telling: "No. Are you kidding? I'm just hoping the coach doesn't dismiss me." At that school, the tail wags the dog without a doubt.

Cash

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 10 a.m.

THE Ohio Shame University? THE Ohio Shady University? THE Oh-Lie-O State? Round on the ends and LIE in the middle? They'd all make excellent tattoos, team. Tressel and Kwame ....both should rethink using electronic communication.

Tru2Blu76

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 7:40 a.m.

Re: "The Federal government has nothing better to do than look into sports, a game? "-- I believe the seeming contradiction involved (the feds pursuing a "minor matter" when more important things exist) is only apparent. I think policing what SHOULD BE an honest organization is just as valid as pursuing known criminal elements. If the law is to have meaning and impact on a population, it must be applied to all segments and all elements of that population, regardless of whether violations occur in a sports institution or in a brothel or drug dealer's den. More to the point: we see Ohio State University spending even more than U of M on its football program while pretending to be "better" and soliciting fans to defend it. I'm truly disappointed over these reports about Coach Tressel, he outwardly has appeared to be a classy guy. I guess maybe now Lloyd Carr doesn't look so much like a whiner for bringing up the pressures directed at head football coaches. And even the supposedly "disgraced" Rich Rodriguez never came close to Tressel's level of illicit actions. There's little satisfaction though in just having Michigan look good by comparison to OSU. At least all the talk about "highest standards" seems to have helped keep Michigan from falling into the same pit as Ohio State (and that other school in East Lansing).

GettingBluer

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 3:15 a.m.

"News of those NCAA violations by Ohio State players did not surface until a federal investigation in December." Really? I mean, REALLY? The Federal government has nothing better to do than look into sports, a game? With the huge deficit, THIS is what our tax dollars are being spent on? If Homeland Security is turning into the Disney Copyright Cops, then, this makes sense, too. I guess murderers, pushers, and terrorists are either too much work to go after or the feds have already solved those problems.

GettingBluer

Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 12:35 a.m.

@BornInA2: Perhaps you shouldn't jump to incorrect conclusions. You posted a couple of hours later and in that time: (1) the story was expanded from the single paragraph it was when I posted; and, (2) AA.com dropped out the sentence I copied and pasted from their article Hint: remember that AA.com changes articles and deletes stuff and adds stuff w/o timestamping any of their changes...so, unless you post very close in time to someone else, it is VERY likely you are talking about a substantially different article AA.com -- how about adding "tracking" (like Word) to your "fluid" articles?

BornInA2

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 5:10 a.m.

@GettingBluer: Perhaps you should read a little more and find out what/who was the subject of the investigation before you leap to conclusions and judgement. Hint: It wasn't the players or the team.

InsideTheHall

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 2:18 a.m.

I anxiously await how OSU explains Pryor getting 3 traffic violations in thre different vehicles. Let the NCAA crawl around OSU for 14 months like they did here in Ann Arbor. Me thinks they will find more than a few hours of extra practice. The culture of corruption at OSU will now finally be revealed in full.

tater

Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 1:06 a.m.

It would be great if TSIO finally got what they have deserved for at least ten years. The Maurice Clarett investigation was successfully repelled by the Scarlet Wall of Silence, but there may be so much public information available about this case that the Scarlet Wall will finally fall. It would be great to see TSIO have to vacate their last three seasons and go on probation similar to that of USC for the next three to five years. TSIO has been one of the five dirtiest programs in the country since Tressel got there, and they deserve to pay for what they have done.