| 23 December 2010
This story blew up and disappeared in 48 hours. The violators have been identified and suspensions have already been announced. Terrelle Pryor, Mike Adams, Boom Herron, DeVier Posey and Solomon Thomas all will be suspended for the first five games of next year. It looks like they will be allowed to play in the Sugar Bowl. There is good news and bad news in all of this.
First, when is the NCAA going to join the 21st century and allow a stipend? You are still going to have violators but the numbers will go way down when these kids have a few dollars in their pockets. All the money that is going into the member schools bank accounts from these athletes but they can't put any of it in their pockets, yet they want them to turn down money and fringe benefits? Ridiculous.
I could not be happier with what the school did. I could not be more proud of The Ohio State University and Jim Tressel right now. Auburn is applauding the first ever professional quarterback at the college level in Cam Newton. This proud Big Ten school slaps what amounts to the death penalty on its violators. This started out as players signing some memorabilia in exchange for tattoos. Now we find out they sold treasured Big Ten championship rings and they even sold their Gold Pants. I am sure I am not the only one who would be found living in a box outside the homeless shelter but I would still have my Gold Pants. They did not just sell memorabilia. They sold their Buckeye souls. The Ohio State University doesn't mean anything to them. They spit on the school and the football program.
Why do I say the death penalty? 5 games next year is one game short of half a season. They may as well decide to go pro. The only one who is likely to regain his starting position is Mike Adams. Yes, I am even including Pryor in that statement. Look at the talent on hand. How many people have been calling for Jamal Berry, Jordan Hall or Carlos Hyde to be the starter? We hear Rod Smith is lighting up bowl practices. The same goes with Posey. Unlike Herron he did not have a good season. T.Y. Williams is another player who is opening eyes at bowl practices. Sol Thomas was a backup and the talent coming in was going to relegate him to permanent bench warmer anyway. Who have we been hearing about all year? Taylor Graham. Braxton Miller is due in here in a few weeks. What happens when these players have all of spring, all of fall camp and five full games to show what they can do? I suspect these seniors are going to be hard put to get their jobs back. Unlike most seniors, Jim Tressel is not going to be giving these frauds any second chances. They will only get back on the field if they are absolutely needed. The only position that I question whether we have the talent to just reload is left tackle. Right now I don't care. I would rather see a scarlet and gray bleeding Buckeye out there giving it his all rather than see any of these frauds back in a Buckeye uniform. Gene Smith said in the press conference that the players have been selling their Buckeye memorabilia for years supposedly for economic hardships. Helping out their families. How, getting them tattoos?
I believe not suspending them for the bowl game is giving them all an opportunity to show for the NFL. The number of games suspended shows they are not welcome back.
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