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Everyone knows what's going on with OSU and Jim Tressel right now who follows sports, especially College Football. I am a college football fan, I love my Saturdays off when UM doesn't play or have a home game so I can relax and watch game after game, and I am a huge UM fan (we go to every home game and have season tickets). However, this post is not to bash OSU as a UM fan, or bash Tressel. As much as I HATE OSU, I have more respect than that. You have to, as a college football fan. After all, it's just a game, isn't it? It's not life and death.

First, you have to respect Jim Tressel as a coach, from what the general public knows of him at least. Look at his track record as a coach. 4 National Championships at YSU and twice Runner-Up in 15 years. One National Championship and twice Runner-Up at OSU to go along with 7 Big Ten Championships and 5-3 record in BCS games with a 106-22 overall record at OSU and 241-79-2 as a head coach. Great stats for anyone, even if they are the head coach at OSU.

Now, you have a situation where he finds out some things about some of his players, some things they were doing that are against NCAA rules. "It's their property," is what most people feel. Yes, this is true. If they want to sell their memorabilia that is given to them when they are done playing, they're allowed to do that. However, they did that when they were still playing and received gifts and/or money, which according to NCAA rules is ILLEGAL. You have a situation where the coach finds out, yet STILL allows the players to play and doesn't tell anyone who should know. This is a man who has built a reputation on doing things the RIGHT way and being HONEST. Allowing these players to play is not doing the right thing, and he knew it was wrong. That's why he lied about it when it first came up. When he realized it would come out that he did know, he addressed the issue and suspended himself for more games than the NCAA. How can the NCAA suspend the players 5 games and him ONLY 1 when he knew all along AND lied about it? They broke a rule and 5 games is fair. He breaks a couple rules, yet only gets 1 game. Those players should NOT have been able to play in the bowl game, yet they're allowed by the NCAA because it's all about money. The NCAA knew if those players were not allowed to play that people would not watch the game because of how it COULD have turned out. A coach who prides themselves in doing the right thing would have sat those players, at LEAST when everything came out, for the bowl game to try to make at least some right in the situation. That just shows that not everyone on the team is as important as the next player because those players were given extra privileges in playing still. If I'm a player on the scout team and that coach tries to tell me I'm just as important as the starters, how can I believe him NOW? How can he go to a recruits house and talk to their parents about honesty and doing the right thing NOW?
Yet it comes out even more that he is STILL lying. He didn't know who to get a hold of to let someone know what happened? I don't know about you, but as a coach my first instinct is to go to the AD maybe? Send the AD an e-mail so you have a paper trail and proof that you let them know right away. "Why didn't you let anyone know?" "I sent my AD an e-mail as soon as I found out." Now you're out of the clear AND have the proof. If the AD does nothing and you know it's wrong, send an e-mail or something to the NCAA, since they'll probably find out eventually anyway. Save yourself the time and trouble. He  says he didn't feel it was right to let other people know the situation, yet sends and e-mail to one of the players mentors without second guessing that one? Coaches lose their jobs over recruiting violations, for calling players when they shouldn't. He lied about the whole situation and knows it, which is why he suspended himself for more games, hoping the NCAA would back down and not dig deeper. The NCAA is doing their job, finding out ALL the facts regardless. How this man could keep his job after all this would be staggering. They won't fire him right now because of where they are in the season (Unless they want to hire Rich Rodriguez. Heh, eat it UM, right?). Since they won't fire him right now, this season SHOULD be his last at OSU. I see this right now as more of a situation that Tennessee had with Bruce Pearl. Brought Tennessee up, committed a little violation, and his fate was basically sealed at the point. HE didn't play players who were ineligible or shouldn't be playing, so they won't forfeit games. OSU may have to forfeit games. He will coach this coming season, but I don't see how they could POSSIBLY keep him after the season, regardless of how the season goes.

Just noticing

I was reading a little article about how Rich Rodriguez regrets leaving WVU with the situation they were in at the time and going to UM, where we ALL know what happened. Nothing new there, of course he looks back now thinking it was a mistake. So I was reading the comments, as I usually do because some of them make me laugh because people can be so ignorant, sounds so stupid at times, or just act like they are the greatest thing since sliced bread because they can sit behind a computer and TYPE in all caps (Why are you yelling at us all anyway?) or insult someon, yet not be able to spell correctly. I love when someone shows a good point, yet they can't distinguish between their, there or they're. So, back to my main point. I read one comment from a man who seemed to make a somewhat good point, until the middle and end. Now, I am a UM fan of course, full on, support every sport, HATE OSU and really do not care for MSU for anything at all. Anyway, his first comment was:

"Appalachian State destroyed Michigan football, not Rich Rod." Comment is understandable in SOME respect. But what gets me the most is what he replied with to his own comment:

"Tony, you have had way too much "Big Blue" Kool-Aid. Appalachian State is Division I-AA (FCS), not Div.II. They beat Michigan with the spread offense taught to the coaching staff by Rich Rod. That game has been called "The Greatest Upset In College Football History". It will always be what UM is remembered for, not all of the National Championships and Most wins. Face the facts, not the past."

Now, that much I don't agree with. I tried to reply, but it makes you log into Facebook and I cannot do that here right now, so I will leave my comment here instead, if anyone reads this. So, here it is:

 

Division I-AA means fewer scholarships, not lesser talent necessarily. You ALSO have to remember, App State was 2 time defending National Champions when they played UM, AND won it again that year. Regardless of what Division they were in, they were obviously a good team. Should they have beaten UM? Probably not, but UM started slow that year, yet STILL had a chance at the Big Ten Championship AND beat Florida in the bowl game, where they were pretty big underdogs going in. Was the loss to App. State a big loss in college football history? Yes, absolutely. But seriously, looking back at last year, the GREATEST upset? Virgina Tech lost to James Madison last year, by 5, ALSO at home. MOST believe VT has a tougher home stadium to play in than UM over the last 5 years for sure. App. State beat UM by 2 because of a blocked field goal and some key misses earlier in the game. IF they make ONE of those field goals earlier in the game, now you're looking at a game that was the "Closest to the biggest upset in College football history." If Virginia Tech had made one field goal? Still would've lost.

App. State won 3 consecutive National Championships and only lost 6 games in those 3 years, THREE of those games to D-I teams. James Madison's record the last two years? 12-10. They were 6-5 last year and they beat VT. How can that NOT be a bigger upset?? Because it's not the first. Either way you look at it, as you said Keith, face the facts, NOT the past. Greatest upset is what it WAS called when it HAPPENED, but it's not anymore, it can't be. Face the FACTS

Get motivated seminar

Today, I attended the Get Motivated Seminar in Grand Rapids. Being a teacher and a coach, I was looking to get some information that I can use to help my students and athletes to become the individuals I know they can be. Though the seminar was directed more towards businesses and employees, I was able to gain some information I plan to use in my career, as well as information I can use for myself. The seminar was absolutely worth going to for me, and I really enjoyed the speakers.

I work at a middle school right now in their RTC room, Responsible Thinking Center. Sometimes there are students sent to me who just need to finish or catch up on work, sometimes they just had a moment where they didn't react they way they should have. Mostly, the students sent down to me are the students who have the biggest problems as far as being disrespectful, argumentative, or breaking their behavior contracts. With that being said, my job is not to just sit there and make sure they do their work and not talk, at least not to me. I am there to help them figure out what's going on with their attitudes, why they're being disrespectful, not doing their homework, etc. From there, I have to find ways to help them change. Sometimes it's their group of "friends," something going on at home, or they just want attention.

From the beginning it sounds like an easy job, but it's much more difficult dealing with students who have NO respect and really do not care. They show a lack of respect not just towards other students, teachers and staff members, but mostly they're disrespecting themselves and their family. They don't care to be at school at all because they don't like the other students, don't like the school, or don't like the teachers. I work hard to talk with them when I can and talk with them about what they want to do when they get older, whether it's high school, college, or beyond, and talk to them about how they can achieve their goal(s). It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it