Gordon Gee: Bowl ban was coming ‘no matter what’
Published: Sunday, February 19, 2012
Updated: Saturday, June 16, 2012 01:06
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"I think the punishments were too harsh," Weiss said. "The bowl ban should have been for this past year, not against the new team or the new players."
Sara Youssef, a fourth-year in economics, agreed and said the penalties were a little much.
"It was disappointing and unfair," Youssef said. "We punished ourselves and who was wrong? They're just really extreme ramifications."
The football team has continued preparations for the coming season in spite of the NCAA-administered penalties.
OSU hired former Florida coach and ESPN analyst Urban Meyer to coach the Buckeyes, a hire that Gee called "the greatest affirmation of the quality of (OSU)."
Since his hiring, Meyer brought in one of the highest-ranked recruiting classes in the nation for the coming season. Meyer has also made roster moves in preparation for the reduction of three scholarships per year over the next three seasons.
Still, Bruce questions the punishments the program will endure for years to come, saying, "I don't understand the NCAA."
"I've heard some things that I wonder about," Bruce said. "I think you let the (NCAA) do their job, and they did it with a vengeance."
OSU begins spring football drills March 28 with the 2012 Spring Game set to take place April 21.
Chelsea Castle and Jenelle Cooper contributed to this story.
13 comments
Anonymous
Hey Gordon, STFU you over paid actor.
Anonymous
This is one of those rare occasions that I agree with President Gee on matters involving football! What seems to be missing in all the articles/ public debate, however, is the fact that Coach Tressel was caught between a rock and a hard spot. Even though there was no attorney-client privilege with Tressel, the lawyer who gave Tressel the heads up could have been disbarred for sharing such information. Contrary to what all the sports writers have written, Tressel was protecting this former player/ lawyer and not the then current players. And I'll never understand how Tressel should have somehow known that the players should have been ineligible during the regular season when the NCAA itself allowed them to play in the post-season bowl game-- after it knew all of the facts! As I have said all along, the bad guy in this whole situation was Terrelle Pryor. Tressel forwarded the e-mail to TP's mentor, probably in hopes that TP would voluntarily come forward with the information and he could take corrective action without involving the attorney. Anyone who has ever received an e-mail from an attorney (even spam/ junk mail) knows how they include a legalese discliamer at the end. I bet the e-mail to Tressel had one, too.
Anonymous
The Ohio State University thought it was bigger than the NCAA. Tress was fired and rightfully so. A bowl ban for 2011 should have been where tOSU started. Does anyone think that the 2011 Bucks were going to compete for anything but the cellar division?
If, the NCAA had given the Bucks another ban in addition to a self imposed one for 2011,they would have set a precedent for future violators.
Looking back on all of this,it makes me wonder how the NCAA is going to handle the U of Miami. That situation looks a lot worse than what the Bucks did.
They should be handed something in the neighborhood of SMU type punishments.
If the affable Dr. Gee really wanted to make a statement,he would announce tOSU has broken away from the NCAA and formed a new ESPN backed athletic conference.
If, the NCAA had given the Bucks another ban in addition to a self imposed one for 2011,they would have set a precedent for future violators.
Looking back on all of this,it makes me wonder how the NCAA is going to handle the U of Miami. That situation looks a lot worse than what the Bucks did.
They should be handed something in the neighborhood of SMU type punishments.
If the affable Dr. Gee really wanted to make a statement,he would announce tOSU has broken away from the NCAA and formed a new ESPN backed athletic conference.
Dr. Bob
I can't believe the fuss about the comments from Gee. He and everyone else is something that happened in college football last fall. Yes, we had some players and a coach break some rules and we were punished but we still got and will get the oppurtunity to see our Buckeyes. Here is my point-how would you like to be the parent of a son who was sent to his death by climbing a tower to film a PRACTICE in a huge windstorm and then have the tower collapse and kill him! What was done to Coach Kelly or the prestigous Notre Dame? Nothing, and that is a real crime, the loss of a life or the loss of a bowl game. Justice? From now on I wullike to that coach spell his name KELY because he really deserves to have the L knocked out of him!
Anonymous
If you knew anything about employement law you do not always "win and lose as a team". If an employee act outside his scope of employement, that employee is liable for and laws that are broken or lawsuits that may occur.
Anonymous
I love how people like to act as though Jim Tressel acted separate and apart from the university. Last I checked, OSU paid his salary while he was the coach there. When he recruited athletes, I am pretty sure he recruited the students to OSU. He represented OSU because he worked for OSU. It's insane for some members of the fanbase and administration to try and distance themselves from his actions when he does something they don't like. You win and lose as a team...that goes in sports, education, industry, etc. I'm sure he signed a contract stating his acknowledgement of representing the university both on and off the field.
Tell the Truth Once
If the penalty was unfair, why not appeal? Gee and Smith immediately announced they would not appeal. Why? Doesn't the "lawyer" respect the process? Bad mouthing decisions should not take the place of an appeal.If the treatment was unfair, why force out Coach Tressel? First Gee suspends him for two games, then five games, then he is forced out. Where is the faith? The loyalty? Does anyone really believe that Jim Tressel is a villain here? C'mon.Gee's weazling does not stack up.How about asking if Gee is willing to stop spending money on the legal case with ESPN? What is there to hide? What is in those e-mails? Maybe this is in for a penny, in for a pound.
Anonymous
The name of your university did not cause the bowl ban it was the actions of it~
Anonymous
Reading news reports before and after the sanctions were imposed leads me to believe that the only people not expecting OSU to have a bowl ban lived in Ohio. Faith and admiration of the Buckeye team is exceptional in Ohio. But seriously, OSU played ineligible players, with the knowledge of the head coach. Then he lied about it and had OSU petition to have them play in a bowl game. What reasonable person would not expect a related punishment. As to a previous punishment like this....what other school had the same situation as OSU. If OSU was certain it was treated unfairly we would have appealed the bowl ban.
R. Michael Smith
President Gee is right; he correctly understands that the decision on the bowl ban was made for reasons other than the facts and applicable precedent in the case. The NCAA bowl ban decision is revealed as one made from extra-judicial motives, quite likely the personal pique of the decision maker, and, therefore, not morally supportable. The timing of the decision was equally suspect, delayed well beyond any reasonable time, and intended to hurt the university football program as it was bouncing back. The idea of punishing players and coaches having nothing to do with, or any guilt related to, the events at issue is unjust under any standard. President Gee is right to let the NCAA President know these matters are not, and will not be forgotten.As to the anonymous associate professor complaining above, no small part of his/her salary and facilities in which teaching takes place are provided through alumni well wishers. After we have kindly sat through our time at the University, under such professors, it should not be surprising that one main rallying point is the school football team. While we still remember our favorite faculty members, many of whom have retired or died, our football, or other favorite sports team, continues to unite us.
Aitch Class of "62
The bow tie should be seen but not heard from.......... LLSS (Loose Lips Sink Ships) He needs to keep his focus on something he's good at "Fund Raising".
Anonymous
To the previous comment, why is it embarassing? He is the president he should speak out. You don't know what else he worries and does about the university. Why don't you do your research before you talk and hide behind anonymohs.
Anonymous
Wow, this is the president of a major university, and the only thing he can think of to talk about is the football team? I don't know if he's noticed, but there is a rather large academic institution all around the stadium that he's supposed to be leading. It would be nice if Gee paid attention to that once and a while and recognized that's there's more to this school than the freaking football team. I mean, it's one thing for the students to get that myopic, but for the president of the university to act that way is just plain embarrassing.
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