Ohio State and Buckeye Nation Need to Support Coach Tressel

Much will be written about Jim Tressel in the coming months.  Some good, some bad and some cruel.  Lost in the focus will be perspective.

There is no question Tressel made a poor decision, as did the five players who broke the rules by selling their jerseys and rings.  They all deserve punishment.

The problem is most people are so quick to pass judgment that they fail to see the bigger picture.  We assume our leaders are perfect.  In reality, they are human.  Maybe that is why it stings when the flaws are revealed.  The sparkle fades, and the disappointment is difficult to bear. 

Most leaders are tragic characters.  For all the wonderful deeds they perform, there is also a dark, hidden side that when unleashed, plows through the heart of our admiration. 

Tiger Woods, George Bush, Michael Vick, Bill Clinton, Bobby Knight, Pete Carroll, or if one prefers, Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, JFK, Richard Nixon and Pete Rose.   Poor behavior is not a recent trend, only more prevalent in the social media era.

Now is the time for healing and forgiveness. 

Gordon Gee has many issues, not supporting a playoff and calling out TCU among them, but backing Coach Tressel is both smart and admirable. 

Even though Gee’s comments about Tressel yesterday were a little over the top, the message is still clear: OSU will remain loyal to Tressel through good times and bad. 

Financially, Tressel is worth every penny Ohio State pays him.  He delivers on the field, and despite the present circumstances, runs a pretty clean program.  No other coach could bring more to the university than him.

More importantly, when a friend is down, you give him support.  In the end they’re family.  Some actions are unacceptable, but you deal with it and move on.

Certainly the point can be interpreted the opposite way.  Many will view the punishment as a slap on the wrist, or that Ohio State will allow its players and coaches to break the rules simply because they delivery large amounts of revenue to the university.  That’s understandable, but it is also untrue. 

The message is we expect your best, but will not abandon you when mistakes are made.  That’s called loyalty. 

This series of events will pass with time, and the Ohio State community can rest easy knowing that they will get the very best of Jim Tressel moving forward.  He will channel his energies into making Ohio State the best on and off the field. 

At the very least, Buckeye Nation can finally say Coach Tressel truly is a gambler.  Maybe he’ll inject some of it into his offense.