You Can't Spell 'Underground Violations' without OSU

Upon Further Review: Punish Him!!!

Here's another thing that I can't seem to come to terms with.  In a world where professional athletes are lambasted for making more than one mistake on-and-off the field, it appears that Jim Tressel has reached unchartered waters.  Beyond his impressive overall win-loss record of 106-22 in 10 years at Ohio State and a National Championship in 2002, Tressel has been allowed to bring in players with conduct issues that puts a blemish on the program, and get away with little or no punishment.

However, the NCAA has finally cracked down on this sweatervest wearing prick with a two-game suspension to begin next year's ball games and was fined a hefty sum of $250K.  About damn time. Looking into Tressel's past, you'd think that repeat offenders would have a greater degree of punishment for the lack of control of his player's off-the-field conduct.  Let's run down the list of player goofs under Coach T:

2010: Terrelle Pryor and four others suspended 5-games in 2011 for selling or bartaring items and jerseys for tattoos which is a violation of NCAA rules.

2004: Troy Smith suspended for the season ending bowl game and the first two games of the 2005 season for accepting benefits from boosters, before going on to win the Heisman Trophy in 2006.

2002: Maurice Clarett was suspended after the National Championship game for also accepting benefits from the boosters.

Prior to that, when Tressel was at Youngstown State, one of his QBs was punished for accepting cars and other benefits from boosters.

Another interesting stat I found on ESPN's article is that since 2000, Ohio State has reported 375 violations of NCAA conduct, the most out of any of the FBS schools.  The thing that irks me about this particular violation is that Tressel had gathered information about the conduct of his players last April.  This guy said that he was going to take care of the issue with his players and he never did.  Now I do think that $250K is a lot of money, but not really considering this guy makes a few million each and every year.  And only two-games, when the guy had knowledge 5 months before the college football season even began? I just don't understand the justice system for a guy who had this knowledge long before anything had been done about it.

Normal people that withhold information about a crime without telling proper law enforcement are considered heretics and are given prison sentences.  How does this rule not apply in parallel with punishment for college athletics.  Tressel should be suspended just as long as Pryor and the other players, if not longer, and should have to pay upwards of $500K dollars because he obviously, judging by his lack of character in the past, hasn't learned his lesson.

-Pat