Jim Tressel and Ohio $tate's dirty secrets

If you haven't heard, Jim Tressel was tipped off about potential NCAA infractions committed by Deviar Posey, Terrelle Pryor in April of 2010 by a Columbus attorney and former Ohio State football player. The problem with this is that Tressel feigned ignorance when these infractions were revealed prior to the Sugar Bowl. Once the nefarious email was uncovered, Ohio State slapped Tressel on the wrist with a two game suspension, a $250,000 fine, and some other restrictions in his permissible activities. , I don't think the Tressel family will be eating Ramen Noodles for Thanksgiving next year , seeing as how Tressel's salary is $3 million a season. As for the two game suspension, I'm fairly certain that the second string Ohio State players and assistant head coach can beat Toledo and Eastern Michigan. That renders the "punishments"to Tressel utterly useless. The lack of punishment handed down isn't the real issue, however, but rather the shock at the fact that a perceived man of integrity such as Jim Tressel would conceal infractions that may have made his star quarterback and wideout ineligible. Tressel has certainly maintained the public image of an upstanding and pious citizen, but his past actions are anything but upstanding.

Prior to arriving Ohio State, Jim Tressel was the head coach and athletic director at Division I-AA powerhouse Youngstown State. He won four national titles as a head coach during his time at Youngstown State. What is rarely reported on is the incident involving star quarterback Ray Issac, Youngstown State booster, Mickey Monus, and Jim Tressel. By all accounts, Tressel introduced his star quarterback to Monus, a pharmacy chain tycoon. Monus then lavished Issacs with thousands of dollars in cash, cars, and other illegal benefits. A farcical "internal" investigation occurred in which Tressel denied everything and the university basically covered everything up.

A year after this incident, Tressel was hired at Ohio State. Since becoming head coach, Ohio State has been an bonafide college football powerhouse winning 7 Big Ten titles, going 9-1 against Michigan(grr), playing in three national title games, and of course stealing the 2002 national title from Miami. However, his resume has not been spotless. The Maurice Clarett saga uncovered some of the shady business going on in Columbus. Clarett talked of grade fixing, impermissible benefits, and other no-no's. He also mentioned that many of these misdeeds were occurring with full knowledge of the coaches or at least Tressel. Now we have the evidence that he was tipped off by an Ohio State alum about benefits that would have landed the players on the ineligible list( Ask A.J. Green about what selling your jersey to an agent gets you) and concealed them while those same players played key roles in leading the Buckeyes to another Big Ten title. The aforementioned evidence is very damning as to the lack of character exhibited by Tressel. This is all coming out of the biggest athletic program in America. Ohio State has massively successful sports programs, and they are highly profitable, yet in both basketball and football they have a seedy history of cheating. Look up how the Jim O'Brien era ended in Ohio State, or the Cris Carter agent scandal from the 1980's. These are all huge infractions and when things constantly come up decade after decade it goes to show you that maybe the Buckeyes are dirtier than the rest.