OREGON STATE PRESIDENT BLASTS TRESSEL

Maybe it's about time to put a name to all the junk that is taking place in Columbus, Ohio these days.   How about "Sweatergate" in honor of Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel?  Each day seems like new charges are surfacing regarding the improper selling of championships jerseys, rings and awards by five Buckeye football players and what was known, and when.  Today, we found out that Ohio State officials knew coach Jim Tressel had forwarded sensitive emails to Quarterback Terrelle Pryor's mentor.  So it appears, everyone knew.  Oh, except us and the NCAA.  The buzzards should be circling the Ohio State football practice field and athletic complex as we speak.  Tressel needs to go.  The lies, the dragging of feet have been too much.   There are others that feel the same way and one in particular was alot closer to the situation of most of us.

Oregon State President Ed Ray is in something of a unique position when it comes to the Jim Tressel brouhaha at Ohio State.  As a former vice president and provost in Columbus, Ray was one of the Buckeye officials who hired Tressel away from Youngstown State and knows Tressel personally. But as the current president of the NCAA's Executive Committee (the committee which oversees changes to NCAA's byzantine rulebook and bylaws), he's also heavily invested in seeing the NCAA's standards and rules upheld.

So it carries more than the usual weight when Ray opens both barrels on Tressel in the "Oregonian".  "I just thought the world of him...." Ray said.  "I would assume he's certainly been a very positive influence on many of the players that he had.  But this whole episode to me is beyond the pale.  It's totally unacceptable..."  Ray emphasized he was speaking for himself only.  But on how NCAA enforcement officials might view Tressel's case, Ray said "If I were in their position, I'd be a hanging judge.........you're either ethical or you're not".

 It's going to be very interesting in the coming days and weeks to see if Tressel can weather the storm.  If he does, we can all look to the NCAA for fault.  Let's see if they battle an institution that appears it wants to work under a different set of rules.

These Referees Would Put Tressel In The Penalty Box

BAAH RAM EWE..........

We are on the eve of the semi-final games of the Final Four.  For most of us, that will mean that we can watch the games with complete assurance that the outcomes will not affect our brackets.  Who could have ever predicted a foursome of the UCONN Huskies, Kentucky Wildcats, Butler Bulldogs and VCU Rams?  If memory serves me right, two entrants into the ESPN Bracket Challenge did.  Wow....

The two semi-finals should be interesting.  The first game of the evening has Butler squaring off with VCU.  I'd like to see the Rams win, but I feel the Bulldogs will be able to defend the 3-point shot of VCU.  So Butler wins.  In the second game, we're going to see two great guards go head-to-head (UCONN's Kemba Walker and Kentucky's Brandon Knight).  In the end, I think Kentucky's front line is too much for the Huskies.  So, come Monday night, it's Butler vs. Kentucky.  A great dog and cat fight, but one where the 'Cat comes out on top!!  Kentucky by 5.

Thanks for reading,

John