Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said Tuesday that the $250,000 fine levied against coach Jim Tressel for violating NCAA rules probably won't cover the cost of the investigation. Smith also said he didn't know when Tressel's NCAA problems would be resolved.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Smith said Tressel did not at first apologize for breaking NCAA rules, and that only after meeting with Smith did the coach finally say he was sorry. Ohio State also released a copy of Tressel's NCAA compliance form to the AP through a Freedom of Information Act request. In the form he signed in September, Tressel certifies he has reported any NCAA violations to his superiors. Yet he had known for five months that his players had likely broken NCAA rules.
So Gene, why don't you fire Coach Tressel? It's not as if there isn't another good coach out there. The very clear message that you are sending everyone in NCAA sport is that only winning matters. Integrity is nothing. Your program is a laughing stock, but you, Gene will just brush everything under the carpet. You should be fired too, just for keeping Tressel around. It is pathetic, but oh so typical.
