Unlike some, Tressel thinks before speaking

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By Sean McClelland, Staff Writer 2:51 AM Thursday, May 21, 2009

Say what you will about Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel. Say that he doesn’t win the big game enough. Or that he’s too loyal to longtime assistants.

At least he doesn’t embarrass the university when he speaks. At least he doesn’t accuse rivals of recruiting violations that turn out to be false, as new Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin did to Florida counterpart Urban Meyer.

And he doesn’t, as Meyer did recently, threaten to shun former players who are now broadcasters unless everything they say is positive.

Shane Matthews once played quarterback for Florida. Now an analyst on Gators broadcasts, he had the audacity to question the offensive strategy in last season’s loss to Ole Miss.

“If you want to be critical of a player on our team or a coach on our team, you can buy a ticket for seat 37F,” Meyer snapped. “You’re not welcome back in the football office.”

Two national championships say Meyer’s a great coach, but this guy demanding loyalty from anyone is laughable, considering his history of pledging allegiance to schools (Bowling Green, Utah), then bolting at the first opportunity.

Reminds me of the time Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski took the school newspaper to task for not leading cheers for the team. Lost some respect for Coach K when that happened.

OSU fans are lucky to have Tressel, who at least thinks before he speaks and realizes the weight of his words.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2408 or smcclelland@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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Sean, Jim Tressel is a good man. In reality he is still a Div 2 coach. He is predictable, he doesn't go on 4th and a yard. He will never be successful if they keep playing week schools. That is why we lose the big games. I am a true Buckeye fan, but we need is a coach like you mentioned in your piece. Like I said, Jim is a good man. But in football, you must be a warrior, Jim is not a warrior.

Purvis Coley
9:22 AM, 6/11/2009

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daized...sorry to tell you this but the wins against Michigan mean nothing. That program is about as strong as Indiana, which just reinforces the buckeyes soft and I mean really soft schedule. Ohio State is all about softy.

bobble head
5:34 AM, 5/22/2009

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Sean, way to use stories from two weeks ago, then offer commentary on the level of Bobby the construction worker, glad to see you get paid for this.

get real
4:04 PM, 5/21/2009

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Odaized, how old are you? The best coach OSU has ever had? PLEASE! One title? And hes the best ever? Do me a favor. Look up "Woody Hayes" and get back to me. One title, a cupcake schedule and a yearly thrashing by the SEC does not make the vest the best ever.

NickM
3:12 PM, 5/21/2009

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Self reporting violations after being caught are still violations. The stats were of football and nothing else.

By the way, no comment on all the arrests from the THUGeye nation?

truth
2:45 PM, 5/21/2009

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