Presidents of two Ohio State alumni clubs in different parts of the country had slightly different reactions to news that football coach Jim Tressel resigned Monday.
While both said they were saddened by the latest step tied to an NCAA investigation that began in December, they differed when it came to placing blame.
Shawn Murnahan, president of the Atlanta Alumni Club, said he was surprised at the allegations against Tressel because the coach "seemed to be a good representative of the university. ... I think the most thoughtful fans of Ohio State either believe the error in judgment was an anomaly and he was going down for the only mistake he made of that sort, or you think that he was more of your standard, win-at-all-cost coach than we all believed. It makes me very sad."
Murnahan admitted it "was going to be very difficult for him to remain."
Barbara Smith, president of the Alumni Club of Franklin County, where Columbus, Ohio is located, felt Tressel "got the raw end of the deal." She said conversations at her club, where she said two-time OSU Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin is a member, included mainly comments like, "Isn't it a shame what's happening to Tressel? Isn't it a shame what the media is doing to Tressel?"
She placed more of the blame on players who allegedly took impermissible benefits at a tattoo parlor in exchange for memorabilia and awards instead of Tressel, who did not report the violations when he was made aware of them, thus keeping the players eligible for the 2010 season. Asked who was at fault, Smith said, "It's the students. They are the ones who made the decision. They know what the rules are."
She thinks Tressel tried "to protect his kids.
"I can't believe other schools aren't doing this either. There's no way Ohio State kids alone are selling their things. I'm hoping Tressel goes to the NCAA and starts putting some reason to some of these silly rules they have. Personally, and a lot of people I talk to, think these rings belong to these kids, and they should be allowed to do what they want with them."
As for the future, both think Ohio State will eventually be fine. Said Smith: "We're all still behind Tressel for whatever he wants to do. The man is highly thought of. He would never do anything to hurt the kids.
"How it will affect the program? They'll just rebuild and keep going. Ohio State has always been a strong school, a traditional power house."
Added Murnahan: "The NCAA sanctions will be whatever they are. I tend to think that with Tressel leaving, it's kind of like when a public company gets in trouble and they get a new CEO -- from a regulation standpoint, it can be seen that the entity 'gets it.'
"In my mind, Ohio State has to weather the storm ... over a couple of seasons, and the key thing will be like when Coach (John) Cooper left -- finding the right person. It's a shame the end of Jim Tressel's tenure comes this way. He took Ohio State football from a very good program to one of the elite programs year in and year out. And I didn't know who Jim Tressel was when he was announced as coach."
While both said they were saddened by the latest step tied to an NCAA investigation that began in December, they differed when it came to placing blame.
Shawn Murnahan, president of the Atlanta Alumni Club, said he was surprised at the allegations against Tressel because the coach "seemed to be a good representative of the university. ... I think the most thoughtful fans of Ohio State either believe the error in judgment was an anomaly and he was going down for the only mistake he made of that sort, or you think that he was more of your standard, win-at-all-cost coach than we all believed. It makes me very sad."
Murnahan admitted it "was going to be very difficult for him to remain."
Barbara Smith, president of the Alumni Club of Franklin County, where Columbus, Ohio is located, felt Tressel "got the raw end of the deal." She said conversations at her club, where she said two-time OSU Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin is a member, included mainly comments like, "Isn't it a shame what's happening to Tressel? Isn't it a shame what the media is doing to Tressel?"
She placed more of the blame on players who allegedly took impermissible benefits at a tattoo parlor in exchange for memorabilia and awards instead of Tressel, who did not report the violations when he was made aware of them, thus keeping the players eligible for the 2010 season. Asked who was at fault, Smith said, "It's the students. They are the ones who made the decision. They know what the rules are."
She thinks Tressel tried "to protect his kids.
"I can't believe other schools aren't doing this either. There's no way Ohio State kids alone are selling their things. I'm hoping Tressel goes to the NCAA and starts putting some reason to some of these silly rules they have. Personally, and a lot of people I talk to, think these rings belong to these kids, and they should be allowed to do what they want with them."
As for the future, both think Ohio State will eventually be fine. Said Smith: "We're all still behind Tressel for whatever he wants to do. The man is highly thought of. He would never do anything to hurt the kids.
"How it will affect the program? They'll just rebuild and keep going. Ohio State has always been a strong school, a traditional power house."
Added Murnahan: "The NCAA sanctions will be whatever they are. I tend to think that with Tressel leaving, it's kind of like when a public company gets in trouble and they get a new CEO -- from a regulation standpoint, it can be seen that the entity 'gets it.'
"In my mind, Ohio State has to weather the storm ... over a couple of seasons, and the key thing will be like when Coach (John) Cooper left -- finding the right person. It's a shame the end of Jim Tressel's tenure comes this way. He took Ohio State football from a very good program to one of the elite programs year in and year out. And I didn't know who Jim Tressel was when he was announced as coach."
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