What Will Roger Do

It was announced today that the Indy Colts hired disgraced former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel to work as a reply review coach to work in the booth at their games. Recall that Hangin' Judge Roger Goodell suspened Terrelle Pryor for five games for something that he did as a college player. That Goodell could do that is of dubious legality, but the NFLPA rolled over without protest. Now the question is should the same justice prevail for the college coach who allowed Pryor and his teammates to run roughshod over the NCAA rulebook? Seems to me that the NFLPA had better scream bloody murder unless Tressel is allowed anywhere near a Colts game, or a Colts paycheck, for the same five games that Pryor will spend in NFL purgatory.

Roger Goodell has done what I thought was impossible and pit me in a position to semi-defend Terrelle Pryor.

Justice

Towards the end of the classic musical, "The Music Man", Mayor Shinn announces that the "hand of justice has finally struck down Professor Harold Hill." Well, yesterday, Lady Justice arrived in
Columbus and THE Ohio State University and struck down Coach Jim Tressel.

As I have often said, I take no pleasure in seeing a person lose their job, but in this case, when a hypocritical dude like Tressel, who has made millions over the years, is sent packing, I'm not going to feel sorry for him.

And of course in "The Music Man", we all know what happened. The River City Boys Band actually could play the Minuet in G, and Professor Hill settled happily in River City with Marion the Librarian. In the case of Tressel, I suspect that this will play out as follows:

First, he will be hired by ESPN, where he will show up on the studio shows, complete with ESPN sweater vest, and all the ESPN lapdogs will fawn all over him and continually refer to him as "Coach." (On the bright side, this could mean that mush-mouthed Lou Holtz will be put out to pasture.)

Secondly, after one or two seasons, three at the most, some other win-at-all-cost university will hire Tressel, and the cycle will begin all over again.

Cynicism, thy name is NCAA D-I Football.

Some Quick Hit Thoughts....

• Different school, different conference, but Mike Rice gets jobbed by the officials for the second year in a row in post-season play.
• Two tough OT defeats by local schools within 14 hours: Robert Morris loses by 3 in OT to LIU, and Pitt gets nailed by a Kemba Walker buzzer-beater in the Garden.
• Up to Duquesne to salvage some local post-season glory in the A-10.
• First round Big East loss could cost Pitt a #1 seed in the NCAA. This will be agonized over by the pundits, but could anything be more meaningless?
• How about The Ohio State University suspending Jim Tressel for two games next year over his out-and-out violation of NCAA rules. Now, if the NCAA decides to not add any further punishment, then this will set all time records for hypocrisy by the NCAA. If some mid-level D-I school or coach did the same thing, the coach would be fired and the school would be put on two years probation. Let's see what happens to Coach SweaterVest.
• Pirates-Orioles on TV tonight. A chance to see John Russell in the coaches box for the O's. How great is that?