Commentary: Bucks QB should be kicked off the team
By Matt Hayes, The Sporting News 01/13/2005
Cash in a bag, grades in the can. What a way to go at Ohio State, where a player's scholarship apparently isn't the only gift from the university.
Before we go any further, I don't know who's right or who's wrong or who's lying or who's telling half-truths in this sordid soap opera in Columbus. And, frankly, I don't really care. I do, however, know one thing: It's time for Ohio State to take a stand and make a statement for all of college football. Kick quarterback Troy Smith off the team. That's right, kick him out of school and tell him he can never step on campus again. He can't take classes at OSU, he can't come back and watch his friends play football, he can't even come within 1,000 feet of the football offices, or we'll call the constable. Once this happens, the wise folks at the NCAA (that's sarcasm, ladies and gentlemen) can follow with their own declaration: Any player at any school who is proved to have accepted any amount of money from a booster will lose his amateur status. Forever. Want to stop boosters from getting their greasy, grubby paws on the game? Make the punishment swift and irrevocable and finally begin holding players accountable for their actions. For too long, we've enabled players and laid all the responsibility on these dirtbag boosters. Well, someone has to hold out his hand and say, ''Thank you,'' doesn't he? This is about choices and decisions, not about someone taking advantage of a young man. If athletes knew they were risking their college careers -- and thereby their NFL careers (hello, Mr. Clarett) -- do you really think their hands would be out so often and so easily? Instead of punishing athletes, we punish the boosters and send a clear message: It's OK to accept money as long as you don't get caught. And even if you do, you'll miss only a couple games. The day Ohio State suspended Smith from the Alamo Bowl, OSU athletic director Andy Geiger quickly informed the masses that the Bucks had applied to the NCAA for Smith's reinstatement next season. The NCAA rule for this offense: forfeiture of 20 percent of a season, or two games. Ohio State says it will ask the NCAA to consider the ramification of Smith missing the bowl trip and the game and whether that punishment is enough. Why don't they just ask the NCAA to pay taxes on the bag of money, too
©The Morning Journal 2010
Added: Monday January 17, 2005 at 04:03 AM EST Matt,
I just read your piece entitled "Commentary: Bucks QB should be kicked off the team."
You say you don't know who's telling the truth and you don't care to. Would that not be something you'd like to consider since you're trumpeting kicking a 20-year-old man off the team and out of school?
Perhaps the NCAA should stiffen its "20% penalty" and you're targeting the wrong 'enabler' -- OSU.
In theory, your idea is a good one, yet in Smith's case, it's unfair. Once the details of why Smith took the money came out -- it didn't make what he did right -- but it made it a bit more understandable. Imagine that, snake-in-the-grass Maurice Clarett was involved.
Chris Galoski
Sports writer, The Lantern Chris Galoski Added: Saturday January 15, 2005 at 06:07 PM EST Matt,
With the logic and insight you provide in this article, it appears you have been doing well at the ESPN school of journalism. Did Tom Friend help you with any of the big words or guide you in how to compose without an article by ignoring any facts to support your position? I have to say after reading this, I want to throw-up on your shoes. Thomas Myers Added: Saturday January 15, 2005 at 11:47 AM EST Mr. Hayes -
I find it hard to believe that anyone agrees with your inane suggestion that Troy Smith should be kicked off the OSU team.
As on OSU grad, I don't claim to be unbiased. But as the feedback to your articile suggests, most people think that is unreasonable to admit to not knowing all the facts and still calling for an extreme punishment.
Due process? Punishment appropriate to the offense? Any of these things sound familiar. These principles are part of what made American justice different that the rest of the world.
Newspapers and other media used to act as a champion of these principles - often putting themselves against popular opinion to remind us how dangerous a mob mentality can be.
Now, you are the mob mentaility. "Writers" like you crank out anything that will attract attention. Whether it is well reasoned or well researched is obviously not important to you.
Ask yourself a question - is this really what you aspired to when you decided to become a journalist?
PS Am I the only one who thinks it is odd that Clarett claimed that boosters were paying many OSU players - yet Clarett is deemed "credible" by the media because of a player (Clarett's close friend) took money from a booster to pay a debt (for Clarett cell phone bill). What is the common theme here?
PSS What a great guy Clarett is - gets busted for baving a booster pay his cell phone bill, asks his friend to add him to his mother's bill, then stiffs them. We don't know if he helped Smith find the booster, but when Smith got caught we sure didn't hear Clarett come forward to help his friend, did we? But he still doesn't name booster names. What a great guy. Mitch Icenhower Added: Saturday January 15, 2005 at 09:45 AM EST Hardly! Every school has infractions! Young athletes with no money must live! Don't unduly punish the athlete - - NCAA is actually often right on severity of punishment. However, NCAA needs to change the game - - allow more legal money for expenses, etc. rudy walsh Added: Saturday January 15, 2005 at 05:39 AM EST Not being a buckeye fan . But you can't tell me that this doesnt happen at any other college school.. Kids make bad choices.. ESpeically when alot of the younger kids don't have much when they get to the big time football and see all the excitement bad things are going to happen.. Alot of the Blue chips recruits grow up in hard time till the reach college and then they r GODS. What do u think can happen. If u dont think this happens at all colleges then u need to think again.. Only thing u can say is that the kids id a bad job in hiding it..
GO BLUE..
Rick Rick Pond Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 09:33 PM EST Since I do not make a point of seeking out your usual trash let me first state that I was exposed to this latest drivel through a posted link.
Once again Hayes the hack decides he will continue to use every chance to continue his yellow journalism towards Ohio State. This latest editorial is helpful in one regard. It confirms my earlier decision to ignore your publications was a solid decision.
As to the substance, and I use the word substance with some reservation, why would a player be subjected to a penalty in excess of the NCAA documented procedure? What is Ohio State supposed to do? Throw Troy Smith to the lions to appease the idiotic flaming by writers such as Matt Hayes? There was a time when facts mattered. There was also a time when your publication was respected. Clearly, those days are long gone. TL ZINNER Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 08:33 PM EST I believe the onus in these types of situations should be placed squarely in the lap of the booster (unless institutional complicity is established). It's a crime to ruin a young man's life, and should be treated as such. One can't cast out a 20 y/o for a moment of weakness. We've all gotten a second chance at some time. Let him pay his restitution, do his school work, and hopefully learn a lesson. Patrick Walsh Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 06:41 PM EST Prior to making such bold statemens about a college student's actions, I would like you to reflect on your own college career. What illegalities did you commit in college? Were you kicked our of school for these actions? At what age does a person lose simple rights to make mistakes? Troy Smith did act in a manner inconsistent with NCAA regualtions. He gave a friend named Clarett a cell phone. Clarett immediately did unto Troy Smith what he has done unto so many others. He abused the privilege of their friendship. So Troy was then asked to pay an overpayment charge on a phone lent to Clarett. Troy is poor, his family is poor; so Clarett steered Troy to a booster who ahad agreed to pay the late phone charges. That makes Troy gullible, perhaps even a bit ill advised in his actions, but, does it make him a guy worth kicking out of school? When you look at ALL of the FACTS, then you must come back and say that guys like Troy Smith need the benefits of a college education in the worst way! I can see him having to take a couple of courses in "Ethics" and one or two in "Logic", but don't ask for his haead on a platter unless you without your own personal skeletons in YOUR college closet!
Scott Middleton Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 06:17 PM EST Matt Hayes,
Sending a message to Troy Smith is fine, but the punishment needs to fit the crime. Taking the kids scholarship and education away is a bit extreme. Benching the kid for a year (which likely would result in him not starting the following year either) should be suffiecient to make a statement to the other players without destroying the kids educational opportunities. Dave Horton Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 05:57 PM EST I agree Smith should be kicked off the team. Just trying to help a friend when he took the money? I could come up with a better one then that one, like I took the money so I wouldn't have to work for it. I love Buckeye football but I'm sick and tired of a few half brained poorly brought up kids giving the football program a bad name!!!!!! John Staley Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 05:53 PM EST Sir: You are full of yourself. Save your pious bloviating for people who live in California, or New York. Advocating the axe for a kid who will pay handsomely for what he has done is easy for those who never have to make life-shaping decisions. You, for example.
Tressel is a gift to the university system and to collegiate athletics. You will never understand.
Michael
Nashville, TN Michael Shahan Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 04:32 PM EST I agree with Jef Black, according to you, the FIRST mistake you make at your work should be your last.I say everyone deserves a second chance,after that,then they can bring the hammer down.After all,kids do make mistakes.Remember as it says in the bible," Let he who is without sin ,cast the first stone". Joe Almaguer Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 04:08 PM EST Matt Hayes needs to get a life filled with realities. If he worked for me with that attitude, he would be gone with no second chance as he suggests for Troy Smith. Smith is a young man that needs to be taught. Hayes is over the hill and can't be taught it appears. Gerald Cooper Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 02:44 PM EST Wrong - no way should he be kicked off the team. Punishment has been made! Michael Mitchell Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 02:39 PM EST Your a looser and no one cares what you think. Dave Shepard Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 02:37 PM EST you have no clue. why don't you kick you son outof the family for making a mistate or bringing home a bad grade. Or better yet divorce your wife for burning dinner,oe even better fired your tired self for such a biased unfeeling story. Anthony Davis Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 02:15 PM EST Spoken like a die-hard Hurricane or Maize and Blue fan. dick Joseph Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 01:55 PM EST You have got to be joking. Your punishment doesn"t fit the crime. Just screw a kids life up to make an example of him. Thats like making the death penalty for getting a traffic ticket. Do you live in the middle east for something? If the ncaa said its a 20% penalty than its a minor infraction. Ohio State runs one of the cleanst programs in the country. You should take a look at some of the sec programs.They have a proven rep for cheating. The NCAA investigated osu and
mc last spring and found nothing. I thought this is the usa innocent until proven guilty. you can investigate the osu football program all you want, There Clean!!!. One kid makes a mistake another screwed up kid lies to espn because the AD wouldnt give him a good rec to the NFL.Thats the truth!Check the facts before you write this BS jon wozniak Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 01:51 PM EST I guess it would make Matt Hayes just wonderful to see Troy Smith kicked off the team. I mean, that's how any "civilized" institution would take care of things. He made that painfully obvious we he stated he didn't care about the details, he just wanted to see heads roll. I guess it doesn't matter that this whole mess, starting from Clarette and ending with Smith has been riddled with adults taking advantage of kids. And you know what, there's enough responsibility to go around, for the kids, the administrators, the kids parents, reporting rhetoric, etc etc. But I tend to like societies that give second chances, even thirds or fourths. That would be much better than knee JERK reactions such as yours. Chris Purdef Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 01:23 PM EST Dear Mr Hayes,
Geepers, another Ohio State hater! I am sure glad that none of you self righteous pompous guardians and shapers of public opinion have never done anything wrong in your perfect lives. No, I do not condone college football players, basketball players or alike taking money or anything else from boosters, agents, coaches or otherwise. Unfortunitly, eighteen and nineteen year olds who were not born with a silver spoon in their mouths like you and your colleauges in the media, sometimes make bad choices. Should there be retribution for such action, absolutely but kicking a kid off the team and thereby depriving him of an education or possible pro career is not fair. The punishment dones not fit the crime, after all there where no laws of a criminal nature broken.
Finally, to suggest that any head coach at any college or university can keep tabs on eighty plus players and thousands of boosters and other over exuberent fans 24 hours a day, seven days a week is pure nonsense! If you have a child I bet you can't even keep up with him or her. Futhermore, what you, ESPN and other media types have continuously and without reasonabliness accused Ohio State of condoning is happening at USC, Auburn, Oklahoma, Michigan, Purdue, Michigan State, Georgia, LSU and yes even Notre Dame amoung other divison one programs. No, I am not suggesting that its OK if it happens at Ohio State because everyone is doing it, I am saying that your and other media types coverage boardering on a crusade of the problems at OSU have been unfair.
Eric Glosby Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 01:01 PM EST I would like to see State Legislatures make it a crime to give anything to a college athlete. That way the boosters might get some jail time. They are the real problem. Dick Meyer Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 01:00 PM EST I totally disagree with your article on OSU and their starting QB. The kid accepted $ and is paying the price. Maurice Clarret broke rules and he's paying the price. The head basketball coach broke the rules and was fired and the school is making the bball team pay the price. If you want the NCAA to mandate exact penalties for specific offenses that is one thing - but I have no problems with how OSU has handled things to date in terms of what you have mentioned.
Martin Acuna Martin Acuna Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 12:48 PM EST Did you write this article to simply attract readers or did you actually do some investigative journalism? The Cleveland PD had a story yesterday on the front page that explained that the money that Smith received was used to pay off Clarett's cell phone debt. However misguided Smith was in his actions, he was trying to help a friend. And you would want to destroy his entire FB career over what is a 19 year old's error in judgment? Unfortunately, "flies on the wall"like yourself are not in Coach Tressel's position position where he has an obligation to be fair to his players as well as to punish them. Otherwise, you might have taken a more even handed approach to the situation before recommending such drastic punishment. It is easy to yell "off with his head" when you sit behinf a desk and pound out drivel like this. I suggest you read the Cleveland Plain dealer article first, and then comment. Informed opinion is always better than judgments based on hearsay. Otherwise, count me out of your "screw due process" and let's form a lynch mob mind set.
I thought the NCAA was going to investigate this matter and rule on it, In the meantime, OSU has already self reported the incident and punished the kid according to NCAA guidelines. What more can you possibly want?
I suggest that you direct your vitriol to the Colorado rape scandal, where FB players' transgresssions are apparently felonious in nature transgressions and have more significance NCAA rules violations-i.e. than taking money from boosters-that is, unless you believe that rape is not a penalty and that the girls were "asking for it". Bill Ridenour Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 12:36 PM EST Oh yeah. I forgot Ohio State is the only team in the country with problems so they need to be made an example of, right? What about all those schools who have far great crimes such as rapes and journalists across the country never call for Administrative heads or to kick those kids off. Is your next articel going to be on the fact that OSU had 23 Academic All Big Ten players this year, 10 more than the nearest team? Bet not. Bill Andrews Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 12:28 PM EST Dude......I think ESPN has blown enough of this out of proportion. You need to contact about half of all the other division one teams and ask what they did to their players who did the same..........nothing. Quit holding OSU above everyone else. They already satisfied the investigators and wrote a policy on boosters that will probably be the law for all other schools. Drop it already. Tired of hearing about it. Dave Johnson Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 12:15 PM EST Matt--I think you may have a good idea to set a precedent for young athletes, but i dont' understand one thing. In your article you say that we punish the boosters?? How?
here are the facts:
Punishments:
Troy Smith-2 games as of right now, maybe more.
Booster: ????
This booster isn't punished at all!! yeah, maybe he can't buy tickets anymore, but that's not a punishment. This guy isn't going to be suspended from work for 15% of the year.
In reality, nothing happens to the boosters! the punishments are given to the athletes and the program. Ryan Armstrong Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 12:14 PM EST WHY DON'T YOU LOOK INTO OTHER PRORAMS IN THE COUNTRY AND STOP CLOBERING OHIO STATE? IT IS GETTING REDUNDANT.I THINK FANS ARE SICK OF IT. John Clemmer Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 12:11 PM EST Why don't you guys find something else to write about. David Masini Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 12:02 PM EST That article was totally idiotic " Bucks QB should be kicked off the team" People make wrong choices, does that mean we get rid of them. Yes he broke the rules there is no way to deny that. He didn't assault anyone, he didn't get a DUI or get caught with drugs or a gun. You sports reporters along with the ESPN commentators are blowing this way out of proportion. The KID made a dumb mistake and I bet if he had the chance to do it again, he wouldn't. Don't you guys have something bigger in sports to report on, because this is not one of them. Or why don't you just go and join one of those tabloid news groups. It sounds as if your fishing for a major story to propell your career. Take you Buckeye gear and burn it, you are not worthy. Eric Manley Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 11:57 AM EST Right On Matt,but Ohio State is not alone, all schools must take responabilty ,it goes on at all schools. Ralph Niven Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 11:55 AM EST I have another idea: anytime a journalist expresses an unoriginal idea, he should be fired, forced to move to another state and required to never again get another job in the media. So much of "journalism" is simply rehashing ideas already presented, with no originality, thought, or factual support. Most journalists are only interested in sensationalism in order to sell their magazine, newspaper, or worse, feed their own ego. College athletes at least have immaturity as an excuse. What excuse do these so-called journalists have? Jeffrey Kralik Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 11:43 AM EST I am curious to how the author would feel about throwing a kid out of school if it were his son or daughter that took money, or if it were his favorite team. Warren Dorn Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 11:42 AM EST i understand where you are coming from re the troy smith/ohhio state situation however i think your a bit too harsh with the penalty
i feel that a several game penalty ,in this instance, would be justifyable -- and a "real" lesson must be taught to all college players and the colleges
to ban aplayer from all contact forever from the university is too much --- in this instance ---
i am a sohio state grad from many years ago --- and as much as i would love to have us "stomp" michigan every year --- i would like to see it done with a clean program --- which i beleive "the ohio state university" has been trying to do
ciao for now --- tony s TONY SPALLA Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 11:27 AM EST You don't care who's telling the truth!!! Facts don't matter. Why don't you take a stand against shoddy hack journalism and do a factual story about Ohio State. You will find that:
the NCAA after a thourough investigation found no improprieties whatsoever in the academics of the athletes. Maurice Clarrett lied. By the way, he was a very good student in HS (3.5 accum, early graduate) did not need help to get through.
NCAA found no violations with the athletic dept., all cars checked out for everyone, even Clarrett.
Troy Smith added Clarrett on his cell phone account (mom's name)and Clarrett ran up a $400 bill and did not pay. Troy was in a jam and got money from the booster to pay off the bill. It was a dumb mistake by Troy and he is paying the price.
Funny how the facts change the perception. Probobly no headlines, however. Makes one wonder what your motivation really is. Dean Paulos Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 11:19 AM EST I also believe that OSU needs to take a harder line on these NCAA violation. However, I don't beleive it would be fair to make an example of Troy Smith this time. They should make it very well known that certain types of violations, like taking money, will result in expulsion from the program the first time. Everybody in the program should be told and then the first time it is done, it has to happen. J.Kevin Beardsley Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 11:11 AM EST Where do you get the "cash in a bag" angle. Sounds awfully sexy, but is that the real truth of the matter? Frank Beamer Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 11:03 AM EST After reading this article it seems that another writer should join onto the ESPN bash buckeye fanclub. Since becoming a diehard buckeye fan i have seen many things happen in college sports such as Michigan getting there championship banners taken down, Miami football players getting convicted of something every month of the year for the last decade and murders. How everyone likes to focus on this setback is beyond me. I am sorry but these are 20 year old kids and they don have all the answers. Matt Martin Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 10:58 AM EST Ohio State is simply following the rules that the NCAA has set up with regards to the amount of money Troy Smith has accepted from the booster. Perhaps petitioning the NCAA to actually change their rules would be wiser than blaming Ohio State for simply following guidlines the NCAA has set forth. Why would any school kick a Quarterback off of a football team when the NCAA does not stipulate such actions? I am also certain that part of a coaches job, be it at the middle school, high school or college level is to teach. The fact is Troy Smith made a mistake that many could have made and has been villified publicly as a result. He should serve his two game suspension and learn from the mistakes that he made. Trent Terry Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 10:55 AM EST I agree to some extent.....I graduated from OSU and am sick of all this nonsense....either CLEAN IT UP, make heads roll! The Clarett story will be investigated and take time to get answers but Troy Smith needs to be taught a lesson for the masses (ignorance, stupidity & greed) robert babka Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 10:53 AM EST Grades in the can? Support your claims. You can't, because they are not valid. Tressel has raised the GPA and Graduation rate tremendously. Jason Withrow Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 10:50 AM EST I agree 100% with Matt Haye's article on Troy Smith. As an OSU alumnus and rabid fan, I'm as equally tired of these athletes with a sense of entitlement.
A zero tolerance on these issues and with the next three to four athletes getting completly booted out the program would change the mindsets of these kids.
Granted, they are kids, but the program has so many resources at there disposal on how to conduct themselves both on and off the field, that anything else is intolerable.
John Domiano
Dublin, Ohio John Domiano Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 10:49 AM EST What are you nuts???!!! the buckeyes have already kicked two guys off the team. this kid lost his starting job and may never get it back.
first the ny times, then espn twice, the ncaa three times--now the sproting news! why don't you guys give it up? if you new anything about osu football, you would know that tressel is bringing institutional control to a program that was cesspool under john cooper. it takes a while, but this is happening. give it up already!! when did you graduate from michigan? rick mckinniss Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 10:36 AM EST THATS ALL WELL AND GOOD--BUT WOULD BE THE EASY WAY OUT(IN MY OPINION)--THE HARD PART-STAY FOCUSED WITH THE PLAYER, TEACH HIM A LESSON, WORK WITH HIM/HER TO LEARN THE LESSONS OF LIFE AND MAKE A BETTER PERSON OUT OF HIM/HER, TAKE THE GAFF WITH THE INDIVIDUAL--THATS WHAT ATHELETICS ARE ALL ABOUT ANYWAY--EDUCATION OF THE SKILLS TO SUPPORT YOUR FUTURE. THANKS JEFF ROGERS Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 10:31 AM EST These are young kids who haven't found out what life is all about. There are many temptations in life, some are stronger than others. Everyone deserves a second chance and these kids are no different. The boosters are the ones who should be run out of town on a railcar. They have been briefed many times on the evils of tempting these kids and they know better. The punishment fits the crime for Smith, but there would be no second chance should it happen again. Don Miner Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 10:29 AM EST First everyone has there own right to believe what they want. I totally disagree with you. This happends everywhere and will never stop. Smith gets good grades and has helped out with the columbus community. Yes, he took money from a booster and will face a long punishment by being at the bottom of the depth chart. However taking a kids chance of an education away is extremely wrong. He made a mistake and so does everyone but he still deserves the chance to go to class and be a student with the chance to play again. Matthew Croswell Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 10:28 AM EST Re: Bucks QB should be kicked off the team.
Mr. Hayes,
I am in agreement with certain portions of your article on the current situation with the Ohio St. football program and all of college football for that matter. The activities of the boosters and some of the programs appears to be out of control. Something must be done. I do feel it is necessary, though, to note another side to the story using Troy Smith as an example. I don't have the entire background on Troy Smith, but I do know that he grew up and attended high school in a rough neighborhood in Cleveland. He never would have attended any college had it not been for football. He probably rarely had enough money to purchase some of things you and I grew up with and didn't think twice about having everyday. Suddenly, he is cast into the spotlight of major college football, and some hot shot attorney offers him some cash, tells him he won't get caught...everyone does it, etc. Pretty temping, huh? I have a tough time saying that I wouldn't consider taking the money myself, and I consider myself and upstanding citizen. So Troy accepts the gift. Suppose this was the only time this happened. We kick Troy out of school, off the team, ban him from campus. Now, his football and college career are over. He goes back to the streets of Cleveland with no job, no education, and no future. I absolutely understand your viewpoint on this, that something must be done, and maybe and example needs to be set. I, however, having not lived a 100% mistake free life myself, am not ready to completely sacrifice Troy Smith's future for one bad decision. Matt Politsky Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 10:11 AM EST What are your credentials and experience with regard to psychology/sociology, etc, that give you a platform for discussing/pontificating with regard to these specific issues? Just curious? John Bilchak Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 10:04 AM EST I found your headline "Cash in a bag, grades in the can" a perfect example of poor journalism and jumping on the bandwagon considering OHio State's football squad had more Academic All-Big Ten Selections than any other school in the conference. Larry Seiler Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 10:02 AM EST I suppose the next time YOU use Sporting News' paper clips, staples, internet access, e-mail, or expense account for something personal you should be fired. In addition, you should never be allowed within 1,000 feet of a keyboard, i.e., disallowing you the chance to ever write again. After all, if that was done wouldn't that let every employee of every company in the United States know that if they ever took something for personal use they could never again utilize their talent? I'm positive that giving you the most severe penalty would completely end all dishonest practices in the work place. Just like making an example of Troy Smith would fix all of college football, right??? Mark Jenkins Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 08:36 AM EST I love it when the media tries to police sports when they can't even police themselves.Allegations now pass for facts and the rush to get the story out precludes any responsible research.I wonder if the media practices what they preach in their private lives,probably not.It's always easier to dispense advice that follow it. walker baldwin Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 08:32 AM EST You admit in the first paregraph that you don't know what the truth is but you want to essentially fine Troy Smith the equvilent of a 4 year scholarship with out due process. By the way how much money do you think OSU will make selling the #7 jersey next year with Ted Ginn's name on it. Now ask how much of that money TG will get. It's time for big time football to ante up. Jim West Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 07:13 AM EST This is the same logic used for the death penalty. Kill Troy and make yourself feel better. NOT! Bernie Heinl Added: Friday January 14, 2005 at 07:07 AM EST Matt, first of all, I have been an Ohio State season ticket holder for 34 years. That being said, I agree 100% with this article. Troy Smith should be gone and never have the right to play college football anywhere. This should go for any athelete who takes extra benefits. Michael Smith Added: Thursday January 13, 2005 at 05:10 PM EST By your "logic", the next time you get a speeding ticket they should just cut off your right foot so you won't break the speed limit anymore. This is America, not IRAN. These are college kids, NOT three-time felons. jef black |
