The Jim Tressel Rap Sheet (Long)

1986: Youngstown State, trying to boost morale to the economically devastated region of northeast Ohio, hires Ohio State offensive assistant Jim Tressel as head coach.

November 17, 1987: Ohio State fires head coach Earle Bruce after three straight losses. Four days later, Bruce's final game as head coach is a win in Ann Arbor over Michigan.

December 31, 1987: Arizona State head coach John Cooper is hired by Ohio State to replace Bruce. Conventional wisdom says Cooper became the most appealing candidate to Ohio State because of his victory over Michigan in the Rose Bowl 364 days earlier.

Spring, 1988: Quarterback and Youngstown native Ray Issac arrives at Youngstown State. Around this time, Tressel introduces Issac to Michael Monus, chairman of the Board of Trustees at Youngstown State and CEO of the drug store chain Phar-Mor. During their first meeting, Monus gives Issac 150 dollars, the first of what will become a habitual series of payments that will total roughly $10,000.

December 21, 1991: Isaac quarterbacks Youngstown State to a 25-17 win over Marshall in the I-AA National Championship Game.

July, 1992: Youngstown State chairman Michael Monus is indicted on fraud and embezzlement charges related to cooking the books at his drug store chain, Phar-Mor. The case would become known as one of the largest cases of corporate fraud in U.S. history. During the course of the investigation, Monus's relationship with Ray Isaac is brought to light. Tressel says he has no knowledge of Monus's payments to Isaac.

January, 1994: The NCAA delivers a notice of allegations to Youngstown State. Tressel, along with Youngstown State Athletic Director Joe Malsimur and Youngstown State President Leslie Cochran assure the NCAA that they will conduct a thorough internal investigation into the matter. This turns out to be a sham, as Malsimur never contacts Monus, and Tressel never speaks to Isaac. In December 2003, Tressel would claim that he can't recall whether or not he talked to Isaac about the allegations. Isaac says he never spoke to anyone.

December 18, 1995: Michael Monus is convicted of one count of conspiracy, two counts of bank fraud, five counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud, two counts of filing false income tax returns, 96 counts of interstate transportation of stolen goods, and one count of obstruction of justice. He is sentenced to 19 and a half years in prison. Shortly before this, Monus and Isaac are both implicated in the bribing of a juror in Monus's first trial, which resulted in a hung jury. During this time, Isaac reaches out to Tressel for help, but Tressel distances himself, saying he doesn't want to know anything and Isaac should simply cooperate with authorities.

November 23, 1996: #21 Michigan, losers of their previous two games, beats 2nd-ranked and undefeated Ohio State 13-9 in Columbus, making this the third time in four years that Michigan has ruined an undefeated season for the Buckeyes. It is at this particular game in 1996 that Ohio State fans openly rebel against John Cooper, hurling insults and obscenities at him as he leaves the field.

March 4, 1998: During the course of Michael Monus's trial for jury tampering, more rules violations are exposed at Youngstown State. The NCAA accuses Youngstown State with lack of institutional control, one of the most serious violations in the NCAA. The NCAA determines that Youngstown State's internal investigation in 1994 was not thorough or in-depth.

February 28, 2000: The NCAA concludes its investigation, accepting Youngstown State's self-imposed penalties, which include a reduction of two scholarships in 2000-2001, 2001-2002, and 2002-2003. Because the NCAA's statute of limitations expired in 1996, they cannot take away Youngstown State's 1991 National Championship. The NCAA also chooses not to sanction Tressel.

January 2, 2001: John Cooper is fired by Ohio State the day after losing to South Carolina in the Outback Bowl. Cooper finishes his career at Ohio State with a 3-8 bowl record and a 2-10-1 record against Michigan.

January 17, 2001: Ohio State hires Jim Tressel away from Youngstown State to replace John Cooper as head coach. The next day, during halftime of the Michigan-Ohio State basketball game, Tressel delivers his famous line that has become Ohio State lore: "I can assure you that you will be proud of our young people in the classroom, in the community and most especially in 310 days in Ann Arbor, Michigan."

January 20, 2001: Youngstown native Maurice Clarett, the star rusher for Harding High School in Warren (14 miles northwest of Youngstown) and the #1 running back recruit in the country, commits to play for Jim Tressel at Ohio State.

March 21, 2001: Ohio State cornerback Derek Ross is arrested on charges of driving without a license and providing false information to police. He is sentenced to 30 days in jail and suspended for the spring, but returns for the season and leads the Big Ten in interceptions.

November 15, 2001: Ohio State quarterback Steve Bellisari is arrested for driving drunk two days before OSU's game against Illinois. Tressel suspends him, only to reinstate him and allow him to play in the team's bowl game.

November 24, 2001: Tressel makes good on the promise he made 10 months earlier as Ohio State beats Michigan 26-20 in Ann Arbor. During the game, Maurice Clarett takes an official visit to Michigan on UM's dime, and spends the game on the Ohio State sideline cheering for the Buckeyes.

March 2, 2002: Ohio State tight end Redgie Arden is arrested for drunk driving. He spends three days in jail and is suspended from spring practices. Tressel reinstates him before the season and he plays in 11 games in 2002.

April 27, 2002: Ohio State linebacker Marco Cooper is arrested for felony drug abuse and carrying a concealed weapon. In November, he pleads out and is put on probation.

July 26, 2002: Ohio State fullback Branden Joe is discovered asleep in his car on a highway ramp near Ohio State's campus. He refuses a breathalyzer test, and is suspended for three weeks of preseason camp, along with the first game of the 2002 season.

July 29, 2002: Ohio State wide receiver Angelo Chattams is suspected of being involved in a theft, but prosecutors allow him to enter a program for first-time offenders and avoid a criminal charge. He is excused from the team, but never suspended.

August 17, 2002: Ohio State defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock is arrested for underage drinking. He is suspended for three weeks of offseason workouts, but is not suspended for any games.

August 24, 2002: Ohio State wide receiver Chris Vance is arrested for underage drinking. He is held out of the first two games, and goes on to be Ohio State's 4th leading receiver in the 2002 season.

October 13, 2002: Ohio State linebacker Fred Pagac, Jr. is arrested for persistant disorderly conduct. Arrested at 3:45 AM, police say he was intoxicated and had a role in a fight involving two women, and did not stop fighting when ordered by police. He is suspended for one game, and is allowed to play in the National Championship Game against Miami in January.

October 30, 2002: Ohio State long snapper Kurt Wilhelm is arrested for felonious assault. He is held out of Ohio State's game against Penn State.

April, 2003: Maurice Clarett files a report stating that a car he borrowed from a local dealership was broken into and thousands of dollars in cash, CDs, stereo equipment, and clothing was stolen. Clarett calls the police from a phone in Jim Tressel's office. He is later charged with lying about the value of the items and falsification of a police report. He pleads guilty, is ordered to pay a fine, and does no jail time.

May, 2003: Ohio State cornerback/receiver Chris Gamble and nine other players are ruled ineligible for signing autographs at a convention, during which they took an hourly salary.

June, 2003: Ohio State tight end Redgie Arden pleads innocent to his second drunk driving charge in 15 months.

Fall, 2003: The NCAA begins an investigation at Ohio State amid allegations of academic fraud and ineligibility. The investigation revolves around Maurice Clarett, and a teacher admits that Clarett received preferential treatment. The teacher is fired, and Clarett is found to be in violation of 14 conduct bylaws, two violations of receiving extra benefits because he is an athlete. The investigation also discovers that the Monte Carlo Clarett is driving was a loaner from a used-car lot. To make things worse, and forcing Ohio State's hand, is the fact that Clarett was regularly receiving benefits from Youngstown acquaintance Bobby Dellimuti. Dellimuti provided Clarett with 500 dollars in cash, and paid for thousands of dollars worth in cell phone bills for Clarett. Ohio State suspends him for the entire 2003 season. It is later revealed that Jim Tressel knew Dellimuti and knew who he was before Clarett's freshman season in 2002.

October 27, 2003: Ohio State tight end Louis Irizarry is arrested on three counts of first-degree misdemeanor assault. He is suspended two days later, and is found guilty of one count of assault, one count of negligent assault, and one count of disorderly conduct. He is put on probation, and is listed as second on the depth chart at tight end on Ohio State's spring 2004 roster.

November 16, 2003: Ohio State wide receiver Santonio Holmes and quarterback Troy Smith are arrested six days before the Michigan game on charges of misdemeanor disorderly conduct after a fight on campus in the early morning hours following Ohio State's win over Purdue. Holmes is held out of the starting lineup against Michigan, but plays the majority of the game and catches two touchdowns.

April, 2004: Ohio State fullback Branden Joe is cited for a misdemeanor open container violation, his second alcohol-related offense.

May 1, 2004: Ohio State tight end Louis Irizarry and cornerback Ira Guilford are arrested and charged with robbery after a student is assaulted and his wallet is stolen at 3 AM. They both plead innocent, and Guilford is released on bond, while Irizarry is held until the determination can be made whether or not he violated his probation from his October 2003 conviction.

May 5, 2004: Ohio State punter A.J. Trapasso is charged with underage drinking.

May 17, 2004: Ohio State punter A.J. Trapasso is arrested for underage drinking for the second time in 12 days.

June 7, 2004: Ohio State tight end Louis Irizarry is arrested for criminal trespassing after police pull him over and discover he has been banned from the campus of Ohio State.

October 23, 2004: Ohio State running back Lydell Ross is arrested for attempting to pass fake money to a woman at a gentlemen's club.

November 9, 2004: Maurice Clarett blows the whistle on Ohio State, attempting to expose all of the alleged corruption going on at his former school. He claims he "took the fall" during the 2003 investigation into his academics at Ohio State, and is now trying to clear his name. Clarett says that Jim Tressel arranged for Clarett to have access to several loaner vehicles, and that Tressel's brother Dick set up lucrative jobs that Clarett did not have to show up to. He also says that members of Tressel's staff introduced Clarett to boosters who provided him with cash benefits based on his performance on the field. Clarett says he would have been ineligible for the 2002 season, but that the Ohio State coaching staff set him up with an academic advisor whose only goal was to keep him eligible. He claims the academic advisor put him in Independent Study courses with hand-picked teachers who would pass him regardless of attendance. His allegations are corroborated by former Ohio State linebacker Marco Cooper. Cooper, who was kicked off the team because of multiple drug-related arrests, says he too was set up with fraudulent jobs and was provided with cars in exchange for signed memorabilia. Clarett says he is blowing the whistle on Ohio State because he feels they "blackballed" him from the university after suspending him for the 2003 season.

October 12, 2004: Louis Irizarry is sentenced to three years in prison.

December 20, 2004: Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith is suspended for the Alamo Bowl and the 2005 season opener for accepting $500 from a booster.

December 21, 2004: Ohio State wide receiver Albert Dukes is arrested on two felony counts of second-degree lewd and lascivious conduct involving a 12 year old girl. Tressel allows Dukes to travel with the team to the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, and the charges are later dropped when the parents refuse to let their daughter testify in court.

February 16, 2005: The NCAA reprimands Ohio State offensive line coach Jim Bollman for trying to set up a recruit with a car, a loan, and a tutor. Jim Tressel is also reprimanded because Bollman is his subordinate.

May 11, 2005: Ohio State kicker Jonathan Skeete is arrested for drug trafficking. He is suspended.

May 19, 2005: Ohio State running back Erik Haw is cited by university police for smoking marijuana outside a dorm.

May 21, 2005: Ohio State lineman Tim Schafer is charged with disorderly conduct after police had to break up two fights between Schafer and another man. Both men were bloody and smelled of alcohol.

July 20, 2005: Ohio State athletic officials investigate a possible second NCAA rules violation by quarterback Troy Smith. Smith attended a quarterbacks camp run by Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair, but because Ohio State runs on quarters instead of semesters, Smith may have missed class to attend, which would be an NCAA violation. Jim Tressel declines comment, saying the university's compliance department has not finished its inquiry.

December 6, 2005: Police say that Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk and center Nick Mangold reported a burglary at their apartment following their win over Michigan. According to the police report, the robbery took place sometime between 6:00 PM on November 22 and 8:00 PM on November 23rd. Hawk and Mangold tell police that $3000 in cash, $1425 in movies, two laptop computers, a $500 Gucci watch, and $750 worth of PlayStation and X-Box equipment was stolen. Police were not told about the crime until November 28.

December 22, 2005: Ohio State offensive lineman Andree Tyree is suspended from the Fiesta Bowl for a violation of team rules. It is later revealed that Tyree failed his third drug test.

March 7, 2006: Former Ohio State kicker Jonathan Skeete returns to the team as a walk-on following his arrest on drug trafficking charges in May 2005. He was convicted in October 2005, and despite his status as a convicted felon, he is readmitted to the university and reinstated to the football team.

April 2, 2006: Ohio State offensive lineman Alex Boone is arrested after driving under the influence and being involved in a two-vehicle crash. Jim Tressel says that Boone will not be suspended for any practices or games.

August 9, 2006: Ohio State tight end Marcel Frost is suspended for the 2006 season for violating team rules. Although the athletic department refuses to comment on the nature of the violation, spokesman Dan Wallenberg says Frost will remain on scholarship and be eligible to return in 2007.

September 18, 2007: Ohio State wide receiver Ray Small is arrested for driving with a suspended license.

September 24, 2007: Ohio State quarterback Antonio Henton is arrested for soliciting a prostitute.

December 12, 2007: Jeannette, Pennsylvania businessman Ted Sarniak is cleared of allegations of bribery as a result of police opting not to arrest Sarniak in October 2006 when he crashed his car into a utility pole following the Jeannette-Catholic Central football game. Sarniak smelled of alcohol, but was not taken into custody. Though cleared of the bribery accusations, Sarniak has a documented history of providing Pittsburgh Steelers football tickets and other gifts to police officers in Jeannette.

December 20, 2007: Ohio State cornerback Eugene Clifford is suspended for violating team rules.

January 17, 2008: The night before heralded Jeannette quarterback Terrelle Pryor takes an official visit to Michigan, Ohio State coaches have dinner with Jeannette businessman Ted Sarniak, who is a friend and mentor to Pryor.

March 19, 2008: Terrelle Pryor signs with Ohio State.

April 11, 2008: Ohio State defensive backs Eugene Clifford, Jamario O'Neal, and Donald Washington are held out of practice but not officially suspended. It is rumored that all three players failed drug tests.

July 7, 2008: Ohio State defensive back Eugene Clifford's career at OSU ends, as he is arrested again, this time for assault after allegedly punching two men in the face. He transfers to Tennessee State later in the month.

July 26, 2008: Ohio State defensive tackle Doug Worthington is arrested and charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated. He misses no game action in the 2008 season.

December 11, 2008: Ohio State defensive end Nathan Williams is arrested for shoplifting. He receives no punishment other than "internal" from the coaches.

February 2, 2009: Ohio State offensive lineman Alex Boone is arrested after being belligerant and uncooperative with police while he jumps on car hoods in a drunken tirade. Boone flees from police, who find him under a patio and have to taze him to subdue him.

June 11, 2009: Ohio State running back recruit Jaamal Berry is arrested for felony possession of marijuana in Miami. He pleas down and agrees to take a six-month drug program online in exchange for having the charges dropped. He is allowed to enroll at Ohio State and join the football team without issue.

September 9, 2009: It is discovered that violations were committed during Ohio State's recruitment of quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Pryor's official visit to Ohio State for the game against Wisconsin in 2007 came with a discounted hotel rate. The other violation involves former Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith working at an Ohio State football camp in the summer of 2007, during which time Smith encourages Pryor to pick Ohio State. As a result of the hotel violation, Pryor is quietly ruled ineligible in August 2009 until he repays $158. Ohio State files a request to the NCAA to reinstate Pryor on August 21, and he regains his eligibility in time for the season opener on August 30.

April 2, 2010, 2:32 PM: Jim Tressel receives an email from Chris Cicero, a Columbus attorney. Cicero informs Tressel that several players have been selling signed items to tattoo parlor owner Edward Rife, who is under heavy investigation from the authorities on suspicion of drug trafficking. Rife informs Tressel of all of this, and details Rife's criminal history.

April 2, 2010, 6:32 PM: Tressel responds to Cicero's email, telling him he will "get on it ASAP."

April 16, 2010, 9:43 AM: Cicero emails Tressel again, giving details of cleats, jerseys, Big Ten championship rings and a national championship ring being sold.

April 16, 2010, 11:20 AM: Tressel responds to Cicero once more: "I hear you!! It is unbelievable!! Thanks for your help keep me posted as to what I need to do if anything. I will keep pounding these kids hoping they grow up. jt"

April 16, 2010, 2:26 PM: Cicero recommends that Tressel ban his players from going to the tattoo parlor and having any contact with Rife. He asks that Tressel keep their email communication private.

June 1, 2010, 7:33 AM: Tressel emails Cicero, informing him that the team will be receiving their 2009 Big Ten Championship rings, and asks if there are anymore names that Cicero can give him.

June 1, 2010, 4:09 PM: Cicero tells Tressel he has no new names, but that the names he gave him previously "are still good."

June 6, 2010, 9:15 PM: Five days later, Tressel thanks Cicero in what is their last known communication.

September 13, 2010: Jim Tressel signs an NCAA certificate of compliance, which indicates that he has reported any knowledge of any violations.

December 7, 2010: Authorities contact Ohio State, notifying them that they have raided Rife's tattoo parlor, and discovered several Ohio State items. The authorities, obviously unaware of any NCAA implications, are simply inquiring as to whether or not the items may have been stolen. The Ohio State athletic department is notified of this the next day.

December 9, 2010: Jim Tressel is informed that federal officials know about the items. Tressel still does not inform his superiors of his email exchanges with Chris Cicero. During the next week, Ohio State plans an internal investigation into the matter.

December 16, 2010: Ohio State interviews the six players implicated: quarterback Terrelle Pryor, running back Daniel Herron, wide receiver DeVier Posey, offensive tackle Mike Adams, defensive end Solomon Thomas, and linebacker Jordan Whiting.

December 17, 2010: Ohio State informs the Big Ten and the NCAA that they are preparing to self-report violations.

December 19, 2010: Ohio State releases its report, and declares the six players ineligible.

December 21, 2010: The NCAA contacts the six players, asking for additional information. Ohio State provides this information the next day.

December 22, 2010: The NCAA notifies Ohio State of its decision: 5-game suspensions for Pryor, Herron, Posey, Adams, and Thomas, and one game for Whiting. Incredulously, all six players are allowed to play in the Sugar Bowl on January 4.

December 23, 2010: Jim Tressel and Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith hold a press conference, announcing the findings and sanctions.

January 13, 2011: Ohio State's office of legal affairs stumble upon Tressel's email correspondence with Chris Cicero. They conduct a search of the email accounts of all members of the football staff, and discover that no one else knew of the players' contact with Edward Rife before December 2010.

January 16, 2011: Jim Tressel is questioned by Ohio State officials, and he acknowledges his contact with Chris Cicero.

February 2, 2011: Ohio State offensive lineman recruit Chris Carter is arrested the day before Signing Day on a charge of sexual imposition. He is accused of fondling up to eight girls at his high school under the pretense of measuring them for ROTC uniforms. Despite having a confession from Carter, authorities drop the charges five days later, and Carter is allowed to sign with Ohio State.

February 8, 2011: During an interview with NCAA and Ohio State officials, Jim Tressel admits that he knew violations were committed when he did not report what Cicero told him.

March 7, 2011: Yahoo! Sports reports that a source has told them that Jim Tressel knew of the violations in April 2010 and did not tell anyone else. Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith accelerates the process of the completion of the university's self-report.

March 8, 2011: Ohio State releases its report, disclosing Tressel's violation and announcing a two-game suspension and $250,000 fine for the head coach.

March 17, 2011: Ohio State and Jim Tressel announce that the two-game suspension will be increased to five.

March 25, 2011: It is revealed that Jim Tressel in fact didn't keep the email correspondence with Chris Cicero all to himself. He forwarded the mails to Ted Sarniak, the Jeannette businessman with an affinity for giving gifts to police officers, and friend and mentor of Terrelle Pryor from Pryor's days as the #1 recruit in the nation at Jeannette High School.

April 25, 2011: The NCAA delivers a notice of allegations to Ohio State and Tressel, accusing Tressel of failing to "deport himself in accordance with the honesty and integrity normally associated with the conduct and administration of intercollegiate athletics as required by NCAA legislation and violated ethical-conduct legislation when he failed to report information concerning violations of NCAA legislation and permitted football student-athletes to participate in intercollegiate athletics competition while ineligible."

May 1, 2011: Ohio State linebacker Dorian Bell is suspended for the entire 2011 season for an unspecified violation of team rules, with all rumors pointing to a persistant marijuana issue. Bell immediately leaves school with the intent to transfer; his hometown Pitt Panthers turn him away.

May 7, 2011: The Columbus Dispatch reports that Ohio State will investigate used-car purchases by dozens of Ohio State athletes at two Columbus car dealerships. The Dispatch discovers that at least eight athletes and 11 athletes' relatives bought used cars from two specific dealerships during the past five years.

May 23, 2011: Former Ohio State basketball player Mark Titus posts a lengthy blog post detailing his eyewitness accounts of "an unusually high volume of brand new Dodge Chargers driving around on campus, and just about all of them had tinted windows and rims on the outside with Ohio State football players behind the wheel on the inside."

May 25, 2011: Former Ohio State receiver Ray Small tells the Ohio State student newspaper that he sold items for cash during his time at Ohio State, and he also mentions that "the best deals came from the car dealerships." After facing blistering criticism from former and current Ohio State players, in addition to Ohio State fans, Small backtracks on his story, saying the newspaper twisted his words.

May 27, 2011: Ohio State announces that it will not disclose the correspondence between Jim Tressel and the Jeannette businessman, Ted Sarniak.

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Nothing Ohio State has accomplished in the last ten years is valid anymore. From Clarett, to Smith, to Pryor, and all the others in between, with the cars and the cash and the discounts and the cutting of corners, Ohio State is essentially an SEC school operating in the Midwest. Tressel is a proven, documented cheater, and if the NCAA has any balls at all, they will slap him with a show-cause order, blackballing him from ever coaching again. He has successfully manipulated his public perception so he comes across as a righteous, homely, ethically pure gentleman, when the reality is he's basically a gangster, willing to do whatever it takes to win, and turning a blind eye toward the corruption that he himself endorses. He distanced himself from Ray Isaac at Youngstown when the NCAA came calling. He distanced himself from Maurice Clarett while simultaneously shredding Clarett's credibility when he tried to destroy Ohio State. If some injustice is committed and he somehow survives this latest storm, he will distance himself from Terrelle Pryor and his friends, too.

Tressel entered into a perfect marriage with Ohio State back in the winter of 2001. A native son with enormous success at a lower level, but more than ready to take the next step. And a school so desperate to reverse their fortunes in that final game in late November, so eager to erase the sour taste of 2-10-1 from their mouths, willing to sell their souls at all costs if it means claiming dominance over "That School Up North." That is the culture of Ohio State football. The means don't matter whatsoever. As long as the end is a victory over Michigan, they will tolerate anything that comes their way. And now they deserve the darkest of fates. They knew what they were getting in Tressel: a faux-superior thug, who shares the win at all costs mentality of his followers. They are essentially a hostile regime, with Tressel leading the masses in "Death to Michigan" chants. And any dissenters, anyone who dares speak out against the regime - Kirk Herbstreit, Bruce Hooley, Mark Titus, Ray Small - is thrown to the wolves, their credibility and character put through the meat grinder by the bloodthirsty masses. The brainwashed followers, from the dusty streets of Youngstown to the outskirts of Cincinnati, from the shores of Lake Erie and Glenville High School to the backwoods of Westerville, and Centerville, and the epicenter in Columbus, they all march in lockstep as Senator Tressel commands them. And eventually, he will lead them off the cliff, and they will follow him without question, even it means their own destruction.

Ding-Dong!! The Fraud is Gone!!!

The other day I was listening to Mel Kiper talk about how Tressel only made a mistake but that he would still love to send a son to play for him at OSU if he had one....Tressel is a FRAUD....he put on a persona that he was the atypical coach...the scholarly father figure for his boys.....He was a liar, a cheat, and a disgrace to college football.....the  article below I think sums it up best.

Only just that U-M benefit from Tressel's resignation (very long) ...

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Bri’onte Dunn, come on down? With the news of Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel’s resignation, the four-star running back and others are now back on the market. And the “family atmosphere” that proved to be nothing more than a facade and a house of cards in Columbus is real and alive in Ann Arbor, and it could lead to a seismic shift in Midwest power.

It would be a just occurrence given the stacked deck the Wolverines have played against for the last decade.

Several state of Ohio recruits have said in recent months they’d wait to see what happened to Tressel before deciding to commit (or, in Dunn’s case, de-commit). All eyes are now on Dunn, defensive ends Se’Von Pittman and Adolphus Washington, wide receiver Dwayne Stanford and so many others who could help create a monster recruiting class. And while the company line in Columbus will no doubt be “stay the course with [assistant and interim coach] Luke Fickell," how can recruits - or anyone else, for that matter - be certain Fickell and the rest of the Buckeyes coaches will be around a year from now? That it won’t be discovered that they, too, had knowledge of the goings-on in Columbus?

It’s hardly a far-fetched notion, and frankly, who wouldn’t consider that at this point?

For years we’ve been implying Tressel wasn’t what he appeared; rather, a snake in a sweatervest. Finally - thanks, in part, to the Feds’ involvement in Ed Rife’s tattoo-gate - we get an inevitable conclusion to what amounts to 10 years of fraud, capped by juicy details that are sure to come in Sports Illustrated and elsewhere, some of which are already leaking and that have reportedly led to further suspensions for the players involved.

As one good friend of mine, a respected attorney and Michigan grad wrote this morning, “You just have to know that this hasty resignation is motivated by (1) the soon-to-be-published SI article and (2) a hope by the administration that if his resignation is offered up as a sacrificial lamb to the NCAA, the NCAA will go lighter on them.”

Looking back, Tressel wasn’t OSU’s first choice to succeed John Cooper in 2001, and with a little digging, the Buckeyes brass probably could have found ample reason not to hire him.

But did they ever really care?

History would indicate no. “Just beat Michigan” was apparently good enough for the higher-ups, too, still reeling from the John Cooper era.

For the last several years, we’ve heard, one compliance department (not OSU’s, obviously) has been keeping its own file on the Buckeyes and their transgressions on the recruiting trail. It had gotten to be an inch and half thick, and that was as of three (or so) years ago.

We can only imagine what Tressel might have been thinking while Michigan was being investigated for practicing too many hours under head coach Rich Rodriguez. If he didn’t already feel like the cat that ate the canary …

There have been other, more public OSU transgressions, too, from running back Maurice Clarett to quarterbacks Troy Smith and - most recently - Terrelle Pryor. Publicly, it was the laissez-faire, “nothing to see here” attitude that seemed to make them all disappear. Folks close to it, though, told us it was the strong-arm tactics (like the kind that led to Clarett’s ex-communication from the program, to those more recently from former players (via Twitter) against Ray Small when he essentially told the truth about what’s been going on in Columbus for years) that really put the kybosh on the Buckeyes being exposed … and that it wasn’t just the players doing the strong-arming.

Protect the family at all costs, or risk alienation and excommunication - that was the “family atmosphere” in Columbus - but they’d begun to believe their own lies (Tressel included), and history indicates that’s usually the beginning of the end.

Word has it, though, that the bullying tactics weren’t flying recently like they once did. Essentially, many - and especially family members of kids - were getting tired of Tressel’s garbage. By year 10 he must have figured he could get away with anything, probably because he had for the better part of a decade, and his reactions - refusal to apologize, continuing his “stay the course” mentality - seem to indicate a guy who believed he was invincible.

Such signs were there years ago, too, which is why it stunned me when I spoke to a Michigan player’s dad a few years back and learned he was thinking of sending his kid to Ohio State from U-M, citing lack of family values as the rationale. It wasn’t my place to try to convince him otherwise - we don’t get involved in the process - but I do recall saying, ‘everyone has their skeletons, you know,’ thinking of Tressel, of course.

And you wonder now what Mike Boren and his family must be thinking having sent two of their kids to Columbus (and a third, Jacoby, on the way). For the record, I like Mike and had a great relationship with him. Hopefully the “Michigan Man” in him allows for some remorse and that he hasn’t been fully assimilated as a Buckeye (in other words, that he doesn’t share the line of thinking, “well, we have our two rings and didn’t lose to Michigan!” like much of the rest of the deluded OSU fan base).

If I were him, I’d be on the phone with Brady Hoke to ask him if he could use a hard-nosed fullback like son Zach, knowing that Hoke is beyond reproach and as much a real family man as there is. But that’s just me.

Where does Ohio State go from here? Hopefully not the way of some of the NCAA’s repeat offenders (many in the SEC) and doing what they’ve known - which, as one former Michigan standout you know well and who posts here, alleges has been going on since long before Tressel arrived. A former college roommate of mine who works with a former Buckeye quarterback, too, told me he was getting tired of hearing “they’re going to enjoy those bonus checks!” every year his Bucks beat Michigan, insinuating that he certainly enjoyed his “back in the day.”

My friend wasn’t certain if he was joking or not. It appears more and more that he wasn’t.

Maybe the Buckeyes surprise and look for their own Brady Hoke rather than the next snake oil salesman (oh, the irony) in a wizard hat trying to convince everyone how saintly he really is. More likely they’ll try to find the guy that can fix this mess quickly and get back to beating “That School Up North,” following the SEC “we just need to hide it better” model.

Either way, here’s hoping that Michigan benefits from OSU’s troubles, and that the worst of them get exposed. It would be the fitting and fair extension to Tressel’s fraudulent regime in Columbus.


 From the Wolverine .com  Chris Balas

Surprise! Surprise! It's raining again....time for Topps mega patches!!

This has to be one of the wettest springs on record...ton's of local baseball games and softball games for the high schools have been canceled this year....my 6th grade class trip to the WhiteCaps ( local Tigers affiliate Class A) got rained out the other day...maybe later it'll dry up....

Anyway did some scanning the other day and here's a couple of Topps mega patches that I pulled from Topps jumbo packs that I bought from All-Star SportsCards earlier this year where a good friend of mine works...can't wait for the 2nd series to come.

This is how you make a patch card.....a lot better than the old dime size swatches that a lot of cards claim to be "patch cards"...only thing missing on these babies would have been a nice autograph....oh well, one can only dream....

Bowman rack pack #4

Finishing up with rack pack #4...decent pack as well

Bowman veterans
J. Lester
R. Ludwick
V. Martinez
R. Braun
R. Oswalt
J. Mauer
S. Drew
G. Sanchez
RC  J. McGee
Told Helton   Gold  parallel
Chase Utley Green parallel  81/450

Prospects
Adam Warren
Matt Magill
Dan Straily
Evan Crawford

Chrome
Joel Careno
Mason Williams
Oswaldo Arcia
Blake Smith

Topps 100   Julio Teheran   ( top pitching prospects of the Braves)

on the whole with all 4 rack packs.... got some decent prospects, some refractors, some good inserts....no Bryce Harper    :)

Bowman rack pack #3

Rack pack #2 was better than #1 and it looks like #3 is slightly better than #2...maybe , maybe not although it had a nice pull....here we go:

Bowman Veterans
E. Andrus
A. Rodriguez
P. Hughes
J. DeLaRosa
I. Davis
M. Ramirez
J. Votto
M. Cuddyer
RC  card  J. Jeffress
Gold parallel--Ryan Howard

Prospects
S. Solis
G. Jacobo
D. Hooker
B. Fletcher


Chrome
Hector Noesi
J. Shuck
J. Gallagher
Adonis Cardona  Blue Refractor   127/250

Topps 100   Zach Britton

Topps of the Class   Greg Halman

Bowman rack pack #2

This rack pack was a bit better than the first one listed yesterday...although it did not take much to do that...some recognizable prospects and a parallel refractor....here's the breakdown

Bowman veterans
BJ Upton
D. Lowe
D. Wrighht
W. Davis
H. Kuroda
R. Dempster
M. Stanton
R. Cano
C. Gonzalez
H. Pence
Brian Matusz  gold parallel

Bowman Prospects
Austin Hyatt
Jim Gallagher
Jason Hagerty
Tony Walters

Bowman Chrome
Paul Goldschmidt ( one of the better Chromes I think)
Garin Cecchini
Kevin Mailloux
Hector Noesi ( Purple refractor  421/700)  one of the better pitching prospects of the Yankees)

Bowman's Brightest--Rich Poythress

Bowman rack pack pick up

Stopped by Target to grab a couple of things and thought I'd see if there were any Bowman rack packs or blasters left...figured they would probably be gone but lo, and behold, there were 4 rack packs left along with some blasters....some of the blogs had said the odds were better on some of the inserts compared to the blaster boxes...looking at the odds on both it appears to be the case so I grabbed the 4 rack packs and here's the results from rack pack number 1....(no pictures sorry, the guy who gave a me a scanner forgot the cords and is looking for them so no scanner at home yet)

Bowman veterans
F. Liriano
O. Hudson
T. Wood
Y. Gallardo
M. Young
C. Lee
C. Utley
C. Hamels
B. Roberts
Lars Anderson (RC..green)

Chrome
Michael Brenly
Willie Cabrera
Dee Gordon
Grant Green Bowman's Best

Prospects
Drake Britton
Kyle McPherson
Corey Jones ( Tigers, yeah!!)
Everett Teaford

Gold parallel--Jose Tabata

Green prospects--Adam Warren 153 / 450

Nothing noteworthy in this rack pack....hopefully we'll have better luck with the others

Gypsy Queen pull

I had to see what all the craze of the 2011 Gypsy Queen was all about so I broke down and bought a couple of blaster boxes....first box had nothing of consequence other than the minis had one red back....box number 2 however had these two pulls

 

I checked on ebay and there were no jersey relics yet that I have seen...just a couple of bat ones....odds were like 1:1,200 for a Munson pull so no complaints there...rather like the Thomas insert as well...saw him hit two homeruns against the Tigers at Comiskey Park before that stadium was torn down...Tigers did win though but he hit a couple of bombs

A couple of redemption trades

Nothing big...but a few Tigers none the less



  I got Bill Scherrer for George Hendricks    





   Tony Taylor   for Ken Aspromonte ( no picture was given at redemption)


   Pat Sheridan  for Aaron Rowand