In what is a case of “it was only a matter of time”, the sanctimonious, holier-than-the-SEC commissioner of the Big Ten has reared his head and issued a statement regarding the “situation” at Ohio State and the resignation of head coach Jim Tressel.
Also as expected, the statement consists of nothing but the hollow, meaningless tripe we’ve come to expect from Jim Delany.Since Ohio State discovered and received information indicating possible violations in its football program in December 2010, it has consistently reported the information in a timely and collaborative way to the NCAA. The Big Ten Conference regards this approach as fundamental and necessary and has confidence that Ohio State will continue in this manner with regard to any newly discovered or reported information.
Coach Jim Tressel has made positive contributions to Ohio State and its student athletes during his tenure. He has also acknowledged making a serious mistake and his resignation today is an indication that serious mistakes have serious consequences.
Ohio State is scheduled to appear before the NCAA in August 2011 to adjudicate these matters.
Of course, the situation that ultimately led to Tressel’s demise wasn’t serious enough to prevent Delany from (reportedly) stumping for the Buckeye Five to be permitted to play in the Sugar Bowl -- against an SEC foe -- thus delaying their five-game suspensions until the start of the 2011 season.
Hey, Commissioner Delany, you know that sound you just heard? It was the Big Ten’s moral high ground being ripped out from underneath your throne. Enjoy.
