Tressel Out (per Columbus Dispatch)

Oh God oh God oh God let Saban get the tOSU job!

[/vol fanboi]

 

That's my guess too. Sports Illustrated and Yahoo writers don't have to worry about losing their jobs if they upset a conference they're partnered with. ESPN, however, has that issue.

 

The fixing traffic tickets for Isaac is new. So was the running the sham raffle in the 80s. Both pretty shady if true.

 

It really shouldn't be that tricky. Tattooists' quotes are based on an hourly rate and how long they think it will take to do the tattoo.

I don't know about Columbus, but the rates where I live come out to roughly $100 an hour. So a very small tattoo is going to run $50, a medium-sized one $100 and anything larger is going to go up accordingly. You see a guy with a new sleeve, either he spent $1,000+ or the tattooist is his friend. Same with a massive back tattoo or even a half-sleeve, etc.

Whenever I see a college kid with a ton of tattoos, I'm often curious how he came up with the money to do all that.

 

Saban is not allowed to leave Alabama. That is the price of having a statue of yourself errected.

 

Yeah, I don't see why any coach with a great job now would leave for Ohio State. The NCAA will (hopefully) come down heavily on the Buckeyes. You want to build a program with scholarships gone and many other sanctions? I'm sure many people don't envy Lane Kiffin's next couple of years.

The best bet is some up-and-coming coach, some hot assistant, or let Fickell keep it going for an extended period of time.

 

As for custom tattoos, yes, the price is determined by the artist based on the labor costs (estimated time x general rate per hour). But in most places, all the individual items of tattoo flash (the displayed designs), have a set price based on the aforementioned formula no matter who's getting the work done.

 

Whomever the next coach is will end up paying for Tressel's sins. More oversight, more scrutiny and No. The expectations won't go down.

 

"The password is marijuana. Marijuana."

I've seen several news reports since SI came out with it, and they hooked on the pot-for-merch right off the top.

And, the idea of these two tattoo parlors as Buckeye amusement parks paints quite the picture.

 

That was the part that got me. Tattoos are legal. Last time I checked, pot is not.

 

I agree it is excellent reporting, but it also raises an issue I discussed with a colleague tonight.

I sure would not want to work at a paper/station in a major (read BCS) university town, where so much of the sports scene -- and indeed the town itself --- revolves around a certain team at that level. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to be an effective investigative reporter. No one wants to talk to you. Everyone at the school --- and quite possibly outside of it, too -- loathes the very sight of you. Because you bring bad news. It's a thousand and one unnamed and off the record sources. Countless phone calls and emails pursuing leads that most of the time go nowhere. Unsubstantiated rumours of someone doing or saying something they shouldn't have.

Even when you do all of your due diligence, get all of your facts straight, get your sources on tape and put together a blockbuster of a story.... what's your reward? Are you the most hated person in the community? Certainly stories need to be told, no doubt. But there are many, many boosters, fans, alumni, university personnel and others who would doubtlessly prefer to turn a blind eye and go on pursuing another championship, as phoney as it all may be.

I suspect these guys/gals get death threats. Hell, I've gotten them over unflattering -- but true -- comments over high school sports, for pete's sake. I can only imagine what these types go through.

I realize they are a different breed. I would take no personal satisfaction in bringing down someone else -- deserved or not. It's hard enough dealing with the pros and their overinflated egos at times. But in a strange way, I think the colleges may be worse.

Maybe part of it is our fault. Through our stories, we build these people (athletes and coaches alike) to a place of far greater perceived importance than they should be. So Ohio State cheats a little bit and maybe loses a few football games? Who the bleep cares? Apparently, far too many people, who should have far more important things to focus on.

When a politician makes a major goof-up, we report it, people brow beat them and then seem to forget. We treat our athletic heroes the same way, though they have far less actual impact on the lives of the common person.

I don't have any illusions that Tressel's outster will somehow stop all that is wrong with big-time collegiate sports. It's reached the point where any successful team automatically falls under a cloud of suspicion, similar to what the steriod scandal has done to baseball, cycling and track and field. Sad, but true.

 

To an extent, it is. At least in some states.

Of course, then you have to be certified, which also costs money.