On Jim Tressel's Resignation

The coach of my most hated rival, who has kicked our butts for the last decade, has self-destructed to the point of resignation in a torrent of accusations and suspicions. I should be wagging my finger, jumping for joy, and gloating, but I can't but feel sad through this all. Here's why.

Reason #1 - I'm a Christian first, Michigan fan second

First, here are two must-read snippets from the SI Article that sealed his fate:

"[The community] took equal pride in Tressel. He wore his Christian values on his sweater vest and founded a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Tressel was especially skilled at taking troubled kids and molding them into a team. "A lot of [players] came from broken homes," Cochran says. "They'd see [Tressel] as a fatherly model.""

"One of Tressel's duties then was to organize and run the Buckeyes' summer camp. Most of the young players who attended it would never play college football, but a few were top prospects whom Ohio State was recruiting. At the end of camp, attendees bought tickets to a raffle with prizes such as cleats and a jersey. According to his fellow assistant, Tressel rigged the raffle so that the elite prospects won -- a potential violation of NCAA rules. Says the former colleague, who asked not to be identified because he still has ties to the Ohio State community, "In the morning he would read the Bible with another coach. Then, in the afternoon, he would go out and cheat kids who had probably saved up money from mowing lawns to buy those raffle tickets. That's Jim Tressel.""

The second quote in there about the raffle is probably going to become extremely well-known, and it is really sad to see the fall of another big Christian leader. Even though Tressel isn't known for being a Christian as are Ted Haggard, Pat Robertson, or the many others that have given Christianity a bad name, it certainly doesn't help our cause. It's sad to see the fall of whom many have considered a man of faith and a man of integrity. It's sad to see Jim Tressel being added to the list of "Christian hypocrites" that critics of our faith like to keep and remind us of.

Reason #2 - Even as a Michigan fan, I feel betrayed

For years, I have held Jim Tressel with the highest respect. He deeply cared about the rivalry, but even defended Michigan against the whole practice-time scandal. I believed he was above all the recruiting scandals and coaching drama of the SEC. I believed that he was a really classy guy and that he treated the Michigan program with the highest respect. Above all, I believed he was a worthy opponent.I always spoke highly of him, and often defended his program against critics (often for the sake of the Big Ten).

Then this all came out. I'm far from any loyalty to the OSU football program, but I can't help but feel betrayed. The critics of the Big Ten have more material than they ever have, and the nation is bashing the man I can no longer defend.This all said, I still see Jim Tressel as a classy guy , and I still believe in the general integrity of the man, with his one downfall being ignorance and inaction.

Reason #3 - I would rather lose to an honest opponent rather than a cheater.

It's unclear whether or not the cheating at Ohio State translated to success on the football field, but I would rather lose to an honest opponent rather than a cheater. Some Michigan fans point at OSU's problems and rejoice that the OSU football success has been all a sham, as that somehow nullifies all of the wins that OSU has had. However, the scandal only frustrates me more and makes me wish OSU hadn't been stupid and gotten themselves in trouble.

Imagine: you play cards with your friend every week, where he beats you 90% of the time. After 10 years of playing with him, he tells you that he's been cheating the whole time when he's been playing against you. Would you be mad at him for breaking the integrity of the game or would you be happily pointing your finger at him and say "All those games you won are now invalid and nullified!"? If it was me, I would be mad. I would rather lose fairly than lose unfairly.

Wrap-up

Even though I'm excited for the future of Michigan's football program, it's sad to see Tressel go down like this.  Like many of the Ohio State players and fans have said these last few years, the rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State is the most meaningful and the most fun when both are programs are successful. I don't just want to beat a downed Ohio State team. I want to beat them at their best. Hopefully all this will soon pass, and we'll see in the near future creation as God meant it to be - Michigan and Ohio State at the top of the national rankings.

Lloyd Carr and Jim Tressel midfield before the 2006 "Game of the Century"