By Last Updated on July 15, 2011
On Fridays I like to have a little fun and encourage some participation on the site with “What Would You Do?” This week I want to know what you would do if you were Gene Smith, Ohio State’s Athletic Director. I’ll leave this open-ended – you can speak to what you would have done over the past months as the Tressel scandal unfolded or what you would do going forward.
Can’t wait to see what you all would do if you were in Gene Smith’s shoes!
andrewhfine
July 15, 2011First thing I’d need to do is get a sense of perspective. The ridiculous stance that Smith and Gee have taken at OSU has shown how clueless they are as to what went on, and what the national perception of them is.
That being said, if OSU gets off with just the self imposed penalties, somebody needs to give Gene Smith a huge bonus, because he will have managed to bury a huge sports scandal and will have saved not only OSU football, but OSU athletics in general. It is a calculated risk, but one that may very well pay off.
He’s done the right thing by firing Tressel and continuing his mantra that he knew nothing. If it turns out he wasn’t aware of what was going on, then that’s exactly what he should have done. If he did know, he better be positive that he can keep that a secret. Otherwise he’ll have made things worse for OSU and himself.
http://www.third-and-four.com
Brian
July 15, 2011If I was gene Smith, I’d:
1. Hire a PR consultant to teach me how to do my job effectively, because clearly I don’t know how or when to have a press conference. That firm should be on retainer and take the lead on responding to anything beyond standard operations.
2. Further expand the compliance office and press it to become the best in the country.
3. Require all my coaches to make their teams nationally competitive or explain to me why they can’t. If it’s a resources problem, I’ll fix it.
4. Tell Nike to die in a fire and stop wearing alternate uniforms against Michigan. It’s OSU, not some mid major school desperate for attention.
5. Change my mind about using LeBron James uniforms in hoops out of consideration for all the Cleveland area alumni.
6. Ban ESPN from campus and any contact with OSU coaches, staff or players except for contractual obligations (no GameDay, no College Football Live, etc) for eternity
7. Similarly ban SI and the Columbus Dispatch
8. Stop holding any non-required press conferences and interview sessions for at least 1 year, just hire an internal reporter and post the video and transcripts on the website
mbidinger
July 16, 20111. Watch the ESPN 30 for 30 produced by Jalen Rose on the Fab 5 and Chris webber.
2. fight the NCAA and the joke they are to the bitter end.
3. Pay players royalties on jersey sales, etc.
4. Tell Roger Goddell to get his own farm system or start paying the university a fee.
Let’s all try to be grown ups this is big time money and 18-22 year olds are being exploited for billions of dollars, ask ESPN, CBS, etc.