Publisher's Notebook
The Urban Meyer fiasco
Publisher Bruce Trogdon
Yes, that is what I would call the whole Urban Meyer suspension. Fiasco. This week our online poll shifts to a subject that I enjoy even more than politics. Football.
Before we get to the juicy stuff, last week’s poll asked about my own political leanings, since I have lately been getting more flack from conservatives than liberals. The reader poll turned out about where I thought it would. When asked if I am a liberal or conservative, a 50 percent majority said conservative.
The second highest number of votes went for moderate – 16.7 percent. I appreciate that, because I work hard in life to be more that way, though it admittedly does not come naturally. Next came the 12.8 percent who think that I am actually a Libertarian, which is also pretty observant. As for the 10.6 percent that pegged me as a liberal – my wife got a big laugh out of that one.
She knows me best. So I asked her if she voted and she said that actually yes, she did. She voted with the minority 9.9 percent that said “Neither, he’s just a radical in general!”
Speaking of radicals, I am one in my opinions about this week’s subject, Buckeye football. Lifelong fan. I have subscribed for years to a website called Bucknuts, where I enjoy following recruiting, etc. One of the editors there likes to always preface his comments with “Hey, we are called bucknuts for a reason, not buckrational!
Keep that in mind as I share my opinion on the Urban Meyer situation. When it comes to my Buckeyes, I enjoy indulging the radical side my wife knows so well.
This week’s poll question is “Should OSU Head Football Coach Urban Meyer be fired?” Vote for (a) Yes, he allowed an abuser to coach his players; (b) Yes, he lied to the public; © No, he turned in his information to higher-ups and there were no charges filed; (d) No, this “me too” thing has gone too far; or (e) No, AD Gene Smith should be fired instead.
Not a moderate on this one, I would pick (e), that if anything Athletic Director Gene Smith should be fired instead. In fact, I might fire OSU President Michael Drake, too. To me, this whole thing has been handled terribly.
Admittedly, part of this is the fan in me talking, but to me, there is no way Urban Meyer should have been suspended. It looks to me like a CYA operation by Drake and Gene Smith to take heat off themselves. They were already dealing with sexual abuse charges against the wrestling team doctor and another allegation about a diving coach.
Leadership allowing their successful football coach to twist in the wind while a “blue ribbon” investigative panel “investigates” seems very cowardly. Of course, I am still sore about them firing the tremendously acclaimed band director a few years back for similar political reasons.
For those of you living under a rock, Meyer fired longtime wide receivers coach Zach Smith, but maybe not soon enough. Smith’s ex-wife accused him multiple times with domestic violence but he was not charged. Meyer says that he reported the allegations up the leadership chain to the AD. So where is the crime?
I will say that Urban Meyer is guilty of being a little too cocky and pompous for my taste. That is not all that unusual for a football coach (or ahem, president for that matter). As a Buckeye fan, I have long considered Zach Smith a weak football coach who acted like a jerk on Twitter. It seems obvious to me that Meyer kept Smith on staff as a favor to Smith’s grandfather, legendary Ohio State coach Earl Bruce (who died recently).
That was poor judgment on Meyer’s part. But if the athletic director did not like it, why did he recently give Urban Meyer a contract extension? What exactly is Meyer guilty of?
Lying to the media at the Big Ten media days? When Meyer was asked about Zach Smith being arrested in 2015, he said he knew nothing about that. Because Smith was NOT arrested, reporter Brett McMurphy was wrong. After the interview, McMurphy silently edited his story on Facebook and changed his wording from arrested to investigated. I also think that the McMurphy story may have been planted by fired ex-Buckeye and now Michigan football coach Ed Warriner. Maybe it was hastily reported inaccurately.
To this admittedly biased Buckeye fan, Meyer should have simply been forced to apologize to the media and fans for not answering the question more openly and honestly at Media Day. On his own, he did exactly that last Friday. This should have been the end of the story without further damaging the Ohio State brand.
Before we get to the juicy stuff, last week’s poll asked about my own political leanings, since I have lately been getting more flack from conservatives than liberals. The reader poll turned out about where I thought it would. When asked if I am a liberal or conservative, a 50 percent majority said conservative.
The second highest number of votes went for moderate – 16.7 percent. I appreciate that, because I work hard in life to be more that way, though it admittedly does not come naturally. Next came the 12.8 percent who think that I am actually a Libertarian, which is also pretty observant. As for the 10.6 percent that pegged me as a liberal – my wife got a big laugh out of that one.
She knows me best. So I asked her if she voted and she said that actually yes, she did. She voted with the minority 9.9 percent that said “Neither, he’s just a radical in general!”
Speaking of radicals, I am one in my opinions about this week’s subject, Buckeye football. Lifelong fan. I have subscribed for years to a website called Bucknuts, where I enjoy following recruiting, etc. One of the editors there likes to always preface his comments with “Hey, we are called bucknuts for a reason, not buckrational!
Keep that in mind as I share my opinion on the Urban Meyer situation. When it comes to my Buckeyes, I enjoy indulging the radical side my wife knows so well.
This week’s poll question is “Should OSU Head Football Coach Urban Meyer be fired?” Vote for (a) Yes, he allowed an abuser to coach his players; (b) Yes, he lied to the public; © No, he turned in his information to higher-ups and there were no charges filed; (d) No, this “me too” thing has gone too far; or (e) No, AD Gene Smith should be fired instead.
Not a moderate on this one, I would pick (e), that if anything Athletic Director Gene Smith should be fired instead. In fact, I might fire OSU President Michael Drake, too. To me, this whole thing has been handled terribly.
Admittedly, part of this is the fan in me talking, but to me, there is no way Urban Meyer should have been suspended. It looks to me like a CYA operation by Drake and Gene Smith to take heat off themselves. They were already dealing with sexual abuse charges against the wrestling team doctor and another allegation about a diving coach.
Leadership allowing their successful football coach to twist in the wind while a “blue ribbon” investigative panel “investigates” seems very cowardly. Of course, I am still sore about them firing the tremendously acclaimed band director a few years back for similar political reasons.
For those of you living under a rock, Meyer fired longtime wide receivers coach Zach Smith, but maybe not soon enough. Smith’s ex-wife accused him multiple times with domestic violence but he was not charged. Meyer says that he reported the allegations up the leadership chain to the AD. So where is the crime?
I will say that Urban Meyer is guilty of being a little too cocky and pompous for my taste. That is not all that unusual for a football coach (or ahem, president for that matter). As a Buckeye fan, I have long considered Zach Smith a weak football coach who acted like a jerk on Twitter. It seems obvious to me that Meyer kept Smith on staff as a favor to Smith’s grandfather, legendary Ohio State coach Earl Bruce (who died recently).
That was poor judgment on Meyer’s part. But if the athletic director did not like it, why did he recently give Urban Meyer a contract extension? What exactly is Meyer guilty of?
Lying to the media at the Big Ten media days? When Meyer was asked about Zach Smith being arrested in 2015, he said he knew nothing about that. Because Smith was NOT arrested, reporter Brett McMurphy was wrong. After the interview, McMurphy silently edited his story on Facebook and changed his wording from arrested to investigated. I also think that the McMurphy story may have been planted by fired ex-Buckeye and now Michigan football coach Ed Warriner. Maybe it was hastily reported inaccurately.
To this admittedly biased Buckeye fan, Meyer should have simply been forced to apologize to the media and fans for not answering the question more openly and honestly at Media Day. On his own, he did exactly that last Friday. This should have been the end of the story without further damaging the Ohio State brand.
