Terry, Unfortunately, I can imagine life getting very difficult for an ex-Alabama player or an ex-Auburn player who was critical of their respective school on national TV or local tv, or hell, at the local PTA meeting for that matter. :?
Re: Herby.... I'm somewhere in the middle on this one....I will say that I like Herby, but do agree that often he goes over the top in his need to be professionally "objective". Some of his actions were clearly unnecessary , the "wouldn't send his son to Ohio State" was uncalled for and his personal criticisms of TP were in my view borderline unprofessional and seemingly directed toward TP in personal spat in which they are currently engaged. Can anybody imagine a circumstance in which Lou Holtz would make the same comment about ND? Corso FSU? Just unnecessary..... The straw that broke the camel's back was when after the Sugar Bowl victory, he dropped us from 6th to 9th in his AP poll. The lowest vote we got was for 9th place.....the were two - Chris Fowler and Herby. Seriously? Chris Spielman and Clark Kellogg do a quite professional job on air and don't have any problems whatsoever with Buckeye fans.....I do believe that much of Herby's issues with Buckeye fans are self-induced, but that said, I also understand that there are tens of thousands of nutcases that could make he and his family's life miserable in Columbus......I also think it has to be quite painful for them to have to leave.....they are moving to a nice spot tho, I spent ten years there myself......
I agree, BT. IMO he has changed as his popularity and TV exposure has increased. I onced liked him and considered him one of the nice guys on sports TV. However, lately, he has an increasing tendency to say things that make me do a mental double-take. I was not aware of the comments re: OSU that have been mentioned here, but early last season he said that ND's defense was like a high school team. There are more tactful ways to criticize a team's defense, but he charged right through the tact curtain. I'm guessing it's an ego thing. I also don't care for Fowler at all, but the three of them together are very entertaining on football Saturdays, so I watch and listen. Herbie and Fowler are like Barbra Streisand for me. I can't stand her wacko politics, but IMO, she's one of the greatest female singers of my generation. I don't think of her political beliefs when I'm listening to her music.
Ohio State fans go berserk when anyone says anything negative or when a coach doesn't beat Michigan. I'm sure Herbie has had his share of death threats or others promises of violence and he's taking his family elsewhere and I don't blame him. I think he's one of the best. p.s. ND fans revile him on the BBs because he doesn't fawn all over us.
Sid, Krebsie, As I said, I like Herby and believe he is one of the best and love the Gameday show. I do believe he has unnecessarily put himself in the crosshairs of Buckeye fans with a few very public missteps..... Spielman and Kellogg have both done many, many Buckeye games and have been critical on several occasions when the situation warrants in a professional manner and yet both are near deity status with the Buckeye faithful......now with Spielman, if given a death threat, Chris would likely give the guy his home address and tell him he'll be waiting for him in the driveway....hurry over. Re: Barbra - I feel exactly the same way.....
I think what we have here is a couple of differences. Primarily Texas has multiple fan bases and also has had a ton of growth from people moving here from other areas and with other allegiances in regards to College Sports. Which is why I think that if UT athlete achieved the level that Herby has he wouldn't have to move over criticism of his alma mater.
Terry, and Scott also, Do you think the same could be said for an Aggie alum as a sportscaster criticizing A&M and living in Texas?
Personally I would think so, we are such a huge state and there are so many people who didn't grow up here but moved here that I don't think we have the same unified mindset that a state like Ohio or Alabama.
Interesting. Texas has pro sports as well. Alabama has no pro teams and a long long legacy of great college football. So I guess I see the difference.
Might be part of the answer, but Ohio has Pro Sports and a long history of Pro Sports. I just think that Ohio State is so dominant in college sports in Ohio, and that doesn't exist in Texas.
I see that Tressel has been apologizing with out once using the word "I"....it's all we. Seems odd that the current situation is because "he" didn't report what "he" knew to his superiors as "his" contract and NCAA rules require. But the guilt is "we". Very odd.
I'm not sure what you're reading TOK, but that is not accurate. He opened his talk at the Hall of Fame luncheon in Canton with a personal apology, the most public of his appearances since the news..... As I mentioned earlier, there is more to the story yet to be told but must await the completion of the federal investigation.....Smith made that point at the intial press conference hastily called when a leak to Yahoo forced their hand.....
It's a Big Con....it's the ultimate Sting....you've made Tressel your Oswald....all in an attempt to get the guy to the left of this post. That's pathetic Buck T. "A" for Effort though. :lol:
I hear ya Husker, as I thought....trust me, I love Bo and his time will come, but right now, there isn't anybody else in the game that I would rather have leading our program than JT. It's possible that once details of the current situation become public the nature of Coach's missteps could be so bad as to completely change my view or it's possible that the NCAA compels him to resign, but unless either of those happens - and I don't believe them to be very likely - he's the only guy I want on the sideline in Columbus.....talk to me in about 10 years or so..... :wink:
Clearly there is more to the story....an article from one of the Buckeye boards dissecting a tidbit from his most recent speaking engagement. My sense as to why Pres Gee and AD Smith offered such strong statements of support and "implicit trust" in JT given their detailed knowledge of the events seems to have some merit.....time will tell. http://www.the-ozone.net/football/2011/Tresselaffair/tresselspecutlation.html