Congratulations to the Columbus Blue Jackets on their awesome season that undoubtedly converted thousands of people into Blue Jackets fans. And congrats to the fans who stayed after the 4-3 series-ending loss to cheer the hometown team. That was sweet.
The Blue Jackets will be back, and like the city of Columbus, they are on the ascendancy.
I was going to make a snide comment about Pittsburgh having to return a town of dying industry crippled by opiate addiction, but then I realized I could be owned with, "Wait, aren't you from Marion?"
I refuse to give my haters that kind of pleasure this early in the morning.
ROBY HAS A DATE WITH THE JUDGE. Former Ohio State standout Bradley Roby is due in the Halls of Justice today as Franklin County continues their attempt to hang an OVI case on him.
Yesterday, a 911 call leaked in which a caller claimed a black Dodge Charger (it's always a Charger) with Georgia license plates "almost hit a bunch of kids" and "the driver is now passed out drunk on the side of BBR." (The Arena District has not been kind to Ohio State footballers.)
Thanks to Kyle's reporting (and Roby himself) we know he wasn't anywhere close to being legally drunk at the time police approached him (roughly 4:15 PM, according to the breathalyzer receipt).
That leaves drugs or sleep deprivation (which is very real, I can speak from experience). If it's the former, Roby could be vindicated by his urine.
I guess we'll find out more today.
THAD MATTA IS (HISTORICALLY) GREAT. Thad Matta is a great coach, that given this stat from assistant coach Jeff Boals, is criminally underrated:
First 14 years as a head coach in the history of the NCAA, where does Thad Matta stand in all-time wins? pic.twitter.com/5jRMENg5D8
— Jeff Boals (@JeffBoals) April 28, 2014
That's some great company, and something worth remembering next year when we're grumbling about a grind-it-out, Tuesday night victory over a "scrappy" Purdue team.
TRESSEL'S UPHILL CLIMB FOR A PRESIDENCY. Jim Tressel is currently seeking the presidency at both Youngstown State and the University of Akron. If it were anybody else, it'd be considered blind ambition, but we all know Jim Tressel to be above the average pitfalls of humanity.
Yesterday, The Youngstown Vindicator ran an intriguing piece on the challenges of presiding over a university and if Tressel is qualified for the job(s):
[Tressel's] supporters for the YSU job, with its roughly $179 million operating budget, tout his leadership style and fundraising prowess — prized skills in these days of dwindling state dollars.
[...]
“I wouldn’t say that fundraising trumps everything else,” said Kevin P. Reilly, presidential adviser for leadership at the American Council on Education. “Is it increasingly important? Absolutely.”
[...]
“Of the people I know, no one is really backing him,” [President of Akron's faculty union, Stephen] Weeks said. “From what I hear, he was a very good coach, but it’s not the same as running a university — which is a $400 million institution. It seems that people who are really into sports think he’s a really good guy.”
Contrary to E. Gordon Gee's meteoric rise through America's higher education system, there is apparently more to university presidencies than glad-handing and ginning money out of alumni and supporters.
Maybe that's so, but I think Tressel has proven he's capable of quick adaption. Youngstown State hiring him would create a great splash for the university, and if there's any area needing a splash it's Bomb City, USA.
STANFORD RECRUITING. I know the "They didn't play Stanford football" joke has gotten a lot of run in these halls, but I've never had a problem with Stanford or how they do business. I also liked David Shaw even before I read this interview in USA Today:
Q: Sticking with Northwestern – sort of. A week or so ago, Pat Fitzgerald derided the use of star rankings from recruiting services, saying he doesn't use them, doesn't focus on them, has no use for them. At Stanford, have you found any utility from recruiting services in identifying recruits or are you and the staff using an organic search for prospects without using that information?
A: This is something I learned with the Oakland Raiders, working for Al Davis and Jon Gruden – and that combination was a whole other topic, but it's fascinating, because their ideas were, let's take the guy that fits us. I don't care if a guy gets cut from someplace else as a free agent, we don't care if no one else wants to draft this guy. If he fits us, we want him. The same exact thing in Baltimore with (general manager) Ozzie Newsome. Is this guy a Raven or is he not a Raven? We don't care about anything else. And we've taken that same mentality here. Coach (Jim) Harbaugh would say, "Hey, is he a tough son of a gun? If he's not, then let's pass on him. We don't care if he's been offered by the entire country."
If we question his toughness, then we can't take him. I've continued that on here. The games are won by the players on the field. And they need to be mentally, physically and emotionally tough human beings in order to win a tight, close game against Oregon. To win a tight, close game against Arizona State. Those are tough, tough situations. The guys who don't fold are the guys who find a way to win.
Just a little something to keep in mind about Ohio State's lethargic start to the 2015 class while the likes of Auburn and Alabama collect stars like they're playing Mario 64.
BRAXTON MILLER IS GOOD. I feel with the two-game losing streak to end the season that Braxton's another guy underrated in some circles.
Thanks to 11Wer DWright, here's a refresher course. We're lucky to have him for another year.
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