Ohio taxpayers are, in essence, sending that kid to school FOR FREE. When he is tendered a scholarship offer, to continue to attend The Ohio State University AT NO COST TO HIM OR HIS FATHER, he better have the understanding that if rules are consistently bent and broken, there will be consequences.

Young men make mistakes — think back to when you were an 18 year old kid. But there’s only so many times you can give those young men second chances, especially when there is no sign of growth or maturation.

What I do want is for Small’s Dad to STFU.

Tressel isn’t kicking Small off the team for one violation of team rules. He has been suspended from the team for at least the third instance (the ones we know of) of violating team rules. One thing Tressel has said in the past is that all diciplinary action taken is partially based on a player’s disciplinary record.

I’m not questioning Tressel, doofus! I said the punishment he handed out was the same punishment I’d have done in his position. I’m questioning the armchair offensive coordinators and quarterbacks on this blog who think Small should be kicked off the team. I personally would bet my entire meager personal fortune that if Ray Small had 35 catches for 700 yards and 8 touchdowns this season, people here would be begging for Tressel to have mercy on the young man.

And I’m sorry, I’d sooner kick a kid off the team when they do something that could endanger another human being’s life, like a DUI, then kicking them off for acting like a kid in college. I guess that makes me a bad person.

Starters being replaced by second stringers isn’t a bad thing. It happens all the time. Youngsters gain confidence and experience and their natural ability might allow them to pass someone ahead of them in the depth chart. Thats a good thing and is NOT symptomatic of anything other than a heathy and competitive team environment. Now if a THIRD or FOURTH teamer slid into the starting lineup…now THAT would and should set off alarm bells.

Please remember, at this level of football, athletic ability alone will not get you a job. You need to know play responsibilities so completely that you don’t think about them. Because if you take time to think, you are out of position. Thats why players like Brewster and Shugarts, who came into Cbus with more athletic ability than that out of shape tub of goo at RG were unable to break into the starting lineup right away.

YOUR RIGHT ON TIME! lol