Winded

Everything measured

With Big Ten media days in the rearview mirror, the weekend was spent catching up on what everyone fortunate enough to make the event had to say.

There was a little bit of an update on Donald Washington's situation. Tressel is sticking to his mischievous teen metaphor, saying Washington was "working hard to get his car keys back" after it was pointed out that sophomore Chimdi Chekwa is listed as a starter ahead of Washington in the media guide. The thinking is that D-Wash will have to sit out for the opener for the what-shall-remain-unnamed trouble he got into in the spring.

What do you do when your team has dropped two consecutive MNCs and you're worried about the group's psyche? You bring in guys that give off pheromones that exude clutch. Through his Y-town connections (former 49ers owner Ed DeBartolo Jr), the Vest arranged for Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Joe Montana and Roger Craig to speak to the Buckeyes this summer. Even though that 49er group won five Super Bowls and is synonymous with greatness, they also dropped four NFC Championship games and that lesson wasn't lost on the players.

Jason Lloyd of the Lorain Morning Journal scored an interview with Tressel and although the Senator deftly avoided a Eugene Clifford question, we do find out that he sent AD Gene Smith an email after the Tennessee series was announced that said "Shoot me if I'm on the sideline against the Vols." It's funny because when that game was announced, I'd have put money on the fact that it would have been Tressel still here over Phil Fulmer still being in Knoxville, but with Fulmer's contract extension (teflon Phil?) and Tressel's statement, I'm starting to wonder. I have honestly never contemplated life after Tresssel and now that I am doing that, it's scaring me a little. Even at Ohio State, most coaches aren't Tressels.

Brian Cook of MGoBlog managed to gain entrance to the Chicago event by producing 375 pages of printed UFRs. I think his first taste left him a little bit frustrated but he was able to ask an Illini about J Leman's American flag tie. That and he's the 948th person to come out of Jim Tressel press conference thinking the guy is boring. That's fine with us. You'll hear none of that "I'm a man! I'm 40!" coming out of Cbus.