The madness finally arrived this week. No, I'm not talking about the NCAA Tournament; I'm talking about the Bucknuts move to 247sports.
I want to thank everyone who has made their way over here, and to anyone who hasn't, we're still hoping to see you come aboard. Site changes are usually never met with universal praise, but give it some time and we think you will settle in and like where things are going.
Meanwhile, we're in a strange time for Ohio State sports. It seems like we're living in a world with two separate skies, and one is filled with sunshine while the other is filled with storm clouds. Hopefully we'll be living under the sunny sky all throughout the NCAA Tournament, but who knows when the storm will clear from the other.
That is, unfortunately, where we'll start off this version of Kirk's Clicks.
Media on the attack... Jim Tressel has always carried a squeaky-clean image and never has a bad word to say about anyone publicly, but that doesn't mean there haven't been people in the media that haven't been turned off by him for years. Tressel's style with the media in the past has usually been very vanilla and bland, and for many writers he embodies the definition of talking a lot but saying very little.
In short, he's not very exciting for these guys to cover, and some of them have surely been annoyed during the times when he answers their pointed questions with a long, wordy, unclear response.
Now that there's blood in the water, the sharks are starting to circle.
There weren't many kind words written about Tressel this week after he apologized publicly and imposed an extra three games on top of his two-game suspension. The Sporting News called it laughable. SI's Andy Staples says that Tressel's decision won't stop what might be on the way. CBS's Dennis Dodd says the suspension is a sign that more trouble lies underneath. Also weighing in were College Football News, Adam Rittenberg, and CBS even hunted down once-caught-red-handed liar George O'Leary to get his opinion.
This is likely the tone that we'll see from the national media (or even some of the local media) in the months ahead, if not longer. For a more balanced opinion, Chris Spielman might be the way to go.
Meanwhile, one of the most pressing questions from Buckeye fans now is who will be head coach when Tressel is gone? ESPN's Ivan Maisel says that regardless of who is on the sidelines during the game, it'll still be Tressel.
A recruit to remember?... Dublin Scioto tight end/defensive end Jamare Mills was discussed during the previous recruiting season as an under-the-radar diamond in the rough. Ohio State and several other schools supposedly had their eye on him, although he didn't make the cut academically.
Mills was asked on Twitter recently where he is going to college, and he gave an interesting answer -- he wants to go to Wisconsin or Ohio State after he finishes his time at Fork Union Military Academy next year.
A nice distraction... If any of our male readers are looking for something to get their mind off the latest "Tresselgate" news, maybe Esquire's Sexiest Woman Alive tournament will do the trick. Or maybe this Cougar Madness bracket posted at SI's Hot Clicks is your thing.
Miscellany...
* Where will future Big Ten football championship games and basketball tournaments be held? Possibly all in the same city.
* Photo of the week... what a basketball head
* Iowa and Nebraska will be doing a Big Ten first -- playing their new rivalry game on the Friday after Thanksgiving.
* Ready for Big Ten hockey? It could be almost here.
Video picks of the week...
* Thad Matta let his feelings be known on the Fab Five in this unearthed video.
* Here's a slightly to mildly amusing parody of CBS's Selection Special from Saturday Night Live.
* Bob Knight wasn't ready for his closeup during this interview.
* You wonder what causes someone to want to do this.
* Here's a collection of March Madness shining moments... in Lego form.
That's all for now. See you next week!
- Kirk Larrabee
- Webmaster - SpartanTailgate