So OSU comes out with a statement yesterday that they're going to make a decision on Meyer's future sometime in the next two weeks. All the tea leaves though are pointing to Meyer staying on as HC, be it Finebaum, Desmond Howard, & other college observers going on the record predicting he'll be returning. And now the latest betting odds has him sticking around.
Regardless, I gotta imagine someone at OSU loses their job over this. Based on what happened with Tressel and all that's going on in the wrestling program, AD Gene Smith should be in trouble regardless.
No morals.
Agreed, the news cycle will move on to something else. They will probably suspend him for the Oregon State season opener, who by all accounts are ranked the worst team in the PAC-12. I could coach Ohio State in that game and they'll win by 30 points. Maybe dock him pay for the one game. Slap on the wrist and send him to sensitivity training.
The university should be more concerned about the potential (or actual) lie Meyer told when he said he had no knowledge of the abuse, but if we are talking about things like a cover-up - that simply didn't happen.
A lot of folks in Columbus knew what had happened, including the wife's own family, and she decided not to press charges at her family's request.
I dislike Meyer because I think he's presided over a lot of shady activity, especially at Florida, but if I'm being honest, I think the only angle that gets him canned is the lying one. The rest is just him continuing with the sliding moral scale he has, yet he occasionally flaunts that he's a devout Christian.
If they keep Urban and something else comes up (and with his history of hiding things you know more people will dig and find things) they could be in for a lot more trouble.
I think there is still a problem though... if he did take correct protocol and tell his higher-ups, who did he tell? Why action did they take?
I don't like the guy, but he's staying.
He followed the protocol, but is his lying to a reporter about what he knew a fireable offense. I think that is the key thing that his retention or dismissal will hinge on.
If Meyer hadn't lied at Big Ten media day than Brett McMurphy wouldn't have said anything about it, McMurphy has said as much.
Of course, that hasn't stopped Ohio State fans from blaming ESPN for a story from a reporter that ESPN had laid off last year.
Urban Meyer rally - ( New Window )
Ok Urb.
Yes he does and then he lied about it to the press when asked.
But the story is that Meyer did report it.That in fact there were a lot of people in Columbus in the know, including the police and the wife's family.
The gray area on whether he should keep his job is the lying to a reporter. I don't think the other facts of this case are all that pertinent. It becomes a school decision on if lying constitutes a firable offense.
Being OSU, I'm guessing not, but then again, I don't like them or Meyer.
No morals.
No Earl Morralls?
But the story is that Meyer did report it.That in fact there were a lot of people in Columbus in the know, including the police and the wife's family.
The gray area on whether he should keep his job is the lying to a reporter. I don't think the other facts of this case are all that pertinent. It becomes a school decision on if lying constitutes a firable offense.
Being OSU, I'm guessing not, but then again, I don't like them or Meyer.
I think the fireable offense is keep him on staff for YEARS after he knew.
That's the point. The AD knew too.
That's tough to single out OSU for that. Every major college program has a ton of skeletons, and believe me, most in the athletic department know.
That's the point. The AD knew too.
That's tough to single out OSU for that. Every major college program has a ton of skeletons, and believe me, most in the athletic department know.
Then they should sleep in the bed that they lay. All of them.
But the story is that Meyer did report it. That in fact there were a lot of people in Columbus in the know, including the police and the wife's family.
The gray area on whether he should keep his job is the lying to a reporter. I don't think the other facts of this case are all that pertinent. It becomes a school decision on if lying constitutes a fireable offense.
Being OSU, I'm guessing not, but then again, I don't like them or Meyer.
I have little sympathy for Meyer. I am against domestic violence.
However, I hope we are not moving toward a world where everyone who is accused must be fired or going beyond that and firing everyone who knew that someone was accused.
Each situation is different. Report it, investigate it. There are degrees - it is never acceptable - but not every case is the same. I don't know the details of this case, but it seems like he was accused, but not convicted. That does not exonerate him, it does create a gray area.
Let's try to fully understand the situation and get help for the people involved (abusers and victims). Firing or suspension MAY be in order, but it should not be automatic.
My questions would be:
What actually happened?
What and when did Meyer know?
What did he do?
Did the abuser/victim get help?
Is the abuse continuing?
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have a legal obligation to report it. From a school policy standpoint, he was required to report it.
But the story is that Meyer did report it. That in fact there were a lot of people in Columbus in the know, including the police and the wife's family.
The gray area on whether he should keep his job is the lying to a reporter. I don't think the other facts of this case are all that pertinent. It becomes a school decision on if lying constitutes a fireable offense.
Being OSU, I'm guessing not, but then again, I don't like them or Meyer.
I have little sympathy for Meyer. I am against domestic violence.
However, I hope we are not moving toward a world where everyone who is accused must be fired or going beyond that and firing everyone who knew that someone was accused.
Each situation is different. Report it, investigate it. There are degrees - it is never acceptable - but not every case is the same. I don't know the details of this case, but it seems like he was accused, but not convicted. That does not exonerate him, it does create a gray area.
Let's try to fully understand the situation and get help for the people involved (abusers and victims). Firing or suspension MAY be in order, but it should not be automatic.
My questions would be:
What actually happened?
What and when did Meyer know?
What did he do?
Did the abuser/victim get help?
Is the abuse continuing?
Couldn't agree more with this statement. Maybe it's social media but I feel society has shifted to this point where it's really not about the issue at hand but who can we blame and who can we shame. Where are the victims friends and coworkers in all of this? If a female coworker shows up to work with black eyes and their car isn't all jacked up that's a pretty good sign something isn't right.
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In comment 14032588 FatMan in Charlotte said:
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have a legal obligation to report it. From a school policy standpoint, he was required to report it.
But the story is that Meyer did report it. That in fact there were a lot of people in Columbus in the know, including the police and the wife's family.
The gray area on whether he should keep his job is the lying to a reporter. I don't think the other facts of this case are all that pertinent. It becomes a school decision on if lying constitutes a fireable offense.
Being OSU, I'm guessing not, but then again, I don't like them or Meyer.
I have little sympathy for Meyer. I am against domestic violence.
However, I hope we are not moving toward a world where everyone who is accused must be fired or going beyond that and firing everyone who knew that someone was accused.
Each situation is different. Report it, investigate it. There are degrees - it is never acceptable - but not every case is the same. I don't know the details of this case, but it seems like he was accused, but not convicted. That does not exonerate him, it does create a gray area.
Let's try to fully understand the situation and get help for the people involved (abusers and victims). Firing or suspension MAY be in order, but it should not be automatic.
My questions would be:
What actually happened?
What and when did Meyer know?
What did he do?
Did the abuser/victim get help?
Is the abuse continuing?
Couldn't agree more with this statement. Maybe it's social media but I feel society has shifted to this point where it's really not about the issue at hand but who can we blame and who can we shame. Where are the victims friends and coworkers in all of this? If a female coworker shows up to work with black eyes and their car isn't all jacked up that's a pretty good sign something isn't right.
Well, she sent texts to Urban Meyer's wife about the abuse. Maybe someone should ask her.
The gray area on whether he should keep his job is the lying to a reporter. I don't think the other facts of this case are all that pertinent. It becomes a school decision on if lying constitutes a firable offense.
That is the strangest part of this - why did he take that tact? It was completely unnecessary.
But he lied to the press. And that's hardly a crime, especially since that isn't uncommon in the coaching industry.
I actually think there are a fair amount of people who like that he mislead the press. A badge of honor. The press in general continues to be viewed very unfavorably; they continue to sustain very low approval ratings for their glaring biases, agenda, etc.
At worst, I think Meyer may got suspended a game or two without pay. At best for him, he basically gets a censure from the OSU brass...
That's the point. The AD knew too.
That's tough to single out OSU for that. Every major college program has a ton of skeletons, and believe me, most in the athletic department know.
This is why the entire athletic department needs to go. Urban didn't have to answer to any of them. The AD has a hell of a lot less power at Ohio State than Meyer does. There's no way any of them were going to tell him what to do. This guy was his buddy and he was going to protect him. None of them had the balls to stand up to Meyer. So he and everyone else who knew should go. Keeping a guy like that on staff is a fireable offense, but let's be honest the only one who had the power (outside of the school president) to fire this guy was Meyer, and he didn't do it.
There's no excuse for keeping him on staff with everything that Meyer knew. When it was public knowledge, Ohio State had no choice but to get rid of him.
The only reason he wasn't fired before then is because Meyer had much more power than anyone at that university and not one of them was going to stand up for what is right against Meyer
Ohio State is definitely going to show their true colors here and hide behind the fact that he reported it to someone.
Reporting it to someone was just to cover his ass so he didn't violate Title IX. But he knows that whoever he is reporting it to isn't going to go against what he wants. And he clearly wanted his buddy to stay on. If anyone on this board or in America believes someone else at Ohio State had the power to fire the assistant coach and go against Meyer, then I have a really nice bridge to sell them.
Meyer didn't want him gone and that's the only reason he wasn't gone. He should lose his job for that alone. Keeping this guy on staff was indefensible, reporting it to a "higher power" means nothing. All it meant that he wasnt in violation of Title IX. He runs that school as much if not more than the President of the school does. He would have laughed at the AD if he tried to get rid of the assistant.
Paterno didn't answer to anyone at PSU, and Meyer answers to no one at Ohio State
I think he's been a holier-than-thou prick most of his career, who turned a blind eye to criminals at Florida and uses Christianity to try and soften his smarminess.
I'm just pointing out that whether or not he keeps his job is likely on how the school views if his lying is a fireable offense.
Reporting it to someone was just to cover his ass so he didn't violate Title IX. But he knows that whoever he is reporting it to isn't going to go against what he wants. And he clearly wanted his buddy to stay on. If anyone on this board or in America believes someone else at Ohio State had the power to fire the assistant coach and go against Meyer, then I have a really nice bridge to sell them.
Smith denied that he hit his ex-wife. He still does to this day. He contends any level of physicality was to protect himself from his wife. She obviously says the opposite. Frankly, I have no idea who to believe.
So youre suggesting that Meyers, despite following protocol, needed to fire Smith because the standard should always be the accused is guilty before innocent. And that supersedes our actual justice system. Youre actually comfortable with that approach...
I guess you think the Duke lacrosse team rape allegation was handled perfectly by the Duke administration...
Im no OSU or Meyers supporter at all. Hes always rubbed me the wrong way. But if he believed his friend, and let him keep his job while the justice system played out, I dont see why that is such a horrible transgression...
So youre suggesting that Meyers, despite following protocol, needed to fire Smith because the standard should always be the accused is guilty before innocent. And that supersedes our actual justice system. Youre actually comfortable with that approach...
True, let Sandusky continue in their employ UNTIL the wheels of justice played out.
2. He knew there was allegations that was brought up to Meyer's Wife, and he did nothing about it.
3. He allegedly told his AD that there is something going on, and kept him on staff for years.
4. There is a text message excahnge that is out there showing he did admit to strangling her.
5. If he is innocent of everything - why did Urb fire him?
He isnt getting fired because OSU would rather win a few more games than do the right thing.
None of us know the truths in these type of situations. My take is usually twofold:
- Don't rush to judgment
- Stop making everything out to be a situation where all associated with a program have the dirt on their hands.
In the Duke lacrosse case, 3 players were kicked out of school and had to vigorously defend themselves from false claims. One players father lost his job from the allegations. The coach was fired. All because people didn't even wait for a case to be heard. That was rather unique in that it involved a dirty prosecutor, but still - it should have warned us the ills of waiting for the information to come out.
The Meyer case seems to me to come down to him lying to a reporter. He followed the protocol in disclosing the allegations against Smith. Again - it isn't like this story broke and people at OSU went "What??". The AD knew.
And Smith ended up getting fired. So there was action taken. I'm not sure what else people expect. How does Meyer prevent future abuse and why is that even an expectation? Did Meyer harm anyone by not acting more quickly? Did Meyer purposely try to hide or repress details?
From what I've heard and read, I don't think so. That's why the culpability probably rests with how the university deals with the lie to the reporter.
Why fire him at that point? If they believed in Smith then why did they stop believing in him when the public knew?
Bottom line is the only reason he got fired is because they knew that everything was going to come out.
Meyer had power over everyone at that school and him hiding behind following protocol is a fricking joke.
Im no OSU or Meyers supporter at all. Hes always rubbed me the wrong way. But if he believed his friend, and let him keep his job while the justice system played out, I dont see why that is such a horrible transgression...
If that were the case, then he wouldn't have fired him last month. He didn't let the justice system play out in that case because it was out in the public. Can't have it both ways. It's obvious the only reason he wasn't fired is because it was not public knowledge.
I'm just wondering what more action people expected.
Is Meyer not firing Smith sooner an offense he needs to answer for? I don't know.
For an employment standpoint, did he err? I don't know.
From a moral standpoint he likely did.
I imagine it is difficult to manage programs with a hundred or more players, coaches, student interns, etc. and scandals are a funny thing.
You can have an institutional academic scandal, avow no knowledge of it, and there aren't many calls to lose a job. Or you can have an alleged abuse situation, one that the police have responded to, one where the wife didn't press charges and one that the AD and others in the athletic department knew about and there is a lot of heat for Meyer to be canned.
I still maintain that it is the lying that would serve as a fireable offense more than anything else.
Oh boy - watch out!
If that were the case, then he wouldn't have fired him last month. He didn't let the justice system play out in that case because it was out in the public. Can't have it both ways. It's obvious the only reason he wasn't fired is because it was not public knowledge.
Well, this last time Smith committed a criminal act of trespassing - something to do with his wife and kids. Maybe Meyer had him on a short leash and said if anything else happens with this, you are out. So he pulled the trigger.
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If that were the case, then he wouldn't have fired him last month. He didn't let the justice system play out in that case because it was out in the public. Can't have it both ways. It's obvious the only reason he wasn't fired is because it was not public knowledge.
Well, this last time Smith committed a criminal act of trespassing - something to do with his wife and kids. Maybe Meyer had him on a short leash and said if anything else happens with this, you are out. So he pulled the trigger.
But he didn't fire him immediately. He was charged with criminal trespassing two months before he was fired. He only got fired when it was out in the public.
Ohio State is a fricking joke. I can't say I'm surprised.
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Summary Ohio State's "independent" investigation:
- Includes three Board of Trustees members
- A set timeframe
- No discussions with Zach Smith or Courtney Smith to find out what specifically happened and what Urban Meyer knew
It's almost like this working group isn't working
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