Your life as you get older becomes a bunch of snapshots, for me they are vivid.
The kickball and four square stories from elementary school, my first kiss to Kim Gales, my first lamp break on Valentine’s Day, the interception on the last pass intended for me that could have won my high school the championship, my first true love Kimberly Hurley, recording my rap single “Ichiro”, Pac dying while I was in the record store buying Smooth the Hustler, The Cookie Girl, The birth of my daughter, Joe Buck sparking the idea for BSO, Manny Pacquiao almost killing Ricky Hatton and many many more.
When I got to The Ohio State University it was still under the dreadful reign of John Cooper, but when I was leaving Jim Tressel had just taken over.
I saw him around campus all the time and I was able to speak to him at length once. He said something to me that I have never ever forgotten.
I was telling him how I had no clue what I was going to do after I graduated I was going to try the music thing, but I just wasn’t sure where my life was heading and he said to me.
“Don’t worry Robert talent always finds a way to shine through.”
I knew what he meant literally, but at the time I didn’t understand what it meant to me, later on in my life I did. Jim Tressel is a good person, he was always nice to everyone and no one ever had anything bad about him.
I am not a very emotional person, but I love my school. It wasn’t about the education of books, I was always a smart kid, it was about education of life.
It is a cliche, but I went from a boy to a man at OSU.
I have told this to people for years, not to be snitching but to be honest, OSU is dirty. I knew from the time I heard the story of Terry Glenn who went from riding a 10 speed to class and living in the dorm, to riding a 5.0. Mustang and having a condo downtown in one semester.
We all knew about the car dealership, the free clothes, tats and everything.
Ohio State Football is the biggest thing in Ohio point blank. The players are more revered than both Bengals and Browns players. There are things I could tell you that would put OSU on the death penalty for 25 years.
It didn’t matter to me because all major college programs are dirty and Tressel beat Michigan. That is all that we cared about. OSU has dominated the Big 10 for a decade, won a National Championship and been a BCS power.
Other schools and players have bitten our style.
There is only one “THE” Ohio State University, it has been a tradition at OSU since 1800’s. Nobody cares when you say The Minnesota Golphers, lets just be real.
I have said this consistently for the past couple of years. We live in a world of new age media, things that schools, players and coaches were able to get away with when I was in college they can’t now.
Too many online journalists like me are around to expose frauds and can’t be bought.
Ohio State was never going to fire Jim Tressel, but he fell on the sword for the University, he did what he had to do. It isn’t fair, but it was the right move to make.
There aren’t many schools in the country as powerful as Ohio State, so to see Tressel fall should be a warning to all major Universities to watch your back.
You aren’t safe anymore.
On this Memorial Day, May 30th 2011 even though it is 90 degrees with 100% humidity here in Saint Louis, Mo, I will rock a Sweater Vest today in honor of my coach and repeat the words that he told me many years ago.
“Don’t worry Sweater Vest, talent will always shine through.”
