This should probably go down to the non-YSU sports section, but I do not feel the same way. Akron just elevated their institution's stature so high, it is not even measurable. YSU could have easily afforded to $200k salary as advertised. However, I suspect there is much more to it than reported.
As to him coming to YSU, the issue is that it would place an undue burden on what coach W has going on right now.
As to Tressel, this entire issue is caused "strictly" by media. If anyone thinks anything less, than that is naive. Tressel is (what the media wants to make a "was") :
1. Openly Christian. Which flies in the face of our non-christian media.
2. Conservative in his values. Which flies the face of media.
3. Not in the SEC.
4. A person who so clearly follows the rules that it took how many years to find something? Do you honestly think it would take more than an afternoon to find a laundry list of items against Urban Meyer and U of F?
People are naive if they do not think that media (Disney/ABC/CNN/SI/ESPN are all the same company) has a set of objectives for this country. People like Jim Tressel demonstrate that people with (traditional) values and (Christian) faith, opposed to what the media wants for the nation, can achieve success. People over the entire nation (I mean 'entire') saw Tressel as the last remaining Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, or "Bear" Bryant. He is loved by everyone that meats him ...that includes millions of people that hear him on TV.
I went to the NCAA regional in Texas (baseball). I mean once they saw my shirt and cap, all anyone wanted to talk to me about was Jim Tressel. "Say, I hear you guys have a great football program, do you happen to have another Jim Tressel in a closet somewhere?". That was his first year and he played all the fifth-year seniors. People from college football towns, like Arlington, notice and respect these things.
While coach T was still at YSU, even our opposition respected the man. Some of you may recall the incident over the 1992 championship game and the bad officiating. Tressel appealed a bad call that resulted in the loss of the game. The NCAA said they will wait until the score was final and then make a ruling. The NCAA ruled in YSU's favor. Now Tressel could have petitioned to have Marshall stripped of the title, awarding it to YSU. Instead Tressel, and supposedly the seniors met, decided not to pursue the matter, and the Vindy published the letter of apology from the NCAA. When we went back to Huntington in 1994. Almost unanimously, everyone that lived there spoke of the respect they had for YSU, and Tressel because of that incident.
Moral of the story is that Jim Tressel was crucified for what he said (players, media ...especially his books) ...not for what he failed to say (to the NCAA).
All this being said; wishing tressel the best of luck, but he being a former YSU head coach, and as a guin fan myself ...I see anyone going to Akron as a traitor.
