Like any good film that pits good versus evil, we always have a tendency to cheer for the guy who’s right-standing. It’s our human nature to enjoy a good moral victory, and a sound defeat of things in complete opposite. However, rarely do we see the hero of any drama fall from his/her good graces. Sure, we see plenty of heroes that stumble, lose credibility briefly, but they always seem to rise above it no matter what plot twist is thrown their way. But in the rare moment that film makers can capture a hero falling, and falling hard, we feel a sense of realism that connects the screen with what plays out in front of us on a daily basis. Because the harsh reality is that our heroes fall, and sometimes they can’t stand back up.
As I stood in my parents kitchen after a wonderful weekend celebrating a family members wedding, I heard the news of Jim Tressel’s resignation. My first two responses were “You’re kidding?” followed by “What happened?”. As the University bumbled along with its did-he-or-didn’t-he take on the tattoo parlor scandal, it was inevitable that the “Senator” would either continue coaching where he would soon be exiled after a season or two, or he’d call it quits to push himself away from the snowballing of ridicule and resentment. Choosing the latter says a lot about both his position in the matter, and the hole he had dug for himself.
On the eve of the a supposedly detrimental article by Sports Illustrated, Jim Tressel called it quits as the Ohio State football soothsayer with no press conference, no fan fare, and on Labor Day of all days. Writers were lounging in the backyard, Sports Center had their B team in place, and twitter suddenly become more enticing that ever. In the end, the SI story did nothing more than compound the current accusations against the coach, and more largely the football program at OSU. He got out, but the damage to a legacy had been done.
I’ll not wax poetic about his cover up, or the role the players have in this scenario. I could write paragraphs on the missteps of the NCAA, and its under-staffed, un-controlled, and ill-advised rules and regulations for collegiate athletes that bring millions of dollars to their schools each season. No, this is not my take on the situation, but rather a love note to integrity.
Jim Tressel, for me, represented a dying breed of collegiate mind-shapers and coaches. Although the suit, tie, and sweater vest were part of the old school feeling, it was really the character he instilled in the players and his community that made the difference. There are few that share the spotlight with honest integrity. In the world we live in it’s either/or, not both. Typically people will sacrifice the integrity for the spotlight, and once in a blue moon do they suffer the spotlight for the sake of integrity. Tressel had been bulletproof in most regards, and thus he earned my respect. So when it turned out that he had a slight history of questionable behavior in regards to his career in coaching, my psyche took a blow. I couldn’t help but ponder, “If he CAN’T do it, no one can.”
The most painful piece to this entire chapter is found in words that Tressel lives by, and ironically were published. In The Winners Manual: Winning at the Game of Life Tress cites ten key virtues to live by. They are: Attitude, Discipline, Faith, Handling Adversity & Success, Excellence, Love, Toughness, Responsibility, Team, and Hope. Fantastic are these ideals, so much so that they are Scriptural. Yet looking back on each of these truths you can’t help but see holes that were poked in the sails of Tressel’s “Winners Manual.” I’m not above these virtues nor am I perfect in attempting to attain them myself. And that’s the good news for the entire Tressel family – there is hope.
The great English poet, Alexander Pope, once said “To err is human. To forgive, divine”. He’s right. Humans are mistake driven, we can’t help it. But forgiveness is a rare commodity. It’s not easily given, and sometimes we are too quick to demand it. Pope was wise to give it the “divine” tag because of its lofty nature. I don’t necessarily need to forgive Tressel, he did nothing wrong to me. However, in the mind of this fan, Jim Tressel’s legacy as one of my heros will be brought to light in how quickly he asks for forgiveness. For some strange reason, acting inappropriately is kinda easy, living with the consequences is not. Swallowing your pride, humbling yourself, and asking for forgivingness is foreign to flesh-driven nature of human beings.
As we’ve seen such a honorable person stumble, greater honor will be found in the rebound. Coach Tressel may never step foot on the campus of Ohio State University again; he may not coach again for that matter, but let’s hope for just a minute that he understands that all is not lost. Through forgiveness, and his testimony of pressing forward, Tressel’s legacy could have a greater impact than if he’d stayed at the school he succeeded at for so many years.
The Hollywood-esque saga of Jim Tressel doesn’t necessarily need a moment where the credits begin, and the story comes to a close. I choose to believe that it will be a multi-chaptered conquest of integrity. One in which the main character falls, but triumphantly regains his footing. In the dark, quiet, alone moments of Jim Tressel’s life I pray that he looks back on this hiccup of sorts and realizes that he’s being defined by the integrity that we all strive to keep in this world. This, and only this will determine his legacy.
