How Do You Move Past a Scandal? Hire a School Legend.
A reported emerged from The Columbus Dispatch on Sunday morning that former Ohio State superstar, Super Bowl champion and fantasy hero (if you were in IDP leagues) Mike Vrabel would join the coaching staff. In an offseason replete with scandal, disappointment and the dismissal of head coach Jim Tressel, Buckeyes fans finally got something to applaud. Their hero, a two-time Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year, is coming home.
Vrabel will join the defensive staff of former teammate Luke Fickell. Fickell was named the interim head coach following Jim Tressel’s resignation.
It’s the old magician’s act. It’s a need to distract the fan base, if only for a moment, from the self-imposed sanctions (the hammer is still coming from the NCAA, though it’s a nice gesture) and the pile of rumor, conjecture and speculation of the past several months. Bringing home a legend will have that momentary effect. But, soon enough, fans will go back to fretting about the new coach (the Tressel fans will remain vocal) and the new quarterback and other sanctions that may come down the pipeline.
