Have more comments, questions? Reach out to me at bwhite1@dispatch.com.
On Urban Meyer
To Brian: Last Sunday, in reply to Jim Burke, you asked to hear reviews from students who took Urban Meyer’s “Leadership and Character” course at OSU, which I did, as a Program 60 student. Burke’s two asserted “leadership learnings” would imply that such a person is unqualified to teach a course involving character. Mr. Burke has apparently swallowed all these allegations as truth hook, line and sinker. He, and others (and perhaps you, Brian) see no room for ambiguity. My own reliable sources describe having seen Meyer in “party” scenes holding himself aloof from all revelry lest a photo emerge actually showing him enjoying himself in public.
Conceding that there may be cause to question some behavior as revealing lapse of character (i.e., fanny patting), critics need to think of the lessons Woody and Jim Tressel provide. Do their lapses preclude them from teaching on leadership and character? I’d take a course from either of them in an instant. Time has shown us that their lapses of character which got them fired were small stains on a career that was otherwise marked by high character and integrity.
Most of us have our “failure of character” event early in life with little consequence to ourselves or others. Those of us blessed by success find that the next challenge always presents larger tests of character. Sooner or later we will all fail. Presidents have failed. I don’t have to name them. I see that Buck Showalter, whose character has been called into question, now gets his fifth chance to manage, with the Mets. As for me, I’ll continue to take my lessons on leadership and character from those who’ve stumbled along the way. Everybody deserves a lesson in contrition and humility at least once in life. Those who experience it shouldn’t be precluded from teaching about it.
Thanks to Prof. Charles Buchanan, the primary instructor, and my fellow Program 60 student, Dennis Swanson, for hours of enlightening discussion on the topic.
Tom Friedman
To Tom: Sign me up for parts of the classes when these distinguished lecturers address their stumbles and what they learned from them.
Hi, Brian: I went to Florida in the early 60’s and was on the team for a couple of years, so I’ve followed the Gators for a long time. When (Urban) Meyer came to UF he started recruiting a lot of bad actors, with (Aaron) Hernandez being the worst. But he was a phenomenal athlete, so Meyer didn’t care. They had a lot of other police-worthy incidents as well. He enabled these less-than-good citizens. His players had a fight-first attitude on the field and always puffed out their chests and got in opponents faces if there was a problem. They lost a couple of games because of stupid personal fouls.
OSU fans deified him even before he arrived and completely overlooked his shortcomings because he won. A “don’t bother me with the facts” attitude. While I didn’t think it would be as bad as it was, I never thought he’d make it in the pros. With all of his ego and attitude, he had no chance. All of the people that thought he was the second coming can now see the real “Urb,” blaming everyone but himself. A real class act.
Don Six, Blacklick
On Jim Harbaugh
To the editor: The (Jim) Harbaugh defenders (and isn’t it amazing, all the Michigan fans coming out of the woodwork all of a sudden!) need to remember that Ryan Day’s comment about wanting to hang 100 on UM happened in his team’s locker room (who leaked it should be ashamed). It was a private comment made after Harbaugh publicly — on a conference call with other Big Ten coaches — accused Day of cheating. If he truly had knowledge of Day cheating, why didn’t he go to the commissioner with his accusations? Because he had no proof, because it didn’t happen.
I would appreciate it if in the future sports writers would give that side of it.
Teresa Horstman, Galloway
To Teresa: Both were said in what were to be private (off limits to the public) settings, but the fact that we all know about it tells me that sports writers did indeed give that side of it.
On Ohio State-Michigan
To the editor: Well, just for the record, a couple friends and I watched the game again and TTUN's offensive linemen were holding all game long. So next time you write something biased please make sure it is an unbiased observation. There was a reason the holes were so big, and, sorry, OSU still had chances to tie and win the game, so 15 points is not a stomp. Plus, you all were due. That's just how sports roll. But just know paybacks are a bleep!
Robb Price
On Andy Katzenmoyer, Jae’Sean Tate
To the editor: Even as a die-hard sports fan, I get sick of how much emphasis we put on sports in our society. That said, it was a pleasure to read the stories about Andy Katzenmoyer and Jae'Sean Tate persevering through adversity and doubt to achieve their goals — an OSU degree for Katzenmoyer and an NBA career for Tate. And as a Kentucky fan, I've been inspired by the stories (in other media) about work the UK basketball program has started to help historically Black colleges and universities and the Kentucky tornado victims. These kinds of stories can inspire us all, even those who aren't sports fans.
Dina Pierce, London, OH
More from The Mailbox
Lessons from Urban Meyer, and it was Ohio State that was holding at Michigan
Is Quinn Ewers the new Curt Flood? Did refs let Michigan get away with holding?
Ohio State lost to Michigan in football, and people aren't happy
On OSU's hard-to-watch defense, overrated Cincinnati and, yes, Ryan Day's salary
Ryan Day needs to call more run plays; and, of course, more mail on Day's salary
'Garbage officiating' in Penn State game; and more on Ryan Day's salary
Ryan Day's salary (cont.), weird head-butting, high school playoff inequality
More Urban Meyer, plus how many professors you could hire with Ryan Day's salary
Plenty of backlash for Urban Meyer, and non-Daves weigh in on stadium noise
Media, and social media, equally to blame in Urban Meyer mess
Empathy for K'Vaughan Pope, plus more debate about loud music
Too much 'ear-splitting' music at Ohio State games?
Enough about Ryan Day's beard; what about local colleges?
Shohei Ohtani vs. Babe Ruth? Table that discussion for 20 years
OHSAA gets it right with expanded playoffs; Cleveland baseball got it wrong
Does it make any sense to sit maskless in a packed Ohio Stadium?
Ohio State opener was a horrible mess, from ticketing to Kerry Coombs and beyond
Get more Ohio State football news by listening to our podcasts
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Urban Meyer failed in NFL; Jim Harbaugh lies: Letters to the editor
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