Is Meyer fit to teach class on leadership?
Editor’s note: Unfortunately, we don’t have room in the print edition for all of the great reader feedback we’re getting. For more of the letters, go to Dispatch.com. 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 (a 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 ’60s 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 sportswriters 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 sportswriters did indeed give that side of it.
On Ohio State vs. 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
Dear Brian: Putting aside Saturday’s loss and postgame laments, I think there are positives in the “what might have been” and the “what happened?” discussions. I’m certainly not overlooking Michigan’s rushing stats — I still share in the pain despite 20 years of Buckeye dominance. (Thankfully, I’ve never shared their fans’ chronic drudgery, only their after-game exhilaration.) But if OSU could turn those two field goals into touchdowns, the game is tied with under five minutes remaining. And despite C.J. Stroud being sacked four times and other issues he incurred (e.g. his health), he still had respectable numbers passing which included a completion rate just under 70%. Plus two touchdowns and no interceptions. His game can only improve over the next 2-3 years. He didn’t quit when trailing by 17, leading the team back into contention.
My only concern for him is replacing our star receivers, Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, next season. They literally skated around their opponents’ defenses in the last two home games. And Stroud’s performance was off the chart. Let’s hope they all finish well in their upcoming bowl game. (Personally, I’ll take the Rose any year.)
Larry Cheek, Dublin
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