Grading the Statement: Buckeye Firing

Post Date:

June 1, 2011

Grading the Statement is a periodic feature on SoundBites in which we judge the effectiveness of news releases and other public statements.

While you were off barbque-ing and enjoying your freedom on Monday, something decidedly less pleasant was playing out in Columbus, Ohio. There, the wildly successful 10-year tenure of Jim Tressel as head football coach at The Ohio State University came to an inglorious end. Coach Tressel, a man called "The Senator" for his pious bearing and sanctified like few other college coaches, was forced to retire amid an ever-widening scandal that included players trading memorabilia for tattoos (and weed), mysteriously generous car deals, and, most significantly, the undisputed fact that Tressel lied to NCAA officials.

It was the darkest hour yet in a very dark spring for the Buckeyes (though in the interest of full disclosure, not for rabid fans of the University of Michigan). OSU Athletic Director Gene Smith announced the news via a video-taped message, which becomes the subject of our latest installment in Grading the Statement:

The timing of this message was not coincidental. News released on the morning of a federal holiday receives a less intense media spotlight than that announced during the week. Also, putting the news out on Memorial Day allowed Ohio State to beat, by a few hours at least, a damaging Sports Illustrated expose authored by a Pulitzer-winning reporter that deepened and widened the allegations around OSU football. Whatever the precise reason, the holiday timing was probably the best crisis management move OSU has made throughout the scandal.

If that seems like high praise, it is not. The unfolding saga at OSU-which has been marked by new and unseemly revelations on an almost daily basis throughout the spring-has been nothing if not a lesson in crisis management, and the incompetence of OSU officials in managing the crisis has been dazzling. The most prominent display of that incompetence is a now-infamous March press conference called the day after Yahoo! revealed that Coach Tressel had known about his players tats-for-memorabilia deals for almost a year without telling anyone at the University. It was there, bathed in poor lighting and employing a flippant tone, that OSU President Gordon Gee rejected any idea that Tressel would be asked to resign. In a remark that would make him an instant laughingstock, President Gee said: "Let me just be very clear. I'm just hopeful the coach doesn't dismiss me."

Yahoo!'s Dan Wetzel, who broke the March story, had the best analysis of the presser: "The moment called for solemn acknowledgement of a mistake and the promise to the university that the truth would be gathered. Instead it was a pseudo pep rally. My phone was flooded with calls and texts from administrators at other schools and conferences who couldn't believe what they'd just witnessed."

Back now to Smith's video, which by comparison to what preceded it is quite a success. Unlike the March press conference, which took place against a stark white background (they couldn't get a step and repeat?), the stagecraft here is appropriate. Smith appears against a background of legal books, which speaks to the seriousness of the matter and ties in to Smith's remarks about the academic performance of OSU's football team.

Also, the choice of format for this statement represents a smart move. There was little need for Smith to repeat the press conference fiasco when he could deliver a more controlled message. At the same time, the video is a much more dynamic and comforting presentation than another tightly controlled medium, such as a press release. Smith takes advantage of the format fully, going over the heads of the media and speaking directly to OSU fans.

Alas, the statement is not perfect. At a time when OSU should be distancing itself from Tressel, Smith continues to speak of "The Senator" with a reverence that borders on hagiography. Another problem: Smith is neither a polished nor convincing speaker. Whether it is his delivery or the many previous misstatements from OSU coloring our perception, it is hard to take even the most trivial claims by Smith at face value. His reference to Tressel being his "eloquent" self in a team meeting, for instance, is difficult to square with Tressel's bumbling press conference appearance, which he opened by noting his convoluted speaking style.

Mercifully, Smith keeps his comments brief, as anyone should in a video address. The three-minute running time works-long enough to deliver some substance, but not long enough to bore the viewers or put too much on the public record. Unfortunately for Ohio State, there's far too much of that already.

Grade: B