Here is another link to a recent Forde live chat commenting on the subject in case you didn't see it in the other thread:

 

Bruce (Greensboro, NC): Tressel Chicken? I thought that was the only noble thing to do. It wouldn't be fair for him to vote on who his opponent should be. All he knows is someone is getting SPANKED on Jan. 8th.

 

Pat Forde: (2:22 PM ET ) Bruce: If he voted all year he should have finished the job. He'd hardly have been the first No. 1-ranked coach to cast a vote in poll history. This vote would have been made public, which made it a fine time to suddenly cop out.

 

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=13864

If he votes for Michigan and Florida still finishes #2 then he just gives bulletin board material. If he votes for Florida then Michigan which is in his own conference gets mad. So, what did Coach Tressel have to gain by voting?

I think Coach Tressel showed class by not voting. Anyone with something to gain or lose through the process should recuse themselves. The system stinks, but it isn't Tressel's fault.

If he votes for Michigan and Florida still finishes #2 then he just gives bulletin board material. If he votes for Florida then Michigan which is in his own conference gets mad. So, what did Coach Tressel have to gain by voting?

Just a little thing called integrity. What did he have to gain by voting the other 13 times? Fine time to leave me Lucile........

I think Coach Tressel showed class by not voting. Anyone with something to gain or lose through the process should recuse themselves. The system stinks, but it isn't Tressel's fault.

Don't all coaches have something to gain or lose? I agree that is a fault of the system, but didn't he have something to gain last week, or the week before? Why the sudden change?

If he votes for Michigan and Florida still finishes #2 then he just gives bulletin board material. If he votes for Florida then Michigan which is in his own conference gets mad. So, what did Coach Tressel have to gain by voting?

Sometimes you do something because it's the right thing to do, not because you have something to gain for it. He participated for the whole season when the votes were secret and I'll bet my last dollar that had the vote been secret this time the "noble" Coach Tressel would have voted. IMVHO he took the cowards way out.

Just a little thing called integrity. What did he have to gain by voting the other 13 times? Fine time to leave me Lucile........

 

I somewhat agree with you on this issue but I think he just decided to keep down controversary that he would not vote. Would the Big Ten conference have bad feelings toward Ohio State if Coach Tressel did not vote for Michigan? We know that Michigan would have bad feelings for him for not voting for them.

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Sometimes you do something because it's the right thing to do, not because you have something to gain for it. He participated for the whole season when the votes were secret and I'll bet my last dollar that had the vote been secret this time the "noble" Coach Tressel would have voted. IMVHO he took the cowards way out.

:thumb: Nail meet head......

 

This is the problem with our society. We only do things when it benefits/hurts us, not because it is the RIGHT thing to do. The question shouldn't be what did he have to gain, it should be what did he have to lose?

I think Coach Tressel showed class by not voting. Anyone with something to gain or lose through the process should recuse themselves. The system stinks, but it isn't Tressel's fault.

I agree the system is terrible BUT if Tressel didn't feel any ethical dilemma in participating the other 12 weeks he should have done so the last week. Maybe the way to get the system changed would be if all coaches refused to participate from the outset.

I somewhat agree with you on this issue but I think he just decided to keep down controversary that he would not vote. Would the Big Ten conference have bad feelings toward Ohio State if Coach Tressel did not vote for Michigan? We know that Michigan would have bad feelings for him for not voting for them.

Yes, UM definately would have bad feelings. We have bad feelings for him regardless. Generally speaking, coaches from conferences support the teams in their conferences, but there were other coaches from the Big 10 that didn't put UM #2 and so far, not a peep.

Don't all coaches have something to gain or lose? I agree that is a fault of the system, but didn't he have something to gain last week, or the week before? Why the sudden change?

Yes, coaches shouldn't vote. With revenue sharing every coach should always vote for teams in their conference. If you can get one of your brothers in a BCS game it means a big payday. So in that way Tressel voted against his economic interest.

Yes, coaches shouldn't vote. With revenue sharing every coach should always vote for teams in their conference. If you can get one of your brothers in a BCS game it means a big payday. So in that way Tressel voted against his economic interest.

No, he didn't vote against his economic interest. He didn't vote AT ALL!!! That's like saying if I don't vote for Bush, I'm voting for the democrats. Be a man, and take a stand. But I agree, coaches should not vote.

I think Coach Tressel showed class by not voting. Anyone with something to gain or lose through the process should recuse themselves. The system stinks, but it isn't Tressel's fault.

 

:thumb: I agree 100%.

:thumb: Nail meet head......

 

This is the problem with our society. We only do things when it benefits/hurts us, not because it is the RIGHT thing to do. The question shouldn't be what did he have to gain, it should be what did he have to lose?

 

Pure Speculation, nothing more or less. This was the ONLY vote that really mattered.

It was also the only vote that would be made public.