Collegiate gridiron scandal grips US sports world

LeBron James, preparing to join his Miami Heat teammates in challenging Dallas for the NBA crown, was drawn into the debate on Tuesday, as was golfing great Jack Nicklaus. Both have deep roots in Ohio, the scandal\'s epicenter.

Ohio State University gridiron coach Jim Tressel resigned this week after revelations that he failed to act when some of his players violated the rules governing student athlete behavior laid down by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Five Ohio State players have been suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season after revelations they traded memorabilia such as jerseys and championship rings for tattoos.

Another Ohio footballer is under a cloud for his access to a succession of cars without ostensible income, when NCAA rules prohibit payment or benefits for college athletes.

Tressel eventually admitted he knew about the five suspended players\' activities for months before the university carried out an investigation, and didn\'t inform his bosses or the NCAA.

Nicklaus played college golf for Ohio State and is a native of Columbus, Ohio, where the university is based and where his Jack Nicklaus Museum is located.

"Well, obviously the cover-up was far worse than the act," Nicklaus said Tuesday in Dublin, Ohio, where his Memorial tournament starts on Thursday.

"And once you got the cover-up, it became a situation where Jim had to say some things that turned out to be that weren\'t exactly truthful. And so that\'s where he got himself in trouble.... I feel very bad for Jim. He\'s a nice man."

Overall, Nicklaus didn\'t seem to think Tressel\'s sins were so great.

"How could you possibly control what some kids do?" Nicklaus said. "It was a fairly innocent act."

"At the end of it, Tressel was like a father to these kids. He brought these kids into the school, and he wants to protect these kids. He probably didn\'t think that was a big deal. And that was his mistake," Nicklaus added.

James is also an Ohio native. He didn\'t attend college, but has ties to the Ohio State Buckeyes sports programs.

Their basketball team wear his line of clothing and James is a friend of Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

How Pryor was able to obtain pricey vehicles, when his only pay for his sporting exploits was supposed to be his university scholarship, is now under scrutiny.

"Everyone in Columbus and Ohio knows how important, how great (Tressel) was for the university," James said.

"So it\'s unfortunate. I wish him the best and the organization, the university will come back. It\'s one of the best universities that we have in America."

Many have argued that the NCAA rules that prohibit student athletes from receiving payment or benefits -- even as their efforts help make millions for their colleges and make them household names -- create a breeding ground for graft.

While some, like Nicklaus, argue that Tressel merely wanted to protect his young players, cynics say his main motive in the cover-up was to keep them playing and keep his program winning.

Now it will be up to the NCAA to decide on any further sanctions. Last year, the University of Southern California was slammed with a two-year ban from lucrative bowl games and other sanctions for allowing improper benefits to current NFL star Reggie Bush when he played there.

Bush ended up giving back the Heisman Trophy he won as the outstanding collegiate player of 2005, although he has since had the consolation of winning a Super Bowl title with the New Orleans Saints.

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