On the White House’s official Web site, there is a forum for citizens to craft petitions to the Obama administration. Recent posts include appeals to “abolish the illegal federal reserve and return to a gold and silver standard as defined in the U.S. constitution,” “nationalize the Twinkie industry,” and “shut down White House petitions, since they never get a sincere response, few read them, & they are ultimately worthless.”
But enough with the frivolity. Moving on to a topic of national importance, Ohio State fans this week requested a pardon for their Buckeyes.
“The Ohio State University football team is one win away from an undefeated season,” the petition read. “However, due to imposed sanctions, they are not allowed to participate in their conference’s championship game or the following bowl season. While a punishment for past indiscretions is to be expected, a bowl season ban is too harsh for a few young men trading memorabilia for tattoos and some change. The offending players and coach who covered it up are no longer part of the program. Please exercise your executive power to pardon the NCAA’s excessive sanctions placed on The Ohio State Buckeyes to enable a rightful, satisfying culmination to the college football season for the American people.”
For the record, the petition has been removed for violating the White House site’s terms of participation while the OSU administration has yet to announce plans to involve Washington. Athletic director Gene Smith again this week refused to second-guess the school’s much-debated decision not to voluntarily decline a bowl invitation last year.
"I could sit here and give you a million other what-ifs had we taken that, but I’m not going there," Smith said. "I’m worried about making sure that we position our football staff, our student-athletes, and do everything we can to have the opportunity to beat That Team Up North. That’s my mission right now. I apologize if that sounds insensitive, but that is the reality of what we have to do."
