Wheels Deals In Tennessee

John Clay: Tressel's downfall a familiar, secretive tale

They all have secrets, each and every one of them.

College coaches all have things they don't want the general public to know, things that might be embarrassing, things that might be difficult to explain, things that might be against the rules.

It's not so much the secrets that get college coaches in trouble, it's what they do when the secrets come to light.

Bruce Pearl lied, then tried to rectify but, in the end, it was too late, and the Tennessee basketball coach was gone.

Jim Tressel lied and denied right up to the end, and now the Ohio State football coach is gone, too.

But don't think they are the only ones.

They're just the two who got caught.

It's a dirty game out there right now, whether it be college basketball or football, both full of lies, scoundrels and unscrupulous tactics.

As much as the NCAA has tried to push back against the cheating — its rule book the size of an ottoman — there is still a Wild West mentality in the big business known as college athletics. It's the way the game is played.

And money is the name of that game. It's money that matters. Aside from the name across the front of the jersey, college sports have very little to do with actual colleges, especially where football and basketball are concerned, and a lot to do with fund-raising, publicity and promotion. They're cash cows.

The Joe B. Hall Wildcat Lodge, named for a basketball coach, is giving way to the Wildcat Coal Lodge, complete with a tribute to coal right in the lobby. It's about who pays the bills.

At Ohio State, Jim Tressel helped pay the bills. His teams won Big Ten titles on a regular basis. They beat Michigan on a regular basis. They competed for national championships on a regular basis. They filled historic Ohio Stadium — reserved ticket price $70 — on a regular basis.

You don't do that with regular players. Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor came to Columbus with irregular talents, something Tressel knew and protected. The matter that seems to have pushed the powers that be into finally forcing Tressel onto the exit ramp wasn't so much the tattoos, or the selling of memorabilia, as it was the new Columbus Dispatch revelation that the NCAA has started a "significant investigation" into Pryor's rotation of sweet wheels deals.

But it was Tressel's lying that caught the NCAA's attention. He was told a secret — email notification of Ohio State players exchanging memorabilia — and instead of bringing the secret to light, he tried to keep the secret hidden. Trouble is, if you hide one thing, people start looking for others. It's the cover-up that gets them. Every time.

Admission for Two Including Skate Rentals or a Birthday Party for ...

The Daily Groupon » Little Rock

Thanks to the invention of roller rinks, ordinary citizens can strap on a pair of skates without the long hours of delivering trays of burgers and banana splits to fussy drive-in diners. Roll without the work with today's Groupon to Thrills on Wheels Skate Center & Arcade in Searcy. Choose between two options:

• For $5, you get admission for two including skate rentals (up to a $12 value).
• For $69, you get a birthday pizza party for 10 kids (a $139 value).

Specializing in birthday-party packages , Thrills on Wheels Skate Center & Arcade's full-service fun center hosts a skating rink and arcade in a 21,000-square-foot facility outfitted with vivid green accents and purple carpet. Slip into a pair of rental skates and settle in for an afternoon of leisurely skating with a friend or a competitive disco-style skate-off with a longtime nemesis. In between high-stakes barrel rolls, skaters can give jealous hands a workout on classic arcade games or refuel with concession-stand snacks (not included with this Groupon).

For groups of rolling revelers, Thrills on Wheels unfurls birthday memories with a complete party package for 10 kids—including skates, pizza, soda, ice cream, candles, and a quiz about the new chores and extra responsibilities that come with age. Partygoers have access a private room for the duration of the party, and a dedicated party director ensures that parents can settle old skee-ball scores without worrying that guests will take it upon themselves to create in-line rollerblades out of the rental skates. Consult the schedule to pick an ideal time.

Though Thrills on Wheels Skate Center offers daily specials, this Groupon represents the best available value.