Gee on Ohio State's tattoo scandal: 'I think everyone won'

Published Jun. 5, 2014 11:45 a.m. ET

foxsports

Gordon Gee is a man of many words, and many of them are quite entertaining.

In a March 2011 press conference to announce then-Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel's sanctions in relation to the Buckeyes' tattoo scandal -- players received $14,000 in cash and tattoos in exchange for memorabilia -- Gee delivered a line that he was immediately mocked for.

"I'm just hopeful the coach doesn't dismiss me," Gee said that day, trying to bring levity to another actually meaningless NCAA infraction case.

Now, in an interview with Cleveland.com, Gee has offered more gold.

Asked how he thinks the scandal turned out for the parties involved -- a scandal that led to a one-year bowl ban and other penalties for Ohio State, Tressel now serving as president at Youngstown State and Gee's new job as West Virginia president -- Gee had a simple and cheerful response.

"I think everyone won," Gee said. More from Cleveland.com:

Gee isn't necessarily wrong.

Things have turned out ultimately fine for everyone involved, particularly Ohio State fans, who are thrilled they have Urban Meyer leading the Buckeyes.

But the guess here is Tressel, for one, would have preferred everything in Columbus not end the way it did. To coach Ohio State a few more years, maybe make another championship run and not have the third paragraph of your Wikipedia page detail your resignation probably would have been a more desirable outcome.

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