Urban’s statement was all about Urban. Tossing in an unctuous sentence about being the son of a woman and the husband of a woman and the father of two women — thus being a champion of women — was quite the capper.
Then at 5:07 p.m., Zach Smith did a radio interview with a Columbus station, and at 6 p.m. a TV interview with ESPN. Smith did a pretty terrible job painting himself as a believably innocent figure, but he did accomplish one thing: He stuck up for Meyer. Smith said Meyer told him he would be fired if he hit Courtney, and that he knows his former boss’ hardline stance against violence toward women.
It all came out of nowhere. And it’s remarkably brazen.
While on administrative leave, Urban Meyer spoke up. In the process, he shifted responsibility to athletic director Gene Smith and the Ohio State administration — implying that he did his job in this matter, and if there is fault to be found for the handling of Zach Smith it rests somewhere above Meyer. He’s just your average $7 million-a-year mid-level employee.
It wasn’t until Brett McMurphy dropping this week’s bombshell, revealing that Courtney Smith had informed Meyer’s wife, Shelley, of Zach’s alleged abuse, that Urban suddenly became truthful. Without that reporting, does anybody believe Meyer’s public stance would have shifted?
- Forde