Page 23 - ARUBA TODAY

A23
SPORTS Wednesday 29 august 2018
Ohio State: Meyer

met with team after

suspension announced

By KANTELE FRANKO and dent Michael V. Drake had
MITCH STACY authorized the meeting
Associated Press with the "understanding
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — and support" of members
Ohio State coach Urban of the board of trustees.
Meyer's current suspension Meyer's sideline substitute
and previous paid leave for the first three games
have restricted him from will be 39-year-old co-of-
talking football with his staff fensive coordinator/quar-
and athletes during August terbacks coach Ryan Day,
with one exception — a a second-year Ohio State
team meeting the day af- assistant who has never be-
ter the suspension was an- fore been a head coach
nounced. but has been filling in while
Meyer and athletic director Meyer is out.
Gene Smith were allowed "I will tell you that we were
to meet with the players happy to see him," Day said
and coaches for about 45 of the Thursday meeting, FILE - In this Aug. 22, 2018, file photo, Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer makes a statement
minutes last Thursday, ac- adding that "there were a during a news conference in Columbus, Ohio.
cording to emails sent to lot of hugs." Associated Press
Meyer by the senior vice "As you can imagine he
president for human re- was kind of giving them an violence and other prob- after his ex-wife was grant- Greg Schiano described his
sources, Susan Basso. update on what was going lematic behavior. Zach ed a domestic protection contact with Meyer.
The emails outlining the de- on, kind of explaining some Smith — the grandson of order. "Well Urban is, before he's
tails of Meyer's suspension of the situation and talking former Ohio State coach Because Zach Smith wasn't my boss, he's a friend," Schi-
were obtained by The As- about moving forward," and Meyer mentor Earle arrested for domestic vi- ano said. "I've known him
sociated Press on Tuesday Day said during a Big Ten Bruce — has denied being olence in 2015, neither for over 20 years. So when
through an open records coaches conference call. aggressive with his ex-wife. Meyer nor athletic director I was allowed to, I did com-
request and first reported "We try to keep most of Meyer eventually acknowl- Gene Smith believed they municate. And that's per-
by Ohio State's campus those meetings between edged he was aware of were obligated to report it sonal. It wasn't about foot-
newspaper, The Lantern. us, but that was the gist of domestic violence allega- to university officials. ball. It was about him. Be-
Meyer can't attend prac- it." tions from 2015 but didn't On Monday, Ohio State cause I was worried about
tices, meetings or official At a media availability fire Zach Smith until July 24, defensive coordinator him. I'll leave it at that."q
events, and can't conduct with Ohio State captains
any business related to be- on Tuesday, the first since
ing head coach. He also preseason camp opened, King wins 4th Vuelta stage,
will lose six weeks of salary university communications
— approximately $500,000 staffers tried to block ques-
— in a year he is slated to tions about Meyer and the Kwiatkowski keeps red jersey
earn $7.6 million under a investigation, cutting off
deal that runs through 2022. reporters by firmly saying
Meyer and Smith were sus- "football questions only." ALFACAR, Spain (AP) — Benjamin King convinced I'd be the strongest," said
pended over their handling But a few of the players of the United States dominated the fi- King, of team Dimension Data. "I was to-
of a now-fired assistant were able to touch on it. nal climb to win the fourth stage of the tally jacked up, I could feel the cramps
coach who was accused Senior H-back Parris Camp- Spanish Vuelta on Tuesday, with overall but I stayed strong in the head and got
of domestic violence. Mey- bell said that while the rou- leader Michael Kwiatkowski keeping the it. It's incredible."
er resumes some coaching tine continues, Meyer's ab- red jersey despite losing time. Kwiatkowski, leading Team Sky in the
duties Monday but can't sence is conspicuous. King was in control through the final me- absence of 2017 Vuelta champion Chris
coach during the first three "His presence obviously just ters of the 161.4-kilometer (100.3-mile) Froome, had his 14-second lead cut in
games. He will be allowed overwhelms a lot of peo- stage, comfortably securing the victory half, with Emanuel Buchmann moving to
to run practices after the ple, the opposing team or and becoming the first American to win second place after a ninth-place finish
team's first game. just having him in the locker a Vuelta stage since Chris Horner in 2013. on Tuesday.
Meyer and athletic director room," Campbell said. "He "I didn't start believing until the last kilo- "Today's scenario was perfect for me,"
Gene Smith met with the just has a presence. He's a meter," the 29-year-old King said. "I'm Kwiatkowski said. "It wasn't my interest
team on Thursday. Meyer leader, one of the greatest still in shock. I set winning a Grand Tour to chase the break, but to maintain a
received written details of coaches of all time. I think stage as a goal for myself. I've worked so good position and save some strength
the suspension on Sunday, that's what we're missing. hard for this." and that's what I did."
four days after the disci- You just can't put that into Nikita Stalnov crossed the line two sec- Simon Yates, who was eighth on Tues-
pline was announced pub- words, you know what I onds behind King, and Pierre Rolland day, jumped to third overall, 10 seconds
licly. At 5:53 p.m. Monday, mean?" was third, 13 seconds behind the winner. off the lead, while local favorite Alejan-
Meyer was sent an email The suspensions followed King and Stalnov got away with about dro Valverde dropped from second to
from Basso confirming that a two-week investigation 10 kilometers (6 miles) to go and were fourth, 12 seconds off the pace.
the Thursday meeting — "in that found Meyer and the joined by Rolland at the summit, but King Wednesday's fifth stage will take riders
order to apologize to the athletic director misman- was able to overpower them in the final back to the coast through a mountain-
team" — had been autho- aged now-fired assistant meters. ous route of nearly 190 kilometers (120
rized. A university spokes- coach Zach Smith, who "At some point I realized the front group miles) from Granada to the municipality
man said Ohio State Presi- was accused of domestic would fight for the stage but I wasn't of Roquetas de Mar.q