Fear not the specter of entering a pleasant spring weekend without a new twist to ponder in l'affaire Jim Tressel's inbox: The Columbus Dispatch has unearthed another layer of who-knew-what-when, and the "who" is a fellow by the name of Ted Sarniak. His relationship with Terrelle Pryor can be characterized with that vague, innocuous air of possible trouble so prevalent in major college athletics:
Sarniak, 67, is a prominent businessman in Pryor's hometown of Jeannette, Pa. He befriended the quarterback years ago and accompanied him on recruiting trips to Ohio State and other universities.
Let's back up for a second and explain why he's now involved. Remember how Tressel's defense of his actions, in his long-delayed press conference, centered around his claim that he didn't know whom to confide in when his players' side business was brought to his attention? And remember how Gene Smith stepped in and awkwardly shushed him when he tried to answer a reporter's question regarding whether or not he'd forwarded the emails from Christopher Cicero?
The person he did confide in was Sarniak, which will raise all sorts of juicy message board questions over the weekend: What does Tressel's professed desire to protect Christopher Cicero's confidentiality mean now? Is Sarniak who Tressel is blaming when he refers to not getting "wise counsel"? Did Terrelle Pryor's "mentor" encourage the head coach to keep a lid on a potential NBA scandal? Stay tuned to this StoryStream for further updates to the year's least-scintillating scandal, and visit SB Nation's Along The Olentangy to commiserate with Ohio State fans.