Ohio State: Tressel poor at self-reporting

NCAA: Former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel was told by the school that he did a poor job of self-reporting NCAA violations years before he failed to tell his bosses that players were selling championship rings and other Buckeyes memorabilia, a cover-up that cost him his job.

In an evaluation of Tressel’s job performance from 2005-06, then-athletic director Andy Geiger rated Tressel “unacceptable” in terms of self-reporting rules violations in a timely manner. The coach also was warned in a separate letter that he and his staff needed to do a better job of monitoring the cars the Buckeyes were driving – an issue that would arise again this spring.

The documents were part of a mountain of public records released Friday by Ohio State dealing with Tressel and the ongoing scandal that has sullied one of the nation’s elite football programs.

Tressel received a letter of reprimand from Geiger for giving a recruit a Buckeyes jersey – a clear NCAA violation – before he had coached his first game.

Despite a sparkling 106-22 record and winning the 2002 national championship, Tressel was forced to step down on May 30 after it became clear that he had knowingly played ineligible players during the 2010 season. Investigators discovered he found out in April 2010 that players were receiving cash and discounted tattoos from the owner of a local tattoo parlor in exchange for OSU football memorabilia, but he did not report them to his superiors or NCAA compliance officers – and didn’t even acknowledge he had known of the problem until confronted in January.

Ohio State, which has vacated the 2010 season including its share of the Big Ten championship, and has issued itself a two-year probation, is now facing an Aug. 12 meeting before the NCAA’s committee on infractions.

League, players make continued progress

NFL: The NFL and its players are making progress on a deal to restart pro football and save the 2011 season.

At the end of three long days at the negotiating table, the league and the players’ association issued a joint statement saying, “The discussions this week have been constructive and progress has been made on a wide range of issues.”

The sides’ legal and financial teams will continue to work over the weekend, and NFLPA chief DeMaurice Smith says he and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will talk or meet again in the next couple of days.

The sides are scheduled to head to Minneapolis early next week, where they will meet with mediator and U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan.

• Governor asked to back new stadium: When Gov. Mark Dayton and state lawmakers announced that the outlines of a new budget deal were in place, the Minnesota Vikings were hoping that the door was finally open to discuss their plan for a new $1 billion stadium in the Twin Cities suburbs.

Vikings owner Zygi Wilf spoke with Dayton, telling him in a phone conversation that the team wants a stadium bill to be considered in a special legislative session expected to begin next week, according to Vikings vice president for stadium affairs Lester Bagley.

“He made the case that now is the time,” Bagley said. “We’ve done everything that has been asked of us. It’s time to do it.”

Matteson, McNeill tied at Viking Classic

Golf: Troy Matteson and George McNeill are tied for the Viking Classic lead midway through a waterlogged second round at Annandale Golf Club in Madison, Miss., that was suspended by frequent thunderstorms.

Matteson finished his round but McNeill was on the 18th fairway when the final delay was called at about 6:30 p.m. local time due to lightning in the area. The day featured nearly six hours of delays as thunderstorms rolled through central Mississippi on a steamy summer afternoon.

Former Pullman resident Kirk Triplett did not play and remains tied for 24th at 6 under. Alex Prugh (Ferris, University of Washington) shot a 1-under 71 and is tied for 62nd at 3 under.

• Actor Wagner leads Tahoe celebrity golf tourney: Self-described “pip-squeak” actor Jack Wagner made seven birdies to jump out to the first-round lead at the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship at Lake Tahoe in Stateline, Nev.

Former NHL All-Star Jeremy Roenick and ex-quarterback Chris Chandler were tied for second at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course.

Others in the hunt included hockey’s Mike Modano and Brett Hull, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and former pitcher Rick Rhoden, who has won the event a record eight times.

Newman wins pole at New Hampshire

NASCAR: Ryan Newman won his 47th career pole, turning a track-record lap of 135.232 mph at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., and Tony Stewart was second to give Stewart-Haas Racing its first front-row sweep for Sunday’s race.

Stewart was right behind his employee and teammate at 135.064. They were the only drivers to top 135 mph.