Tressel, Tiller: 'Gentlemen' aren't "Men"?

This past winter Purdue Coach Joe Tiller slammed Rich Rodriguez for breaking an imaginary "gentleman's agreement" by selling wearing a wizard hat and selling snake-oil to Purdue commitments ... and OSU coach Jim Tressel chimed in that one had to be a gentleman to keep a gentleman's-agreement. Yesterday they chickened out from facing up to the slam honestly, "like men."

Yesterday Tressel, as is typical when he speaks to the press, tap-danced around the whole thing when asked about it:

"The discussion wasn't even about me," he said. "I didn't have any involvement in that whole thing leading up to it. I've served with Rich on the American Football Coaches Board of Trustees long before he went to Michigan, and he's going to be a great representative for Michigan and the Big Ten. So, no, I wasn't trying to make a point."

"Anytime there's change, change is exciting in its own way -- the wonder of what this is going to look like," Tressel said. "It's not that you have to add a whole bunch more to the Ohio State-Michigan game, but it adds a little bit of mystery."

And Tressel backed even further away, actually chastising a reporter for mentioning the snake-oil comment, and incredulously trying to deny he'd even aimed his comment at Rodriguez.

"I've talked to Rich and said I never said 'Rich Rodriguez,' " Tiller said. "We've known each other for a long time and had good discussions this spring, so to me it's a moot point."

Evidently, to 'be a gentleman' is not the same thing as to 'be a man'?

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'Gentlemen', but not "Men"?