I was thinking of Helen Thomas yesterday as I watched Luke Fickell's press conference. You youngun's don't remember, but for what seemed like a hundred years, Helen Thomas had the honor of asking the first question at Presidential press conferences.

Now Luke's first conference yesterday was hardly Presidential in level of importance, although you wouldn't know it by the clamor and gaggle of the media there and the way they have already sliced, dissected, and criticized it in the 24 hours since. Still, I wondered as I watched and listened, if I could have been Helen Thomas, and asked the first question in that press conference, what would Steve Davis have asked? How about one of these:

"Coach, many of those players in your locker room have been ensnared in this through no fault of their own. Many have done no wrong. How are those kids doing, how are all our kids doing, how is the team doing? How are the guys holding up?"

Or maybe,

"Luke, for anyone who has played in this place, and wants to be a coach, this opportunity to assume the reins at your alma mater has to be a surreal dream come true. Take us back and tell us, 'what was in your gut at that very instant you learned you were the guy getting tapped on the shoulder?'"

Or maybe,

"Coach, with the circus atmosphere that we in this room keep feeding, how are the Buckeyes going to stay focused in the next six months on beating Akron and Miami and Nebraska and Wisconsin and the others, including that school with the funny helmets."

Now I thought any of those were good ones. Of course, I wasn't Helen Thomas, I'm not feeding a bring 'em down industry, and I was sitting at home on my living room couch. So I didn't ask that first question. But Rusty Miller of the A.P. was there and he did. And here is what he thought so important to ask Luke Fickell as his very first question as head Ohio State Football Coach:

"Have you known about any violations, past or present, any current or former players or coaches who broke NCAA rules?"

Well golleee...surprise, surprise, surprise!

You be the judge. As for me, they should have billed it as an inquisition instead of a press conference. And these writers have two more months of idle time before fall camp? Lord help us.

All the best Luke! You go guy! We're behind you. I wish you every success. And, I wish you luck. With piranhas like some of these guys around, you're going to need it!