Mel Tucker Monday presser
I'm watching this live on BTN right now. Can't imagine this was what MSU was hoping for. He is stumbling and stuttering. Talks slower than molasses. But his overall message is basically they have suspended 4 players and he can't speak further out of respect for the investigation, he keeps repeating that.
Someone questioned his culture at MSU and why didn't any players try to break up the fights and he just said our culture is based on this this and the other.
He looks defeated and nervous. Hes in way over his head.
October 31st, 2022 at 1:30 PM ^
Well, as the head coach if there are criminal charges I'm sure MSU can fire and keep some of that money, wouldn't it be ironic that Tuck brought in a guy (K9) off the portal, beat Michigan and earned himself 95 million only for one year later to bring in a guy off the portal (Crump) lose to Michigan and lose all that money.
October 31st, 2022 at 1:36 PM ^
I've heard others mention a similar understanding of a criminal charges clause in Tucker's contract. If it even exists, this can't possibly be what it means.
It would be absurd to have it built-in that a football coach can be fired if any player is charged with a criminal offense. Obviously this is an extreme case where the charges happen while they are together as a team and multiple players are involved, but picture a player getting picked up for stealing a beer from a corner store. No coach is accepting a clause where they are now in jeopardy because a random freshman tried to sneak out some alcohol.
If there's a criminal charges clause in his contract--and I wouldn't be surprised if the whole thing is fictional--it's almost certainly about whether the coach faces criminal charges.
October 31st, 2022 at 1:41 PM ^
I'm not saying he has a clause in his contract, but MSU might be able to settle with him for a low buyout and save some money. I also don't think a coach should be held responsible for a player a crime while not during football activities. This crime happened during a football activity which could give MSU some leverage to the buy out.
October 31st, 2022 at 1:52 PM ^
it wasnt like it was at some campus apartment or at some bar. the players were still in uniform not even in the locker room - pretty sure coaches are still responsible at that point
October 31st, 2022 at 2:13 PM ^
I hate the idea of a "slippery slope" defense but if guys are being liable for what some player does on a football field that's not going to work. Now if you had some recording of Tucker saying "hey guys, go beat the shit out of that UM player" sure, but otherwise I'm certainly not behind the idea of anyone being incidentally responsible for what college age men do even in a uniform.
October 31st, 2022 at 2:26 PM ^
There’s video of him out of control in the immediate aftermath. Then video of him saying he didn’t know what happened. My money is his demeanor is indicative that there’s more that hasn’t been seen and he’s nervous about it.
October 31st, 2022 at 2:32 PM ^
That would be great, if true. My immediate impression was that he slammed the door in frustration at his guys when he realized that they had just made a bad loss infinitely worse. For that, I wouldn't blame him.
October 31st, 2022 at 2:16 PM ^
not so sure about that. his contract is guaranteed, no buyout, and he would likely sue MSU if terminated “for cause.”
We will see his contract soon enough, a judge heard arguments last week about the FOIA request.
October 31st, 2022 at 2:32 PM ^
…his contract is guaranteed, no buyout, and he would likely sue MSU if terminated “for cause.”
Coach Tucker’s $95M contract is ALLEGEDLY guaranteed. MSU is wasting massive sums of money on white shoe lawyers to fight a Detroit Free Press FOIA for the full contract details.
October 31st, 2022 at 4:17 PM ^
MSU has no leverage. Many others have said this, but Tucker isn't (directly enough) responsible for his players acting like criminals. I doubt MSU will try to fire him, but if they did, he would be a fool to settle for a penny less than the contract's full value.
October 31st, 2022 at 5:03 PM ^
I would imagine criminal charges clause deal with him personally, not an act of a player, unless there is a long pattern of it.
October 31st, 2022 at 2:02 PM ^
That’s called gambling.
October 31st, 2022 at 3:06 PM ^
From the 97.1 Spartee slappies show just now … allegedly.
“Mike and Rico both said “mark my words, this is going to spill into the fans during a game at some point”
-JH is a master manipulator. Like a Karen who waives their finger in your face telling you what to do then cries foul when you try to move her out of your way.”
If this was true it said in the radio … ok. Not surprised. Of course broadcasters on the other hand ….
October 31st, 2022 at 4:17 PM ^
JH really got into that fanbase's head. Wow. Well done coach.
October 31st, 2022 at 4:01 PM ^
As I've always said...live by the portal, die by the portal.
October 31st, 2022 at 6:04 PM ^
Highly unlikely. What coach would agree to a contract provision where his contract could be terminated because a player engages in inappropriate or even criminal conduct over which he has no direct control? Mel had a lot of bargaining power at the time he executed his deal. I’m betting dollars to donuts you won’t find such a clause.
October 31st, 2022 at 1:30 PM ^
Lol, Spartans Will! (Lawyer Up)
October 31st, 2022 at 2:37 PM ^
That is a university with a world of problems. Five presidents in five years? Good stuff. I don't envy any thoughtful graduate of MSU at the moment.
October 31st, 2022 at 1:30 PM ^
This is his Brady Hoke-Shane Morris moment. He sounds like a complete jackass up there, with no contrition or accountability for the culture he has set. He apologized to the MSU alumni but neither of the Michigan players. I seriously can't imagine any parent in their right mind wanting their son to play for this coach
October 31st, 2022 at 1:33 PM ^
I was about to post this exact same thing. The Tucker-Hoke comparisons (outside of the contract) continue to mount. He knows that this is a problem, but the difference is at least Hoke would have called and apologized, Tuck is going down with his players. Also saw Gemon and his family hired Tom Mars as an attorney, that isn't good news for the MSU players involved.
October 31st, 2022 at 1:49 PM ^
We all thought M was behind on NIL, but it turns out they have a nefarious plot to funnel Mat Ishbia's NIL money from multiple MSU players to Gemon Green through civil litigation.
/s
October 31st, 2022 at 6:09 PM ^
Someone (helmet bludgeoner) is going to get prosecuted in the Circuit court in Ann Arbor for an aggravated assault. MSU and some MSU players are going to be sued civilly. There will be a conviction. There will be a settlement.
October 31st, 2022 at 1:34 PM ^
Anyone who has been paying attention the last thirty years knows this is EXACTLY what michigan state is - as an institution (lack of oversight of the AD from the Trustees & President), to the athletic department (lack of oversight of their individual teams and personnel), and coaches (lack of influence of player behavior).
There is absolutely nothing of value gained in having msu as part of the big ten. Our predecessors were right from the very beginning - they DO NOT belong in this conference.
October 31st, 2022 at 2:06 PM ^
Unfortunately, we cannot unring the bell as far as MSU in the Big-10 or not. Anymore than we do it for Rutgers and Nebraska.
This whole assault event gives the entire MSU athletic program a black eye. Every student athlete over their must be on their best behavior from now on.
October 31st, 2022 at 2:34 PM ^
We could refuse to play them, though. Or make a very big deal of de-emphasizing the rivalry and playing them just once every two years. Send a big delegation to the B1G office, humiliate f out of them.
October 31st, 2022 at 1:44 PM ^
There's really two possibilities:
1. He's been hung out to dry, a la Dave Brandon & Brady Hoke
2. He was told to avoid admitting anything and avoid commenting on an ongoing legal issue.
Remember that neither head coach directly witnessed these attacks. But also witness the CLEAR differences in leadership between Harbaugh and Tucker:
Harbaugh spent time sorting things out with the team, the police, the folks running the media & security cameras. He checked in with his boss and got on the same page. He has clearly impressed upon his team the need to NOT retaliate nor snipe over social media. He's talked to Green's family. He took charge.
Tucker has avoided the topic and pleaded ignorance since the first minute. His University President released a statement before he did. He's undoubtedly had access to the security footage and other recordings that Harbaugh did, and I wouldn't be surprised if he and Harbaugh have spoken personally.
There's no scenario where Tucker shouldn't have been prepped for his Monday press conference. He KNEW these questions were coming, or should have. He should have had a team of lawyers prepping his responses. He should have had a written statement he could have read. This kind of stuff has happened before, there's a fucking formula for handling it.
Unless he's been salted and hung out to dry. I think Tucker's being thrown under the bus here.
October 31st, 2022 at 2:05 PM ^
I don't think Harbaugh and Tucker are in comparable situations. Harbaugh is doing a fine job, but his players aren't under investigation. Tucker does have to be sensitive to that, does have to be sensitive to their rights, and does have to represent those guys even when they've done something reprehensible. That's as much his job as keeping the team disciplined, dismissing guys who warrant it, and winning football games. There are a lot of ways for him to screw this up, and very few ways for him to do right (and "doing right" in my subjective eyes is not something he can complete or prove any time soon). He has to, in general order:
1) Be a part of meting out justice to all the offenders
2) Keep the rest of the locker room on board and together
3) Inspire a change of culture that this is wrong - a culture that predates him
4) Win football games at the rate he did last year
The second item is not one we really care about (nor the fourth) - but I do acknowledge it and its importance. It's a tough job. I've led teams for a long time, I'm not sure I could do this. But I also will likely never see $95 million, and honestly can't conceive of what that much money even means for an individual or family.
October 31st, 2022 at 1:49 PM ^
"He sounds like a complete jackass up there, with no contrition or accountability for the culture he has set"
I think the word you were looking for is perpetuated, not set. Glorification of thug culture has been a thing at state WAY before Mel arrived.
October 31st, 2022 at 1:55 PM ^
That's exactly right
October 31st, 2022 at 2:01 PM ^
MSU has two major problems, the dysfunctional culture and the complete lack of self awareness. I'm sure many fanbases lack self awareness (including us) but the way it's institutionalized at MSU is a major problem for them. They believe from the top down that Dantonio was a man of high moral integrity and that the culture he created was probably a big selling point when they courted Tucker. And I'm sure they believed it, and that any sought after coach they threw money at could come in and win without having to deal with cultural problems.
October 31st, 2022 at 2:13 PM ^
This is pretty simple. When you act like a jackass on the sidelines. Actions make you look like a jackass. Then sound like one later when discussing, its simple, YOU'RE a JACKASS! Comparing Mel Tucker to a jackass is an insult to an actual jackass. Sorry Eeyore!
October 31st, 2022 at 2:02 PM ^
Let's never forget the culture started with the "buckeye in spartan clothing" Mork D'antisportmanio.
Go BLUE.
October 31st, 2022 at 3:34 PM ^
Ironic that you're saying we shouldn't forget ... when apparently we're forgetting this culture existed long before Groucho Mark came along. Sure he took it up a notch in terms of public commentary ... but the Spartoons have always been this way. Certainly so in the early 90s when I was a student at M.
October 31st, 2022 at 4:34 PM ^
4 words:
George Perles Tony Mandrich
October 31st, 2022 at 7:56 PM ^
Now, now. You spelled his name incorrectly. It's Merk D'Antorini.
October 31st, 2022 at 2:45 PM ^
I agree, but I'd hasten to add that this is the culture that he inherited from Dantonio and then has purposely nurtured.
October 31st, 2022 at 4:03 PM ^
Narduzzi was a big part of it with Dantonio.
October 31st, 2022 at 6:39 PM ^
This is the same school that wanted "60 minutes of unnecessary roughness."
October 31st, 2022 at 6:07 PM ^
Yeah, although I just watched an edited version and Tucker did say he was "deeply sorry" to both universities pretty much at the top. Much as we would all like him to suck eggs and fail, I'm not sure that's how this one will come off.
October 31st, 2022 at 1:31 PM ^
Agree fully with OP. Mel was clearly coached to avoid specific comments re: the attack, but he appears to be very uncomfortable and out of his league.
October 31st, 2022 at 1:41 PM ^
I think most people would be uncomfortable in this situation. That's why companies hire PR firms to handle situations like this. The one thing Mel has going for him is Auburn firing their coach to take some of the national media pressure away.
October 31st, 2022 at 1:51 PM ^
MeLLLLL will need a bigger smokescreen than that.
October 31st, 2022 at 2:07 PM ^
Harsin getting fired is not big news. It has always been, when will it happen? And this has been the situation for the last eight Mondays and every day all last offseason.
October 31st, 2022 at 1:31 PM ^
He reminds me so much of Hoke when they trotted him out after the Shane Morris concussion. Just totally in over his head.
October 31st, 2022 at 1:32 PM ^
What can Tuck say?? There's an ongoing investigation
October 31st, 2022 at 1:38 PM ^
We get that. But just his overall body language and demeanor. Very childish and scared looking. Just really pathetic. Almost want to feel sorry for his 95 million dollar ass.
Speak with conviction for crying out loud.
October 31st, 2022 at 1:40 PM ^
Of course he is nervous and scared. Stop acting like you would be any different.
October 31st, 2022 at 1:49 PM ^
I think the following things are all true:
1) Tuck owns this culture, and this is his moment to earn his money
2) There is almost nothing he can do RIGHT NOW to satisfy folks. There is a lot of wrong things he can do. The most right thing to do is to be contrite
3) He can change the culture, this culture pre-dates him. But if Juwan can survive actually slapping another coach, I'm ok with Tuck surviving this.
The sins of Dantonio - while real - are not Tucker's. I'm positive he's leaned on Dantonio before. He has to rebuild and change the culture. It's not easy, I'm not sure he wants to, it's likely he fails, and it's likely I'd fail if I tried to. Nevertheless, I don't think we should take too much from the body language of a presser.
He should apologize to the M players involved, as the MSU VP did.
October 31st, 2022 at 2:52 PM ^
Agree with this perspective. Sure I have seen Tucker get amped up but Harbaugh has at times too. I have not seen anything from Tucker that makes him some evil villain or really culpable for this. Some of his players crossed the line between normal rivalry trash talk/actions and unacceptable violence. But I haven't seen anything yet that he put them up to it or can't control his guys. A few Michigan players could lose control in the future and I would not want all of that on Harbaugh, again assuming that in each instance the coach condemns and penalizes the behavior. I know people think Tucker is overpaid and got unduly lucky the last two years but I see far more accountability (so far) with him than I did in the Dantonio/Narduzzi years.