Santa Ono's Letter to the Big Ten
November 4th, 2023 at 2:07 PM ^
Dear Tony,
“I look forward to our meeting and am writing now to share some of my deeply held beliefs, which I hope can inform our conversation and guide what we do next. “None of us wants to be in this situation. The University of Michigan takes its compliance obligations seriously. We are committed to ethics, integrity, and fair play. It is at our core and always will be. And that is why I am so deeply concerned about the allegations.
“We are fully cooperating with the NCAA in its investigation, as it seeks to separate the facts from irresponsible speculation seen in much of the public and social media discourse.
“It’s precisely at these times — when all key facts are not known but others are all too comfortable offering strongly held opinion — that it is essential for everyone to ensure that investigations are conducted fairly and that conclusions are based on what actually happened. The reputation and livelihoods of coaches, students, and programs cannot be sacrificed in a rush to judgment, no matter how many and how loudly people protest otherwise. Due process matters.
“We, as would any other member of the Big10, deserve nothing less. Our students, our coaches, our program—all are entitled to a fair, deliberate, thoughtful process. We are aware that other representatives of the Big10 are demanding that you take action now, before any meaningful investigation and full consideration of all the evidence. That is not something our conference rules permit. And we both know it is not what any other member would want if allegations were raised against their people or programs.
“The Big10 has not informed us of any investigation of its own, as would be required under conference rules. And, to be clear, oral updates from NCAA enforcement staff do not and cannot constitute evidence, nor do we think the NCAA would ever intend for an oral update to be given that meaning or weight.
“The best course of action, the one far more likely to ascertain the facts, is to await the results of the NCAA investigation. But if you refuse to let the NCAA investigative process play out, the Big10 may not take any action against the University or its players or coaches without commencing its own investigation and offering us the opportunity to provide our position. That is not just required by our conference rules; it is a matter of basic fairness. “
Sincerely,
Santa J. Ono
President
University of Michigan
November 4th, 2023 at 2:07 PM ^
To be clear, this letter was prior to the meeting on Friday.
November 4th, 2023 at 2:09 PM ^
Sure enough - Santa delivers another great gift
🧑🏽🎄 🎁
November 4th, 2023 at 2:09 PM ^
Santa, my man.. my man.. amazing
November 4th, 2023 at 3:11 PM ^
Am I the only U-president groupie who has ever lived? What a guy!
November 4th, 2023 at 4:17 PM ^
No, Bollinger and his wife met us (about 2000 students) at the door of the Presidents House after we destroyed Penn St in 97. We knocked, he answered. Said hello and congrats on an amazing win and invited us all in. The next two hours were spent having a rager in the President’s House. People raiding the fridge, hanging out in bedrooms and the back yard. It was one of the coolest experiences of my 4 years. Never seen anything like it. That guy will always be a legend in all of our eyes. But I’ve officially got similar love for Ono. This guy fucks.
November 4th, 2023 at 2:12 PM ^
FUCK. THE. BIG. TEN.
November 4th, 2023 at 2:19 PM ^
The PAC 12 will have openings next year…
November 4th, 2023 at 7:48 PM ^
This is backwards. The best way to stick it to the B1G is to stay, and continue dominance. If anyone bolts, it should be the cowards of Ohio. They can't stand even being on even ground, let alone being second best, to the point they resort to tactics best reserved for the foreign soap operas.
November 4th, 2023 at 2:23 PM ^
Time to head over to the SEC
November 4th, 2023 at 5:14 PM ^
Unfortunately I think Michigan would be an outcast in the SEC. Both the program and Coach Harbaugh have ruffled feathers all across the south. Not likely to get any fairer treatment in that conference, maybe worse considering Michigan wouldn't be the premier program of that conference. Alabama likely holds that title as long as they exist.
November 4th, 2023 at 2:12 PM ^
President Ono, we salute thee! Well done sir!
November 4th, 2023 at 2:15 PM ^
Imagine for one second how poorly Schlissel would have handled this. Then, smile big 😀because we’ve got Santa 🧑🏽🎄
November 4th, 2023 at 3:06 PM ^
You never know. He might've offered Tony a knish. Tony might have been perfectly happy with that.
November 4th, 2023 at 4:00 PM ^
Clear and concise. Excellent. Thank you Santa.
But did it have to take this long?
November 4th, 2023 at 4:21 PM ^
Yes, because you have to assume Petitti was doing the right things in line with the bylaws of the conference until he didn’t and swerved out of his lane. That gives Ono the high ground, which he was the able to effectively use to piss on Petitti’s face.
November 4th, 2023 at 5:05 PM ^
The conference commissioner does work for the University Presidents, not the athletic directors! Ono reminding him of his job and the rules he is tied to regarding his responsibilities is boss move 101!
November 4th, 2023 at 2:14 PM ^
happy with it except ending on the word "fairness" as that is precisely what the rest of the league and other haters are saying michigan undermined and disregarded.
November 4th, 2023 at 2:22 PM ^
You miss the point of the usage in his letter. What they are complaining of, and what they’re asking for, are very different things.
“Fury said to a mouse, that he met in the house, ‘Let us both go to law: I will prosecute you. Come, I'll take no denial; we must have a trial: For really this morning I've nothing to do.’ Said the mouse to the cur, ‘Such a trial, dear Sir, with no jury or judge, would be wasting our breath.’ ‘I'll be judge, I'll be jury,’ said cunning old Fury: ‘I'll try the whole cause, and condemn you to death.’” (Lewis Carroll, ‘Alice in Wonderland’)
November 4th, 2023 at 2:23 PM ^
The whole point of that letter is that the opinions without due process do not matter. Who cares what anyone thinks or says. It's irrelevant!
November 4th, 2023 at 2:15 PM ^
The most important parts of the letter are the multiple times Ono references the conference rules. I.e., if the B1G tries any shit, MGoLawyers are going to get involved.
November 4th, 2023 at 2:24 PM ^
He’s a wordsmith and a wizard. And when he laughs, his belly shakes like a bowl full of jelly.
November 4th, 2023 at 2:26 PM ^
To be clear, this letter was written by the MGoLawyers.
November 4th, 2023 at 2:33 PM ^
Yes and the fact that there may be some misinformation out there.
November 4th, 2023 at 4:23 PM ^
That’s exactly it. That is dog whistle for “we’ll sue the fuck out of you and courts will back us because you’re breaking your own rules with this shit”. The courts will almost always let the conference police itself and won’t get involved until they break their own rules to take punitive action on a member, that’s essentially automatic being fucked.
November 4th, 2023 at 5:50 PM ^
“we’ll sue the fuck out of you and courts will back us because you’re breaking your own rules with this shit”
All the legalese is overrated. Your version is quite clear and concise. I like it.
November 4th, 2023 at 2:24 PM ^
Translation: if you try to appease the mob, know that my lawyers are better, and my pockets deeper, than yours.
November 4th, 2023 at 11:45 PM ^
Especially given how much the U of M delivers to those pockets. Really. The way UM has been treated by this conference in my lifetime you'd think we delivered negatives.
November 4th, 2023 at 2:33 PM ^
This guy was the right hire.
November 4th, 2023 at 2:47 PM ^
Santa is so good at Warde’s job
November 4th, 2023 at 2:56 PM ^
He seems over-qualified TBH. Maybe we should consider making him president.
November 4th, 2023 at 4:16 PM ^
It's only 2023 dude. We've got a considerable amount of time before the election.
November 4th, 2023 at 2:50 PM ^
That's what leadership looks like.
November 4th, 2023 at 3:10 PM ^
Santa has come to town!
November 4th, 2023 at 3:22 PM ^
I earnestly hope Warde Manual is taking notes.
November 4th, 2023 at 3:36 PM ^
It also appears that Michigan is going to start leaking information.
November 4th, 2023 at 3:41 PM ^
such a letter would NOT be addressed to dear Tony.
November 4th, 2023 at 4:36 PM ^
The quotation marks also seem strange (especially the end quote facing the wrong way). Something is off.
November 4th, 2023 at 4:15 PM ^
Phenomenal response.
November 4th, 2023 at 4:40 PM ^
I like this duke.
November 4th, 2023 at 5:35 PM ^
Well stated.
November 4th, 2023 at 6:11 PM ^
That Just Happened!
November 4th, 2023 at 2:07 PM ^
"The reputation and livelihoods of coaches, students, and programs cannot be sacrificed in a rush to judgment, no matter how many and how loudly people protest otherwise. Due process matters."
SO GOOD!
November 4th, 2023 at 2:16 PM ^
Unfortunately the reputations of the entire Michigan FB coaching staff and players have already been trashed. I would love for someone at the B1G and NCAA to tell everyone how they get that back...especially while they leak like a sieve.
November 4th, 2023 at 3:48 PM ^
How to get that back?
Beat everyone. Mercilessly. Make it abundantly clear that Michigan is the best team, and that shoddy video taken from the bleachers on a cellphone has nothing to do with it.
November 4th, 2023 at 11:37 PM ^
Reminds me of a classic line from Ray Donovan (NTRD), the Labor Secretary under Reagan. Donovan was indicted for defrauding New York City and had an 8 month trial. The jury took 8 hours to render a not guilty verdict which was openly applauded by Jury members. So Donovan asked the judge “what office do I go to to get my reputation back?”
November 4th, 2023 at 2:08 PM ^
Love it!
November 4th, 2023 at 2:09 PM ^
Great response. Firm and pointed. I'm very happy to have President Ono on our side.
November 4th, 2023 at 2:10 PM ^
Translation...