steve kampfer
disgraceful acts

Tropp, Conboy Gone Comment Count

Brian

Tropp and Conboy are gone, at least for now:

EAST LANSING -- Michigan State hockey players Andrew Conboy and Corey Tropp are no longer on the team after their violent actions in Saturday's game at Michigan, MSU coach Rick Comley said Tuesday.

"It was a tough decision, but the right decision," Comley said. "I don't think the kids are bad kids. I don't think (their actions) were premeditated."

It sounds like Comley booted them for the year but left the door open to a return; the article says Conboy "had the option to stay in school and talk about Comley about a potential return to the team." Tropp "might be allowed to return" if he stays in school. Conboy's decided to go according to the article, and his facebook now shows his school as Illinois-Chicago. Tropp's status is still undetermined.

This is the right move, and now that it's been made I hope everyone involved can move on. I'm sure both players are remorseful and will, like Todd Bertuzzi, bear a mark for the rest of their careers. That and never seeing them play Michigan again are enough for me. Comley and the State program handled it the right way, and hopefully the rivalry can settle back down to an acceptably intense level.

Comments

jgalea84

January 27th, 2009 at 3:58 PM ^

Amazing how quickly your tone changed on this whole matter as soon as you got what you wanted. Maybe this is a good example of why people should exercise a little patience and perspective when calling for heads to roll?

Joined: 01/26/2009

MGoPoints: 3

TheMichiganDif…

January 27th, 2009 at 4:33 PM ^

We are making change by complaining on a blog's comments. Everyone here should pat themselves on the back for having a hand in this. We all have truly made... a Michigan Difference.

Joined: 10/22/2008

MGoPoints: 10

Wolverine318

January 27th, 2009 at 5:30 PM ^

LOL...my favorite comment of the day. BoT, Justice was finally done. I wouldn't be surprised to see Tropp back. For all intents and purposes Tropp appears to be a good kid who made a mistake in the heat of the moment. If he is not back, I hope Tropp makes it back to a d1 program and regain some respect.

Joined: 07/01/2008

MGoPoints: -86217

JeremyB

January 27th, 2009 at 4:01 PM ^

Why is it amazing that when justice has been served he's no longer calling for justice to be served like he did when justice was not being, or going to be, served?

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 1382

jgalea84

January 27th, 2009 at 4:03 PM ^

Because it was a total 180 from "OMG State is handling this as poorly as it possibly can" to "Comley and State handled this the best they could." if you get robbed do you jump up and down and scream during the preliminary exam because no one is in prison yet? It was a huge assumption on everyone's part that "justice was not going to be done".

Joined: 01/26/2009

MGoPoints: 3

JeremyB

January 27th, 2009 at 4:20 PM ^

The statement from the commish was that "the measures taken by Michigan State are appropriate and consistent with the parameters of the sanctions that were being contemplated by the league." MSU acted by suspending them for the season; the CCHA said they were satisfied. What about that leaves a huge doubt that they were done? You're content to say you were calmer than we were, once you have 20/20 hindsight. Brian may have been wavin' the fuckin' gun around, but it's good to know he wasn't the only one around here who gives a shit about the rules.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 1382

Flood

January 27th, 2009 at 4:08 PM ^

The season suspension certainly seemed to be the end of the punishment, with this quote in hand: "We feel that the measures taken by Michigan State are appropriate and consistent with the parameters of the sanctions that were being contemplated by the league," league commissioner Tom Anastos said in a news release. Clearly that was not an adequate response, and that's why Brian jumped on it. I have no problem with Brian's satisfaction and willingness to let go of the incident AFTER the proper punishment had been issued, and I'm not sure how it bothers you.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 313

AnthonyC

January 27th, 2009 at 4:19 PM ^

How did State handle it so differently from Sunday's ruling? It seems the kids left on their own accord, and if they wanted to play all they had to do was finish the semester and be back in school next year. How does this make what Comley did any better? He still only gave them a season-ending suspension.

Joined: 07/01/2008

MGoPoints: 1470

wile_e8

January 27th, 2009 at 4:31 PM ^

Eh, off the team isn't quite the same as suspended. With the suspension, they could still practice with the team (the extra practice time might help for next year) and it is assumed they'd be back next year. But now they don't get to practice, and Comley supposedly will still decide if he wants them back on the team if they keep enrolled. But since I'd be surprised if he didn't let them back on the team if they stayed enrolled, it was probably more like gently nudging them away from the school if they didn't want to be angels from here on out. Which was too much for Conboy.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 7381

Yinka Double Dare

January 27th, 2009 at 4:31 PM ^

I think it's entirely likely that while the public face of it was that Comley only suspended them, he probably also had a chat with each of the players and I suspect that there were some conditions laid out that had to be met before they would be let back on the team, conditions that probably were intended to make them think hard about leaving. Otherwise I'm not sure why Conboy would have left and gone to a different school. Presumably he was still on scholarship. From reading what State fans have to say they were almost hoping they could maybe get his scholarship back because he was a font of stupid penalties with minimal offensive contribution. After this incident I think most of them really won't be sorry to see him go.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 9742

InterM

January 27th, 2009 at 4:19 PM ^

Well done, Master Comley, old chap! Michigan's hockey aficionados salute you, and never again shall a foul utterance pass through our lips and toward you and your fine brethren at our fellow institution of higher learning. (Sips tea, pinkie properly pointed)

Joined: 01/16/2009

MGoPoints: 2257

InterM

January 28th, 2009 at 10:45 AM ^

Don't know if you've been following the various Conboy/Tropp threads, but there's been a lot of discussion about how the fans were "just as bad" as the players for saying all those bad words at Yost after the incident. (I'm shocked -- SHOCKED -- that students were using foul language at Yost!) This was my attempt at an "ironic" response to that . . . .

Joined: 01/16/2009

MGoPoints: 2257

J. Lichty

January 27th, 2009 at 4:35 PM ^

Simply saying they are off the team with a chance for reinstatement if the stay in school is really the same thing as a suspension. Apparently Tropp is still in school for the time being and thus leaving the door open for a return next season (although I doubt it). Hockey players, even less so than football players are about the hockey, not the school. I expect Tropp will want to play somewhere while he is still young. For Conboy, his leaving school means that his MSU career is done. Would expect to see him try his hand in major jr (don't know if he still has jr eligibility), or if not we may see him in the ECHL or lower tier league next season. Don't know that he will be able to latch on somewhere this season.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 1604

dw2927

January 27th, 2009 at 4:59 PM ^

I think its totally legitimate to build up an expectation of what should be done before the decision is made. As one of the posters pointed out, sometimes that is how the correct decision gets made, with a little old fashioned pressure. I have no beef with MSU hockey or Comley b/c of this. I don't know about the "premeditation" comment, but that is a whole other argument and quite frankly water under the bridge now.

Joined: 01/25/2009

MGoPoints: 69

Don

January 28th, 2009 at 7:38 AM ^

Heard on the local AA radio station this morning that allegedly MSU players sent a get-well card to Kampfer. If true, it's a pretty revealing olive branch, and in combination with the departure/dismissal of Conboy and Tropp should impart some closure to the whole sorry episode. The AA News also reported last night that Kampfer's father apologized to Berenson for entering the MSU locker room.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 148237