8 suspended sparties return / 4 transferring
January 13th, 2010 at 3:56 PM ^
It's about time Winston got kicked off that team. It only took two assaults.
January 13th, 2010 at 3:57 PM ^
That Dantonio is a real disciplinarian.
January 13th, 2010 at 4:04 PM ^
Whatever happened to that? Apparently it only applies to players buried on the depth chart. Contributers have a 3 strikes rule or something.
January 13th, 2010 at 4:49 PM ^
Zero tolerance - fifty percent of the time, it works every time
January 13th, 2010 at 4:52 PM ^
ugh. again... scroll below. Dantonio has not shifted his approach with this move. none of these players had a 'first strike' which would validate your comment.
January 14th, 2010 at 10:53 AM ^
indeed, just ask Kevin grady
January 14th, 2010 at 9:36 PM ^
Heh! It's actually 66.7% tolerance.
Family values dude, family values.
January 13th, 2010 at 3:58 PM ^
harsh penalties are harsh
except when they're not.
Nice going, Coach Dantonio, letting these guys back even before the justice system has its say. I hope you at least make them run bleachers at 6:00 am or something, maybe write (lol) letters of apology to the victims of MSU Fraternity Nerd Beatdown '09.
January 13th, 2010 at 6:33 PM ^
Hopefully, that won't be a mandatory practice/workout for those guys.
January 13th, 2010 at 3:58 PM ^
I recommend that everyone leave a kind message for Dantonio underneath the story. It is time to begin paying back the MSU haters.
January 13th, 2010 at 5:35 PM ^
I already did.
This situation is becoming more tiresome and disturbing as time passes. I am just trying to figure out what Saint Dantonio has on the press here. It's like he has embarassing pics of every single fucking reporter in the state.
Why does he constantly get a free pass for much more than RR gets sodomized for?
Why does the press so deperately want to see MSU do well?
And why does the press want to see RR fail when he gives them twice as much access as Bo, Mo, or Carr ever did?
January 13th, 2010 at 5:48 PM ^
Now that we are beyond the initial shitstorm that occurred when RR arrived here, I think it is smooth sailing into the future. Also, I believe the Michigan anti-RR factions are beginning to realize that hoping for him to fail is not going to be beneficial in any way. Just my two cents.....
January 14th, 2010 at 10:54 AM ^
please see Drew Sharp article on freep.com
January 13th, 2010 at 4:01 PM ^
Dantonio, "You lack a discipline."
Pretty ironic all the starters like Dell and Cunningham made it back.
January 13th, 2010 at 4:05 PM ^
is all i can say... none of these kids should even be allowed any where near the practice facility until the court rules on the case... but he didn't say if they were going to be able to participate in spring practice...
January 13th, 2010 at 4:03 PM ^
MSU still has a shot at winning the MAC.
January 13th, 2010 at 4:24 PM ^
UM fans can't exactly make jokes like this after these past two seasons...
January 13th, 2010 at 4:56 PM ^
no, im joking about the last 100 meetings.
January 13th, 2010 at 4:03 PM ^
"There is a no tolerance policy after the first offense." I seriously read that somewhere. Ridiculous.
January 13th, 2010 at 4:26 PM ^
is search for your comment before you make it. it's easy to shout outrage at a quote you 'seriously read somewhere.' however, when one Googles "Dantonio" "tolerance policy" they find... drumroll...
Dantonio said that their dismissals were permanent, citing a “zero tolerance” policy for players receiving second chances.unless any of these four players had already gotten in trouble, he hasn't gone back on this quote. ANGRY RETORT FTW! http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:vmGpb33IWBsJ:www.freep.com/article/…
January 13th, 2010 at 4:30 PM ^
Mea Culpa.
January 13th, 2010 at 5:08 PM ^
So is it even theoretically possible for a Spartan player to be kicked off the team after his first offense? Are players guaranteed one (literal) get-out-of-jail card?
January 13th, 2010 at 6:33 PM ^
*nudge nudge wink wink* Say no more, say no more.
January 13th, 2010 at 7:15 PM ^
that's my entire point. people are harping like he said he wouldn't give out second chances. the bigger issue is if there is ever going to be a point that he doesn't. well done.
January 13th, 2010 at 4:04 PM ^
The four players who have transferred or are "considering their options" are scrubs, while the impact players are all fit to come back. Amazing how that works!
January 13th, 2010 at 4:04 PM ^
I'm glad Dantonio is giving these guys a break; they just spartied a little too hard and got carried away...
January 13th, 2010 at 4:13 PM ^
Five players -- Dell, Cunningham, Chris L. Rucker, Smith and Deane -- are "on the team right now," Dantonio confirmed.
What a remarkable coincidence that these happen to be the best players in the group.
January 13th, 2010 at 4:22 PM ^
What a joke. The thugs of the Big Ten.
January 13th, 2010 at 4:30 PM ^
I am a Michigan fan through and through, so making fun of Sparty is fun and all, and I am one of the first to yell "burn your own couch!" at UofM/MSU games...
However, I think MarkyD has made an even more serious error here then he did putting Winston back on the team after his first arrest for beating students.
What he just said was that he does not care if a good chunk of the team, after a team event, goes to a dorm in masse and beats up other students in a pre-planned attack. He cares so little he will put you back on the team while your criminal charges are still pending.
There isn't really any reason for him to put them back on the team this month. No super critical time deadlines.
I think he sent the exact wrong message to the players, and I think he will have a crapload more trouble down the road because of it.
January 13th, 2010 at 4:41 PM ^
love to see one of these kids get into trouble again, just so dantonio has to do something... suspending kids for a bowl game is all fine and dandy for a minor issue... but when a group of players conspire to go and beat up a bunch of students a one game suspension just isn't enough...
January 14th, 2010 at 10:57 AM ^
but they didn't beat up a bunch of students.....that is 100% fact. There was a thorough investigation.
January 14th, 2010 at 11:21 AM ^
trollers from the RCMB bringing it strong. so i'm guessing the kid treated for a goose egg and various others who reported being either hit or shoved in the face just 'made it up?'
January 13th, 2010 at 4:34 PM ^
So...Last year, Dantonio suspended Winston for...wait for it...wait for it...only the bowl game. This year, after the Potluck Massacre (sorry, I just love saying that), the involved players (at least those not in violation of previous criminal probation) were suspended for...here it comes...only the bowl game.
Am I the only one noting the irony in that? Where is this new discipline? A more violent (at least in terms of size of beat-down possee) crime is greeted by the same light punishment. Of course, you guys have already made the great point that the good players are all welcomed back.
H-I-Larious.
Looks like MSU is just "The U" without good weather or winning.
January 13th, 2010 at 8:17 PM ^
"Looks like MSU is just "The U" without good weather or winning."
absolutely perfect.
+1
January 13th, 2010 at 4:52 PM ^
just what Dantonio promised
January 13th, 2010 at 5:07 PM ^
All the evidence revealed so far... Ranging from the statements from the witnesses, the statements from the players and their families, the statements from the DA, and the charges themselves suggest that Winston, Jenrette and possibly Leggett were the only MSU players that actually threw punches.
All 3 are permanently off the team.
All the remaining players were charged with only 1 count of assault or assault and battery which the DA himself suggested could be satisfied simply by the player being present in the room and/or putting their hand on someone's shoulder. If, during the course of this case, it is revealed that another MSU player struck someone I have no doubt that Dantonio will immediately re-suspend, or more likely, kick that player off the team. Dantonio has taken a lot of heat over this affair and probably won't be as lenient as he has in the past.
Time will tell, but his reinstatement of the remaining players right now doesn't really mean much as we'll know the result of any legal action by the time spring practice starts.
January 13th, 2010 at 5:25 PM ^
You left out the conspiracy charges. It isn't like those who didn't throw punches just happened to be in the same room, hoping for some extra mac n cheese. They were there as part of the attack. You don't need to throw a punch to be just as involved as the puncher.
January 13th, 2010 at 5:37 PM ^
The conspiracy charges relate to events preceding the actual incident in which it is likely all the players are guilty as I doubt they just didn't happen to wander into the situation unaware of what was going to happen. The assault charges could be satisfied by simply being in the same room and the assault and battery charges could be technically satisfied by simply touching someone over the course of the incident.
So it's very likely that many of the football players charged could be guilty of 1,2 or all 3 of the misdemeanor charges, but the punishment levied by the court will be the most telling part. For example, it is unlikely that a player who discussed the plan to crash the potluck earlier, stood by as another player was fighting, and may have bumped into someone at some point will receive much punishment beyond probation even though they were found guilty of all 3 charges. If a player actually punched someone, the punishment from the court AND from Dantonio will likely be a little more serious.
January 13th, 2010 at 5:44 PM ^
Who cares if they actually punched someone. Dantonio just made it loud and clear that you can go around and bully whoever you want around campus. Do you think these kids wouldn't have thrown a punch if they needed to? Gang intimidation is nothing, right? I mean, they only attended the gang beatdown to watch, not to actually do anything, right? And for you to say that reinstating them doesn't mean anything just means that you don't fully understand the difference between being suspended and not being suspended. Team meetings and practice facilities are sort of a big deal in the offseason.
January 13th, 2010 at 5:49 PM ^
Well, I'm sure the court cares.
The reasonable approach is to withhold judgment until the legal proceedings have run their course, no?
Besides, if a player is eventually found innocent of all charges, Couldn't it have been considered unjust for him to have remain suspended this whole time?
You know, innocent until proven guilty and all that jazz.
January 13th, 2010 at 5:54 PM ^
In that case, they all should have played in the bowl game.
January 13th, 2010 at 6:03 PM ^
Well, the official reason given for the players missing the bowl game was not due to the charges but rather for "violating team rules".
January 13th, 2010 at 7:19 PM ^
i'll take a shot in the dark and guess "punching people at a charity event" falls somewhere in the MSU team rulebook. might actually be written in there.
January 13th, 2010 at 7:43 PM ^
"Team-building Activity"
January 13th, 2010 at 6:05 PM ^
You think intimidation and "bullying" should get these players kicked off the team? Go find a group of football players, from any school, and even cut them in line at a bar.....
January 13th, 2010 at 6:52 PM ^
Trick question, football players don't wait in bar lines.
January 13th, 2010 at 7:21 PM ^
man, pryor was SUCH a dick when he thought i cut the line
January 13th, 2010 at 8:05 PM ^
Are you suggesting that if I cut in front of one football player in line, he would bring 15 friends in order to beat me up? My original point is that the kids should be kicked off the team because they conspired to commit a crime and then lied to their coach about it after they figured out it was on tape. They should actually be kicked off the team for being a bunch of morons, but criminal charges being brought up against them doesn't make it as obvious.
January 13th, 2010 at 6:15 PM ^
Actually, the conspiracy to commit assault charge would not stand if the attack were not carried out. Of course that occurred prior to the attack; that's the entire reason conspiracy carries some serious time.
Assault could not be charged merely because they "stood in the same room". They would have to put a potential victim in a position to reasonably fear a battery.