Beilein gave team option to forfeit; Walton banged up during accident
Someone pointed out he was favoring one of his legs during warmups.
Well, he sustained a cut during the accident. His thigh got stitched up. He then went out to destroy Illinois and lead the team in scoring with 19 and 5 assists.
Beilein also gave the team the option to forfeit. Article from BFQuinn. Scary stuff.
When the team buses reached campus, team members congregated in the locker room. According to Beilein, "I said, 'We have two choices and I'm with you either way.'" Those options: Forfeit Thursday's game or fly into Washington the next morning.
Players spoke to counselors. Then they had a team meeting.
It was the second noteworthy team meeting of the season.
..........
There were honest moments, again, in Wednesday's meeting. It was an open forum. Some players did not want to get back on a plane. The voiced their fears.
"Everyone is connected enough that no one felt uncomfortable expressing doubts or hesitation," Lonergan said.
They decided the old-fashioned way.
"Majority rule, pretty much," Walton said.
The star point guard was among those feeling apprehensive. In the wreck, he sustained a cut near his thigh that required stitches. He couldn't quite imagine getting back on a plane. An unquestioned team leader, Walton didn't speak in the meeting.
"I didn't know what to say to them," he said Thursday. "I was focused on what just happened. Basketball was the last thing on my mind. I didn't really care."
http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2017/03/after_the_accident_mi…
I think he's a great guy and I couldn't be happier with what kind of person we have leading our program.
Go Blue.
Note the part at 1:20, where he is asked how much Michigan lobbied to change the start time.
It appears that the Big Ten's press release claim that it offered us whatever start time we wanted doesn't appear to tell the whole story.
Surprise, surprise.
Nobody tells the truth anymore. Nobody.
They all just blow smoke up your ass and then prance away and have their martini, thinking what a great job they did pulling the wool over your eyes.
Great interview, thanks for posting.
I believe this is now 6 threads started on March 9, 2017 for one Wolverine Devotee. And there are still 3 hours and 15 minutes remaining.
Stay tuned baby
An engine-out on a Twin Otter sub-500 foot agl once, with the violent yaw pinning me to the aft bulkhead unable to move a limb while I watched metal blade pieces fly through the cabin and smelled the acrid smoke as the alarms whirped, I can honestly appreciate the feelings of terror immediately hopping into another airplane. You would have to believe in the team to do that. Good courage.
...deserves this 100% cashmere cardigan from the J. Peterman Catalog, available in sizes through XXXL so even a particularly lanky, teutonic, 3-pt shooting big man would say "Ja wohl!" to flying out again in the morning. $59.99, available in six colors.
What a wild day.
Bizarre that this was a question that needed to be asked, terrifying that it made complete sense. Nobody would blame the team for choosing not to play after that.
And they played. And they shined.
...and that is the weirdest thing about today - they could have not played, opted not to play, and I don't know that many people here would have been upset with them at all given what had happened. That being said, I am happy they did and excited to see what they can do the rest of the way.
A post that's <50 words from stephenrjking... a wild, bizarre day indeed :)
Guilty as charged.
He lives a clean, pure life unlike the rest of us dirty heathens.
It wasn't Jim Delaney that bombed Willow Run, it was . . . oh forget it, he's on a roll.
I'm pretty sure Beilein knew what his team would decide. Proud of our team. See you tomorrow, fellas
I was in a plane when the engines kept going out 30 min from landing. It was terrifying. It has taken me a while to get back on a plane on a regular basis since. Well over a year now. Good for Walton and the team rising to this.
Came across this aerial photographer's twitter page with some pictures of the scene. Even scarier seeing the two shots from behind the plane. Especially the one showing the runway and skid marks. Good lord.
https://twitter.com/FlyingCinematog/status/839940091065864193
through that dip in the ground?
Scary looking stuff.
i'll bet the landing gear didn't collapse until it hit that ditch, so the nose would have already been clear. You can see two distinct sets of wheel ruts/skid marks all the way up to that point, so it's not like the belly of the plane was dragging along the ground the whole way.
This accident was worse than I had thought. The plane crashed through the fence and then hit the ditch. That had to be a hell of a bump when that happened. That ditch could have been trouble.
Would have been interesting if they voted not to get on the plane if Belein wouldn't have been "with them either way" when it comes to flying to the national tournament. We're only talking a week later
Sometimes in these treads its difficult to remember that we're all Michigan fans wanting the same thing with all the arguing. It seriously reminds me of my moms pollock side of the family at Christmas. Everyone argues with each other about the dumbest shit then ends up banning together to fist fight the family across the street.
Or the Boilers.
March 10th, 2017 at 11:20 AM ^
So, like this kind of pollock...?
Or this kind of pollock...?
Ohhhhh wait, you mean THIS kind of pollock (sp?)...
photo courtesy of Polish Navy (note screen door entrance)
I would've been behind them either way, but I'm so glad they voted to go. What they're doing right now is beyond words. The only thing to decribe it are...misty eyes and tears.