Frank Clark dismissed from the program
November 17th, 2014 at 11:25 AM ^
There's a process that would have to play out and Clark would be a part of it. It's also possible he's able to keep his scholarship for the rest of the academic year, I believe they would need to go through another process to revoke the grant in aid agreement he signed before the school year started.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:40 AM ^
When it comes to the termination of financial aid, Section 15 (covering the parameters of aid) basically refers back to Section 14, which covers the definition of "eligible". The main thrust of the rule, however, is academic standing, which is of course not necessarily the same as legal standing. It basically leaves it up to the institution involved to go the rest of the way in determining ultimate eligibility (although it kicks the reference chain back to Bylaw 2.8.1, which basically is the "Represent this organization well" bylaw, I think), which I imagine involves a few processes, as you mentioned.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:19 AM ^
How is it so difficult for some people to avoid routinely making terrible decisions?
I've never hit another person in my life outside of grade school and I can't say it's been particularly tough not to do so.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:23 AM ^
Alcohol, man. A lot of shit starts there and just spirals out of control. Frank is 100% responsible for his actions, of course, but being boozed up probably fueled the fire. I've seen it happen way too many times.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:25 AM ^
November 17th, 2014 at 11:32 AM ^
Mike Cooley of the Drive By Truckers summed up alcohol and its relationship to misanthropy in two lines of a song called "Women Without Whiskey:"
"You know the bottle ain't to blame and I ain't trying to
It don't make you do a thing it just lets you."
If the problem wasn't there in the first place, the alcohol wouldn't have made a difference.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:38 AM ^
I'm just saying that he probably got a little more fired up than he would have been in that same situation had he been stone cold sober. That's all. No doubt, he had his issues/demons/whatever you want to call it, well in advance.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:51 AM ^
+ 1 for a DBT reference.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:57 AM ^
I've also seen it way too many times - something starts or gets out of control because one or both sides have been drinking.
The lesson here, among so many other things, is that alcohol isn't the amazing party creator it's sold as. While this situation could have gotten bad anyway, college students drunk at a hotel never leads to situations getting better.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:25 AM ^
Not to judge you since I don't know your background, but from having worked with inner city kids, that sometimes for them violence is all they know. Sure some of them can channel that violence into athletics but they are truly a product of their environment. I really did think Frank had figured out how to control himself but clearly I was wrong. Just hope the victim is ok.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:28 AM ^
I've also worked a fair bit with inner city kids and totally agree with the "violence is all they know" sentiment. However, I guess I take the view that they're also human beings like the rest of us and have the capacity to control the basest of those instincts.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:33 AM ^
Sure, everybody has the ability (and responsibility) to control their own actions. But let's not act like it's just as easy for someone as it is for anyone else. It's been well documented how difficult Frank Clark's upbringing was. So should he be held accountable for his actions? Of course he should. But don't act like just because it has been easy for you to not resort to violence, that means it's just as easy for someone like Frank.
I just hope he gets the opportunity to finish his degree so he puts himself in a position to be successful in life.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:38 AM ^
Sure, but there's ton of distance between "it's easy for me not to hit someone" to "I'm going to beat up my possibly pregnant girlfriend".
November 17th, 2014 at 11:50 AM ^
There's no doubt about that, but all that proves is that you and Frank Clark handle at least on situation differently.
November 17th, 2014 at 12:12 PM ^
Wrong. Having LIVED in the inner city and still volunteer with kid in the inner city, I can tell you from experience, for every child that exhibits violent behavior, there are 10 that do not. Though environment can play a part in this behavior, I personally believe that football by nature fosters it. They are taught from a young age to carry out their aggression and anger physically. So for them it is harder to seperate the "game" from life. There is a reason why football players seem to be involved in more violent crimes than players of other sports. Just my two cents. (I just hate blanket statements)
November 17th, 2014 at 11:26 AM ^
I'm guessing his shitty upbringing is probably a contributing factor.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:31 AM ^
Agreed. I don't get it. I think a lot of it is the lack of a strong support system. I think 90% of the world's problems could be fixed with loving supportive parents or its equivalent.
November 17th, 2014 at 1:56 PM ^
It sounds as thought Mr. Clark was exposed to a hell of a lot of violence growing up. Doesn't make what he did right, but to ask the question "how does it happen?" is silly.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:19 AM ^
The right (and only) call.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:19 AM ^
Sad story all around. That's it.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:19 AM ^
There are moments in all of our lives we would give anything to get back. I'm sure this one for Frank-sad day for all parties concerned but clearly given the police report - Hoke had to do this and do it quickly.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:20 AM ^
Sorry.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:22 AM ^
He may wish to get that moment back, but it probably has nothing to do with the well-being of his girlfriend and everything to do with his own self-interest.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:35 AM ^
You have absolutely no right to say that and you have no reason to believe that it's true.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:48 AM ^
No right / reason - except for the fact that he's a thief and a woman beater, and theiving woman beaters generally aren't the most altruistic types.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:54 AM ^
You're being very closed minded today, and I know you're better than that. Lots of people who commit crimes end up regretting it after the fact, especially those committed in passion or rage.
I'm sure you have gotten extremely mad, and done something you regretted. That's common. Lots of men (and women) who are abusive regret their actions after the fact, even if they aren't football players who lose their spot on the team. If this was his girlfriend, he probably cares about her, and just because he has a criminal history that doesn't mean he doesn't have a heart.
Sometimes people have a hard time making the right choice, and sometimes people make the wrong one in the heat of the moment. That doesn't preclude them from regret.
November 17th, 2014 at 12:08 PM ^
I try to be very understanding of poor choices that people make (drug problems, alcohol issues, blowing money and ending up broke, etc, etc.) since everyone has their own unique set of difficult life circumstances. But I find it very, very difficult to be understanding with people that physically harm others. Something about violating a person's sense of physical security, and the combination of mental/physical damage it does to the victim, is just incredibly awful to me. It seems like people who do such things are so far outside the realm of logical/reasoned thought and action that they can't really be understood.
November 17th, 2014 at 1:19 PM ^
You don't have to condone it, but you have to understand that violence happens, and often times by people who aren't completely evil. Your point above was that Frank doesn't feel bad for the victim because people who commit these crimes aren't good people (I think you said altruistic). But good people (or OK people, if you don't want to go that far) get caught up in emotions and make bad decisions.
Having anger issues is not the same thing as being a bad person. It's possible that he had a very good reason to be angry, but did a poor job of reacting to it. I've done that before. One time I got so angry at my wife that a punched a hole in the wall of our house. That's better than hitting my wife of course, but it's still something that I know is not acceptable behavior but I did it anyway because I was so mad (and I had every reason to be mad).
I was also raised that hitting a woman was never ever OK to do, and even when my dad got really bad, he would never hit my mom (but he would hit other things, so maybe that's why I did too. But what if that isn't what was ingrained in Frank Clark's mind?
November 17th, 2014 at 2:10 PM ^
why does everyone have to be "good" or "bad."
November 17th, 2014 at 12:36 PM ^
Its almost certain that he was re-enacting something he had seen many times. Most criminals are not sociopaths.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:21 AM ^
No surprise here, but I'm glad it was done immediately.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:22 AM ^
November 17th, 2014 at 11:23 AM ^
Makes you wonder why he was selected to be the face of the team.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:34 AM ^
November 17th, 2014 at 11:55 AM ^
candidates enough to make them captains so he decided to skip it all together.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:22 AM ^
I hope Frank gets right. You want the best for the person in the end. He needs to get better.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:22 AM ^
November 17th, 2014 at 11:53 AM ^
I have sympathy for all involved. The abused and the abusers often suffer from emotional distress. I hope the police report sounds worse than reality for the sake of those involved.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:23 AM ^
Good to see this terrible situation dealt with quickly and appropriately by the football team/athletic department.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:23 AM ^
November 17th, 2014 at 11:23 AM ^
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November 17th, 2014 at 11:24 AM ^
Good, no place for this in life or sports. Moving on with the guys that will represent the University of Michigan with integrity.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:25 AM ^
I heard the Bengals wanted him.
What an unfortunate ending to what many said was a NFL caliber player. No team will touch him now.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:26 AM ^
This dude won't sniff the NFL.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:36 AM ^
I doubt that's true. He's got an uphill battle, that's for sure. But to say he won't sniff it? That's a stretch.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:40 AM ^
He'll get a shot. He may even get drafted. Ray Rice will play in the NFL again, so will Adrian Peterson (probably this season).
November 17th, 2014 at 12:35 PM ^
Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson are actually good at football.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:40 AM ^
and threw it away. Now it looks like he's going to have a permanent criminal record, has severely jeopardized his chance to make lots of money in the NFL, and perhaps has killed his opportunity to graduate from Michigan as well.
What in God's name was going down in that motel room that was worth hitting and/or choking his girlfriend? It's just incomprehensibly sad in all kinds of ways. In one of the booking photos I've seen the expression on his face seems to indicate he realized just how badly he fucked up.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:26 AM ^
and now he must lie in it.
November 17th, 2014 at 11:26 AM ^