Gholston Listed as Starter / Suspension?
Sorry for everyone sick of the MSU/Gholston talk. This just broke, and is relevant regardless of what some people will say. Gholston might be out because of the Michigan game, and him being out might hurt MSU which directly impacts Michigan in the division standings.
Anyways, on the Depth Chart released today, Tommy Gholston is listed as the starter. It appears that at the press conference today they'll be announcing that he was made a captain, or called a racial slur (which we know is untrue, but maybe Saint D saw a way out of of suspending his favorite defensive player by claiming this and is taking it).
LINK to news, not depth chart: https://twitter.com/#!/mattcharboneau/status/126319468858191873
UPDATE: Apparently, MSU is looking into a possible infraction in which they were made aware of (maybe they didn't watch the game). Also, it looks like they're only looking at one play. I wonder if it's the punch or the helmet twist.
Bigger joke than I thought. They're basically downplaying the whole thing, saying it's possible & only one play. I just hope the Big Ten Offices aren't as blind & stupid about this whole thing. Either way, we'll find out soon as the Big Ten only gives teams a few days to announce either way before they make their own announcement.
UPDATE 2: "I wouldn't characterize it as dirty play, I would characterize it as reaction." -Mark Dantonio
October 18th, 2011 at 12:22 PM ^
Naturally, this sentiment applies to Gholston, Dantonio, Narduzzi and Hollis.
October 18th, 2011 at 12:24 PM ^
I wish there was some way he could be suspended for the Nebraska game instead. I don't think there is a chance they can beat Wisconsin no matter who plays, but not having him against Nebraska could cost them the game. Maybe he'll get two games out of it since it involved multiple occurances.
October 18th, 2011 at 2:00 PM ^
...Denard and Lewan could choose the games when Gholston, Bush, and Narduzzi serve their sentences.
I wish there was some way he could be suspended for the Nebraska game instead.
October 18th, 2011 at 12:24 PM ^
"I take sportsmanship seriously, but..."
Sigh.
October 18th, 2011 at 12:58 PM ^
"I take sportsmanship seriously except when I don't."
October 18th, 2011 at 12:18 PM ^
I think that Dantonio will come out and say that that sort of behavior will not be tolerated, and the media will believe him. He will then talk in some circles and discuss how punishments have been doled out, Gholston has had to do stadium stair runs in the morning, etc.
Finally, NO QUESTIONS.
October 18th, 2011 at 12:21 PM ^
The statement of Hollis seems to be aimed at the "punch". For how can one look at the totality of the play is we're looking at the Denard helmet twist.
How much do we bet that the Helmet twist, which is quite frankly the far worse play is going to be overlooked. The focus will be on the punch and only the punch.
I hope I'm wrong.
October 18th, 2011 at 12:36 PM ^
...because the B1G will not. There's some chance if MSU gave him a one-game suspension and cited both events, it might stand. If they announce a suspension and don't mention the more egregious offense, the B1G will pile on.
October 18th, 2011 at 12:25 PM ^
My guess is they suspend him for the first half and say something about his actions not being acceptable but that he was provoked by a "racial slur".
October 18th, 2011 at 12:27 PM ^
I wonder what they will claim Denard called Gholston to merit the pile-on-facemask-twist?
October 18th, 2011 at 12:43 PM ^
Denard probably accused him of bobbing for apples in toilets.
October 18th, 2011 at 12:30 PM ^
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxG2pasxzUc&feature=player_embedded
looks like roundtree THROWS johnny adams to the ground via facemask. anyone else kind of see this as another examples of the media's double standard?
October 18th, 2011 at 12:31 PM ^
he kicks adams in the face...
October 18th, 2011 at 12:38 PM ^
Two things:
1) That was not a kick. You can clearly see Roundtree is hobbling on an ankle and there is obviously no force behind his foot when it comes in contact with Sparty's facemask.
2) That should probably have been an illegal hands to the face or facemasking penalty, but there is a big difference between blocking someone legally and having your hands slide up as you block (happens a lot), and flying into a pile, kneeing the defenseless quarterback in the ribs and twisting his facemask. Sparty here was not defenseless, he was just getting pwned from the start.
October 18th, 2011 at 12:53 PM ^
That's not even close to a close comparison. For the sake of fairness though, let's compare:
Roundtree v. Adams
RR and Adams are engaged in a scuffle after the play. Adams is pushing RR, RR is pushing Adams. RR grabs Adams' facemask, Adams loses his balance and falls over, tripping RR in the process. I've seen plays like this many times. Typically, if a flag is thrown, both players involved are flagged.
Gholston v. Robinson
Robinson has been tackled and is at the bottom of a pile, unable to move himself. Gholston runs in, well after the play is over, dives into Robinson knee-first, grabs his facemask and proceeds to try to break his neck. I've never seen something like this happen before. Have you?
Gholston v. Lewan (Round 1)
Lewan is handling Gholston quite easily, blocking him down the field. As the play ends, Gholston jabs Lewan in the forearm with an arm bar, then pulls Lewan to the ground, rolling over his arm. Lewan is injured from the play. I've never seen a play quite like this. Have you?
Gholston v. Lewan (Round 2)
Lewan is handling Gholston quite easily. Lewan blocks Gholston into the ground and holds him there, Gholston gets up and punches Lewan in the throat. I've seen something similar to this happen a few times, most of the time, the guy throwing the punch gets ejected and (in the NFL) fined.
October 18th, 2011 at 1:06 PM ^
I feel like the arm bar was worse than all the plays. This looked like a WWF move more than any other from the day.
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October 18th, 2011 at 1:47 PM ^
of the arm bar?
I don't doubt that it happend, I'd just like to see it.
October 18th, 2011 at 1:56 PM ^
Check out this thread. It's the first video in the list.
October 18th, 2011 at 3:37 PM ^
And we're the whiney ones. Alright.
October 18th, 2011 at 12:35 PM ^
complain way too much. this is FOOTBALL. the most violent game on the planet! if you cant take the heat then you dont belong on the field.
and based on your performance saturday, theres no way you belong on the field.
+1 troll
October 18th, 2011 at 12:39 PM ^
Replace Denard with Kirk Cousins, Tom Gholson with Craig Roh, and then wallow in the hypocrisy...
October 18th, 2011 at 1:16 PM ^
Bad comparison. We all know Craig Roh can't get to the QB.
October 18th, 2011 at 1:28 PM ^
This board is starting to feel like RCMB. Isn't it time to kill this account (MasonB)?
October 18th, 2011 at 12:54 PM ^
You wouldn't be disheartened if you saw an opposing player try to paralyze your Heisman candidate at quarterback?
October 18th, 2011 at 1:08 PM ^
Heisman candidate?
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<br>Would he be the first Heisman winner to lead the nation in interception?
October 18th, 2011 at 1:29 PM ^
A Heisman candidate playing quarterback at MSU? I must have missed something.
October 18th, 2011 at 2:40 PM ^
I literally laughed out loud at that. Heisman candidate? Haven't you learned anything from the past two years of ass beatings? Dreadlock Noodlearm isn't even the best quarterback on your team, let alone the conference, let alone the country.
October 18th, 2011 at 12:46 PM ^
Ridiculous comparison. For one thing, this example isn't anywhere near as bad as yanking someone's next or giving an arm-bar. Not even close. The example you site happens about 20 times a game. It's a penalty, maybe. But that's it.
For another thing, the league reviews all penalties and/or questionable plays. Teams always submit to the league any plays they find objectionable. Had the play you mention crossed the line, the player would have been suspended. The league has actually been pretty straightforward of late. Punches or behavior intended to cause serious harm are met with suspensions.
October 18th, 2011 at 12:36 PM ^
Well it's A) DURING the play, B) They're grappling each other & one player isn't defenseless, C) Roundtree obviously has some jersey there, and as they were battling each other his hand moved up.
He did not kick him, you douche, he was regaining his balance. Good try though. This is the exact same as Tom Gholston jumping into a pile late & then twisting a defenseless player's face mask. You're dumb. ;)
October 18th, 2011 at 12:36 PM ^
This is the lamest thing in the world. This happens like every play. I'm sorry for whoever spent the time to find this and put it in slomo on youtube. Really sad, and typical of MSU. Please make something else up to be outraged about. Its entertaining.
October 18th, 2011 at 2:48 PM ^
You say this with no trace of irony, mere seconds after condemning Marcus Rush as a thug for tackling your quarterback?
How can you people exist in such a state of delusion? Doesn't the sheer hypocrisy choke you?
October 18th, 2011 at 12:36 PM ^
No. Idiot.
P.S., Tom Gholson did THREE things in that game, any of which taken alone would be enough to suspend him for at least a game. Your douche of a coach didn't even take him out of the game in which it occurred. Keep fishing, though...
October 18th, 2011 at 1:10 PM ^
Maybe this is being overlooked because Adams is wrapped up with Roundtree and it's far from clear-cut who is responsible for the impetus/momentum that takes Adams to the ground. Maybe it's just because Spartans are terrible at the internet. Do you have any video of this that wasn't shot using the Zapruder family's personal recording equipment pointed at a TV?
And your followup about the "kick" is a joke. Sorry for dignifying this with a response, everybody, but it's just so bogus (and I've seen it mentioned so many times this week) that I have to ridicule it now that I've seen the incident.
October 18th, 2011 at 2:28 PM ^
From the first angle it almost looks like Roy kicked Adams. In the second angle, the "tape" stops short of that part, allowing us to properly infer that Roy did not kick Adams since Sparty stopped the video before that was clear.
Sparty did the same with the punch, cutting out the video prior to the punch and naming it "U-M's Taylor Lewan pins MSU's William Gholston's head to ground - no penalty 2011! l33t!!!!!!"
This guy is obsessed with proving Michigan is "dirty," even dragging out old Michigan plays as "clothesline" (Woodley vs D.Clark, perfectly legal hit).
http://www.youtube.com/user/Chrisrokk239
Methinks the Sparty doth protest too much.
October 18th, 2011 at 6:01 PM ^
to infer from this video that an ordinary facemask, which happens all the time in the full speed of the game, is the equal to a player jumping into a pile and ripping on a facemask after the play is dead?
October 18th, 2011 at 12:31 PM ^
I agree with a previous poster--Dantonio will try to stretch this out as long as possible, appeal if necessary, until about the Minnesota game. He's all for suspending a player, just not if they REALLY need him next week.
October 18th, 2011 at 12:31 PM ^
that Dave Brandon is in contact with the Big 10 over these incidents, pushing for punishment.
While Hoke and the team have put that game behind them, Dave Brandon needs to see this through.
The fact that national sports news outlets are calling for his suspension for both incidents means that the Big 10 cannot ignore this. Rittenberg continues to contact B1G offices asking about it. I imagine SI is on top of it as well.
I will be satisfied with a 1 game suspension against Wisconsin. Sparties are already freaking out and crying about it and that is satisfying enough.
October 18th, 2011 at 12:32 PM ^
Pete Rossman's Oct 16 story (the Only Colors) is pretty critical of Gholston's PFs and the other PFs. I was impressed by Rossman's serious concern about dirty plays.
October 18th, 2011 at 12:37 PM ^
It is not possible that Ghowlston was upset that he was called "Tom" and he took it as a racial slur in that it was a reference to "Uncle Tom."
Because that would require an MSU student to actually know, you know, a historical reference from two centuries ago.
/actualnameintentionallymispelled
October 18th, 2011 at 12:41 PM ^
October 18th, 2011 at 1:04 PM ^
I disagree, what Lewan did was dirty.
October 18th, 2011 at 12:45 PM ^
Dude you’re reaching get over it, WE LOST. Coach said it best, we were out physicaled, out played, and out coached; and we did squat about it on the field. We can cry about it for another year until we play State again, or we can get over it and move on. Now I hope to GOD that they are dealing with this internally. I hope that this “turn the other cheek” bit that they are handing the media is just a smoke screen. Today we are all losers. Now we can be losers for another year until we play State again, or we can put this loss down and move on.
Please stop crying about how dirty MSU was on Saturday. I so at least 4 linemen standing over the pile watching our starting QB get his Neck twisted every witch way, THEY DID NOTHING! So leave it alone PLEASE!!!
We are who we are, a group of nice guys. Let’s hope Hoke can change that sooner rather than later. MichiganWILL be back!
October 18th, 2011 at 12:54 PM ^
Or, you could congratulate our players (instead of implying they are gutless or weak) for showing restraint. Lewan could have pounded Gholston after the punch, but he restrained.
I don't take anything Hoke or Denard says here at face value. They are saying the right things in public to look good. Anyone who watches that video can see the intent and the malice that was used. Even my wife, who knows nothing about football said Gholston's play was inexcusable.
October 18th, 2011 at 3:08 PM ^
Sparty being Sparty and the loss are apples and oranges. If this were Michigan players and coaches behaving this way, Michigan alumni and donors would be demanding suspensions, maybe even expulsions. This is not an off-hours street fight, this is sports, for goodness' sake. Yes, football is violent, but there is no place for headhunting with the intent to cause real harm to an opponent. That's why there are rules to enforce sportsmanship.
Although I think Dantonio possesses only situational ethics and should never have reinstated Glenn Winston, Saturday's dirty play was worse because it happened on the field and it's up to the coach to deal with it seriously. You can allow convicts to play on your team, but you can't allow players to commit violence on the field with impunity. The coach has much more control over his players' behavior on the field than off it.
On the part of the schools and the conference, there is a responsibility to punish this type of behavior so that violators can't do it again to another team. It's not about changing the outcome of this game. If Denard or Lewan had been seriously injured, Gholston could be prosecuted. That's why this is a serious issue and has to be nipped in the bud.
October 18th, 2011 at 12:47 PM ^
What racial slur did Denard utter that caused him to try to snap his neck while two other spartans had him pinned to the ground?
October 18th, 2011 at 1:02 PM ^
Denard will be suspended for hurting Gholston's wrist with his face mask.
October 18th, 2011 at 12:51 PM ^
Serious question. Why is the helmet twist not getting any press? That is FAR worse than the punch. Is it b/c of the convenience of Lewan being white and MSU can fabricate an excuse? Someone has to step in here.
October 18th, 2011 at 12:51 PM ^
Seems like the B1G or NCAA would have some standard guidelines for things like this given past cases. With Mouton for example, we have precedent that a punch is an automatic 1 game suspension. It should just go without saying.
helmet twist, etc should have known penalties associated with it based on precedent. I don't understand why this has to be dragged out so much.