Gholston Suspended by Big 10
http://www.bigten.org/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/102011aaa.html
Oct. 20, 2011
Park Ridge, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference office announced that it will impose a one-game suspension on Michigan State University football student-athlete William Gholston for violating the Big Ten Sportslike Conduct Agreement during Michigan State’s game against Michigan on Oct. 15, 2011.
The Big Ten determined that Gholston’s actions at the end of the third quarter of the Michigan contest violated Big Ten Conference Agreement 10.01.1.A.1 - “Striking or attempting to strike or otherwise physically abusing an official, opposing coach, spectator or athlete.” The conference office also publicly reprimanded Gholston for his actions.
The Big Ten Sportslike Conduct Agreement states that “It shall be the responsibility of each member university to ensure that all of its students and all individuals employed by or directly associated with it comport themselves in a sportslike manner when representing their university, especially at intercollegiate athletic contests.”
The Big Ten Conference considers this matter concluded and will have no further comment.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:14 PM ^
Apparently, this suspension is just for the punch against Lewan.
http://spartannation.com/2011/10/20/b1g-suspends-michigan-state-de-will…
No word about whether they're looking into the facemask incident.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:34 PM ^
"As all observed, Coach (Mark) Dantonio and his staff reinforced this practice by immediately pulling him from the game and coaching him."
What a joke. Gholston punched him, then turned & walked off. Dantonio did not run out to coach him. Also, what was he out for? Like one play? He was not pulled out, he walked off immediately after punching Lewan. What were they coaching him on? How to hit Lewan more squarely next time?
October 20th, 2011 at 9:00 PM ^
1) Pulling Denard's Facemask: Deliberate attempt to injure DRob's neck
2) The arm chop/pull of Lewan's arm below himself/flop on top of it: Deliberate attempt to break Lewan's arm
3) Throwing DRob to the ground well after the play: Attempt to injure a defenseless DRob
4) The punch. While there is language explicitly characterizing a punch as a suspendable offense, in light of the other three, it really wasn't that big of a deal. If the B1G actually suspended Gholston for this & ignored the other three egregious acts, then it has no common sense. Maybe it's just CYA. We know Gholston committed three egregious acts, but let's suspend him on the letter of the law for the fourth inconsequential act.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:14 PM ^
Since now the University of Miami takes proactive steps all by itself to suspend players for misconduct, I think we can safely say that Thug U. has moved north to East Lansing.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:14 PM ^
Why are you all so pissy? We knew it would only be one game all along. At least he got suspended. If Dantonio had his way Gholston would be on the field Saturday.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:41 PM ^
people are more bothered by Tom's backhanded explanation for why he do what he do.
The Big Ten doesn't give a shizzy if it was "provoked", so why did you have to put in a dig like it was Taylor's fault? Did Denard provoke you too??
October 20th, 2011 at 3:15 PM ^
One game doesn't provie Sparty with much incentive to do the right thing. Dantonio and Narduzzi might be willing to pay that price and have someone go after WIlson early on in the game.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:38 PM ^
Sad. Marcus Rush gets off. Absolute chickenshit abdication by Delany.
And an amazingly stupid week for Dantonio, who could have preempted the inevitable and suspended Gholston on Monday or Tuesday. And made himself look better in the process. I'm glad he didn't take that route and instead the B1G imposed this on an unwilling MSU Athletic Department.
Now watch for MSU statement. Accept, or appeal in order to play with which week to impose it?
October 20th, 2011 at 5:48 PM ^
Dantonio blew the chance to self impose, which would have done more to convince the world that he doesn't run a thug program than all the talking that he has done about it. But then again, after seeing how he has handled (or not handled) past issues, are we really surprised?
October 20th, 2011 at 7:22 PM ^
I call BS. If Dantonio had done it, everyone would have said he was only doing it to "look like a good guy and beat the B1G to the punch"--so to speak. Nothing Dantonio could have would have made anyone happy here.
October 20th, 2011 at 8:05 PM ^
October 20th, 2011 at 8:13 PM ^
My post dont record a point and I dont think anyone can ready what Im posting....whats going on?
October 20th, 2011 at 9:02 PM ^
had come out Sunday or Monday (before contact from the Big Ten) and said that kind of play will not be tolerated in my program and levied a suspension.
October 21st, 2011 at 10:20 AM ^
Not true, spartan interloper. Things Dantonio could have done to redeem himself or win a little respect:
- Sat Gholston after his second blatant personal foul
- Apologized publicly for his team's thuggish play
- Not accepted his defensive coordinator making light of the behavior
- Suspended Gholston of his own volition
- Suspended Gholston for more than the bare minimum of one game
- Not espouse "zero tolerance" only to later redefine it as "very high tolerance" with his actions
- Not get in a verbal sparring match with a student athlete half his age
- The list goes on, but it basically all boils down to showing that there is something, anything, he holds more important than winning.
October 20th, 2011 at 11:56 PM ^
Actually, over half the calls for Marcus Rush to be suspended have been made by you on this message board. And just like every other one of your pet issues, you can't let it go.
Fucking nuts, man. You'd think an old person would mellow out a bit.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:17 PM ^
unfuckingbelievable, yet totally believable, all at once.
I am embarrassed to have such a blind commissioner of our conference.
And my feelings for Sparty AD and football program are beyond explainable by words.
My head is going to explode.
Section 1 is going to go balistic.
October 20th, 2011 at 5:38 PM ^
Yes, Nelson, I also think that water tower looks funny.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:40 PM ^
"Diddy got dolphin teeth!"
October 20th, 2011 at 3:21 PM ^
He appears pretty calm.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:18 PM ^
I think this is fair for a first time offender. Gholston was not trying to maim either Denard or Lewan, he was playing dirty, but not outrageously so. Had Gholston wanted to attempt to paralyze Denard, as some have contended, he would have to put considerable more torque and effort into his facemask tug.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:22 PM ^
Do you have a breakdown for this?
Maybe a secret formula for exactly how much torque to apply?
Wait, did I miss an /s tag or something here?
I'm about to blow you up but don't know if it will be incredibly embarrassing for me if I'm missing an obviously sarcastic tone.
Am I missing it?
I don't know what to do, so I'm going to err on the side of you must be kidding so I don't end up with a tag line about being a pretty pretty princess.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:24 PM ^
Not being sarcastic, if Gholston tug was a legit attempt to paralyze, there are 1000's of football coaches across the country unjustly running free.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:31 PM ^
You can't be serious. Pulling a kid's facemask to get his attention or lead him somewhere when his body can follow is not nearly the same as yanking a player who is defenseless and trapped on the ground.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:41 PM ^
It is a dirty play. I find a one game suspension sufficient. Our own Taylor Lewan is a bit of a dirty player as well and revels in it, I wouldn't be surprised to see him cross the line in the heat of the moment. Next time take advantage of Sparty's stupidity and make them pay for their flagrant fouls, then M fans wouldn't feel so shafted.
I think a good detriment to the dirty tactics we saw on Saturday would be fining the head coach for his players misconduct. So, not only would Gholston get suspended for a game, but Dantonio would be fined a certain percentage of his yearly pay for sponsoring unsportsmanlike play.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:46 PM ^
I think that was the word you were grasping for. And minimizing Gholston was the straw you were grasping for.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:52 PM ^
You are right "deterrent'' is the word I meant to use.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:53 PM ^
I'm not done with you yet. You better get me your magic formula before you go defending yourself against other posters. I WANT THE FORMULA!!!!!!
Do you think Lewan, after the whistle was blown, would jump in a pile leading with his knee to the other team's best defender's ribs, then grab his facemask and twist it (granted, not quite to the breaking neck point but just short of it as you have so nicely pointed out /s - GIVE ME THE FUCKING FORMULA)?
YOU CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT YOU ARE TYPING.
THAT'S RIGHT, I WENT ALL CAPS ON YOUR ASS. NOW IT'S ON!
Ok, seriously, I don't have time for this, I'm done - you know you are insane and I understand there not being a way for you to back off it and not lose pride. It's all good man, it's tough.
/seriously done now
October 20th, 2011 at 3:59 PM ^
Suh me. Football is a violent game, passions run high and sometimes our gridiron gladiators(thank you Michigan Man Art Regner), cross the line. We tend to be more accepting of the blood lust when it is our gladiators meting out the pain.
October 20th, 2011 at 8:58 PM ^
...good precedent. He would've had $25k fines by the NFL for all three of Gholston's offenses. And he would've been ejected after the punch.
October 20th, 2011 at 4:24 PM ^
Me thinks this will end badly seeing as how there was actually a thread created today by a mod specifically for stopping this kind of back and forth.
October 20th, 2011 at 4:07 PM ^
But then by the same precedent, when Mouton was suspended in 09, RR would have gotten a fine. Do you really think that would be prudent?
October 20th, 2011 at 4:13 PM ^
Not sure for I haven't thought the thing out yet. I am in the moment, it's a stream of consciousness kind of thing.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:34 PM ^
"Attempt to paralyze" may be an exaggeration but can you give another example of a player reaching in and twisting the face mask of a player in the pile, well after the whistle?
I've watched a lot of football and I'd never seen it before.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:35 PM ^
Tom was trying to paralyze Denard.
I also don't think that makes what he did "ok". (not saying you think it was ok, but you think it's not that bad because he didn't twist it an extra x degrees)
By not punishing it that is the message that Sparty and the B1G are sending. It's ok folks - twist facemasks, but not too much!
Hopefully the next person to try a helmet twist doesn't twist an extra x degrees (I demand your formula for this) to meet the magic number for paralization.
You can't possibly actually believe what you are typing in this thread.
Your rationale is absolutely mind-bogglingly absurd.
If he wasn't trying to hurt our most important player on offense then what the hell was the reason for him doing this?
October 20th, 2011 at 3:30 PM ^
argue up and down about intent, there just isn't a substantial precedent to impose suspenions for longer than a single game for acts like this. Anyone expeting a multi-game suspension was just completely in the clouds.
October 20th, 2011 at 8:34 PM ^
I read that the policy...developed post-Mouton...is up to 50% of the games. The punch, per Mouton, is a one-game automatic. Per policy, looking at the arm-bar and head twist, could've been up to three games total. If the B1G cared to curtail this kind of behavior, that is.
<br>
<br>Basically, the B1G is encouraging teams to coach 60 minutes of unnecessary roughness, so long as they don't throw punches.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:21 PM ^
If Dantonio isn't going to suspend players that deserve it, he should atleast set a new precedent and start giving out spankings.
October 20th, 2011 at 4:00 PM ^
are when he unleashes the football team to socialize with the other students on campus, like the hockey team.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:22 PM ^
And already over 33 comments. I hope everyone is paying their own salaries.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:24 PM ^
My brother (an MSU fan) is trying to tell me definitively that there's no way Brady Hoke would've suspended his player if the roles were reversed.
I know that Hoke tells players/parents while recruiting them that he won't put up with any crap like that, and that he himself didn't always put football first as a player so he's knows the temptations & the consequences. That being said, the only info I could find about Brady Hoke's history of suspensions came while at Ball State where around 15 players got suspended for getting free textbooks. Does anyone have any info or can get any? I'm just curious.
My brother also said that Hoke today, when asked about it, said he would've waited for the Big Ten to decide on a suspension as well & that he wouldn't have pro-actively suspended the guy for it. Conveniently I can't find a link to this, only finding a FREEP article where Hoke just says, “Every situation’s different; every circumstance is different.” Anyone know what he actually said & if he did indeed say he'd have waited?
October 20th, 2011 at 4:13 PM ^
Hasn't Hoke already suspended players this year? I don't know what Hagerup and Robinson got suspended for but Hagerup got 4 games and Stonum got suspended for the whole season for the DUI. Contrast with Dantonio giving a one game suspension to his beloved B.J. Cunningham for beating the shit out of students half his size a couple years ago. I think it's pretty clear who has the higher moral standard.
October 20th, 2011 at 4:36 PM ^
I'm still not clear what happened there but it looks like he was dismissed from the program. Dantonio only gets rid of guys who were deadweight anyway.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:24 PM ^
Why is MGoBlog awesome? Anything newsworthy is posted here almost immediately. Went to TOC to see the Sparty reaction...and it is not even posted yet.
October 20th, 2011 at 5:32 PM ^
I can tell you what the site authors' reaction is likely to be -- they'll think it was warranted and will be disappointed Dantonio didn't do it first. They weren't very happy with the way things like Winston and the Rather Hall brawl were handled either.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:25 PM ^
GOOD!
Pisses me off that people are saying all this is part of football, when the damn whistle blows and the play is over. Go back to your damn huddle and play again. There is going to be grabbing, pushing or attempting to injury other people. But if your doing it passed the whistle you need to be punished.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:36 PM ^
There was no penalty for the face mask twist; there's not even any indication that it was considered a violation.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:38 PM ^
I wish he was punished for both. Any action that is above and beyond after the whistle that could have been prevented should be suspended.
October 20th, 2011 at 3:45 PM ^
...a personal foul on that play?