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 5:55 PM ^
1) It's a minor issue at best in the MSM that will likely be forogtten in a week or 2.
2) Some people like the bad boy/ thug image and MSU can spin it as being tough and taking their lumps (penalties) during the game and still winning
3) MSU can also spin it as we protect our own by making Dantonio look like he cares for Gholston and wanted to keep him playing
I hope HS coaches see this and are disgusted and NFL players also see this and get pissed that somebody is playing dirty and may end somebody's career and their livelyhood. I think that's the major issue, but that's wishfull thinking on my part.
October 20th, 2011 at 6:04 PM ^
But it's not that the MSM "forgets" the issue. They are complicit in protecting Dantonio's image (Dave Dye wrote a piece defending MSU just yesterday).
Unfortunately, no amount of thug behavior (on or off the field) will change the MSM tune until Dantonio starts losing. Winning is all that matters. So beat Sparty next year and the year after that, and so on and so on...
October 20th, 2011 at 7:05 PM ^
Coaches will bring this up with parents and HS coaches when recruiting. In the end, kids in solid homes and with good guidance will stay away from MSU, and MSU football will have even a higher percentage of thugs.
October 20th, 2011 at 8:25 PM ^
But that isn't the image Dantonio presents to parents during recruiting, and if they go all-in on that image it's going to change if not damage his recruiting base.
Friends of the family have a son playing at MSU. They thought--they probably still think--that they were sending their son to play for an upstanding Christian man offering no-nonsense discipline to his players. If they hadn't thought that, he would not have gone there.
October 20th, 2011 at 6:06 PM ^
Ah, good, an arrogant Badger fan. The false sense of relevance displayed by Wisconsin, whose football and basketball programs have combined for an astounding 1 national championship in the last 70 (!) years, pairs well with the Michigan program still living off its Civil War Reconstruction era national titles.
Your programs deserve each other. Arrogant, hypocritical, and blissfully unaware of how much the country really hates them. Though it is deliciously ironic that UM has been reduced to living vicariously through other programs to get back at a non-rival that they claim is insignificant to them. Isn't that what they like to claim MSU does?
The really troubling thing here is that a non-story has been artificially pumped up into something like this. Were Wisconsin fans "outraged" at Mouton's punch in 2006? Were Wisconsin fans outraged during the Notre Dame game this year, when one of the nobodies in UM's defensive backfield punched a Notre Dame player and did not receive even a penalty for it?
The delusion on this board is mind boggling. Even most UM fans in the real world admit that a suspension was unwarranted. Here, in this bunker of self-delusion and arrogance, denial abounds, and the occasional delusional Badger fan agreeing with said denial does not give it any more credibility. That said, 28-14 still stands. See you in Ann Arbor next year. I'm looking forward to it. I'm sure Mr. Gholston is too.
October 20th, 2011 at 6:20 PM ^
To you
October 20th, 2011 at 6:20 PM ^
To you
October 20th, 2011 at 6:20 PM ^
To you
October 20th, 2011 at 6:21 PM ^
Why don't you address what he said in his post instead of the same ol preverbal diahrea?
October 20th, 2011 at 8:51 PM ^
While I'm not sure whether either "preverbal" or "diahrea" are words (I wish I had gone to Michigan so I'd know for sure. Damn this useless MSU degree!), if I'm reading your post right, you want me to address what is tantamount to meaningless rhetoric? All he does is slander the entire university for something that, quite frankly, happens all the time in college football. Michigan is not clean. Wisconsin is not clean. Michigan State is not clean. The fact that you're acting indignant and holier-than-thou about tough football only reinforces the stereotype of the delusional, head in their ass Walmart Wolverine.
October 20th, 2011 at 8:55 PM ^
You got one thing right- useless msu degree!!!
October 20th, 2011 at 8:54 PM ^
Actually you are the delusional one believing it is only Michigan alums here who think msu is pathetic in it response to this situation. There have been a number o msm articles written on it and all point to th pathetic character demonstrated by your player during the game an your coach and administration since the game. Dantonio us following in the footsteps of his hero tressel and he can do o because he has an equally foolish and classless administration as tressel had at osu.
October 20th, 2011 at 10:46 PM ^
Can I get this translated into a more proletarian dialect so a dumb ol' MSU student can understand the higher English Michigan students use?
October 20th, 2011 at 5:17 PM ^
time to move on
October 20th, 2011 at 5:22 PM ^
October 20th, 2011 at 5:22 PM ^
...the 'provocation' by Taylor Lewan is meaningless, based on past precedent.
Jonas Mouton was more intensely 'provoked' by the ND lineman whom he punched in 2009. Mouton was on the ground in a semi-sitting position and was hit in the back as the play was whistled. Mouton retaliated. The previous provocation did not excuse Mouton, nor prevent his suspension. End of story.
Gholston had no plausible defense to at least a one-game suspension.
I am tempted to throw up my hands and say that the B1G has effecitvely decided to abandon any responsibility to review anything other than punches. But that's not the case. And that's where the B1G has now gotten itself into an awful, incredible bind.
So forget about the Gholston punch. That is an automatic one-game suspension, per the Mouton precedent.
Now, compare one other suspension (Zach Reckman, Purdue v. NIU, 2009) to (a) the second Gholston spearing/facemask and to (b) the Marcus Rush pile-driver.
It is simply inexplicable.
October 20th, 2011 at 7:11 PM ^
Just because it's sometimes fun to feed the fire (and I know that since the tweet bothered me, it would make you lose your mind):
October 20th, 2011 at 8:10 PM ^
October 20th, 2011 at 9:04 PM ^
that with all of the professional sports screamers in metro Detroit, Bob Wojnowski works at developing a public image for himself as a middle-of-the-road guy. Avoiding extreme positions, trying to be the voice of the sensible middle. It is an intentionally cultivated niche.
I think he is one of the more boring and uninteresting writers in town as a result. He's fine as a reporter. He's just boring as a columnist.
October 20th, 2011 at 5:33 PM ^
Live by arrogance, die by arrogance.
October 20th, 2011 at 5:55 PM ^
Before you celebrate, think about what you've just ensured for yourselves. You think Big Will was pushing your offensive line around this year? Just wait until next year.
October 20th, 2011 at 6:06 PM ^
See you then, Abortion!!!
October 20th, 2011 at 6:59 PM ^
his name is Tom.
<br>
<br>Make no mistake he is target now for all opponents. His dirty play has been exposed. Can you say "chop block"? I was actually hoping he would be suspended for Nebraska instead. Wanted to see him get manhandled by that OL. Never been one to wish injury on anyone, but wouldn't feel too bad to see his ACL explode.
October 20th, 2011 at 7:15 PM ^
I heard plenty of State fans clamoring for that on Saturday. Let's not match two wrongs.
October 21st, 2011 at 10:29 AM ^
No matter how big of an asshat Tom is and what he did during the game wishing a college kid to get injured is wrong.
October 20th, 2011 at 6:07 PM ^
Sorry mother for my language... but its about FUCKING TIME!!
October 20th, 2011 at 6:09 PM ^
I kinda dont want him to get suspended cause now when MSU loses they will have an excuse for the next 365days...
October 20th, 2011 at 6:28 PM ^
MSU AD Mark Hollis:
"We wanted the Big Ten to understand the totality of the situation and that this act does not reflect the culture and values of Spartan Football and Michigan State University. We are accountable for the incident and accept the prescribed penalty."
Uh, no, Marky-boy, the act DOES reflect the culture and LACK of values of Spartan football and MSU, and your department's further NYPD-esque refusal to act on it internally only reinforces that. Now EABOD and DIAF. I don't like hypocrites in sports any more than politics.
October 20th, 2011 at 6:41 PM ^
I wonder if he kept a straight face while saying that.
October 20th, 2011 at 6:42 PM ^
“We wanted the Big Ten to understand the totality of the situation and that this act does not reflect the culture and values of Spartan Football and Michigan State University. We are accountable for the incident and accept the prescribed penalty.”
When actions match words = accountability.
When actions don't match words = hypocrisy.
What exactly are the "culture and values of Spartan Football" as shown in on-field activities vs. what they say it is? By all means, don't actually address the problem, just pretend it doesn't exist. So glad the B1G is making sure that its scholar athletes are learning important life lessons like authenticity, accountability and character. /s In a way, it makes me even more proud of Coach Hoke and the team. I have not a second of doubt regarding how Hoke would have handled a similar situation.
October 20th, 2011 at 9:24 PM ^
Spartan values are a myth conceived by Dantonio in an attempt to make the Spartans seem like a relevant program with viable accountability to their performance both on and off the field. Essentially, to make them seem more like Michigan.
October 20th, 2011 at 6:45 PM ^
Favorite quote from the article:
"We wanted the Big Ten to understand the totality of the situation and that this act does not reflect the culture and values of Spartan Football and Michigan State University. We are accountable for the incident and accept the prescribed penalty."I literally laughed out loud when I read this. Didn't Pat Narduzzi say something about MSU striving to play "60 minutes of unnecessary roughness". In the past 5 years, there have been 20 personal fouls, MSU has 16 of them, Michigan just 4.
October 20th, 2011 at 6:53 PM ^
i am sure they as in state are 100 percent okay with this. the win plus pushing us around for a one game suspension they will take that every year i would think.
October 20th, 2011 at 7:12 PM ^
Reading around different message boards it's funny to see State fans blaming the whining Michigan faithful for the suspension.
I know I shouldn't be but I am surprised by the way they embrace and defend the personal fouls.
October 20th, 2011 at 7:18 PM ^
All I can say is it's about time. MSU was doing a darn good job of stalling
October 20th, 2011 at 7:39 PM ^
My post here will be lost in the cacaphony of 177+ posts (the number at the time I wrote this). But I feel compelled to speak my peace.
All week, I have found myself unable to care that Tom committed attrocities against humanity in the game. Today I have no joy that he is suspended. I actually feel like it is WRONG to care.
The reason is this. MSU kicked our asses. They humbled us. Last year, after the PSU game, I posted a forum piece -- negged to death -- that our team was weak, not physical, incapable of competing with B1G teams. I stated my position at the time that RR had to go. I was vindicated when UW, OSU and MSU (NTMSU) ran the frak all over us, and RR did in fact go.
The problem still exists. The O and D are not talented enough nor prepared enough to deal with the physical battering they received. Hoke poops gold and no one can deny his pointing, and selling jerseys in Ohio cannot be a bad thing, but it hasn't even been a year into his administration. We are still weak. MSU physically owned us Saturday.
When we (collectively, spiritually) take a beating like that, I cannot take any glory that our abusers crossed the line of fair play. It's weak, it's whining, it's attempting to get a moral victory where the only thing that mattered -- the physical play -- we clearly lost, badly. The bully beat the crap out of us, and the fact he buggered us while doing it isn't grounds to complain, I'm sorry, it's not.
To me, this is for the future. Next year. The team needs to remember this abuse from Tom and others, and be physically ready to compete next year. The incoming class will help, then the one after that. Hoke needs time. By 2013 and 2014, MSU probably won't physically dominate us -- in fact, in 2014, Devin and/or Shane will toss for 350 years and we'll run for another 200+ and win by 4+ TDs. So I'm not sullen about the future at all.
But we should stop giving a crap that Tom got suspended. Boo hoo. He owns us until we do the same to him next year.
And I hope someone rips his facemask to the side and breaks his neck. Not really, of course, but you get the idea.
October 20th, 2011 at 7:44 PM ^
I disagree that the only thing that mattered was the physical play. I disagree that we should stop giving a crap about suspensions.
I can accept that we lost, that they were more physical than we. But I cannot accept the bullshit after the whistle. Just because they won should not mean that kneeing Denard and twisting his head around, and twisting Lewan's arm and punching him are OK. I still think sportsmanship matters.
October 20th, 2011 at 8:01 PM ^
Then you are now.... Rice. Vanderbilt. Duke (football). San Jose State (sans Tater).
I'm not saying sportsmanship doesn't matter, of course it's way better to be classy. But my gut tells me, when we got pwned, we can't complain that we were also abused. We didn't show. When we can bring an equal fight to them, then we can demand fair play. Until then, we really are just whining. That's just how I feel.
October 20th, 2011 at 8:12 PM ^
We didn't play Michigan football, but to bring up Rice, Vanderbilt, Duke, WTF??!!?!
When we can bring an equal fight to them, then we can demand fair play.
I just don't even get this mindset. Fair play isn't something to be demanded only if you're "good enough," it's an expectation, whatever the situation.
October 20th, 2011 at 9:28 PM ^
This argument is just asinine. Rules are rules folks. Football is a violent game, but it has rules that govern the game. If we abandon those rules, this might as well be the Coliseum.
October 20th, 2011 at 8:16 PM ^
October 20th, 2011 at 8:34 PM ^
This isn't about what "they" did to "us". By ignoring everything but the punch the B1G has given a green light to attempts to injure opposing players, even after the whistle. It's going to be left to the players on the field to police it, and that means it's going to snowball. It may not happen this week, or even this year, but sooner or later a body slam's going to break a quarterback's collarbone or a retaliatory chop block is going to shatter someone's leg. And when that day comes the fault will lie squarely in the office of Jim Delaney.
October 20th, 2011 at 8:02 PM ^
TL;DR
October 20th, 2011 at 7:29 PM ^
Sipple does the writeup on the Gholston suspension. And he writes that Gholston was provoked, and includes this sentence:
Before the punch, Gholston was dragged to the ground by his face mask by Lewan.
"...dragged to the ground by his face mask..."
Here's the video. Is that statement by Sipple true? Is it even a debatable or arguable assertion?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMqbRgOGq24
That's the Sparty video that attempts to show as much of a foul on the part of Lewan as possible. You won't see the Gholston punch in this clip. The clip stiops. Doesn't matter; if it seems unclear to you, look at Gholston's feet in the first seconds of the video as he falls; he is essentially falling to the ground with his back to Lewan. It is anatomically impossible that Lewan has a hold on Gholston's face mask insofar as he'd be "dragging [Gholston] to the ground by his face mask." We do see Lewan holding Gholston's head down as the play moves downfield. We see Lewan get his hands in Gholston's face, and get what looks like a thumb into Gholston's face mask. It is all there for you to see and make up your own mind.
By the way, here's a video that was apparently intended to show Lewan getting pwned by Gholston. What I see is the brutal arm-bar by Gholston. More than any punch, more than any facemasking offense this play (along with Marcus Rush's extremely dangerous personal foul on Denard) was the one play in the game most evident of a foul with the intent to cause injury.
October 20th, 2011 at 8:18 PM ^
October 20th, 2011 at 8:55 PM ^
And perhaps a different day-job.
October 20th, 2011 at 7:30 PM ^
What a joke. I guarantee if state knew the consequences beforehand they still would have done it, because the benefits outweigh the consequences. That by definition means it wasn't harsh enough.
October 20th, 2011 at 7:43 PM ^
{clap, clap, clap.}
October 20th, 2011 at 8:04 PM ^
Fuck those losers.
October 20th, 2011 at 8:19 PM ^
...on the first play of the game, the O-line should quintuple block Gholston, and in the scrum deliver a knee to the ribs, an arm bar, and a 120 degree twist of the helmet. The tight end should deliver two collarbone chops to Bush and drive him to the ground on his shoulder. 15 yard penalty. No further action from the B1G.