Report: Rucker Reinstated to MSU Team

Submitted by Geaux_Blue on

Now before this gets out of hand, this does not necessarily mean he will play but, rather, that he is likely free to practice, travel and suit up on Saturday. The Ticket is currently melting down with Spartan fans calling in yelling Stonum so I figured the post should be created with the caveat above before Michigan fans begin muddying the issue. 

 

Edit: Dantonio on Chris L playing on Saturday

"That's up to Rucker - there's risk involved."

Likely referring to the possibility of injury, not knowing the scheme but... alluding to the fact he's not necessarily being held out via disciplinary reasons

[FA Edit: Rather than trying to moderate every response to the troll(s), I'm just locking this thread. It's MSU news anyways, so it's not really important. I tried deleting several, but some comments worth saving were being deleted, too.]

MGoBoard
Football

WolvinLA2

October 28th, 2010 at 7:45 PM ^

For the sake of discussion, what players under RR have had an offense comparable to Ruckers that he didn't suspend?  Because with the Feagin situation, he was simply kicked off the team, no second chance. 

I can't really say the Dantonio "suspended" Rucker since he was in jail.  Not difficult to suspend a player who can't play anyway.  That's like suspending an injured player until he comes back from injury.

Joined: 11/13/2009

MGoPoints: 58191

B10 or Bust

October 28th, 2010 at 7:55 PM ^

Rucker was suspended for the Illinois game.  He then CHOSE to accept a reduced charge of reckless driving, knowing he'd get a week in jail which covered the Northwestern game.  He could have dragged it out, pled not guilty, whatever. 

You simply want to pretend he wasn't suspended for Illinois, and then assume he wouldn't be suspended for Northwestern, when in fact you really don't know.

Look at the situations:  He was present at a fight (pushing and shoving) that one of his friends was in.  A year later, he moves his car across a street into a parking ramp after leaving a bar, and dings a car.  Charged with OWI, pleads to reckless driving.

Oh the humanity!

Joined: 08/18/2010

MGoPoints: -638

WolvinLA2

October 28th, 2010 at 8:04 PM ^

You never once addressed my question.  Your first post was a dig on RR, and I wanted you to substantiate that.  Instead, you completely disregarded it and started defending Rucker.

Fact is, RR hasn't had a player get sentenced to jail, and then reinstated to the team directly afterward.  Sure, Dantonio suspended Rucker in the midst of the trial, but once he was out, everything is cool. 

I'm basing my feeling about Dantonio on facts.  Your statement is completely unsubstantiated.

Joined: 11/13/2009

MGoPoints: 58191

BiSB

October 28th, 2010 at 8:22 PM ^

Look at the situations:  He was present and kinda participated in at a fight (pushing and shoving and punching and kicking) that one fourteen of his friends was were in.  A year later, he moves his car across a street into a parking ramp after leaving a bar, and dings a car.  Gets drunk in violation of his probation, drives drunk, is involved in a hit and run while drunk, is charged with OWI, pleads to reckless driving

Joined: 08/15/2009

MGoPoints: 46071

WolvyNOOO

October 28th, 2010 at 9:01 PM ^

Even by our standards, this is pretty bad bias. He was charged with having pushed a fraternity member. Where did the hit and run thing even come from? There was no hit and run. The person whose car he hit asked the officer to let him off the hook.

 

Do names like Grady and Stonum mean anything to you, Mr. High and Mighty? Remember the old adage about glass houses before you mouth off.

Joined: 10/16/2010

MGoPoints: -1

BlockM

October 28th, 2010 at 6:51 PM ^

I wouldn't want him thrown in jail for life or anything, but I think driving drunk while on probation for assault should probably exclude you from the privilege of playing D1 football.

That said, it's a huge gray area, and I have no idea where that line should be drawn. Bad situation all around, let's just hope he's learned his lesson and doesn't do it again.

Joined: 07/03/2008

MGoPoints: 40727

locd32

October 28th, 2010 at 7:45 PM ^

Rucker wasn't speeding down Grand River blasted out of his mind. He blew a .095 and was moving his car from a 7-11 to the parking garage DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET.

Also, Rucker didn't hit anyone at Rather Hall. Video shows him only being in the room where the "fight" took place for all of 6.5 seconds. Yeah, real thug....

Ignorance is bliss.

Joined: 10/23/2010

MGoPoints: -554

EGD

October 28th, 2010 at 6:54 PM ^

Hopefully they are reinstating him so that he can drive the team bus

Edit: just so long as nobody not associated with MSU football is on the road at the time

Joined: 09/16/2009

MGoPoints: 35199

aaamichfan

October 28th, 2010 at 6:56 PM ^

I heard people on the radio saying that "Mark Dantonio is an upper echelon coach". Is this an action that an "elite" coach normally takes?

Joined: 10/23/2009

MGoPoints: 14362

B10 or Bust

October 28th, 2010 at 7:49 PM ^

This horrible assault, which resulted in no injuries.  When Stuart Dunnings, the prosecutor first saw video of it, he said publicly that nothing on it rose to the level of criminal activity.  When told the next day that some participants were football players, he said "Now I'm interested...".  The rest is history.  All of this is public record, and widely reported.

As for Stonum,  yes, he was on probation when he skipped multiple drug tests and was subsequently jailed.  Lucky for him, no suspension. 

Your outrage is as foolish as the "ski mask" stuff, which has been refuted repeatedly by prosecutors (again, very publicly).  The irony is that Demar Dorsey DID wear a ski mask when committing his armed robberies (again, this info is readily available in major news outlets), and the ONLY reason he isn't on the UM team is he couldn't clear the NCAA academically (as noted when he couldn't enroll at Louisville either).

Glass houses

Joined: 08/18/2010

MGoPoints: -638

Vasav

October 28th, 2010 at 7:44 PM ^

No matter the colors of your football team. The difference is, for Ezeh, Grady, and Stonum, that was their first offense, and didn't occur while they were on parole for a violent crime. Not defending what they did at all, but I do think there is a difference. Also, Rich Rodriguez suspended Booboo last year at a position of desperate need for missing class - to me, that shows he wants to help young men mature through football just as much as he wants to win. With what MSU football has been through and done over the past few years, the perception is growing that they are a "win at all costs" program.

That said I hope he learned his lesson and hope, for the kid's sake, that Dantonio knows what he's doing. After being kicked off the team, Cissoko's life spun out of control. Maybe this is the best thing for Rucker.

Joined: 12/13/2009

MGoPoints: 19248

WolvinLA2

October 28th, 2010 at 8:48 PM ^

Honestly, I don't see how that makes a difference.  If I punch a guy and break his nose, or if a punch a guy so hard he falls onto his nose and breaks it, are those two really any different?  The kid hit his head as a result of the fall, which is a result of the punch. 

"I threw a guy through a window, but it was the glass that cut him, not me."

Joined: 11/13/2009

MGoPoints: 58191

B10 or Bust

October 28th, 2010 at 8:02 PM ^

Yeah, since 2003.  Odd time frame.

MSU graduated all but 1 senior last year (Blair White had graduated the year before). Can you fill me in on the stats for UMs 2009 senior class?

Anyone else notice that 85% of the UM team is majoring in General Studies or Kinesiology (the 2nd K program UM has, a "special" Kinesiology program created for athletes that omits all those tough science classes".

This game is fun.

Joined: 08/18/2010

MGoPoints: -638