Schlissel releases statement re: Shane

Submitted by wlubd on

EDIT: Updated with non-microscopic font. (H/T to Maize and Brew for getting it up)

As the leader of our university community, I want to express my extreme disappointment in the events surrounding the handling of an on-field injury to one of our football players, Shane Morris. The health and safety of our entire student community, including all of our student-athletes, is my most important responsibility as university president.

I have been in regular discussion regarding this incident and its aftermath with Athletic Director David Brandon and the Board of Regents. I support the immediate protocol changes that the department's initial assessment has identified. I have instructed the Athletic Department to provide me, the Board of Regents, and other campus leaders with a thorough review of our in-game player safety procedures, particularly those involving head injuries, and will involve experts from the University of Michigan Health System in assessing its medical aspects.

Despite having one of the finest levels of team medical expertise in the country, our system failed on Saturday. We did not get this right and for this I apologize to Shane, his family, his teammates, and the entire Michigan family. It is a critical lesson to us about how vigilant and disciplined we must always be to ensure student-athlete safety. As president, I will take all necessary steps to make sure that occurs and to enforce the necessary accountability for our success in this regard.

Our communications going forward will be direct, transparent and timely. The University of Michigan stands for the highest level of excellence in everything we do, on and off the field. That standard will guide my review of this situation and all the University's future actions.

My thanks go to the many members of the University community who have taken the time to express their thoughts.

 

MGoBoard
Football
Shane Morris
Mark Schlissel
concussiongate

TooFratToFail

September 30th, 2014 at 5:48 PM ^

Weak leadership.  This statement is the same as Hoke's postgame pressers.  Says absolutely nothing while doing his "adminstrative duties."  Here's your goddamn adminstrative duty: FIRE BRANDON.  The whole damn AD is sinking and the University President is playing tiddlywinks and refusing to put down the lifeboats.  

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TooFratToFail

September 30th, 2014 at 5:45 PM ^

If this newcomer, who knows next to nothing about Michigan tradition and admits he doesn't care about sports, doesn't want to make a move on Brandon, maybe it's time for him to move on too.  Why is he letting Dave Brandon release statements at 1 am?  Why is Hoke LYING to thee media?  Schissel is supposed to be the top dog and the University is falling apart beneath him.  Perhaps some actual leadership is order to make those $ millions worth it.  Get off you adminstrative asses and FIRE BRANDON.

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swan flu

September 30th, 2014 at 5:48 PM ^

Finally, someone responds to the situation with class.

 

Im glad he didn't address punishing any indivdyals, because thats not the point right now.  Priority 1A is making sure this never happens again.

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Jon06

September 30th, 2014 at 5:48 PM ^

That is the statement of a University President who is about to fire his Athletic Director for cause. They're going to get sued by Brandon for doing it, so they have to be careful here. But read between the lines--Brandon is done.

HOORAY PRESIDENT SCHLISSEL!

PRESIDENT SCHLISSEL FOR PRESIDENT!

LONG LIVE THE PRESIDENT!

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Jon06

September 30th, 2014 at 6:07 PM ^

The Office of the General Counsel and the AD/President's PR people wrote the statements. But don't be distracted by the professionalism of the statements. Look at the content. Look at the clearly implied criticisms that a University President just publicly let fly about an embattled underling. These are very serious people. Those are very serious criticisms to make public. That's as close as President Schlissel can come to saying "I'm going to fire Dave Brandon as soon as legal figures out our strategy for not paying him his full buyout."

The way these things work is that you have to negotiate a buyout--we won't fire you for cause and you won't sue us and we'll say complimentary things about you and you'll resign for a small payoff. That takes time. It takes time for an egotistical asshole like DB to come to terms with the fact that he's done. It takes time for his lawyer and the U's lawyers to come to terms and get DB to accept those terms. And it takes time to craft a plan to competently run an AD that's been recently restaffed by handpicked yes men without the leader it is supposed to be their entire job to fawn over.

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alum96

September 30th, 2014 at 5:50 PM ^

It sounds like a well educated human being wrote it, after one or two of his own revision rather than the last few things we've seen which have lawyer's and PR agent's fingerprints (and 35 revisions) all over them.

I don't know much about him or his personality but for the "fire and brimstone" types, when I hear "academic" I think of a 65 year old professor type in my mind's eye.  Not the type who ever raises his voice, smokes a pipe while reading huge amounts of material, etc.

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UM Fan in Nashville

September 30th, 2014 at 5:55 PM ^

I think this line was directed at Brandon:

Our communications going forward will be direct, transparent and timely.

 

I don't think Schlissel is happy with how this all went down.  It appears Brandon could have been safe after the 'Free tickets and Coke' fiasco, but this seems to have upset the big boss.  

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SF Wolverine

September 30th, 2014 at 5:56 PM ^

safe, stays with the obvious sentiment that should have been the response of the dopes running the program from the beginning.

Now, let's see what comes of "my reivew of the situation."   My hope is that "the situation" refers to the broader shitshow as well as Morris's situation, and that he looks at how Morris was handled as indicative of whether he has the right people in place to run this big, high-profile part of his university.  

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Coach Carr Camp

September 30th, 2014 at 5:56 PM ^

Had DB and Hoke issued a similar statement on Sunday or Monday, the vast majority of this shit storm could have been avoided. The condescending "here's what happened it was a misunderstanding" hand waiving tone just antagonized an already frustraited fan base.

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MGoCombs

September 30th, 2014 at 5:57 PM ^

Apparently said no action will be taken against Hoke or Brandon "at this time." The nightmare continues... I'm not ready to give up, but if this is a Civil War like Wolverine Devotee keeps saying, what's our next course of action? When are we defeated? This is certainly a big blow.


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MGoCombs

September 30th, 2014 at 6:30 PM ^

As always, thanks for your condescending attitude as though I said Schissel could do that. But, seriously, it's a good point worth clarifying. Still, there's no legal requirement to release a statement that says anything on the matter of your immediate course of action (or appoint a staff member to say that). It's just disappointing. I'm not saying getting Brandon out is "over," but you'd hope for more than a generic "I'm disappointed" statement from your president.


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MGoCombs

September 30th, 2014 at 6:58 PM ^

Guys... How is it so hard to see there's a middle ground between "no action" and Donald Trump/Whatever Angry Thing You Said. I'm not saying I want our President to fly off the handle, but act a little more like the person you're ultimately responsible for just put a gigantic black eye on your university. I'm not saying overreact. I never said fire him this second, so please stop putting words in my mouth. However, he could have been less definitive and more sympathetic to a very large base of fans and alumni who are looking for action.


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MGoCombs

September 30th, 2014 at 6:43 PM ^

To add (on my phone or else I'd edit), it seems like an incredibly tone deaf statement to make moments before a group of protesters are rallying next door to "fire Brandon." Just say "we're looking into it at this time" or anything less definitive. People would still be upset but it's better than telling them "absolutely not."


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TheTruth41

September 30th, 2014 at 5:58 PM ^

"The University of Michigan stands for the highest level of excellence in everything we do, on and off the field. That standard will guide my review of this situation and all the University's future actions."

 

So they're both out then?

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