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
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Shane Morris
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Ed Shuttlesworth

September 30th, 2014 at 6:11 PM ^

I guess I read it differently than most other people; it reads to me like he's going to review the situation and fire the people responsible.  The line about communications was a direct attack on Brandon, and expressing "extreme disappointment" isn't exactly a vote of confidence  Nor was there even a hint of support, express or implied, for either Brandon or Hoke.

Dave Brandon and Brady Hoke are public employees with lucrative and complicated employment contracts.   They weren't going to just be fired today.

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heffman

September 30th, 2014 at 6:08 PM ^

This definitely doesn't seem to support Brandon in any way. I for one could certainly see this being simply an opening remark with a firing coming in the near future

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JamieH

September 30th, 2014 at 6:16 PM ^

Hey Dave Brandon.  If you weren't simply a marketing jackass and actually knew something about leadership, this is basically what you would have released on Sunday. 

 

There is nothing remarkable about this statement other than the fact that it is a thoroughly competent PR statement.  The kind of thing you would expect our multi-million dollar Athletic Department to be able to put out in their sleep.  If it wasn't being run by Dave Brandon.   

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jblaze

September 30th, 2014 at 6:28 PM ^

any idiot at Michigan just read this piece of paper on Sunday/ Monday for the press.

That & Hoke saying (on Saturday) that he didn't see the incident, but takes head trauma seriously and will work with Brandon to understand if Shane had a concussion and Michigan would investigate if procedure was followed and get back to the media ASAP.

Those 2 simple truths would have avoided the media firestorm. Somebody needs to be fired for this incompetence. 

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TheLastHarbaugh

September 30th, 2014 at 6:34 PM ^

This is how you take responsibility. No bullshit, wishy washy, wibbly wobbily, corporate jargon or PR nonsense.

We failed. We screwed up. What happened was terrible. I accept responsibility. We're making certain it wont happen again.

How hard is it do simply do that, Dave? 

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superstringer

September 30th, 2014 at 6:41 PM ^

I see the two camps.  my first reaction, as a non-academician but a lawyer who thinks the best argument is to say what you mean, is that this is more of the same.  no change, status quo.  we'll do a study and get back to you.  "thanks for expressing your thoughts" means "stop emailing me about firing the guy."

I'm initially saddened by the fact that the POTUM has no real athletic background, meaning, he's very much academician and had that line earlier this year that the "balance" of athletics and academics is out of whack.  So, like, he really doesn't loose sleep over a 2-10 season.  He's not consternated that DG hasn't gotten better in 3 years.

HOWEVER...

The guy CANNOT be happy seeing UM dragged thru the mud on national television -- its a lead story on CNN, GMA, Today, etc.  It has to make him sick.  All the good academics the U has, and what's the public line?  We're trying to win games (albeit badly) and the AD and HC are a bunch of [fillintheblank].

And there is NO support for the AD or HC here.  None.  It's a thinly veiled, "I'm pissed, you guys screwed this up royally."

So... I do think heads are going to roll, probably within a few weeks.  Brandon goes first, a new AD is appointed in the interim (Carr?!?!), and his first job is to fire Hoke and appoint a caretaker HC for the rest of the season (Moeller?!?!).  Then we get a permanent AD and a permanent HC in Dec.-Jan.

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umchicago

September 30th, 2014 at 7:19 PM ^

hoke and brandon are both gone on the same day, since they are interwoven now in this clusterfuck.  mattison is named interim HC and whoever is the asst AD is named interim AD. 

then a search for permanent AD is immediately done followed by a coaching decision.  i could also see a consulting firm conducting a coaching search while the AD hire is being done.  then, the AD, consulting firm and Prez select the new head coach at seasons end.

one can hope.

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drz1111

September 30th, 2014 at 6:47 PM ^

As a lawyer who sometimes helps draft statements like these, let me assure you that this means Hoke and Brandon are very likely fired.   The key is the last two paragraphs:

 

"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."

Note that this says "as president I will take all necessary steps".  I, and not we.  That's not an accident.  And  those steps are going to create "necessary accountabilty".  That's legal cover to terminate someone.  Necessary accountability for a failure that endangered the health of a student-athlete = termination.  And by referring to the "system",  and not the coaching staff or the trainers, the whole athletic department - i.e., Brandon - is implicated.

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

This is a thinly veiled rebuke to Brandon, and is meant to be read as such.

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."

"Future actions" after a review of the situation?  Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

 

I can understand why folks are misreading this, because lawyerspeak is lawyerspeak and PRspreak is PRspeak and a statement reviewed by both PR and legal is always going to be contradictory and damn near inscrutable.  But there is a code for these and if you apply that code, it says "these guys are fired".  It's a credit to the institution that they're not going to knee-jerk fire them; the process is important and I'm sure the lawyers are working on it as we speak.

 

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991GT3

September 30th, 2014 at 7:19 PM ^

Basically it says we fucked up but we now have a new process (Brandon's new program of ensuring student/athlete health) and Schlissel is going to take personal oversite to make sure there is compliance and enforcement.

The rest of the verbiage is nothing more than a University falling on its sword and asking forgiveness.

For now Brandon and Hoke are safe.

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Njia

September 30th, 2014 at 7:36 PM ^

They are certainly not fired immediately but I concur that the process is in motion to make it happen. There is a multi-billion dollar pledge drive underway and nothing can jeopardize that effort.

I'm sure it's not the MGoBlog's of the world that Schlissel is most concerned about. It's the image of the University writ large being dragged through the mud on a national stage. That problem must be made to go away.

Brandon probably wants his money. I suspect the two sides are negotiating the terms for his release. Of course, the University could try to hang the "for cause" sign around his neck, but that just invites litigation that will stretch for months if not longer. More potential bad publicity and any dirty laundry that extends back to Mary Sue Coleman's tenure will get aired. Even if the University's Office of Legal Counsel has no current knowledge of what might be disclosed, they would be wise not to take the risk.

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steve sharik

September 30th, 2014 at 10:35 PM ^

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.

In other words, Dave:

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LSAClassOf2000

September 30th, 2014 at 7:00 PM ^

I don't mind this in the sense that, as someone said, it looks like it was written by an adult, but more importantly, it really doesn't do more than show awareness of the situation, as it should, and at least ostensibly promises a review of how things went down and what we could do better. I don't think the door was shut on the possibility of Brandon or even Hoke eventually going (actually there are statements in the letter which lead me to think the idea of both of them going may yet become reality), but it seems clear that it will not happen right this moment certainly. 

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Alton

September 30th, 2014 at 7:07 PM ^

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

Seriously, this could not possibly be a more direct rebuke to the way that David Brandon has handled this incident.  Very impressive that Dr. Schlissel could summarize how badly Mr. Brandon failed his University in just 10 words.

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k.o.k.Law

September 30th, 2014 at 7:13 PM ^

also a lawyer, though not the drafting contracts kind.

the "going forward" is not thinly veiled, it is between the eyes.

how would you feel if your boss said this about you?

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mackbru

September 30th, 2014 at 7:18 PM ^

I agree the statement pretty much signals curtains for both Brandon and Hoke. It's legal-speak (rightly) establishing due process, careful consideration, etc. And probably, given Brandon's conspicuous absence and late-night spin efforts, he's just positioning himself for the best possible ending to his reign. And also maybe the school wants a new AD in place before it releases DB. He's gone.


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maizenbluenc

September 30th, 2014 at 9:34 PM ^

and thus Mattison's emotions when he was discussing Hoke.

Then DB went into the bunker after Cokegate - about the time that signed ex-player petition was supposed to hit. Since then he trotted out Stephen Ross, and had his PR staff twist arms to get public support for Hoke.

But Saturday happened. At some point in the 4th quarter DB saw what was being reported on TV. He had a WTF session with Hoke and Nuss, directed the usual bluster and obfuscate tactics, and then submerged to see how the winds blew.

One wonders if Schlissel grabbed him by the nuts Monday afternoon after hearing what Hoke said, and between that and the medical staff refusing to budge, that is how we ended up with the more or less "truthful" and remorseful statement at 1AM.

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Ed Shuttlesworth

September 30th, 2014 at 7:28 PM ^

And note the explicit compliment of the medical personnel -- "Despite having one of the finest levels of team medical expertise in the country, our system failed on Saturday."

Translation:  Despite your efforts to smear and otherwise blame our doctors, this fuck up is entirely on you, Dave Brandon and the athletic department.   The doctors were let down by the jocks; the jocks weren't let down by the doctors.

Speaks volumes.

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Sarasota13

September 30th, 2014 at 7:28 PM ^

I expressed the same disappointment with the program not only playing a player with a concussion, but the apparent clearance of Shane to participate in the Sunday practice.

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991GT3

September 30th, 2014 at 7:53 PM ^

if Schlissel wanted to stop the bad PR he should have taken concrete action. They have all the facts. Instead, he says we messed up and we promise not to do it again in the future. He will personally monitor compliance and enforcement.

IN OTHER WORDS THE UNIVERSITY ISN'T GOING TO TAKE ANY ACTION!

This the last you will hear from him or the Regents on this incident. If future incidents arise he will report to the community timely with transparency.

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Njia

September 30th, 2014 at 11:01 PM ^

I think Schlissel isn't ready to show his cards yet, at least publicly. I suspect that they are negotiating Brandon's separation agreement and possibly Hoke's as well. If there is a substantial outlay of funds to make either disappear, it may require a vote of the Regents.

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ca_prophet

September 30th, 2014 at 8:05 PM ^

1.  That's a real apology.

2.  He is pissed at Brandon.

"We're sorry we messed up so badly.  I am personally going to make sure we do what we can to make sure this never happens again."

That is the AD's boss having to come in and do his job for him after he screwed the pooch in extremely public fashion.

"Going forward, we are going to be as direct as we can without making things worse, unlike our previous claptrap."

That is the AD's boss pointing up his pooch screwing in no uncertain terms.

 

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ford_428cj

September 30th, 2014 at 9:55 PM ^

There is no way Brandon & Hoke survive this. The Pres would look bad if he kept them after this colossal failure.

I bet they are waiting a few days - so the media frenzy will die down a bit before they do it ...& also to make sure the lawyers have everything covered.

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Princetonwolverine

September 30th, 2014 at 10:02 PM ^

After we are humiliated by Rutgers next Saturday (the whole world will be paying attention) Hoke and Brandon may need to arrange different transportation back home. 

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RJWolvie

September 30th, 2014 at 10:45 PM ^

...we should've made in the first place.

He sounds pissed, and specifically about the lack of transparency, indirectness, & silence -- from the AD.

I don't think that's the last well hear from Schlissel on this

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