SIAP: Gemon Green had a very good reason for wanting to get through the tunnel as quickly as possible

Submitted by FrankMurphy on November 1st, 2022 at 12:48 PM

I haven't seen the original Detroit News reporting on this, but it pretty much undercuts the already-tenuous Sparty argument that Green provoked the assault because he rushed into the tunnel in order to taunt MSU players. 

For the "why was he even in the tunnel of his home stadium" crowd...according to the Detroit News, Gemon Green weekly rushes up the tunnel to be ready to see his dad, who is a trucker and drives up from Texas with limited time on his day off.

— MichiganPodcast (@MichiganPodcast) November 1, 2022

DTOW

November 1st, 2022 at 1:07 PM ^

Unfortunately, that's not how the real world is.  What happened to Gemon is unacceptable and the Sparty players involved should be punished accordingly.  Whether Gemon and his family want to press charges is completely their prerogative and rightfully so.  That said, it is also true that it probably wasn't the smartest move for Gemon to walk into the tunnel by himself while surrounded by Sparty players after a rivalry game in which both teams don't like each other.

No one in their right mind would walk down the worst street in Detroit by themselves at 11:00 p.m. while waving hundred dollar bills over their head.  If you did and someone robbed you it's still the person's fault that robbed you and they should be held accountable.  Doesn't change that fact that you made a dumb decision and put yourself in a difficult position.  That's not "victim blaming" its common sense.

Darker Blue

November 1st, 2022 at 1:12 PM ^

This is the dumbest fucking take. Anyone should be able to walk down that tunnel at any goddamn time without fear of getting assaulted. This isn't a dark alley way I the hood. This is Michigan Stadium for chists sake.

There were multiple police officers in that tunnel. There were hundreds of other people down there. 

It shouldn't matter when the boys walked through that tunnel. They shouldn't have to worry about being assaulted 

DTOW

November 1st, 2022 at 1:20 PM ^

I don't disagree that it shouldn't matter but, unfortunately, it does.  It's sophomoric and naive to say that it doesn't and the fact that it did happen actually proves that. 

Listen, I'm not condoning or justifying what happened.  I think the Sparty players should be punished accordingly.  I'm not saying Gemon deserves any blame or punishment.  I'm just saying it probably wasn't the smartest decision for him to walk in there by himself under the circumstances.

badjuju81

November 1st, 2022 at 2:54 PM ^

Now would anyone downvote an Aftrican American for politely asking someone not to use yhe N-word?  Were people not incensed over anti-Semetic remarks?  Yet someone who asks that a statement that offends Jews, Christians, and Islamics not be violated is downvoted?

"Blessed be those who are persecuted for my name's sake" says the Lord.

UMForLife

November 1st, 2022 at 1:15 PM ^

Wut? It is a fucking tunnel. It is not like he went to MSU players' locker room. Damn. We tell kids to watch where they go. Do we have to do that in our own stadium? This is not East Lansing.

Kid wants to see his dad. I admire that. Let us not put that on him and the reason for him being there to be why this happened. Ok....

Maizinator

November 1st, 2022 at 3:26 PM ^

Yes.  The minute you say he should have known better you are saying there should be an expectation of violence.  There needs to be zero expectation of violence.  These are participants in an athletic event surrounded by security and staff and hosts of bystander witnesses.  That's the whole point.  It happened anyway.

gruden

November 1st, 2022 at 1:56 PM ^

You realize Green is an upperclassmen and has made that very trip dozens of time after a game, right?  This time shouldn't have been any different than all those other times.

If this were at Sparty stadium, *maybe* there would be a point, but this is his home.  He has a right to walk up the tunnel of his school's stadium at any time, no matter which team they play that day.  Good grief.

Don

November 1st, 2022 at 2:33 PM ^

"No one in their right mind would walk down the worst street in Detroit by themselves at 11:00 p.m. while waving hundred dollar bills over their head."

The fact that you think this is a relevant analogy to a tunnel in a stadium in a city with one of the lowest violent crime rates in the state is mind-boggling.

MJ14

November 1st, 2022 at 7:08 PM ^

This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever read. I was going to type out a long response but this is so dumb I can’t even think of something to say other than, wow this is dumb. DTOW, you should go join the Spartans! I hear they love to victim blame and then try to hide their victim blaming over dumbass scenarios like this. 

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

November 1st, 2022 at 1:14 PM ^

That's where the analogy ends.  "Don't walk home alone especially on dangerous streets" is good advice.  Pretending there aren't things you can do to reduce your own risk of being a victim is, in fact, stupid and dangerous.  "Don't walk through your home stadium's tunnel until the road team says you can" is asinine spartylogic.

mtzlblk

November 1st, 2022 at 12:52 PM ^

Yep, he was up the tunnel early after the PSU game too, with McBurrows. Someone posted photos as evidence of both of them headed in alongside the PSU players.

Mattinboots

November 1st, 2022 at 12:53 PM ^

Why would German not do the same? Maybe this is a dumb question. 
 

Edit: as others have said and been saying, why he was there doesn’t matter at all because he for sure was not there just to start jawing and anyone saying this is evidence of Harbaugh having a bad culture is just Sparty mouthpiece. 

Carpetbagger

November 1st, 2022 at 3:14 PM ^

I don't think I've seen a single solitary person, even the MSU people I know, say this was justified.

I've seen more than a few people ask why these two Michigan players were where they were. The natural assumption is that they were jawing where they shouldn't have been. I don't know. You don't know either.

Hell, to me the most logical explanation is, neither player had any idea what had just happened out on the field, so had no idea they should get the hell out of the way.

Yes, I get we don't blame a person for getting knifed in a dark alley at 1 am. Never. But if you aren't thinking "wtf was he doing in a dark alley at 1am" you aren't thinking at all.

KBLOW

November 1st, 2022 at 3:28 PM ^

"I don't think I've seen a single solitary person, even the MSU people I know, say this was justified."  I call BS. Direct quotes and even videos have been posted all over this board and other sites of MSU fans as well as randos completely justifying the assaults. You have some serious willful ignorance going on.