Logan88

May 8th, 2011 at 12:03 PM ^

I agree. DUI's are not a joke. You might as well walk out in the street with a loaded gun, close your eyes and start pulling the trigger. It is the same in my eyes in terms of lack of regard for your fellow man/woman.

Stonum has an alcohol "problem". The best thing for him would be to focus on getting professional help (rehab) and the best thing for UM's football program would be to separate itself from him ASAP. I don't want UM to follow the OSU/MSU model and give extra chances to players simply because they are likely starters.

mackbru

May 8th, 2011 at 12:39 PM ^

Ultimately, that would cost Stonum zero playing time. It's a sneaky way out, allowing the team to squeeze another whole year out of him (during a season when we may be a bit short on receivers). It would amount to a year off for Stonum. He needs to lose playing time, not time.

Wolverine319

May 8th, 2011 at 12:42 PM ^

completely agree I have a couple family members with alcohol abuse issues. The important thing for Darryl is for him to get treatment. One DUI could just be lapse in judgement, but this points to a more chronic problem. The university has some great resources to deal with substance abuse at the University of Michigan Psych Clinic. 

Steve in PA

May 8th, 2011 at 1:04 PM ^

Here in PA, first time offenders are sentenced to mandatory treatment as part of their sentence.  I know and am related to plenty of first time offenders as well as some repeat offenders.  While the treatment isn't the greatest, it is a first exposure for many.

I would also not be 100% sure he has an alcohol problem.  Many, if not most of us have driven "buzzed" which will get you a DUI.  I definetly think the young man has a judgement problem if he put himself in a situation to get a second DUI and think it would be wise to cut him loose at this point.

Good luck to him, and I hope he doesn't become another BooBoo.

tomcat

May 8th, 2011 at 1:29 PM ^

We can never be sure that he has an alcohol problem 100% but for us it doesn't matter. I hope he can come to that conclusion himself because that's really the only thing that matters. This issue is very personal to me, I hope the best for him, but football should not be one of his priorities right now. If he earns the privledge to a part of this team again, I will be cheering for him but he's been given a second chance already. We'd be going out on a limb to give him another one.

mghorm

May 8th, 2011 at 12:47 PM ^

but i dont think you can say that he has an alcohol problem. Yes, he's a dumbass college kid but how many students drinking habits are abusive. I'm not saying he doen't have a problem but he's a college kid. I'm in college and i get hammered 2-3 times a week. That doesn't mean i have a problem its means i'm in school

Kilgore Trout

May 8th, 2011 at 1:06 PM ^

As you say, not to be a dick, but if you drink to the point of being hammered 2-3 times a week, you have an alcohol problem.  You may grow out of it, it may not cause you long term issues, but being in school has nothing to do with it. 

tomcat

May 8th, 2011 at 1:34 PM ^

Completely agree. Going to college at michigan almost killed me. I had a serious drinking problem. If people think the "I'm in college" excuse to get hammered and make poor choices, (yes getting hammered in itself is a poor choice IMO), is justifiable, I'm here to tell you it will always catch up and bite you in the ass.

JBE

May 8th, 2011 at 1:37 PM ^

Agreed.  Just because there is a large group mentality in college to drink, and drink often, doesn't mean it is any less of a personal problem when that group dissipates.

Calvin

May 8th, 2011 at 2:01 PM ^

In AA meetings though they teach you that it's not a problem that you can overcome. So if that is the case, you can't grow out of such an alcoholic problem. I agree, he could just be in college. He certainly has a judgement problem. He makes bad decisions. Alcohol might not be the problem.

Coach Kyle

May 9th, 2011 at 3:18 AM ^

You don't have to argue with me, but I consider an alcoholic someone who either 1) cannot do without it. 2) someone whose life is negatively effected by it. I would find it hard to believe that you don't fall into one of these two categories. I personally think that if you only fall into category one, then you're totally fine. The only thing you stand to lose is your money. Just don't end up with a golden voice... I mean homeless. 

wlvrine

May 8th, 2011 at 1:08 PM ^

how many DUI's do you have?  If you received a DUI, would it have any affect on your decisions to drink and drive?  Most people who get a DUI decide that they do not need to drink as often as before.  And they certainly think more than twice about drinking and then driving.  Stonum did not act like a rational person would after receiving a DUI.  Hence, I think he has an alcohol problem.

JBE

May 8th, 2011 at 1:23 PM ^

Hypothetically, a person drinks twice in two years, but on both occasions person drives a car, and person is pulled over and person is over the legal limit.  Now, this is probably not the case with Stonum, but the fact remains that just because a person has a two DUIs doesn't necessarily mean she/he has a drinking problem.  It could just be two isolated, poor choices and really shitty luck.  To say that anyone with two DUIs has, therefore, a drinking problem, to me, is truly a leap of logic.

wlvrine

May 8th, 2011 at 3:12 PM ^

or even in a real case of said person only drinking twice in two years, yeah, no alcohol problem.  But I'm going to go out on a limb here, and say that Stonum has had more than two drinks in the last two years. 

tomcat

May 8th, 2011 at 4:56 PM ^

So in your hypothetical world stonum has only drank twice in twice in two years and both times got a dui. That means everytime he drank he got a dui.... Just another way of looking at it. You don't need to drink to having a drinking problem.

M-Wolverine

May 8th, 2011 at 4:08 PM ^

But getting HAMMERED multiple times in a week, it might be a problem. I find it hard to believe getting that drunk that often isn't affecting others parts if one's life, which is the definition of a problem.
<br>
<br>The easy way to prove yourself right to yourself- go a month without a drink. You can go out, but it's pop for you. If you can just stop, and not go back for that long, it may not be a problem (though addicts can get on the wagon too). If that's too long, you may want to rethink it.

bvb24

May 8th, 2011 at 1:12 PM ^

I hope you are trying to make a point and don't really see those two things as the same.  Anyone who has had more than 1 beer and driven on multiple occasions has more than likely driven above the legal limit at one time.   They just were lucky enough not to get caught.  I'm not saying drinking and driving is OK.  I just think people who haven't taken a breathelizer don't realize how little .08 is.

Bosch

May 8th, 2011 at 1:53 PM ^

A sizeable pottion of this blog's members have gotten behind the wheel near or over the legal limit, whether they realize it or not.

With that said, if you are getting a free ride to play college at one the most recognized programs in the nation, there are certain situations that you have to realize that you can't put yourself in.

Pdeaner

May 8th, 2011 at 8:47 PM ^

Regardless of his drinking, why is he driving after he has been drinking?  Leave your car at home?  Also why would the people he was with let me drive home knowing his history?

Birdman

May 8th, 2011 at 1:55 PM ^

Is actually a challenging level to achieve as an early 20's 6ft 200# athlete . That requires 5 drinks n your first hour and more then 2 drinks every hour after that. It is a pretty concious effort to drink beyond a few drinks. Check it out.

Steeveebr

May 8th, 2011 at 7:49 PM ^

There are way more factors that go into determining how much a drink will affect your BAC than height and weight.  Was he dehydrated to start with?  What was he drinking?  Did he eat?  Does he have a natural blood disposition or liver problem that doesn't filter out the alchohol properly?  Was he suffering from some mental stress or external pressures?  What medications was he taking?  Was he mixing stuff with soda or energy drinks?

Your assessment might work for a standard, but assuming knowledge of an individual event based on a standard leads to faulty assumptions.

dennisblundon

May 8th, 2011 at 11:58 AM ^

Really disappointed in Stonum and hope he realizes his mistakes now as a young man because he hopefully has a long life ahead of him. There are consequences from poor choices, fortunately for Daryl it only involves losing football for awhile.Good luck on your road to redemption.

Hoken's Heroes

May 8th, 2011 at 12:01 PM ^

...Stonum can't out run CBs or the Cops. Stonum has shown he is unable to learn from his mistakes. The kid most likely just pissed his college football career away with this last arrest. The good news is that Dantonio has already secured a spot for Stonum on MSU's squad.

Galapula

May 8th, 2011 at 12:18 PM ^

while his post isn't like really informative it isn't supposed to be. ND just went through a related process with Floyd but Stonum is obviously in a worse position. He was just empathizing. That's okay to do. I'm pretty sure he wasn't being sarcastic. Like 65% sure.

go16blue

May 8th, 2011 at 12:03 PM ^

Hoke needs to set a precedent here, and kick him off the team. A second DUI would be grounds for dismissal in most places, and if he want's to prove that he's the classy, no-nonsense coach that he says he is, he's going to have to kick him off.

08mms

May 9th, 2011 at 10:17 AM ^

I don't think a second DUI over that drawn out of a period is necessarily worth kicking him off the team, but it certainly should come with a very meaningful suspension (sitting for half the season, lots of community service, counseling/rehab with student services, maintaining gradepoint).  If he is otherwise a good kid and a good student, I think everyone benefits from him sticking with a team committed to providing a learning experience.

R Kelly

May 8th, 2011 at 12:10 PM ^

I may be in the minority here, but I don't like seeing a coach abandon a player when the player needs support the most.  The kid is thousands of miles from home, is in some serious trouble, and needs help and support from his teammates, and coaches.  I think he should be allowed to work out with the team, be required to attend some type of alcohol therapy, be forced to sit the entire season, and then return for his RS Senior year.  If he makes anymore mistakes, then I think complete dismissal is necessary.  

Logan88

May 8th, 2011 at 12:17 PM ^

That is actually a pretty nice alternative to just dismissing him. Make Stonum commit to rehab/therapy and full dedication to working out with the team (on the scout team) while sitting out a year with no opportunity to play. If he was willing to make that level of commitment and kept his nose clean, then I would not be averse to giving him an opportunity to win his way back into a playing role (not necessarily as a starter) as a RS Senior.

 

mackbru

May 8th, 2011 at 12:24 PM ^

He's still getting a free ride at a great school. Most kids who keep their noses clean aren't so lucky. At a certain point, there has to be a line. He has crossed it four times. As long as he stays in school, counseling will be available to him. And he's still got a year of eligibility left. So he'll be welcome to redeem his football career at WVU or some other outlaw school. He's still got options. But the onus falls on him, not on Michigan.