Warde Manuel Statement on MSU Pre-Game Walk

Submitted by Communist Football on October 23rd, 2018 at 9:11 AM

Warde keeping it on the DL:

I had a conversation on the field with Michigan State Athletic Director Bill Beekman prior to the game regarding the situation that occurred during the pre-game warmups. My preference is to keep that conversation and any further discussions between us. I will work with our staff and the conference to see how this situation can be prevented from happening in the future. It is a great rivalry between two Michigan Universities, and the focus should remain on the game, the way it’s played, and the final result.

rc15

October 23rd, 2018 at 9:38 AM ^

Who are the "people that count"? The B10? Unless we see suspensions then anything he reports is meaningless.

There is a reason some things need to play out in the press. So Dantonio gets the question "There is video of X trying to hurt Y after a play, do you plan on any discipline as a result?" If Dantonio is not called out by the media for it, it will never change. If the court of public opinion decides that Dantonio and his players are guilty, refs will be aware and looking out for it more next year.

Sambojangles

October 23rd, 2018 at 12:49 PM ^

Obviously not the same, but it strikes me that the Zach Smith situation was handled with the people that count. Meyer tried to keep it between the OSU AD and Ohio police. It wasn't until the media was aware that tangible change happened (first Smith's dismissal, then Meyer's suspension). I completely agree that some things get better when handled through the free press.

DonAZ

October 23rd, 2018 at 9:28 AM ^

Disagree.  This is a way to get past the back-and-forth between Harbaugh and Dantonio.  It puts the focus on Manuel now, not the coaches.  If in press conferences the topic is brought up again, Harbaugh can refer them to Manuel.  Eyes forward, not backwards.

bluescreen

October 23rd, 2018 at 10:38 AM ^

Also disagree, it sounds like he just wants to cool things off and move on. It doesnt do any good to just keep talking about it. They have their version of events and we have ours, nothing will change that, it needs to go away, it wont ever really go away though, well be seeing this for years now lol

Ali G Bomaye

October 23rd, 2018 at 11:00 AM ^

There's nothing to be gained by continuing to sling mud on this one. MSU's AD isn't going to publicly sell out his coach, so continuing to tussle in public just makes it look like this is an argument with two sides, rather than a juvenile and potentially dangerous stunt pulled by Dantonio. I'm guessing that the two ADs agreed to have this never happen again, which is about as good as we're going to get.

maizenbluenc

October 23rd, 2018 at 12:45 PM ^

Agreed - the original act was an intent to distract and disrupt, and Dantonio keeps shoveling.

Fuck-em - they got beat, badly, and I am hoping the football staff is now focusing on upcoming opponents.

I also hope the B1G has been notified of the in game skulduggery - but if twisting Denards head didn't do anything, I am guessing "playing past the whistle" hoping to burst Ruiz's knee will not either. Glad Owenwu and Runyon stepped in and defended their teammate. Wondering in the JBB injury was intentional too.

Can't go for revenge like Lewan seemed to have done in 2013, but defending against Jabroni intent to injure is fair play in my book.

FauxMo

October 23rd, 2018 at 9:21 AM ^

The conversation probably went something like this:

Warde: "Hi Bill, did you see what happened before the game?"

Bill: "Yes Warde, I did. That was unfortunate."

Warde: "I know, right? But it brought a lot of media attention."

Bill: "Oh yeah it did! CHA-CHING!!!"

Warde: CHA-CHING, Bill. CHA-CHING!!!"

Jim Delaney: "Hey, did I just overhear someone say "CHA-CHING"??? Can I get in on this? CHA-CHING!!!' 

dragonchild

October 23rd, 2018 at 9:43 AM ^

Yeah what's so "great" about this rivalry these days?  I don't look forward to seeing Michigan play a trash program; I get disgusted by the shenanigans and hope they get out without getting injured.

This really isn't the time for corporate-style PR; this is the time to shine daylight on cockroaches.

dragonchild

October 23rd, 2018 at 9:40 AM ^

Right because keeping things on the Q.T. worked so well for Pedo State and Sandusky.  And Molester State and Nassar.  And Maryland, and Ohio State, and Baylor, and. . . hell, let's bring in Dave Brandon's scramble to CYA after the program bungled Morris' concussion.

When the hell has secrecy done football or anything a damn lick of good?

grumbler

October 23rd, 2018 at 2:18 PM ^

It is interesting that the fan base has so swallowed the "Morris concussion" narrative that it is now used as evidence that a completely different AD is incompetent. 

Morris said it was an ankle, not a concussion.  The doctors said that it could have been a concussion but there were no physical symptoms of one when he was examined. But, yeah, let's continue to propagate the narrative that makes the school look as bad as possible, because that allows us to trash people no longer here.

OldManUfer

October 24th, 2018 at 9:10 AM ^

Seriously? We've "swallowed" the narrative that's supported by all the evidence?

Take off the blinders. The best look for the school is a fan base that doesn't acquiesce to bullshit that endangers the welfare of student athletes in the interest of wins.

I've never seen an ankle injury cause anyone to stumble around like they're drunk. Limp, hop, fall down - sure. But I can't fathom how anyone who actually watched those plays could buy that it was probably just his ankle. Furthermore, with the benefit of hindsight, we now know that he did have a probable concussion - the AD came out and said it (along with an ankle sprain).

I am not a doctor and I did not evaluate Morris, I can't say with certainty that he was concussed. The point, however, is that there were absolutely warning signs of a concussion. He should have been pulled *immediately* and had his helmet taken away. He needed to be held out for the rest of the game, no questions asked.

I don't know if the failing was with the medical staff, the coaching staff, or Michigan's procedures, but in the end it doesn't really matter. If that had been my child, I would have thought long and hard about pulling them out of the program and using legal action to force (transparent) change.

mGrowOld

October 23rd, 2018 at 9:46 AM ^

Sorry but nothing about this statement surprises me or does anything to change my opinion of Warde as a spineless jellyfish more worried about where he gets seated for dinner at the next B1G AD meeting than he does standing up for his head coach in football.

Nothing.

CompleteLunacy

October 23rd, 2018 at 11:32 AM ^

AS long as he's not silencing Harbaugh or contradicting him - which he's clearly not - I'm not that concerned about Warde's response. I expect responses from the ADs and higher-ups to be above that sort of BS. The MSU statement yesterday was a joke.

Don't get me wrong. Part of me wished Warde would have said more...but the fact that he didn't doesn't register all that much to me. Considering the last AD we had couldn't help but stay in the spotlight, I'm fine with one that prefers - almost to a fault - to keep himself out of it. That's much closer to how it should be anyway.

umchicago

October 23rd, 2018 at 12:32 PM ^

agree, warde has gotten bent over twice in recent years with football scheduling alone; allowing msu to have two games in a row, then allowing ND to have the first home game again after being the ones who backed out of the series in the first place.

we might be looking at a different season if we had ND at home or Arkansas as originally planned.

bronxblue

October 23rd, 2018 at 1:31 PM ^

You've always been vocally against Warde, but I don't see how this should draw anyone's ire.  You let the coaches trade barbs if they want, but at some point the game is over and getting into pissing contests with a team you just blasted on the field isn't worth the hassle it inevitably brings with it.  If this was actually important, then sure, get on Manuel if you feel like he isn't standing up for his employees (which I don't believe is true, but whatever).  But this was an issue that should have ended on Sunday and because MSU got it's ass beat and they really don't have anything else to talk about it's been dragged on.