OT- ESPN front page article about Frank Clark is a good read
ESPN has an article on the front page talking about the tragedy of Frank Clark's family, and the breakout season he's having. Good read imo:
January 4th, 2019 at 10:57 AM ^
Clark goes over there, in the Lewan and Rumeal box.
January 4th, 2019 at 11:06 AM ^
Give it a read; see what you think. I've never been able to summon much sympathy for Lewan or Rumeal, but you might find Frank different. A video production also accompanies the piece, also pretty painful. Talks about how when he goes to visit his mom he has to just drive the streets to find her.
January 4th, 2019 at 2:38 PM ^
Why would Lewan need or want your sympathy? He's a 27 year old man who's already made $31M in his career. If anything, he should be feeling sympathy for you. Although I'm sure he has no idea who you are and doesn't care about you at all.
January 4th, 2019 at 12:45 PM ^
Not sure Frank should ever be celebrated, but at least he still seems to be making steps forward to being a decent person. He’s made a lot of mistakes, and like I said he’s not the proudest representation of our program, but he’s trying to be better, so that should be recognized.
Lewan on the other hand, appears to have been promoted to admiral on the USS Douche Canoe
January 4th, 2019 at 2:17 PM ^
Lewan on the other hand, appears to have been promoted to admiral on the USS Douche Canoe
Are you saying this based on what he was involved in during his time at UM? Or something after? I haven't really paid attention to him in the NFL.
January 4th, 2019 at 2:38 PM ^
Yes.
January 4th, 2019 at 5:36 PM ^
Yeah I'm curious about this too because I kind of take his side in the whole Josh Norman thing. Norman is a good corner but never really was the shut down guy everyone thought he'd be after that one year in Carolina. If Lewan truly believes that Norman was trying to injure a teammate then I totally get why he said what he said.
January 4th, 2019 at 11:15 AM ^
Frank is a good friend of mine and a good dude. He's been through a lot and he works his ass off. He deserves this.
January 4th, 2019 at 11:35 AM ^
He absolutely deserves to work for a living and have a career. But his past transgressions also mean that we don't have to celebrate him the same way, because its a big elephant in the closet. Both can be true.
January 4th, 2019 at 12:15 PM ^
Why can't we celebrate Frank? Because he stole a laptop? The domestic abuse was clearly addressed in the video. It was a big misunderstanding between Frank and his girlfriend about someone in his life she didn't care for. He never raised a hand to her and she says so in the video. This is the same woman who currently lives with him in Seattle as they raise their daughter together.
I think Frank's a great guy and an asset to his team and his family. I'm so glad my Seahawks took a chance on him, clearly they both have benefited from that decision. I think we should celebrate his perseverance and his success.
January 4th, 2019 at 2:24 PM ^
I wasn't fully aware of the domestic abuse story. They both speak about the incident fairly candidly and he wasn't convicted of domestic abuse or assault. I find it very hard to not feel bad for Frank and his life story. This changed my opinion about him and I will root for him. I've been with some foster kids and they are just messed up. it's very hard to break that cycle of living on the streets and dealing with drugs and violence at a young age. Anyone who looks down at Frank Clark needs to assess their own life. It's a miracle he found the drive and determination to be as successful as he is. I'm sure he could list 1000 days worse than my worst day and I still fucked up plenty as a kid. As quoted by Frank in the article, "People hold onto stuff for so long and they want to always bring somebody down. They don't want to see the positive sides of things" it's time to give him a break and embrace him as a true michigan man. I do.
January 4th, 2019 at 3:50 PM ^
I mean, I don't know what happened that night with Clark, but reports contemporaneous with the incident paint a much different picture than the one painted in this video. And I'll be honest, their description of what happened felt a little strained; the whole "I hit myself with the phone" felt rehearsed, but I guess if that's her story then that's her truth. But Clark also said some pretty aggressive things toward a woman who simply discussed her feelings about the Seahawks drafting Clark out of Michigan with these looming charges (and at the time, not dismissed).
Again, I think someone can reform and make himself a better person. And the tragedy of losing his family must be extremely painful. But Clark, like all of us, is a human being with flaws and positives. I just don't think we should try to ignore the nasty parts of it just because the guy is now playing well, which feels a bit like the point of the ESPN article (the video less so).
January 4th, 2019 at 5:25 PM ^
Here's what I know about the incident: He was bleeding from a small cut on his nose, Diamond was not bleeding or showing any sign of injury. That is from the police videos and reports. I don't know what to make of the manager's comments and clearly they weren't upset over an invalid word in scrabble. This was a bad situation and bad decisions were likely made all around. I'm just saying we don't know the full story and labeling him a women beater (not you, but certainly many) is probably a bit much. His tweet was dumb but also just a tweet. Do we really disown everyone who makes an insult on twitter? I'm not saying he's a saint, just that some perspective is needed when discussing him. Most people (myself included) usually dismiss him as a disgrace to UM and a bad person. i just don't think that's true. I think he's turned out amazing well considering his start in life.
January 4th, 2019 at 5:45 PM ^
I don't know what happened, but if he truly has turned his life around that's good to hear. I won't begin to know what his life was like growing up; it sounded rough. I just wanted to point out that it isn't quite as cut-and-dry "nothing to see here" the way the video tried to make it out to be.
I'm happy he's succeeding and I hope he's at a better place.
January 5th, 2019 at 1:21 AM ^
He can't change where he's been. Only where he is going.
He looks like he is on a good path, hopefully he stays there for the sake of himself and his daughter.
January 4th, 2019 at 5:12 PM ^
I’m in LE and can say if the call comes in 10/10 times someone is going in cuffs, too much liability..it’s the way the world is now because once your in the scene your responsible for whatever the adults do in that situation when you leave. If it’s a verbal issue or not as serious then it will resolve in court. Not ideal but it’s where the country is.
January 4th, 2019 at 11:46 AM ^
None of us are purely good or bad. Frank will always have a stain on his record, but that doesn't mean he can't also do good things. We like to categorize everyone as either good or bad, but none of us fit easily into either basket. Frank, like all of us, is a product of causes and conditions and needs, and deserves, both acknowledgement of his past and compassion.
January 4th, 2019 at 12:35 PM ^
This about perfectly sums it up. I am a good dude, do not have any criminal past, and am one of the most respected people in the company I work for, but there is also baggage behind the scenes that I wish I could take back in my life. We are all products of screw ups and triumphs. Some are more public than others. It is important to take into perspective someone's life as a whole to define a person and not just specific incidents. That is very difficult to do as we are in fact human where "feelings" can get in the way of open-mindedness, but I find that staying humble and real about yourself allows for more understanding and greater perspective/wisdom.
Basically, what Frank did was in fact, to put it simply, not "good." But that incident doesn't tell you everything you need to know about Frank Clark. You don't have to agree with what he did and be OK with what he did, but to say that is who Frank is - a "woman beater" - doesn't give Frank any chance to rectify what he's done and grow as a person.
That may not be exactly what you were saying, but I think it extends the conversation a bit. This is a beat down path, however. I just hope Frank does good with the blessings that he has as he is definitely capable of that. I am blessed to have grown up with a good family and good home situation, so it is hard for me to judge someone who hasn't.
January 4th, 2019 at 2:30 PM ^
Two comments: 1. Society has an echo chamber and rush to judgement problem. Frank is not a woman beater. He was not convicted of those charges and the woman involved denies it. I'm not saying that's the full truth to the story but clearly the woman has forgiven him and to my knowledge there are no other incidents. Your phrasing assumes the worst is true but asks for compassion.
2. I rolled my eyes when you said you were one of the most respected people in your company and then chuckled when you suggested the key to your life success is being humble. You probably are a wonderful person, i just found those comments back to back a little ironic.
January 4th, 2019 at 6:45 PM ^
Like rai-e-ain on your wedding day?
January 4th, 2019 at 11:22 AM ^
Close friend of mine grew up in Cleveland with FC. Always told me that FC is a stand-up guy with a challenged past. The few interactions I had with Frank proved that to be unquestionably true. Don't let one incident ruin your opinion of a person. In this case and in life.
January 4th, 2019 at 11:39 AM ^
Just a reminder that Frank Clark didn't learn anything after he beat his girlfriend:
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/seahawks-frank-clark-tweets-insult-to-female-writer-of-domestic-violence-story/
January 4th, 2019 at 2:42 PM ^
Your conclusion is not at all supported by the evidence you provided.
Chirping journalists who are trying to destroy your career is nowhere near equivalent to beating your girlfriend. How you could possibly think one implies the other is beyond me.
January 4th, 2019 at 3:54 PM ^
Did you actually read the article linked there? All the reporter did was link to an opinion piece she wrote about Clark when the Seahawks drafted him that it was tough to be excited about him because it seemed like the Seahawks sort of ignored his past because he was good at football. If you, as a million-dollar athlete with a checkered past, can't accept some very real criticism like that, then that's on you. Nobody is trying to "destroy" Frank Clark's career, and it's bullshit reactionary stuff like that which makes it hard for survivors of domestic violence to feel comfortable coming forward and talking about it.
January 4th, 2019 at 5:29 PM ^
Valid points but the next question is, so what do we do? Some here seem to think the only response to his tweet is to write him off as a terrible person forever. He has made mistakes and they should all be evaluated. If you want to write him off for that tweet, I would encourage you to stay off of all social media. there is much worse out there than what he said.
Frank apologized for his tweets and acknowledged much of what you said above. So now what? I say we just move on.
January 4th, 2019 at 5:41 PM ^
If writing a hit piece about somebody isn't trying to destroy their career, I don't know what is. She dragged up a story from his past and used it as a reason to say he shouldn't have been hired. That's trying to destroy his career. This reporter's actions could not have been more malicious.
Frank's response was entirely justified.
January 4th, 2019 at 5:53 PM ^
So...you didn't read anything? Got it.
She literally brought up an article she wrote when Clark was drafted about how the Seahawks previously said they absolutely would not hire someone who was guilty of domestic violence, then draft Frank Clark, a guy under investigation at the time, I believe, for domestic violence, with their first pick of the NFL draft.
Again, you can be a fan of Frank Clark and that's fine by me. It's your choice. But trying to act like she "dragged up" a related story she had written and referenced in a tweet, and that this is some grand conspiracy to hurt Frank Clark, is asinine. As is whatever tough-guy posturing he thought telling her that she can clean his fish tank after her career is over was.
He might be a better guy now; I sort of hope he is. But the world is not out to get Frank Clark, and you trying to act like it is, for whatever reasons you may have, aren't going to change that reality.
January 4th, 2019 at 6:03 PM ^
Conspiracy? Nobody said conspiracy but you. It's clearly not conspiracy. Conspiracies are conducted in secret. This is an out-in-the-open, unabashed, shameless attempt to hurt Frank Clark. No conspiracy here.
But the world is not out to get Frank Clark
Nobody said it was. The only person out to get Frank Clark is this scumbag journalist (and you apparently since you're dragging up tweets from years ago and saying they are equivalent to domestic violence).
January 4th, 2019 at 2:49 PM ^
Did you watch the video in the article? I'm not sure if he's telling the truth or not, but seeing as this new information changes the story we knew, maybe he was correct in telling the author she was wrong if she didn't tell his story accurately?
January 5th, 2019 at 1:25 AM ^
That's hardly a "threatening" tweet. More like a trolling tweet that people in media and sports and entertainment do to each other all the time.
January 4th, 2019 at 1:03 PM ^
Life is really hard. Living a life filled with trauma at such a young age makes things exponentially more difficult to overcome. The video with that article has changed my opinion of Frank. I'm not saying he doesn't need to continue to strive to be better, but I support him and wish him nothing but success.
Best of luck, Frank.
January 4th, 2019 at 1:19 PM ^
Best Michigan D end in the last 7 years.
January 4th, 2019 at 1:33 PM ^
He might be the best in the NFL over that time, but I would take Chase Winovich over Frank Clark.
January 4th, 2019 at 5:14 PM ^
I might take senior Taco, too. But Clark played very well for Michigan.
January 4th, 2019 at 1:53 PM ^
Even as a diehard Michigan fan I had not seen the video embedded in this ESPN article. It's worth a watch and addresses the domestic violence incident.
January 4th, 2019 at 2:02 PM ^
I thought it was a really good story about Frank and it's good to know that he owned up to his mistakes and that his gf validated his side of the story. No one is perfect. We all make mistakes. The question is do we recognize our mistakes and try to make good from them.
I think Frank has and it's good to see a fellow Wolverine rebound from his mistakes and thrive in his role as a dominant DE with Seattle.
Go Blue.
January 4th, 2019 at 3:31 PM ^
If that play happens in the last couple years he is out for targeting because it was "close enough".
January 5th, 2019 at 1:26 AM ^
RAKE IT OUT, FRANK!! RAKE IT OUT!
January 4th, 2019 at 4:19 PM ^
Say what you will about Frank Clark the person, but I cannot imagine the heartbreak of losing your father and other relatives in a fire like that. Very sobering indeed.
January 4th, 2019 at 9:58 PM ^
Good for Frank!
I’ll always remember his freakish interception in the Sugar Bowl vs VT.
Simply amazing!