Csont'e York Video Released, Very Bad
Police have released a video of the Csont'e York incident, and it is bad:
That is a straight-up sucker punch that broke a guy's jaw in three places. I don't see how he doesn't get dismissed for that. That is some Glenn Winston stuff right there, except it's on tape so there is no debate about whether this was a scuffle or not.
“A group of dudes walked by and bumped me,” he told police. “He was (so) close to me that he elbowed me as he walked by.”
During the altercation, York said one of the men “walked up on” his teammate,, according to the report.
“He pressed up on him face to face exchanging words for no reason,” York told police. “I got (nervous) and scared about the situation so I hit the guy. I punched him.”
FWIW, York thought they were hockey players, thus the source of that rumor. There's nothing indicating either guy is.
August 12th, 2014 at 2:56 PM ^
Dude should never don a Michigan jersey ever again.
Gone.
August 12th, 2014 at 3:14 PM ^
Dude should be dismissed from the University permanently.
Simply inexcusable.
August 12th, 2014 at 3:20 PM ^
August 12th, 2014 at 3:27 PM ^
I think what happens to him depends on what a judge decides based on a trial or at least what police uncover.
I don't know the law or even degrees of assault, but if whatever he's convicted of/ pleads to should dictate his punishment, which should range from 1 year off the team to expulsion from the school.
The video is pretty bad, but as I've said before - not that anybody remembers me :( when the law is involved, the University and Sports teams should go by what the kid is convicted of/ pleads to.
Also, not that many disagree, but if Ray Rice only received a 2 game suspension and very minimal (if at all) criminal punishment, what does that say about York?
August 12th, 2014 at 3:31 PM ^
Can we not use Ray Rice and the NFL as the standard for appropriate punishment?
Hoke can wait to dismiss York until the legal system does what it does with him, but there's no way that York should ever wear a Michigan uniform again.
August 12th, 2014 at 3:54 PM ^
This is a criminal case, which has its own standards. There are many reasons for the legal process to be separate from the decisions of a civil insitution like UofM and the football team, e.g., evidentiary standards, standards of proof, due process and sentencing/plea bargaining considerations. Those should not impact the decision of an educational institution deciding whether an individual should continue to attend class or a football team deciding who should stay on the team.
As an example, if York goes to trial, and the case is thrown out because of a chain-of-custody issue regarding evidence, or police misconduct, should that preclude the University from taking action in the face of clear evidence of behavior unacceptable for a student?
August 12th, 2014 at 3:55 PM ^
He shouldn't be allowed to play on the football team again, but whether or not be continues on at UM in an academic capacity is completely different and (I suspect) will be handled pending legal proceedings.
Playing football is a benefit of going to UM and should be subject to following whatever rules are in place. York obviously broke those rules, and should be punished. I'd be fine if he remained at school and learned to deal with what appears to be some real anger issues, but I don't ever want to see him playing football for UM again.
August 12th, 2014 at 4:13 PM ^
The vast majority of us who attended Michigan did so as students. If York's conduct was sufficiently egregious that he should be kicked off the team, why should the standard of conduct be different for the academic component of the university where most of us spend our months and years?
I can understand your reasons to give the guy a second chance, and I share that for many violations that might get someone suspended, but there are about 44,000 students at U of M, most of whom don't sucker punch people and break their jaws. Where would you draw the line?
August 12th, 2014 at 9:18 PM ^
I'm not disagreeing with the sentiment that York won't be kicked out of the school as well as the team, but I think that is a determination that need not be made in tandem with Hoke's. I'm not saying it is common, but I heard of enough fights at bars and frat parties that ended with various levels of injury that a blanket dismissal of students who fight isn't necessary. I suspect York with be gone because he violently attacked another student, but there may be circumstances involved that we don't know about that could alter that calculus and lead to him remaining at the school to continue to pursue his academic career. Honestly, though, I figure he'll transfer to a school where he can actually play football.
August 12th, 2014 at 8:39 PM ^
The schools (and the NFL in your example) should go above and beyond what the legal system does. Abiding by the law should be the absolute minimum expectation of a University member not the de facto standard.
Someone who represents the school as visibly as a football player should have an even higher expectation.
Outside of that this is just a terrible cowardly act. I hope he is punished for it legally and by the school/team.
August 12th, 2014 at 3:27 PM ^
August 12th, 2014 at 3:27 PM ^
Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities
http://oscr.umich.edu/statement
IV. Violations
Students are expected to comply with published University policies. The following behaviors, for example, contradict the values of the University community and are subject to action under this Statement.
L. Expulsion:
Permanent separation from the University.
August 12th, 2014 at 3:46 PM ^
August 12th, 2014 at 5:22 PM ^
straight forward?
If the university follows its own rules, with that video as the only apparently necessary proof, he should be expelled.
August 13th, 2014 at 8:56 AM ^
It doesn't necessarily follow that expulsion is the only possible outcome for physical violence, as the poster above suggests. It is ONE potential outcome, based on internal University policy. Both internal University and external police investigations will take place and, I'm sure, the appropriate punishment meted out, whether that's expulsion, separation of contact from the University or certain areas/activities, or suspension. Honestly can't see anything less for what appears pretty blatant. You can even see him start to wind up a few moments before hitting the guy.
August 12th, 2014 at 3:28 PM ^
You do realize that sucker punches to the head like that have the capacity to kill people? It just happened to a soccer referee in Livonia a few weeks ago.
August 12th, 2014 at 5:55 PM ^
If the punch doesn't kill you, hitting your head when you fall to the sidewalk might. Assuming they've positively identified the guy who threw the punch as York, I can't imagine a much clearer case for dismissal.
I have zero sympathy for someone who would do something like that, and I hope the legal system falls on him like a ton of bricks.
August 15th, 2014 at 2:21 AM ^
same reason you shoulnd't post here anymore. huh? Really?
August 12th, 2014 at 2:56 PM ^
August 12th, 2014 at 3:53 PM ^
it should be "FUCK OFF!" He broke the guy's jaw and knocked him unconscious (which can have lifelong health implications, BTW) with a cowardly sucker punch.
August 12th, 2014 at 6:28 PM ^
Now that's a coward: Knock a guy out when he has his hands in his pockets, then run away.
Hope York never plays for or practices with Michigan again.
August 12th, 2014 at 2:58 PM ^
See ya, Csont'e! Thanks for nothing
August 12th, 2014 at 2:58 PM ^
Any idea who the other two guys standing with him are? Is the dude standing there smoking (a cigarette?) a football player?
August 12th, 2014 at 3:06 PM ^
Da'Mario Jones in the video
August 12th, 2014 at 3:23 PM ^
"The Apostrophe'd Assassins"
August 12th, 2014 at 4:04 PM ^
Both of their names have apostrophes!
But only one of them did anything violent in the video!
But still, high five!
August 12th, 2014 at 2:59 PM ^
Waiting for space cowboy to argue that this video is actually good.
(just kidding SC)
August 12th, 2014 at 5:54 PM ^
I think you mean Space Coyote, Carlos Sweetweiner.
August 12th, 2014 at 9:57 PM ^
August 12th, 2014 at 3:00 PM ^
There is absolutely no way in hell that was the first time they crossed paths. Nobody just throws a punch that quickly. That said, this shit is inexcusable.
Sorry, Csont'e, yer done.
August 12th, 2014 at 3:11 PM ^
I said the exact same thing when I first saw it. It looks like they ran into each other earlier and had some sort of confrontation. It also looks like Csont'e let the first guy pass, but the second guy stayed to talk a little trash. Thats when the punch came. Its definitely unjustifiable though.
August 12th, 2014 at 5:58 PM ^
actually looks like he was likely drunk, he looks like he can't walk a straight line. york sucker-punched a drunk guy knowing he likely couldn't fight back. coward.
August 12th, 2014 at 8:42 PM ^
Google Ray Lewis, or witch hunting in New England.
August 12th, 2014 at 3:13 PM ^
the knockout game that swept the nation this past spring. That aside, I've seen quite a bit of that over the years. Odd as it may seem, there really are guys that look forward to getting in fights with strangers.
August 12th, 2014 at 3:26 PM ^
I know about the knockout game very well. This isn't nearly as random as the "knockout" game. Most people that were knocked out in the knockout game were oblivous people walking down the street or something similar. This was preceded by a conversation and more. I totally agree though. There are people that go out looking for trouble everyday, and I'm not saying Csont'e and company weren't. This just doesn't seem like it here.
August 12th, 2014 at 3:24 PM ^
Wrong. You're projecting your own reasonable sensibility as to how violence is supposed to properly escalate onto others and I can tell you, what seems reasonable to you and me isn't reasonable to others. You and I expect the escalation to usually involve a backstory, history, or at minimum a square off, words, some pushing, some insults, before fists happen. Not always like that out there.
Couple years ago I was at a bar in NO for the Sugar Bowl when some random guy started pushing his backside up on me to move me away from my location at the front of a bar, so he could basically take over my "bar space." When I dared to push my backside up against his backside, not drastically, but just to show I didn't plan to just give up my precious bar space easily, BOOM I feel a fist hit me in the face out of the blue. He caught me in the eye and split my eye brow in two and thankfully bouncers came and broke it up as I was in bad shape. My eye was sealed shut for a week.
After the bar as I sat in my hotel room, aside from being grateful that his sucker punch didn't knock me out cold and have me hit the floor like in the York video, or break my nose in two places, I sat there pondering exactly this concept: How in the world some people live in, what is considered a reasonable tit for tat escalation of violence doesn't exist, and the way this minor "backside" confrontation escalated into a massive sucker punch left me thankful that it could have just as easily escalated into a knife or a gun for all I knew. It was just that irrational.
York is done, but don't assume there is more backstory here between the two. Some peoples' concept of instigated violence is just morbidly insane and more likely, York is in this category.
August 12th, 2014 at 3:24 PM ^
The one episode of gun violence I've witnessed was similar: a teenager pulled out a gun and started firing with zero buildup and no warning.
(Yes, it was in Detroit. No, that does not justify whatever horrible thing you now think you can say.)
August 12th, 2014 at 3:24 PM ^
You must have one of those BIG OL or LB butts coaches always drool over.
August 12th, 2014 at 3:35 PM ^
I wasn't assuming this is exactly how it went down. Thats just how it looked. If you look at the video, there is a whole left side for those guys to go around York and whoever he was with. Instead they walk directly up to York & co. and there's conversation. That doesn't look like "random act of voilence to random innocent bystanders' to me. I definetely understand your perspective though.
August 12th, 2014 at 3:37 PM ^
But if so, this is exactly the kind of response those guys were looking for. They baited York and he stupidly overreacted. This isn't how you behave in society.
August 12th, 2014 at 6:06 PM ^
he had his hands in his pockets. if i'm looking for a fight, i certainly don't keep my fists in my pockets. york looks pre-determined to sucker punch that guy. he directs guy#1 to pass by. then york's buddy starts talking to guy#2 (the punchee). york's buddy gives him a signal/look then steps away for york to sucker punch.
i hope he does some time for that, even if only 30 days.
August 12th, 2014 at 7:30 PM ^
... just ask me to move.
All joking aside, that sucks. A buddy of mine was like that. Flew off the handle for no reason and you could not deescalate the situation... like he was possessed.
August 12th, 2014 at 3:00 PM ^
Hoke maybe, mabye could have gotten away with sitting him for an extended period of time without the video. Now, with the vid released, it is almost certain York will/should be dismissed.
August 12th, 2014 at 4:01 PM ^
I don't think Hoke would have let him play ever. And this is going to probably come across badly and maybe I'm too cynical, but in the calculus of coaching would it really be worth "protecting" a guy who did this who also is pretty low on the depth chart? Even sleazy head coaches aren't going to go to bat for every player they have.
August 12th, 2014 at 6:10 PM ^
Frankly, I can't imagine that Brandon or Schlissel let the kid stay on the team, or in school, regardless of whether Hoke wanted to "protect" him. This doesn't look like a boys will be boys scuffle. It's looks like felony assault and battery, and luckily didn't end up as a manslaughter situation.
August 12th, 2014 at 9:21 PM ^
Absolutely agree. I don't see a scenario in which Hoke could even hide York away if he wanted to, and no part of Hoke's history points to covering up this type of behavior.
August 12th, 2014 at 3:01 PM ^
Absolutely no place for him on a Michigan Football team, regardless of talent. This is inexcusable.
August 12th, 2014 at 3:02 PM ^
No question about it. Doesn't matter who he is on the team. Inexcusable.
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