MonkeyMan

November 16th, 2014 at 9:32 PM ^

I need to wait and find out if there is more to this story- seems like it is what it is but there may be more

Joined: 10/13/2013

MGoPoints: 1753

I Like Burgers

November 16th, 2014 at 10:14 PM ^

But that's why I asked what other details could make what happened OK. You have the visual evidence the cops saw, the statements from the witnesses in the room, and statements from the other guests in adjoining rooms. What story from Clark could possibly counteract all of that?

Joined: 10/06/2012

MGoPoints: 30575

MonkeyMan

November 16th, 2014 at 10:47 PM ^

OK- in the spirit of legal "what if's" (please don't take this as defending Clark):

Stuff possibly on Clark's side

Witnesses in room are all relatives of victim and may not have seen the beginning of the incident- plus kidsa aren't  the best witnesses

Witnesses out of the room didn't see anything- only heard

Visual evidence of cops detail's damage- not how it was inflicted- and we don't know how severe this damage is (no photos)- was it in self defense?

Did he overreact with his muscles to a great deal of pain she inflicted on him that put him out of his mind? (biting nose) Did he not know his strength?

He could have been off his rocker or she could have been screaming which easily hyped the kids into a panic into seeing more than what happened

Stuff against Clark:

he has yet to say what happened- usually innocent people protest quickly

he is held without bond- did Police see a madman and said "she's not safe with him loose this weekend"

Loud sounds- more muscular people often produce more crashing noises

panic of kids- maybe not exaggerated

Past crimina record

Police report of physical damage

I just hate coming to judgement too fast- thats all (I teach law so this is sort of habitual)

One last thing to consider- wild people often have wild partners

 

Joined: 10/13/2013

MGoPoints: 1753

LSAClassOf2000

November 16th, 2014 at 9:35 PM ^

If all that is in fact the case, then yes, I would assume Frank Clark played his last game for Michigan in Evanston. This is a very disturbing development and, after all the stories that came out about his path to Michigan, extremely disappointing in a lot of ways if that's what indeed happened. Even with the laptop incident, I still thought his might be one of the better stories to come out of Michigan, but with this development....ugh, just disgusting behavior.

Joined: 01/07/2011

MGoPoints: 130663

gwkrlghl

November 16th, 2014 at 9:56 PM ^

but another feels bad for him. Rough background and given every opportunity to turn around his life (and his kids lives, their kids lives, etc) and has apparently squandered it. Sometimes old behaviors are hard to beat. No one wins here. Hopefully the girl is ok and hopefully Frank gets his life together after whatever punishment he receives

Joined: 04/13/2012

MGoPoints: 72

bo_lives

November 16th, 2014 at 10:42 PM ^

doesn't mean you condone their actions in any way. Or that you feel less sorry for their victims.

There's no shame in feeling bad for the fact that there are millions of young children out there who witnessed domestic violence growing up - or were themselves the victims of abuse - who are now passing that violence on to the next generation. Frank Clark may be one of them. Just because a football player was given lots of opportunities to correct their wrongs at the age of 18 (by the time their personality traits are already formulated) doesn't mean they're playing on the same level as those who grew up in much better living situations.

Joined: 04/10/2011

MGoPoints: 7867

justingoblue

November 16th, 2014 at 10:36 PM ^

At the risk of sounding preachy or overly obvious I think it's natural and appropriate to feel sympathy for Clark. Regardless of what he's done (and the allegations are very, very serious) he's a person just like everyone else. I feel horrible for the victims and hope they never experience something like this again, but I'm not cheering because a person is facing jail time and career altering consequences either.

Joined: 11/16/2010

MGoPoints: 29741

johnthesavage

November 16th, 2014 at 10:44 PM ^

Oh hell no. I mean, I get the general idea -- for example I actually feel a little bad for Adrian Peterson, whom I know grew up in an environment where spanking your children was OK, and that is a pretty common thing. I think it's easy for affluent people from the North to be unable to understand where AP is coming from, even if he's in the wrong. And I do think he is in the wrong. But I think AP probably didn't mean any harm, genuinely.

But this? As I said, oh HELL no. I don't feel bad for him for one second. This is never, ever, ever OK. I don't buy that it's "hard to beat" the behavior of punching your girlfriend in the face. Is that irony intentional?

Goodbye, Frank. I hope they throw the book at him.

Joined: 03/30/2013

MGoPoints: 2112

OccaM

November 16th, 2014 at 9:36 PM ^

Yikes that sounds pretty damning. Hopefully the victim and her siblings are okay. That is who we should be thinking about instead of pondering about what potential career Clark just threw away. 

Joined: 11/10/2014

MGoPoints: 9158

aaamichfan

November 16th, 2014 at 9:36 PM ^

I still think we should wait before crucifying him.

This may sound really weird, but I used to know a guy(a very odd friend of a friend) where him and his longtime girlfriend had a weird foreplay ritual that both of them were very into. He would choke her very violently, and toss her around often resulting in bruises and such. It sounds pretty fucked up, but both of them enjoyed it immensely even though she occasionally looked like some type of foul play had occurred.

I'm not saying that's what was happening here, but if they were doing this at 10:30PM when all of her family members were in the hotel room with them, there must have been some type of playful aspect of it.

Joined: 10/23/2009

MGoPoints: 14362

UMxWolverines

November 16th, 2014 at 9:41 PM ^

LG ‏@LanceGordon 43m43 minutes ago Frank Clark - poster child of the Hoke era: high potential, flashes of brilliance, underachieving, bonehead blunders, utter embarrassment.

Joined: 03/01/2009

MGoPoints: 65474

gwkrlghl

November 16th, 2014 at 9:51 PM ^

You can rail Hoke for the on-field performance all you want, but he's run a tight ship here especially compared to a lot of other schools. You have 110+ guys on a team every year and the only incidents I can recall in his time are

  • Big Will sliding across the hood of a car
  • Gibbons
  • Lewan punched a guy
  • C'Sonte York punched a guy
  • Frank Clark TBD

Several minor incidents and two significant ones (Gibbons, Clark) out of several hundred scholarship years. College kids do really dumb things sometimes. Hoke can't babysit everyone

Joined: 04/13/2012

MGoPoints: 72

Wolverine Devotee

November 16th, 2014 at 9:41 PM ^

Obviously football is secondary with this issue but good lord.....

Can you imagine if Michigan did have team captains this year and this guy was one of them?

 

 

 

Joined: 06/29/2009

MGoPoints: 31528

mark5750

November 16th, 2014 at 9:44 PM ^

everything that was said in the article was referenced either from witness statements from people that were of relation to the alleged victim or from a view of he is guilty. I am with the majority as it relates to his standing if he is guilty but before we go any further can we wait for some kind of evidence beyond a local newspaper report before we convict this young man.

Joined: 07/29/2010

MGoPoints: 914

21-194-13

November 16th, 2014 at 9:50 PM ^

Clark, who had a bloody nose, then remained quiet when Curran asked follow-up questions. Despite a large welt and blood on her face, the victim repeatedly refused going to a hospital for medical treatment and didn't want to pursue charges against Clark. "I advised (the victim) in Ohio when a domestic violence victim does not want to pursue a criminal charge against the offender, and there are signs of physical violence, we are guided by law to charge that offender with domestic violence," according to Curran's report.

 

Joined: 10/24/2014

MGoPoints: 1561

aaamichfan

November 16th, 2014 at 9:51 PM ^

I'm in full agreement with you. 

People here are acting like they found his girlfriend's body unconscious on the side of the freeway with him beating his chest above it. I understand why they detained him in this situation, but usually require a little more substantive information in order to make a judgement call.

Joined: 10/23/2009

MGoPoints: 14362

johnthesavage

November 16th, 2014 at 10:50 PM ^

Why would they all lie? Keep in mind, they (his girlfriend's family) were attached to this guy who was about to be drafted into the NFL and make a crapload of money. It is, Frankly, inconceivable to me that they would all lie about this, including a little child?

I get that the courts have to do the innocent until proven guilty bit, but we don't, and neither does Hoke or the U. The chance that he is actually innocent here is vanishingly small. Simple probabilistic inference tells you that. Right now, I'm not concerned if he is ultimately convicted or not by the judicial system. He must go, and I don't want to ever see him in a U-M uniform again.

Joined: 03/30/2013

MGoPoints: 2112

Perkis-Size Me

November 16th, 2014 at 9:48 PM ^

Its a curious thing. This program continues to find new levels of rock bottom every week.

If this proves to all be true, I hope Clark never plays another down for this team. Whatever draft stock he had got thrown away in one night.



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Joined: 11/30/2011

MGoPoints: 105843

bronxblue

November 16th, 2014 at 10:05 PM ^

Regardless of whether or not this turns out to be true, in no ways does Frank Clark beating up his girlfriend during a bye week reflect in any way on this program.  Now, if they were to let him keep playing that would be a different situation, but Brady Hoke doesn't have some pre-cog from Minority Report to tell him about this stuff beforehand.

Joined: 11/22/2008

MGoPoints: 171818