Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Wolverine Wednesday: The Fruit Doesn't Fall Far From The Tree

We all know that Mark Dantonio's mentor is Jim Tressel.  We also know now that Jim's run at OSU was fraught with rule breaking and deception.  We probably have only learned a small percentage of what really happened in Columbus.   Mark's biggest problem is he does what he thinks is in the best interest of him and his program.   He never sees the bigger picture or what is the best interest for the player, University or the Big Ten. 

Examples:

  • After many off field issues the past 3 years.  He went on record to say he has a zero-tolerance policy for discipline issues. 

  • After that policy was in place he let Chris L. Rucker play in a game at Iowa, 48 hours after leaving jail.

  • Now with Gholston actions on pretty much every major network, MSU is still reviewing the situation, 3+ days after the game.
"We are thoroughly reviewing the entire game and utilizing all of the available resources: coaches' video from midfield and end zone cameras, TV copy as well as still photographs," Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis said in a statement Tuesday. "Once the internal review is completed, we will forward a written report on to the Big Ten. The conference office won't discuss a timeline for this process and neither will we."

Other comments:

Asked about dirty play after the game MSU DC Pat Narduzzi called it "60 minutes of unnecessary roughness".

Asked if he was offended on the insinuation that his team plays dirty, Dantonio response:  "No, not at all. Very proud how our program plays."

On how Dantonio would characterize Gholtson's actions:"I wouldn't characterize it as dirty play, I would characterize it as reaction"

Bottom Line is coaches like Dantonio and Tressel can get bye with pushing the envelope and making sure players are getting paid and have other special benefits.     Does Dantonio give the special benefits that Tressel took a blind eye to? (I am not accusing MSU of paying players, my point is that Dantonio uses "other" methods to gain a advantage or blur the lines between right and wrong)   I don't know.  What I do know is, these guys eventually fall and fall hard.  Dantonio called Tressel earlier this year a hero for what he has gone through.  I call it a bunch of fools who know how to coach but feel they have to cheat to become Big Ten Champions.

Dantonio can clearly coach football but it's the other aspects of his job where he seems to be a big  buffoon.  The Big Ten should not only suspend Gholston they should also suspend Dantonio for his tactics.  I wonder if this would have been resolved by now if MSU was playing Minnesota or IU on Saturday?


  • California 4 star WR Jordan Payton has set his announcement date for next Tuesday after his visit to ND this weekend (ND vs USC).   Jordan was verballed to USC earlier this year.  All signs point to good news for the Wolverines.

  • All Michigan Commits Need Not Apply:  This past Saturday,  Farmington Harrison teammates Funchess and Ojemudia  (Michigan commits) wanted to go to the game with MSU Commits Burbidge and Vento.   The MSU coaches told Funchess and Ojemudia that they couldn't come.  Normally, I would agree that you don't want kids that are committed to the other school on your sideline, but Farmington Harrison has been a MSU feeder school for years.  I wonder how that played in the football office at Harrison?

5 comments:

Misopogon said...

There's never been so much of a whiff of Dantonio's players getting paid. We had reports within months of Tressel getting hired of OSU players flashin pretty things, and by the National Championship year it was practically common knowledge.


Don't make unfounded accusations. Dantonio runs an undisciplined program but I have family friends in their administrative office who were more outraged than we were about Tressel. I don't know if Dantonio's players are getting paid. I also don't know if MSU has a secret underground lab for torturing smurfs. Let's have some evidence first.

Bob said...

That wasn't my point, my point was you learn how to do things from your experience. Mark D learned from the Vest, who clearly had a way of doing things that were "outside the lines". I am not saying MSU pays players, I am saying that it seems Dantonio's way of coaching outside the lines is letting his players play dirty or be on the field when they shouldn't be.

Dantonio isn't stupid, Sabin couldn't even win in East Lansing, he might feel he needs to break a few eggs to get his omelet.

Brizzy said...

Mark D recruited a frieind of my son"s hard, called him at his house during no contact period< and conclued the call with "oh yeah (recruit), if any one asks, you called me tonight....ok?"

Brizzy said...

By the way, the kid he asked to lie for him ended up committing to Michigan.My guess is this isn't the only recruit he,s asked to lie for him , however 'white" the lie is, or the rule is that he is breaking. This is a factual event as the kid was spending the night at my house, the very evening Dantonio broke the rule, and followed with asking this 17 year old to lie for him if asked. Problem is, this is all sour grapes until we beat the cheater/hypocrite on the firld. But....it's a factual story!

Brizzy said...

Clarification; the kid got he call at his house, just prior to coming over to my house for the evening.