StephenRKass

October 31st, 2022 at 12:43 PM ^

Here's the quote, from Michigan Insider:

I'm coming from this from a perspective of being a parent. And these young men are entrusted to me by their families to our program and we have the responsibility to each player to treat them like our own.

And I take that responsibility very seriously. An apology will not get the job done in this instance. There should be serious consequences for the many individuals that are culpable.

LINK:  https://247sports.com/college/michigan/Article/Jim-Harbaugh-Michigan-State-assault-update-sickening-and-egregious-attack-in-Michigan-Stadium-tunnel--196539053/

I would personally read this as Harbaugh saying that an apology won't be sufficient, rather than an apology won't be accepted.

BlowGoo

October 31st, 2022 at 1:10 PM ^

Above tweet by Brandon Brown at Wolverine Wire at si.com with article with inset of footage of Harbaugh taking questions and offering the quote given above.

Don't want to break rules so mod delete guidance appreciated.

https://www.si.com/college/michigan/football/michigan-football-state-spartans-wolverines-jim-harbaugh-mel-tucker-tunnel-fight-assault-gemon-green

 

 

stephenrjking

October 31st, 2022 at 12:30 PM ^

I think it should be said that the fact that Michigan players did not escalate the situation speaks very well for them and for the program. When you hear that one of the players has been assaulted by multiple opponents, when temperatures are running high, in a tight space when the game has ended... all it would have taken would be for a couple of Michigan players *very understandably* upset and things could have gotten REALLY ugly. 

The temptation for a man is to not let this sort of thing happen, to respond and "do something" right away. It's a very strong temptation. Not just for college guys and athletes. For all of us. 

The B1G and probably law enforcement absolutely need to bring down the hammer. It is absolutely vital that participants know that, if something like this happens, it will be taken care of properly by authorities. Because otherwise, next time, they'll feel they need to take care of it themselves to keep it from happening. 

Good for Harbaugh making this an issue. 

Leaders And Best

October 31st, 2022 at 12:50 PM ^

I don't know man. Part of that was just luck. Almost the entire team was still on the field at the time of the incident. And when the team got back to the locker room, they still didn't know exactly what had transpired and were restrained from leaving the locker room.

I'm not sure it happens if our entire team was walking in the tunnel at the same time, but if it had gone down that way, I think there would have been all-out brawl. There is no way our players would not have gotten involved to protect a teammate getting assaulted.

Magnum P.I.

October 31st, 2022 at 1:39 PM ^

The matter of setting a precedent for how a terrible situation like will be handled in the future is of utmost importance here. Players and programs must know that if they assault and batter an opposing player for something that happened as part of a game, then they will be criminally punished. Players shouldn't have to fear for their safety because they win a football game. We can call this the "Tuck Rule" going forward.

Leaders And Best

October 31st, 2022 at 12:53 PM ^

I am pretty sure there is a camera put at the top of the tunnel by TV to capture the players walking out the tunnel to the field. Not sure if it is permanent or placed there by ABC for the broadcast. I don't think Harbaugh makes this strong a statement unless there is something else, but I guess even the existing video is not great.

oriental andrew

October 31st, 2022 at 1:20 PM ^

The video we've seen so far have all been from personal cell phones. 

I would imagine that ABC (and any other network) would have a protocol for handling footage that captures potentially criminal activity which isn't being broadcast live. I would hope that they've locked it down, provided it to law enforcement, and other interested parties at the respective universities. 

They're not going to just post it to twitter or youtube for all the world to see like random recruit/parent/VIP would.

stephenrjking

October 31st, 2022 at 12:41 PM ^

Small correction: Balas quotes Harbaugh as saying something slightly but importantly different than "apologies won't be accepted."

https://twitter.com/Balas_Wolverine/status/1587114368403111941?s=20&t=H…

It's a key difference, IMO. If/when State individuals apologize that's good, won't be rejected. What he is saying is that apologies are not *sufficient.* And I think he's right.

BTW, this is an important point about McBurrows and Green: They were assaulted. Outnumbered. On camera. This is all over the country now. It is physically painful, but it is also, for a man like each of them, very mentally difficult. You feel less human, embarrassed, humiliated when that happens to you, even when the other guys are the bad guys. That's one of the reasons things like this so often escalate to fights. It's easy to say, on the sidelines, "just don't react." But when a guy is actually physically punching you, everything about how we are built wants to react. To show that we are capable.

They both deserve huge cheers next time they appear at Michigan Stadium. 

arjungg

October 31st, 2022 at 1:24 PM ^

You have to assume management kept the rest of the team in check, coz you feel similarly when your <Dom Terreto voice> "Family" is attacked.

 

There is an old Arab Bedouin saying: I, against my brothers. I and my brothers against my cousins. I my brothers and my cousins against the world. That is jungle law. It is the way of the world when the world is thrown into chaos. It is our job to avert that chaos, to fight against it, to resist the urge to become savage. Because the problem with such law is that if you follow it, you are always fighting against someone.

Nafisa Haji, The Sweetness of Tears

bluewave720

October 31st, 2022 at 1:45 PM ^

I saw the video prior to going to bed on Saturday night.  

1.  I was unable to fall asleep because it messed me up to see it.  I kept thinking of the mental aspect you are mentioning.  McBurrows has nothing to be embarrassed about.  But, as guys, we can all appreciate how bad he's gotta feel right now.
2. 18 minutes after the video dropped, it had 778 loves on Twitter.  I get that the only people upvoting that are MSU fans that are angry about the game outcome.  But it broke my heart to see a kid beaten up and know that so many people publicly approved of it. 

MRunner73

October 31st, 2022 at 12:44 PM ^

Harbaugh should be able to give this assault matter the publicity it needs. He can bring this out in the open. Hopefully BTN will jump on this even more. I'd like to see Jim go on the B1G today show for an on camera interview even if pre-recorded. Let's see if ESPN and the big dogs like Jim Rome gets in on this as well.

Me thinks this assault incident will have legs and it's just the beginning. It should be a looooong week for sparty.

NittanyFan

October 31st, 2022 at 12:54 PM ^

The most tribal part of my soul DOES get where you're coming from --- what you propose would be "the reddest of all possible red meat" for a certain portion of the Michigan fanbase.  

But on the other hand --- there is video and the police are already investigating.  And even if any players are charged (which isn't a certainty yet), they still get their day in court.  And those players would deserve that.

That's my opinion on all this --- this shouldn't become a decades-long tribal PR battle between U-M fans and MSU fans about "moral superiority, disrespect, the ethics of running trick plays in an essentially over football game, and all that other assorted stuff."  What you propose devolves it into one. 

From my POV, a 2005 Clemson-USC moment, even if it's mostly symbolic, is what is needed come 2023.  It's just a damn football game, a result that 99.99% of all fans have no control over at all.

J. Redux

October 31st, 2022 at 1:15 PM ^

I mean, I'm normally against running up the score, but MSU needs to be able to reap what it sows. Hell, the trick plays didn't even work, so why whine about them?

I agree with your concern about this becoming a cancer on the fanbase, though, which is why I think they should stop playing entirely.

But I also think that a symbolic handshake and settling it on the field is fine, assuming both teams keep it between the whistles.  You can't do the handshake think and then revert to "60 minutes of unnecessary roughness," which, you'll recall, is an actual Pat Narduzzi quote.