I wish I could just ignore all the anti-Dorsey nonsense coming from the Freep, but Mick McCabe's piece was the last straw for me. Not only is he a bit tardy-to-the-party (if you're married, you might get that obscure but still funny reference) but he either purposefully ignored some facts or is just clueless.
I don't want to urge anyone to read the Freep, but he basically said that despite his history with prep sports, he can't think of any other athlete with such a past as Dorsey. He then asks what UofM fans would have said if Dorsey went to MSU. So, I put on my big dork loser hat and wrote the following:
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Hi Mick-
I don't believe I've ever written the author in response to his/her story before, but I feel compelled to chime in with my two cents. I understand you're a busy man and greatly appreciate your taking the time to read my thoughts.
You ask what the reaction would be if Demar Dorsey committed to MSU, but then fail to acknowledge an amazing double standard. You write, "I cannot recall a high-profile prep athlete in this state who had so many known run-ins with the law." How could you not recall MSU star Roderick Jenrette? You couldn't make up a better comparison. He faced the same charges as Dorsey (even in the same state). The difference between the two is that Dorsey was only fifteen and hasn't had trouble since. Jenrette was charged while being recruited to MSU and then, for another burglary (a 15-year felony), while on scholarship at MSU. I don't believe that you and/or the Free Press were so horrified by that set of facts. When Dantonio lied about Jenrette's absence from East Lansing, saying that he was tending to personal matters, did you and/or the Free Press call him out? No. Was there a seven-page investigative report into the crimes and Dantonio's reaction to the same? No. What about after the potluck attacks? Barely a peep.
You ask what UofM fans would think if Dorsey went to MSU...Mick, he did go to MSU. His name was just "Jenrette" instead of "Dorsey". What was the reaction of Michigan fans? Crickets. The reaction of this Michigan fan, today, is to take offense with the nonstop parade of Free Press articles hypocritically bashing Dorsey. Michigan has decided to give him another chance and assumes the risk in doing so. If he blows it; he'll rightfully be removed from the team. The opposite would be true in East Lansing where the coach would drive him from prison to practice without answering a single question on the subject.
If the Jenrette coverage (or lack thereof) was fair; the same silence should have applied to Dorsey. If the Dorsey coverage is the norm; why silence for Jenrette? This isn't at all about second chances - which can fairly be debated. This is about journalistic integrity and fairness. Two similar subjects deserve to be treated in a similar manner. Of course, Dorsey didn't just participate in a mob attack at a potluck dinner...so maybe they aren't so similar after all.
Thank you very much for taking the time to listen.