sign stealing scandal type substance
jim harbaugh
[Paul Sherman]

Litigation Dropped, Michigan Suspends Harbaugh Comment Count

Seth November 16th, 2023 at 4:15 PM

It isn't justice, but the justice system, at least for the moment, is out of the process. Michigan agreed to suspend Harbaugh for three game days, which means he will not be on the sideline against Ohio State.

A Statement from the University of Michigan

"This morning, the University, Coach Harbaugh, and the Big Ten resolved their pending litigation.  The Conference agreed to close its investigation, and the University and Coach Harbaugh agreed to accept the three-game suspension. Coach Harbaugh, with the University's support, decided to accept this sanction to return the focus to our student-athletes and their performance on the field.  The Conference has confirmed that it is not aware of any information suggesting Coach Harbaugh’s involvement in the allegations. The University continues to cooperate fully with the NCAA’s investigation."

The Big Ten also issued a statement:

The Big Ten Conference’s commitment to student-athletes, sportsmanship and the Commissioner’s duty to protect the integrity of competition will never waver. Today’s decision by the University of Michigan to withdraw its legal challenge against the Conference’s November 10th Notice of Disciplinary Action is indicative of the high standards and values that the Conference and the University seek to uphold. The University of Michigan is a valued member of the Big Ten Conference and the Conference will continue to work cooperatively with the University and the NCAA during this process.

There are a lot of questions unanswered: Did Michigan roll over, learn more, or get something in return? Did the Big 10 threaten something else and what? How will this affect the NCAA investigation? How does this affect Harbaugh's contract negotiation? Most of all, will the conference continue to gin up penny-ante violations then gang up on Michigan every time the football team is good, and what does this mean for the conference's future and Michigan's commitment to it? How much will Harbaugh's absence affect them in what was already the most important football game ever?

There is no content after the jump because I have no answers.

Comments

smotheringD

November 16th, 2023 at 5:21 PM ^

The problem is we don't know what precipitated all of this.  We were all united to fight against what we perceived to be a gross injustice.  Now we feel let down by our University, and our Football Program.

It all seems so worthless and futile now.  The ones I feel the worst about are the players.

Did we not have a cause worth fighting for?

Joined: 09/15/2010

MGoPoints: 7624

Shorty the Bea…

November 17th, 2023 at 1:40 AM ^

I don't know how the players are supposed to play mad when their coach just made a deal to quit the fight.

I think this is a huge mistake to remove the motivation of fighting for a wrongly accused and persecuted leader.

Now they've got to feel confused and wonder why their coach really quit pursuing his justice. That's going to fuck with their heads come Ohio.

Just so wrong..

Fight for Jesus Christ or William Wallace or MLK or pick your martyr. Nobody created a legend fighting passionately for the guy who made the deal to avoid further prosecution.

Smh.

Joined: 02/14/2013

MGoPoints: 2711

A Lot of Milk

November 16th, 2023 at 4:30 PM ^

Only the NCAA can impose vacated wins. Only the CFP can ban us from the CFP and they already said they wouldn’t do that. We took the maximum punishment the Big Ten can dole out and refused to fight it. Now we get to wait multiple years to see if this season or any of the successful seasons even “count” by the NCAA’s discretion. Given the propensity of the university to fall on the sword at any and all signs of conflict (fab 5, stretch gate, fuckin burgers, and now this) I do not have a good feeling we will escape any of this without maximal damage. Embarrassing and pathetic

Joined: 02/17/2013

MGoPoints: 48805

evenyoubrutus

November 16th, 2023 at 4:34 PM ^

I keep seeing this. "The Big Ten can't do this or that" yet they've done a lot of things in the previous weeks that they supposedly "can't" do. Primarily we kept hearing that they can't just suspend a coach or certainly not for more than two games.

Michigan is better off NOT allowing this thing to turn into a drawn out legal battle that could result in major distractions during the season with potentially disastrous results. If it's true that so many teams are complaining and clearly Petitti is a pushover to the mob, who knows what they could try to do to Michigan and it's unlikely we could get a court to intervene. Cooler heads will prevail.

Joined: 11/04/2008

MGoPoints: 178470

gbdub

November 16th, 2023 at 4:47 PM ^

The problem is that this is a MASSIVE PR loss that makes it look like Michigan is accepting every absurd claim in Pettiti’s Twitter-posts-in-legalese letter. 

Michigan, as a program, cheated in a way that threatened the integrity of the sport. Michigan threatened player safety. Etc. 

Warde just forfeited the opportunity to defend us, and got absolutely nothing in return, not even a conciliatory statement from Pettiti. 

Joined: 02/16/2010

MGoPoints: 26776

Wendyk5

November 16th, 2023 at 5:08 PM ^

I absolutely believe that last week, the plan was to go after the Big Ten with everything they had. Michigan wouldn't have hired a high powered law firm to fight this. Have they ever done that so publicly in the past? Warde would not have put that statement out, which was scathing and called out his fellow AD's. He rarely speaks to the media. Something happened between then and now to make them decide this was the best course of action. No way they lay down after all that hoopla just because they're afraid of the fight. 

Joined: 11/20/2008

MGoPoints: 68162

1VaBlue1

November 16th, 2023 at 5:54 PM ^

Except for the Warde part, I agree with you.  This is higher than Warde's decision to make!  But otherwise, the statement agrees that:

  • Every word out of Pete fucking Thamel's mouth and pen is validated
  • Every word out of Rece Davis' fucking mouth is validated
  • Every word out of Stephen A Smith's fucking mouth is validated
  • Every word out of <insert shitty take name here> fucking mouth is validated
  • All the success from the previous three years is due to cheating
  • Michigan has perpetrated the biggest scandal in the Big Ten's history
  • Michigan football cheats

What actually happened no longer matters.  The statement just admitted to all of it.  The statement, without a reason explaining why we'd agree to this, is nothing more than Michigan bending over the table and raising its skirt in abject submission.

Was the TRO going to lose?  Okay, so what?  We take that L and expect the lawsuit to win in the end.  Keep your pride.  But nope - no pride here.  Just submission to the courageous new Commissioner that showed real leadership in the face of terrible consequences.

I can take a L in the courtroom.  I wasn't ready to submit like the good little bitch Michigan has always been.

Joined: 01/31/2016

MGoPoints: 127608

BlueInDallas

November 16th, 2023 at 6:31 PM ^

This is a great summary.  We fold on EVERYTHING. I never want to hear about Michigan “fighting for what’s right”, or “going to mat”, or any of the other goofy BS the insiders have been peddling the last two weeks. 


The adults leading the University and the athletic department have shit the bed. Now, everything falls on those players. I have faith in them and I sure hope they pull this out. They deserve it. 

Joined: 09/14/2009

MGoPoints: 559

uminks

November 16th, 2023 at 4:19 PM ^

Harbaugh will not sign a new contract now. He is gone to the NFL! This was just pathetic of the University giving in. If no Harbaugh next year, then the NCAA sanctions will not be as severe.

Joined: 11/10/2009

MGoPoints: 32105