Lawyer Tom Mars Representing Green Family - Released Statement That Gemon Sustained a Concussion
Sorry for more threads on this but this seemed important enough to start a new thread. I have not seen it reported that Green suffered a concussion, which obviously is concerning for Green and his family.
Mars stated via text message, “When college football players brutally attack a member of the opposing team with their helmets, resulting in the player suffering a concussion and other injuries, an apology won’t suffice. There has to be severe consequences for this kind of misconduct. Not only does Gemon Green deserve to be compensated for his injuries. Severe consequences in this case will deter others who might think they can get away with brutally beating an opposing player and only get a slap on the wrist. I’ve got news for the MSU players who did this to Gemon. They are going to feel the full wrath of the law.”
Green family is not messing around.
https://www.on3.com/college/michigan-wolverines/news/michigan-cornerback-gemon-green-lawyer-released-statement-regarding-state-alleged-assault/
November 1st, 2022 at 10:18 AM ^
he would have to prove that the university has a policy of assaulting others.
They do though, is the thing. They were public about it.
October 31st, 2022 at 6:54 PM ^
I'm wondering if some people in East Lansing are having lawyers look for a way to say this is a reason to fire Mel Tucker "with cause".
November 1st, 2022 at 8:35 AM ^
I could probably give you 95 million reasons why Mel will get sued.
October 31st, 2022 at 4:54 PM ^
Good.
October 31st, 2022 at 4:55 PM ^
Good for the Green Family. Go get these fuckers.
October 31st, 2022 at 4:56 PM ^
Go get them
October 31st, 2022 at 4:59 PM ^
They need to go after Valenti with a libel suit if he's saying Green started it without evidence.
October 31st, 2022 at 5:11 PM ^
I listened to a couple segments. He's dancing around it effectively and not coming right out and saying that Green DID do something - he's "hinted" around pretty explicitly however.
I am sure he's been trained/coached on how to avoid libel, as he seems to avoid coming right out and claiming anything.
October 31st, 2022 at 5:51 PM ^
Hit him with the libel suit so he has huge legal bills. Drag it on and on - he may settle just to make it stop.
October 31st, 2022 at 7:53 PM ^
If you try to hit somebody with a libel suit where no libel occurred it will you that ends up with the big legal bills. I didn’t listen to Valenti but suing just to sue is not a good idea.
November 1st, 2022 at 12:01 AM ^
Yeah, I haven't listened to Valenti and I don't intend to, but if all he said was that Green "started it," that's not even close to a winnable defamation claim. There has to be a false statement purporting to be fact, and who "started it" is very plausibly construed as a statement of opinion. Even if you can construe it as a statement purporting to be fact, it's not necessarily false if there's any evidence that Green was jawing with the MSU players. Green would be the plaintiff in any suit, so he'll have the burden of proof of establishing every element of the claims he brings.
Despicable thing to say, but probably not defamation.
October 31st, 2022 at 8:44 PM ^
Media entities don't usually settle libel suits, for two reasons: one, they're usually pretty easy to defend against because the burden of proof is enormous and there are a lot of defenses. And two, they take their freedom of the press pretty seriously and consider it well worth the legal fees to set a freedom-of-speech precedent in court.
edit: also, there's a word for suing just to shut someone up and saddle them with legal bills, it's called a SLAPP suit and there are laws about that kind of thing which punish the plaintiff.
October 31st, 2022 at 7:27 PM ^
If Michigan fans didn’t listen to Valenti, do you think his ratings would go down? Asking for a friend.
October 31st, 2022 at 5:01 PM ^
Mars is not one to be trifled with. He will scrub through the videos and find which players/coaches lied about the situation.
October 31st, 2022 at 5:10 PM ^
If Mel was sweating on the sidelines, he will definitely be feeling the heat in a deposition.
This is going to get very ugly for MSU. I don't think Mars would take this unless he was planning on a very high profile attack to make an example of the situation.
October 31st, 2022 at 7:10 PM ^
Exactly!! Mel is sweating like never before. Kidding aside, this needs to be stopped before it spreads to other teams and or rivals playing and thinking physical altercations and or assaults can be tolerated.
One other thought, The Big-10 should disqualify MSU from partaking in any bowl game should they even get to 5 and 7 and might be considered. That's the least B1G Commish Kevin Warren can do.
October 31st, 2022 at 8:33 PM ^
Agreed on punishing the whole program. However it’s done. I actually like the idea of us just not playing them for a period of time. I mean shit they need Michigan much more than we need them around. It’s turned into a toxic rivalry I don’t even enjoy anymore. Replacing them with Notre Dame for a little while would be hilarious. In all seriousness though a clear message that this will absolutely not be tolerated needs to be sent.
October 31st, 2022 at 7:33 PM ^
Discovery should be fun. I don't think stadium security looks good in this though and will lose some money as well.
October 31st, 2022 at 7:55 PM ^
Yeah Michigan could be a third-party defendant. Or actually one of the named original defendants depending on what course the suit takes.
October 31st, 2022 at 8:10 PM ^
I think that's likely, unfortunately. But the U has good insurance, and trucks full of cash behind that, and in this case I don't think they'll really care. Just one of those things (being named in the suit, if that happens).
October 31st, 2022 at 11:39 PM ^
Given that they are--I would assume--the ones footing the bill for Gemon's medical bills, I think they could settle out pretty easily, and/or join in on the plainitff's side.
October 31st, 2022 at 6:51 PM ^
Agreed. Tom Mars is the best there is when it comes to litigation for NCAA athletes. The MSU players who perpetrated this heinous act of violence suddenly have much bigger things to worry about than a suspension.
October 31st, 2022 at 7:27 PM ^
I'm hoping for nice fat civil suits against all of the attackers in addition to criminal charges. Even if the cops let them off with a slap on the wrist (likely imo), they'll still have life altering consequences to deal with.
October 31st, 2022 at 5:08 PM ^
Excellent
October 31st, 2022 at 5:08 PM ^
Mel Tucker Must Die*
(*well, not really, but it sounds like a great sequel to John Tucker Must Die. They should just fire Mel Tucker and get it over with.)
October 31st, 2022 at 5:54 PM ^
As punishment, make him coach MSU but cut his pay to compensate the Green family.
October 31st, 2022 at 7:14 PM ^
It also sounds like the sequel to the John Barlycorn Must Die album by the British Rock group Traffic in 1970. (if you like classic progressive rock, then take a listen to all of the cuts on this LP)
October 31st, 2022 at 7:35 PM ^
Homage to whiskey that's quite clever.
October 31st, 2022 at 7:53 PM ^
I dig that album. There used to be a bar here in Chicago called John Barleycorn. It was around for decades but recently closed.
November 1st, 2022 at 8:58 AM ^
I am a big fan of John Barleycorn, but don’t consider it progressive rock.
October 31st, 2022 at 5:12 PM ^
I really really really hope that they go after ben mather too. The director of ops with the Forrest Gump run out to block the camera. He needs to lose his job and some
October 31st, 2022 at 5:23 PM ^
Let's not get ridiculous here. The MSU Director of Football Ops was not running to block the camera. He was just running like a coward (which is worse IMO). We already have evidence what he looks dealing with cameramen as he was pretty aggressive pushing back the camerapeople at the tunnel for MSU's pregame entrance.
October 31st, 2022 at 5:53 PM ^
Fair. Let’s say that he was just trying to get out of dodge. That’s even more embarrassing and more reason to cut bait.
mgolawyers, help me out on this one. Would mathers qualify as a mandated reporter? Vulnerable adult is a stretch, but is there enough string to use it as leverage?
I feel like certain lurkers may take this to 11w or rcmb, but I’m actually curious about it as a strategy. Or if firing him is reasonable
October 31st, 2022 at 8:27 PM ^
I'd say it's more than cowardice. He could have stopped the attack and allowed it to proceed.
However you choose to interpret it, he's a pathetic human being.
October 31st, 2022 at 8:59 PM ^
Well the writers in the final season of Seinfeld would have sent him to jail for a year. So…
October 31st, 2022 at 11:11 PM ^
Harbaugh said he saw abc video. I can’t understand why abc hasn’t aired that footage. It has every right to.
October 31st, 2022 at 5:12 PM ^
Should Tuck comin’ be named a co-plaintiff, so he can sue to recoup his money lost for being terminated with cause? Can someone be listed as a plaintiff and a defendant at the same time?
October 31st, 2022 at 5:12 PM ^
delete
October 31st, 2022 at 5:13 PM ^
I think most of us were aware of the possibility of a concussion but had the discipline to hold our thoughts. Those were some vicious hits he received. Best wishes to the young man.
October 31st, 2022 at 6:51 PM ^
October 31st, 2022 at 8:21 PM ^
Can somebody post a link of video that directly shows what transpired with Green? Is the ESPN video the best available? Not implying anything about anything, just genuinely curious.
October 31st, 2022 at 5:14 PM ^
I feel like the Green fa.ily should sue the MSU player and MSU as a university for lack of control. Would they have a case against the university for 1. Not stopping the beating and 2. Allowing it to happen in the first place?
October 31st, 2022 at 5:18 PM ^
We should not continue to play MSU in football.
It's gone too far. It's not fun, and it's no longer safe.
October 31st, 2022 at 5:25 PM ^
Funny how #4 isn't suspended, guess he is too valuable to the shart defense, pathetic
October 31st, 2022 at 7:17 PM ^
I would expect Windmon will also be suspended.
October 31st, 2022 at 5:28 PM ^
Prepare to witness the long, hard dick of the law.
October 31st, 2022 at 5:32 PM ^
I could be wrong, but it seems all players involved for MSU are transfers. Maybe they are transfers for a reason? Not sure MSU is doing their best due diligence on behavior of these new faces. Tuck's rage during the ESPN video doesn't do him any favors as far as perception of him or his program.
October 31st, 2022 at 7:00 PM ^
They did their due diligence. None of the players were in prison when they transferred.