Speight receiving death threats?
In the below article, Mo Hursts talks about how much of a struggle it must be for Wilton "receiving death threats and people telling QBs to 'kill yourself'. You're supposed to be our fans and shouldn't be saying that type of stuff"
As a football fan, I'm obsessed with Michigan to a point where I periodically have to check my priorities because I put a lot of stock in a game; however, Mo's statements really puts the "dark side of sports" into perspective. Here is illustration of where obsession can lead to "Misery" levels.
I am as dissapointed with the up and down QB play as anybody, but when it crosses the entertainment realm and enters the realm of personal attacks (nevermind the student-athlete part), then it gets psychotic.
Hopefully this is just a few twitter trolls (e.g. the Isiah Thomas jersey burning) and not a legitimate thought by some of these fans, because that would be dispicable.
http://michigan.247sports.com/Bolt/Having-heard-the-backlash-teammates-…
EDIT: As someone pointed out below, The 247 article I linked left out a pretty critical follow-up on Mo's statement with the section below, which can be found in the article here
https://www.landof10.com/michigan/michigan-coach-jim-harbaugh-wiltons-s…
---Wait. Did Speight get death threats?
“I assume so,” Hurst answered. “I remember that punt thing [against Michigan State in 2015], yeah.”
It’s college football. Not life versus death.---
September 11th, 2017 at 6:25 PM ^
To Blake O'Neill after the MSU 2015 game. I guess he is 14 now.
Some humans are pathetic!
September 11th, 2017 at 8:55 PM ^
Doesn't matter from whom they come, 12-yr old or Ted Kaczynski. They are damaging to our society and bullying of Speight, who is giving his all in a sport where he is risking long term damage to his body/brain. He has STRONG incentive to be doing his best. And it's a hellava lot better than you or I, except for a select group of people in our school's history. If Harbaugh/Hamilton/Drevno roll him out, I know he's our best option and deserves our respect.
Threats like this are also a sign of potentially irrational thought and behavior. If you know someone who is engaging in this type of behavior, they can use some help. Maybe nothing, maybe a sign of anger that a little therapy, exercise, yoga or less ETOH might help (I'm not advocating temperance unless it's a problem, I like my bourbon too). I've been in a criminal law practice for 25+ years, mostly ugly stuff. Deal w/psychologists all the time. Clients w/all kinds of issues, anger, bi-polar, borderlines. Non-normative behavior.
Cyber bulling should not be tolerated.
September 11th, 2017 at 9:28 PM ^
But if I run into him I will definitely pass on your comments
September 12th, 2017 at 7:32 AM ^
Well stated.
I'm a HUGE Speight fan...ducks :) ...
and fan of every young man on this team.
They give a hell of a lot for our entertainment and pride. He is (obviously) not flawless and has much room for improvement but hey who doesn't AND that is a huge part of the whole college experience across the campus. Besides, there isn't a better coaching and mentoring staff for Speight and this young team in the country IMO.
I think the blur between college student-athlete and professional athlete is often most blurred at the fandom level and in many ways the expectations for these young men exceeds those of their professional counterparts. CFB fandom is much stronger than Pro fandom and that can bring about a heightened level of expectations and zaniness.
So..go Speight, go Ulizio, go TEAM go.
September 11th, 2017 at 10:03 PM ^
But I assume so is pretty vague. Blake's came after a play that cost the team a game against our in state rivals. Threats carried out by some barely teenage idiots.
That doesn't compare to some overthrown passes and possibly the worst fumble I have seen in my lifetime.
Reality is the QB gets criticized at every level of the game. If you can't handle it don't play the position. I seriously doubt that Wilton has gotten death threats this year, but I am sure he has heard plenty of criticism over the way he has played.
September 12th, 2017 at 1:12 PM ^
If people ever wonder where those 30-something assholes you see at games start, it's with death threats at age 12 to a punter.
September 12th, 2017 at 2:04 PM ^
where they kick the ball away if they don't get their way. Then they make their way to death threats at 12, they then become obnoxious frat guys in college (/s) and then in their 30s they boo at the games and generally make asses of themselves.
On a somewhat serious note, I saw a guy at the 1997 OSU game (with a presumably fake Navy Seals veteran jacket) threaten to beat up an 80 year old guy behind him (he had a cane and everything) because the old guy asked him to sit during a play where nobody else was standing.
I would believe the fake Navy Seals guy would have sent death threats as a 12 year old had Twitter existed in those days.
September 11th, 2017 at 6:26 PM ^
then that's not a Michigan fan as far as I'm concerned. Peters is a RS Freshman...a RS FRESHMAN. Speight is working with a new Center, a 60% new OL, and a bunch of new starting receivers. It's time to stop this ridiculousness and let the QB and TEAM play more football.
September 11th, 2017 at 7:17 PM ^
Michigan fans making any death threats.
If any threats are really being made look for IP addresses in State College, PA, Columbus, OH or East Landfill, MI,
September 11th, 2017 at 8:06 PM ^
But I don't know how we can possibly take him seriously
Best ignore these clowns.
September 11th, 2017 at 8:36 PM ^
He and Buckeye guy are their mascots now. They truly embody the essence of THE! ohio state.
September 11th, 2017 at 9:40 PM ^
Apparently they go on autograph signing tours of Ohio. People actually pay for these "grown men" to sign their name.
What a country!
September 12th, 2017 at 9:06 AM ^
I read on one of their boards the fans were complaining that buck I guy was on the freeway holding up traffic in order for everyone to get a good look at him driving in his costume. That fan base is responsible for embracing these attention whores. Now they have to deal with the aftermath. Anyone who pays either of these clowns for an autograph should be slapped.
September 12th, 2017 at 9:46 AM ^
I think it's great. It's the passion of college football.
Let's not be hypocritical, we've got our own guys too.
That's just fine.
Places like EMU would kill for one of these guys.
September 12th, 2017 at 10:30 AM ^
Does he still dress like that? I haven't seen him in a long time. And the difference is he doesn't go out of his way to get on camera like buck I guy. Plus we have the Michigan Storm Trooper guy too. I think the big nut dude is ok from what I've read from their fans, but the buck I guy cowboy douche thinks he's OSU's second mascot.
September 12th, 2017 at 12:05 PM ^
I'll be first in line to slap anybody who pays that guy for an autograph or a picture unless it's for charity.
September 11th, 2017 at 10:10 PM ^
For an infarction
September 11th, 2017 at 11:29 PM ^
Does he have a toy in his left hand? Grown man. Smh
September 11th, 2017 at 9:42 PM ^
I am blood related to some trashy fucking Michigan fans. I'm not saying they wrote this letter but... they probably wrote this letter.
September 11th, 2017 at 9:46 PM ^
But we all know that turd bag michigan fan who we dont like to be associated with.
They do exist in aa just as they do in state college, columbus or east landfill, as unfortunate as that is..
If you love a player, or bash them, just take this as a reminder like the oneill stuff. Keep it civil and if you know that guy who goes a bit overboard, stand up and tell him hes being an idiot, please.
Hes making us all look bad.
September 12th, 2017 at 7:56 AM ^
247 facebook posts seem to be a bug light for these people - too bad it doesn't zap some humanity into them. Same fools who'll verbally abuse a server for a kitchen mistake. I read some of these same types calling Newsome a snowflake for tweeting out about the booing. Grant fucking Newsome, who plays for one of the toughest coaches in the sport, and who by the way, almost lost his god-damned leg for their entertainment. Sorry this shit bothers me.
September 11th, 2017 at 11:21 PM ^
Really though this whole thing is a total misunderstanding. What I told Speight was that he needed to keel himself. Just thought he needed to be more even.
September 11th, 2017 at 7:25 PM ^
I don't think death threats against Speight would be warranted even if Peters was more experienced.
September 11th, 2017 at 7:31 PM ^
would death threats be warranted by any Michigan fan
September 11th, 2017 at 8:54 PM ^
I mean... Does he have to die? How about just have a seat on the bench? Would that be ok, Mr Dumbass fan?
September 12th, 2017 at 1:15 PM ^
I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that someone who sends death threats to college kids for winning two football games by double-digits (but not enough double digits) is probably not going to pay much attention to the depth chart.
These are sad little people, unlikely to be dangerous but still worth addressing.
September 11th, 2017 at 6:30 PM ^
Funny how Speight is being attacked this bad when we are 2-0 and have a win against a ranked team.
September 11th, 2017 at 6:51 PM ^
And we're ranked in the top 10 ourselves.
September 11th, 2017 at 7:48 PM ^
You'd think the last decade would have stripped us of our entitlement, but nope, we're booing a 1-0, top 10 team - coming off of a dominant, neutral site win - when it's winning an (ugly) early season game with the youngest roster I can remember.
September 11th, 2017 at 9:43 PM ^
NEVER. BOO. YOUR. TEAM.
September 11th, 2017 at 10:15 PM ^
Don't misogynist your team neither.
September 12th, 2017 at 7:16 AM ^
We'd first have to genderize the players in order to misogynate on them. Clearly no one of us has the audacity to do such a thing.
September 12th, 2017 at 1:26 PM ^
His sweat could cure cancer and there would be people in this fanbase who would want him gone.
September 11th, 2017 at 6:39 PM ^
Same.
I had a pretty bad miscue during a college intramural basketball game and it was hell for me for weeks.
Thoughts/Prayers to him and his family.
September 11th, 2017 at 6:30 PM ^
Or it's a buckeye or sparty. Not that we don't have idiots, of course, but I'm always worried about fire starters in situations like this.
September 11th, 2017 at 6:33 PM ^
I always wondered too about people being obnoxious texting recruits too. Is it really Michigan fans that are that delusional to tweet a 17 year old kid about how if he doesn't choose Michigan he's a loser and will fail at life, or is it the other team's fans making it look like we're irrational toddlers.
September 11th, 2017 at 6:36 PM ^
Decision is wrong / creepy?
September 12th, 2017 at 7:24 AM ^
"I've been combing the local high schools all week!"
September 12th, 2017 at 1:39 PM ^
4 recruits in my life.
I played with 2 of them, and coached 2 more. I hope there's an exception for me /s
September 11th, 2017 at 8:38 PM ^
"fire starter" implies it was a msu student.
September 11th, 2017 at 6:32 PM ^
It's the Kid Rock fans (go listen to today's MGoPodcast for context).
September 11th, 2017 at 7:08 PM ^
so meta
September 11th, 2017 at 7:11 PM ^
be nice
September 11th, 2017 at 7:19 PM ^
That is asking a lot from him.
September 11th, 2017 at 7:21 PM ^
he's not a bad guy.
September 12th, 2017 at 7:27 AM ^
Well, not a bad guy, except to the four dozen retired strippers he's given herpes to. But to most others, not a bad guy...
September 12th, 2017 at 9:27 AM ^
Goddamnit Mo, tell your mom to stop telling everyone. How the hell am I supposed to hook up if she's scaring all the talent away?
September 11th, 2017 at 9:28 PM ^
Okay.
September 11th, 2017 at 7:38 PM ^
Yep. The kid rock Trump supporting trash of our fan base.
September 11th, 2017 at 7:50 PM ^
Regardless of how I feel about your comment, politics is supposed to stay off the site. It's a good rule.