Cunningham and Dell plead guilty

Lovely. From ESPN:

"Two more Michigan State football players have pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and battery charges stemming from a Nov. 22 campus fight. Receivers B.J. Cunningham and Mark Dell entered the pleas in district court Wednesday. Conspiracy charges were dropped and each player faces up to 93 days in jail at the March 8 sentencing.

Cunningham and Dell are among 11 current or former Spartans facing assault charges from the fight with members of a campus fraternity.

Running back Ashton Leggett pleaded guilty to two counts of assault earlier this month. He's transferring from Michigan State to Illinois State."

Three More Suspended

And the Spartans roster dwindles....

As stated by Tim Staudt of WILX tonight, Chris D. Rucker, J'Michael Deane and Donald Spencer were added to the original list of ten players disciplined by Mark Dantonio after their inolvement in a Nov. 22nd incident at Rather Hall. That makes 13 in total, 11 suspended and two dismissed. And, as stated by Tim Staudt: "there may yet be more."

What a bunch of dummies. Totally embarassing.

Nine Spartan football players charged with Conspiracy and Assault & Battery

The Ingham County prosecutor today announced charges of "Conspiracy to Commit an Assault and Battery" against nine individuals who played football at Michigan State this year. In addition, the prosecutor announced additional charges of assault & battery. Tally up the rap sheet:

Roderick Jenrette, 1 count conspiracy, 3 counts A & B
Glenn Winston, 1 count conspiracy, 2 counts A & B
Ashton Leggett, 1 count conspiracy, 2 counts A & B
Fred Smith, 1 count conspiracy, 1 count A & B
Bryan Cunningham, 1 count conspiracy, 1 count A & B
Jamiihr Wiliams, 1 count conspiracy, 1 count A & B
Mark Dell, 1 count conspiracy, 1 count A & B
J'Michael Deane, 1 count conspiracy, 1 count A & B
Chris L. Rucker, 1 count conspiracy, 1 count A & B

As previously announced, two of the above (Glenn Winston, Roderick Jenrette) have been dismissed from the team. Two others, Brynden Trawick and Ishmyl Johnson are suspended from the football team but not on the prosceutor's list of charges filed (though it states "the investigation is ongoing"). J'Michael Deane was previously not including in the list of suspensions, though he is on the prosecutor's list and likely will be suspended by Mark Dantonio.

Sigh.

Dantonio lays down the law: Zero Tolerance policy at dissapointed Michigan State football program

Earlier today, Mark Dantonio set forth his zero tolerance policy, and compared the last week's events as "devastating" and a "hurricane" to the program. He stated that all those at the incident at Rather Hall on Nov. 22 will remain suspended and will NOT play in the bowl game.

MD was adamant, direct, and laid down the law. The ES is impressed at how MD is handling the situation, swiftly, directly, and strongly... However, it makes one wonder with all of the personal foul calls on the field this year if there is a correlation with the behavior of the players off the field. The fact that MD had "no inkling" of what was going in is a bit concerning that he doesn't have a pulse on such a large component of his program. That is a concern, and one that hopefully will be righted.

[PS - MD said to let the truth get out before rushing to judgment, and we've only heard one side of this story. Certainly there are many times athletes are singled out and picked on as "dumb jocks" by non-athletes and other students... and are injured (including current players on this football team being sucker-punched by students), but you hear nothing of it unless the cause and effect is from the athletes.]

The ES joins the Spartan Nation as being appalled at this stupidity by the suspended players and is glad they are going home for the holidays.

Key quotes from MD:

"Obviously with the situation that happened last week, we're extremely disappointed. We talk all the time about our choices as people and about making the right choice. I think it's a very traumatic experience for this program, and we have got to be able to get past this situation.

Also, I think it's extremely devastating for the families that are involved in this. I've talked to every family that has been involved with this, and you know, a lot of people are reeling, so my heart goes out to those people for what they are going through, as well.

We also must recognize that there's a lot of speculation out there from the public and a lot of different stories floating around and I think it's important that we get to the truth. I have always tried to speak the truth whenever I have spoken to you as a group or spoken in general and I think that's important.

The opportunity to play on this football team and in a bowl game is a privilege, and not a given right. With that said, all those present at the incident in question will remain on indefinite suspension and will not make the trip nor play in the bowl game.

Here are other key Q and A from the Doctor's comments:

Q. Can the suspended players watch bowl practice?

MD: No. The players are suspended indefinitely and that means this entire building is off limits and anything that has to do with this football program, including their academic area. They are not to be in there at points in time when the rest of our football players are in there, including our training room.

Q. To be clear, the reason for the suspensions, was it where they were there or how they reacted afterward?

MD: It was both. It was both, because they put themselves at risk by going there, and given the opportunity that they had to immediately come to me and tell me that there was a problem; it didn't happen.

Q. When you make the decision to suspend the player versus dismiss, does that mean that after a second chance, there are no more strikes?

MD: Zero tolerance played into that decision. After being given a second opportunity, there is a zero tolerance policy; meaning that if there are any issues whatsoever, it's a done deal. And so those two will remain dismissed. There is no way to back in the door. They are done.

Q. Did you have any inkling before that there might have been any kind of an altercation and maybe guys looking for trouble?

MD: No, there was no inkling. There was nothing. There was nothing there. And again, that's part of the disappointment because obviously, there was more than one person that knew about this, and this could have been easily prevented with just a little bit of a tug on the shoulder. It didn't have to be me, but they could have gone to anybody in our program. That's why when you go to the level of suspension for the others; this could easily have been prevented. It wasn't like we weren't meeting that day. We had a 3:30 p.m. team meeting. We also had a feel good banquet, to celebrate our football team and celebrate our seniors, so it's a disappointment (no one came forward).

Q. At any point, did you or the administration debate not playing in the bowl game?

MD: No, absolutely not. We have 95 players that did not do anything wrong.

Michigan State Suspends 8 Including Cunningham, Dell, Rucker, for Being IDIOTS Involved at Post-Banquet Assault

Wow - this post-football potluck affair has turned into a fiasco for Michigan State football. According to the Lansing State Journal, police report that eight additional football players (or more) were at the scene of the altercation at Rather Hall that resulted in several MSU students being injured, just 90 minutes after the football banquet concluded last week. The eight have been suspended from the team, and potentially may not play in the bowl game. The suspended players are wide receivers BJ Cunningham, Mark Dell and Fred Smith, cornerback Chris L. Rucker, running back Ashton Leggett, linebacker Brynden Trawick, defensive tackle Ishmyl Johnson and defensive end Jamiihr Williams. All saw significant playing time this year.

And, it looks like it ain't over yet as police continue to investigate -- there are many witnesses and video evidence. The attorney of the injured MSU student states that others were also at the scene of the altercation: ""We stick by the statement that there were 15-20 members of the football team involved," the attorney told the LSJ. "Of that number, there were three that we could not identify because they were wearing ski masks."

MSU Athletic Director Mark Hollis, who was in Chapel Hill, N.C., for the men's basketball game told the LSJ: "Obviously the whole situation is a disappointment to me as an alumnus and as an athletic director. I think today we made a swift decision based upon the information we had available to us."

ES commentary: First, while I've said before not to rush to judgment in many cases for failure of having all the facts, this is a different situation because of the public nature of the incident, "indisputable video evidence" (we've heard that one before on the field), and the swift consequences. ES gives kudos to Mark Dantonio and athletic director Mark Hollis for taking quick action in suspending these players - the players need to be respectful of the institution, Michigan State University, and their football team.

What a bunch of disrespectful idiots -- they must be held accountable for their actions. If any member punched or hurt any student, they should be dismissed from the team immediately. Period. Also, we should also make sure that the non-athlete students involved are also held accountable... and we have not heard that side of the story.

Each member at the scene that didn't participate in the violence should be required to: stay home instead of going to the bowl game, apologize publicly, provide community service above and beyond what they already have done as Spartan athletes, and point out those who were wearing ski masks. Maybe actually force them to take additional credits in the spring and fall -- they obviously have too much time on their hands and could be put to better use studying. If their mere presence helped to precipitate the violence, maybe they should be kicked off the team as well. They should make better judgment decisions.

Those who were wearing ski masks should be most ashamed of themselves and should be immediately kicked off the team and have their scholarships revoked. I don't care who they are. We don't need them.

Look how lovely the publicity is over at ESPN. The ES is disappointed and embarrassed to be a Spartan this morning. Those athletes involved aren't students on scholarships, they are bullies.

Dantonio Takes Swift Axe to Winston and Jenrette

OK, so maybe in this case we should rush to judgment. Seems pretty clear to me.

Mark Dantonio has dismissed both DB Roderick Jenrette and RB/KR Glenn Winston from the football team for a violation of team rules. Both players are connected to the assault that took place on Sunday night at Rather Hall, just 90 minutes after the football banquet ended.

Good for MD for not putting up with any shenanigans and giving them the boot -- both were promising players for the Spartans, but obviously they couldn't get their act together outside as students or community members. The football team doesn't need these guys around, nor that type of demeanor. Actually, both have missed the last half of the season - Jenrette played a great game vs. Michigan before he broke his foot... and, Winston tore his ACL in the Illinois game.

Dantonio's response was swift and easy, as it didn't take him long to give them the boot. Winston owes the Spartan nation an apology, but particularly coach Dantonio. Dantonio stuck his neck out and gave him a second chance after Winston's 180-day stint in jail for assaulting Spartan hockey player AJ Sturges. Maybe Sturges was right: Winston should have spent a year in jail. My guess is he just might with this stupid act.

Sez the ES? What a couple of dummies, not to mention thugs. Good for coach Dantonio to get this embarassing trash off the Spartan team.

And, let us be clear. It's a free country - coaches can't stand guard over their players 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, or lock them in a closet, and coaches shouldn't be expected to. Athletes are people and need to take personal responsibility for their actions as well as respect the university for the opportunity to be a team member. If they don't have the value set to behave like adults and respect others, they should not be on the team. Dantonio guessed wrong on these two, but he also believes in giving people a chance. Winston and Jenrette had that chance and blew it -- Dantonio's swift response was the right move and he didn't hesitate. It will also help the team move on toward concentrating on the bowl game by quickly putting this mess behind them.

Reporting of assaults involving athletes

State News got wind of a reported assault at Rather Hall on Sunday night that may have involved MSU football players.

The ES asks not to rush to judgment, as was the case with most of the public with respect to Glenn Winston's assault on MSU hockey player AJ Sturges and the punishment he and others received that noone knows about. While Winston's public punishment may not have fit the crime... not all the details of the punishment were ever revealed.

When it comes to athletics and student conduct, well, there is more to the story than you ever read. This is particularly because of the FERPA law, which says "schools must have written permission from the parent or eligible student in order to release any information from a student's education record..."

Just to be fair and not to single out athletes: On October 18, the State News reported Takashi Higuchi, an instructor and resident in the College of Veterinary Medicine, was sent to jail and suspended with pay for 30 days after being arraigned Thursday on three counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of kidnapping. And, on September 17, the State News reported a pair of assault cases on campus as the first of the fall, with the MSU police having one person in custody and searching for another.