The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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DECEMBER 2022 THE WOLVERINE 21 and end his career' … While I can't iden- tify specifically who was saying it, I know from turning around a few times after it was yelled that I saw it was a mix of play- ers on the bench, staff in MSU clothing, and coaches on the sideline yelling 'aim/ go for his knees,' 'tackle him at the knees and end his career,' throughout the game. It was very clear the message they were trying to get across to their players: they were encouraging them to try and injure Blake's knees." The MSU sideline allegedly didn't ig- nore sophomore quarterback J.J. McCar- thy, either. Another witness — a graduate of an- other Big Ten university and on the Mich- igan Stadium side- line crew for several decades, all on the visiting sideline — noted: "The MSU players and staff were by far the most hostile and undisci- plined team I have ever been around." B a c o n b o i l e d down several points to the following: "Constant complaining to the officials. During the second quarter the line judge comments to me that 'This is not what I signed up for.' "There was an unprecedented amount of trash talk. J.J. McCarthy was running the ball, and I heard an MSU staff mem- ber yell 'break his f------ arm.' The MSU sideline was still using over the top vul- garity even when there was only one min- ute left in the game. "Usually after the clock hits 0:00, the referees sprint off the field. This game they stayed to break players up on the field. While leaving the field the head referee was confronted by an MSU staff member. The staff member then calls the referee [a string of intense profanities]. "I have never seen anything like that. Mel Tucker spent the entire game arguing with the officials. He looked very agitated and never accepted the official's explana- tion." Bacon noted: "The witness concludes by saying, 'I will say it was the most toxic and hate-filled sideline I have ever been a part of, and it starts with the head coach. The staff and players follow his lead.'" Bacon added, "I've been on the sidelines a few feet from the Michigan coaches, staffers and players, for 25 games, and an- other 4 behind the Penn State bench, and never heard anything like that. What the witnesses are reporting is not common. "As one of them told me in our conver- sation, 'When Ohio State comes to town there's almost no trash talking. They are focused on trying to win a football game.'" Meanwhile, Michigan and Michigan State continue their campaigns on the football field. The Wolverines, at 10-0, are looking to finish off a perfect regular season, nail down a second straight vic- tory over Ohio State, win the Big Ten and make the College Football Playoff. At 5-5, the Spartans are desperately hoping to land in a bowl game and avoid criminal prosecutions. Eight Michigan State players went on indefinite suspension after what Michi- gan head coach Jim Harbaugh cast as an "assault" on his players. "What happened in the tunnel was egregious, sickening to watch the videos, the ones that are on social media right now," Harbaugh said. "I can't imagine that this will not result in criminal charges — the videos are bad. And it's clear what transpired. It seems very, very open and shut." It seemed open and shut enough that eight Michigan State players were sus- pended within days of the incident: red- shirt sophomore linebacker Tank Brown, redshirt sophomore cornerback Khary Crump, junior defensive back Angelo Grose, true freshman defensive back Zion Young, senior linebacker Jacoby Wind- mon, true freshman cornerback Malcolm Jones, redshirt junior defensive back Jus- tin White and senior defensive back Bran- don Wright. Windmon is arguably the Spartans' best player on defense. He appeared on video with the others participating in the attack. Green and sophomore defensive back Ja'Den McBurrows were the Wolver- ines jumped while walking up the tunnel after the Michigan win. McBurrows has been out with an injury this season. Green went into concussion protocol following the attack, traveling to Rutgers the next week but remaining out of action. Michigan State released a statement from director of athletics Alan Haller and Tucker following its second round of sus- pensions. The statement noted, in part: "We are transparently working with law en- forcement and the Big Ten Conference to evaluate additional facts and evidence surrounding the events in Ann Arbor. We will continue to take appropriate ac- tion in this matter as we learn more. The student-athlete suspensions will re- main in place until the investigations are completed." Green's family has reportedly retained attorney Tom Mars. In a statement to ESPN, Mars noted: "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." Meanwhile, an attorney representing a Spartans player made counter charges in a release, indicating that in fact one of the Wolverines is at fault. Los Angeles-based lawyer David Diamond insisted a Wolver- ine "engaged with Spartan athletes with his helmet and a swinging punch." Diamond insisted, referring to Har- baugh: "The media has taken the bait from a coach and master victim and his howls at the moon. We have learned that the U-M player started the altercation." That view appears in conflict with what an unnamed insider claims the police re- port will contain. ❏ An unnamed witness — a graduate of another Big Ten university and on the Michigan Stadium sideline crew for several decades — as stated to author John U. Bacon "I have never seen anything like that. Mel Tucker spent the entire game arguing with the officials. … I will say it was the most toxic and hate-filled sideline I have ever been a part of, and it starts with the head coach. The staff and players follow his lead."