3 Griz Arrested

[91catAlum]

Really disappointed at many of these comments. Many of you guys really do hate the Griz, don't you?

There it is. The hate the grizz card.

If I really hated the grizz I'd say drop all the charges knowing full well that doing so would lead to more problems. You guys are so wrapped in winning you can't see the forest through the trees.

But there's still hope. Haslam and Stitt and Engstrom haven't weighed in yet. If it's just one game, and the ISU game at that, we'll know nothing has changed.

Seriously, Bracket? Here's something I thought I'd NEVER say: CatGrad has the most sensible post in this thread.

We have a BB player who was caught ACTUALLY stealing from a store, and he was suspended for one game. One basketball game. 1/30th of a season. Are you really suggesting that these guys should sit out more than 1/11th of a FB season? And if so, please explain the rationale. And for once, please put aside the Cat/Griz bias. It really doesn't matter.

How many games do you feel the Bball player should be suspended, then??

[mchammer]

So wrong to be an athlete out that late drinking. Can anything good come from it?

[Grizaddict]

Word out of Missoula is one game suspension. Hope they learned.

[LTown Cat]

Word out of Missoula is one game suspension. Hope they learned.

Seems reasonable to me. FWIW, I would have given the MSU bball player 3-5 games...

[cats2506]

One game is about what I would expect for what actually happened, What continues to surprise me is how it is handled by the legal system, I mean awarding 16K in counseling and requiring 80 hrs community service plus the loss of bail, I think Law enforcement hands are pretty much tied when a call is made, but when I was 22 this would have been handled by the cop on the scene.

[Hell's Bells]

If I was Haslam, assuming he was brought in to change the culture, they'd all be gone. A one-game suspension is basically saying that you can drink, trespass, scare the crap out of people and steal and only miss one game. I doubt that sends a very strong message to these guys. I know Pioneer League managers that have dumped players back down to the instructional league for not running out ground balls. I just think he's the kind of guy that doesn't put winning above everything. He did take Stitt over Bobby Hauck, so I don't think he's going to go Jim O'Day on this.

If it was my kid I'd tell the coach to give him a chance to leave the team on his own terms and if he didn't I'd tell the coach to kick him off.

What do you think of the one game suspension?

[Grizaddict]

One game is about what I would expect for what actually happened, What continues to surprise me is how it is handled by the legal system, I mean awarding 16K in counseling and requiring 80 hrs community service plus the loss of bail, I think Law enforcement hands are pretty much tied when a call is made, but when I was 22 this would have been handled by the cop on the scene.

I couldn't agree more cats2506. I was thinking about all the dumb things I did as a young man and realizing I must've been pretty lucky to come out okay. I am sure these players learned their lesson

[TomCat88]

If I was Haslam, assuming he was brought in to change the culture, they'd all be gone. A one-game suspension is basically saying that you can drink, trespass, scare the crap out of people and steal and only miss one game. I doubt that sends a very strong message to these guys. I know Pioneer League managers that have dumped players back down to the instructional league for not running out ground balls. I just think he's the kind of guy that doesn't put winning above everything. He did take Stitt over Bobby Hauck, so I don't think he's going to go Jim O'Day on this.

If it was my kid I'd tell the coach to give him a chance to leave the team on his own terms and if he didn't I'd tell the coach to kick him off.

What do you think of the one game suspension?

From 1995 to 2009, the Griz won two NCs and five runners-up with 15 straight playoff appearances.

Beginning around 2007, the Griz started having numerous players in trouble over about a five-year span. Fans often considered the penalties too soft.

From 2010 to present, the Griz haven't won the Big Sky and have only one official playoff win and two official playoff appearances with a 39-26 overall record. Enrollment numbers have waned significantly. They're currently serving a 3-year probation from the NCAA and are operating with four less scholarships. They show no signs of returning to anywhere close to what they once were.

That's depressing if you ask me.

Perhaps it's too small of a sample size, but I'm talking about UM alone and it's hard to compare anyone to them. Based on that it looks like if you have a system that doesn't take a hard stance on bad behavior, you end up seeing a drop off in performance and possibly other things. So I think Haslam, or whoever made this decision, is likely to end up getting the same result. That would be unfortunate.

One thing I always remind myself, and young kids I coach, of is that no one is bigger than the game. I certainly didn't coing that phrase. You hear respected coaches and ex-players say it all the time, so I'm sure most of you have heard it before. You are part of the game as long as you are an active participant in it and you have to respect it. If you do not, you won't do well, last long or, at a minimum, you won't end up being respected.

[gtapp]

Objectively a 1-2 game suspension sounds about right. It is hard to let go our bias against the griz and think objectively. I truly dislike that program but I also don't want ANY student Athletes college experience to be ruined by something this minor. The most important thing at their age is did they learn anything? If yes, then the 1 game should be enough, if not we will here more from them later in life!

[PapaG]

I'll be sure to bring a "Don't Steal My Beer!" sign to the game in two weeks. Or at least yell it a few times, since our seats are a few rows behind the visiting bench.

[PapaG]

It is interesting how quickly this was adjudicated. Typically for something like this the legal system takes much longer to get charges reduced, let alone dropped.

It must be nice to be a student-athlete in Missoula. Both the DA and Griz defense attorneys are on the same page. One would think that after a national embarrassment things would have changed, but it's the same old same old there.

The Florida State of FCS?

[PapaG]

I'll also point out that shoplifting is different than first breaking into a private residence and then stealing something, at least in terms of the law.

[grizatwork]

It is interesting how quickly this was adjudicated. Typically for something like this the legal system takes much longer to get charges reduced, let alone dropped.

It must be nice to be a student-athlete in Missoula. Both the DA and Griz defense attorneys are on the same page. One would think that after a national embarrassment things would have changed, but it's the same old same old there.

The Florida State of FCS?

Well speaking from my daughter's misdemeanor that she got last spring, she was ticketed on Saturday night, Sunday morning and plead guilty and received her fine, community service and counseling order 2 days later on Tuesday.

I get where you are coming from. I was angry and disgusted with the original news. I have calmed down. Honestly, I am fine if they are out one game, or the rest of the year. I am glad it is not the first quarter and I am also glad that the suspension came immediately and it wasn't the " wait until the legal system plays out." I really don't expect many cat fans to be objective. I don't expect many griz fans to be objective. It is beyond most fans to put aside those emotions to do so.

[PapaG]

It is interesting how quickly this was adjudicated. Typically for something like this the legal system takes much longer to get charges reduced, let alone dropped.

It must be nice to be a student-athlete in Missoula. Both the DA and Griz defense attorneys are on the same page. One would think that after a national embarrassment things would have changed, but it's the same old same old there.

The Florida State of FCS?

Well speaking from my daughter's misdemeanor that she got last spring, she was ticketed on Saturday night, Sunday morning and plead guilty and received her fine, community service and counseling order 2 days later on Tuesday.

I get where you are coming from. I was angry and disgusted with the original news. I have calmed down. Honestly, I am fine if they are out one game, or the rest of the year. I am glad it is not the first quarter and I am also glad that the suspension came immediately and it wasn't the " wait until the legal system plays out." I really don't expect many cat fans to be objective. I don't expect many griz fans to be objective. It is beyond most fans to put aside those emotions to do so.

The players haven't been in trouble before, and frankly they shouldn't be held responsible for the past mistakes. My anti-Griz bias says they shouldn't play again, but that's not realistic at all. We all made mistakes in college, and this was harmless. Thankfully the home owner didn't live on the hill by the C'Mon Inn.

One game is appropriate and fair. No beat ISU so I can celebrate the Bobcats knocking UM out of the playoffs in a few weeks!

[Bobcat Jim]

It is interesting how quickly this was adjudicated. Typically for something like this the legal system takes much longer to get charges reduced, let alone dropped.

It must be nice to be a student-athlete in Missoula. Both the DA and Griz defense attorneys are on the same page. One would think that after a national embarrassment things would have changed, but it's the same old same old there.

The Florida State of FCS?

Well speaking from my daughter's misdemeanor that she got last spring, she was ticketed on Saturday night, Sunday morning and plead guilty and received her fine, community service and counseling order 2 days later on Tuesday.

I get where you are coming from. I was angry and disgusted with the original news. I have calmed down. Honestly, I am fine if they are out one game, or the rest of the year. I am glad it is not the first quarter and I am also glad that the suspension came immediately and it wasn't the " wait until the legal system plays out." I really don't expect many cat fans to be objective. I don't expect many griz fans to be objective. It is beyond most fans to put aside those emotions to do so.

The players haven't been in trouble before, and frankly they shouldn't be held responsible for the past mistakes. My anti-Griz bias says they shouldn't play again, but that's not realistic at all. We all made mistakes in college, and this was harmless. Thankfully the home owner didn't live on the hill by the C'Mon Inn.

One game is appropriate and fair. No beat ISU so I can celebrate the Bobcats knocking UM out of the playoffs in a few weeks!

That works for me.

[RickRund]

So wrong to be an athlete out that late drinking. Can anything good come from it?

Yes, self before team.....

[blueandgoldblitz]

It is interesting how quickly this was adjudicated. Typically for something like this the legal system takes much longer to get charges reduced, let alone dropped.

It must be nice to be a student-athlete in Missoula. Both the DA and Griz defense attorneys are on the same page. One would think that after a national embarrassment things would have changed, but it's the same old same old there.

The Florida State of FCS?

Well speaking from my daughter's misdemeanor that she got last spring, she was ticketed on Saturday night, Sunday morning and plead guilty and received her fine, community service and counseling order 2 days later on Tuesday.

I get where you are coming from. I was angry and disgusted with the original news. I have calmed down. Honestly, I am fine if they are out one game, or the rest of the year. I am glad it is not the first quarter and I am also glad that the suspension came immediately and it wasn't the " wait until the legal system plays out." I really don't expect many cat fans to be objective. I don't expect many griz fans to be objective. It is beyond most fans to put aside those emotions to do so.

The players haven't been in trouble before, and frankly they shouldn't be held responsible for the past mistakes. My anti-Griz bias says they shouldn't play again, but that's not realistic at all. We all made mistakes in college, and this was harmless. Thankfully the home owner didn't live on the hill by the C'Mon Inn.

One game is appropriate and fair. No beat ISU so I can celebrate the Bobcats knocking UM out of the playoffs in a few weeks!

I would argue that it wasn't harmless. Imagine how your kids would feel if someone broke in to your house at 2:30 am. They would potentially lose all hope that when they're at home in bed, they're safe and that nothing can get them. Maybe they're fine and maybe they're not. I don't know. Maybe they'll have nightmares for the rest of their lives. But I really doubt it was "harmless"

[AlphaGriz1]

My kids are not pussies but I would bet you they would be sprinting for their wading pool to try and keep all the blood off the new carpet in the TV room.

If anyone comes into any of my homes with a ladder at 3am they are not going to have milk and cookies then be on their way.

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[PapaG]

I would argue that it wasn't harmless. Imagine how your kids would feel if someone broke in to your house at 2:30 am. They would potentially lose all hope that when they're at home in bed, they're safe and that nothing can get them. Maybe they're fine and maybe they're not. I don't know. Maybe they'll have nightmares for the rest of their lives. But I really doubt it was "harmless"

I agree with you on that, but in a vacuum, it really was just a dumb decision with no intent to harm anyone, potential nightmares aside. They all thought it was an unoccupied structure. I'm sure the parents are telling their kids that the UM students weren't actually in the house and they weren't there to hurt any of them. Stealing the beer was stupid, of course, but not worth losing the rest of the season over, IMO.

[golden77]

It sounds like the one non football player took the rap for stealing the case of beer. I have to give the griz football players credit for following the advice of NFL great Chris Carter. He told rookies at an NFL forum to make sure they always had a fall guy when they were out on the town who could take the heat if there was trouble and keep them out of trouble. Good job.