From the Freep:
Ferguson, who acknowledged the players were present at the incident during a fraternity potluck at Rather Hall, also said none of the men at the altercation were wearing ski masks as some witnesses have claimed. His information is based on discussions with people present at the incident, he said, although he has not seen the onsite video.
“They were suspended for not being candid with (coach Mark) Dantonio and not telling him that they heard something could be up, but they were not suspended for fighting,” Ferguson said. “They told the coach they weren’t there. That’s what they’re suspended for. It’s nothing. The coach said they violated team rules because he wants the kids to be candid with him.
“That’s all. It’s nothing. No one’s going to go to jail over that.”
Umm, wrong answer Mr. Ferguson. It is a big deal. And I’ll tell you why it’s a big deal. Because, allegedly, they were there. You said so yourself. It’s like going with your buddy while he robs a liquor store. Sure, you didn’t rob the liquor store, but you knew your buddy was gonna do it, and you 1) decided to tag along, and 2) don’t tell the cops.
I’m sorry Mr. Ferguson, but that’s something.
So, according to Ferguson’s comments above, this is what I’m picking up:
- The eight players were present at the Rather Hall incident
- They may or may not have played a part in the fisticuffs, but Ferguson doesn’t explicitly say that they weren’t. He merely says it wasn’t the reason they were suspended.
- They players lied about being at the incident and/or knowing “something was going down.” Dantonio subsequently suspended the players not for being present/taking part, but rather for lying about it.
If the players were in fact suspended for the lying, and not, say, for being present and potentially taking part in the fight, I have to say I’m very disappointed. Yes, I understand the coaches want the players to tell the truth. But if they took part in the fight, that should be the reason they’re suspended, not just because they lied about it.
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