No signing day press conference for Dantonio

Submitted by rbgoblue on

Many people thought that national signing day would be the next (first?) time for Mark Dantonio to hold a press conference since reading his statement at the MSU basketball game two weeks ago, giving reporters the opportunity to ask questions regarding the accusations of mishandling of violence and sexual assault during his tenure with the MSU football program. Dantonio has held a national signing day press conference to introduce the incoming recruits who sign a LOI with MSU every year, including one during the early signing period in December. Instead, MSU released a twitter video welcoming their 1(!) new addition to the class since the early signing period and Dantonio continues to hide from the media. He has yet to answer questions regarding the accusations made against his football program. Not a good look.

Mr Grainger

February 8th, 2018 at 8:30 AM ^

If ESPN can find more concrete proof of his knowledge/involvement, he is in trouble. If not, he will probably slither away and get to keep his job.

It'd be fun for opposing fans to chant "tell your mother" at him during games this year.

mGrowOld

February 8th, 2018 at 8:06 AM ^

I said it here repeatedly after the ESPN story broke that MSU would stonewall this until it went away. Nobody wanted to hear (believe) that but guess what? It's almost completely gone away nationally.

24 hour news cycle has moved on guys. The circus has left town.

redhed

February 8th, 2018 at 8:36 AM ^

Based on what ?   This board is correct when stating that MSU Football is not nationally relevant.  In this case that will work in their favor.  Allegations from 7 years ago that were not prosecuted are not going to remain "hot" news anymore than any other story related to MSU Football.  Izzo's spotlight is quite a bit brighter, so his situation will be more challenging.

esanch

February 8th, 2018 at 8:26 PM ^

So far, the cornerstone of her investigation has been second and third hand accounts of things she heard from a counselor, and rehashing a dismissed misdemeanor from 2010 that has nothing to do with a culture of rape cover up.

Her new information better be a whole hell of a lot better than her old information, or he might just need to give it up. She could have done a great piece of work on that piece of shit gymnastics coach that allowed the molestation of dozens of girls.

Yo_Blue

February 8th, 2018 at 8:39 AM ^

Until they start treating this seriously at the top, rather than covering their sorry asses, nothing will change.  I mean ,sure, everyone wants to keep their jobs.  The problem is that no one understands that what they have done in the past is flat out WRONG. It has to be pointed out to them, sadly.

JHumich

February 8th, 2018 at 9:15 AM ^

At this point, they'll just keep doubling down until it hits the fan. But politics will, ironically, bring justice about. Politicians need something to pin a shining star on their chests, and this will be someone's star. Dantonio will get what's coming. Anyone who expected remorse or even responsibility hasn't been paying attention.

Everyone Murders

February 8th, 2018 at 8:40 AM ^

There's a lot to your point regarding America's relatively short attention span, and it won't get quite the attention it did when Nassar's victims were pillorying him in open court.  That's "great TV" that drives ratings.

Howevah, ESPN still needs to fill 24 hours worth of coverage, MSU's football program is shady as all get-out, and the NCAA is investigating the entire school under the "protect the welfare of student athlete" provisions of its charter.  We know that the NCAA is often a toothless enforcer of felonies (really, really good at civil infractions though!), but this is a great chance for them to showboat with a school that has practically painted concentric circles on its back over the past couple of decades.

I think the burners will definitely be turned down, but once the Walton story gets run to ground, Izzo may have some explaining to do.  And Dantonio's an even easier target - bringing kids in with known histories of violence, a huge spate of sex crimes, and a culture of "cover it up and get 'em back on the field".  It's really pretty easy pickings.

mGrowOld

February 8th, 2018 at 9:09 AM ^

ESPN timed the release of their story with the Nassar sentencing for maximum ratings punch. And it worked-piggybacking the national narrative on MSU put a lot of eyeballs on MSU basketball and football program indiscretions. For a day or two.

But Nasssar is in jail and the country has moved on to other sordid matters and, outside of our little community here, nobody gives two shits about something that may or may not have happened 7 years ago at some nondescript midwestern agricultural college. They just dont.

ESPN is all about ratings-not hard hitting journalistic expose's so they are moving on. The local Detroit media badly wants this story to go away to protect their favorite sons Dantonio & Izzo so they have moved on too.

Outside of MgoBlog this story is dead and buried. Sorry to disappoint everybody but it is.

Everyone Murders

February 8th, 2018 at 9:24 AM ^

We have this in common - we both hope you're wrong.

Actually, we agree on more than that.  I agree that ESPN is all about ratings, but remember they had FOIA'd the shit out of MSU even before the Nassar scandal came to light.  And MSU, true to form, redacted the shit out of what it was finally forced to produce. 

You and I could both walk an ESPN reporter through the places to look in that program.  When sports hits a lull after the Final Four, ESPN will need content.  This stuff is pretty easy.

It will not see anywhere near the full glare of the post-Nassar sentencing spotlight, but I think it's going to get back on the crawl and intermittent five-minute updates.  And if the NCAA takes any action, that's a whole other story.

Hail-Storm

February 8th, 2018 at 9:38 AM ^

but it looks like MSU is going to get by, just like said, for being irrelevent (sp?).  Michigan was in the news for almost a year trying to solve the practice/ stretching issue.  Gibbons was given appropriate amount of attention.  I am just amazed at how systemic this issue is.  The school, the athletic program, the county prosecuter and the media all need to turn a blind eye to this to make it happen.  

Steeveebr

February 8th, 2018 at 6:22 PM ^

I get where you are coming from, but the Baylor timeline wasn't exactly a one week affair.  It took months for Art Briles to be fired.

 

Everyone should look at the Baylor timeline.  This stuff doesn't just disappear or happen overnight. 

bronxblue

February 8th, 2018 at 9:03 AM ^

They've stonewalled, but there are still ongoing state and federal investigations into the MSU AD. They will undoubtedly review all sexual assault situations at MSU, which include the incidents with Izzo and Dantonio. I don't know if either will get fired; my guess is not. But lots can still come out.

1VaBlue1

February 8th, 2018 at 10:05 AM ^

Unfortunately, the investigations are being led by MSU 'old boy' cronies.  Or, at least, people very close to cronies.  The simple fact that the BoT could appoint Engler, and the AG could appoint Forsyth, largely without media spotlight, tells me that little - if anything - will come of these 'investigations'.

Peter Secchia is Mr Moneybutt around MSU.  Engler is on the Board of Secchia's company, and has been for years.  Secchia paid for Forsyth's retirement party.  Dantanya wrote the Forward for Schuette's book.  Engler endorsed Schuette for his run at the Gov office.  Engler and Secchia have been photo'd together on the court at Breslin (named for the father of the BoT Chairman) with Dick DeVos (husband of the Sect of Education, who is also 'investigating', despite its (DOE) apparent dislike of Title IX protections).

It's all a little too close for me to believe that anything hard hitting will come of this.  We thought Baylor did a good job stonewalling?  MSU is going to be a case study in how to effectively stonewall an investigation into bad behavior.

UMForLife

February 8th, 2018 at 8:08 AM ^

Not a good look but a good move by him. It follows the MSU culture. Keep hiding and things may go away. Hope it doesn't but I am not holding my breath. Everyone seems to have moved on to other things, especially the local media.

Anchew

February 8th, 2018 at 8:26 AM ^

Mork played the same game last year when Donnie Corley, Josh King and Demetric Vance got in trouble for their sexual assault. "Maybe if i wait long enough, the heat will cool down." shows how weak he really is!

bgoblue02

February 8th, 2018 at 8:32 AM ^

there was no NSD anything on this blog outside the board.  So maybe theirs was as boring as ours was and he decided to mail it in? 

or he is definitely afraid to talk to the media 

Pepto Bismol

February 8th, 2018 at 8:56 AM ^

Harbaugh talked to the media to discuss his class, his staff, and his program in general. A quick search shows John Bonamego of CMU and Tim Lester of Western did as well. I'd search EMU, but I don't know who their coach is. Brian Kelly had a presser. So did Urban Meyer and James Franklin. Kirk Ferentz held a press conference. Paul Chryst didn't, but held an interview with BTN to discuss his class. I'm going to stop because it looks like everybody else addressed the media.

Mark Dantonio and MSU did not... ya know, "to be fair".

bgoblue02

February 8th, 2018 at 9:22 AM ^

that Michigan didn't do anything, my point was that I had no clue since the place I go to for that information had pretty mucn nil.   The board covered it extensively but nothing from the blog. 

I want to be clear, I think state's response is unexcuseable and that dantonio is hiding from the media.  That being said, i still come to this blog for coverage of Michigan.... which doesn't seem to be present lately.  

Everyone Murders

February 8th, 2018 at 8:32 AM ^

Dantonio gave this statement:*

'We're lying in the weeds. People aren't paying attention to us.' And he said, 'That's fine. That's fine. We'll show up and do our thing.'

I think after his idiotic comments during his post-Nassar press session, he's probably been advised to not ad lib these days. 

*Out of context, years ago, but oh so apt.

In reply to by Raymond_RedWings

UMfan21

February 8th, 2018 at 9:47 AM ^

whole different thing, but they are lumped together because they show a pattern of inaction and coverups across MSU athletic department.

Jimmyisgod

February 8th, 2018 at 8:47 AM ^

Was a quiet day for them.

I hate MSU more than the average UM fan, but the ESPN story is dying, not because MSU is stonewalling, but because ESPN wrote a story filled with half truths and flat out lies.  ESPN has edited their story like 5 times since they published it.  Several in the national media have called it out now and so ESPN is just pretending they didn't write it.

bronxblue

February 8th, 2018 at 9:11 AM ^

People keep saying the story is fake news and lies and all that, but what is the evidence that's true? I think ESPN changed like a name or date because of a bad piece of research, but few legitimate people are arguing that the core facts are wrong. In fact, the biggest complaint was the insinuation that Izzo and Dantonio were lumped in with Nassar.

Jimmyisgod

February 8th, 2018 at 10:24 AM ^

Not going to defend MSU

But the ESPN piece made severe aleggations they had little proof for.  They talked about a diary of a deceased girl and said she killed hereself (which she didn't).  They attributed a quote to Payne he never actually said.  They left out key facts about Walton.  The burden is on ESPN to back up these types of explosive allegations, they didn't do that at all.  

I want to see Izzo and Dantonio fall more than the average fan.  But the ESPN piece isn't going to do it.  It's blowing over because they didn't back it up.  

NateVolk

February 8th, 2018 at 12:42 PM ^

Would you care to site any sources for your claims? 

I just listened to the podcast of the reporter on the piece the other day. She's highly respected and she didn't back off any of it.  

OTL is not the student newspaper catching the principal stealing from the lunch money safe. 

They take their time and check the hell out of every little aspect with lawyers auditing every sentence. They worked on that story for 3 years. 

Your claims sound like the same wild accusations I hear from every hard core State fan who worships these two coaches. Even at the expense of the school's reputation. 

 

BigBlue02

February 8th, 2018 at 12:48 PM ^

I see you’ve been reading the drivel over at RCMB for your info.

They didn’t attribute a quote to Payne that he didn’t say. They were quoting the police report, not Payne. Also, what key facts on Walton did they leave out? I feel like you’re full of shit