It's very disheartening to watch the denial and blind support from a segment of fandom who are generally thought of as fair minded people that has taken place in recent years at Penn State, Florida State, Notre Dame and now MSU, and others, I suspect.
It's a given that there are those among the fandom of our beloved Illini that would most likely do the same thing. I sincerely hope they never have the opportunity to rear their ugly heads due to a situation that should have been handled much, much differently.
I know people are going to rip me and call me a homer, but I see a lot of misconceptions posted around regarding the football and basketball programs, and if you really look at the facts of the cases and how certain cases have been handled in the past.
1.Payne/Appling. This case was well publicized back when it happened. It actually went to the county prosecution office and the district attorney declared no crime. I have posted snips from the article quoting this. In addition, they released the police report where Payne is questioned, and ESPN totally took what he said that they released in the news piece out of context.
In addition, people say they were covering for MSU. The district attorney was a U of M grad who had prosecuted MSU athletes in the past. Also, this incident happened before they ever played a game at MSU. To conclude, this same woman who wrote this latest news piece also was the same one who wrote an article saying MSU does not give preferential treatment to athletes with sex assault cases
2. Regarding Travis Walton, there have been conflicting accounts by witnesses on the first assault. One other thing that is misconstrued is Travis Walton was not a MSU employee. He was a volunteer under Izzo, which ESPN then painted that they were keeping records from them. No, he wasn't an employee of the university.
Given that the two players were deemed innocent, not sure why Izzo would suspend them. That would actually be saying I don't believe you anyway.
3. The football allegations are more absurd. They brought up an alleged gang rape where not even the parents knew about it until 7 years later they found her diary after she committed suicide. The players were gone from MSU at that point. That's not on MSU or Dantonio. Everything else detailed ranged from a shouting match between a couple to some alleged rapes where the victims did not even press charges.
4. Dantonio just last year kicked four of arguably most talented players at huge positions of need coming off a 3-9 season. I mean come on, if you are going to keep things under wraps, coming off a disastrous year with Michigan, OSU, and PSU all surging all the while you had a lot of additional attrition for other reasons.
5. The claims are all second hand accounts from a sexual assault counselor of 8 years who states she has no idea what they knew nor had even spoken a word to the coaches. Also, why was she not going to the police?
6. To piggy back off number 5, this same woman in 2015 spoke highly of msu sex assault program and accepted an award for it. If that doesn't destroy her credibility, what would? I attached that too.
