I hadn't posted on this subject before; people are going to believe what they choose to believe and any post I made would have only been troll food. I waited until there was resolution before I made this my one and only statement about the subject.
Everything that was attributed to a single anonymous source and/or reported or regurgitated by some media was assumed to be fact by many. I won't go into specifics but a lot that has been assumed on these forums is not fact.
If you believe there were 4 wrestlers suspended for dealing drugs you are wrong.
If you think there was an OD you are wrong.
If you think 2 months and humiliation was the only price paid you are wrong.
There was wrong doing. Young men were accountable for their individual actions. They will take their medicine, hopefully learn from it and be better men for it.
There were offers made by some very good programs to at least 1 wrestler if he was interested in a fresh start. I can't/won't speak for others but I would assume others were also courted. The easier road would have been to bail and I'm sure that would have also satisfied the wishes of some. To allow another program to reap the benefits of the resources, sacrifices, commitment and efforts of J, the staff, the fans and the program as a whole after dropping a grenade and bailing to leave the Gophers to pick up the pieces would not have been fair many. A lot is owed to many and the only way to pay it back is to excel in the community, in the classroom, in life and on the mat representing those that commited to and believed in you.
The process dragged out so long because of the summer break (parties in different states) and several layers of investigation (police, university, athletic department) that, for lack of a better term, each had to wait their turn in line.
I know the published sanctions are not satisfactory for some wanting a pound of flesh, depending on your perspective, out of a sense of being wronged or out of spite.The wrestler closest to me was accountable for his actions and resolved to accept whatever punishment the UofM deemed appropriate.
I won't be answering any questions about any of this.
Good health to all going forward and like all of you I am anxious for the season to start.
Everything that was attributed to a single anonymous source and/or reported or regurgitated by some media was assumed to be fact by many. I won't go into specifics but a lot that has been assumed on these forums is not fact.
If you believe there were 4 wrestlers suspended for dealing drugs you are wrong.
If you think there was an OD you are wrong.
If you think 2 months and humiliation was the only price paid you are wrong.
There was wrong doing. Young men were accountable for their individual actions. They will take their medicine, hopefully learn from it and be better men for it.
There were offers made by some very good programs to at least 1 wrestler if he was interested in a fresh start. I can't/won't speak for others but I would assume others were also courted. The easier road would have been to bail and I'm sure that would have also satisfied the wishes of some. To allow another program to reap the benefits of the resources, sacrifices, commitment and efforts of J, the staff, the fans and the program as a whole after dropping a grenade and bailing to leave the Gophers to pick up the pieces would not have been fair many. A lot is owed to many and the only way to pay it back is to excel in the community, in the classroom, in life and on the mat representing those that commited to and believed in you.
The process dragged out so long because of the summer break (parties in different states) and several layers of investigation (police, university, athletic department) that, for lack of a better term, each had to wait their turn in line.
I know the published sanctions are not satisfactory for some wanting a pound of flesh, depending on your perspective, out of a sense of being wronged or out of spite.The wrestler closest to me was accountable for his actions and resolved to accept whatever punishment the UofM deemed appropriate.
I won't be answering any questions about any of this.
Good health to all going forward and like all of you I am anxious for the season to start.
