Mack > Lloyd

LLLLoydIt turns out that UM wide reciever Adrian Arrington’s legal situation is “more severe than originally thought.”

In case you’ve been under a rock, Arrington played on Saturday despite Internet rumors of him having been booked for domestic violence late last week. The initial DFP article that discussed the situation quoted:

I do not think the allegation is supported by the facts,” Carr said. “This is just in the last few days.” Carr went to great effort to say that he was “very careful” when investigating the facts.

So Carr took it upon himself to investigate the situation “very carefully,” and determined that the allegations did not merit disciplinary action.

But today, details of the situation are coming to light. In short, Arrington was supposedly drunk, roughed up his girlfriend, took her keys, and stole her car. This all occurred on the early morning hours of October 13, a day before the Penn State game.

Even though he investigated the situation — very carefully — now Carr is saying something a bit different:

“I was first informed that there was an issue mid-week” last week involving Arrington, Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said Monday through athletic department spokesman Bruce Madej. “This is a new issue and if he was drinking, I have to find that out and it is a team issue. And we handle team issues internally.”

We wouldn’t be a very good OSU blog if we didn’t point out the interesting “coincidences” here:

Context:

  • Mario Manningham and Tyler Ecker get injured, are out for the Penn State and Iowa games (at least). As a result, UM is very thin at receivers. Arrington and Breaston will have to step up if UM has a chance to make it to Columbus undefeated.
  • Penn State and Iowa are the two biggest games on the UM schedule leading up to OSU. Penn State in particular is a potential trap, being an away game at night in Beaver Stadium.
  • After PSU & Iowa, UM has three cakewalk games leading up to the big showdown against OSU.

Sequence of events:

  1. The day before the Penn State game, Arrington’s girlfriend calls 911 (Ypsilanti police respond).
  2. Arrington plays at Penn State, getting 83 yards and a TD in a very close game against the Lions.
  3. Arrington is arraigned.
  4. Carr is “first informed” of the situation, during preparations for Iowa.
  5. Carr “very carefully” investigates, determines that “the allegations are not supported by the facts.”
  6. Internet threads and blogs break the news, with people wondering what Arrington was doing driving around drunk the day before the Penn State game, and questioning why Arrington is being allowed to play at all.
  7. Crickets are heard chirping in Ann Arbor.
  8. Arrington plays against Iowa, getting 8 catches for 79 yards in another close game.
  9. 48 hours after the Iowa game, about 10 days after the initial call to 911, Carr says that the details regarding the incident are “a new issue,” and that it “will be handled internally.”
  10. UM takes a breath, begins preparing for the weakest part of their schedule.
  11. Arrington pleads not guilty, court date set for November 1.

Note that we’re not concluding anything, here. Feel free to make your own conclusions about the sequence of events. There are numerous odd “coincidences,” especially regarding all of this happening when (1) Manningham is out and (2) UM can’t afford to be thin at WR for two tough games. However, it is just as likely that Carr did not know what was going on, or that Carr somehow wasn’t aware that his star WR was driving around drunk the morning they were supposed to travel to PSU. Time will tell how much of the story is true and how much is overblown.

However, MotSaG was able to obtain the following clip of the phone conversation between UM’s athletic director Bill Martin and Carr, and it’s clear he’s not too happy with Carr’s handling of the situation:


“Caaaaarrrrrr!!!!”

Let’s state the obvious: Carr should have benched Arrington for Iowa’s game, at least.

Consider the following: The week of the OSU/Texas game, Tarell Brown, the Horns’ starting CB, was arrested on drug and weapons violations. Just like Lloyd Carr, Mack Brown investigated the situation “very carefully” and determined that the charges against Brown were likely to be dropped.

But he still suspended him.

Coach Brown suspended his starting CB on the eve of the biggest non-conference game of the year — the kid who was supposed to cover Ted Ginn Jr. — even though he was confident that his CB was not going to be charged with a crime.

Mack Brown did that because, even though his player was going to get off the hook legally, he was still behaving in a manner that was unacceptable to the standards of the football program. Even if that meant risking a shot at the national title, it was the right thing to do. Div. I-A football players shouldn’t be out getting drunk, high, (or hanging with people who are getting drunk and high), violating team curfew, rules, etc. To do things like those shows (at the very least) that you do not have your team’s best interests in mind, because any absence that results from your discipline could hurt their chances.

Even if only part of the allegations surrounding Arrington are correct, it’s clear that he didn’t have his team’s best interests in mind, either. In fact, his offense is worse, because he was asked to step up and play for Manningham. His team was depending on him, and he was perfectly willing to put them in a bad spot.

At any rate, how convenient it is that the timing of these events works out just perfect for UM. At least now, if Arrington gets suspended, it’ll only be for Ball State or Indiana. And Manningham & Ecker will probably be back by then, anyway.

Comments

  1. I can only dispute event number seven. It’s too cold for crickets to be heard chirping here. That’s probably the only one wrong. Nice post.

  2. I think that’s about as perfect as that could be illustrated. Very nice!

  3. One girl with a broken wrist, another girl knocked unconscious…Troy Smith & Santonio Holmes in the middle of all of this and charged only with “disorderly conduct”…any of that ring a bell? Just prior to UM-OSU 2003? And the punishment? Holmes was benched in the UM game *for the first offensive series*. Now I’m not making any conclusions here, or anything, but…

    Glass houses, stones, etc.

    Let’s let the facts come out first. Is that too much to ask?

  4. Ryan,

    Santonio Holmes was cleared of all charges in that incident.

    At any rate, you’ve proved my point. Santonio was cleared of all charges, yet was still punished by Tressel in the meantime. Just like Mack Brown did with Tarrell Brown.

    Whether or not Arrington is cleared, Carr chose not to punish him. If he punishes him now, it’s “interesting” that it happens only after a media outcry and the PSU/Iowa games.

    sM

    PS: I could find no mention of a girl with “broken wrist” or another who was “unconscious.” One girl claimed to have a broken jaw, but apparently didn’t blame Holmes for it. The “rumor” about the incident was that Holmes and Smith had attempted to intervene to break up a fight between other people.

    Apples and oranges, etc.

  5. Michigan Fan says

    Who gives a crap but in 18 days its osu gonna lose osu’s offence aint got shit on the #1 rush defence in the nation and the #5 defence over all in the nation but i will say its gonna be a battle of defences or special teams that day but mich will come out on top victorious cuz they are better

  6. Michigan Fan – You think #1 in rush defense has anything to do with anything? It\’s total defense and scoring defense that matters (and OSU is #1 in scoring defense).

    Even ESPN was saying last weekend that UM\’s defense, while good against the rush, isn\’t in the same class as OSUs.

    UM\’s defense is #4 overall, and OSU\’s is #10 overall. Sounds impressive, until you realize that OSU only allows 25 more yards per game than UM.

    That\’s right – only 25 yards more per game. That\’s not even a FG\’s worth of difference. So feel free to brag that UM allows 25 fewer yards per game. We\’ll brag that our average margin of victory is larger than the number of points UM is putting on the board each week.

    UM will not be able to rely on its defense to win the game. Its offense will have to put up some serious points to win. Do you think Henne\’s boys can outscore Smith\’s?

  7. Michigan Faithful says

    In case you haven’t left from under your rock, lately…Adrian Arrington appeared at his arraignment, with his girlfriend. She claims to have only contacted the police, and asked them to locate her car.

    Your comment that he “roughed her up” isn’t accurate, in fact it is paraphrasing, in a way that is misleading. As for the whole of the scenario, Michigan has had a better track record, than TOSU, (as far as athletes in trouble). Remember the kid frm Cleveland (5-star recruit) robbed a few folks, then wound up in jail? Doesn’t happen at Michigan…let’s not forget Mo Clarett. Albeit, a sad story, by any standard.

    Tressel is a good coach, actually a superb one. So is Carr, he was my brothers position coach, in the late 80’s. Carr has not done well against Tressell, but I honestly hope this game lives up to its billing, and Wolverines pop open a can of premium whoop ass, on TOSU.

    Blog that!

  8. Mich. Faithful –

    >>As for the whole of the scenario, Michigan has had a better track record, than TOSU, (as far as athletes in trouble). Remember the kid frm Cleveland (5-star recruit) robbed a few folks, then wound up in jail? Doesn’t happen at Michigan…<< Uhh... it does happen at Michigan, just as often as anywhere else. Carr has had to deal with plenty of bad apples up at UM, including (but in no way limited to): Woodson’s booster issues; Charles Winters’ domestic violence issues; disorderly conduct from players like June, Stevens, and Stenavich; Harrison’s sex offender issues; Arrington’s alcohol/domestic abuse issues; and now Burgess’ burglary problems.

    Not saying Carr is a bad coach. But to say that UM is immune from thug players is ridiculous. Every major program has to deal with them.

    As for Arrington, who knows what the truth is. Only Arrington and his gf know, and their stories are changing every day. The most important point wasn’t necessarily the legal end of it, but the team issue. Dude’s the starting WR, UM is thin at WR, and he’s driving around drunk the day before the PSU game, hours before the team has to leave? There’s a bunch of stuff wrong there, both on the players’ side and the coaches.’

  9. Remember a few years ago when Scott Skiles was facing a drug “problem”? As I recall, he never missed a game. Then there is Steve Alford who posed for a photograph to be used in a calendar generating funds for a charity. Alford missed the Indiana-Kentucky game.
    Two years ago, Number 99 for Michigan State slugged a Wisconsin football player while he was lying on the ground near the end zone; a fact witnessed by fans in the end zone and reported to the officials and coaches of both clubs. Nothing was ever done; perhaps because no foul was called. The Arrington “thing” stinks up the entire Big-10. Wasn’t Carr featured in the TV spot a year ago talking about how the Big-10 sets the standard? Where is Carr? Where is UM? Where is the Big-10?

  10. I just wish Lloyd Carr and Urban Meyer would both stop whining! Urban, you get your shot now. Lloyd, you had there chance against Ohio State and you lost. And don’t complain about playing onOhio State ‘s homefield as that didn’t stop Texas from proving the doubters wrong last year when they beat USC on USC’s home field in the Rose Bowl. Champions win the big games. Everyone knows Michigan is number 2, so what would you rather do, lose again toOhio State or win the Rose Bowl? Florida will be humiliated by Ohio State and USC by Michigan and everyone will still know that Michigan is number 2 and Ohio State is number 1. All that is up for grabs is who else finishes in the top 5 and who starts next season ranked #1.

Trackbacks

  1. […] MotSaG has the story down in a nice summary, but here’s a quick lowdown; […]

  2. […] MotSaG has the story down in a nice summary, but here’s a quick lowdown; […]

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