Iota Phi Theta blames players for Rather Hall altercation

Mark Dantonio gets it. All he needs to do is get his thug recruits to fight on the field like they do against MSU students and hockey players.

Let Mark do it!

All parties involved need to come forward and explain what is going on. Dismissing two players, without further comment is NOT acceptable.

To all the people who did not agree with letting Winston back on the team after the hockey incident, I disagreed with that. Young people make mistakes, and after he served his punishment I thought he should be allowed back on the team. However, if he was involved in this incident, then that is starting to show a pattern. I totally agree with him being kicked off the team this time. If he didn’t learn from 180 days in jail and missing all those games, then he has some issues. He needs to get his head straightened out before he can be part of any athletic program.

Also, I agree with Lyle. Something needs to be said about this and why the players were dismissed.

And both these guys were showing great promise on the field before they got hurt. Jenrette brought toughness to the defense, and Winston was doing really good carrying the ball in the RB rotation. Why these athletes can’t keep themselves under control and not jeopardize all the university is giving them, I don’t know. That’s the most frustrating part. Any kid paying his way through college would love to be in the position they’re in, and they just throw it away like it doesn’t matter.

Even my RCMB nancies would thrash any of these people.

A few things don’t add up here:

Why is the national fraternity issuing a statement about being disappointed in MSU football players? Last time I checked it takes two sides to fight – I’m sure these frat boys weren’t completely pure and innocent here. Will the national fraternity be kicking out those members involved in the fight, since they’re so keen to criticize MSU athletics for the same thing?

Yes young people make mistakes because of immaturity. However,that does not mean one must not be responsible for certain actions. Assaulting and battering is not a mistake because of being “young.” We are in college/grad school now. WE ARE NOT YOUNG. WE ALL KNOW THAT PHYSICALLY BEATING ON SOMEONE IS WRONG. IT IS NOT A MISTAKE. HE INTENTIONALLY MEANT TO HURT THAT MAN. Learn what a mistake is.

Why is it people think it is ok to blame the victims in these cases?? Didnt you read the article? The frat brothers were having a dinner and were ASSAULTED by FOOTBALL Players. Lots of witnesses. Scary enough that can happen in a dorm but to have a gang of athletes who supposedly represent the University participating is unbelieveable. There were multiple witnesses, those guys are on TV every week. People KNOW who they are. You need to deal with the reality of it and blame those responsible not the victims.

If any other human being did something remotely like this they would be facing charges and not allowed to grace the grounds of MSU any longer. It is not safe for everyone else to have people like that around other students. If the students with the fireworks are getting their lives ruined, so should these fools who actually caused deliberate HARM to other people! This is pathetic, and sad that most of the public does not even know about this story. I know for a fact that all of Rather Hall is furious with how this is being handled, so should more people.

People,

please do not be fooled by the amount of hypocrisy going on here. In the best interest of the chapter here at MSU Iota Phi Theta is trying to play the victim role in the situation when in fact they play a major part and provoked players from the MSU football team.

At the club, Members of Iota Phi Theta while strolling bump into and knocked down Glen (he has a torn ACL so he doesn’t have the best balance) after this they began to taunt him which is what casued that incident.

The players involved after that point in a sense of comradery felt they had to avenge there teammate which is why they showed up at the event in rather. I do agree the actions of the football players were senseless but nevertheless provoked.

Iota Phi Theta a relatively new fraternity on MSU campus has done nothing but caused issues on campus including fights with other fraternities. In fact one of there members was smoking in front of high level adminstrators at a MLK memorial at the rock. This shows they have total disregard for themselves and others.

Well what about the innocent bystanders that they hit too? Many of those were women that just happened to be nearby!

Frat boys were drunk and talked smack to the football players. Frat boys then got put into their place.

Whether they were provoked or not, a premeditated attack on any group of people, on a different day than the provocation, involving the attack of people not associated with Iota Phi Theta, is inexcusable. There are other ways to handle this.

The women involved were not innocent bystanders as Iota Phi Theta would like you to beleive they have a group of women who follow them around like groupies call “Iota Sweethearts” They have jackets and wear greek letters. I’m sure the football players did not assualy any woman who was doing her best to get away from the situation the women who got hit were involved in some capacity.

I DO NOT CONDONE HITTING WOMEN IM JUST PROVIDING MORE INFORMATION!!!!!

Winston should never of been at a bar in the fist place and he knew it, hes on PAROLE. Stop rationalizing and set a higher standard. Innocent people being assaulted is a CRIME.

While I do not condone the actions taken by any members of the football team. The MSU chapter of Iota Phi Theta should be dismissed from the university. This group is a gang not a fraternity!

Frat boys and football players are both groups that are prone to fighting and douchebaggery.

none of this matters, except that there was a physical attack, they were not defending themselves from being attacked. as the attackers they deserve consequences and should not be allowed off free!

Anyone who went to MSU, or has ever attended a “frat party” or any gathering organized by a frat, can understand why they got a beating. I have seen this type of thing happen a million times to frat boys, but MSU football players have no business hitting anyone off the field. I think there was an incident years ago, where some frat boys wouldn’t let some black football players into their party, and they got beat for it.

I know the story of the two. I was at both incidents, And I agree with Insider. These frat dudes are cowards and thought they were tough under the influence of Alcohol. But the next day when repercussions ensued, they wanted to be good guys because the “liquid courage” left their system and there were no bouncers to seperate the two crowds. They bitched up. Be a man! If you want to fight a guy and throw a sneak punch, don’t go run to the police when they do the same thing. Bitch Made! Sorry it had to happen like that Glenn and Jenrette. You lose when u fight women (IPhiT)

With all due respect to anyone taking sides here, MSU is an EDUCATIONAL institution. There is NO room for ANY of this nonsense here. ANYONE who threw a punch at someone should be kicked out, unless they can clearly demonstrate that they were defending an imminent threat. Retribution or revenge is not a justification. There are proper means to address past grievance, and street justice is NOT one of them in an EDUCATIONAL institution. If you think otherwise, you are free to query the hundreds of other colleges and universities to see where you might fit in.

I don’t believe either side is innocent in a way shape or form. With that being said, if these two football players left after their awards banquet, walked across the street to “settle” a fight that happened the night before is absolutely absurd! In no way is that self defense! Here are a few questions to ponder. 1) If Glenn was really so badly injured why is he fighting? 2) Why was Glenn even at the bar as a previous “insider” comment above that he was, he’s 20, not 21? I’m sure that Glenn is on some sort of probation after his fight he got in last year, you would think someone that went through that would make better decisions. I’m sorry but this is a real slap in the face for MSU and the football program! If that is the reason they were kicked off the team, which seems to be the case.

It’s obvious the people defending violent actions made by these individuals are seeing through ‘special glasses’. Would they still speak the same or even bother if the individuals were white? I think not…

Wow, I was curious to see what the Spartan coverage of this incident would look like. On the one hand, I am glad to see that the school newspaper isn’t afraid to at least ask questions. I am a UM alumnus and was born and raised in Detroit. I have many, many ties to MSU and have love for the campus. That said, I am very embarrassed by the actions of all involved, especially the football players.

I don’t know how anyone who has a discernible amount of maturity justifies those players coming to the Iota potluck and wrecking shop in ski masks! It isn’t about being “bitch made,” that is just stupid and unnecessary. Whatever issue they had, if tension was too high to sort it out at the club, surely they could have worked it out after no drinks were involved. I don’t mean to play the race card, but any African American on a college campus knows that our Greeks stroll, especially at their parties. It is disrespectful to get in their way when they do so and they usually stroll aggressively to discourage people from doing so. Other Greek organizations show mutual respect for other Greeks while they stroll and it is custom on many campuses to get permission of sorts before strolling at another Greek’s party. There is usually no problem as it isn’t a malicious thing. It is festive and a celebration of each organization by its members. It is also an advertisement in a way for others who may want to become members.

For those who don’t know what a “stroll” is, it is a choreographed dance of sorts, where members of fraternities and sororities go around in a circle and display pride for their specific organization through chants, songs, and choreographed dances specific to their organization. Every member of the organization should be in unison and it is really something interesting to see if you haven’t seen it. Again, there is nothing violent about it. Everyone who identifies with the culture knows and understands this. I’ve mistakenly gotten in the way before and usually, if you aren’t doing it intentionally or disrespectfully, if you do get bumped, it won’t be aggressively. Normally, your friends will warn you, or you’ll hear them coming and simply step to the side. It isn’t a big deal.

Now, that said, I can’t speak for what happened at that particular incident at the club, and I will not speculate. In fact, without personally having more information, I can not condemn either side for the fight that occurred at the club. Those kinds of things happen everywhere. What becomes alarming is Winston’s name continues to pop up in unnecessary and embarrassing conduct. At some point that has to be unacceptable. A lot of bright, intelligent and forward-thinking people attend MSU and represent MSU in all arenas of life with honor, that kid has not, and does not. To defend his activity at the potluck is just reprehensible, and for the University to operate under a cloak makes things smell even fishier. Someone needs to get control of their team, pronto. Perhaps Dantonio won’t get control of his program until a brighter light is cast on him. And whoever used the brother’s keeper defense, camaraderie is an excuse for getting involved at the club, not for storming Rather in ski masks. Good luck.

Excellant post Ramon. Especially liked the part about a brighter light. I think the victims need to point a beacon at MSU this time so that change will occur. This incident is exactly what happend the first time, second brawl aimed at innocents who had nothing to do with the first incident. There were numerous other football players involved in that too who were not named. If indeed some were the same, ie Winston, Dantonio is to blame as he covered for all his guys the first time. MSU did not fully cooperate then, thus the reason it took so long for charges to be brought. Lets hope they take this one seriously and get to the bottom of it.