After the pregame incident prior to Michigan and Michigan State Saturday that resulted when Devin Bush was ‘clotheslined’ by members of the MSU football team during their tradition ‘Spartan Walk’, U of M AD Warde Manuel has issued a statement on the matter.
Warde Manuel statement pic.twitter.com/uWiY5FnWDl
— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) October 23, 2018
Manuel’s statement comes after some very direct comments from Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh who reiterated his comments from earlier calling Michigan State’s actions as ‘bush league’ while quoting Mark Dantonio himself.
Via 247 Sports:
“When you host a team, each team shares the field,” Harbaugh said. “Each has a sideline, each has half of the field to warm up on. Michigan State locked arms and used every inch of the field in their walk in attempt of going through or over our guys in a physical manner. To call that unsportsmanlike or call that bush league is putting it mildly. That could’ve been a real unfortunate incident. As I said, it’s the opposite of BS. Coach said that was BS, it’s not. That’s fact. I think it’s something the two athletic directors should talk about.
“I’ll go one step further and use Coach Dantonio’s words from a few years back,” he said. “It’s not a product of their team but their program. That’s using his words. That could’ve been unfortunate. I’m proud of our guys for keeping their cool and waiting for the game to (settle it).”
#Wolverines @CoachJim4UM commenting on the pregame incident Saturday at #MSU (Part One) pic.twitter.com/vwJFOc0Fso
— Sky Kerstein (@SkyKersteinFox2) October 22, 2018
#Wolverines @CoachJim4UM commenting strongly on the pregame incident Saturday at #MSU (Part Two) pic.twitter.com/um9DEz2pP2
— Sky Kerstein (@SkyKersteinFox2) October 22, 2018
#Wolverines @CoachJim4UM commenting strongly on the pregame incident Saturday at #MSU (Part Three) pic.twitter.com/YshKHpE3R3
— Sky Kerstein (@SkyKersteinFox2) October 22, 2018
Now of course you don’t want to see anyone get hurt over something like this, but I think both programs need to cut the bullshit here. They both know what they were doing when everything went down Saturday morning. The Spartans knew they were going to fuck with the Wolverines in any pregame warmup when they delayed the walk and Michigan knew what what they were getting themselves into when they stayed on the field when the walk took place.
No one, not Michigan or Michigan State should be acting like they’re innocent here because neither are not. And it’s okay. The pregame ‘bullshit’ is that same type of ‘bullshit’ that adds that something extra to the rivalry.