FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[merlecanlas]

Getting arrested for assault on a Thursday and starting at QB on Saturday is never a good look, no matter the team or division of football.  It's going to draw harsh and just criticism, and raise very valid questions about Mount Union's football priorities.  Mount created this and invited these questions by their actions.  We don't know all the facts about the charges and it's certainly fair to let them all come out before passing judgement on Fulford, but how Mount has handled this has made them a target.

Of course it's not a good look.  I'm sure Mount would have loved to have this handled prior to moving to Alliance.  But Fulford is now part of the Mount family.  As a Mount alum, I am fine with trusting our administration and coaches to make the correct choice.  They likely know more information then anybody on the d3boards.  If all students were judged on their actions as a 17 year old, hardly anyone would be allowed in college.  I will wait for the details of the situation to be released to judge him.

Since none of us on the outside know the full story with Mr. Fulford,  I'd like to propose a hypothetical scenario to the D3 football world.
Situation.  Young man, 17, gets arrested.  Mom is concerned that this will end or at least significantly hurt son's chance to attend college.  Mom moves with son.  Does not change address with post office.  Mom then tells son, "Son, the charges have been dropped."  Son believes mother.  Fast forward 2 years and son is arrested for a routine traffic stop.  In this scenario, does anyone change their mind on if the son should play, be benched, or suspended from the football team? 

impossible.  Every D3boards poster knows everything about every situation that has ever happened in their lives.  Never missed a piece of mail, never even turned a paper in late.  The D3boards posters will tell you incredible stories about their first drink at age 21 and how they didn't inhale when peers provided marijuana and how they drive 20 mph in a school zone.

[wm4]

Getting arrested for assault on a Thursday and starting at QB on Saturday is never a good look, no matter the team or division of football.  It's going to draw harsh and just criticism, and raise very valid questions about Mount Union's football priorities.  Mount created this and invited these questions by their actions.  We don't know all the facts about the charges and it's certainly fair to let them all come out before passing judgement on Fulford, but how Mount has handled this has made them a target.

Of course it's not a good look.  I'm sure Mount would have loved to have this handled prior to moving to Alliance.  But Fulford is now part of the Mount family.  As a Mount alum, I am fine with trusting our administration and coaches to make the correct choice.  They likely know more information then anybody on the d3boards.  If all students were judged on their actions as a 17 year old, hardly anyone would be allowed in college.  I will wait for the details of the situation to be released to judge him.

Since none of us on the outside know the full story with Mr. Fulford,  I'd like to propose a hypothetical scenario to the D3 football world.
Situation.  Young man, 17, gets arrested.  Mom is concerned that this will end or at least significantly hurt son's chance to attend college.  Mom moves with son.  Does not change address with post office.  Mom then tells son, "Son, the charges have been dropped."  Son believes mother.  Fast forward 2 years and son is arrested for a routine traffic stop.  In this scenario, does anyone change their mind on if the son should play, be benched, or suspended from the football team? 

impossible.  Every D3boards poster knows everything about every situation that has ever happened in their lives.  Never missed a piece of mail, never even turned a paper in late.  The D3boards posters will tell you incredible stories about their first drink at age 21 and how they didn't inhale when peers provided marijuana and how they drive 20 mph in a school zone.

The topic sir, is how Mount handled Fulford.  Nothing else.

[jamtod]

Getting arrested for assault on a Thursday and starting at QB on Saturday is never a good look, no matter the team or division of football.  It's going to draw harsh and just criticism, and raise very valid questions about Mount Union's football priorities.  Mount created this and invited these questions by their actions.  We don't know all the facts about the charges and it's certainly fair to let them all come out before passing judgement on Fulford, but how Mount has handled this has made them a target.

Of course it's not a good look.  I'm sure Mount would have loved to have this handled prior to moving to Alliance.  But Fulford is now part of the Mount family.  As a Mount alum, I am fine with trusting our administration and coaches to make the correct choice.  They likely know more information then anybody on the d3boards.  If all students were judged on their actions as a 17 year old, hardly anyone would be allowed in college.  I will wait for the details of the situation to be released to judge him.

Since none of us on the outside know the full story with Mr. Fulford,  I'd like to propose a hypothetical scenario to the D3 football world.
Situation.  Young man, 17, gets arrested.  Mom is concerned that this will end or at least significantly hurt son's chance to attend college.  Mom moves with son.  Does not change address with post office.  Mom then tells son, "Son, the charges have been dropped."  Son believes mother.  Fast forward 2 years and son is arrested for a routine traffic stop.  In this scenario, does anyone change their mind on if the son should play, be benched, or suspended from the football team? 

impossible.  Every D3boards poster knows everything about every situation that has ever happened in their lives.  Never missed a piece of mail, never even turned a paper in late.  The D3boards posters will tell you incredible stories about their first drink at age 21 and how they didn't inhale when peers provided marijuana and how they drive 20 mph in a school zone.

The topic sir, is how Mount handled Fulford.  Nothing else.

Exactly. Which is different from whether we think Fulford is a bad person (I don't), whether Fulford committed murder (he didn't), whether Fulford is guilty of the charges he is facing (nobody knows but him and God), or whether I have personally done bad things in my life (I have. Once. But I learned my lesson with the appropriate consequences).

[merlecanlas]

Getting arrested for assault on a Thursday and starting at QB on Saturday is never a good look, no matter the team or division of football.  It's going to draw harsh and just criticism, and raise very valid questions about Mount Union's football priorities.  Mount created this and invited these questions by their actions.  We don't know all the facts about the charges and it's certainly fair to let them all come out before passing judgement on Fulford, but how Mount has handled this has made them a target.

Of course it's not a good look.  I'm sure Mount would have loved to have this handled prior to moving to Alliance.  But Fulford is now part of the Mount family.  As a Mount alum, I am fine with trusting our administration and coaches to make the correct choice.  They likely know more information then anybody on the d3boards.  If all students were judged on their actions as a 17 year old, hardly anyone would be allowed in college.  I will wait for the details of the situation to be released to judge him.

Since none of us on the outside know the full story with Mr. Fulford,  I'd like to propose a hypothetical scenario to the D3 football world.
Situation.  Young man, 17, gets arrested.  Mom is concerned that this will end or at least significantly hurt son's chance to attend college.  Mom moves with son.  Does not change address with post office.  Mom then tells son, "Son, the charges have been dropped."  Son believes mother.  Fast forward 2 years and son is arrested for a routine traffic stop.  In this scenario, does anyone change their mind on if the son should play, be benched, or suspended from the football team? 

impossible.  Every D3boards poster knows everything about every situation that has ever happened in their lives.  Never missed a piece of mail, never even turned a paper in late.  The D3boards posters will tell you incredible stories about their first drink at age 21 and how they didn't inhale when peers provided marijuana and how they drive 20 mph in a school zone.

The topic sir, is how Mount handled Fulford.  Nothing else.

its the 2nd rd of the playoffs, we can all just agree to disagree.

[resqdog]

And now...back to football.  Does anyone know anything about CWRU?  Not much posted about them on the PAC board.  Curious if they are primarily a running team.  Weather looks good for this weekend so far.  Maybe Mount can use their whole offensive package this time around. 

[wally_wabash]

If all students were judged on their actions as a 17 year old, hardly anyone would be allowed in college. 

Um...this is basically exactly what an admissions application is for. 

[wally_wabash]

And now...back to football.  Does anyone know anything about CWRU?  Not much posted about them on the PAC board.  Curious if they are primarily a running team.  Weather looks good for this weekend so far.  Maybe Mount can use their whole offensive package this time around.

Look again, friend.  Spartan posters are among the most active folks on the PAC board. 

[merlecanlas]

And now...back to football.  Does anyone know anything about CWRU?  Not much posted about them on the PAC board.  Curious if they are primarily a running team.  Weather looks good for this weekend so far.  Maybe Mount can use their whole offensive package this time around.

looks like a pretty good balance offensively.   Senior QB, one WR who gets most of the targets (on the small side).  Missed their top RB last week, but the back up played very well.  He's on the short side but powerful

Anybody playing Mount in dry, reasonably nice weather is going to be in trouble.

[merlecanlas]

If all students were judged on their actions as a 17 year old, hardly anyone would be allowed in college. 

Um...this is basically exactly what an admissions application is for.

did wally ever break a law prior to college?  maybe a sip of booze or god forbid smoke a little?  Did you ever break a speed limit?  I am trying to hold onto the belief that you were clean as can be

[wesleydad]

Time to get past the Fulford story. 

Best of luck with that.  The highest profile player playing the highest profile position at the highest profile school in the Division (by light years) being on the field with all of the extra stuff going on off the field is a story every day of every week until Mount Union is out of the tournament or wins it.  That's just the way this is gonna go for the next four weeks.

And this is exactly why I wouldn't have played him last week!   Personally, I have a hard time accepting that he's playing at all, but it's not my team to run.     Mount is already hated for being great with the assumption that LK had to be cheating all those years for him to win so much.  Which we all know to be false, but why give the rest of D3 the platform to throw mud on the castle that LK built?  Being on top means more attention, which means being squeaky clean is the only way to go.  Sometimes to the point of overkill.

If there is nothing to the story beyond a missed court appearance, all of this could have all been defused by simply suspending him immediately, playing W&L with Skunks_Sidekick or MUC57 at QB, then reinstating him for Round 2 after a 'thorough internal investigation turned up nothing of note'.   When Mount came out with their statement so quickly it makes it look like they didn't care.   Whether there is any fire behind the smoke or not.   Heading into Round 1 against an over matched opponent would have made a very easy way to look tough without any ramifications.   Mount should have taken the typical D1 route of sitting the guy against a nobody and then conveniently reinstating him when they needed him.

Coach, this is where I come down on this.  I totally agree with how you phrased it.  If I am the coach I do not play him until I have all the info.  I also find it interesting that LK and VK are being given the benefit of the doubt on their decision as if they know more than the rest of us when that might not be the case at all.

[merlecanlas]

Time to get past the Fulford story. 

Best of luck with that.  The highest profile player playing the highest profile position at the highest profile school in the Division (by light years) being on the field with all of the extra stuff going on off the field is a story every day of every week until Mount Union is out of the tournament or wins it.  That's just the way this is gonna go for the next four weeks.

And this is exactly why I wouldn't have played him last week!   Personally, I have a hard time accepting that he's playing at all, but it's not my team to run.     Mount is already hated for being great with the assumption that LK had to be cheating all those years for him to win so much.  Which we all know to be false, but why give the rest of D3 the platform to throw mud on the castle that LK built?  Being on top means more attention, which means being squeaky clean is the only way to go.  Sometimes to the point of overkill.

If there is nothing to the story beyond a missed court appearance, all of this could have all been defused by simply suspending him immediately, playing W&L with Skunks_Sidekick or MUC57 at QB, then reinstating him for Round 2 after a 'thorough internal investigation turned up nothing of note'.   When Mount came out with their statement so quickly it makes it look like they didn't care.   Whether there is any fire behind the smoke or not.   Heading into Round 1 against an over matched opponent would have made a very easy way to look tough without any ramifications.   Mount should have taken the typical D1 route of sitting the guy against a nobody and then conveniently reinstating him when they needed him.

Coach, this is where I come down on this.  I totally agree with how you phrased it.  If I am the coach I do not play him until I have all the info. I also find it interesting that LK and VK are being given the benefit of the doubt on their decision as if they know more than the rest of us when that might not be the case at all.

I'm sure they haven't talked to Fulford or his parent or his lawyer or the FL district attorney.  You're right, the head coach and athletic director are in the same boat as the post patterners. 

[HScoach]

Ugh.  I was feeling quite content with my position until WesleyDad agreed.  Must rethink everything!

[bluestreak66]

What we know about Case is that they're a team many people spent all season knocking around for their easy schedule, saying that they only looked good because of their weak opponents (I may or may not have been one of those people lol).
Now, we all have to kind of sort of maybe admit that Case is, quite possibly, not actually all that bad at football.

[Pat Coleman]

If all students were judged on their actions as a 17 year old, hardly anyone would be allowed in college. 

Um...this is basically exactly what an admissions application is for.

did wally ever break a law prior to college?  maybe a sip of booze or god forbid smoke a little?  Did you ever break a speed limit?  I am trying to hold onto the belief that you were clean as can be

To fill out your incomplete hypothetical, suit, did the lawbreaking go unresolved and was Wally the starter at the most prominent position on Wabash's most prominent athletic team? Because those are also details that are likely endemic to this conversation.

[MUC57]

Bluestreak66

I couldn't have said it better myself. I thought IWU would prevail but, wow! And to shut them out as well. Can't take this Saturday lightly.
Go Purple Raiders!