FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[USTBench]

This has been a jumbled mess.  Between the USTD guys chiming in to just stir the pot (not you bench but darn man you are getting out there on the edge of being lumped in with Rev & Mr. MIAC 952 yada yada yada), and the other D-3 posters who all have the absolute right to their opinion, especially since it's social media where all is "free & easy". 

I am not saying this kid is Mr. Wonderful.  He is certainly no Greg Micheli, and any other of the multiple of hundreds of Mount kids that have put on the uniform.  However, straight from the people that know him, and interact with him every day, this is a pretty darn good kid.  So do we say, "no you aren't acting responsible you stupid 19-20 year old kid, therefore, we will punish you because you have tainted the reputation of UMU, and that is not what we are about".  With the PC, instant internet/everything is out there world we live in these days, maybe that is the tact all the responsible people at Mount should have taken.  I for one, am glad they didn't.  Especially having the luxury of knowing some of the intimate details. 

Mark, I have known you a very long time, and totally respect your opinion.  However, if you were still working with Ric on-air, and were privy to some of the details that you might have been back in those days, I am thinking your opinion might be different. These days I don't live & die with whether Mount wins a National Championship or not.  I don't think I ever did, but I am much less emotionally &  time invested than I used to be.  I hope the kid keeps learning, and Mount will be fine no matter what anyone says on this message board. 

One last thing, darn I think FSU is going to give Mount one heck of a challenge whether this controversy was lingering or not.  I for one look forward to that game on Saturday.

Agree to disagree, I guess.

My personal take is (and I really don't think it's that far out there), if you have a felony pending in which the elements to even be charged MUST include the defendant: caused great bodily harm, permanent disability, or permanent disfigurement, to another human being, then subsequently miss the court date (whether it's his fault or not), he should probably...you know...take care of it before he gets to play FOOTBAWWWWW.

Maybe it's just that part of the country, but objectively, we can all agree MU is completely capable of winning a title w/o Steubenville-esque levels of denial about their star player. And before you mis-contextualize what I'm saying, I'm not comparing Fulford to the Steubenville kids, I'm comparing the blind-eyed community mantra of "our boys can do no wrong and our coach is Jesus" of some of you guys to the Steubenville boosters. I'd hope at this level, where the purveying consensus is integrity before athletics, that sitting a kid with warrants and a pending felony would be a relative no-brainer.  And a lot of MUC posters agree. I for one, as a former player/ current fan, of a team that has yet to win a Stagg, would feel a lot less comfortable with winning it all if my starting QB had a pending felony involving a crime in which the core statutory elements MUST include "great bodily harm, permanent disability, or permanent disfigurement." Then missed his court date.

The speeding, driving under suspension and missed court date on those charges, aren't even something I particularly care about. It's the precedent. If Fulford was the 3-string right guard he'd be gone. We all know that. This isn't Terrell Pryor getting a few tattoos or some shoes (big deal), this is felony battery. It's endearing that some of you are feigning concern that Frostburg State is going to give you a game, but in your heart-of-hearts you know you'll win that game by three scores with your JV quarterback, which is why I'm confused you resorted to playing Fulford against Case Western Reserve.

[bluestreak66]

Turning to the game.
I admittedly know very little about Frostburg State. But does anyone else remember the sitcom Yes Dear from CBS (ran from 2000-2006)? Jimmy Hughes, one of the main characters, was established as a 1 semester attendee of Frostburg State (until, as one character put it, he turned it into Drunken State). Not sure how having such a famous connection will affect the outcome of the game, but things might be looking bleak for Mount!

Perhaps he'll be in the locker room to give them a rousing pep talk pre-game.

He actually wore Frostburg stuff quite a few times as well:

[Hawks88]

Just a question about the ticket being marked that he doesn't have to appear in court. Not being a lawyer and having, somehow, never been arrested myself I'm not sure how this works but is it possible the police officer checked that box while he still thought it was just a speeding ticket and then discovered the suspended license and FTA and took him into custody without changing the check-box? Then while in custody wouldn't Fulford, at some point, have been given instructions to appear in court on such-and-such date before he was released? That excuse just seems shaky considering that he had been in custody also. Again, not a lawyer so I could be wrong.

[MUC57]

bluestreak66

"Mount has no credibility.com" exists only in the minds of the Tommie faithful. Sorry to be so slow answering your question.

[MUC57]

Hawks88

Lots of "what ifs" in your post. Let it go!

[Hawks88]

Hawks88

Lots of "what ifs" in your post. Let it go!

The only "what if" was when the box was checked. The rest was a question of whether or not he would have been given other instructions upon being released that would have superceded the check-box on the ticket.

[jamtod]

bluestreak66

"Mount has no credibility.com" exists only in the minds of the Tommie faithful. Sorry to be so slow answering your question.

[Pat Coleman]

Comments from the lawyers made me realize why they rank with used car salesmen as far as credibility. Not impressed at all.

THIS ^^^

Are we talking about their statements in our story or their statements in other types of forums?

[edward de vere]

                                                                                              DAY 14, THE HOSTAGE CRISIS CONTINUES:

1)  No statement from Mount Union's president.

2)  No statement from the athletic director.

3)  No statement from the football coach.

4)  No statement from the student-athlete, apologizing in general terms for being a distraction.

5)  No reporting of any consequence from the Alliance Review beat writer (unless I missed it.)

[USTBench]

Comments from the lawyers made me realize why they rank with used car salesmen as far as credibility. Not impressed at all.

THIS ^^^

Are we talking about their statements in our story or their statements in other types of forums?

I've pretty much stuck to the same script.

Cite the Florida statute on felony battery, verbatim. Opine that being charged with a crime in which the elements that need to be established are: caused great bodily harm, permanent disability, or permanent disfigurement, to another human being; then subsequently missing the court date, should probably mean Fulford should address those issues before he starts in a football game.

But if citing a law word-for-word and having the audacity to believe the kid should maybe address his felony before playing football is akin to selling you a lemon or stealing from an elderly person's trust account, then I guess there's no winning this argument.

Fulford should play! While we're at it, let's make Maurice Clarett his mentor! This is Ohio after all.

[MUC57]

USTBench

I guess I misjudged you. Your last sentence is certainly indicative of a well educated mind. All your years of college shine through. How could I have even doubted your position? I'll let others make their 🐭own observations on your statement.
I'm done with this madness. Rant on.

[Sir Battlescars]

Where is merlecanlas today? That dude was on a roll yesterday and now nothing.

[bluestreak66]

Where is merlecanlas today? That dude was on a roll yesterday and now nothing.

I don't know where he is, but I kind of wish he'd stay there! 

[HScoach]

Where is merlecanlas today? That dude was on a roll yesterday and now nothing.

I don't know where he is, but I kind of wish he'd stay there! 

I second that motion

[JCUStreaks70]

I'm not dancing.  I generally don't think hazing in HS is that big of a deal.  I must be a monster.  I do not know the specifics of the FL juvenile charges, would you please fill us in with the details. 

per d3football.com

According to Max Haupt, Fulford's attorney, Fulford's failure to appear in court was because the ticket Fulford received was marked that he was not required to appear in court. It is not clear why the ticket and the court records were in conflict. Haupt said he believed, based on the ticket, that Fulford would be able to pay the fine and was not aware of a court date.

If the Stark County court can accept the explanation, then maybe those in the glass houses in University Heights can accept them the same.

Alright, fella.  You are the one who keeps suggesting this is a simple case of high school hazing.  No one else is offering any details.  You're the one offering the details.  You're the one suggesting this isn't a big deal.  You're the using any excuse under the sun as to why Fulford didn't show up to court (twice), including suggesting that he received legal advice to skip his court date(s).  So I will ask you again, do you not know the details of the case, or was this minor hazing?  You've said both in the last 4-6 hours and over the last few weeks.

Thanks in advance for only answering that bolded question.

Toph, he never answered your question... I'm starting to think Merlecanlas isn't coming back!