Comments on The Blog That Yost Built: Michigan 5, FYS 3

@DLup: I have to admit, even though I watched the ...

2009-01-28T00:18:00.000-06:00

@DLup: I have to admit, even though I watched the remainder of the game, I was so riled up and so busy typing that I didn't even realize there was another penalty called until after I checked the box score.

And yes, that would be considered cheap. Especially since the penalty clock would never even start ticking. It was basically a freebie.

@Joe Hass: That is an interesting point about the training staff letting him skate off. That hadn't really occurred to me. I would be curious to hear the rationale for that one.

Of course, if they brought the stretcher out on the ice, the completely low-class part of Spartan Nation would've used it as more ammo that he was embellishing (yes, I actually read that).

I will say though that I was impressive, overall, with the reaction of the Sparties. Most felt that those players should be suspended long-term, if not dismissed. There were a decent amount of knuckleheads that are happy with anything anti-SCum (LOL!!!!), but the rational ones mainly had pretty mature views of the situation. And then there was the State News.

the visiting team shouldn't have to be worried abo...

2009-01-26T17:14:00.000-06:00

the visiting team shouldn't have to be worried about team security in the locker room unless they act in a way that warrants retaliation

There are two things about this incident that give...

2009-01-26T12:58:00.000-06:00

There are two things about this incident that gives me a lot of pause (beyond the violent attack itself):

1. Why on earth would the Michigan training staff allow Kampfer, who had suffered a severe head injury no more than five months early, to skate off the ice? When I read the next morning that he was taken to the hospital on a stretcher, I was livid. I know there's a stretcher right next to the Zamboni doors. Why would you not take an abundance of caution and put him on the stretcher right then and there, especially after he was clearly unconscious? I invite anyone from the Michigan Training Department to explain that to me. I'm thrilled that Kampfer is even able to consider playing against ND. But I can easily imagine a situation that could've been a helluva lot worse.

2. For those who haven't been to Yost since the renovations a couple years back: the security near the visiting locker room is an abomination. For at least one full season, they used simple privacy curtains to block the view from the ice to the locker room. By pure dumb luck, I walked past the south end earlier in the night and noticed that at least they put temporary walls up, but still only had an "Event Staff" person at the curtained entrance to the area. Never mind how furious the person who entered the area was. I can easily imagine getting past the person, if that person was even there.

Look, I love Yost. I love the environment of Michigan Hockey. I have season tickets on the Club level. But I firmly believe that the Athletic Department lives in a level of full denial when it comes to such things as fan behavior and security (including using the Yellow Jackets as anything other than glorified usher) in that building. I think one of the things that the aftermath confirmed is that Yost will never see an NCAA tournament game again, simply because I wouldn't trust them to be able to handle it.

It was an attack that deserves the swiftest of punishment from the CCHA and MSU. But U-M needs to take a deep look at itself in the mirror, too.

Maybe no one is focusing on the fact that someone ...

2009-01-26T11:09:00.000-06:00

Maybe no one is focusing on the fact that someone tried to break into the msu locker room because the word "tried" is involved. Meaning it was unsuccessful, meaning an adequate level of security was there to make it a non-issue.

can't believe that no one is focusing on the fact ...

2009-01-26T07:45:00.000-06:00

can't believe that no one is focusing on the fact that someone tried to break into the msu locker room and attack a player off the ice. if yost can't offer better security than that, it shouldn't be able to host hockey games.

This was just an act of pure intent to injure anot...

2009-01-25T21:02:00.000-06:00

This was just an act of pure intent to injure another player because you couldnt compete. Players like this have know place in the game. Grow a set and fight like a man. I feel part of the reason we seem to have more and more incidents like this is the lack of fighting through out hockey. Their is not as much policing by players like the old days.

I really liked the play of our 1st, 2nd, and 4th l...

2009-01-25T20:02:00.000-06:00

I really liked the play of our 1st, 2nd, and 4th lines. But the third line leads much to be desired. Hopefully, they can pick up there play here, and quickly.

I like all of your recaps, but this one is beautif...

2009-01-25T19:04:00.000-06:00

I like all of your recaps, but this one is beautiful. I couldn't have said it better myself

I just want to say that the author of this piece i...

2009-01-25T18:13:00.001-06:00

I just want to say that the author of this piece is wrong about criminal charges. He cites Bertuzzi and his punishment. That was the wrong decision by the league. Why? Bertuzzi is playing and Moore is not. Plain and simple. Bertuzzi recklessly attacked Moore with the intent to injure, which he did, and cost Moore his playing career. Bertuzzi serves a lowsy 20 game suspension and is back on the ice after the lockout. That's the wrong call by the league, and if all the State players get is a slap on the wrist, it'll be a sad day for hockey.

Hockey has a physical nature. However, it is not sanctioned violence. You can't attack someone with a stick and say it's alright because it was on a sheet of ice instead of pavement. Violence is violence. Charges should be pressed.

If any State fan wants to claim that any Michigan ...

2009-01-25T18:13:00.000-06:00

If any State fan wants to claim that any Michigan player has done anything nearly as bad as what Conboy and Tropp did, find and post a video for comparison. Of course, when you consider that no Michigan player has ever done anything as bad as Conboy and Tropp did, looking for such a video would be a colossal waste of time.

For what it's worth, this State grad is completely...

2009-01-25T18:00:00.000-06:00

For what it's worth, this State grad is completely embarrassed by what happened last night. I don't care about anything that's happened in the past, or during the game itself. Conduct like that is disgusting, and I'll be enormously disappointed if the players aren't thrown off the team.

As for the "msu fan" who posted above: even assuming arguendo that Jack Johnson was a thug (though he never did anything as vicious as our guys did last night), what the hell does that have to do with this? Our players' conduct stands on its own. Essentially stating "hey, our guys acted badly but so have yours!" reeks of moral bankruptcy, and is nothing more than a cheap excuse for the indefensible.

This season has now become one to forget for more reasons than simply our crappy record. These assholes (Comley included) embarrassed my school last night.

It's sad to say but I saw this in the making start...

2009-01-25T17:15:00.000-06:00

It's sad to say but I saw this in the making starting back in December when Michigan embarrassed state in the GLI final. If you watch that game again, you can see several occasions when kampfer got hit, state's players would make sure to follow through with their free hand to his head, driving it into the glass. I've seen several postings today saying that Conboy's action was not in any way motivated by Kampfer's previous injury. If anyone can find truth in that I would be astonished. In short, Fuck You State. Enjoy being bad for the next few seasons because I'm sure that any self-respecting recruit will look elsewhere seeing as how out of control this program is.

"Your guys do it too" is the same excuse Ohio Stat...

2009-01-25T12:46:00.000-06:00

"Your guys do it too" is the same excuse Ohio State fans give when they throw bags of urine at fans.

You are trying to justify one behavior with the ac...

2009-01-25T11:06:00.000-06:00

You are trying to justify one behavior with the actions of another, i.e. blue ain't no angel, JJ etc.

FWIW, Johnson was a hack, but never attacked anyone in the cowardly fashion that Conboy and Tropp did and sent anyone to the hospital.

State fans can try to pretty this up all they want, but you can't. What you need is a solid dose of Bob Gassoff.

Jack Johnson wasn't an angel, but he didn'...

2009-01-25T10:59:00.000-06:00

Jack Johnson wasn't an angel, but he didn't resort to crap like that. (Don't bring up the Howells thing...I don't want to have to post the video and break down all the reasons that his hit was clean again)

The worst thing Jack ever did was elbow Steve Downie in the head, which probably would have been a game or two at most had it happened in the NHL/college.

But anyway, where exactly was a being a homer in this story?

Also, it's a fan blog. To steal (another) line from Brian Cook, I'm not a journalist, that's the point. My writing is emotionally charged and I come at it from a fan's perspective.

Michigan had NO part in the attack, beyond the fact that Steve Kampfer threw a beautiful, clean check.

Should Miller have behaved better in the handshake line? Probably (though what he did wasn't caught on camera, they just showed him being escorted off). But then again, one of his teammates, who was coming off a horrible injury, was just brutally attacked again.

But I appreciate that you agree that Conboy should be gone and Tropp should be done for the year. There have actually been several MSU fans say similar things. I'm pretty impressed.

Sure there have been the few that were like "Whatever, any hit on a SCum (<---note the incorrect capitalization that makes it look like they're talking about South Carolina) player is a good hit." But by and large most have admitted that it was awful.

But it's a deflection to bring Jack Johnson into this. He never did anything on this level of thuggery. (And his hit on Howells was certainly nothing worse than what Booth did to Hensick in the same game...at least Howells had the puck.)

I have no problem calling a Michigan player out when they need to be called out. This was on a level with Bertuzzi.

And by the way, Blasi went absolutely bonkers on Berenson after the Saturday night Michigan/Miami game and I didn't mention it until about the 15th paragraph of my game wrap.

And Jack Johnson was an angel. Conboy should be ou...

2009-01-25T10:38:00.000-06:00

And Jack Johnson was an angel. Conboy should be out of school for the terrible way he represents MSU. Tropp should be out for the year. I agree with you but theres no reason to deteriorate your overall well done writing with being a homer. It would be nice to come to write something objective and professional like using the schools name. And if Red was attacked and someone chatted with him in the handshake line it would lead off your story. MSU behaved despicable but Michigan had a part in this too.

Oh good call. Pissing on a wall in public is awful...

2009-01-25T09:35:00.000-06:00

Oh good call. Pissing on a wall in public is awful. Almost like suckerpunching a guy and then attacking a defenseless person with a stick. Don't tell me you've never pissed in public.

Hey, Red never got fired for pissing on a wall in ...

2009-01-25T09:24:00.000-06:00

Hey, Red never got fired for pissing on a wall in public.
Pot meet kettle!

Long History here going back to the 60's- blue ain...

2009-01-25T09:07:00.000-06:00

Long History here going back to the 60's- blue ain't no angel...
check the books!

I think you summed it up strong, Tim.
Almost po...

2009-01-25T08:29:00.000-06:00

I think you summed it up strong, Tim.
Almost postable verbatim at USCHO.

I say almost, because, short of the obvious obscenities (The Paula Weston reference is priceless)we have for our little sister, it would be a classic post.

If we lose Kampfer again due to this goonery, our season will definitely be hampered again.

I almost wish we play them in the conference tourney. It would be ugly.

Seeing that they have one of their own (AJ Sturges) out for the year due to an on campus attack, I would have thought that this type of thing would be lost on State.

Apparently not. If this isn't the final straw to oust Comley, nothing is.

Speaking behalf of the person I was sitting with a...

2009-01-25T05:13:00.000-06:00

Speaking behalf of the person I was sitting with at Yost, "Doesn't Lerg seem out of place on this team? He has talent and class."

I cant say anything that hasnt been said already a...

2009-01-25T05:08:00.000-06:00

I cant say anything that hasnt been said already about the Kampfer thing. I just knew we were in for a long night of officiating incompetence when the refs reviewed the first goal of the night. Refs signalled no, scoreboard and PA said yes. Good start guys.

This is really hard to write without resorting to ...

2009-01-25T04:20:00.000-06:00

This is really hard to write without resorting to long strings of profanity, but lost in our obvious concern for Kampfer is what FYS did during our 5-3...namely, cross-check Wohlberg in the back of the neck! If Comley didn't order any of this (and I don't believe that he did) the continued acts of aggression in the 5-3 clearly show that he has lost all control over that team. This is shameful, and has no part in hockey. FUCK YOU STATE