U-M CSG President Says Shane Morris 'Debacle' Shows Lack Of Respect For Students And Athletes, Calls For Doctor In Press Box
ANN ARBOR (WWJ) - The President of University of Michigan's student body says it shouldn't take an incident like Saturday's to finally put medical professionals in the press box — they should already have been there.
Bobby Dishell, President of Central Student Government, says it's clear that quarterback Shane Morris should have been pulled out of the game when he appeared woozy after taking a hit to the chin.
Dishell said what he's calling "Saturday's debacle" has not been well-managed by the university thus far.
Roughly 12 hours after embattled Michigan coach Brady Hoke said he'd been given no indication that Morris had been diagnosed with a concussion, athletic director Dave Brandon revealed in a post-midnight statement that the sophomore did appear to have sustained one.
Talking to WWJ Newsradio 950's Zahra Huber, Dishell said fans watching the game at home should not know more about what's going on with the players on the field than medical professionals or those on the sidelines.
"It sounds like they're going to be taking more proactive measures in the future," added Dishell. "But, to be honest, they really reacted to a big mess up that they had ... He absolutely he should not have gone back in to take another snap. He should have been examined, just like policy says he should have."
Dishell said the athletic department should be held accountable when policies are not being followed.
"There should've been better communication down the sideline, and everyone should have been watching the play," Dishell said. "But, somehow — judging by Dave Brandon's statement this morning — there wasn't communication on the sideline, no one was watching the play; he went back in, and he had a concussion."
Dishell said many students have, in general, become disenchanted with the U-M football program.
Part of that he said began last spring when the athletic department did away with student seating, along with a ticket price increase that, Dishell said, priced many students out of the ability to attend games.
"It's caused a feeling, from the student perspective, you know, over the last couple years up until this last Saturday, for students at large... of 'Do I really matter here?'" said Dishell. "UMich athletics is not invested in the student experience. (It's) invested in the wow experience, the big donor...but not the students who are here to support their peers, to support the team."
The following is a statement released Thursday by Dishell and the U-M CSG:
"This past Saturday, Michigan football broke a precedent that had stood for 135 years, one that had hardly been approached since the inaugural 1879 season: the program lost three times in the month of September. In Saturday's game, we fell 30-14 to Minnesota. We have met the Minnesota football team in 101 official contests, and we have won 73 of them. Between the years 1987 and 2004, we emerged as victors 16 times in a row, spanning three consecutive decades. Saturday's loss was not routine. It was not the result of any particular deficiency of the team. Saturday's loss revealed, instead, a major fault within the athletic administration: a lack of respect for both its students and student-athletes.
CSG stands by the student body. It stands by the rules that protect the student body, whether in the classroom, on the streets of Ann Arbor, in campus housing, or on the football field. Rules and policies instituted by the NCAA or by any university-facing organization are made with the best interests of students in mind. CSG works to accommodate these rules, to ensure that student safety and well-being is a priority across campus, and that, in moments of particular duress, as in Saturday's game, people will be held accountable to the rules. CSG shares the frustrations of the student body, and looks to the athletic administration for an appropriate response.
Policies must be followed in full. The injuries of student-athletes must be addressed with the precision and care that are compliant with code. Officials, staff members, and managers must, and should, be held accountable for their decisions and the actions that follow. CSG joins the voice of students and their demand for managerial culpability. And moving forward, we ask that the student body remain united in their call for action, as we remember the words of Michigan Man Bo Schembechler in times of adversity: 'When your team is winning, be ready to be tough, because winning can make you soft. On the other hand, when your team is losing, stick by them. Keep believing.'"
Meantime, some U-M students have started a petition to remove Brandon as the AD. According to MGoBlog, students are also hosting a "fire Dave Brandon" rally at 6 p.m. on the Diag in Ann Arbor.
MORE: Students Start Petition, Plan Rally To Remove Dave Brandon After Shane Morris Scandal
Michigan's Middle Of The Night Concussion Revelation About Shane Morris Draws National Criticism
