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Posted on Tue, Aug 11, 2009 : 8:45 a.m.

Meandering through the maize (and blue): A different way to handle discipline problems

By Dave Birkett

Much of the talk of the first day of Michigan football practice was on Justin Feagin’s July dismissal from the team for his role in a failed drug deal.

Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said Feagin, who was not charged with a crime, was booted from the team the minute he found out about Feagin’s transgressions. Down the road in East Lansing, Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio chose to handle a discipline problem a different way.

Dantonio reinstated running back Glenn Winston to the team on the day he finished a 180-day jail sentence for his role in a fight that left a MSU hockey player severely injured.

I’ll take the hard line here and say one coach took the proper actions with his troubled player and one coach took an unnecessary gamble for reasons I can’t explain. Sure, everyone deserves a second chance, but that second chance doesn’t have to be at the same school where you committed such a major offense.

Let’s take a spin around some of other camps in the Big Ten:

• Ohio State linebacker Tyson Moeller, a projected starter, likely will miss the 2009 season after surgery to reduce swelling on the brain following an incident at a Florida restaurant last month. Eleven Warriors says Brian Rolle could be in line for more playing time in Moeller's absence.

• Wisconsin is dealing with injury issues as well. The Badgers opened practice Monday without two projected starters on their offensive line.

• Freshman Arby Fields is among those competing to replace Tyrell Sutton as Northwestern's feature running back.

• Doug Lesmerises offers seven ways the Big Ten can rehab its stained image. No. 1? Get Michigan back to the top.

• Finally, for the gamblers, Ivan Maisel says Joe Paterno is 49-0-1 in his career against Maryland and Temple. Wonder what the money line will be when the Nittany Lions take on Temple Sept. 19 in Happy Valley?

Comments

azwolverine

Tue, Aug 11, 2009 : 9:24 p.m.

Good for RR. Now, for those fans who say he lacks discipline and integrity, I would say this is a step in the right direction. As for MSU fans who say these things about RR, take a look at your own coach now before you talk. Hopefully your convicted criminal is worth, in some of your fans own words, "selling your soul" for.