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Welcome back Jimmy Wilson

I said it yesterday and I'll say it again today. What Jimmy Wilson needs is the support of Griz Nation, not its derision. As has been stated several times the decision has been made!

I defy anyone on this board to honestly state that they never did anything stupid or got into some sort of pissing match when they were 18 to 20 and away from home for the first time! Alot of us may never have gotten caught but that does not mean we didn't do it. I'm not trying to exonerate Jimmy Wilson or his exploits when he was in town and attending the University before. But to suggest, as some on this board have, that past sins are indicative of future behavior is simply ludicrous.

Does anybody really think that if there had been any problems with Jimmy since his acquittal last year that the University would have gone to such a degree to get him reinstated and get a year of eligibility back? Had football not been an issue would the University be able to deny Jimmy Wilson re-entry to obtain his degree on the basis that he had been accused?

While there is the possibility that this could go sour I don't think any of us has the luxury of presupposing that it will. Instead let's give both Jimmy Wilson and the team and the University our support.
 
The cup half empty folks make a lot of annoying noise, but in reality, they are very small in number. Very small!!

I hope those affected can ignore the naggies. Just go out and prove them wrong.

Once again, Welcome Back JImmy. I will be cheering for you.
 
PlayerRep said:
HighLineGRIZ said:
[
I have no problem with you defending him, but facts are that he, along with his group of his friends, beat the living crap out of my friend for nothing more that talking to a girl. I'm not the type of person to spread rumors and usually give people the benefit of the doubt, but Jimmy maliciously attacked him. I'm not trying to start some conspiracy theory against Jimmy. That's what happened and thats the type of things that hurt his reputation while he was down here. Being a common patroner downtown a couple years ago, I witnessed Jimmy's attitude frequently. All I can say is that I hope he has changed. If he truthfully has, I'm happy that he has been given a second chance.
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BS to your version of what happened--because that's not what happened. After the initial minor skirmish, the white guys got reinforcements, came back and surrounded a black football player (not Wilson). This is where the fight started, and when your buddy went down. Both sides were at fault, and Wilson was not the main guy in the fight. I have no problem with your defending your friend, but why can't you be honest about what occurred--or do you not even know what occurred.
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A few things to clear up with PlayerRep…

How dare you completely write off everyone’s account of that night. Everything you have heard is 2nd, 3rd, 4th person. YOUR VERSION IS BS. White guys surrounded a black guy, really? I had shoe prints on my face and upper body, my head was swollen and bleeding, I didn't "come to" until I was halfway up the Rattlesnake. How's that for knowing what occurred? But wait, both sides were at fault right? Good thing I had all those reinforcements when we surrounded that black football player. Here is my problem: you constantly act like you’re a friend of mine and you come on here under a screename and make libelous comments towards me that are complete "BS." If you want to talk about this give me a call. People make mistakes, but something needs to be said for the athletes who never have a brush with the law, get a degree, and move to be positive representatives of University of Montana. I wish the best of luck to Jimmy and hope he represents U of M well. The bottom line is I'm not trying to re-open this subject I am just trying to clear my name because there continues to be false reports.

Griz fans, thank you for two great years. I loved the opportunity I got to represent the great state of Montana.

Kind Regards,

Jack McGillis
 
So, Jack, if things are like that with you, I recall Missoula has a plethora of attorneys who will prove your case in court....go for it...
 
Just for the record, I have never mentioned McGillis' name with regard to this situation or blamed anything on him. I know, generally, what happened to him and know that was terrible and unfortunate. However, there were multiple people involved in this situation (from both sides, as well as some bystanders who apparently jumped in), and it was a bar fight amongst people who drinking in a bar at night. While trying to be circumspect, I have tried to point out--based on talking to people involved with investigating the situation, including people who had talked to the police, as well as talking to some people who were there at the time including some on both sides of the situation--that Wilson was being blamed by some for doing things that he had not in fact done (or was being blamed for most everything that had been done). I suspect that if one looked at the police report, one would see that there were multiple views and versions, many conflicting, of what happened, and there would be general support for what I (and others) have said. Of course, there would also be lots of other information too, as I have never tried to provide a summary of what occurred--only to point out there were multiple people involved, not just Wilson.
 
thanks for speaking up jack. that took guts. :clap:

i hope wilson has chilled out and isn't able to corrupt any of our current players. we have a lot of transfers, so i fear the worst. hope someone is keeping an eye on these guys, but the coaches really can't do that no matter how hard they try. the combo of wilson and johnson on the field is scray good, but hanging out on the town is scary bad.
 
I guess I have to ask since "times have changed" for the worse in our society, but on my teams - playing or coaching - we had internal leadership amongst the players who had good character. Pier pressure to toe the line and be a part of the greater goal... winning... was paramount. There were things the coach didn't need to know, cuz we took care of them ourselves. So my question is, Am I being Naive to think that doesn't exsist at a college level? Now or ever??
 
Titliest: If you're nervous about sending a kid off to college because of one student out of 14,000, then your child should probably never leave home, let alone, live in Missoula. JW is small fish compared to some of the people you run into during your dorm and college life.
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thanks for speaking up jack. that took guts.

i hope wilson has chilled out and isn't able to corrupt any of our current players. we have a lot of transfers, so i fear the worst. hope someone is keeping an eye on these guys, but the coaches really can't do that no matter how hard they try. the combo of wilson and johnson on the field is scray good, but hanging out on the town is scary bad.
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I posted earlier and asked if bringing a student athlete back into a program with so much baggage (yes he was proven innocent but he did run with a crowd that had lots of problems when he was in Missoula) could affect recruiting. Titliest mentions that one student in 14,000 is minor. Fact is this is not about the whole student population. This is about 90+ guys who are together practically 24-7. Parents do look at the character of the program and players they recruit. This isn't about a parent being "afraid to have their son go off to college" It is about choosing a program where their son is going to have role models on and off the field. As for Missoula being bad @ss? Titleist, you obviously never went to college in LA! ;)
 
Okay. got to ask this question.

Disclaimer first: I hope Wilson gets his degree, makes a positive impact on the team and in the community. I wish him well.

This is a hot topic and I think goes beyond discussion of specifically Wilson. Some are for taking the kid back, some are on the fence and some are waiting with open arms. There have been comments made about how the kid needs his degree and that the program is showing compassion by giving him a second chance.

Question: Would the program and fans embrace this opportunity to show empathy in giving this young man another chance if when he was with the Griz program he was perhaps not a starter but a solid back up and definately not All American material?

In other words is our compassion to give a person a second chance tempered by talent and the ability to make an impact on the team?
 
montanasports said:
Okay. got to ask this question.

Disclaimer first: I hope Wilson gets his degree, makes a positive impact on the team and in the community. I wish him well. ...

Question: Would the program and fans embrace this opportunity to show empathy in giving this young man another chance if when he was with the Griz program he was perhaps not a starter but a solid back up and definitely not All American material?

In other words is our compassion to give a person a second chance tempered by talent and the ability to make an impact on the team?
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Jeez, how long can this thread keep going?

It would be naïve to deny that second chances, in the athletic arena, are pretty much restricted to talented individuals. Is that bad? However, we as a society do believe in second chances. We give second chances to recovered alcoholics and drug addicts, ex-cons, and others who we believe have got their lives turned around. (Sure, some employers are not so enlightened, but enough are that second chances are out there.)

Let’s turn this whole discussion toward a more positive direction.

Let’s assume, without reservations, that Jimmy has indeed got his act together. We hear that he stayed in great shape – he’s “buff.”

Here’s my new point of discussion: IF his football instincts shake off the rust quickly and he becomes the DB force most believe he can be: Will one year of accomplishment be enough to earn JW his dream chance at the NFL level?

Personally, I think so -- given that the Griz now have enough working examples to prove that the program can produce NFL-quality talent.
 
Jeez, how long can this thread keep going?
Let’s turn this whole discussion toward a more positive direction.
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This thread will be as long as people want it to be. Even your're contributing! ;)

Seriously, good comments IdaGriz01. Of course in the athletic arena second chances are determined by athletic ability. And yes, we do give second chances in society all the time. I don't think my question was reinforcing the "negative" in this situation; just putting out some food for thought. It's a long thread because it is a darn interesting topic. Besdes we are all waiting for a least fall camp to start!
 
My gut is telling me that it is extremely unlikely that JW would be drafted with anything less than a Walter Payton Award kind of year. I can see him getting a shot as a walk-on with an excellent year. Some of that also depends upon how much exposure the Griz get (as in winning the NC or at least going deep in the POs)

But all too often, in the words of John Cusack in "High Fidelity", "my guts have sh!t for brains". So I guess we'll see...
 
Grisly Fan said:
My gut is telling me that it is extremely unlikely that JW would be drafted with anything less than a Walter Payton Award kind of year. I can see him getting a shot as a walk-on with an excellent year. Some of that also depends upon how much exposure the Griz get (as in winning the NC or at least going deep in the POs)

But all too often, in the words of John Cusack in "High Fidelity", "my guts have sh!t for brains". So I guess we'll see...
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I totally agree -- I think he'd need to make the watch list, at the very least, to be drafted. That's why I chose my words carefully.

More "food for thought," however: "Lock down" corners are like gold in some drafts. Better chance than otherwise?
 
montanasports said:
Okay. got to ask this question.

Disclaimer first: I hope Wilson gets his degree, makes a positive impact on the team and in the community. I wish him well.

This is a hot topic and I think goes beyond discussion of specifically Wilson. Some are for taking the kid back, some are on the fence and some are waiting with open arms. There have been comments made about how the kid needs his degree and that the program is showing compassion by giving him a second chance.

Question: Would the program and fans embrace this opportunity to show empathy in giving this young man another chance if when he was with the Griz program he was perhaps not a starter but a solid back up and definately not All American material?

In other words is our compassion to give a person a second chance tempered by talent and the ability to make an impact on the team?
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I guess the first question is if he wasn't all this stuff(a starter and all amercian material) would the kid even want to come back. The amount of work that goes into making a football season, if you have no chance to see the field and you only have one year to compete, will you make the sacrafice necessary to complete the season vs just finish your degree. Let's give JW the chance to prove himself once more as an athlete, student, and more importantly a positive human being with a change to contribute to society.
 
mtfbchamps said:
I believe he would be eligible for only the Buchanan Award barring a position change or going both ways.
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Of course. We all understood the point being made, but its good to get it right.
 
Right, sorry I didn't want to sound like a smartass. Though I didn't know that they restricted the Payton to only offensive players in 95'. Before that everyone was eligible.
 
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