Michigan Man Mayhem

Students say Michigan AD shoved them at stadium
AP

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan athletic director Bill Martin pushed a student and grabbed the wind breaker of another student during two football games, according to a department of public safety report.

Michigan student Jackie Turner says she told Martin he needed a pass to enter the regents guest area of the press box Sept. 12 during a game against Notre Dame. She said he pushed her shoulder and walked past her.

"Honey, I am the athletic director," Turner quoted him as saying, according to a university report on the incident.

On Oct. 17, Eastern Michigan student Arif Khan said he told Martin and a female companion they needed passes to enter the area after a game against Delaware State. Khan said Martin grabbed his jacket.

"I am the athletic director, I can go in," Khan quoted Martin as telling him.

Turner and Khan were interviewed on Oct. 18, three days before Martin announced he would retire in September.

The students said they were uninjured and did not want to press charges.

"I contacted those involved to discuss the situation and express my regret," Martin said in a statement released by the school Monday night. "I know they were just doing their jobs."

Martin, who became Michigan's athletic director in 2000 on an interim basis, announced his retirement in a letter to university president Mary Sue Coleman.

Domino's Pizza Inc. CEO David Brandon, a former Michigan football player and regent at the school, is among the candidates to succeed Martin.

I don't usually defend Michigan men, aside from Rich Rod (who I have become the foremost apologist for), but I had to come to Bill Martin's defense. If I was the Athletic Director anywhere, be that at Michigan or Mississippi Valley State, I would have punch choked these kids or punched them in the ribs. The Athletic Director goes wherever the hell he wants when he wants. And if some stupid intern from the Exercise Sports Science Department tried to slow him down then they deserve to be fired and possibly killed. And don't give me that just doing your job crap.

P.S. - Is Michigan AD a better job than Domino's CEO? I know its a pretty terrible pizza company but its still pretty big. I would think there's more money in that than there is wrangling Rich Rod and trying to rebuild Michigan hoops.