Awful Commentary

[lefty]

I'm sure Stalin is glad to know that you hold him in as high esteem as those who get red light camera tickets........

Obviously, since Stalin was Jesuit educated, he couldn't possibly do anything wrong, immoral or unethical.

[Clock_Tower]

We can end this now. I'm a believer that sin is sin. I don't go around saying that I'm more holy than someone else because my transgressions are less than another. I see you two believe differently. That's fine. We can move on.

P.S. Mizzou fans are just as sanctimonious as SLU fans.

AJ. If I posted something a foolish and wrong as you did and which demonstrates your lack of history and bias, I guess I would also want to "end this now." I for one am not going to let you (a Mizzou fan) come here on our Board, throw a bunch mud to see if anything sticks. Grow up or go back to Tiger Board.

A "sin is a sin"... What a bunch of crap!! I, for one, am not buying your efforts to create a moral relativism between the schools is BS and I find your statements quite insulting. Were you even old enough to remember Rich Daley and his Detroit connections and the punishments levied by the NCAA as well as that by the prior, but more recent, regime of your beloved university: head coach, assistant coaches, juco/grad fixing/transfer hours, athletic director, President and President's wife - what an embarrasment!!

[ACE]

AJ. If I posted something a foolish and wrong as you did and which demonstrates your lack of history and bias, I guess I would also want to "end this now." I for one am not going to let you (a Mizzou fan) come here on our Board, throw a bunch mud to see if anything sticks. Grow up or go back to Tiger Board.

A "sin is a sin"... What a bunch of crap!! I, for one, am not buying your efforts to create a moral relativism between the schools is BS and I find your statements quite insulting. Were you even old enough to remember Rich Daley and his Detroit connections and the punishments levied by the NCAA as well as that by the prior, but more recent, regime of your beloved university: head coach, assistant coaches, juco/grad fixing/transfer hours, athletic director, President and President's wife - what an embarrasment!!

Well done. I called out AJ as just another run of the mill Mizloser troll a while back. At the time, I was surprised that there were a couple of people who ran to AJ's defense. Glad to see you and kshoe call him out for what he is. He is so transparent.

[aj_arete]

AJ. If I posted something a foolish and wrong as you did and which demonstrates your lack of history and bias, I guess I would also want to "end this now." I for one am not going to let you (a Mizzou fan) come here on our Board, throw a bunch mud to see if anything sticks. Grow up or go back to Tiger Board.

A "sin is a sin"... What a bunch of crap!! I, for one, am not buying your efforts to create a moral relativism between the schools is BS and I find your statements quite insulting. Were you even old enough to remember Rich Daley and his Detroit connections and the punishments levied by the NCAA as well as that by the prior, but more recent, regime of your beloved university: head coach, assistant coaches, juco/grad fixing/transfer hours, athletic director, President and President's wife - what an embarrasment!!

I certainly remember Rich DALY'S shenanigans under the Norm regime. I also can go farther back and recall the dark era of SLU basketball under Ron Ekker.

I'm a believer in focusing on present regimes, rather than past regimes. As far as I know, SLU no longer has the moral advantage with their present coaching staffs because I'm not aware of ANY NCAA violations committed by Mike Anderson at UAB or Mizzou. As we know, SLU cannot say the same.

There was a time when Father Biondi could proudly point to the pristine image of SLU basketball as a program up until the time that Soderberg was fired. Of course, that was one of the few positives of SLU basketball that exceeded mediocrity. We could also point to Indiana and their clean image with the NCAA under Bobby Knight, but that changed all in one season when they hired Kelvin Sampson.

Now Majerus might not be Sampson. Only the future can tell that, but SLU is taking a calculated risk. I believe that risk was done all in the name of money. Therefore, I'd say that SLU's moral compass has changed.

[Tonka]

I certainly remember Rich DALY'S shenanigans under the Norm regime. I also can go farther back and recall the dark era of SLU basketball under Ron Ekker.

I'm a believer in focusing on present regimes, rather than past regimes. As far as I know, SLU no longer has the moral advantage with their present coaching staffs because I'm not aware of ANY NCAA violations committed by Mike Anderson at UAB or Mizzou. As we know, SLU cannot say the same.

There was a time when Father Biondi could proudly point to the pristine image of SLU basketball as a program up until the time that Soderberg was fired. Of course, that was one of the few positives of SLU basketball that exceeded mediocrity. We could also point to Indiana and their clean image with the NCAA under Bobby Knight, but that changed all in one season when they hired Kelvin Sampson.

Now Majerus might not be Sampson. Only the future can tell that, but SLU is taking a calculated risk. I believe that risk was done all in the name of money. Therefore, I'd say that SLU's moral compass has changed.

AJ, apparently you believe "morals" are only defined by what the NCAA deems appropriate or as a violation. To me there is a lot more to morals than that. I would think since you believe a "sin is a sin" that you would have a problem with Mike Anderson going public and saying that he has a zero tolerance policy and then going against his very word in his actions of tolerating things. After the Quin mess, there were a lot of boosters concerned with the program and wanted to know from him that he would clean it up and his response was a zero tolerance policy. I know a few MU supporters that were not at all happy that he did not stick to his word on that especially when he was the guy coming after such a mess from the Quin era. Was Mike morally wrong in your opinion or does a man's word not really mean much? Just curious to your thoughts.

[kshoe]

I certainly remember Rich DALY'S shenanigans under the Norm regime. I also can go farther back and recall the dark era of SLU basketball under Ron Ekker.

I'm a believer in focusing on present regimes, rather than past regimes. As far as I know, SLU no longer has the moral advantage with their present coaching staffs because I'm not aware of ANY NCAA violations committed by Mike Anderson at UAB or Mizzou. As we know, SLU cannot say the same.

There was a time when Father Biondi could proudly point to the pristine image of SLU basketball as a program up until the time that Soderberg was fired. Of course, that was one of the few positives of SLU basketball that exceeded mediocrity. We could also point to Indiana and their clean image with the NCAA under Bobby Knight, but that changed all in one season when they hired Kelvin Sampson.

Now Majerus might not be Sampson. Only the future can tell that, but SLU is taking a calculated risk. I believe that risk was done all in the name of money. Therefore, I'd say that SLU's moral compass has changed.

http://legalschnauzer.blogspot.com/2009/03...ng-for-uab.html

[aj_arete]

AJ, apparently you believe "morals" are only defined by what the NCAA deems appropriate or as a violation. To me there is a lot more to morals than that. I would think since you believe a "sin is a sin" that you would have a problem with Mike Anderson going public and saying that he has a zero tolerance policy and then going against his very word in his actions of tolerating things. After the Quin mess, there were a lot of boosters concerned with the program and wanted to know from him that he would clean it up and his response was a zero tolerance policy. I know a few MU supporters that were not at all happy that he did not stick to his word on that especially when he was the guy coming after such a mess from the Quin era. Was Mike morally wrong in your opinion or does a man's word not really mean much? Just curious to your thoughts.

Tonka, you make a valid point. I disagreed with Anderson's position last year and thought that he should have kicked the offending players off, including Lyons. Ethics is always a gray area and open to interpretation. Do I think that Anderson is a morally unethical because of the incident? I think that is a little strong, even if I disagreed with that one incident. Now with more hindsight, I have to admit that Anderson might have known what he was doing after all. What I saw from a Mizzou team was one of hard work, intelligence, and selflessness. I have also heard Mike Anderson speak and his humbleness and faith has inspired me. When comparing the character of Anderson with Majerus, it is my opinion that Anderson's character far exceeds Majerus. Admittedly, that is through the limited lens of an outsider. However you have to admit that if that Sports Illustrated article on Majerus was even half true, that SLU hasn't exactly hired a saint or one with strong ethics. In other words, when you live in glass houses...

[aj_arete]

http://legalschnauzer.blogspot.com/2009/03...ng-for-uab.html

I was aware of some potential trouble brewing for Anderson with UAB and if directly cited by the NCAA, then that would lump Anderson with Majerus. Now this situation differs from an administrative aspect. First, Father Biondi was aware of Majerus problems with the NCAA. As for this UAB situation, this is obviously new or are you trying to insinuate that Mr. Alden had prior knowledge of this information before hiring Anderson. Kshoe, I'd like you to answer that. Specifically, how does that relate to Indiana hiring Sampson and Biondi hiring Majerus?

Now you can argue that Alden knew Quin was a crook before he hired him, though I think that is open to interpretation. I, for one, think that Quin pulled the wool over the eyes of everyone with the exception of Bill Laurie, who together ran the program into the ground. Remember that everyone thought that Duke was a "clean" program. Let's look at the body of work under Alden. None of the football coaches hired by him have been in any kind of NCAA trouble, therefore I think it's reasonable to assume that Quin and Laurie acted alone, unless you have more information that you like to share with us.

[GOSLU68]

Tonka, you make a valid point. I disagreed with Anderson's position last year and thought that he should have kicked the offending players off, including Lyons. Ethics is always a gray area and open to interpretation. Do I think that Anderson is a morally unethical because of the incident? I think that is a little strong, even if I disagreed with that one incident. Now with more hindsight, I have to admit that Anderson might have known what he was doing after all. What I saw from a Mizzou team was one of hard work, intelligence, and selflessness. I have also heard Mike Anderson speak and his humbleness and faith has inspired me. When comparing the character of Anderson with Majerus, it is my opinion that Anderson's character far exceeds Majerus. Admittedly, that is through the limited lens of an outsider. However you have to admit that if that Sports Illustrated article on Majerus was even half true, that SLU hasn't exactly hired a saint or one with strong ethics. In other words, when you live in glass houses...

Ethics is not a gray area; it is definite. You are talking about a corruption of ethics sometimes referred to as "situational

ethics" wrongly interpreted as I give my word but I change it as the situation changes. In other words don't trust anyone as they are not going to remain constant to their word. Thank God we did not have to go to Mizzou for philosophy or religion classes.

[aj_arete]

Ethics is not a gray area; it is definite. You are talking about a corruption of ethics sometimes referred to as "situational

ethics" wrongly interpreted as I give my word but I change it as the situation changes. In other words don't trust anyone as they are not going to remain constant to their word. Thank God we did not have to go to Mizzou for philosophy or religion classes.

LOL... Think about what Majerus did with those players, who 'committed' to SLU. How quickly we have forgotten about Mitchell, Relephorde, and Maguire... Am I missing anyone? Think about what Matt Lawrence, who is hardly an Anderson-type player, said about the faith Anderson showed in him.

You know nothing about ethics, if you think it is not open to interpretation. I agree that that ethics is about right and wrong. However, each individual's interpretation of right and wrong vastly differs.

As for Anderson's zero tolerance policy, I assumed that it meant that one more transgression meant that a player would be dismissed. However, it could be possible that zero tolerance meant that all transgressions would be dealt with severely short of being dismissed from the squad. I have no idea how the offending players were dealt with behind closed doors.

Look at it from the perspective of a parent. You might tell your kids that you will have zero tolerance for bad behavior, but that interpretation of zero tolerance can be different for various parents. I think we can assume that means that you won't throw your kids on the street, so that could mean alternative punishments, such as being grounded, suspended from sporting events, etc. One can disagree with Anderson's actions last year, but we have more information now and I can say today that he was an effective 'parent' of Mizzou's basketball program.

I can look back and admit that I was wrong in thinking that Leo Lyons should have been dismissed. While he certainly has his flaws, I think he benefited through the tutelage of Anderson and became better basketball player and more importantly a better man. Can we say the same about Lisch and Liddell? I look at the character of a man based on what others say about him. Look at what Matt Lawrence and Leo Lyons say about Anderson as a person. Then compare it to what Lisch and Liddell say about Majerus.

[slufanskip]

Tonka, you make a valid point. I disagreed with Anderson's position last year and thought that he should have kicked the offending players off, including Lyons. Ethics is always a gray area and open to interpretation. Do I think that Anderson is a morally unethical because of the incident? I think that is a little strong, even if I disagreed with that one incident. Now with more hindsight, I have to admit that Anderson might have known what he was doing after all. What I saw from a Mizzou team was one of hard work, intelligence, and selflessness. I have also heard Mike Anderson speak and his humbleness and faith has inspired me. When comparing the character of Anderson with Majerus, it is my opinion that Anderson's character far exceeds Majerus. Admittedly, that is through the limited lens of an outsider. However you have to admit that if that Sports Illustrated article on Majerus was even half true, that SLU hasn't exactly hired a saint or one with strong ethics. In other words, when you live in glass houses...

Many of RM's violations while at Utah were morally right even though they were an NCAA violation. Should he have bought the player the breakfast at the airport? Yes. Should he have bought the player the bagel? Yes. Should he have bought some groceries for the kids who hadn't received there money yet? Yes. The NCAA doesn't get to decide what's morally right or wrong. In all the above incidents I would think less of RM if hadn't broken the rules

It's mighty convienient you don't want to look at the past while judging the 2 programs.

I like MA, I'm glad he stayed and I hope he keeps MU relevent

[kshoe]

Many of RM's violations while at Utah were morally right even though they were an NCAA violation. Should he have bought the player the breakfast at the airport? Yes. Should he have bought the player the bagel? Yes. Should he have bought some groceries for the kids who hadn't received there money yet? Yes. The NCAA doesn't get to decide what's morally right or wrong. In all the above incidents I would think less of RM if hadn't broken the rules

It's mighty convienient you don't want to look at the past while judging the 2 programs.

I like MA, I'm glad he stayed and I hope he keeps MU relevent

But Skip, a "sin is a sin", and if the NCAA says it is a "sin" to buy Van Horn dinner the night his dad died then clearly he should be compared with Sampson and Quin in every post from here on out. And clearly Biondi sold his soul to the devil in hiring Majerus because Majerus "sinned" in the eyes of the NCAA. And clearly nobody at SLU should ever make fun of MU's past probationary troubles again because Majerus "sinned" 10 years ago at Utah.

[aj_arete]

Many of RM's violations while at Utah were morally right even though they were an NCAA violation. Should he have bought the player the breakfast at the airport? Yes. Should he have bought the player the bagel? Yes. Should he have bought some groceries for the kids who hadn't received there money yet? Yes. The NCAA doesn't get to decide what's morally right or wrong. In all the above incidents I would think less of RM if hadn't broken the rules

It's mighty convienient you don't want to look at the past while judging the 2 programs.

I like MA, I'm glad he stayed and I hope he keeps MU relevent

I've addressed the past. I admitted that Father Biondi was morally beyond reproach BEFORE the firing of Soderberg. I have no problem with people supporting SLU. Heck, I support SLU and hope they win the A-10 next year. However, I don't like hypocritical SLU and Mizzou fans, who whine about immoral behavior of other programs, when their own program may not be completely moral. The one exception is Billiken Roy, who can rightly use the "Mi$$ouri" tag. He's disappointed in the direction $LU has taken. As for me, I'm a realist and realize that most big-time programs might skirt the rules or engage in questionable ethics. Therefore, you won't hear me rag on KU when they get into trouble with recruits. Otherwise, I'd be a hypocrite like you guys are.

[GoBills]

Tonka, you make a valid point. I disagreed with Anderson's position last year and thought that he should have kicked the offending players off, including Lyons. Ethics is always a gray area and open to interpretation. Do I think that Anderson is a morally unethical because of the incident? I think that is a little strong, even if I disagreed with that one incident. Now with more hindsight, I have to admit that Anderson might have known what he was doing after all. What I saw from a Mizzou team was one of hard work, intelligence, and selflessness. I have also heard Mike Anderson speak and his humbleness and faith has inspired me. When comparing the character of Anderson with Majerus, it is my opinion that Anderson's character far exceeds Majerus. Admittedly, that is through the limited lens of an outsider. However you have to admit that if that Sports Illustrated article on Majerus was even half true, that SLU hasn't exactly hired a saint or one with strong ethics. In other words, when you live in glass houses...

The cynic in me thinks it may be more winning that has swayed and inspired you about Coach Anderson. I wonder if you would have felt this way if MU would have had another mediocre season. I am not saying he is a bad guy, but hearing him speak about humbleness and faith has inspired you? Again, I suggest it is probably more winning that has inspired you. I have heard coach Majerus and many other coaches speak on those topics. As far Anderson's character far exceed Majerus? What do you base that on? Didn't coach Anderson allow a kid who beat up his girlfriend (the name escapes me) to stay on the team last year after the zero tolerance declaration?

[slufanskip]

I've addressed the past. I admitted that Father Biondi was morally beyond reproach BEFORE the firing of Soderberg. I have no problem with people supporting SLU. Heck, I support SLU and hope they win the A-10 next year. However, I don't like hypocritical SLU and Mizzou fans, who whine about immoral behavior of other programs, when their own program may not be completely moral. The one exception is Billiken Roy, who can rightly use the "Mi$$ouri" tag. He's disappointed in the direction $LU has taken. As for me, I'm a realist and realize that most big-time programs might skirt the rules or engage in questionable ethics. Therefore, you won't hear me rag on KU when they get into trouble with recruits. Otherwise, I'd be a hypocrite like you guys are.

You're ridiculous. How was the firing of Brad morally wrong? You make more sense when you don't post, it'd be great if you'd get back to making sense.

Are you saying that someone who speeds shouldn't criticize someone who commits armed robbery?

[Clock_Tower]

Tonka, you make a valid point. I disagreed with Anderson's position last year and thought that he should have kicked the offending players off, including Lyons. Ethics is always a gray area and open to interpretation. Do I think that Anderson is a morally unethical because of the incident? I think that is a little strong, even if I disagreed with that one incident. Now with more hindsight, I have to admit that Anderson might have known what he was doing after all. What I saw from a Mizzou team was one of hard work, intelligence, and selflessness. I have also heard Mike Anderson speak and his humbleness and faith has inspired me. When comparing the character of Anderson with Majerus, it is my opinion that Anderson's character far exceeds Majerus. Admittedly, that is through the limited lens of an outsider. However you have to admit that if that Sports Illustrated article on Majerus was even half true, that SLU hasn't exactly hired a saint or one with strong ethics. In other words, when you live in glass houses...

AJ. Sorry but you have zero credibility. You have already established your position that a "sin is a sin" regardless of the severity of the offense. Now, you are completely changing your argument about ethics. Why do you now say that "unethical conduct is NOT unethical conduct" when the offender is Mizzou's head coach. Answer: your logic doesn't match your bias against SLU and in favor of your Tigers.

As to NCAA violations, SLU is still a pristine program unlike your Tigers. Not only did your Tigers cheat and were punished under Norm/Daly but also most recently just a few years ago under Quin. Again, such facts apparenty don't fit your agenda so now, if I understand you, you are now concerned, instead, about whether or not Fr. Biondi knew about minor violations about RM as opposed to whether or not Alden knew about possible violations with Anderson. Are you kidding??? How does Fr. Biondi's knowledge about minor violations somehow place our program in the same "sinful" cesspool which Mizzou has enjoyed with its last 2 coaches (Stewart and Quin) - both of whom have been punished by the NCAA. Get real.

Now, you want to talk about character - "Anderson's character far exceeds Majerus." Dare I ask what you base this upon? If you are referring to MA's recruits such as Stefon Hannah, tell us who RM has recruited to make his character worse. While we're at it, wasn't MA's own son convicted of DWI after MA's zero tolerance? While you're at it, please describe how many SLU players have struck people with rifles at fast food joints. These are MA recruits/family/players.

Oh, I think I get it. RM drove a few Soderberg kids off the team and now you label him less ethical than MA. Your only fact in support is that MA, unlike RM, kept and existing player (Matt Lawrence), that since he is a suburban St. Louis white kid he obviously is not a MA player and therefore MA has greater ethics than RM.

Anyone else getting a headache trying to comprehend such "logic"??

[Guest BillikenReport]

Oh, I think I get it. RM drove a few Soderberg kids off the team and now you label him less ethical than MA. Your only fact in support is that MA, unlike RM, kept and existing player (Matt Lawrence), that since he is a suburban St. Louis white kid he obviously is not a MA player and therefore MA has greater ethics than RM.

Didn't MA drive Glen Dandridge away?

[aj_arete]

The cynic in me thinks it may be more winning that has swayed and inspired you about Coach Anderson. I wonder if you would have felt this way if MU would have had another mediocre season. I am not saying he is a bad guy, but hearing him speak about humbleness and faith has inspired you? Again, I suggest it is probably more winning that has inspired you. I have heard coach Majerus and many other coaches speak on those topics. As far Anderson's character far exceed Majerus? What do you base that on? Didn't coach Anderson allow a kid who beat up his girlfriend (the name escapes me) to stay on the team last year after the zero tolerance declaration?

Of course, a program needs to win. If Coach Anderson had a mediocre season, it wouldn't have bothered me for him to be fired, though I would have given him another year. I've been patient with past coaches. For instance, I was in the minority that would have given Coach Soderberg another year. Even though Coach Soderberg had a mediocre reign, I still have great respect for him as a person and he has also inspired me in my Christian walk from afar.

You don't know me well enough to determine what inspires me or not. As a Christian, I am inspired by leadership. I consider a person to be a great leader by how people follow and talk about him. How about asking Matt Lawrence what kind of person that Coach Anderson is? What about people that were kicked off the team? Have you interviewed Kalen Grimes? That's how I measure a man's character.

Media articles and interviews form my basis of whether I like a person or not. Of course that is limited, but as an out of area fan that is all I can go on. If I was working in the athletic department or as an influential booster, I can form a better opinion on someone.

As for Mike Anderson, I remember articles talking about his travels on the caravan across the various towns. He talked about his humbleness and hard work that resonated with me. I was also impressed with his ability to bond with people across various walks of life. Regardless of whether he wins or loses in the future at Mizzou, I have great respect for the man based from my limited lens of him.

By the way, I believe that player is Darryl Butterfield, who you were referring to. I've worked in challenging environments where kids lack focus and have questionable pasts. If I was entrusted with players, would I automatically kick them off the squad? It's probable that I would, but I don't know all of the circumstances that Coach Anderson dealt with. Did Butterfield make restitution? Was he truly sorry and accepted the consequences? Was the story true? I don't have enough facts to make a true judgment there.

Of course, no one should condone violence against women and maybe we can look back and question tactics. I had forgotten about the Butterfield incident and if given more information on that scenario maybe my view of Anderson could change. That's my honest response.

[ACE]

February 09, 2008

Was Athena a basketball hot spot?

Butterfield

With Athena Nightclub possibly shuttering for good and two University of Missouri basketball players' arrests in connection with a fight there still making headlines, a question begs to be asked: Was Athena a hot spot for the men's basketball team?

Darryl Butterfield, a reserve forward in his senior year with the Tigers, was arrested on third-degree domestic assault charges Oct. 17 after he punched his ex-girlfriend during an argument at a Campusview Drive apartment.

Butterfield, 22, had left the scene when officers arrived to the apartment. Police reached him on his cell phone and he agreed to meet them at a "coffee shop" at the corner of Hitt and Locust streets.

The "coffee shop" Butterfield met police at was actually Athena Nightclub, according to police reports obtained by the Tribune. The now-infamous bar was the scene of an early-morning brawl Jan. 27 involving two other Missouri basketball players -- senior guards Jason Horton and Stefhon Hannah.

Butterfield was charged with peace disturbance and eventually pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor. An indefinite suspension levied against him lasted one exhibition game before it was lifted.

Former Athena employees have told the Tribune that MU basketball players frequented the bar and a widely-circulated MySpace photo of several players in front of the club has circulated online.

Filed under: Columbia Police , Downtown/University of Missouri campus , Violent Crime

Posted by at 02:47 AM | Comments (3)

February 08, 2008

Hannah arrested in connection with Athena fight

Hannah

UPDATE: Police say a witness to a Jan. 27 fight between University of Missouri point guards Jason Horton, Stefhon Hannah and an unidentified 26-year-old nightclub employee tried to come to the employee's defense and punched Hannah, knocking him out and fracturing his jaw.

For more information, check out the Tribune's story below.

***

University of Missouri point guard Stefhon Hannah was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor assault yesterday stemming from a brawl last month outside a downtown nightclub.

Hannah, 22, of 301 Campusview Drive was arrested on suspicion of third-degree assault for his alleged role in a fight outside Athena Nightclub, 1100 Locust St., that left him with a fractured jaw. Fellow guard Jason Horton was arrested Feb. 1 on suspicion of a similar misdemeanor charge after a 26-year-old unidentified male employee told police Horton repeatedly punched him in the face.

A witness to the fight went to help the employee, identified only as “kitchen help” at a neighboring restaurant, police said. Police said that witness punched Hannah, breaking his jaw. That person has been identified and interviewed by police.

Hannah and his attorney met with a police investigator at about 4 p.m. yesterday in the Columbia Police Department headquarters. He refused to give a statement to police.

Reached last night at a Campus View apartment listed in police documents regarding the Athena fight, Horton declined to comment on his arrest or the arrest of Hannah. “What? Me? Jason Horton? No, I don’t have anything to say.”

Columbia police Sgt. Ken Hammond said an investigation into the fight is ongoing but that no additional arrests are expected. Charges have yet to be filed.

Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Richard Hicks said earlier this week he planned to interview the 26-year-old victim in the Horton case before deciding whether to file charges. He has until March 3 to make a decision.

Police went to the Athena shortly after 1 a.m. Jan. 27 after receiving a report of a fight outside the club. Hannah was found unconscious and police followed him as he was taken to the hospital.

The MU senior told police at the time he was unable to identify who hit him or what had caused the fight, police said. He told police that he got caught up in the middle of a fight and was “backing out of it” when he was struck in the head.

Officers said that 20 to 30 people were outside the nightclub when they arrived, but none provided any details of what happened.

The nightclub appears to have closed, police said, and employees at the Athena bar said the bar had temporarily closed for “remodeling.”

Reached Friday night by phone, Athena Nightclub’s owner Rashid Kikhia declined to comment on whether the club had closed for good.

After the fight, Hannah — who team officials said would be unable to play basketball for four to six weeks after jaw surgery — was suspended indefinitely from the team along with four other players for an undisclosed violation of team rules. The suspensions of junior Leo Lyons and seniors Marshall Brown, Darryl Butterfield and Horton have all been lifted.

MU basketball Coach Mike Anderson declined to discuss Hannah’s arrest after the team’s afternoon practice yesterday.

Hannah has been at the scene of two other violent crimes in the city: the July 5 shooting of junior forward DeMarre Carroll outside the Tropicana Bar, 808 Cherry St., and a Dec. 16 shooting outside a Break Time convenience store, 110 E. Nifong Blvd. He was interviewed by police at both scenes but was not a suspect.

Hannah, who is from the south side of Chicago, was considered the Tigers’ offensive “spark plug” this season, averaging a team-high 14.7 points through the first 20 games. He was named to the preseason list for the Bob Cousy Award, which is given to the nation’s top point guard, and he led the Tigers in assists and steals.

[slufanskip]

Of course, a program needs to win. If Coach Anderson had a mediocre season, it wouldn't have bothered me for him to be fired, though I would have given him another year. I've been patient with past coaches. For instance, I was in the minority that would have given Coach Soderberg another year. Even though Coach Soderberg had a mediocre reign, I still have great respect for him as a person and he has also inspired me in my Christian walk from afar.

You don't know me well enough to determine what inspires me or not. As a Christian, I am inspired by leadership. I consider a person to be a great leader by how people follow and talk about him. How about asking Matt Lawrence what kind of person that Coach Anderson is? What about people that were kicked off the team? Have you interviewed Kalen Grimes? That's how I measure a man's character.

Media articles and interviews form my basis of whether I like a person or not. Of course that is limited, but as an out of area fan that is all I can go on. If I was working in the athletic department or as an influential booster, I can form a better opinion on someone.

As for Mike Anderson, I remember articles talking about his travels on the caravan across the various towns. He talked about his humbleness and hard work that resonated with me. I was also impressed with his ability to bond with people across various walks of life. Regardless of whether he wins or loses in the future at Mizzou, I have great respect for the man based from my limited lens of him.

By the way, I believe that player is Darryl Butterfield, who you were referring to. I've worked in challenging environments where kids lack focus and have questionable pasts. If I was entrusted with players, would I automatically kick them off the squad? It's probable that I would, but I don't know all of the circumstances that Coach Anderson dealt with. Did Butterfield make restitution? Was he truly sorry and accepted the consequences? Was the story true? I don't have enough facts to make a true judgment there.

Of course, no one should condone violence against women and maybe we can look back and question tactics. I had forgotten about the Butterfield incident and if given more information on that scenario maybe my view of Anderson could change. That's my honest response.

You don't have enough facts to make a judgement about Butterfield, but seem pretty confident that you have enough facts to judge RM. Isn't the fact he sat all night at the airport with the player who's dad died and bought him breakfast a good thing, regardless of the NCAA rules? Isn't the fact he took the time to be there for a player (and bought him a bagel) who's brother had just attempted suicide a good thing, regardless of NCAA rules? Isn't the fact he bought $20-$30 in groceries for 2 players who had no money and nothing to eat (1 who's meal money hadn't began and 1 who's scholarship was being finalized) a good thing, regardless of NCAA rules? In the game of life, the NCAA frequently gets in wrong.

[aj_arete]

When reminded of the incident by Nate, I vaguely recalled an ugly incident. Given that information from police and media reports, that looks bad. However, I'm talking about what was Butterfield's response afterward. How did the courts eventually rule? What was the actual response or punishment rendered from Coach Anderson?

As fans, we are not privy to that information. I do know that those were Quin recruits and that I'm not aware of any other incidents, other than Anderson's son's DUI. Now certainly, there are some coaches that would get rid of players right away.

However, I think back to Lorenzo Romar, who was questioned about taking on troubled players when at SLU. I actually respected Romar's response. He stated that he would look the player in his eyes and make a determination whether the player was truly sorry. I like coaches, who aren't dogmatic, but evaluate cases individually. Romar is another person that I greatly respect and he has taken risks on players in the past. Maybe Anderson thought Butterfield deserved another chance after meeting with him.

I seem to recall people whispering to Jesus about Matthew and the people he hung out with. Didn't Jesus say he was interested in helping the sick, rather than the healthy. Are we that cynical to think that Anderson might have been trying to do the same with Butterfield? From what I recall, Butterfield was a reserve and hardly a difference maker. It would have been easy to get rid of him, but he chose to take a harder route. I think some parents would respect that. I know I'd rather my son play for Coach Anderson than Coach Majerus.

By the way, I'd be very comfortable with my son playing for Coach Romar or Soderberg, too. I greatly respect all three men.

[slufanskip]

When reminded of the incident by Nate, I vaguely recalled an ugly incident. Given that information from police and media reports, that looks bad. However, I'm talking about what was Butterfield's response afterward. How did the courts eventually rule? What was the actual response or punishment rendered from Coach Anderson?

As fans, we are not privy to that information. I do know that those were Quin recruits and that I'm not aware of any other incidents, other than Anderson's son's DUI. Now certainly, there are some coaches that would get rid of players right away.

However, I think back to Lorenzo Romar, who was questioned about taking on troubled players when at SLU. I actually respected Romar's response. He stated that he would look the player in his eyes and make a determination whether the player was truly sorry. I like coaches, who aren't dogmatic, but evaluate cases individually. Romar is another person that I greatly respect and he has taken risks on players in the past. Maybe Anderson thought Butterfield deserved another chance after meeting with him.

I seem to recall people whispering to Jesus about Matthew and the people he hung out with. Didn't Jesus say he was interested in helping the sick, rather than the healthy. Are we that cynical to think that Anderson might have been trying to do the same with Butterfield? From what I recall, Butterfield was a reserve and hardly a difference maker. It would have been easy to get rid of him, but he chose to take a harder route. I think some parents would respect that. I know I'd rather my son play for Coach Anderson than Coach Majerus.

By the way, I'd be very comfortable with my son playing for Coach Romar or Soderberg, too. I greatly respect all three men.

So it's ok for MA to stick it out with Butterfield .... in fact it sounds like you think it's a good thing. But .... many if not all of RM's NCAA violations were him trying to do what was right for the player. Players that hadn't been arrested for assault, players who's dad had died, or who's brother just attempted suicide. Players who had no money and nothing to eat.

I don't think I agree with all of RM's methods, and I'm not sure I would be strong willed enough to take the berating it sounds like he's fond of giving players at practice .... but I think he truly believes the things he does and the methods he uses are best for the player and their devolpment. Who's right? I don't know. I've never been put in charge of developing young men at that level. I know he's been highly succesful and many past players love him and a few hate him. I bet that can be said about almost every coach. I can tell you for fact there were players that didn't care for UB or his methods either. As far as MA goes, as I've said, I think he's a class guy. I hope he does well.

[aj_arete]

You don't have enough facts to make a judgement about Butterfield, but seem pretty confident that you have enough facts to judge RM. Isn't the fact he sat all night at the airport with the player who's dad died and bought him breakfast a good thing, regardless of the NCAA rules? Isn't the fact he took the time to be there for a player (and bought him a bagel) who's brother had just attempted suicide a good thing, regardless of NCAA rules? Isn't the fact he bought $20-$30 in groceries for 2 players who had no money and nothing to eat (1 who's meal money hadn't began and 1 who's scholarship was being finalized) a good thing, regardless of NCAA rules? In the game of life, the NCAA frequently gets in wrong.

As fans, we aren't privy to that information, but I do respect the NCAA and their rules. I agreed with their rulings against Norm and Quin and thought their judgments were just. As for Utah and Majerus, I don't have as much information about that. All I know is that there was a SERIES of noncompliance with minor violations that was uncovered by the Utah staff. Given what I know about the NCAA regulations, I doubt they would have cited Majerus with the charge if your above scenarios was the only violations. However, I'm open if you got more information.

[moytoy12]

As fans, we aren't privy to that information, but I do respect the NCAA and their rules. I agreed with their rulings against Norm and Quin and thought their judgments were just. As for Utah and Majerus, I don't have as much information about that. All I know is that there was a SERIES of noncompliance with minor violations that was uncovered by the Utah staff. Given what I know about the NCAA regulations, I doubt they would have cited Majerus with the charge if your above scenarios was the only violations. However, I'm open if you got more information.

So your conclusions are based off minimal information? Solid.

[aj_arete]

So it's ok for MA to stick it out with Butterfield .... in fact it sounds like you think it's a good thing. But .... many if not all of RM's NCAA violations were him trying to do what was right for the player. Players that hadn't been arrested for assault, players who's dad had died, or who's brother just attempted suicide. Players who had no money and nothing to eat.

I don't think I agree with all of RM's methods, and I'm not sure I would be strong willed enough to take the berating it sounds like he's fond of giving players at practice .... but I think he truly believes the things he does and the methods he uses are best for the player and their devolpment. Who's right? I don't know. I've never been put in charge of developing young men at that level. I know he's been highly succesful and many past players love him and a few hate him. I bet that can be said about almost every coach. I can tell you for fact there were players that didn't care for UB or his methods either. As far as MA goes, as I've said, I think he's a class guy. I hope he does well.

If players didn't like Brad, I'd think it would be based on his playing style and not the type of person he is. As Miklasz noted about SLU fans, many of you are sanctimonious. Again, I would have no problem with that if SLU didn't hire Majerus, who dropped his pants in front of a player. From my limited lens of a Sports Illustrated article, Majerus doesn't seem like a nice guy. I know Majerus talks a good game, but something about him appears phony to me.

In all my years on here, I have not chastised SLU fans for attacking Mizzou for their indiscretions with the NCAA. That is because it was indefensible in my book. However, that changes with the hiring of Majerus.

Again, I don't have ALL of the information on Butterfield and Anderson. However, I had no problem with Romar taking a chance on Nicholas Kern of Vashon. I think he's willing to take chances on marginal students with questionable backgrounds and I don't have a problem with that. Romar is in the business of saving lives and I believe Anderson is too. For that, I respect them for it.