Eight Arrested After Michigan State Loss(Texas to Final Four, Spartans to da pokey)

Atlanta Journal-Constipation ^ | 3/31/03 | AP

[Diddle E. Squat]

East Lansing, Mich. --

Eight people were arrested and police dispersed crowds with tear gas following Michigan State's loss to Texas in the NCAA tournament.

Police dressed in riot gear and gas masks had mostly broken up the crowd downtown and reopened traffic in and out of Michigan State's campus.

A crowd of about 2,000 had gathered at the university's administration building, where four cars were overturned, several small fires were set in bushes and large trash bins, and vending machines were damaged, Lt. Kevin Daley of the East Lansing Police Department said.

The violence followed Michigan State's 85-76 loss to Texas on Sunday in the South Regional final in San Antonio.

The fires were extinguished and police again dispersed the crowd with tear gas, Daley said. Officers also used tear gas to break up a crowd earlier in the night and a bus stop was damaged, he added.

Six of the eight arrested were identified as university students; the group included six men and two women. University officials said they would discipline the students.

After the Spartans' 1999 NCAA tournament loss to Duke, police made 132 arrests that included 71 Michigan State students. Damages to the city and campus totaled more than $250,000.

That prompted a university policy allowing officials to punish students for crimes committed off campus.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Too bad for the Spartans that some idiots got rowdy. Or was this actually a peace rally? Hard to tell...

Kudo's to the Longhorns for their 1st Final Four appearance in 56 years. Only one seed to survive.

[MineralMan]

Yes, amateur sports. How nice that they generate such hooliganism, eh? I no longer attend college sports events. They're too darned dangerous.

[annyokie]

No lie. Look what happens in State College whenever Penn State has a football game.

[Texican72]

I found this report from AP:

Brad Dizik, a freshman from Farmington Hills, said the large number of police officers encouraged students to misbehave.

"They entice us to go even more crazy," Dizik said. "I'm just standing here watching people."

Personally, I've never been enticed to destroy property becuase there were too MANY police in the area.

[Diddle E. Squat]

I should check a Columbus news site. Ohio State didn't play yesterday, but I imagined they rioted anyway out of habit.

[MineralMan]

"No lie. Look what happens in State College whenever Penn State has a football game"

Yeah. I made the mistake of attending a wrestling match, of all things, between the university in my area and the university where my father-in-law graduated back in the '40s. As I am accustomed to do, I wore a T-shirt of the visiting team.

A couple of local fans offered to kick my behind for me while I was in the gym just watching the match. I wasn't yelling or cheering, just sitting there wearing a team t-shirt.

I ignored them, and they didn't bother me any further. Stupid buttheads! It's a sport, for pete's sake.

[MineralMan]

"Brad Dizik, a freshman from Farmington Hills, said the large number of police officers encouraged students to misbehave. "

Yeah, right. The cops were egging them on? Somehow, I doubt it.

I have a suggestion for this freshman, and for all those kids with more energy than they know what to do with.

ENLIST TODAY!

Fat chance.

[UCFRoadWarrior]

I wonder what they will do when the US knocks out Saddam...what kind of riots they will have then...

[annyokie]

I was absolutely appalled at the trashing and burning that took place there a few years ago. Burned cars, broken plate glass, downed street lights. GD hooliganism belongs in the UK. (No offense, Ivan, should you be lurking.)

[annyokie]

That would be Michigan State. It's a "State Thing", IMO. You don't see much of this activity at U of Wherever.

[dfwgator]

Nothing compared to what they'll have on the UC Berkely campus, I'm sure.

[MineralMan]

"I was absolutely appalled at the trashing and burning that took place there a few years ago. "

Yeah, it's pretty apalling. I suggest that all those kids who want a fight should walk into their local military recruiter's office and join up. They'll have plenty of chances to fight.

Personally, I think the schools and university towns are _way_ too tolerant of this stuff. I'd bring in the fire hoses and wash 'em all down the drain.

[Voltage]

It will continue until they start handing out 1 year sentences to these terrorists.

[rintense]

As a Spartan, I had a feeling this would happen. Ever since the Cedar Village riots in the early 90s (I was innocently there but got the hell out of Dodge when it got bad), the rowdys just look for a reason to act stupid.

For shame.

[annyokie]

Tut, tut! Now, you'll remember the spoiled little SOB who was caught on film smashing car windows out and his Mommy and Daddy lawyered up and then went on TV whining that he just got "caught up in the moment". (Insert profane expression of disgust here.)

[Diddle E. Squat]

I'm just lucky the Longhorns won, else someone might be posting an article on idiot students rioting in Austin...

[Missouri]

I have a suggestion for this freshman, and for all those kids with more energy than they know what to do with. ENLIST TODAY!

I don't think our military would want these spoiled brats.

[anymouse]

Not to brag or anything, but time to root for the Tea Sippers. :) Texas ping time. :)

[MineralMan]

"I don't think our military would want these spoiled brats."

Oh, the military has ways to tame even these dumbheads. Basic Training does a pretty good job of reducing brats into something else.

Let 'em sign up for the Army or the Marines. Either will make men out of them, instead of spoiled little boys.

As an alternative, I think my fire hose idea is workable. Just pull the FD up and hit 'em with a big hose and nozzle. Watch 'em try to swim on the ground. That should cool them off a bit.

I just hate these sports brawls. They spoil what should be a good decent activity. We've seen what happens in Europe with soccer. Now we're getting it here. I have absolutely zero sympathy for these kids.

[MeekOneGOP]

Well what do I call this? A 'boys will be boys' ping? . . .


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