This is not about Mazi Smith, it’s about his coach’s hypocrisy
I was having dinner with a friend of mine the day the news broke of Mazi Smith’s gun arrest. This friend of mine is a hardcore Michigan fan. He noticed the hypocrisy right off the bat, as did most intellectually honest people.
We both agreed – in a normal situation, Smith’s run in with the law would be dealt with appropriately, he’d learn a lesson, there would most likely be no long-term consequences, and he’d be able to put this behind him somewhat quickly.
Unfortunately for Smith, that’s not the way it went down, thanks to actions his coach took weeks earlier.
We’ll get to that in a minute.
First off, let the record note that I believe University of Michigan’s J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach Jim Harbaugh and Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics Warde Manuel when they say that Mazi Smith is a tremendous young man. I agree with their statement that he is not a threat to the community. I’m sure that his character and the trust he has earned over his years at the University of Michigan are worthy of admiration.
But this is not about Mazi Smith.
This is about Harbaugh saying one thing and doing another.
When asked about why Smith continued to be on the football team without a suspension during the investigation, here’s what Harbaugh had to say, in part:
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