UPDATE: Pitt has issued a statement on the players situation, it is below the fold.
Really not much that can say about the assault charges that are filed against Devin Street, Ray Graham and Lafayette Pitts. I won’t outright call them a load of bull, but let’s just say there doesn’t seem to be much meat to the charges.
Pittsburgh police wrote in a criminal complaint that they were working an overtime detail early on Oct. 21 when they tried to disperse a crowd from the intersection of Oakland Avenue and Bates Street and three people remained in the roadway.
One those people, Karl Olsheski, told police he had just been assaulted. He refused medical treatment and said he did not want to file a report, he just wanted officers to stop the man who had punched him, according to the criminal complaint.
In an interview with police, Mr. Olsheski said he was walking in Oakland with two women when Mr. Graham stopped him, said, “What’s up?” and uttered a racial slur. Mr. Olsheski said that he replied “nothing” and tried to leave but Mr. Graham, Mr. Street and Mr. Pitts surrounded him and then Mr. Street slugged him on the left side of the head, according to the criminal complaint.
The players are being mailed their summons to appear. It is simple assault and conspiracy. The stories do not make clear how the three were identified or whether they were detained at the incident. They were not and will not be arrested in connection to the charges. They haven’t even received notice that they are being charged, since the summons are being mailed to them.
It doesn’t really add up. None of the players have been in trouble before. It seems that whatever happened that night, the police report did not involve detaining or interviewing Street, Pitts and Graham so it is only the version from the victim. So, it makes it appear that the three randomly targeted and surrounded a guy for abuse. Uh, what? And, I have to believe that if an athlete with the size and strength of Street actually “slugged” someone in the head, it would leave some sort of mark.
I don’t see how they get suspended for this, but who knows. This is Chryst’s first public incident involving team discipline. The previous incidents at the start of the season involved “violations of team rules” to keep everyone in the dark. He may feel that he has to do something.
Something the players, coaches and team didn’t need.
UPADATE: Pitt has issued a statement. Street, Graham and Pitts traveled with the team and will play on Saturday. There’s the boilerplate “we are still gathering facts” and “no rush to judgment” stuff. The statement also confirms that the police have yet to interview the players, so this whole thing will very likely fade to nothingness.
“The University of Pittsburgh Athletic Department was recently made aware of a police report relating to an incident allegedly involving three of our football student-athletes on October 21. Those individuals have denied any involvement with the situation and have offered to speak with authorities, although to date they have not been questioned or received any court documents. We take matters of player discipline very seriously and will continue to cooperate with any investigation. However, we will not, and hope others will not, rush to judgment on these misdemeanor allegations. All three players will remain active members of our program while we gain more clarity on this situation.”
Also like the subtlety of pointing out that even the charges amount to misdemeanors. Not exactly hard crime stuff.
wow the devasatation just 15 min away from me…
anyway.. Chryst needs to do some due diligence…
but.. he needs to suspend all 3…
This happened Oct. 21… what took so long for it to come out???
Why does Chryst need to suspend all 3, or even 1?
Not a rhetorical question.
sounds similar to what happened at 1st game with Shell, etc…. it was a group of them that got into a scuffle of sorts at Burger King or some fast food place.
My big question… this is 10 days later and coming out??
Why didn’t the 3 tell Chryst 10 days ago…
anyway…
need to make an example with the 3 starters… otherwise it is Wanny all over again.
10 days later in Pgh is an eternity. Pitt draws attn; and legit reports spread like wildfire, aka Sheard tossing some jerk thru a window.
Burger Kings have independant witnsseses.
I don’t know if the 3 told Chryst or not.
I am not a fan of making people “examples”. I am a fan of facts and justice.
If facts come close to criminal activity, then I agree. But assertions in a late filed, then mailed complaint aren’t facts.
I sit with the 3 and any violation of team rules occurred, then I punish consistent with previously outlined rules. If assaults are confirmed (and I think you are allowed to trust your players to tell you the truth) then you suspend.
If they lie about it, then you kick them off.
But if they aren’t lying, and right now, Chryst has to be the judge, then they have full player privileges.
it doesn’t have to reach the level of criminal..
it would then be violation of team rules..
and suspension should occur..
10 days later… and Chryst doesn’t know anything?? smells..
treating starters different than backups…
Wanny all over again.
There would seem to be a possibility that only Street will be subject to immmediate disciplinary action since he is the only one alleged to have thrown a punch. However, my bet is that Chryst announces right before kick off that all three will not play.
Don’t think Chryst really has much of a choice given that all three were actually charged.
Keep in mind that authorities apparently have witness testimony from the two women reported to be in the company of the alleged victim. And there’s also the possibility of additional witnesses since it appears there was a “crowd” in the vincinity of where all this allegedly occurred.
Not good.
If this actually happened, then I’d be the first to say that all three should be thrown out of school. However, I agree with others that the whole thing sounds a bit fishy. The Trib article says that none of the 3 people involved were able to identify all three players from photos, but each was able to identify one of them. That sounds a bit too convenient. Why do three guys who have everything going for them and who haven’t been in trouble before suddenly decide to randomly attack a stranger on campus? It’s certainly not unheard of, but seems hard to beleive – unless enough alcohol was invloved, I guess. Still, this seems like either complete BS or there’s more to the story.
Off the topic – the one guy said he knew Street from a class they took on Vampires. There’s a real comment on our educational system. College students can’t write or do math anymore, but we’ll at least make sure they know how to deal with the undead…
Innocent until proven guilty…
that is not the standard for player suspension…
the standard is violation of team rules to merit a suspension… and it sounds like it met the standard!!!
I agree with Pitt of Dreams analysis..
Frankly, though, this all sucks. The rumors of this involving Street’s ex makes the charges seem more plausible unfortunately. Even if it was simple bullying/harassment, if there was any physical contact you’d assume there’d be a suspension for all involved.
Perhaps you don’t know…
but Ray Graham is Big Man on Campus… so if he saw some women he was interested in.. well… he goes for it!!!
And since multiple women… enough for the other 2… typically bully manuever..
None of the 3 victims could positively identify the faces of all 3 Pitt players that were charged. As a group they identified all 3.
LMAO.
I’ll respectfully disagree that with your statement that Chryst treats backups differently than starters. He’s already proven that he doesn’t.
Ezell was a starter and he was suspended for the YSU game. Shell was also suspended and while he’s technically not a “starter”, it’s pretty safe to assume he likely would’ve seen playing time that day.
And even before the “Suspended Six” incident occurred, he suspended Juantez Hollins for the year for violations of team rules. Hollins was in the mix for a starting job on the offensive line.
These guys have to know, if you go out, you can get in trouble real easy. I know they are only teen to early 20′s, but they have a great free education and an opportunity to play in the pro’s and they ruin their rep’s over doing something stupid. Even if they didn’t end up doing anything but throwing an insult, that’s what people will think of first when they hear Graham, Stree, and Pitts.
“each player was recognized by at least one, including Mitchell who recognized Street from a class they took together on vampires.”
A class on vampires? WTF? Vampires 101?
IDK, this seems to be pretty tame and the guy didn’t even want to press charges initially. Two sides to every story too. It would be interesting to find out if there were any other witnesses. I’m not doubting that these 3 players might have been a little cocky and maybe even bullying, but this still sounds like it might be much ado about very little to me. Investigation needs to be completed and with the court date not until Jan.9th, it should not impact their ability to play. If these were more serious charges and there was evidence that the alleged victim was hurt, I’d say the players should be suspended until more information was obtained about the incident.
Here is the link to the story … fantastic.
This course examines the phenomenon of vampirism in verbal and visual texts from different time periods in various cultures (Russia, Poland, France, England, America). Why do vampires capture the imagination especially of Anglophone readers? What qualities does the vampire incarnate? Which historical events and customs have triggered particular enthusiasm for depicting the undead? How have the depictions of the vampire evolved over centuries? Our discussions will address these issues as we analyze stories, novels, and films focusing on vampires from a variety of critical perspectives, contextualizing the works in the cultures that produced them.
I think Chryst talks to these 3 to get their stories. If anything even smells of an assault (even if they claim they didn’t provoke the incident), then he probably suspends them. I think it is also very possible that all three have a story that is very different from what is in the police report, possibly even a full denial. If that is the case, no suspension until more facts come out.
18 so far…
I said the same thing… racial slut to a white guy??? lol
My gut is they won’t play. Pitt admin won’t want the national media playing Pitt has a “Rogue Football Program”. The Sport Illustrated article is still in their head. This is my take on situation.
Also even if it was true, why would all three players be suspended when only one person punched the guy.
As everyone is well aware, I’m not a Chryst supporter. However, saying that he treats starters differently is a bunch of BS. He sat 6 players for the first game, which helped lead to a loss. Mind you these players weren’t charged with anything, which meant he could have done nothing and no one would have know.
BTW, I took the vampire class when I was at Pitt, the professor is pretty wild. You had to read a bunch of vampire stuff and watch vampire movies. Not the hardest class in the world, but some people thought it was too much work and was hard.
This looks like a game that’s really going to have to be put on Tino’s back!
Think you can expect him to have a really big performance tmorrow.
The one thing we know about Tino, just as everyone thinks he can’t pull it off… he loves to prove everybody wrong.
With the loss of Mason, all the other injuries… and now this… tomorrow’s game is being set up as an All-TIME PITT CLASSIC!!
I say “Why not?”
But if so, which game?
The comparison to PSU is foolish. 10 days of ostensible knowledge compared to 14 years; a mailed complaint of a misdeamnor versus statory rapes. No comparison whatsoever.
Get the players version before you do anything. Facts are important in my world. Finding them is difficult sometimes.
As much as it sucks to say it, I think the 3 will miss this game. Just cant see Chryst or the administration allowing this.
That being said, and as much as Ray Graham has done for Pitt, if he doesn’t play, I will be excited to see Shell be #1 for the whole game. I keep getting this vision of Jerome Bettis truckin Urlacher at the goal line in the ’05-’06 season. And nothing, short of a Pitt win, would make me happier than seeing Te’o picking himself up after Shell beasts him into the endzone.
Corey Clement, Wisconsin Runningback Commit.
Funny. I believe this is the same campus where Star Runningback Monte Ball was mugged and beaten by a group of guys on the way home.
Hey Corey. Hope you enjoy the winters in Madison.
Next.
The 3 denied being involved…
They will not be suspended until investigation… and that won’t start until they get a summons which is in the mail!!
LMAO
Media is going to have a ball with this one!!
http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/110212aaa.html
yep.. the national media will eat this up!!
They aren’t PG and Trib… ask PSU…
Bad move by Pitt in my opinion.
“After the first midterm, I had an odd aversion to garlic and crosses … therefore playing at Notre Dame was not an option. Hmmm, how do I get out of this … aha, assault charges should do the trick.”
Play the guys so, play to win the game, and suspend them against UConn if we must.
BTW – the PSU comparison is completely idiotic.
I didn’t call Graham a thug…
Big Man on Campus has it’s own meaning…
Comparison to PSU… all the PSU supporters did not like the NCAA sanctions, etc… they wanted due process to occur before sanctions, etc… no interview of Paterno, etc… just used the Freeh report.
That is the comparison to Pedo State… everyone wants “due process” to occur… guess what… Chyrst doesn’t have to wait out criminal court to issue sanctions. It is a different standard to sit a game!!!
@joeD
I read that Covington did not decommit, his scholly was pulled.
why was Covington scholly pulled???
He was one of the later commits.. I think 17th?
Chryst did this to several of the 2012 class..
Ok, maybe to start the game, but, it will just be to let people know who is starting and who isn’t.
This is exceptionally very, very, small potatoes nationally. Nothing more than a blurb or a byline.
In a demented way, I wish this was some big huge story. It would mean Pitt was probably 8-0, ranked in the top 5, and playing to get into the BCS championship.
Would also mean, we’ve had a top 10 team for years and in the national spot light of games just about every weekend.
There is no one at a Notre Dame bar in South Bend even talking about this or even know about it.
Unless a couple faithful Pitt fans stopped in, and are talking about it amongst themselves.
However, you are correct that this will be resolved either by a plea to one summary count of disorderly conduct ($300 fine and / or 90 days in county) or withdrawn in its entirety.
The real question is why the hell are the leaders of this team constantly getting themselves into criminal trouble year in and year out?
Here’s a clip from the Pitt Press Release on the decision to allow all three Street, Graham, and Pitts to remain active.
“These individuals have denied any involvement with the situation and have offered to speak with authorities, although to date they have not been questioned or received any court documents,” the university statement said.” – Tribune Review
How is it that the players are considered charged without having been questioned by police?
Bungling by the cops? A convenient loophole? A whole lot about nothin’?
As the Pitt Turns!
Not arguing with you, just throwing this out there.
Will it be on ESPN’s sportscenter between the 6 and 7 pm hour???
You make a good point, but websites go over a ton more information than the tv news shows. If you look at ESPN and Fox sports or others, their headlines and blurbs are constantly changing.
Maybe you’re right.
I will have sportcenter on, (not to check on this), just because I’ll have it on.
I’ll be suprised to see it mentioned during prime time sportcenter. I will report on this. I don’t care one way or another.
I just think it’s a non story other than to us, and maybe some Notre Dame fans, because they happen to be playing us this week.
example. Say Cal Bears are playing Oregon this weekend (maybe they are???), and a couple of Cal players got in a fight a couple of weeks ago.
Who cares???? Some people at Cal, some fans of Cal, who else????
Again, not arguing, good point, I may be totally wrong. Websites publish everything though.
Maybe I should have been more clear.
I mean this, as, is this story going to be talked about for 5 minutes or more on the 6-7, 11-12 Sportscenters tonight??? Is this going to be a big story on “Gameday” tomorrow morning???
Yes, it made the news. So did a female UCONN soccer player getting in a fender bender the other day too. (yes, I saw it on the side bar).
I mean, is this really gonna make the “NEWS”???
and for being that stupid and risking there college as well as pro future they will deserive
what they get.
that is what happens when they think with the wrong head.
and for the outher 2 to risk everything for that
is even worse.
dont the coachs talk to these kids abought how the should handle them selves.
this IF true is the kind of thing that got wanny fired.
and so child like no reason for this grow the fuck up if true.
The Irish love their holier than thou attitude so that’s why I see them playing it up. If were playing WVU or Louisville or anyone else, it’d be much to do about nothing.
That’s a funny shaped ball, it bounces oddly sometimes.
As I’m typing this, I also see it made the MSN website, on it’s rotating stories. If you’re familiar, they ususally have 7. They keep moving and you can click on 1/7, 2/7, 3/7 etc. etc.
Maybe more noteworthy than I thought. I’m embarrassed to say (not that I may be wrong, I’m wrong lots of times, but, at least I do admit it),
that MSN has it as “3 Pitt football players involved in assault”, and I took some joy in the fact that MSN is using “Pitt”, not “Pittsburgh”!!
LMAO.
Yes, it is embarrassing, and this might be a cliche, no, it is a cliche, but true, these things happen at every school.
Doesn’t make it right, absolutely not, but the fact is, it does.
I don’t know what coaches can do about it. I would bet a million bucks, that Coach Chryst and all of the other coaches tell these kids almost everyday, “stay in, study for your classes, study the playbook, play computer games, go to the gym, watch tv, don’t be going out and drinking especially late at night”.
I know some coaches at small little div 2 and div 3 schools, and they tell their kids, to stay in and stay away from trouble, these are schools with no spot light.
Not condoning it, can’t stand it, but, what can be done?
Coach Chryst allready kicked a guy off the team, suspended 6 players at the beginning of the season, they know there are consequences. I don’t know what I’d do if in their shows. Micro chip them all so you know where they’re at??? LOL
Again, not condoning in any way, shape or form. I’m the opposite, I’m probably quicker to jump on the players for being stupid, than taking their side on innocence.
However, I had a couple minutes here at work, so, I did some “googling”.
I typed in the name of the school, followed by player, and the word assault.
For example, googled: Alabama player assault.
Don’t ask me why I picked these teams, just popped into my head, but, I did it for these 5 teams.
Alabama, Iowa, Iowa State, Texas Tech and UCLA.
I quit at 5, everyone of them came back with an article of an athlete involved in an assault within the past 2-3 years, several of them had dates of 2012 on them.
You figure, I just used the word assault. Know telling what you’d find, if you used the words, robbery, public drunkeness, fighting, theft, drugs. I just used the word assault.
Try yourselves, make a game out of it, pick a school, use the word ‘player’, and pick a crime. Google it you’ll probably get an article.
I’m not making any point, I don’t know what any of it means, is it just this way in society??
I guess the only slight point is, every college, has or has had a problem with an athlete and the law.
It’s not just a Pitt thing.
Seriously, I don’t know what can be done?? Keep beating it in to these kids, show them there are consequences, and they still keep getting into trouble.
Play Shell and 2 backups. It is what it is.
Go by his decision. No one better then the team.
I googled, “Yale player assault”, knowing that nothing would come up for them.
First thing, smacks me in the face……….
“Yale quarterback faces sexual assault charges”!!
I quit. LOL
LMAO!!!!!!! We’re going under.
Smack in the face!!!!
“Academic cheating scandal involving over 279 students in a government class has now affected Harvard athletics. Two starting Harvard basketball players, including their leading scorer, have now withdrawn from the team and the school because of their involvement in the cheating scandal”.
Wow, it’s worse than I thought out there.!
It’s an ugly world!!! LOL
LOL
Northwestern offers a class on pornography.
Pretty much every major and minor college in the USA offers classes that students find ‘interesting’. The vampire class brought into discussion is more about the cultural derivation of vampires throughout the world and why the living dead is such a pervasive idea in human history.
I am slightly annoyed that all three are being handed a summons for assault when it seems clear that if ANY physical exchange actually occurred there was only one person involved. We are missing some information. Given how all of us know how south oakland gets late at night, one can’t rule out that the ‘assaulted’ individuals did not play a large part in this transgression.
These players should be smarter though, I mean, come on, if you see a situation like this just get the hell out of there. It isn’t worth your NFL career, or professional career even.
Well, tomorrow we’re going to put it to the test.
JK
http://slu.edu/Documents/law/Law%20Journal/Archives/LJ56-2_Mason_Article.pdf
All schools have courses of this nature … nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about. It’s pretty damn funny actually.
But reportedly the woman rumored to be Street’s ex-girlfriend did have a HICKEY!
Duke University
AMSE Class 141S:
Vampire Chronicles: Fantasies of Vampirism in a Cross-cultural Perspective. ALP, CCI Literary and cinematic representations of vampirism, from Dracula to Buffy, Chinese jiangshi to the politics of blood-selling and blood donation. The figure of the vampire as embodiment of anxieties about sexuality, desire, gender identity, and ethnic alterity. Cross-cultural circulation of vampiric traditions, vampirism as a symbol of circulation in its own right. Instructor: Rojas. One course. C-L: Cultural Anthropology 142, Literature 151M, International Comparative Studies 122E, Women’s Studies 131S, Study of Sexualities 131S, International Comparative Studies
The Vampire class was three credits. I think when I took it, it was a Tuesday-Thursday class and it was however long a typical Tuesday-Thursday class is, I think 1:15. Seriously, no reason to be embarrassed by the class. It wasn’t a blow off class in any sort of way. In fact, a portion of the grade was class participation so you had to show up to do well. In general, the class was pretty interesting, learned how ideas i.e., Vampires can start as local rumors and travel through cultures, time periods and different forms of mediums.
we might as well win!!!!!!!!!
They really shouldn’t be passing judgment on anyone. Guy dying on the boom. Several drunken players/police episode off season. QB Rees one of them I believe??
Questions of the football player alledged rape/girl committing suicide episode.
They should really just sit down, be quiet, and enjoy the game!!!
Is Vampires 101 a 3 credit or 4 credit course ?
I’m betting 4 if football players were taking it.
Oy Vey !
You’re posts are cracking me up! Highlight of my day so far.
Everyone, close your eyes! Now think! How many times each of us could have been arrested for being drunk on a Friday or Saturday night walking in front of the Towers? Or saying something completely stupid to people/girls/police. Hell, I had to be carried out of Quinues on occasion!
Hell #2..several of my friends threw a firecracker (M80 I think) out the dorm window (yes the windows did use to open and shut!) and the police wanted to arrest everyone in the dorm as it exploded right next to a pedestrian.
So…think ..of your worst night (s) and now read carefully the incredibly bogus charges against the 3 players. Comeon everyone…of course they should play!!! This should not even be mentioned by NBC.
PS – enjoy the memories.
PSS – Pitt 37 Notre Dame 35
Society mimics sports or is it the other way around.
Regardless it’s really a barometer of how truly screwed up this society has become.
Just like parents having to go out with their kids trick or treating.
While we all enjoy our latest little gadgets and electronic toys that suggest things are advancing, societal wise, we are regressing.
That explains why Harvard was in the Top 25 in hoops several weeks last year.
Yes the infection has even reached the Ivies.
We are Doomed !
Wait…….
that’s right Rick Majerus is trying to resurrect their basketball program. My bad 
Mayor says NYC Marathon canceled
duh, well yah, half of NYC has no power and is underwater. I guess ESPN was mad since now they’ll have to figure out what to program for those hours. The choice being Celebrity Poker, women’s college field hockey or a rerun of the 1975 Ohio St-Michigan game.
he said some thing that might give us a clue
he said he thought wisconsin really wanted him there .
i think and this is just a thought that maybe
after we get a kid to commit we stop giveing him love may be we dont call as offton or go to his games any more.
i mean the RB decommits from pitt and commits to wisconsin and says wisnconsin really wants me does that meam pitt stoped showing it .
johnsons mom was worryed abought her boy at pitt
with all the so called inter city chrime now what will she say.
my bet he goes to VT.
lets face it we know it is as safe as any were but if a mom does not want it and some thing like this is on the news we lose.
the point i was makeing was his mom will use it as a reason not to have him go to pitt.
which was part of the reason he went to penn state his mom thinks pitt is danger zone.
you and i remmber the on school; shooting in VT but outhers dont.
This is a non-story. Mason up and jar the irish.
The topic of the course doesn’t matter nearly as much as the questions “Is it sufficiently rigorous?” and “Does it require critical thinking?” I can see a course like this being in any of a variety of departments at various universities: communications, film (don’t know that Pitt has such a department but schools with a connection to the entertainment industry usually do, e.g. USC), sociology, literature and even history. Let’s not get our knickers in a twist about Pitt’s academic quality and reputation over the name of one course which may offer a significant contribution to a student’s learning and growth. Likewise let’s not get too concerned about some players being involved in a likely minor incident and trust the legal authorities, coaching staff and administration to handle it appropriately. Pitt is a very fine academic and research university and under the current administration and BOT is getting continuously better and certainly better than the nits, hoopies and domers.
Now lets get back to the business of beating those domers! Win it for Mason! Go Pitt!
Have the charges been dropped or not? The Post relevant Gazette does not say.
By the way. Ohio state no longer has am opening in 2013 the same day as us.
Maybe Pederson is holding out for a big Gardner Webb payday.
Maybe I missed it, but how do you conclude that the alleged victim had no mark on his head?