That video made rounds a few months ago. It involves Jeffery Simmons, a 5-star Mississippi State football recruit, beating that woman like I’m sure he also beats his dick. Which, maybe in some parts of the world is ok, but definitely not the case in the majority of America. Simmons took to Facebook to kind of apologize, explaining that while he understand he shouldn’t have done it, there was a long-standing beef between the woman’s family and his and he’s mostly upset that the cameras were rolling than anything else. Kind of like a Montague-Capulet situation where everyone has smartphones.
https://twitter.com/AlexMcDaniel/status/713876069263282176
Despite this apology and the parallels between said feud and the beloved Shakespeare drama “Romeo and Juliet”, most people would rightly assume that Mississippi State might just drop this guy because, you know, he got videotaped beating a woman who was lying prone on the ground. Call me crazy, but I don’t think that sounds like too tall of an order. Sure, they need to find a new DE recruit, but also, with the whole Baylor controversy, it would make more sense for Mississippi State to call it a wash and say “Eh, maybe we shouldn’t be giving visually documented women beaters a second chance.” But, nope, they’re giving a shot, with a caveat: a single game suspension. Yep, four quarters. That’s his punishment. So, if he ate bad chicken, he would miss the same amount of games as he is for beating up a woman who is lying on the ground.
Via ESPN:
“Signee Jeffery Simmons will be allowed to enroll and play football at Mississippi State, but with conditions attached — including a one-game suspension served in the season opener — the school announced Thursday….Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen told ESPN on Friday that a wide range of school officials were involved in the decision to allow Simmons to play.
“As we looked at all of the details of the situation, beyond just the part of the video that’s been in the media, we felt like he deserved a chance in life,” Mullen said.
Mullen said Mississippi State’s investigation went much deeper than just the video.
Asked why Simmons received only a one-game suspension and wasn’t forced to sit out a year and prove himself, Mullen said, “That was all an administration decision.”
The university issued a statement Thursday that said Simmons “will be evaluated by the licensed professionals at the university’s Student Counseling Services and be required to complete any program prescribed by that office.”
Here, I’ll evaluate him for free: Easily impressionable, prone to violence, irresponsible of personal image. Boom. You’re welcome, doctors of Mississippi State. You can all go home now or deal with real patients. Also, it makes it seem as if there is more to the video that we see is only part of a whole. Is there a section of the video where they all kiss and say “Let’s pretend we’re fighting each other and have a deep-seeded hatred for one another”? Did we only see the bad part of the video? Apparently.
However, for those of you who are a bit skeptical of the perfect picture that Mississippi State is painting of Simmons, this video of the AD describing why they are letting him back to play after this incident should raise some of the same questions you also have.
Tl;dw: “Simmons is a good player and we really need him plus, you know, someone else will probably do something worse between now and when he actually takes the field, so I’m pretty sure people will forget about it anyway.” Honestly, no grown man in a position of power should squirm in his seat that much when defending a decision they made. That’s calling out a liar 101. How do you think I figured out which girls didn’t want to sleep with me in college? “Do you want to get out of here?” “Oh I…uh…I have to check my phone.” “Why are you pulling at your necklace?” “Oh look, my mom called. She’s…uh…she’s dead. Gotta go.” Come on. Mississippi essentially just told us they think this is a disaster in the making, they just don’t care. Because football, obviously.