Not good news for a Duke walk on... :(

[moonpie23]

http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/08/15/3110730/duke-cornerback-hud-mellencamp.html

[sagegrouse]

http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/08/15/3110730/duke-cornerback-hud-mellencamp.html

Money quote:


Duke walk-on sophomore football player Hud Mellencamp, the son of singer John Mellencamp, faces a felony battery charge in his native Bloomington, Ind.

It occurred at a residence in Bloomington, IN. Hud's younger brother had supposedly been punched at a party at a residence and returned with his brother and another friend. According to witnesses, they "spoke not a word" but just beat the crap out of some guys on the porch.

Hey, Hud, don't you know enough to just stay in the car?

sagegrouse

[OldPhiKap]

Money quote:



It occurred at a residence in Bloomington, IN. Hud's younger brother had supposedly been punched at a party at a residence and returned with his brother and another friend. According to witnesses, they "spoke not a word" but just beat the crap out of some guys on the porch.

Hey, Hud, don't you know enough to just stay in the car?

sagegrouse

IIRC Hud is a trained boxer, and has more of a background in boxing than football. Would not want to scrap with him.

Good luck with the legal stuff, hope all turns out as well as possible.

[meloveduke]

IIRC Hud is a trained boxer, and has more of a background in boxing than football. Would not want to scrap with him.

Good luck with the legal stuff, hope all turns out as well as possible.


If this is true and he did just beat the crap out of the guy, I hope it gets time. I dont care what school he goes to, he knew what was going on when they got out of the car. Dont do the crime if you dont want to do the time.....

[johnb]

If this is true and he did just beat the crap out of the guy, I hope it gets time. I dont care what school he goes to, he knew what was going on when they got out of the car. Dont do the crime if you dont want to do the time.....

From the article:

"Bucy reported that the Mellencamp brothers and Smith approached his house and began climbing the front porch steps. When Bucy asked them if he could help them, Speck Mellencamp struck him in the face."

Two thoughts:
Bucy had apparently, without provocation, hit the younger Mellencamp in the face earlier that night. When Speck returned, it seems unlikely that the other guy would say, in a straightforward way, "can I help you?"

The allegation seems to indicate that the punching was basically done by the younger brother, with the other two guys contributing briefly as Bucy was falling down.

"Facial fractures" may require surgery, but far more likely are facial lacerations, which are generally handled by a plastic surgeon when the cut is especially visible. Facial fractures would be a bigger deal.

Anyway, while this is an ugly situation, I can certainly see how it could be reframed: "Speck was initially at this Bucy's house surrounded by Bucy's friends. Two girls are"fighting over him," which irritated Bucy, leading to an unprovoked attack on Speck. This led him to leave the party and get reinforcements (his brother and the friend) and return to the party so that Speck and Bucy could go 1 on 1 with less chance that the younger Mellencamp wouldn't get crushed by Bucy's house full of friends. And then when they returned, the fight was essentially between the two guys. Now Bucy is pressing charges in order to get a settlement from the rich father and would need to make it a 3 on 1 fight in order to make the complaint seem reasonable."

Now, if that is the case, are all of them getting some life lessons? Sure. Should Hud (or Speck) go to jail? I'd think that I'd wait to see a pattern of violence. The U.S. already has 1/4 of the world's prisoners (we're number 1, easily defeating our chief rivals, Russia, Rwanda, and China)--surely we could figure out some other solution...

Nevertheless, and only imho, the outcome to this very situation heavily depends on money/race. Well-paid lawyers, white defendant--I'd guess the Mellencamps will easily walk but make some sort of financial restitution without accepting blame. Make the defendants poor and the beat-up guy white--they'd get years in jail.

[sagegrouse]

With all due respect to Hud Mellencamp (and his brother "Speck), can we make this a celebrity brat issue and not a Duke athlete issue? He has never played for Duke.

sagegrouse

[killerleft]

With all due respect to Hud Mellencamp (and his brother "Speck), can we make this a celebrity brat issue and not a Duke athlete issue? He has never played for Duke.

sagegrouse

I don't think we can, unless we want to be hypocritical. Coach Cut seems to know who he is.

[Billy Dat]

From the article:

"Bucy reported that the Mellencamp brothers and Smith approached his house and began climbing the front porch steps. When Bucy asked them if he could help them, Speck Mellencamp struck him in the face."

More from the article, this is fascinating...

"Police Lieutenant Jack Diane asked Bucy about the punch, "It hurt so good," said the victim, "It's like the walls came crumblin down, I was seeing little pink houses." Such crazy talk is rarely heard in a small town.

The Mellencamps, told they were going to spend the night in the cooler, could only say, "I guess it's gonna be a lonely ol night!" Asked how they could avoid such trouble in the future, Speck replied, "I need a lover who won't drive me crazy".

[devildeac]

More from the article, this is fascinating...

"Police Lieutenant Jack Diane asked Bucy about the punch, "It hurt so good," said the victim, "It's like the walls came crumblin down, I was seeing little pink houses." Such crazy talk is rarely heard in a small town.

The Mellencamps, told they were going to spend the night in the cooler, could only say, "I guess it's gonna be a lonely ol night!" Asked how they could avoid such trouble in the future, Speck replied, "I need a lover who won't drive me crazy".

Funny stuff. Spork-worthy.

"Oooh, oo-ooh wee, the wild night is calling."

[hurleyfor3]

When they fight authority, authority always wins.

[allenmurray]

With all due respect to Hud Mellencamp (and his brother "Speck), can we make this a celebrity brat issue and not a Duke athlete issue? He has never played for Duke.

sagegrouse

I am pretty certain I saw him in at least one play last year on special teams - he was announced as having made a tackle.

[jimsumner]

I am pretty certain I saw him in at least one play last year on special teams - he was announced as having made a tackle.

Perhaps you're thinking of the spring game or a scrimmage.

But he was listed on the fall roster going in.

[devildeac]

I am pretty certain I saw him in at least one play last year on special teams - he was announced as having made a tackle.


Perhaps you're thinking of the spring game or a scrimmage.

But he was listed on the fall roster going in.

I seem to recall the same thing Allen is recalling, but, when looking at the roster after the play, discovered that Isaac Blakeney also wore #17 and was much more likely to be blowing up a play than Hud, so we concluded it was Mr. Blakeney.

[cspan37421]

"Police Lieutenant Jack Diane asked Bucy about the punch, "It hurt so good," said the victim, "It's like the walls came crumblin down, I was seeing little pink houses." Such crazy talk is rarely heard in a small town.

I heard he hit him so hard he got blood on the plow.

[allenmurray]

I seem to recall the same thing Allen is recalling, but, when looking at the roster after the play, discovered that Isaac Blakeney also wore #17 and was much more likely to be blowing up a play than Hud, so we concluded it was Mr. Blakeney.

Probably correct - I distinctly remember the PA announcer saying his name - shocked that the Wallace Wade announcer could have gotten it wrong. :rolleyes:

I remember it because I had to explain to my son who Hud Mellencamp's father is

[sagegrouse]

Probably correct - I distinctly remember the PA announcer saying his name - shocked that the Wallace Wade announcer could have gotten it wrong. :rolleyes:

I remember it because I had to explain to my son who Hud Mellencamp's father is

Mellencamp is listed as a Sophomore on the FB squad. It may be that they don't play the redshirt game with walkons.

sagegrouse

[buddy]

Does this mean Meg Ryan won't be at any games this year?

[flyingdutchdevil]

Does this mean Meg Ryan won't be at any games this year?

If this was 1994, I'd say it this it'd be a tragedy if she no longer came to games. But 2013 Meg Ryan? Different story...

[sagegrouse]

According to this AP story on the ESPN site (http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/9591916/john-mellencamp-son-practicing-duke-blue-devils).

sagegrouse

[CameronBornAndBred]

According to this AP story on the ESPN site (http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/9591916/john-mellencamp-son-practicing-duke-blue-devils).

sagegrouse
I am very surprised by this. Cut has shown repeatedly that he doesn't shy away from handing out harsh discipline; I fully expected at the least to not see Hud either at practice or on the sidelines until his legal matters were over with. I can't say that I am happy that he is still practicing, but then obviously I don't know the whole story. He is a walk-on, he is a student at Duke first, then a football player. His status with the university as a student does not need to be questioned, but as a representative of the football team, he needs to be held to a higher standard I think.

[Acymetric]

I am very surprised by this. Cut has shown repeatedly that he doesn't shy away from handing out harsh discipline; I fully expected at the least to not see Hud either at practice or on the sidelines until his legal matters were over with. I can't say that I am happy that he is still practicing, but then obviously I don't know the whole story. He is a walk-on, he is a student at Duke first, then a football player. His status with the university as a student does not need to be questioned, but as a representative of the football team, he needs to be held to a higher standard I think.

I saw it noted on another board that the common trait among guys dismissed more or less immediately was that they lied to the coach in some way. That seems to be where the zero tolerance policy lies (and makes some sense to me).

[OldPhiKap]

I saw it noted on another board that the common trait among guys dismissed more or less immediately was that they lied to the coach in some way. That seems to be where the zero tolerance policy lies (and makes some sense to me).

Just like Roy.

[94duke]

I stumbled across this today.

Both Mellencamp sons pleaded guilty. (misdemeanor)
Hud gets community service, while his brother, Speck, gets four days in jail.

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/john-mellencamps-sons-plead-guilty-to-battery