Apology:
First off, I apologize for the way Mario acted tonight. I thought it uncalled for and cannot be dismissed by saying it was in the heat of the moment (the game had been well in hand for a while, no offense). I am not going to pass judgement upon Cartier as a person because I don't know alot about him. I do know that he was involved in Monds receiving a T earlier in the game and I read that he was involved in a scruff with a Tech player recently. That is all the I know. Mario is most certainly not a bad person. I would say he always has the best attitude on the team, but he is certainly not a problem.
Opinion:
This is obviously biased since I don't want Mario to be suspended because we would be sunk, but I honestly think this is being blown out of proportion. Longar Longar got suspended because he broke the bone of another player (and Bob Knight intimidates the Big XII office, but that's another story). Mario (in my personal opinion) did something incredibly stupid and risky, but not incredibly harmful. Cartier certainly wasn't hurt. I barely bumped his cheek. My point is that while the idea of the act is detestible, what actually happened is a very mild version of things that have happened in the past in sports that people get upset about. I wouldn't be surprised or mad if he gets suspended, but the same goes for if he doesn't. I don't expect you to share my opinion, but that's just what I think.
Good game and good luck the rest of the year.
-Derek
