Frank Clark's Police Report (For Off Field Discussion)

[mikeak]

I respectfully disagree with Mikeak. The woman admits to initiating violence then escalating it. To a guy she knew was drunk. We don't even have any hard evidence that he hit her, but we do have evidence (and an admission) that she bit his nose and drew blood.

It is really a shame that the media and sanctimonious twitter users are unfairly treating Clark like he's a Floyd Mayweather class abuser, when to me it looks like he defended himself at worst, and at best, might actually be the victim in this case.

Mikeak is right about the inconsistency at .net. But I mean come on, this place has no shortage of homers who love to rip on other teams, so that's to be expected on any football issue. For the record, I am a second chances guy, and have been pretty consistent on this issue. I think Rice should get a second chance, that's what Janay would want. Hardy is a bit more complicated, but as long as he never screws up again I am okay with him being in the NFL. Even the McDonald case, I kinda liked how the 49ers gave Goodell the finger by sticking with McDonald as long as they did. I am a big fan of Warren Moon, Tom Cable, Tony McDaniel, and Kevin Williams. They all screwed up, and they all made the most of the public's forgiveness.

I will say this - I have softened over the last few days. I agree with second chance and when considering it he was kicked off Michigan's team and dropped in the draft. He was punished - it would be different if it happened after the draft.

So I am no longer 100% against the pick

I am still against putting the blame on her. I feel he escalated by this attempt to restrain especially being drunk I don't think it was very calming....

I also dislike the statements a by JS which I feel are more enabling than anything. I would much prefer statements that not everyone is perfect, zero tolerance going forward, volunteer at women shelter whatever

As for double standard all I am saying at least I wish people weren't so black and white. I respect those that say they don't care. I really dislike what I do feel is the victim here but that we disagree on - which is ok

 

[Northwest Seahawk]

ESPN just commented about the Hawks and Clark and had the decency to point out that NO NFL team contacted the witnesses before he was drafted. Seattle talked to the DA, Police and the people at Michigan . This is a witch hunt and should be treated as such.

 

[dontbelikethat]

ESPN just commented about the Hawks and Clark and had the decency to point out that NO NFL team contacted the witnesses before he was drafted. Seattle talked to the DA, Police and the people at Michigan . This is a witch hunt and should be treated as such.

Link or TV/radio?

 

[Rocket]

If anyone is offended by my comments, especially the number of them, I fervently apologize. After posting I usually review said post to look for mistakes and this often makes me think of something else. Sometimes I edit but oftentimes I post again. If this offends anyone I fervently apologize, but I'm 59 and that's how my brain works, a disability if you will, so please cut me a little slack, ok? In addition this is a subject for which I have a bit of passion.
If anyone is offended by my vast post count I can ask a moderator to reduce it by a factor of anyone's liking.

 

[olyfan63]

Sounds to me like there was a fight. It's that simple.

this is what it sounded like to me...nowhere near the ray rice situation where he just decked her.

He (Ray Rice) just decked her? Out of nowhere, unprovoked? Really??!! Watch the Ray Rice video again, and notice that Ms. Palmer appears to reach out and strike Rice TWICE before he responds physically. She backhand-slaps him in the face as they are walking towards the elevator. Then it looks like, in the elevator, she strikes him in the face again, to which he immediately reacts with a slap. Then he backs away to the other side of the elevator, she lunges at him, he punches, and she steps right into the punch, with predictable results.

I'm not defending Ray Rice's stupidity in slapping and hitting her, but should women really have a license to instigate unprovoked physical attacks against men?

Sure, vilify the man, but arrest and charge the woman too, and stick with the charges, when she is the physical violence instigator.

In the Frank Clark case, clearly Diamond Hurt should also have been arrested and charged with DV.

It's disgusting that our media appears to promote and condone female-on-male violence.

Of course, our national "news" media these days is political agenda driven propaganda, rather than reporting, so it's probably best to watch as little as possible of it.

in Frank Clark's case, whatever he was guilty of, he has already paid the price, and it's time to give it a rest, ignore the gender feminists seeking to endlessly propagandize our favorite sport, and play football.

 

[Hawkscanner]

I just got through listening to Softy's interview with Greg Mattison (Frank Clark's Defensive Line Coach at Michigan). After listening to what he has to say, I'm even more convinced that much of what has been reported regarding Clark has been fairly sensationalized. For those who haven't heard it yet, I would highly encourage you to do so ...

http://www.sportsradiokjr.com/media/podcast-softy-ondemand-softy/greg-mattison-26027105/

Like many of us on this board, I too have a wife, a mother, and a sister, so take Domestic Violence extremely seriously. In no way shape or form can it be tolerated ... and John Schneider himself told Brock and Salk the exact same thing yesterday. He said flat out -- if the Hawks had felt Clark were actually guilty of DV, he wouldn't have been on their board at all ...

Schneider: " ... I think the thing with Frank was - I was there [at the University of Michigan] just a couple of days after it happened and the feeling at the school - people were so shocked. You know, and all the initial police reports and the internet stuff was, you know, was obviously a huge turn off. And the fact that the people at the school were just so shocked that this happened with him -- and it led us down this path of - there were 3 of us that went in to that school. And to just be able to continue the process and go through it, you know, it took a long time. And you know April 10th was when everything was settled and it ended up being a 4th degree misdemeanor. And so that's, you know coming from NFL security [that was] their final assessment as well. But, I'm the youngest of 6. I have 4 older sisters, so I've always felt like this is a big deal -- and so in order for us to feel like he actually did a lot of the things that were written -- uh, whether it was punching a woman or striking a woman, he would not have been on our board."

Interview with Brock and Salk (5/4):
http://mynorthwest.com/category/pod_player_sports/?a=9986866&p=1007&n=Brock and Salk

I obviously wasn't in that room and neither were any of the rest of us. We may never know what truly happened that night. That said, I'm fairly convinced at this point in time that a drunk Frank Clark was in fact trying to defend himself against a crazed sober woman. Given what those who have actually known Clark are saying about him and his character, I'm feeling that this is an incident that has become extremely overblown in the media. Hopefully the Salem Witch Trials will die down soon on this young man and he can start to focus on helping this team to continue to bring the boom each and every game.

 

[TwilightError]

For the record, I am a second chances guy, and have been pretty consistent on this issue. I think Rice should get a second chance, that's what Janay would want.

Right. Janay defends her husband and her own financial interest, there is a reason why those who hand verdicts are nonaligned with the issue. 0-tolerance on DV issues is the only way to make sure they are taken seriously because it is one of the big and consistent problems in society, especially violence towards women. The sports stars are seen as role models, so they have to be made examples on these cases. I think NFL has done great work towards that but we are not there yet.

Frank Clarks case is a bit different. It was a banck-and-forth, not just a brutal beating of a non-initiative woman as was Ray Rices case. But if it is a seahawk who gets suspended, so be it. I am fine with players having a bit of a checered past, DV during professional sports career should still end the career. This should be league mandated, not teams or coaches.

 

[Rocket]

http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seah ... -batterer/

Prosecutor "Gast-King also spoke with Hurt, who was 20 at the time of the incident, and her mother. But the prosecutor declined to disclose details of their conversation, saying it was confidential. “The facts were not as they initially appeared,” she said."

 

[rideaducati]

For the record, I am a second chances guy, and have been pretty consistent on this issue. I think Rice should get a second chance, that's what Janay would want.

Right. Janay defends her husband and her own financial interest, there is a reason why those who hand verdicts are nonaligned with the issue. 0-tolerance on DV issues is the only way to make sure they are taken seriously because it is one of the big and consistent problems in society, especially violence towards women. The sports stars are seen as role models, so they have to be made examples on these cases. I think NFL has done great work towards that but we are not there yet.

Frank Clarks case is a bit different. It was a banck-and-forth, not just a brutal beating of a non-initiative woman as was Ray Rices case. But if it is a seahawk who gets suspended, so be it. I am fine with players having a bit of a checered past, DV during professional sports career should still end the career. This should be league mandated, not teams or coaches.

You can't cover domestic violence with such a broad stroke and end the career of someone like that. Some of these women are just looking for a paycheck and do everything in their power to manipulate the system to get one. Women are sometimes ruthless. If the charges are reduced or dismissed, like they are most of the time, why should the NFL be held to a higher standard than we hold the court system?

Money is a powerful drug and people do bad things to others to get it.

 

[MizzouHawkGal]

For the record, I am a second chances guy, and have been pretty consistent on this issue. I think Rice should get a second chance, that's what Janay would want.

Right. Janay defends her husband and her own financial interest, there is a reason why those who hand verdicts are nonaligned with the issue. 0-tolerance on DV issues is the only way to make sure they are taken seriously because it is one of the big and consistent problems in society, especially violence towards women. The sports stars are seen as role models, so they have to be made examples on these cases. I think NFL has done great work towards that but we are not there yet.

Frank Clarks case is a bit different. It was a banck-and-forth, not just a brutal beating of a non-initiative woman as was Ray Rices case. But if it is a seahawk who gets suspended, so be it. I am fine with players having a bit of a checered past, DV during professional sports career should still end the career. This should be league mandated, not teams or coaches.

You can't cover domestic violence with such a broad stroke and end the career of someone like that. Some of these women are just looking for a paycheck and do everything in their power to manipulate the system to get one. Women are sometimes ruthless. If the charges are reduced or dismissed, like they are most of the time, why should the NFL be held to a higher standard than we hold the court system?

Money is a powerful drug and people do bad things to others to get it.

Bingo. Especially the fact that women can be absolutely ruthless to a level most men can comprehend. Now in combination with the fact that money is an incredibly powerful drug and temptation for more people than most can accept and you get an evil stew that drives people to do some totally reprehensible things.

 

[Tical21]

My best buddy has a four year old daughter. He is the kind of guy that won't watch "The Big Bang Theory" when she is around because all the guys are really smart and the lead girl is a hot bimbo.

He is a PSU alum and huge fan and knew all about Clark. As soon as the pic was announced, he uttered "now what the hell do I do?" I think he is strongly considering not rooting for the Seahawks as long as Clark is on the team. I can't go to that extreme, but I understand.

 

[kf3339]

Didn't the overall #1 player taken in the draft "allegedly" rape a woman in the past, yet this is what the media wants to talk about?

 

[Seafan]

Female prosecutor, Lynne Gast-King, is convinced he isn’t a “batterer” likely to repeat his offense. No battery. It's not even domestic. Non domestic, non violence. What was it? Disorderly conduct. What was he officially accused? Disorderly conduct.

There are players on the Hawks who have done worse. We've had former head coaches who have done worst. Nothing to see here.

I'm jacked the Hawks got this guy. Steal of the draft.

 

[kearly]

I would recommend everyone listen to this caller on Monday's first hour of Bob and Groz. He gives a very good take that is fair to both sides.

37:33 mark

http://mynorthwest.com/category/pod_pla ... 0and%20Tom

 

[kearly]

For the record, I am a second chances guy, and have been pretty consistent on this issue. I think Rice should get a second chance, that's what Janay would want.

Right. Janay defends her husband and her own financial interest, there is a reason why those who hand verdicts are nonaligned with the issue.

Don't get me wrong, at one point I made the same argument myself, I mean, it's natural to suspect self-interest. I changed my mind though when I read her open letter to the media late last year that was wrought with emotion. She basically said the media ruined her life, accusing them of using her tragedy for their own personal gain. She also hated the idea that this one mistake cost her husband something he loved so much, and regretted her role in instigating the violence with violence of her own. She pretty much begged for Ray Rice to get a second chance. And she actually drew a lot of criticism for it. Deaf ears.

I think it had a lot less to do with money than healing. If Rice had gotten one more shot in the NFL, it would have helped both of them put it behind them forever. But as it is, it will be a scar they can never remove, and put a long term strain on his marriage.

That plus let's be honest, even if Ray Rice signed with a team tomorrow he'd probably be getting paid the minimum. He's already made all the money he's gonna get.

 

[kearly]

I am still against putting the blame on her. I feel he escalated by this attempt to restrain especially being drunk I don't think it was very calming....

If he had initiated things by throwing a remote at her head, and then bit her nose to the point of drawing blood, do you think the police would have hauled her off and made him the victim?

 

[TwilightError]

I would recommend everyone listen to this caller on Monday's first hour of Bob and Groz. He gives a very good take that is fair to both sides.

37:33 mark

http://mynorthwest.com/category/pod_pla ... 0and%20Tom

And this story is something that you use to rationalize why someone who unprovokedly beats a woman unconscious in an elevator and drags her to a hotel room should get a second chance? Seriously?

 

[kearly]

ESPN just commented about the Hawks and Clark and had the decency to point out that NO NFL team contacted the witnesses before he was drafted. Seattle talked to the DA, Police and the people at Michigan . This is a witch hunt and should be treated as such.

I wanted to add that the witnesses didn't actually see the event or were not really credible. The two women next door heard a commotion and saw nothing except for the female lying on the floor, which matches the official story where Clark had her restrained and might have thrown her off the bed after she bit him. A 15 year old sibling was in the shower. He didn't see it. The other two were very young children who can't really be considered credible witnesses. The female did not wish to press charges and admitted to attacking first and second. There is no definitive proof that Clark ever attacked her.

Ultimately, investigations from the justice system, the Seahawks, and the NFL all independently deemed this case to be a disturbance of the peace and not DV.

I'm glad that we are taking DV more seriously now, but this whole story has a bit of a Duke Lacross feel. Lots of people rushing to judgement without knowing the facts.

 

[Hawkspur]

The Baker article was pretty piss-poor journalism, IMO. No balance, over-sensationalized and really just making a mountain out of the fact that the Seahawks didn't contact 2 people who didn't see what had happened. I haven't read the police report but am fairly certain that everything the women told Baker would be found in it, probably verbatim. I'm pretty sure that if the "witnesses" weren't contacted that it is because the Seahawks felt that no further information could be gained.

Its seems to me like Clark probably reacted very poorly to the physical attack that he was under. If however, the girlfriend's injuries were sustained by him throwing her or using force to get him off him while she bit his nose then I'm not going to accuse him of being a woman beater, even if she happened to slam her head into a wall, lamp or table, or whatever. It is clearly a horrible and violent incident and Clark should, ideally, have been able to react a lot better, but it certainly sounds like he was reacting in defence of himself. It doesn't sound at all as though Clark instigated the violence and it doesn't sound like he punched her. I've heard the sister and daughter argument a lot, but if my sister threw things at her drunk boyfriend and bit his nose I don't think I'd be outraged if he got a little physical back. I mean I'd be pretty pissed, but it wouldn't be anywhere near the same as a man who had a pattern of using violence to control and intimidate.

I'm not going to buy his jersey but I'm not going to make him a pariah either.

Kf3339 correctly points out that the #1 pick appears, by almost all accounts, to be a rapist. So is Ben Roethlisberger. Adrian Peterson used a weapon on a defenseless 4 year-old.

I hope that Schneider comes out with a statement to clarify details of their investigation and justification for the pick, but I don't really have any huge problem with it, given the information that we have.

 

[kearly]

I would recommend everyone listen to this caller on Monday's first hour of Bob and Groz. He gives a very good take that is fair to both sides.

37:33 mark

http://mynorthwest.com/category/pod_pla ... 0and%20Tom

And this story is something that you use to rationalize why someone who unprovokedly beats a woman unconscious in an elevator and drags her to a hotel room should get a second chance? Seriously?

I think you've crossed the wires.

The audio link is not about Ray Rice. It's about DV cases in general and how to best react to them.

In the case of Rice,

What he did to Janay was caught on video, but otherwise it isn't really any different than what some existing members of the Seahawks franchise have done. Once. He lost his cool and made an awful mistake. Him and Janay had been together a long time, since High School. There is no history of battery. It's ruined his life. The media obsession ruined her life. Both need to move on and heal, and if this ends Rice's career, the healing will never really come.

I am more interested in seeing people heal than casting judgement. And as Janay's letter to the media proved, she is being deeply and personally hurt by the ramifications as well. She wants an opportunity for this incident to not be their lasting legacy.