Michigan State AD Mark Hollis apologizes for Trey Burke tweet, but not the message it contained
Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis is sorry for tweeting at Michigan basketball point guard Trey Burke.
But he doesn't regret the message he intended to deliver.
Mark Hollis
Hollis caused a bit of a stir last week when he tweeted NBA draft advice to Michigan's freshman point guard, who is currently weighing his pro options.
During his radio show Monday on The Game 730 AM in Lansing, Hollis explained his intentions.
“I don’t apologize in any way for the message that was said,” Hollis said. “I do understand it’s Michigan-Michigan State, and there’s some intensity there. Probably not the right thing to tweet at a student-athlete at a rival school, but the message was really intended for not only Trey Burke, but every kid that’s going through the decision-making process. I think that’s what the positive of Twitter is, is to get positive messages out there.
“Those that took it the wrong way, I apologize. Obviously, not my intent. I want people to stay in college. I want people to get degrees."
Currently in the midst of his decision to return to school or seek a career in the NBA, Burke let out some frustration last week via twitter, writing "EVERYONE got something to say smh I thought this was my life!"
Shortly thereafter, Hollis sent out a tweet in response to Burke reading "My advice, believe in YOUR heart & mind, everything else is interference. People u seek out is better than those that seek u.”
Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon followed suit on Twitter later in the evening, writing that Hollis had good intentions, but acted inappropriately.
Read Hollis' full comments on the matter at MLive.com.
Nick Baumgardner covers Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2514, by email at nickbaumgardner@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @nickbaumgardner.
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Comments
B2Pilot
Tue, Apr 3, 2012 : 4:36 p.m.
still a bizzarre story and excuse. "I do understand its Michigan & michigan state, and there is some intensity there" that he has promoted, and with this teenage antic will only heighten it or bring him and his programs under the NCAA microscope.
johnls
Tue, Apr 3, 2012 : 2:26 p.m.
wow...this qualifies as "news"??! must be a slow day
Fender66
Tue, Apr 3, 2012 : 12:32 p.m.
Classless, angry, bitter old man, just like his football and basketball coaches. And deathly afraid that Michigan might catch Sparty in hoops.
SalineBob
Tue, Apr 3, 2012 : 4:56 p.m.
Not sure it's the old men here who are classless, angry and bitter.
bluemax79
Tue, Apr 3, 2012 : 12:13 p.m.
didn't see it mentioned that it is an NCAA violation for him to contact a student athlete at an institution other than his own. In his tweet it he doesn't tell Trey to stay in school, he tells him to do what Trey feels is right.
aarox
Tue, Apr 3, 2012 : 3:09 a.m.
smh too... I noticed essentially the same article on the MSU site. There are two comments from our fans there. Both are reasoned and neither is as vindictive as the mildest response here. Why the attitude? Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new dvbunte dvbunte April 02, 2012 at 5:02PM Follow Other than the fact that it was said by the MSU AD, I am not sure I see what all of the hubbub is about. Hollis was clearly just telling Burke to follow his heart, not the external pressure from people around him. It was good advice. I am a diehard Michigan Wolverine fan, but I can't see exactly what Hollis did wrong, outside of being affiliated with MSU. If I had tweeted the exact same thing to Trey Burke, as a Michigan fan, would anyone have had a problem with it? Inappropriate? Alert us. Reply Post new jim_temple jimmyt53 April 02, 2012 at 5:47PM Follow im a Michigan man,but advice shouldn't be limited to mich people only. This is a very vulnerable stage for trey.He has to be open to good advice.I think he should stay at least a year and his game.Great player,but could use another year in college ball,and school. while the schools are rivals,i still watched msu advance ,when we were out of the tournament.Good couches,and players are great to watch,even when your favorite,didnt make it.
aarox
Thu, Apr 5, 2012 : 12:23 p.m.
sorry, rightmind. let me try again. Hollis is a fool. He is from MSU so that is all I need to know that he is a fool. He also is a loser. I know that because he is from Michigan State. He also has talked with the AD from OSU. That makes him both a fool and a loser. There, is that better?
Bruce Ching
Tue, Apr 3, 2012 : 12:14 p.m.
Good post, aarox, although maybe "couches" was a Freudian slip in your last paragraph?
rightmind250
Tue, Apr 3, 2012 : 11:36 a.m.
aarox, We will have to ban you from this site if you refuse to drink the kool-aide and make stupid comments.
Solar Blue
Mon, Apr 2, 2012 : 10:44 p.m.
Hollis = hypocrite. While tweeting to Trey that it is better (and more meaningful) to get advice from people that he (Trey) seeks out, Hollis is in fact doing just what he says is not as meaningful - giving unsolicited advice! If Trey sought him out for advice, that would be one thing. But, he did not. Hollis is just another person throwing his opinion out to the young man. At the position of AD, Hollis should mind his own players and institution and set a much better example.
Stephen Landes
Mon, Apr 2, 2012 : 9:21 p.m.
It's still ungrammatical even for a tweet.
scott
Mon, Apr 2, 2012 : 8:58 p.m.
smh = shaking my head, hollis should be disciplined or fired for this, I can't believe that an AD can do something so dumb, then perpetuate it for a month especially with the racial undertones... what an embarrassment michigan state is......
SalineBob
Tue, Apr 3, 2012 : 4:48 p.m.
Thanks for explaining what smh means. Now please explain the part about the racial undertones.
Ross
Mon, Apr 2, 2012 : 11:40 p.m.
Thanks! And, agreed.
Ross
Mon, Apr 2, 2012 : 8:21 p.m.
Ok, someone clue me in. After all this ker-fluffle, I still don't know what the "smh" in Trey's original tweet means. "somehow"...? And really, shame on annarbor.com for previously repeatedly getting Hollis' tweet quote wrong and making me think he was even dumber than he is.