We have found the most serious controversy of the 2015 college football postseason. Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook was given the Big Ten Championship Game MVP trophy by Archie Griffin. It’s technically the Grange-Griffin Trophy, and Griffin presents it every year because Red Grange is very, very dead. Cook took the trophy from Griffin and didn’t really acknowledge him, brushing him aside to give a TV interview.
Connor Cook snubbed an Ohio State legend, profusely apologized for it, and people are still mad
Connor Cook probably should’ve shaken Archie Griffin’s hand slightly more than he did while accepting his trophy.
Connor Cook has no time for pleasantries with two-time Heisman winners pic.twitter.com/CfNuzBLuLb
— Deadspin (@Deadspin) December 6, 2015 Cook almost immediately profusely apologized, both on the air and in a series of tweets.
For those of you upset over the exchange with me and Mr Griffin I promise you it came off wrong.. Caught in the moment
— Connor Cook (@Connor_Cook03) December 6, 2015 Would never purposely disrespect ANYONE, let alone a man like Archie Griffin.
— Connor Cook (@Connor_Cook03) December 6, 2015 However, some still took issue with Cook's snub.
I have assembled a list of potential reasons Cook chose to ignore the two-time Heisman winner. All are merely theories.
- Cook was caught up in the moment after being named MVP of the biggest game of his life and momentarily lacked grace.
- Cook didn’t see Griffin because Griffin is 5’9 and was surrounded by 6-footers, and just saw the trophy he was supposed to pick up and picked it up
- Cook was caught off guard by being named MVP in a game in which several other Michigan State players seemed more worthy.
- Cook didn’t recognize Griffin because Griffin last won a Heisman in 1975, 18 years before Cook was born.
- Cook didn’t recognize Griffin because Griffin last won a Heisman in 1975, when Cook’s dad, who played tight end at Indiana from 1982-1984, was in middle school
- Cook was standing in the back of a tiny stage and didn’t realize the man handing him the trophy was a dignitary and not just somebody handing him a trophy who was supposed to go away immediately, like in award shows.
- Cook is a disrespectful jerk with no manners and a prime example of everything wrong with today’s youth, and that’s why he’s not a leader, and if I’m an NFL GM, I think he’s undraftable because he doesn’t respect anybody, and that means his teammates will never respect him. Somebody should teach him some manners, which was never a problem back in my day, because back then we had respect, unlike today when there are people like Connor Cook, a jerk, who is disrespectful. Instead of giving him a trophy, somebody should’ve given him a book on manners, because kids these days.
Perhaps all of these things are true. Decide for yourselves.
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