If you call that backing Staley, I've got some nice, ocean-front property in Nebraska to sell you.
That was the weakest and most tepid "defense" I've seen since Wally Burnham.
He would've lost nothing by going on air and really demanding an apology for the completely baseless and bogus comments by Mizzou's AD. (And before you respond, no. Saying he didn't "understand" the comments and that he "thought" an apology should be in order is not a demand.)
Finally, why did Dawn feel the need to file a lawsuit if she felt her AD had properly defended her honor? Seems to me she didn't feel very defended.
This was the easiest layup of Tanner's AD career, and he completely botched it.