Life Moves Fast: Pat Fitzgerald Out

[champs99and04]

I thought the allegations were brought forward by the The Daily Northwestern which is the student newspaper. I believe the journalists are students. That makes them bigger stars than the football players?

My point is that the school itself is known for journalism - which is why most of its prominent alums have been the lead cheerleaders as they nuke the football program.

 

[HuskyDogArt]

And people want to join a conference full of degenerates! Give me the Big12!!!

I kid.

Hey do you want to be in a conference with Rutgers?

Truthfully, if the B1G called, we will accept. I doubt SEC or Pac10 would call us and if the ACC falls apart, it will be interesting.

 

[Scrutineer]

There's too many B1G schools in close proximity to NU so it would make sense for the B1G to eject them and replace them with UConn, thus bringing more geographical balance to the league while staking out a new territory in New England.
Less travel for UConn too.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

NU just dismissed their baseball coach too. After only a year on the job.

 

[uconnfan68]

NU just dismissed their baseball coach too. After only a year on the job.

Spring cleaning...

 

[ZooCougar]

There's too many B1G schools in close proximity to NU so it would make sense for the B1G to eject them and replace them with UConn, thus bringing more geographical balance to the league while staking out a new territory in New England.
Less travel for UConn too.

Eject? I mean they didn’t seriously consider doing that to Penn State.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Eject? I mean they didn’t seriously consider doing that to Penn State.

Why would they eject one of their strongest football programs to bring in UConn??? On the other hand I can see them doing that to a school with a lousy athletic dept and record on the field and just racked by scandal.

 

[ZooCougar]

Why would they eject one of their strongest football programs to bring in UConn??? On the other hand I can see them doing that to a school with a lousy athletic dept and record on the field and just racked by scandal.

You’re the only one that sees that.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

You’re the only one that sees that.

You should change your handle to “Smilodon”.

 

[J187Money]

No one's saying it didn't happen. To the extent that Fitzgerald knew about it and encouraged it is where the (potential) story is.

My son was a trainer for the team in 2021 - he didn't spend much time in the locker room, but said that he didn't see/hear anything - this came as a complete shock to him. So I don't know what Fitzgerald knew, but this wasn't out in the open for everyone to see or openly talked about.

 

[champs99and04]

My son was a trainer for the team in 2021 - he didn't spend much time in the locker room, but said that he didn't see/hear anything - this came as a complete shock to him. So I don't know what Fitzgerald knew, but this wasn't out in the open for everyone to see or openly talked about.

I would imagine most of what goes on inside a locker-room occurs beyond the eyes and ears of the coach - and when it comes to this type of crude/illicit behavior, that's probably doubly true.

Apparently up to eight former players have now sued Northwestern for sexual/physical/emotional abuse, which the school had to have known was coming when they fired Fitzgerald. At this point, it seems like a blatant scapegoating attempt from a school that wants this story to go away.

 

[Waquoit]

Sounds like your fruit cup buddies should be in therapy!

 

[phillionaire]

Yeah having your face shoved into some dudes butt (non-consensually) sounds like assault and probably shouldn't be allowed to continue.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

This is just another example where society has evolved in a good way.

I would guess those in this thread who don't think this is that big of a deal are older. And those who think it's horrific are younger.

And the younger posters are right here...and... especially considering it's young people who are going to college right now.

Northwestern did the right thing. These antiquated barbaric practices that were accepted in the past need to end.

 

[Rocktheworld]

I would imagine most of what goes on inside a locker-room occurs beyond the eyes and ears of the coach - and when it comes to this type of crude/illicit behavior, that's probably doubly true.

Apparently up to eight former players have now sued Northwestern for sexual/physical/emotional abuse, which the school had to have known was coming when they fired Fitzgerald. At this point, it seems like a blatant scapegoating attempt from a school that wants this story to go away.

As has been mentioned in articles and referred to in this thread (namely in a post replying directly to you), the coach was throwing up the signal in practice when a freshman would mess up that labels who is to be abused.

What a ridiculous hill you’re choosing to die on

 

[freescooter]

I agree with Shaky. This stuff is nonsense and best be ended. I remember seeing it get way out of hand, too.

 

[noeynox]

 

[mauconnfan]

Sounds like your fruit cup buddies should be in therapy!

They were 16-17-18 in the mid 70s no biggie at all. I know it’s changed and I don’t know enough about what happened to honestly agree or disagree with it I guess. I will guess though if they all played more and went on to the NFL there would’ve been crickets at Northwestern. Just sayin

 

[champs99and04]

As has been mentioned in articles and referred to in this thread (namely in a post replying directly to you), the coach was throwing up the signal in practice when a freshman would mess up that labels who is to be abused.

What a ridiculous hill you’re choosing to die on

So you're choosing to believe that the head coach not only knew the meaning of these signals - which were presumably designed by the players for the specific purpose of keeping their behavior a secret - but then deliberately mimicked them during practice to encourage the further tormenting of their teammates? I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's hardly definitive evidence.

I will guess though if they all played more and went on to the NFL there would’ve been crickets at Northwestern. Just sayin

This is one of the things that bothers me, too - not because lesser players deserve to be hazed, but because it makes it sound like only the lesser players were hazed. This type of abusive culture certainly creates a burden for the players, but it was a shared burden. That's why it should have been the players call to keep or remove Pat Fitzgerald.

 

[Rocktheworld]

So you're choosing to believe that the head coach not only knew the meaning of these signals - which were presumably designed by the players for the specific purpose of keeping their behavior a secret - but then deliberately mimicked them during practice to encourage the further tormenting of their teammates? I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's hardly definitive evidence.

There are reports of this in articles. Feel free to read. You don’t even have to use your brain too hard.

This is one of the things that bothers me, too - not because lesser players deserve to be hazed, but because it makes it sound like only the lesser players were hazed. This type of abusive culture certainly creates a burden for the players, but it was a shared burden. That's why it should have been the players call to keep or remove Pat Fitzgerald.

It’s classic bullying. Why would the university not protect the affected minority? It’s likely that not enough players would vote him out, because they’re college kids in a clearly abusive culture; so the abuse would continue.

 

[J187Money]

The other interesting thing is that the people suing seem to me mostly from the mid 2010s - normally if this is a big culture thing, it generally gets worse, not better. Again - not saying it didn't happen and I'm 100% against it, but a lot of this seems like it is a few years removed. Which might be why my son (and others he has talked to) didn't see any of this during 2021. It might not have been going on. Which makes it harder for me believe that this was "driven" by the coaching staff.

 

[Rocktheworld]

The other interesting thing is that the people suing seem to me mostly from the mid 2010s - normally if this is a big culture thing, it generally gets worse, not better. Again - not saying it didn't happen and I'm 100% against it, but a lot of this seems like it is a few years removed. Which might be why my son (and others he has talked to) didn't see any of this during 2021. It might not have been going on. Which makes it harder for me believe that this was "driven" by the coaching staff.

Nobody cares about what your son the trainer didn’t see or hear. The players who participated took cues from the coach making the gesture during practice; that is the coach “driving” the behavior.

And people come out going back years and years all the time when someone decides to finally speak out. Happens basically every time.

 

[J187Money]

Nobody cares about what your son the trainer didn’t see or hear. The players who participated took cues from the coach making the gesture during practice; that is the coach “driving” the behavior.

And people come out going back years and years all the time when someone decides to finally speak out. Happens basically every time.

Sigh. Missed the point completely. The point is this: Obviously something was going on - and it shouldn't have been. The question is - how much was the players on their own and how much was the coaching staff - and was it organized?

And maybe the signal - assuming I stipulate that Fitz was sending a signal - was that he ordered some level of hazing. And I'm not saying he didn't. But - without ANY evidence - people seem to be thinking that "Fitz told guys to sexually assault other guys in the locker room". And that's a pretty high bar with no evidence. He could have thought it was harmless pranks and the players took it on themselves to turn it into what it was.

At the end of the day - Fitz is responsible for what happened on his team under his watch and therefore should be fired. That doesn't mean that he told players to sexually assault other players.

And if it was highly organized and out in the open and everyone knew, then how come everyone doesn't know?

 

[Rocktheworld]

Sigh. Missed the point completely. The point is this: Obviously something was going on - and it shouldn't have been. The question is - how much was the players on their own and how much was the coaching staff - and was it organized?

The coaches were throwing up the signal for who was to be hazed for a bad play in practice. Then the players hazed each other. That’s both head coach and players. That’s organized behavior. But lol I’m the one missing something. Suuuuure. It doesn’t matter to what degree either side is responsible; both participated, the coach knew and could have stopped it, but instead fed into it. It’s that simple.

And maybe the signal - assuming I stipulate that Fitz was sending a signal - was that he ordered some level of hazing. And I'm not saying he didn't. But - without ANY evidence - people seem to be thinking that "Fitz told guys to sexually assault other guys in the locker room". And that's a pretty high bar with no evidence. He could have thought it was harmless pranks and the players took it on themselves to turn it into what it was.

Hazing is hazing. The rules are the rules. Either he knew and was okay with it all, or he is grossly incompetent and doesn’t deserve to run a program. It’s that simple.

At the end of the day - Fitz is responsible for what happened on his team under his watch and therefore should be fired. That doesn't mean that he told players to sexually assault other players.

Doesn’t really matter.

And if it was highly organized and out in the open and everyone knew, then how come everyone doesn't know?

No one said it was out in the open not that everyone knew.

 

[J187Money]

The coaches were throwing up the signal for who was to be hazed for a bad play in practice. Then the players hazed each other. That’s both head coach and players. That’s organized behavior. But lol I’m the one missing something. Suuuuure. It doesn’t matter to what degree either side is responsible; both participated, the coach knew and could have stopped it, but instead fed into it. It’s that simple.

Hazing is hazing. The rules are the rules. Either he knew and was okay with it all, or he is grossly incompetent and doesn’t deserve to run a program. It’s that simple.

Doesn’t really matter.

No one said it was out in the open not that everyone knew.

We aren't disagreeing yet you seem to want to fight about it.

It is wrong.
Fitz is responsible and should be fired.

The only thing I'm debating is that people keep insinuating that Fitz new of and approved of all of the dirty details and I'm not sure that's true. Fitz is somewhere between truly evil and grossly negligent. I don't pretend to have enough of the facts to make that determination, but everyone else seems to think they do.