Northwestern: A Case Study in real college athletic corruption

[Uncle Rico]

https://twitter.com/espnrittenberg/status/1681667479414755333?s=46&t=QSiaGcOIKZrrpw0ciZkI5Q

While people wring their hands over college kids getting paid to play, maybe we should focus on how college institutions have failed its student-athletes immeasurably through the decades with Northwestern being the latest example.

[RJax55]

https://twitter.com/espnrittenberg/status/1681667479414755333?s=46&t=QSiaGcOIKZrrpw0ciZkI5Q

While people wring their hands over college kids getting paid to play, maybe we should focus on how college institutions have failed its student-athletes immeasurably through the decades with Northwestern being the latest example.

I mentioned last week that I was surprised that nothing was hitting Jim Phillips on this considering that he was the AD of this program for the vast majority of the Fitz years. That's starting to change. I wonder what the ACC schools are thinking at this moment about him as the leader of their conference?

The irony of course is that Fitzgerald was one of the louder voices in moaning and complaining about the "new era" of college football.

 

[Uncle Rico]

I mentioned last week that I was surprised that nothing was hitting Jim Phillips on this considering that he was the AD of this program for the vast majority of the Fitz years. That's starting to change. I would what the ACC schools are thinking at this moment about him as the leader of their conference?

The irony of course is that Fitzgerald was one of the louder voices in moaning and complaining about the "new era" of college football.

And Phillips is part of the cabal of insiders, so any chance his tenure is being investigated by any of the national folks that cover the sport is nil. 

These stories happen because access is more important

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

From a couple of weeks ago...

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/dan-wolken/2023/07/11/northwestern-pat-fitzgerald-saga-shows-college-sports-needs-union/70400769007/

"College sports are big business, and there is no reasonable way to manage them in this environment without sharing the wealth and the responsibility with their business partners: the athletes themselves.

Many coaches like Fitzgerald are fearful of that future, worried about what greater agency for college athletes would mean for their own livelihoods or how the competitive landscape might shift to their disadvantage.

In reality, though, the past 72 hours at Northwestern is proof that unionization would be to the coaches’ benefit, too. A number of Fitzgerald’s colleagues right now are bemoaning the way society has changed and quietly calling this dismissal unfair. They should be looking at it a different way: If it can happen to one of the most well-respected members of the profession, it can happen to them, too.

A world in which players' unions run college football locker rooms and serve as a clearinghouse for all a young person’s grievances may not sound appealing to many coaches, athletics directors and school presidents. But it is surely better than trying to navigate the unsustainable tension that exists when a coach must cast himself as the personnel manager of a 100-person team, an X-and-O genius, a father figure, a moral authority, a community leader and an omnipotent overlord of his empire all at the same time."

[Jockey]

These stories happen because access is more important

Exactly. That is why it was the school paper that broke the story.

[Uncle Rico]

Exactly. That is why it was the school paper that broke the story.

Student paper at Stanford just cost their president his job

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/stanford-university-president-steps-down-over-discovery-of-manipulation-of-alzheimers-research-data/

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I gotta imagine most if not all athletic departments are running around frantically right now.

It’s not right but I Gotta imagine hazing is pretty common in athletic departments, and now more people will feel comfortable speaking out and the attorneys are gonna go digging for a payday.

[MU82]

Players today talked about a culture of abuse and racism under Fitz.

But he’ll be fine. It’s not as if he did anything as heinous as protest peacefully by kneeling during the national anthem.

[Uncle Rico]

Players today talked about a culture of abuse and racism under Fitz.

But he’ll be fine. It’s not as if he did anything as heinous as protest peacefully by kneeling during the national anthem.

He’ll get the rehab treatment in the NFL.  That’s a lock

[Jockey]

He is a molder of fine, young men.

[lawdog77]

Student paper at Stanford just cost their president his job

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/stanford-university-president-steps-down-over-discovery-of-manipulation-of-alzheimers-research-data/

Too bad these fine young journalists wont have a job when they graduate due to AI

[rocket surgeon]

never understood the hazing thing-when i see broom sticks, baseball bats and duct tape coming out, i'll pass on being one of the cool guys on the team

[Not A Serious Person]

In the crossfire

ACC's Jim Phillips says he never condoned hazing at Northwestern
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/38044079/acc-jim-phillips-says-never-condoned-hazing-northwestern

Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner Jim Phillips says he never "condoned or tolerated inappropriate conduct" against athletes as Northwestern's athletic director in the wake of allegations of hazing at that school, which have led to at least three lawsuits and the firing of football coach Pat Fitzgerald.

Phillips has been named as a defendant for two of the lawsuits along with other university leaders in their oversight roles. The first complaint came Wednesday from a former football player identified as "John Doe 2," followed by another by "John Doe 3" on Thursday.

"This has been a difficult time for the Northwestern University community, a place that my entire family called home," Phillips said in a statement Thursday. "Over my 30-year career in intercollegiate athletics, my highest priority has always been the health and safety of all student-athletes.

[MU82]

Phillips says he'll "vigorously defend" himself. I wonder how many hazing victims wanted to vigorously defend themselves?

Unless there's some kind of email or text trail, though, it will be pretty difficult to prove he was complicit.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Why does Phillips have to know what went on to be held responsible?

[Not A Serious Person]

Phillips says he'll "vigorously defend" himself. I wonder how many hazing victims wanted to vigorously defend themselves?

Unless there's some kind of email or text trail, though, it will be pretty difficult to prove he was complicit.

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't they say that Fitzgerald did not know but fired him because he should have known?  So if this is the standard, how does Phillips defend himself?

Side note, if the standard is you should have known, why didn't Northwestern fire all the assistant Football coaches? Why do they all get to stay?

[MU82]

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't they say that Fitzgerald did not know but fired him because he should have known?  So if this is the standard, how does Phillips defend himself?

Side note, if the standard is you should have known, why didn't Northwestern fire all the assistant Football coaches? Why do they all get to stay?

Your second paragraph contains two legit questions that have been asked in earlier posts of this thread. As for the rest ...

I don't believe an AD has the same day-to-day, hour-to-hour contact with the athletes in a program that the head coach does. ADs are largely fundraisers with lots of hats in the air and can't possibly have their finger on the pulse of each program. A head coach, however, is intimately involved in every facet of his program.

But it's just my opinion that proving the AD complicit in this situation would be difficult. I don't know what the outcome of a trial would be. Do you?

[Not A Serious Person]

Interesting exchange ...


https://twitter.com/wesbury/status/1682389981434716162?s=20

I’ve been a Northwestern Football Season ticket hold for 28 years.  Ticket holders earn “purple points” for allocation of parking, bowl tickets, etc.  I’m #337 out of 28,000.  After reading about what went down with @NUFBFamily and the firing of Patrick Fitzgerald as head coach, I will not be renewing my season tickets anymore.  I wish I could claw some money back.  They had plans for a new stadium…I doubt it will ever happen.  In fact, I seriously doubt they will have a football team five years from now.  So sad.  But, I’m done.

Replies ...

@jeffgberg
That’s what they said after Sandusky at Penn State. They will clean house and push the reset button. College football has too many millions flowing and with the transfer portal, teams can be rebuilt quickly.

@wesbury
NU is not Penn State.  The NU President wants more bureaucrats overseeing football…not the “Dept of winning” it’s the “Department of oversight.”

[dgies9156]

Interesting exchange ...

https://twitter.com/wesbury/status/1682389981434716162?s=20

 In fact, I seriously doubt they will have a football team five years from now.  So sad.  But, I’m done.

Absolutely NO chance of this happening. Without football, Northwestern forfeits the right to be in the BIG. Without the BIG, the loss in television revenue alone would kill Northwestern athletics.

It's more likely that Marquette will reinstate football than Northwestern killing football in the next five years. Not so long as the BIG is at stake!

[Uncle Rico]

Absolutely NO chance of this happening. Without football, Northwestern forfeits the right to be in the BIG. Without the BIG, the loss in television revenue alone would kill Northwestern athletics.

It's more likely that Marquette will reinstate football than Northwestern killing football in the next five years. Not so long as the BIG is at stake!

The idea they quit football is a typical Elon Musk run Twitter take with no bearing in reality

[MU82]

Football being played at Northwestern. Doomed.

[WhiteTrash]

Players today talked about a culture of abuse and racism under Fitz.

But he’ll be fine. It’s not as if he did anything as heinous as protest peacefully by kneeling during the national anthem.

Who exactly lost a job while under contract for kneeling? Who was sued for kneeling?

The NFL has proven it will pay guys millions who commit crimes if they can play.

[Uncle Rico]

Who exactly lost a job while under contract for kneeling? Who was sued for kneeling?

The NFL has proven it will pay guys millions who commit crimes if they can play.

😂

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Who exactly lost a job while under contract for kneeling? Who was sued for kneeling?

The NFL has proven it will pay guys millions who commit crimes if they can play.

The “while under contract” of course isn’t really the point.

[MU82]

Who exactly lost a job while under contract for kneeling? Who was sued for kneeling?

The NFL has proven it will pay guys millions who commit crimes if they can play.

So it's your assertion that even if Kaepernick had been a good "boy," he wouldn't have received a contract offer from any team in 2017?

The NFL also has proven it will let white, male billionaires continue to be owners no matter how they act.