OT: Serious allegations against Northwestern, Pat Fitzgerald

[AuricGoldfinger]

While the coach of the Wildcats Pat Fitzgerald on Friday received a two-week suspension without pay as punishment for hazing within the program, very serious allegations levied by former Wildcat players in the university's student newspaper today look very bad for the school and the coach, regardless of whether he directed them. I don't see anyway he survives this, although the current roster is now pushing back against the allegations and the coach's involvement in it. (By the way, the NU AD is Dr. Derrick Gragg, former VU football player.)

https://dailynorthwestern.com/2023/07/0 ... uspension/

[MrMemorial]

NU was 1-11 last season with a loss to D-2 Southern Illinois at home as well as Miami (OH) a mid-level mid-major.

He has to be on a really hot seat and that can only help our recruiting as private highly academic p-5 schools don't grow on trees.

[dore74]

I was really bummed out to read this story. I have much respect for Northwestern football (and the University). I also think highly of Fitzgerald (much like I did of Paterno). We certainly had our horrific incident—and I’m still not sure how far that went up the leadership chain. So I’m not casting any stones here.
Hopefully there is less here than meets the eye. If not, will be a sad day for another a program that I thought much of.

[vandy05]

I was really bummed out to read this story. I have much respect for Northwestern football (and the University). I also think highly of Fitzgerald (much like I did of Paterno). We certainly had our horrific incident—and I’m still not sure how far that went up the leadership chain. So I’m not casting any stones here.
Hopefully there is less here than meets the eye. If not, will be a sad day for another a program that I thought much of.

I don't want to cast stones either, but the incident was an incident here. A young woman was raped by our player, but there was nothing that pointed to systemic behavior, certainly systemic behavior condoned by the coach. These allegations against the NU players are definitely less serious than a rape, but appear to be systemic and very likely known by the coach. That is bad news for all involved. I also don't see how Fitzgerald ends up surviving this. You have to really be out on a limb for the guy.

[cc11316]

It does make one wonder, if this type of thing happens at Northwestern does it occur at most of the programs. The football cultures and age of the young men involved seem to be ideal for it. It can't just be an anomaly that occurs at places like Ped State and Northwestern. They can blame Fitzgerald if it's convenient for them but I get the feeling it runs much deeper and isn't as unusual as most of us would like to think.

[Johnmn555]

Program should be shut down for a year. Instead, more hall monitors.

[OldDude]

This is not "slap on the wrist" territory; need to be serious cosequences. Any incoming (2023 frosh) need to be allowed a freebie , no conseqence transfer. Fitzgerald has to have known of this and should be on the streets.

[Seadog73]

I do not get this whole hazing culture that seems systemic between college sports and fraternities. I admit I am an old fart (72) but when I was in a fraternity and competing in college, hazing was doing pushups because you didn't know the answers to questions. There was NO hazing in my sport at VU. NONE. And what I went through in my fraternity was literally nothing compared to what we read about theses days. No forced alcohol over consumption. No sexual abuse of any kind. NOT EVEN HINTED.

What is wrong with these people?????

[Lynchsr]

Based on the current players letter sent Saturday regarding these allegations, I wouldn’t rush to say there was hazing occurring at Northwestern. If the university takes action against Fitzgerald, Vandy better check to see about freeing up a scholarship or two because there were be players in the portal pissed off at the university.

[vandy05]

Based on the current players letter sent Saturday regarding these allegations, I wouldn’t rush to say there was hazing occurring at Northwestern. If the university takes action against Fitzgerald, Vandy better check to see about freeing up a scholarship or two because there were be players in the portal pissed off at the university.

That statement was one of the goofiest things I've ever read. They basically said in the same statement: 1) Hazing didn't happen; 2) Whatever happened wasn't really that bad; 3) Coach Fitzgerald didn't know anything. All of those things are somewhat competing with each other and makes me wonder a lot. We also have to realize that those involved have every incentive to defend themselves. There is no way every player on the team agrees with the content of the letter. Just like 100% of them didn't agree that what took place was hazing.

[vandy05]

It does make one wonder, if this type of thing happens at Northwestern does it occur at most of the programs. The football cultures and age of the young men involved seem to be ideal for it. It can't just be an anomaly that occurs at places like Ped State and Northwestern. They can blame Fitzgerald if it's convenient for them but I get the feeling it runs much deeper and isn't as unusual as most of us would like to think.

It very well may happen at a lot of programs, but I know that some Power 5 coaches expressly prohibit hazing in their programs. They not only have the mandatory trainings, but they tell their players that anyone who does haze is going to be in deep trouble. And this was happening over 20 years ago. coaches can, and do, shut it down.

[geeznotagain]

I do not get this whole hazing culture that seems systemic between college sports and fraternities. I admit I am an old fart (72) but when I was in a fraternity and competing in college, hazing was doing pushups because you didn't know the answers to questions. There was NO hazing in my sport at VU. NONE. And what I went through in my fraternity was literally nothing compared to what we read about theses days. No forced alcohol over consumption. No sexual abuse of any kind. NOT EVEN HINTED.

What is wrong with these people?????

The "hell weekend" that marked the end of "pledge training" at my Vandy frat (class of 69) was considerably worse than what you've described, but NOTHING like what is alleged to have occurred at NW; i.e., no explicit sexual abuse, no forced alcohol consumption. The single best word I can use to describe our weekend was "humiliation". We were naked for maybe 10-15 minutes. We had to wear Kotex pads for a while as blindfolds. We were subjected to semi-torturous exercises several times. Deprived of food and water for perhaps 18 hours. And penned up together in a crowded cellar for maybe 8 hours with our honorary pledge brother, a pig. I hated it, thought it was inhumane, and did little to foster "brotherhood" in my opinion. But again, nothing like NW.

[commadore]

When I was in 9th grade, I became a member of the best band in the state in a Nashville high school. On "initiation" night we had to eat an Alpo and Petroleum Jelly sandwich. Pretty nasty, but not deadly. Also had to pick up a large marshmellow with our butt cheeks and drop it in a bucket. If we missed or just dropped it, we had to eat it (my butt was so tight at that moment I didn't drop it). Finally, we went through a car wash with nothing on but our underwear. Was a right of passage to be in that group of over 100 in the band.
Stuff you hear about today, though, goes beyond common decency.

[Lynchsr]

The whistleblower has now been quoted by the Daily Northwestern as wanting to “absolutely seek to get Fitz out of the Program”.

Sorry I may be old and insensitive, but innocent until proven guilty means something. Allegations from someone with a motive, from the me first generation… just don’t carry weight to me.

[NateSY]

The whistleblower has now been quoted by the Daily Northwestern as wanting to “absolutely seek to get Fitz out of the Program”.

Sorry I may be old and insensitive, but innocent until proven guilty means something. Allegations from someone with a motive, from the me first generation… just don’t carry weight to me.

I think it’s a bit over the top to refer to this as a “motive”. Fact is anyone who was subjected to what was described, with the coaches approval, would logically and justifiably want them removed from the position of power that they abused. I’m not saying he did or did not do it, but that them wanting the coach removed is hardly a reason to dismiss their claim outright.

[MrMemorial]

If the hazing was such a great idea, why did they go 1-11 with home losses to <.500 Southern Illinois and a .500 MAC team?

[AuricGoldfinger]

Fitzgerald has reportedly been fired.

[Seadog73]

https://www.espn.com/college-football/s ... fitzgerald

[dorepleganger]

With Fitzgerald being fired, I have some questions. Shouldn’t any of the players involved in the hazing be suspended if not, expelled? Why do they receive a pass for this behavior? Certainly, they broke university codes of conduct. Why this only fell upon Fitzgerald, I do not understand.

Look to Colorado State & Addazio, for example, or Iowa & its S&C Coach were the players protested, and got the coach fired. Why were the Northwestern players unable to take similar action? It’s Northwestern - the same school where football players petitioned the government for a union.

Similarly, if Fitzgerald is ultimately responsible for the football team, as Schill, the university president stated, shouldn’t Schill ultimately be responsible for Fitzgerald, and similarly be terminated? If Fitzgerald is being terminated for what he knew, or should’ve known, Schill seems to be an emperor with no clothes - especially if there was an originally agreed-upon two week suspension that Schill unilaterally revoked, as claimed by Fitzgerald.

To be very clear, I am not condoning the hazing; however how Northwestern is handling it seems to be a master class, in what not to do.

[MrMemorial]

Are the incoming players free to transfer now without penalty?

If so....