Seems like Fitzgerald knew about the hazing
The former Northwestern player sent ESPN a screenshot of a whiteboard, which he says was in the middle of the locker room. Image is headlined "SHREK'S LIST" and includes a list of players' names and several bulleted items, including "naked slingshot" and "naked bear crawls."
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) July 9, 2023
We are not publishing the photo, but former player said: "That was in the middle of the locker room for all eyes to see throughout my entire time in the program. Every single player in this program from 2020 to 2023 knows what Shrek is and knows about the hazing that occurs."
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) July 9, 2023
I don’t understand why they cant post the picture with things blurred. Not that I don’t believe the picture exists, but it erodes credibility when people won’t post evidence for no apparent reason
I don't know Rittenberg's reasoning there. But here's some more smoke, from the Northwestern Rivals.com guy:
Just an update: I have now confirmed with multiple former Northwestern football staffers both the "running" of players and the "car washes" described in @thedailynu report.
— Louie Vaccher (@WildcatReport) July 9, 2023
Now we're getting into ex-staffers.
...and even more. Locker runs InsideNU, a fan blog.
Just in: according to a former Northwestern player who graduated in 2007, the team engaged in the "car wash" hazing activity when he was an active player.
— Bradley Locker (@Bradley_Locker) July 9, 2023
The problem is that without seeing the picture we won't be able to guess whether it would give away the identity of the source. Regardless, it's not an unusual journalistic practice, and ESPN and Rittenberg have sufficient credibility here.
Because what good does that do?
It's a white board with blurred names and "Shrek's List" written on it. What does that tell you that you don't already know?
You don't know what Shrek's List is. You obviously have no context around the identities of the victims who were involved. What do you learn?
Now if the white board says, "Shrek's List: This is a list where upperclassmen write down the names of the freshmen they are going to run." Then a picture helps.
I haven't seen anyone deny the white board exists or that "Shrek's List" is a real thing. It's just about what it actually means and what was actually done. You're not going to answer those questions from a blurry photo.
It seems like the entire upper class and the coaching staff would all be implicated. How does this not kill the program for a couple of years?
You can't kill what's already dead.
Gotta shoot em in the head!
What is dead May never die
Edit: late to the game
Can an MGoLawyer speak up here: What kind of civil or criminal lawsuits are Fitz, the assistants, or even the players looking at for something like this?
The entire upper class?! What about the middle class? The CIA? How far did this go?
This is America. We don’t go after the upper class.
I’ll say it again: if any fraternity or sorority did this, with this type of evidence, they would be shut down immediately. But… somehow… not the same with a sports team. Talk about double standard!
Yeah but frats are full of d-bags, so that’s just the excuse needed to shut them down and make them disperse.
Sports teams that make millions of dollars and represent the University are handled differently than private drinking clubs where members buy their friends on campus???!!! This is fucking shocking! Next, you'll tell me that football coaches make more money and are treated differently than other University employees! Unbelievable!
Seems like this, the Anderson case, the OSU case, Harvard all tend to suggest that there's a pretty extensive culture of homosexually tinged brutality in American sports. And--yes--sexually tinged. Some may hasten to say that the cases are all different and, yes, okay. But my dad was telling me stories of stuff like this he'd been through in high school going back, now, 3/4 of a century. A lot wrapped up here--like in this case, some players seem to have been absorbing the humiliation, ritually, of NW's public football humiliations. . . if Fitz was clapping to designate who was tonight's main course, the issue is not him "knowing" but being chief perp. Guy should never be able to walk into a public setting again.
And looks like another university having a coach stick their hand in the hopper just as they're getting ready to build statues and name the world after them? This is gonna be costly.
Pretty incriminating I'd say. Let's see what new load of manure the AD at Northwestern tries to pass to explain this.
So far the AD has been silent. The President looks like the most tone deaf, ivory tower academic in history
Really? He called the victim and his parents and apologized.
I think early on, absolutely. But he seems to be owning his mistake (as he should).
Tone deaf, check out some of the statements of one Urban Meyer. Or his predecessor Jim Tressel and his former president, Gordon Gee.
"No. Are you kidding? Let me just be very clear. I'm just hopeful the coach doesn't dismiss me."
That is the epitome of tone deaf. Or maybe it wasn't, because his key constituents didn't care...they ate it up.
Yes he “believed he may have erred in his suspension” and “is going to consult all stakeholders”
He had 6 months and saw the report. They tried to whitewash this on a Friday night press release. Please
And apparently, the president just now spoke to the player raising the accusations. Not during the six months of investigations.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't...
I think it might be questionable if the president of the university contacted the player during the investigation. He may have been advised not to do so. It could be considered to be tampering with the witness or trying to coax him into not revealing everything or backing off of some of his accusations.
Fair enough. But then why speak with him now, after he's effectively said that the investigation is ongoing?
I doubt that the university president would be allowed by his legal folks to talk to the player while the investigation was ongoing. The perception of witness intimidation would be too likely.
Compounding the difficulty, the president is new on the job and a replacement choice after NU's first choice to replace the outgoing president had accepted, was announced, but then had to recuse herself after a major health problem cropped up.
I don't know about you guys. But when I see a teammate do something wrong the first things I think about is making him do a naked slingshot, bear crawl naked, and dry humping him. Pretty nominal stuff, really.
those sound like mixed drinks in a bar where everyone is wearing affliction t shirts
C'mon bros, you gotta do the naked bear crawl if we wanna go 6-9 this season.
#straightbuds
The Naked Slingshot sounds delicious. Shaken, not stirred, of course.
What are you up to on Tuesday? We need a sub for our pickleball team.
So Pat Fitzgerald was aware, but was he fully aware???
This is not turning out to be a one day story. Fitz is in trouble.
Sigh...here is some context. Glad I got into this thread early. (ed: after this novel, it ain't so early anymore...whatever, we'll post and come back later).
Believe what I'm sharing...or don't.
First, in no way am I victim blaming. Hazing is disgusting, barbaric, and if Fitz had any indication this was happening...he has to go, period.
But this is also the part that I hate about these types of stories. Everyone has a lens, everyone has a bias, and a perspective. And we, the public, so often latch on to bits and pieces...without ever acknowledging there can be truth and misinformation from all parties...even in the same statements.
Anyway.
There are a few things to first consider. First, Northwestern's everyday football locker room isn't at their stadium. Meaning, it is HIGHLY likely that Fitz is EVER in the locker room unless he's leading a recruiting visit. It's not where he addresses the team, it's "their space." I'd be willing to bet everything that coaches are rarely in the locker room.
This goes for a lot of sports. We are so used to the Ted Lasso style locker room environment where the coach is right there. That's often not the case at the college (or pro) level.
Second, there is a ZERO, and I mean ZERO percent chance this board was in the "middle of the locker room" for 3 years. Absolutely no shot.
You mean to tell me that there is a board that says "naked slingshot" in the middle of the locker room, but no coach saw it on a recruiting visit? No parent saw it? Not even the parents of players who didn't end up at NW? No admin saw it? No custodian saw it? No facility manager saw it? No security guard? No equipment manager?
...or they all did and didn't say anything? Come on.
But I'll do you one better. I, me, myself...I've been in the NW football locker room. It's awesome. There is no white board.
NW has a state-of-the-art art facility. I'm sure they do facility tours on a weekly basis. No one has ever seen this thing?
Does the board exist? I'm sure it does, there is a photo of it. Was it pulled out by players and put away? Probably.
But that is where I have so much trouble with this story. Because (*personal opinion*), I believe the victim, I think this stuff happened. But why twist or exaggerate that detail?
If you've exaggerated that detail, what other details are exaggerated?
And THAT is why I fucking hate these things, because we will never know all of the details. But we are all forced to take a side. There are no sides, IMO, there are disgusting acts and there is hoping the people responsible are held accountable - including anyone who knew and didn't report it.
But to circle back. Fitz isn't in that locker room on a regular basis. They don't watch film there. They don't meet there. There isn't even a fixed white board in the locker room that a coach would use. It's all lockers, showers, toilets, a TV wall, and a random barber chair. That's it. Oh and some cold tubs.
So to say, "Unless he never looked at a whiteboard in the middle of the locker room." is unfair. There is literally not a white board. So you are talking about something someone took in/out of a locker. And even if there was... I'm positive that Fitz is rarely in there.
Does that mean he didn't know? HELL NO. He was a player there and head coaches are the most paranoid people on earth. He may not have known the extent, but he knew something. But that can be true while the claims about the white board (in the middle of the locker room for three years) are false.
I would just caution everyone to keep the important things at the forefront. I know we want to latch on to things like this to justify our position, but the important thing is someone was assaulted and people need to be held accountable. This isn't a court of law where we need to compile evidence.
I mean. Sure. Either way ever since the investigation came out it's damning for Fitz.
- Option 1: he knew the entire time. Bad for obvious reasons
- Option 2: he only partially knew, or didn't know. Damning that he has so little knowledge and control over pervasive actions attitudes of the team.
It's a football team. Upperclassmen aren't going to go rogue and systemically abuse freshmen without the implicit approval of the coaching staff, and there's no amount of willful blindness to cover that up.
I'm almost as disgusted with the stupidity of NW/Fitz to try and claim otherwise.
As I said...he knew or should be held accountable for not knowing.
My response was to the comment about Fitz seeing a white board in the middle of the locker room which I know for certain...does not exist.
So that shouldn't be the reason you believe or don't believe someone. Focus on the fact that someone was sexually assaulted and hazing was taking place.
But adding the commentary to fake details to support your position is unnecessary.
You mean to tell me that there is a board that says "naked slingshot" in the middle of the locker room, but no coach saw it on a recruiting visit? No parent saw it? Not even the parents of players who didn't end up at NW? No admin saw it? No custodian saw it? No facility manager saw it? No security guard? No equipment manager?
...or they all did and didn't say anything? Come on.
I'll go with the latter.
Hazing on the scale alleged had to have been known throughout the team, staff included. It was probably a long-standing program "tradition", perhaps going back to Fitz's own playing days. No one would complain, because it was just how things were done at Northwestern. They probably told parents it was a "team-bonding exercise."
As for the location of the board, I don't know, but Rittenberg's putting it out there and he's got a journalistic reputation to uphold.
Not to mention that it's Rittenberg's Alma Mater and he hadn't ever seemed to have an axe to grind against the University/Program when I used to read his stuff (it actually seemed like a point of pride).
I've literally been in the locker room multiple times during this window. There is no white board that sits in the middle of the locker room. Including when players were in there.
If you want me to share photos of their locker room, I'm happy to do it. (No I did not take pictures with players in there - not what I mean)
But WHY DOES THAT MATTER? Focus on the fact that hazing and sexual assault happened. Not the existence of a fucking white board in plain sight for everyone to see - a white board which exists, just not in the middle of the locker room for a passer byer to see.
How often have you gone into NW's locker room in the past 3 years?
If you really want to know and you're not being a dick. Share an e-mail, I'll tell you, then you can share with the board if you believe it or not.
I'm dead serious.
Incredibly fucking weird response, dude. Just answer the question instead of doing...whatever the fuck it was you are trying to do with that comment.
I'm not on the stand, lol...WTF. Don't be internet tough guy.
And why would I throw out a number, you would just say that I'm lying. But my response wasn't weird, because if I had the e-mail I would reach out and speak to the person directly and they could decide for themself.
That's not weird, that's a rational thought. Create a burner Gmail to use once if you want to know so bad.
I believe that he answered your question without answering it....had he been in there during the period in question he would have gladly volunteered that info when asked.
"But I'll do you one better. I, me, myself...I've been in the NW football locker room. It's awesome. There is no white board."
I appreciate your insider perspective and have no reason to not believe that you've been in the NW football locker room.
That being said, how many times have you been in the locker room? How often have you been in there in the last few years?
There's a big difference between being in a locker room on a few occasions...and being in there every day throughout a four- or five-year period as a football player.
It appears as though these accusations have been thoroughly investigated and vetted...and have confirmed that what is alleged to have happened did, indeed, happen.
As time goes on and more information comes out (which it will), your take will look less and less accurate.
If you really want to know and you're not being a dick. Share an e-mail, I'll tell you, then you can share with the board if you believe it or not.
I'm dead serious.
Not sure what you're arguing here:
"First, in no way am I victim blaming. Hazing is disgusting, barbaric, and if Fitz had any indication this was happening...he has to go, period."
"Does that mean he didn't know? HELL NO. He was a player there and head coaches are the most paranoid people on earth. He may not have known the extent, but he knew something."