Victors Club poster: Meyer to step down

Submitted by Communist Football on

A poster at Victors Club, DChapman12, who works in "risk management" -- the discipline of helping corporations and other large institutions through legal and PR crises -- says Urban Meyer is stepping down.  Relevant quotes: 

Outside Risk Management Firm on campus. Priority to protect the University. Going to take quick action to protect the University. Much bigger than football. Athletics department may see additional shake up. Gene Smith may be out as well. Expect to see quick action and PR from the University voicing a united message of intolerance.

When challenged by multiple posters as to his source, he responded:

Not connected to scoop in any significant way whatsoever. Just stumbled my way to it because of my circle involved. Any other situation outside of risk management work, I’m not a source nor do I have any sources. Hope that answers your question.

It's telling that OSU has not put out any press release thus far, nor as Urban Meyer or the OSU Athletic Department. They are all clearly going back and forth with each other, their comms people, their lawyers, and possibly this outside risk management firm to figure out how to respond.

There are several elements of the McMurphy report that are damning, aside from Urban lying at the Big Ten Media Day. (1) the fact that Smith was pressured by Meyer confidants to not press charges in 2009; (2) the fact that the 2015 incidents were common knowledge within the OSU community with no reaction; (3) the fact that Zach Smith, as Earle Bruce's grandson, likely received special treatment from Meyer and OSU. Ambitious reporters will be all over these elements of the story and possibly many others.

UM Fan from Sydney

August 1st, 2018 at 2:53 PM ^

I could not care less about his record vs Meyer. Meyer's not being the coach anymore does nothing but help Michigan. Fuck that entire corrupt athletic department. That football program needs to go through a decade of shit like we did. They need an ego check.

Surveillance Doe

August 1st, 2018 at 3:16 PM ^

Thank you! I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. Fuck the record. Fuck football. This is a real-life situation in which someone was physically and emotionally abused for years at least in part because Meyer kept it under wraps, allowing it to continue. I want him gone today because more people who are used to wielding their power unchecked need to realize that there are consequences for their actions. 

Mr Miggle

August 1st, 2018 at 5:13 PM ^

It sounds like he is making an educated guess with possibly questionable assumptions.

If it's true that OSU is bringing in a risk management consultant to help weigh their options. It shows they are taking the situation seriously. That doesn't preordain their recommendations or OSU's response to them.

It's too soon in the news cycle to make such big decisions as firing Meyer and Smith. It's also too early to publicly support anyone. OSU is surely trying to find what evidence is out there. More may drop soon and they need to ready for that. They can't let Meyer deny allegations yet either.

 

Communist Football

August 1st, 2018 at 2:46 PM ^

DChapman12's response to the 3:45 press conference Reddit post:

I did not expect it as early as 3:45. I haven’t confirmed if that’s accurate or not so I can’t comment on that time frame. But As I said earlier, I know this is going to be expedited and handled quickly to turn the PR into a united message of intolerance from the University.

PB-J Time

August 1st, 2018 at 2:31 PM ^

Obviously I (nor we) do not have the ability to verify that "source", but wow if true. 

Would be refreshing for someone in power to be held responsible for extremely poor decision making and subsequently lying about it. 

MichiganExile

August 1st, 2018 at 2:37 PM ^

If true, it's good that OSU is doing something about it NOW. Let's not ignore the fact though that it always seems to take a reporter outing something for just about any University to do the right thing. I would hope that if something similar happened at UM the coach/director etc. in question would simply be fired and details later trickle out about why. 

1VaBlue1

August 1st, 2018 at 2:31 PM ^

I don't see anything coming out of this.  It'll look ugly for a few days, then football practice will start and it will all be forgotten.  What should happen is rarely what does happen.

Baugh So Har

August 1st, 2018 at 2:32 PM ^

I was 50/50 on what would happen after reading the report. Still skeptical. If it's happening, my friend has to eat a shoe, and I'll have to eat a lemon.

darkstar

August 1st, 2018 at 2:34 PM ^

Nah. Too soon.  Not defending him but they haven't had enough time to process if that is the way to go or if they can spin their way out of this.

mgobaran

August 1st, 2018 at 2:51 PM ^

I don't think the time to process this information is too short. 

3 years since 2015 to process and plan if this news ever gets out.

8 days since they fired Zach Smith

And it's not like they didn't know this news was going to drop before it did. Hell, ESPN warned MSU they were dropping the big news story that one day. That is why their AD quit the morning of, before the big story broke. 

No way OSU only now started thinking they might have to make a move. 

darkstar

August 1st, 2018 at 3:21 PM ^

True. But the reaction of the general public and/or national/local media weren't known and still may not be for awhile.  If the story has legs and McMurphy rolls out more damaging info it's a different matter than if everything is out now and the reaction is meh.

WGoNerd

August 1st, 2018 at 2:34 PM ^

I'm hopeful this is true, but still skeptical.

IF this does happen I will be happy that the world seems to finally be changing for the better regarding this stuff.