86 Ex NU players criticize NU administration in open Letter
- Thread starter corbi296
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I gotta say, all these groups who publish open letters really suck at publishing them.
Is the full text anywhere?
Is the full text anywhere?
Adam posted the full text in response to somebody down in the replies. (I'm not sure why you don't lead with that, but whatever.)
Outstanding letter. Sums up my feelings exactly.
The amount of harm Shill and Gragg have brought to our university is beyond anything I could have ever imagined. And all of it without any real proof. That's the real crime here.
Just as the letter says this has been a knee jerk reaction by two people who are incompetent in their abilities to deal properly with the situation. They both need to be fired over this.
I know that's wishful thinking, but perhaps the BOT will wake up and realize the huge mistake that was made by hiring these two people and replace them with competent people instead.
The amount of harm Shill and Gragg have brought to our university is beyond anything I could have ever imagined. And all of it without any real proof. That's the real crime here.
Just as the letter says this has been a knee jerk reaction by two people who are incompetent in their abilities to deal properly with the situation. They both need to be fired over this.
I know that's wishful thinking, but perhaps the BOT will wake up and realize the huge mistake that was made by hiring these two people and replace them with competent people instead.
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Lots of words in this letter, but nothing real interesting. They teetered just on the edge of writing ‘cancel culture’, but must’ve edited it out.
All of these letters should be demanding that the full, six-month report be released. It never will be, because Schill and Ggarg are true buffoons.
However, I believe the full report probably contains the exact same allegations as were included in the Daily’s follow-up, plus additional corroboration.
I think Schill actually did not read the report until the outrage began Saturday afternoon.
All of these letters should be demanding that the full, six-month report be released. It never will be, because Schill and Ggarg are true buffoons.
However, I believe the full report probably contains the exact same allegations as were included in the Daily’s follow-up, plus additional corroboration.
I think Schill actually did not read the report until the outrage began Saturday afternoon.
Gimme a break. Lynch will present facts that can hold up in court. That’s what she’ll be paid for. Get a grip on reality. Car washes, “running”, and some naked hazing occurred. Corroborated via multiple sources and outlets at this point.
You are missing the point.
Even if some of this is true there is no proof that it was ever brought to Fitz's attention. Or Hank's attention either. If anything there seems to have been a delibeate effort to hide it from both of them.
So unless someone can prove he actually knew about it there is no case against him or justification for firing him.
And please don't start up with the nonsense that "even if no one told him about it he should have known anyhow." That is pure BS.
If that is already established in the unreleased report from the first investigation, as @NUCat320 seems to believe, then what is the purpose of conducting another investigation?
So then tell us all WTF they don’t release the initial report? If all of these allegations are supported by the report, why a second report? The FitzAnon contingent really want to know. While you are at it, please explain exactly how players were forced into these activities? Gunpoint? Why were some subjected to this unacceptable behavior while others have said they didn’t have such an experience? Enlighten me as to how any of this makes any logical sense? While you are there help me understand why this has gone on for decades and not a single person “complained” or even notified the head Coach of the behavior.
There are two things everyone agrees on:
- show us the damn report
- Schill and Gragg are complete doofs and embarrassments to the University
But seriously, just show us the report. I can’t believe nobody’s leaked it yet.
- show us the damn report
- Schill and Gragg are complete doofs and embarrassments to the University
But seriously, just show us the report. I can’t believe nobody’s leaked it yet.
Man. My milkshake brings all the girls to the yard. The initial report will probably never see the light of day as it was probably half-assed even if it took 6 months. Turns out hazing was more prevalent thru multiple sports.
Illinois is an at-will employment state. Who knows what was in Fitz’s contract, but I bet NU wouldn’t have fired him if they didn’t feel safe in doing so. Hopefully they’re not that clueless.
Fitz was the football CEO. He needed to accept some responsibility and he didn’t. All he needed was better PR and not to be a grouch and maybe he’d still be in charge.
I don’t agree that he should have necessarily been fired, just a more significant suspension with enhanced hazing risk management. Gragg should never have been hired. Schill probably too.
Illinois is an at-will employment state. Who knows what was in Fitz’s contract, but I bet NU wouldn’t have fired him if they didn’t feel safe in doing so. Hopefully they’re not that clueless.
Fitz was the football CEO. He needed to accept some responsibility and he didn’t. All he needed was better PR and not to be a grouch and maybe he’d still be in charge.
I don’t agree that he should have necessarily been fired, just a more significant suspension with enhanced hazing risk management. Gragg should never have been hired. Schill probably too.
How do we know this? Some people keep saying it, but based on what?
All I ever read was
a) Schill said Fitzgerald said he didn't know about any hazing in the football program, but should have.
b) The 6 month investigation said it was not able to determine if Fitzgerald knew about what it called "hazing."
c) Fitzgerald denied knowing about hazing in the football program. (as opposed to specific acts).
d) Some people have said he "probably knew" or "should have known."
e) Carl Richardson said he wasn't sure Fitzgerald knew (which means he - Richardson - never went to Fitzgerald with his problems)
f) We don't know what Fitzgerald said to Schill about taking responsibility.
The Lynch investigation covers all sports at NU, not just the football allegations.
I'll be surprised if Gragg is here long-term, and I don't expect Shill to be here much longer than Gragg.
They're just too divisive figures; maybe that would have happened no matter what they did with respect to this Fitz/hazing situation, but the way they've handled this has been a mess at every level and it's easy to imagine that plenty of important alums are unhappy with both.
And of course Gragg's handling of the baseball mess makes his role as AD even more questionable.
They're just too divisive figures; maybe that would have happened no matter what they did with respect to this Fitz/hazing situation, but the way they've handled this has been a mess at every level and it's easy to imagine that plenty of important alums are unhappy with both.
And of course Gragg's handling of the baseball mess makes his role as AD even more questionable.
“I bet NU wouldn’t have fired him if they didn’t feel comfortable doing so.” Seriously?!! They went from a 2 week suspension to termination in less than 72 hours. So after the reaction to the suspension and subsequent Dauly article, Schill had lawyers working around the clock to “get comfortable” with firing the highest profile employee at the school?
Schill f*cked this up beyond comprehension. You seem to think the initial report was “half assed.” Based on what? They spent 6 months interviewing. 60 former players and coaches. This report allegedly corroborates some of the allegations in the daily article. The firm’s reputation is solid.
Someone is putting the zany into zanycat
Just more hapless efforts to shape the narrative. What changed over that 72 hours ? Nothing but a wildfire of anonymous Speculation on Twitter. Schill folded like a cheap suit. Its hard to rewrite history when history is only two months old. We can all remember what transpired.
I mean get comfortable from a legal / contractual standpoint. Doesn’t take that long to read and digest a contract. The BOT had to be comfortable with the PR optics fallout of firing the icon of the last 25 years of NU football.
Not sure former players and coaches can all be trusted at this point. Clearly the allegations were more serious than just playful hazing as reporting from multiple outlets seems to have unearthed more claims than what was in the original report. More has come out since that infamous weekend of trying to sweep this all under the rug.
Not sure former players and coaches can all be trusted at this point. Clearly the allegations were more serious than just playful hazing as reporting from multiple outlets seems to have unearthed more claims than what was in the original report. More has come out since that infamous weekend of trying to sweep this all under the rug.
So there was nobody ultimately in charge of NUFB? Damn, could have fried a bunch of terrible coaches from AD office without any problem and win more games.
I'll bet you $1000 that there will be a lawsuit from PF.
Speculation unless you've seen the initial report from the 6-month investigation. Have you?
Is NU willing to write a $75-100 million check to PF? I think that’s what it will take.
Schill is a very expensive hire.
I agree with what GCG previously said. Schill will be done at NU after the total incremental cost of how he handled this situation is realized by NU. The guy won't be here long.
I have an idea, how about a 2:1 trade? Schill & Gragg for Fitz. NU buys out contracts for Schill and Gragg and reinstates Fitz under his old contract. Then we hire a competent President and and a competent AD. Problem solved-we get Fitz back, we upgrade two key administrative positions and NU is money ahead!
Don’t disagree but there are so many of these BS thrown out by the Enablers, I’m just trying to speak their language.
The whole notion that nobody has to ultimately be responsible for things happening in the program, in the locker room, apparently well known beyond the athletes is another BS item.
Huh? Fitzgerald is responsible for the program, within reason, and Northwestern's administration (Fitzgerald's bosses) is/are ultimately responsible.
Players obviously are responsible for their own actions.
How is that confusing to you?
I don’t disagree with you but I would be very happy with that transaction. Very good for NU.
Because I disagree with you. He is paid handsomely to run that program. Make all the decisions - for better or worse. He is not paid to win, clearly. He, per many on this very board, was paid handsomely to run a clean program and be the sparkling face of the school.
He failed on both. I get the goalposts have now been moved since none of the Enablers could have ever imagined such a scandal. But boy did we get plenty of face of the school, clean program when anyone questioned PFs continued employment at $5MM / year as we sucked three of the last four years and were not looking good for this year either.
Sorry PWB, we agree on much, but here we differ. He was very well paid to know. (Hell, managers knew and PF professed a zero tolerance policy - not a ‘boys will be boys’ policy, not a ‘done everywhere else so ok here’ policy - a self proclaimed zero tolerance policy - his words, his clean program)
I’ll pass. Let’s find a better football coach. He was past his prime - besides the scandal, he couldn’t, or didn’t want to, stay up with the times - NIL, uptempo O, fan and media friendly, etc.
