Consequences / Bullies / Go Cats

[NUCat320]

For the hazers, there won’t be any consequences.

No criminal charges, no names in lawsuits, no public shaming.

But I hope this whole mess causes them to feel a bit of guilt.

I doubt many people — even those doing the running — enjoyed doing it. What kind of twisted person enjoys putting on a freaky mask and humiliating someone weaker than them? But, f*ck, culture is powerful, and a handful loved it.

“Hey! Dudes! I don’t want to touch your d*ck on the way to the shower.”
“Shut up, freshman. That’s how we roll. Touch my d*ck.”

Anyway, I hope the perpetrators, and whoever’s idea it was to bring the masks into it, aren’t bullies anymore. Nobody likes a bully.

For all the back and forth over the last month — “why didn’t they tell?”; “why are the players pissed if it was so bad”; “who has denied it?”; “HE DIDN’T KNOW”; “life is tough, you think this is bad?” — ultimately, the program was undone by a culture that forgave, or allowed, or encouraged, or turned a blind eye to bullying.

It’s pretty sad. It sucks. And it is a failure of leadership.

All that said, I’ve been a Cats fan for 25 years — my first game was also Gavin Hoffman’s, a 41-7 victory over UNLV, and I didn’t have to look the score up. (I was local, so I parked on Sheridan, decamped to the student section, and stood in a row by myself because New Student Week was still days away.)

Most seasons, I’ve enjoyed being a fan. And, because life is about moments, the moments of greatness are what stick with you. (How nice it was to watch Pinstripe Bowl highlights this week, to relive peak JJTBC.)

In recent years, as life gets in the way, I’ve watched a little less, especially when they’ve been boring or terrible to watch. I probably only saw half of snaps last season.

(My worst Cats memory is attending a rainy outdoor Cats wedding, as we incredulously watched the Illinois State loss on the ESPN ticker. Never schedule a wedding on a college football Saturday, unless it’s against an FCS opponent, except when you’re a Cats fan.)

I don’t think this season will be much more fun than Gavin Hoffman’s. But I’ll still fly the flag on Saturdays, and I’ll still start every morning Expecting Victory. And, geez, I like Braun and I liked the new hires and I sure hope this team surprises me. (Chances: less than 5%.)

There is no thesis here. Mostly it sucks that being a fan has been so miserable these last few years, and it especially sucks that some people might look at that purple flag more negatively than they used to. (In the South, I usually got ‘what’s that flag anyway?’ Back in the Midwest, it’s been a nice point of conversation with my Hawkeye flag-flying neighbor.)

And it really, really sucks that this is what brought Fitz down. He deserved a statue. He’s a great Cat, with a flaw. And, while I think he was aware things happened in the locker room, I think he was probably unaware how bad it had gotten for some. And I know that nobody was willing to tell him.

(Maybe Yates or Long or Carnifax thought, one time, at their year-end Fitz meeting, that this would be the year they finally told him to do something about it.

“Thanks for talking to me, [player]. Anything else?”
“Well, Coach, it’s just that, it’s just that, naaah, nothing else.”
“Okay, hit the books, work in the weight room.” )


It’s a beautiful day outside and I’ve got a lawn to mow.

Aw f*cksh*t. Aw sh*tf*ck. Go Cats.




Also, f*ck Gragg with a broomstick.

 

[plstrmn27]

For the hazers, there won’t be any consequences.

No criminal charges, no names in lawsuits, no public shaming.

But I hope this whole mess causes them to feel a bit of guilt.

I doubt many people — even those doing the running — enjoyed doing it. What kind of twisted person enjoys putting on a freaky mask and humiliating someone weaker than them? But, f*ck, culture is powerful, and a handful loved it.

“Hey! Dudes! I don’t want to touch your d*ck on the way to the shower.”
“Shut up, freshman. That’s how we roll. Touch my d*ck.”

Anyway, I hope the perpetrators, and whoever’s idea it was to bring the masks into it, aren’t bullies anymore. Nobody likes a bully.

For all the back and forth over the last month — “why didn’t they tell?”; “why are the players pissed if it was so bad”; “who has denied it?”; “HE DIDN’T KNOW”; “life is tough, you think this is bad?” — ultimately, the program was undone by a culture that forgave, or allowed, or encouraged, or turned a blind eye to bullying.

It’s pretty sad. It sucks. And it is a failure of leadership.

All that said, I’ve been a Cats fan for 25 years — my first game was also Gavin Hoffman’s, a 41-7 victory over UNLV, and I didn’t have to look the score up. (I was local, so I parked on Sheridan, decamped to the student section, and stood in a row by myself because New Student Week was still days away.)

Most seasons, I’ve enjoyed being a fan. And, because life is about moments, the moments of greatness are what stick with you. (How nice it was to watch Pinstripe Bowl highlights this week, to relieve peak JJTBC.)

In recent years, as life gets in the way, I’ve watched a little less, especially when they’ve been boring or terrible to watch. I probably only saw half of snaps last season.

(My worst Cats memory is attending a rainy outdoor Cats wedding, as we incredulously watched the Illinois State loss on the ESPN ticker. Never schedule a wedding on a college football Saturday, unless it’s against an FCS opponent, except when you’re a Cats fan.)

I don’t think this season will be much more fun than Gavin Hoffman’s. But I’ll still fly the flag on Saturdays, and I’ll still start every morning Expecting Victory. And, geez, I like Braun and I liked the new hires and I sure hope this team surprises me. (Chances: less than 5%.)

There is no thesis here. Mostly it sucks that being a fan has been so miserable these last few years, and it especially sucks that some people might look at that purple flag more negatively than they used to. (In the South, I usually got ‘what’s that flag anyway?’ Back in the Midwest, it’s been a nice point of conversation with my Hawkeye flag-flying neighbor.)

And it really, really sucks that this is what brought Fitz down. He deserved a statue. He’s a great Cat, with a flaw. And, while I think he was aware things happened in the locker room, I think he was probably unaware how bad it had gotten for some. And I know that nobody was willing to tell him.

(Maybe Yates or Long or Carnifax thought, one time, at their year-end Fitz meeting, that this would be the year they finally told him to do something about it.

“Thanks for talking to me, [player]. Anything else?”
“Well, Coach, it’s just that, it’s just that, naaah, nothing else.”
“Okay, hit the books, work in the weight room.” )


It’s a beautiful day outside and I’ve got a lawn to mow.

Aw f*cksh*t. Aw sh*tf*ck. Go Cats.




Also, f*ck Gragg with a broomstick.

Did you play football in College? Or even high school? Just curious

 

[loyolacat]

well NUCAT30 like a lot of us you have a lot of purple running through your veins.....and we just had to throw some of this stuff up...but as everything has settled and now digesting as much of what we know. I believe this is a program that has tried to do more correct than incorrect by a large %.. I figured well over 500 student/athletes since 2000 ? and YES no real justification for what seems to have occurred to some players. but very hard to make everyone feel 100% of the group, group dynamics are tricky especially it seems in a competitive enivironment..and hard to not have a couple of bad apples and not umcommon to not have people stand up to them...part of the issue is we expected that here at NU, we expected our Cats to be the best of the best. My gut still tells me that Coach Fitz probably feels absolutely horrible about what occurred and probably angrier that he could not be responsible for rectifying it. Again I think this really went off the tracks when the President unilaterally decided to basically dismiss the recomendations of the University investigation and not allow the football program and athletic department correct itself and follow the recomendations of the investigation (still the most complete examination of the issue). Part of me says that this President coming from Oregon had had enough of being second fiddle to big time athletic guys (Phil Knight) and athletics in general and this was his chance to unseat someone who had come to realize quickly was larger than him at the University. The University itself was in an unbalanced situation having lost a thouroughly vested President so quickly and having lost a long time AD (Phillips) felt a need to back the Pres. and we are left with a ton of us feeling badly about the incidents that occurred in the football program, feeling badly about those kids, the kids that did nothing and the kids that did.(feel like I am reliving Lord of the Flies) and remembering all the good things be it Sandy Schwab or Gavin Hoffman or all the others that made us feel good about NU football. and I too am choosing to own it and move forward. c u all at UTEP.

 

[StreamCat]

For the hazers, there won’t be any consequences.

No criminal charges, no names in lawsuits, no public shaming.

But I hope this whole mess causes them to feel a bit of guilt.

I doubt many people — even those doing the running — enjoyed doing it. What kind of twisted person enjoys putting on a freaky mask and humiliating someone weaker than them? But, f*ck, culture is powerful, and a handful loved it.

“Hey! Dudes! I don’t want to touch your d*ck on the way to the shower.”
“Shut up, freshman. That’s how we roll. Touch my d*ck.”

Anyway, I hope the perpetrators, and whoever’s idea it was to bring the masks into it, aren’t bullies anymore. Nobody likes a bully.

For all the back and forth over the last month — “why didn’t they tell?”; “why are the players pissed if it was so bad”; “who has denied it?”; “HE DIDN’T KNOW”; “life is tough, you think this is bad?” — ultimately, the program was undone by a culture that forgave, or allowed, or encouraged, or turned a blind eye to bullying.

It’s pretty sad. It sucks. And it is a failure of leadership.

All that said, I’ve been a Cats fan for 25 years — my first game was also Gavin Hoffman’s, a 41-7 victory over UNLV, and I didn’t have to look the score up. (I was local, so I parked on Sheridan, decamped to the student section, and stood in a row by myself because New Student Week was still days away.)

Most seasons, I’ve enjoyed being a fan. And, because life is about moments, the moments of greatness are what stick with you. (How nice it was to watch Pinstripe Bowl highlights this week, to relieve peak JJTBC.)

In recent years, as life gets in the way, I’ve watched a little less, especially when they’ve been boring or terrible to watch. I probably only saw half of snaps last season.

(My worst Cats memory is attending a rainy outdoor Cats wedding, as we incredulously watched the Illinois State loss on the ESPN ticker. Never schedule a wedding on a college football Saturday, unless it’s against an FCS opponent, except when you’re a Cats fan.)

I don’t think this season will be much more fun than Gavin Hoffman’s. But I’ll still fly the flag on Saturdays, and I’ll still start every morning Expecting Victory. And, geez, I like Braun and I liked the new hires and I sure hope this team surprises me. (Chances: less than 5%.)

There is no thesis here. Mostly it sucks that being a fan has been so miserable these last few years, and it especially sucks that some people might look at that purple flag more negatively than they used to. (In the South, I usually got ‘what’s that flag anyway?’ Back in the Midwest, it’s been a nice point of conversation with my Hawkeye flag-flying neighbor.)

And it really, really sucks that this is what brought Fitz down. He deserved a statue. He’s a great Cat, with a flaw. And, while I think he was aware things happened in the locker room, I think he was probably unaware how bad it had gotten for some. And I know that nobody was willing to tell him.

(Maybe Yates or Long or Carnifax thought, one time, at their year-end Fitz meeting, that this would be the year they finally told him to do something about it.

“Thanks for talking to me, [player]. Anything else?”
“Well, Coach, it’s just that, it’s just that, naaah, nothing else.”
“Okay, hit the books, work in the weight room.” )


It’s a beautiful day outside and I’ve got a lawn to mow.

Aw f*cksh*t. Aw sh*tf*ck. Go Cats.




Also, f*ck Gragg with a broomstick.

Great post. Mostly, I’ve kept my observations to myself because once they started they would turn into Stream(Cat) of consciousness. Because like you, I’d bemoan bullying and eventually champion creative bullying with a broomstick. 😀

 

[Figrating]

Thanks for helping us all come to terms with the screamin' mess. The end of it is so far in the future it can hardly be imagined.

For the hazers, there won’t be any consequences.

After the devastation they have brought, here's hoping the quote above doesn't prove to be true. If there were a murder, would the authorities just proceed to bash the hell out of everybody around it and ignore the perp??? In a better world, an intense investigation would be conducted, including interviews with the entire team, coaching staff and former players; the hazers would be named and thrown out, the coaches enabling the hazing would be named and thrown out. Until then, the sickness remains with the team and the university.

 

[plstrmn27]

Thanks for helping us all come to terms with the screamin' mess. The end of it is so far in the future it can hardly be imagined.



After the devastation they have brought, here's hoping the quote above doesn't prove to be true. If there were a murder, would the authorities just proceed to bash the hell out of everybody around it and ignore the perp??? In a better world, an intense investigation would be conducted, including interviews with the entire team, coaching staff and former players; the hazers would be named and thrown out, the coaches enabling the hazing would be named and thrown out. Until then, the sickness remains with the team and the university.

Well um, there were interviews with ALL the players and coaches during the 6 month investigation. The very small number of players coming forward AFTER the fact seem to all have similar circumstances in regards to not having very successful careers/problems with Fitz or jumped on the money grab train!

 

[Figrating]

Well um, there were interviews with ALL the players and coaches during the 6 month investigation. The very small number of players coming forward AFTER the fact seem to all have similar circumstances in regards to not having very successful careers/problems with Fitz or jumped on the money grab train!

The interviews seem to have stopped a few questions short of IDing perps and coaches who encouraged/enabled them. 'Tis chickenbleep.