For what it’s worth, thanks to our whistleblower*

[NUCat320]

There was some real messed up sh*t happening.

It sounds like it was pretty innocent and friendly and ‘team-building’ in the 90s, started to escalate under Walker, and steadily increased until what appears to be a truly hostile locker room for many during the latter part of the Fitz era.

Perhaps the whistleblower was just angry over lack of playing time — I mean, Cole Freeman was pretty awful. Perhaps he just wanted to bring Fitz down. Perhaps he overstated his humiliation, and maybe he fabricated the locker room photo (I don’t think he did), and maybe the Shrek clap was a total figment of his imagination. A lot of the more damning details haven’t necessarily been validated elsewhere, but the pervasiveness of a hazing culture certainly has been.

But even if some of the dirtiest details were lies, Fitz and the locker room culture probably deserve to have been brought down.

Also, graduating in 3 years is cool. He came to NU to get a great education and play football.

A second note — thanks to Warren Long, a hardworking Cat and a multi-year contributor that, in many eyes, validated that hazing affected not just career backups. That matters too.

*I know his name is known, but he wanted to be anonymous and reporters kept him anonymous and his name would not be known but for one Twitter d-bag.

 

[Eurocat]

And yet you have this....

OPINION: Fitzgerald, Northwestern Football Hazing, and Masculinity (from a leadership coach & former player)

I’M A 2012 GRADUATE OF NORTHWESTERN & GATOR BOWL CHAMPION. In 2008, I proudly accepted a full athletic scholarship from Pat Fitzgerald, and never looked back.

www.linkedin.com

(Quote)

OVER THE PAST WEEK, I’ve been asked to share my perspective on the Pat Fitzgerald x Hazing scandal at Northwestern.

I’ll briefly address a couple of questions that are probably burning in some readers’ minds:

Hazing was not part of my locker room culture, because nothing I experienced or witnessed was required. I believe, by and large, NU’s locker room culture had to be among the most tame when it came to traditions.

“Running” was never performed in my locker room and I have a hard time believing it happened in the current one at NU (this is the first I’ve ever learned of the idea). However voluntary naked jokes & traditions were plentiful (albeit voluntary). It was a locker room, after all.

As a player, your locker room is your sacred ground. It’s a place for true camaraderie to form, and where trust is built. An important element of a team’s development is based on some things, within reason, staying “in the locker room.” To that extent, I believe Fitz didn’t know of any true hazing. If he did, he would have stopped it immediately.

(End Quote)

Personally I still don't know what to believe nor how much coach Fitz knew.

 

[kaTNap]

I mean, Cole Freeman was pretty awful.

I believe you mean Carl Richardson. Cole Freeman is a backup QB on the team currently, unless you're talking about Cole Freeman the baseball player.

 

[NUCat320]

I believe you mean Carl Richardson. Cole Freeman is a backup QB on the team currently, unless you're talking about Cole Freeman the baseball player.

Cole Freeman was awful and also played ahead of the whistleblower.

 

[NUCat320]

And yet you have this....

OPINION: Fitzgerald, Northwestern Football Hazing, and Masculinity (from a leadership coach & former player)

I’M A 2012 GRADUATE OF NORTHWESTERN & GATOR BOWL CHAMPION. In 2008, I proudly accepted a full athletic scholarship from Pat Fitzgerald, and never looked back.

www.linkedin.com

(Quote)

OVER THE PAST WEEK, I’ve been asked to share my perspective on the Pat Fitzgerald x Hazing scandal at Northwestern.

I’ll briefly address a couple of questions that are probably burning in some readers’ minds:

Hazing was not part of my locker room culture, because nothing I experienced or witnessed was required. I believe, by and large, NU’s locker room culture had to be among the most tame when it came to traditions.

“Running” was never performed in my locker room and I have a hard time believing it happened in the current one at NU (this is the first I’ve ever learned of the idea). However voluntary naked jokes & traditions were plentiful (albeit voluntary). It was a locker room, after all.

As a player, your locker room is your sacred ground. It’s a place for true camaraderie to form, and where trust is built. An important element of a team’s development is based on some things, within reason, staying “in the locker room.” To that extent, I believe Fitz didn’t know of any true hazing. If he did, he would have stopped it immediately.

(End Quote)

Personally I still don't know what to believe nor how much coach Fitz knew.

He also left NU 11 years ago.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Cole Freeman was awful and also played ahead of the whistleblower.

Shows how bad the whistle blower was.

 

[peatymeanis]

Shows how bad the whistle blower was.

Ok?

 

[mekCat]

Shows how bad the whistle blower was.

So what?

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

So what?

He bitched about playing time and someone brought up he may have been upset when a fifth string walk on played before him. I just pointed out the obvious, that he couldn’t play. Sorry if that ruffles feathers here.

 

[peatymeanis]

He bitched about playing time and someone brought up he may have been upset when a fifth string walk on played before him. I just pointed out the obvious, that he couldn’t play. Sorry if that ruffles feathers here.

Well Warren Long has made the same claims, so CR being a scrub QB doesn’t seem to be a thing that matters

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Well Warren Long has made the same claims, so CR being a scrub QB doesn’t seem to be a thing that matters

Where did I say it did Meaty? I merely opined on the comment that 320 interjected that CR might have been pissed for losing out in playing time.

There are different reasons for dissatisfaction in a program. I don’t know what CR was thinking, I do know he wasn’t a D1 QB.

 

[peatymeanis]

Where did I say it did Meaty? I merely opined on the comment that 320 interjected that CR might have been pissed for losing out in playing time.

There are different reasons for dissatisfaction in a program. I don’t know what CR was thinking, I do know he wasn’t a D1 QB.

Your feathers are ruffled

 

[phatcat]

Cole Freeman was awful and also played ahead of the whistleblower.

I feel the same as you. It doesn't matter that Cole Freeman was a better passer with his off-arm than the whistle-blower. Too many have come forward to corroborate to make this look like a simply a noodle arm with an axe to grind. These things happened. The investigation said so and the university has accepted the findings. If not for the Schill/Gragg pants-pooping with the original suspension, there would be 90% less of an issue for the university. Sure, more would have come forward, but Northwestern would look as if they found the problem and fixed it. Now we have this agonizing shit show that will take years, because of one bad decision (which may be as a result of the bromance between Fitz and Ryan)