Hankwitz is laying out the truth on Twitter right now
- Thread starter Chucksizzle1
- Start date
If you can’t trust the words of Mike Hankwitz who also references jerry brown then you will never come down on the program’s side.
Do I think some kids suffered. Sure.
But the admiration the players had for Hank over the past decade which covers the majority of the cases tells me the shit that hit the fan was blown way way out of proportion.
Do I think some kids suffered. Sure.
But the admiration the players had for Hank over the past decade which covers the majority of the cases tells me the shit that hit the fan was blown way way out of proportion.
yep, the further this thing goes the worse this administration is looking.
Here’s a link to an ESPN article that discusses some of Hank’s statements.
www.espn.com
Ex-N'western DC pushes back on allegations
Former Northwestern assistant coach Mike Hankwitz is pushing back against allegations of hazing and racism in the program under former coach Pat Fitzgerald, outlining the many ways players could report abuse and mistreatment.
Here is a link to the whole story with Hank's own words that you can access directly without having to go to The Rock.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ot...p&cvid=2370a314c521490fa72ad0c2ba6bd6cf&ei=14
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ot...p&cvid=2370a314c521490fa72ad0c2ba6bd6cf&ei=14
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If all of this is true, then I struggle to understand how someone can say "Fitz should have known" - what else would they have expected him to do?
I assume they expected him to monitor the locker room at all times--something he did not do and that I understand is not typically done in college.
That's why, ideally, it's good to get both sides of the story, and Fitz hasn't been able to tell us his.
When guys are so badly damaged that nobody reports anything to the coaches or the administration or their guidance counselors...
Its possible somebody said something to Fitz or a coach and was told to "suck it up."
Its possible somebody said something to a counselor or a faculty member.
Is there any evidence of that?
Richardson got his opportunity at QB, failed miserably (at Minnesota) and was benched behind two freshmen QBs.
Then he went to the administration to report things that were bothering him.
After the investigation had begun, Richardson transferred.
After Fitzgerald was suspended for two weeks, Richardson (or one of the trustees) went to the Daily Northwestern to make the allegations public.
Its possible somebody said something to Fitz or a coach and was told to "suck it up."
Its possible somebody said something to a counselor or a faculty member.
Is there any evidence of that?
Richardson got his opportunity at QB, failed miserably (at Minnesota) and was benched behind two freshmen QBs.
Then he went to the administration to report things that were bothering him.
After the investigation had begun, Richardson transferred.
After Fitzgerald was suspended for two weeks, Richardson (or one of the trustees) went to the Daily Northwestern to make the allegations public.
Hank references fully anonymous surveys taken of the players, administered by non-athletic department personnel. Must be many hundreds of these. I wonder if that body of evidence might arise during discovery. I cannot get over how poorly this has been handled by the university “leaders.” I continue to lean in the direction that Fitz deserved some blame and punishment beyond a few weeks of suspension (even if certain ‘hazing’ was in the eye of the beholder), but the whiplash firing looks like an outrageous railroading.
I think this is quite an interesting take. The most damning and revealing part of discovery might come from here. Also, natural spot for a cover up and then more controversy. Kinda wish I was on one of the legal teams and could see this stuff first hand.
The fact that Fitzgerald recruited his son to play in the NU football program is problematic for anyone who wants to demonize him.
again I believe this provides support that after the original investigation they determined that Coach Fitz did not know but according to NCAA policy and probably NU policy he is still responsible, not for it happening but for not knowing. They figured he had acted to prevent these situations and if he did know he had policy in place to deal with it. So after the 2 week suspension someone was mad as a hatter that he had not been fired and started the social media/media fired and President Schell saw a match and called the fire department.
In the end I believe Fitz and NU will settle his wrongful termination suit but the civil suits will go all the way. Fitz will take them on like a linebacker stalking a ball carrier on 4th and 1. In the end his reputation is more important to him than the $.
In the end I believe Fitz and NU will settle his wrongful termination suit but the civil suits will go all the way. Fitz will take them on like a linebacker stalking a ball carrier on 4th and 1. In the end his reputation is more important to him than the $.
First of all, I am glad Hank issued this statement, and I believe everything he's said to the letter. It says a lot, particularly about the details. If there are documented anonymous surveys, they I hope they are a part of discovery and in some way made public, and accusers are asked why they chose to disclose nothing. (I also acknowledge that victims of abuse often have strange ways of showing it)
All that being said, I also think Hank was like a grandfather to many players...and you don't say or do bad things in front of grandpa. I would naturally assume he and Jerry Brown have been among the two least aware/connected to any shenanigans happening in a locker room, and younger coaches like Tim McGarigle to be the closest/most likely aware, which I am basing solely on my own lived experience where age tends to be a major factor in how you get in on insider things.
Whether you're squarely in the pro-Fitz or fire-Fitz camp, I would ask all fellow fans to look at all statements, evidence, and accusations from all sides with an open mind - we all have the benefit of not being embroiled in the legal fights on deck and can still be reasonable thinkers and commenters.
All that being said, I also think Hank was like a grandfather to many players...and you don't say or do bad things in front of grandpa. I would naturally assume he and Jerry Brown have been among the two least aware/connected to any shenanigans happening in a locker room, and younger coaches like Tim McGarigle to be the closest/most likely aware, which I am basing solely on my own lived experience where age tends to be a major factor in how you get in on insider things.
Whether you're squarely in the pro-Fitz or fire-Fitz camp, I would ask all fellow fans to look at all statements, evidence, and accusations from all sides with an open mind - we all have the benefit of not being embroiled in the legal fights on deck and can still be reasonable thinkers and commenters.
How wasn’t this type of detail
Uncovered by The Daily before they went to print? If they are gong to get praised for a well researched piece of investigative reporting as some did, shouldn’t they be called into question when details are uncovered that seem to contradict the gist of their story? What are the odds that the BOT member that praised The Daily the day after they printed as factCarl Richardson’s account of what transpired, now comes out and expresses concern for how this has been handled after reading Hank’s account on of all the various steps FItz took to prevent hazing? I guarantee you 99% of the head coaches in college football don’t do a fraction of the things Fitz did.
Sure … cuz all parents always do what’s right… thank god we have no liberal minded thinkers around here that believe kids sometimes need to be shielded from parents. Finally, something we can all agree upon … lol
I am hoping we get lots more actual evidence to examine. In that the die is cast, I have no problem looking at evidence from all sides in trying to solve this puzzle.
But the defenders around here and their particular approach makes keeping an open mind quite difficult for me.
Yep, and because of how this was handled pretty sure Fitz is only going to speak through his attorneys.
Also pretty sure that when his attorneys get done speaking, they and Fitz, are going to be receiving a very large settlement check.
Will Schill be writing a letter to the Tribune explaining why he's writing such a large settlement check for Fitz?
Here’s a link to an ESPN article that discusses some of Hank’s statements.
Ex-N'western DC pushes back on allegations
Former Northwestern assistant coach Mike Hankwitz is pushing back against allegations of hazing and racism in the program under former coach Pat Fitzgerald, outlining the many ways players could report abuse and mistreatment.
Mike Hankwitz has a firm place on my Mount Rushmore of NU people. As appreciated as he was, he was probably underappreciated. Kept us afloat and competitive all those years, and of course he is laying down the truth now.
If he's exonerated, can we hire him back? Not sure Fitz would ever work for these clowns again, but he does love and bleed Northwestern. I would have liked to have had a shot at improved recruiting and a modern offense, but given where things are right now, I'd be grateful if Fitz returned.
Because the Daily is a rag featuring student journalists who are trying to make a name for themselves. Like all journalists, sensaitionalism and the "story" mean a lot more than the truth.
The reporter on the airplane of "DieHard" epitomizes in my mind what most journalists are.
I sure the HELL HOPE SO!! Talk about a railroad job! I hope Fitz makes the Duke Lax settlement look like peanuts!!!!!
The Daily sucks! Read what ChicagoCat24 said about their process. He is part of the media. BOT member probably lead the charge and attacked spineless new President.
That to me is the worst part of this, if true. Richardson had an agenda and appears to be a spineless POS so his actions are not surprising, but I expected more from NU journalism students and any BOT members that were involved in this event. They were either negligent in their responsibilities to seek out the full truth or they were willing participants in a scheme to take down Fitz, NU football and portray NU in an unfair way that is not truly reflective of the University. Heads need to role if this truly happened.
"3 sides to every story your side my side and the truth" and "a lie goes halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes"
A tip of the hat to Robert Evans and Samuel Clemens
A tip of the hat to Robert Evans and Samuel Clemens
Unfortunately this is the way journalism is practiced today in many corners. It's about agenda and predetermined conclusions more than process and diligence in reporting. Happens across the board, whatever your preferred political outcome. In this case I don't begrudge the student journalists from digging where the university didn't want them to look. I object to them digging for one kind of story without reference to others. Only one outcome would earn them plaudits in this environment.
Hence my reference to a hit job. That’s what it was. It was not journalism.
The Daily ran their story the day after Schill suspended Fitzgerald for 2 weeks.
This happened during summer break, when most students are on vacation or working summer jobs or internships.
There are only two possible explanations for this....
1) The authors ran one person's allegations with minimal corroboration and little, if any, journalistic integrity.
or
2) A trustee leaked the "confidential" report to the Daily Northwestern.
A logical person is going to conclude it was scenario #2.
