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NYT article on the Cats

SimpsonElmwood

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https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/10/opinion/northwestern-football-big-ten-concussions.html?rref=collection/sectioncollection/opinion&action=click&contentCollection=opinion&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=3&pgtype=sectionfront

The author goes to my church and is a friend of my wife's. We had no idea she went to Northwestern.

The day of the Rutgers game we were in the elevator of our apartment building (we live in NYC) and we ran into our upstairs neighbor. We were wearing Northwestern garb and told her we were going to watch the Northwestern football game in NJ. Her reaction was akin to our saying that we were going to watch a deep frying of newborn babies.
 
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I understand her concerns but it is a bit much. It is nice to see NU win. Really if we lose the games it makes it any less safe. Not really a premise based in reality. Let’s kick IO_A’s, Minnesota’s and Illinois’s a**
 
I understand her concerns but it is a bit much. It is nice to see NU win. Really if we lose the games it makes it any less safe. Not really a premise based in reality. Let’s kick IO_A’s, Minnesota’s and Illinois’s a**
Hell yeah! Let's do it!
 
What a piece of crap. Playing losing football does not spare your body the damage the sport can cause. The players she saw losing games in the early 80s were being exposed to the same risks they encounter today. And having football go away at NU is not going to spell the end of the sport and the risks it entails.

What a flimsy piece of writing. What has happened to the Times?
 
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What a piece of crap. Playing losing football does not spare your body the damage the sport can cause. The players she saw losing games in the early 80s were being exposed to the same risks they encounter today. And having football go away at NU is not going to spell the end of the sport and the risks it entails.

What a flimsy piece of writing. What has happened to the Times?
Losing football has to be more dangerous than winning football! Plus in the early 80s they were playing on the concrete painted green that was Dyche Stadium at the time.
 
I think her point was that the more you win, the more you play. Indeed, this year could see an extra two games played vs the bottom of the league. That’s a 15% increase in hits.

However, rooting for losing for that reason is dumb.
 
I think her point was that the more you win, the more you play. Indeed, this year could see an extra two games played vs the bottom of the league. That’s a 15% increase in hits.

However, rooting for losing for that reason is dumb.
While I understand that point...

How would it help if we were using MAC level players for 12 games instead of legit Big Ten players for 13-14?


If you put a bunch of MAC level players with MAC level conditioning/strength against Big Ten programs for 12 games and go 0-12, they're taking a beating every Saturday. Weaker, slower players that get their butts rolled up and down the field 12 Saturdays doesn't spare any damage and arguably makes it worse...

Hayden Fry's "Hope we didn't hurt your boys too bad" to Gary Barnett wasn't as much of a joke as it was also a partial statement of truth.

Our teams got bullied for decades; I'd argue that our players took way more punishment in those years than now when our players are legitimately capable of playing at the level of speed/strength of most Big Ten teams.
 
This dopey OpEd belongs on a blog or a fan message board post. I do not care what a random NU grad thinks about the NU football program. I don’t think 99% of the world cares either.

It would be nice if a piece of more substance about NU football took this OpEd slot in the The New York Times.
 
I just saw this thread and read this article. What a bunch of crap. I’m sorry, but this is the attitude towards sports I associate with 90% of the NU student body. I know, I know. That estimate is way too high. But I just remember reading somewhere how pre 1995, the students and faculty at NU took pride in the losing of our premier teams. As if it further demonstrated our intelligence somehow to be terrible at sports. I frankly think this egghead perception still exists at NU even more so than at higher ranked academic schools, and plays against us in some respects.
 
Oh puhlease....

Now I've heard everything. The author questioning donating to NU because of success on the football field???

Some people will find any excuse...

I question if she has ever donated. If she did she would know it's very easy to direct donations to specific areas of the University.
 
I try to never insult a Northwestern grad, but this column was SO dumb and the writer shouldn't write about sports anymore.
 
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If she did she would know it's very easy to direct donations to specific areas of the University.
In fact, that's what she claims to be doing:

"When I donate nowadays, I make sure to earmark my gift so it won’t be applied to the football team in some way, but I’m wondering if I’m still making myself complicit by donating at all to a university that is willing to risk its students’ health and happiness for a share of television revenue."
 
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/10/opinion/northwestern-football-big-ten-concussions.html?rref=collection/sectioncollection/opinion&action=click&contentCollection=opinion&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=3&pgtype=sectionfront

The author goes to my church and is a friend of my wife's. We had no idea she went to Northwestern.

The day of the Rutgers game we were in the elevator of our apartment building (we live in NYC) and we ran into our upstairs neighbor. We were wearing Northwestern garb and told her we were going to watch the Northwestern football game in NJ. Her reaction was akin to our saying that we were going to watch a deep frying of newborn babies.
Regardless of her concerns (which fundamentally are real ones), the article and the way she frames it is garbage. Another example of a journalist, trying to be "unique" and taking the contrarian approach. She is failing miserably and I'm ashamed that she's a fellow alum.
 
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I just saw this thread and read this article. What a bunch of crap. I’m sorry, but this is the attitude towards sports I associate with 90% of the NU student body. I know, I know. That estimate is way too high. But I just remember reading somewhere how pre 1995, the students and faculty at NU took pride in the losing of our premier teams.

This is BS. It hurt to lose as much in the 1980s as it does today. Losing sucks. My classmates from that era would agree with me.
 
This is BS. It hurt to lose as much in the 1980s as it does today. Losing sucks. My classmates from that era would agree with me.

I wasn’t there until a little later, post streak. I was sure I read this somewhere, and didn’t just make it up. But I can’t confirm a source. But I definitely didn’t mean everyone there.

I guess I’ve always taken umbrage (is that right? Do you ‘take’ umbrage?) with the attitude, plainly stated or implied, that sports are ‘beneath’ more worthy academic pursuits. That was the feeling I felt much of the NU student body exemplified. Again, I’ve got nothing factual on which to base it that I can specify.
 
I wasn’t there until a little later, post streak. I was sure I read this somewhere, and didn’t just make it up. But I can’t confirm a source. But I definitely didn’t mean everyone there.

I guess I’ve always taken umbrage (is that right? Do you ‘take’ umbrage?) with the attitude, plainly stated or implied, that sports are ‘beneath’ more worthy academic pursuits. That was the feeling I felt much of the NU student body exemplified. Again, I’ve got nothing factual on which to base it that I can specify.

That was not my personal experience.
 
She is correct. I will never give a red penny to Northwestern as they are not doing enough,IMHO,to help all students be aware of mental health stress as they matriculate to Northwestern. I'd rather give to Indiana where my daughter went. I've sent numerous emails to the administration but they didn't do the right thing.imho. They used to have my books in the student services recommended reading.
 
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/10/opinion/northwestern-football-big-ten-concussions.html?rref=collection/sectioncollection/opinion&action=click&contentCollection=opinion&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=3&pgtype=sectionfront

The author goes to my church and is a friend of my wife's. We had no idea she went to Northwestern.

The day of the Rutgers game we were in the elevator of our apartment building (we live in NYC) and we ran into our upstairs neighbor. We were wearing Northwestern garb and told her we were going to watch the Northwestern football game in NJ. Her reaction was akin to our saying that we were going to watch a deep frying of newborn babies.

Cheap space filler. Not a single redeeming quality to this piece.

The University risking the health and happiness of student athletes for financial gain? I didn’t know this was indentured servitude. Another example of the Times’ dwindling journalistic standards. An embarrassment to Medill.

GOUNUII
 
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I wasn’t there until a little later, post streak. I was sure I read this somewhere, and didn’t just make it up. But I can’t confirm a source. But I definitely didn’t mean everyone there.

I guess I’ve always taken umbrage (is that right? Do you ‘take’ umbrage?) with the attitude, plainly stated or implied, that sports are ‘beneath’ more worthy academic pursuits. That was the feeling I felt much of the NU student body exemplified. Again, I’ve got nothing factual on which to base it that I can specify.
I'm not sure if the attitude is "sports is beneath" us rather than "I don't care about sports". For big events (ranked teams, etc.) I felt a lot of the student body was excited. I liken it to my interest in theatre. I usually don't really care but if there's one that is interesting I would go and watch. Just my two cents from the best 4 years of my life.
 
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But I just remember reading somewhere how pre 1995, the students and faculty at NU took pride in the losing of our premier teams.

The students generally thought the football team was a joke, and football games were an excuse to drink. I don't think anyone "took pride" in losing.

But President Strotz made some ridiculous comment about "losing football enhancing academics" that almost caused Denny Green to quit the same day.
 
As a later student, it just seems like that whole Dark Ages period was marked by apathy. Relatively empty stands (from the video of games from that period) and the like.

There were obviously people unhappy, but most seemed resigned to how bad we were.

I don't really see the whole "Lake the Posts" stuff as a pride thing, just sort of like "well we're the worst, might as well commemorate it" kind of attitude.

Though I obviously don't speak for anyone from that period, but that's the vibe I get when I've talked to our older alums.
 
As a later student, it just seems like that whole Dark Ages period was marked by apathy. Relatively empty stands (from the video of games from that period) and the like.

There were obviously people unhappy, but most seemed resigned to how bad we were.

I don't really see the whole "Lake the Posts" stuff as a pride thing, just sort of like "well we're the worst, might as well commemorate it" kind of attitude.

Though I obviously don't speak for anyone from that period, but that's the vibe I get when I've talked to our older alums.
There was a lot of dark humor in laking those posts. For some of us, the "we're the worst" chants were also a way to highlight the fact to a very apathetic (and in some cases hostile) administration.
 
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As a later student, it just seems like that whole Dark Ages period was marked by apathy. Relatively empty stands (from the video of games from that period) and the like.

Kind of like our stands in some of our home games even this season. I only think the apathy got worse as students got sick of losing by scores like 63-0.
 
Kind of like our stands in some of our home games even this season. I only think the apathy got worse as students got sick of losing by scores like 63-0.
I was at the "Stop State at 28" game. It ended 61-14.It was bookended by a 52-0 loss to Wisconsin and 70-6 to OSU. Brutal.
 
Kind of like our stands in some of our home games even this season. I only think the apathy got worse as students got sick of losing by scores like 63-0.
I dunno, I think the only time we really had apathy since '95 has been the early years of Fitz's career when he was young and really just getting the grasp of things. Our defense couldn't really hold onto leads against good programs, and the atmosphere wasn't really great.


Still had all the negative talk about facilities, how we'd never won a bowl game, etc.

We had much lower attendance back then, I remember those games when the stands would look at most 25-30% full.


I don't think it's been anywhere near that bad since 2011-2012.
 
There were obviously people unhappy, but most seemed resigned to how bad we were.

Pretty much everyone, both on and off campus, had given up on NU ever being competitive. Kind of odd when you think about it; 1981 (the nadir season) was only ten years removed from 1971's 7-4 record. Why was competitiveness possible in 1971, and impossible ten years later?

That attitude only really turned around when Gary Barnett came to town.
 
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I was at the "Stop State at 28" game. It ended 61-14.It was bookended by a 52-0 loss to Wisconsin and 70-6 to OSU. Brutal.
BUT ... the next year we beat NIU, then we beat Minnesota, and then we went to East Lansing and beat MSU on some sort of fleaflicker trick play with a few seconds left on the clock. That was the quietest crowd of 70,000 in history.
 
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I just saw this thread and read this article. What a bunch of crap. I’m sorry, but this is the attitude towards sports I associate with 90% of the NU student body. I know, I know. That estimate is way too high. But I just remember reading somewhere how pre 1995, the students and faculty at NU took pride in the losing of our premier teams. As if it further demonstrated our intelligence somehow to be terrible at sports. I frankly think this egghead perception still exists at NU even more so than at higher ranked academic schools, and plays against us in some respects.
Maybe she should look at the future success both in and outside of football after they leave NU before she comments again. . Compared to other NU students the ex FB players likely do pretty well. I would guess that if she was put up against them she would be found lacking. FB and other sports prepares them pretty well for life. It would actually be good for others to be able to get those experiences.

In short, I cannot get back the time I wasted reading that drivel
 
Pretty much everyone, both on and off campus, had given up on NU ever being competitive. Kind of odd when you think about it; 1981 (the nadir season) was only ten years removed from 1971's 7-4 record. Why was competitiveness possible in 1971, and impossible ten years later?

That attitude only really turned around when Gary Barnett came to town.
Strotz and Pont
 
She is correct. I will never give a red penny to Northwestern as they are not doing enough,IMHO,to help all students be aware of mental health stress as they matriculate to Northwestern. I'd rather give to Indiana where my daughter went. I've sent numerous emails to the administration but they didn't do the right thing.imho. They used to have my books in the student services recommended reading.
So you are really pissed off that they no longer push your books?
 
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