So, wait, there’s a *recording*?

[thewildcat2011]

https://www.winston.com/a/web/kZKJVhnF3mVvUoiLkdcQQj/fitzgerald-complaint-exhibits.pdf

I just skimmed much of this.

It sounds to me like the Hickey-Fitzgerald interview was full of softballs. “This is what we’ve heard. Did you know about that?” “Nope.” “Okay.”

It’s pretty shocking that team Fitz didn’t get to read the report.

It’s also reported here that NU’s going-in position was two weeks, nothing more. Fitz simply considered, and agreed to it. In light of what was included in CR’s report (which matched the Daily’s story), it’s pretty shocking that that’s it. But also, Gragg is a stupid f*ck, and I have learned to expect no less.

The Fitz contract itself looks like a winner for team Fitz in this one. The termination clause holds him accountable for staff behavior, but not for player behavior.

It can be reasonably concluded that Gragg reviewed the report and settled on a two-week unpaid vacation. Then, The Daily published the *same* allegations, and started a well-deserved sh*tstorm. Then, Schill called Italy, confirmed that this was all in the report, and threw Fitz (rather than Gragg) under the bus with his ‘may have erred’ email.

Schill’s most powerful statement in the firing release itself was “This has never been about one student-athlete and his motives; this is much bigger than that.”

It doesn’t really matter if CR’s intent was to ‘get Fitz fired’. The investigation found that there was a pattern of widespread hazing, which has since been validated through multiple sources.


GRAGG IS A STUPID F*CKING DUMB DUMMY.

SCHILL IS A STUPID F*CKING DUMB DUMMY FOR TRUSTING GRAGG TO HANDLE THIS.


The lawsuit repeatedly misrepresents the report, asserting that the report concluded that Fitz did not know there was hazing, which is very different from “there is no specific evidence that Fitz knew.” It is very similar to when people represent a “not guilty” verdict as the defendant being declared “innocent”.

It’s very hard to prove a negative. What would be evidence that he actively didn’t know?

It’s clear that certain conduct took place. It’s clear that opinions on what that conduct meant or felt like were varied and largely inconclusive. I would say that you’re misrepresenting the report by saying it obviously proved hazing occurred.

CR’s intent very much matters because he said he would lie if necessary. We don’t know what may or may not be a lie or exaggeration because the Daily did not do that side of the reporting.

I’m pretty much over Fitz being gone, though worried about what comes next for NU football. That said, he’s going to win this one, whether it be by settlement above and beyond his remaining contract (likely) or at trial (much less likely).

 

[rmndcat]

DOJ? Maybe the FBI would leak it faster.

New York Field Office.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

Aren't you glad that this little $hit helped Northwestern clean up the program? Regardless of his intentions -- relative to Fitz -- the end result is that the really gross and abusive practices have been eliminated from the program. Now we can all move forward feeling better about the program we love. Oh wait, some of you aren't seeing it this way. Are you?

“Really gross and abusive practice”…that’s funny. So gross and abusive that we had one of the lowest transfer rates and the highest graduation rate in the country? Not to mention the only players to transfer were a transfer DB and a few incoming frosh.

 

[1060Ivy]

Aren't you glad that this little $hit helped Northwestern clean up the program? Regardless of his intentions -- relative to Fitz -- the end result is that the really gross and abusive practices have been eliminated from the program. Now we can all move forward feeling better about the program we love. Oh wait, some of you aren't seeing it this way. Are you?

Hazing existed in program and Fitz was in charge so Fitz’s firing is vindicated

How the administration acted and brought even more publicity to the sensationalized story that directly resulted in his firing will leave a stain on program for years

Glad that locker rooms now have an outside authority to police the athletes and there’s a more direct route to report issues but not convinced that these changes would have resulted in reduction in hazing without Fitz’s firing

 

[NUChicago]

https://www.winston.com/a/web/kZKJVhnF3mVvUoiLkdcQQj/fitzgerald-complaint-exhibits.pdf

I just skimmed much of this.

It sounds to me like the Hickey-Fitzgerald interview was full of softballs. “This is what we’ve heard. Did you know about that?” “Nope.” “Okay.”

It’s pretty shocking that team Fitz didn’t get to read the report.

It’s also reported here that NU’s going-in position was two weeks, nothing more. Fitz simply considered, and agreed to it. In light of what was included in CR’s report (which matched the Daily’s story), it’s pretty shocking that that’s it. But also, Gragg is a stupid f*ck, and I have learned to expect no less.

The Fitz contract itself looks like a winner for team Fitz in this one. The termination clause holds him accountable for staff behavior, but not for player behavior.

It can be reasonably concluded that Gragg reviewed the report and settled on a two-week unpaid vacation. Then, The Daily published the *same* allegations, and started a well-deserved sh*tstorm. Then, Schill called Italy, confirmed that this was all in the report, and threw Fitz (rather than Gragg) under the bus with his ‘may have erred’ email.

Schill’s most powerful statement in the firing release itself was “This has never been about one student-athlete and his motives; this is much bigger than that.”

It doesn’t really matter if CR’s intent was to ‘get Fitz fired’. The investigation found that there was a pattern of widespread hazing, which has since been validated through multiple sources.


GRAGG IS A STUPID F*CKING DUMB DUMMY.

SCHILL IS A STUPID F*CKING DUMB DUMMY FOR TRUSTING GRAGG TO HANDLE THIS.


The lawsuit repeatedly misrepresents the report, asserting that the report concluded that Fitz did not know there was hazing, which is very different from “there is no specific evidence that Fitz knew.” It is very similar to when people represent a “not guilty” verdict as the defendant being declared “innocent”.

Do you really think Gragg played that much of a role in this? If so I am surprised he didn’t get heat for handling the overall report and punishment. Seems odd.

 

[NUCat320]

Do you really think Gragg played that much of a role in this? If so I am surprised he didn’t get heat for handling the overall report and punishment. Seems odd.

Reading the complaint, Gragg suggested the suspension, Fitz accepted the suspension, and Schill entered the picture after The Daily story came out.

This is, of course, Fitz’s side of the story.

But based on the fact that Schill told The Daily that spent the subsequent weekend (I think Sunday, but maybe Saturday) “reading and re-reading the report”, I think he delegated it to his AD, and his AD did a worse job with it than he did with the baseball hiring.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

Hazing existed in program and Fitz was in charge so Fitz’s firing is vindicated

How the administration acted and brought even more publicity to the sensationalized story that directly resulted in his firing will leave a stain on program for years

Glad that locker rooms now have an outside authority to police the athletes and there’s a more direct route to report issues but not convinced that these changes would have resulted in reduction in hazing without Fitz’s firing

You post as if you have a clue. You don’t.

 

[NUChicago]

Reading the complaint, Gragg suggested the suspension, Fitz accepted the suspension, and Schill entered the picture after The Daily story came out.

This is, of course, Fitz’s side of the story.

But based on the fact that Schill told The Daily that spent the subsequent weekend (I think Sunday, but maybe Saturday) “reading and re-reading the report”, I think he delegated it to his AD, and his AD did a worse job with it than he did with the baseball hiring.

If true, NU deserves all it gets if they leave the leadership in power.

 

[curdog]

Reading the complaint, Gragg suggested the suspension, Fitz accepted the suspension, and Schill entered the picture after The Daily story came out.

This is, of course, Fitz’s side of the story.

But based on the fact that Schill told The Daily that spent the subsequent weekend (I think Sunday, but maybe Saturday) “reading and re-reading the report”, I think he delegated it to his AD, and his AD did a worse job with it than he did with the baseball hiring.

Fitz is the highest profile employee at NU (also the highest paid). If Schill delegated the disciplining of Fitz and didn’t require that Gragg vet the punishment with Schill first, Schill should be fired immediately. Would Alabama’s president delegate any discipline of saban without final approval??? Good grief.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

Reading the complaint, Gragg suggested the suspension, Fitz accepted the suspension, and Schill entered the picture after The Daily story came out.

This is, of course, Fitz’s side of the story.

But based on the fact that Schill told The Daily that spent the subsequent weekend (I think Sunday, but maybe Saturday) “reading and re-reading the report”, I think he delegated it to his AD, and his AD did a worse job with it than he did with the baseball hiring.

Fitz also stated in his compliant that Schill was involved by directing Gragg to issue the two-week punishment before his meeting with Gragg and the NU General Counsel. Paragraph 83.

So, at least according to the complaint, Schill was involved before the initial suspension on at least a cursory level before escalating to the outright firing. Whether that was based on Gragg’s characterization of the report or Schill’s initial reading thereof, that’s... Not good for NU. At all. Of course, supposing it can be proven.

I would assume NU GC has contemporaneous notes and/or would be called to testify to such, which would be pretty damning for NU in the context of Fitz’s breach of contract lawsuit.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Who’s on first?

What a clown show in the Northwestern Industrial Complex

 

[Smolmania]

Hazing existed in program and Fitz was in charge so Fitz’s firing is vindicated

How the administration acted and brought even more publicity to the sensationalized story that directly resulted in his firing will leave a stain on program for years

Glad that locker rooms now have an outside authority to police the athletes and there’s a more direct route to report issues but not convinced that these changes would have resulted in reduction in hazing without Fitz’s firing

"More direct route to report issues?" You mean like during an end-of-year interview with a non-Athletic Department employee? Oh wait, Fitz had that in place long before any of these plaintiffs were on his team, and how many of them spoke out during those interviews? That's correct, nary a one.

 

[chicagocatfan24]

@EvanstonCat wrote about a mysterious recording.

“…not only having such an obvious axe to grind but being caught on tape outlining his scheme clearly and unequivocally,”…

Any details? Who has heard the recording? How long is it? What does it say?

Thanks!

It's not a mysterious recording. They exist as do plenty of videos. Saw one video of the "victim" pulling a little hazing himself came out recently on the internet via a burner account.

Richardson will get his one day

 

[thewildcat2011]

Holy shit, someone just uploaded the tape. It’s awful! SoundCloud Link

 

[gocatsgo2003]

Holy shit, someone just uploaded the tape. It’s awful! SoundCloud Link

BOO THAT MAN!!!!!

 

[RevCat]

Holy shit, someone just uploaded the tape. It’s awful! SoundCloud Link

I don't think we'd get this link from any other guy.

 

[FeralFelidae]

I don't think we'd get this link from any other guy.

I've done the same joke a few times.

The difference is nobody has ever responded to me when I did it.

 

[RevCat]

I've done the same joke a few times.

The difference is nobody has ever responded to me when I did it.

Sucks to be you, sport.