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Post by rainbowbadger on Jul 19, 2023 14:05:43 GMT -5
The unsubstantiated allegation here in 2021 was that Shane knew of hazing on the team but didn't intervene and that might have explained their forfeits to Indiana and why he was missing from the bench for a spell. The attorneys in the football hazing case look like they are trying to show this as a much larger problem in the athletic department encompassing other programs, including volleyball. Time will tell if a former volleyball athlete comes forward to shed more light on this. But there is a lot of smoke. Yes, there was an incident that could be construed as hazing. But I believe the player in question stayed on the team, so it might be a moot point. And I believe the contention at that time was that Shane didn't know about it. On the other hand, sometimes people filing these suits want to make an example of everyone and everything, so nothing's impossible. Plenty of people who are hazed remain on their team/group. It moots nothing. |
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Post by Gladys Kravitz on Jul 19, 2023 14:06:20 GMT -5
The NU volleyball program is not connected with the football program. Shane’s program is perfectly ethical and shows no signs of misconduct. Well, of course it is connected. They're in the same athletic department with the same leadership. That doesn't mean anything else in and of itself, but defending something solely on its reputation is just as mis-guided as making accusations with no evidence. There is a slight allegation that has been made that the volleyball program is included/involved, but nothing else to corroborate. We'll see what happens if lawsuits are ever actually filed. This is going to turn into a huge cash grab. |
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Post by bprtbone on Jul 19, 2023 14:17:23 GMT -5
The Athletic has a newer article up with more details: The lawyers also referred to a “serious hazing incident” in the volleyball program that may have led to the cancellation of a game, but they did not share more details. Volleyball coach Shane Davis received a multiyear contract extension in 2021.“(It) thus far seems to have been swept under the rug,” Salvi said of the volleyball situation.The attorneys are clearly trying to stir the pot here, we'll see if anything else comes out of this. |
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Post by n00b on Jul 19, 2023 14:19:31 GMT -5
But there is a lot of smoke. So far, you have shown no smoke. Please point us to that smoke if you're going to continue down this (non?) subject. Edit: The reporter tweeting for the Athletic covers "college football, dogs and pro wrestling"...repeating a message from a lawyer who wants a bigger payout from NU, if he can scare up more complaints about the athletic department in time to add them to his allegations. That doesn't seem like smoke, but marketing.
I mean, the part of his response that you deleted is the smoke. Forfeiting two matches then having the head coach not present at matches after that. |
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Post by dizzydean on Jul 19, 2023 14:24:27 GMT -5
Yes, there was an incident that could be construed as hazing. But I believe the player in question stayed on the team, so it might be a moot point. And I believe the contention at that time was that Shane didn't know about it. On the other hand, sometimes people filing these suits want to make an example of everyone and everything, so nothing's impossible. Plenty of people who are hazed remain on their team/group. It moots nothing. Thus the word "might". |
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Post by Phaedrus on Jul 19, 2023 14:32:35 GMT -5
It is all kind of fuzzy by now. From I can recall, the volleyball incidence had to do with an athlete breaking COVID rules and the repercussions from that.
The timeline that I remember was that the coaching staff was sidelined until the incidence was being investigated by an outside law firm. In the mean time, the former AD Jim Phillips was hired as the new ACC commissioner in December 2020. Northwestern hired in house, elevating an associate AD, but then he resigned because he was responsible for requiring cheerleaders to entertain at booster events, a little cheesecake for the big money guys.
They hired Derrick Gragg in Spring of 2021. I believe that in the mean time, the volleyball staff was in limbo until the new AD came on the job and made the decision based on the investigation result.
I think the timeline is correct. Someone may want to check me, I am doing this from memory.
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Post by Gladys Kravitz on Jul 19, 2023 14:33:50 GMT -5
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Post by bbg95 on Jul 19, 2023 14:39:30 GMT -5
It is all kind of fuzzy by now. From I can recall, the volleyball incidence had to do with an athlete breaking COVID rules and the repercussions from that. The timeline that I remember was that the coaching staff was sidelined until the incidence was being investigated by an outside law firm. In the mean time, the former AD Jim Phillips was hired as the new ACC commissioner in December 2020. Northwestern hired in house, elevating an associate AD, but then he resigned because he was responsible for requiring cheerleaders to entertain at booster events, a little cheesecake for the big money guys. They hired Derrick Gragg in Spring of 2021. I believe that in the mean time, the volleyball staff was in limbo until the new AD came on the job and made the decision based on the investigation result. I think the timeline is correct. Someone may want to check me, I am doing this from memory. That sounds right (not really sure on the volleyball stuff, but I do remember the stuff with Phillips and the 10-day AD who had to resign). |
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Post by robtearle on Jul 19, 2023 14:39:41 GMT -5
So far, you have shown no smoke. Please point us to that smoke if you're going to continue down this (non?) subject. Edit: The reporter tweeting for the Athletic covers "college football, dogs and pro wrestling"...repeating a message from a lawyer who wants a bigger payout from NU, if he can scare up more complaints about the athletic department in time to add them to his allegations. That doesn't seem like smoke, but marketing.
I mean, the part of his response that you deleted is the smoke. Forfeiting two matches then having the head coach not present at matches after that. I believe it was four matches. You guys mentioned Indiana. The Northwestern matches vs Wisconsin were also cancelled for "non COVID" reasons. I remember specifically, because they were going to be Wisconsin's first matches back after a COVID break, with a number of UW players still out, and a makeshift lineup playing. I was very much looking forward to the unusual lineup UW was going to have on the floor. |
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Post by Norah Sus on Jul 19, 2023 14:41:44 GMT -5
Correct. This thread was started for a reason and it wasn’t related to COVID.
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Post by vbct3 on Jul 19, 2023 14:46:24 GMT -5
Even if Shane had no knowledge and nothing to do with the potential hazing incidents, he would still take punishments from NCAA/University because of the whole "head coach ultimate responsibility" card. So pleading ignorance as a coaching staff to any such alleged incidents doesn't absolve him from consequences.
Having no inside knowledge of anything NW related, I just hope the smoke clears and the VB program comes out clean. Never like hearing about hazing.
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Post by bbg95 on Jul 19, 2023 14:46:59 GMT -5
Well, of course it is connected. They're in the same athletic department with the same leadership. That doesn't mean anything else in and of itself, but defending something solely on its reputation is just as mis-guided as making accusations with no evidence. There is a slight allegation that has been made that the volleyball program is included/involved, but nothing else to corroborate. We'll see what happens if lawsuits are ever actually filed. Oh, lawsuits are going to be filed, and there’s going to be a settlement. That I feel 100% sure of. I just know if I were a Northwestern fan I would not want depositions with everyone and anyone being questioned under oath, and investigations being initiated left and right. Obviously no one wants an actually abusive program to exist, but there are a lot of gray areas in this stuff. A lot of sausage being made in college athletics. There’s a chance Northwestern gets made into a scapegoat here. Yeah, I felt that even if the issue was confined solely to the football program, discovery could be really bad for Northwestern, since their law firm almost certainly discovered the same information (and likely more) that the student reporters did. And yet, they tried to get away with giving Fitzgerald a two-week vacation suspension. Plus, he's probably the most famous Northwestern athletic figure of all time, being both the best coach in program history and the best player since at least Otto Graham, having led the program to its best season (1995) in 120 years. It's just a mess, and it gets worse with any other programs that get tied into it. I think Northwestern will look to settle (eight figures) and the quicker the better. This story is already terrible for their image as it is. |
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Post by volleyguy on Jul 19, 2023 15:21:34 GMT -5
Some people believe that legal settlements get handed out like discount coupons to Bed, Bath and Beyond. This is a case that has had several investigations by legal counsel, the results of which have been made public. The risk of a discovery bombshell is certainly mitigated considerably because of that (it doesn't mean there is nothing controversial that might be found in discovery, but that whatever risk might exist is probably already fairly welll known. Uncertainty is the biggest driver of a desire to settle).
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Post by bbg95 on Jul 19, 2023 15:26:04 GMT -5
Some people believe that legal settlements get handed out like discount coupons to Bed, Bath and Beyond. This is a case that has had several investigations by legal counsel, the results of which have been made public. The risk of a discovery bombshell is certainly mitigated considerably because of that (it doesn't mean there is nothing controversial that might be found in discovery, but that whatever risk might exist is probably already fairly welll known. Uncertainty is the biggest driver of a desire to settle). Lol, almost no one actually thinks that. Northwestern has way more to lose than Fitzgerald (who already got fired for cause) does. Even if the results of the investigation have been made public, there's all the communications where they decided a two-week suspension was just fine and dandy. And there are more considerations than just money, like the damage that Northwestern's reputation is undergoing. Northwestern is one of the wealthiest schools in the country. Is it really worth not paying the money they owe their football coach? This is almost certainly getting settled. The question is how much. Edit: I'm failing to find where Northwestern released the full report from the law firm. Have they? |
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Post by volleyguy on Jul 19, 2023 15:35:52 GMT -5
Some people believe that legal settlements get handed out like discount coupons to Bed, Bath and Beyond. This is a case that has had several investigations by legal counsel, the results of which have been made public. The risk of a discovery bombshell is certainly mitigated considerably because of that (it doesn't mean there is nothing controversial that might be found in discovery, but that whatever risk might exist is probably already fairly welll known. Uncertainty is the biggest driver of a desire to settle). Lol, almost no one actually thinks that. Northwestern has way more to lose than Fitzgerald (who already got fired for cause) does. Even if the results of the investigation have been made public, there's all the communications where they decided a two-week suspension was just fine and dandy. Edit: I'm failing to find where Northwestern released the full report from the law firm. It all depends on what evidence for cause exists. It doesn't matter legally whether they (initially) wanted to fire him or suspend him, if there is valid cause to fire him. Anything beyond that is about perception and public relations--which of course can be a significant factor. |
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