More fallout at MSU

[81South]

Wow. This is going to get a lot uglier. There will be a ‘me too’ impact here at other universities I would think.

 

[Fly Rodder]

Yes, he would do well to carefully read and think about and edit any statement before releasing it. And that goes for any public figure in 2018.

"This is a terrible crime and I hope that justice for these victims is achieved. Thank you."

Wednesday:

"Meanwhile, Ferguson insists the scandal won't tarnish Simon's legacy as university president, that it's "wrong" to even talk about the possibility of Simon retiring, and is confident that the attorney-general investigation into MSU will find its "senior people are not complicit in what this pervert did."

"I mean, when you go to the basketball game, you walk into the new Breslin, and the person who hustled and got all those major donors to give money was Lou Anna Simon,"'

Lou Anna Simon:

As tragedies are politicized, blame is inevitable. As president, it is only natural that I am the focus of this anger. I understand, and that is why I have limited my personal statements. Throughout my career, I have worked very hard to put Team MSU first. Throughout my career, I have consistently and persistently spoken and worked on behalf of Team MSU.

O crap, huh, people are taking this pretty seriously.
Today:

'Each of the eight trustees read statements in the meeting expressing regret for the way the university has responded to the survivors.

"I'm so truly sorry," trustee Brian Mosallam said, speaking to the scores of women who say Nassar abused them. "We have failed you."'

Maybe should have started with that last one.

 

[cuseinseattle]

If that happens it means these programs are dirty and the NCAA should drop the hammer.

They must have both of them protecting people. Izzo protecting is former grad assistant and two former players and who know who the football coach went to bat for. I'm suprised Izzo can't survive this to be honest. Although he is 62 and just lost his President and AD.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Last line first paragraph.

Even in context I have no idea what he's trying to say. I'm wondering if he means the woman who resigned.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Why? Syracuse got dragged through the mud and none of the salacious conspiracy theories ever panned out.

Only because I'm guessing three months ago someone on a MSU site said the same things about the non-Nasser stories as well. They were all investigated previously.

I hope under the new #metoo filter the original investigations into SU players were well done by independent people and we don't have to worry about them coming back to bite us.

 

[DonLightfoot]

Wow. Did you watch Sports Center at 6 today? First 20 minutes was about basketball players and they are now highlighting the football side. This is BRUTAL.

 

[Ryand877]

Lost A LOT of respect for Izzo today. Curious to see if/how this affects them on the court tonight. They host Wisconsin later at 8.

 

[Alsacs]

LA Clippers have placed Clippers assistant Travis Walton on administrative leave while pending investigation. Walton allegedly punched a female student while serving as a student assistant on Tom Izzo's staff at Michigan State.

 

[moqui]

i suspect that every single ncaa d1 program is a glass house . . . and a large majority of d2 & d3 programs as well

 

[Cusefan0307]

Athletes. Greek life. It’s everywhere.

 

[Waltdods]

Jeez. Filter Tom, you need a filter. Or someone to edit your material before you blurt these things out. That is tone deaf and offensive to the real victims.

He knows what he should say, and he says it. But he also says other things.

This is a a great insight into why institutions fail over and over in these situations. Izzo knows Simon; she’s done great things for him professionally and (I’m sure) personally. They’ve stared down controversies together before, many of them meritless. They’ve become rich and famous together and in no small part because of each other. He doesn’t know any of the victims; he can sort of imagine their pain (but only mediated through his daughters, as he repeats over and over again) but he has no connection or loyalty to them. So he protects the person he knows and likes. This is the same dynamic that, in less public fashion, leads to Nassar getting away with this for decades.

Sadly, I don’t think this makes Izzo or Simon uniquely evil; it makes them flawed humans deserving of blame. But I suspect most presidents and most basketball coaches at most schools would acquit themselves no better in identical circumstances.

 

[rhcuse]

IMO Izzo's comment means he hopes the wrong people don't become casualties of the PR machine and public lynching mentality that has already started that wants the heads of everyone in the administration whether guilty or not. He obviously has a long time working relationship with Simon and disagrees that her leadership is culpable in a cover up.

 

[br801]

He knows what he should say, and he says it. But he also says other things.

This is a a great insight into why institutions fail over and over in these situations. Izzo knows Simon; she’s done great things for him professionally and (I’m sure) personally. They’ve stared down controversies together before, many of them meritless. They’ve become rich and famous together and in no small part because of each other. He doesn’t know any of the victims; he can sort of imagine their pain (but only mediated through his daughters, as he repeats over and over again) but he has no connection or loyalty to them. So he protects the person he knows and likes. This is the same dynamic that, in less public fashion, leads to Nassar getting away with this for decades.

Sadly, I don’t think this makes Izzo or Simon uniquely evil; it makes them flawed humans deserving of blame. But I suspect most presidents and most basketball coaches at most schools would acquit themselves no better in identical circumstances.

Great post.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Was brought to Emmert's and the NCAA's attention in 2010.
https://theathletic.com/223555/2018...ichigan-state-sexual-assault-reports-in-2010/

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Athletes. Greek life. It’s everywhere.

It's not everywhere, just where the culture allows it. MSU is one story. There will be others, but it's important that MSU is dealt with properly.

 

[Cusefan0307]

It's not everywhere, just where the culture allows it. MSU is one story. There will be others, but it's important that MSU is dealt with properly.

Ehh I meant to say no institution is untouchable when it comes to assault. There’s still good people in the world.

 

[Alsacs]

https://theathletic.com/223555/2018...ichigan-state-sexual-assault-reports-in-2010/

The NCAA has passed the IOC on the corrupt standings and looking to catch FIFA.

 

[UnderHisOwnPower]

He knows what he should say, and he says it. But he also says other things.

This is a a great insight into why institutions fail over and over in these situations. Izzo knows Simon; she’s done great things for him professionally and (I’m sure) personally. They’ve stared down controversies together before, many of them meritless. They’ve become rich and famous together and in no small part because of each other. He doesn’t know any of the victims; he can sort of imagine their pain (but only mediated through his daughters, as he repeats over and over again) but he has no connection or loyalty to them. So he protects the person he knows and likes. This is the same dynamic that, in less public fashion, leads to Nassar getting away with this for decades.

Sadly, I don’t think this makes Izzo or Simon uniquely evil; it makes them flawed humans deserving of blame. But I suspect most presidents and most basketball coaches at most schools would acquit themselves no better in identical circumstances.

Great post indeed. Which is why people need to think before they speak on such matters, step away from the keyboard, run it by someone that you can trust to be balanced and objective. He tried to shift the narrative at a time when it wasn't warranted. I wouldn't say he is evil by any means either, but he had an opportunity as a representative of the institution to assist with the recovery, and instead he threw gas on the fire. That President is quite a piece of work herself, my gosh. And if he is in anyway complicit in covering up the culture in question, then he deserves whatever comes to him, professionally speaking. I am not sure he deserves termination from those statements alone, but I can also understand why the State would feel compelled to extract justice out of his firing.

 

[realorange]

Was brought to Emmert's and the NCAA's attention in 2010.
NCAA president Mark Emmert was alerted to Michigan State...

This might be the slippery slide that we've been waiting for. Emmert and anyone else in the NCAA who knew could and should be gone. Maybe take the whole organization with them.

 

[Day2]

If that happens, there will be many other coaches taken down. I wouldn't be surprised if we see renewed looks at SU for recent events as well. And this should shock no one.

What’s there to renew? If accused players at SU weren’t suspended, they at least went through the process. Burgan, DeShaun, Edelin, Devo, Fab...those stories were all public and dealt with.

Right?

 

[Shark58]

this disgusts me

 

[cuseinseattle]

I just watched the sports center on it. After seeing it I can’t imagine Izzo or Dantonio surviving. Earlier today I was thinking Izzo could make it but I think that isn’t possible.

 

[bevosu]

Have to wonder how many big names will be getting out of coaching over the next few years. The old boys network is coming to an end.

Hopefully in the corporate sector also.

 

[Cusefan95]

Last line first paragraph.

Sigh - reading through the comments here, and seeing “gotta” underlined, I’m pretty confident a lot of people think this was a written statement released by Izzo...when it’s actually his statement at a press conference. Almost certainly he wasn’t really “prepared” for that question, and fumbled a bit on his answer.

Getting upset about a poor phase in an extemporaneous statement in a press conference is just people looking for a “gotcha” moment. It’s not a new thing, which CTO could attest to - but this is one of the aspects of our culture now I absolutely hate, and don’t think it leads anywhere positive in the end. I’m willing to cut Izzo a lot of slack over a press conference misstep.

However...the OTL stuff has me raising my eyebrows.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

LA Clippers have placed Clippers assistant Travis Walton on administrative leave while pending investigation. Walton allegedly punched a female student while serving as a student assistant on Tom Izzo's staff at Michigan State.

And they didn't know that when they hired him. I hate retroactive sanctimony.