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Isabel’s morning briefing

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* Here you go…

posted by Isabel Miller
Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 7:39 am

Comments

  1. Please don’t forget teachers in addressing the absurdities of the Tier 2 pension system. It has been significant in terms of bringing people into the profession as well as retaining existing staff. Plus teachers full retirement kicks in at 67.5 years of age. Beyond ridiculous and so self defeating.

    Comment by Stormsw7706 Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 7:48 am

  2. It should be noted, however, that Northwestern had at the helm of their football program a coach who was 4-20 the past two seasons, while attempting to build and curry favor for a new $800 million dollar stadium…

    … because the “Fitzgerald Way”, touting Pat Fitzgerald as the face… the face… of NU athletics.

    So, if anyone is wondering why this pushback on the stadium picked up steam after the disgraced coach was ousted by the incredible work the student newspaper (not university officials) did, then maybe that’s also why you can’t grasp the poisonous culture exists in NU’s athletic department overall.

    Ask yourself, what Power 5 university would build its culture and stadium renovation/building around a coach with a 4-20 record and tout them as the face of their athletics?

    Culture, embracing that culture created… and thanks to the NU student newspaper we all know what has been allowed to fester.

    Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 8:29 am

  3. Dianne Feinstein - 90

    Comment by We've never had one before Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 8:33 am

  4. I know Mayor Irvin caught a lot of flack here when he ran for Governor. Still, the fact that his administration was able to get something done with the old Copley site is a great accomplishment that his predecessors could never pull off. It has been quite a turnaround from how the site was when he took office.

    Comment by OneMan Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 8:39 am

  5. Tier 2 is a non-starter for any professional with options.

    Comment by Flyin'Elvis'-Utah Chapter Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 9:11 am

  6. The OW sample size is too narrow. The former NU football coach was 4-20 over the past two seasons (2021-22), but his team also won the Western Division in 2020 and the 2021 Citrus Bowl victory over Auburn. Overall, Fitzgerald won 5 bowl games with the Wildcats and he had the most wins (110) of any head coach in Northwestern history.

    Comment by Gravitas Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 9:27 am

  7. Coach Fitzgerald’s record is 17 years long, not 2

    211 games more than twice as many as #2 Pappy Waldorf

    52% winning percentage and 5-5 in bowl games

    What you did with his record is the opposite of cherry picking

    I would also bet he will win his lawsuit against the University

    Comment by Lucky Pierre Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 10:05 am

  8. === Coach Fitzgerald’s record is 17 years long, not 2===

    It’s a bit creepy that you wanna use “culture” and whole picture here.

    Other Power 5 schools have fired with 7-5 single seasons with a bowl win, because of culture or direction.

    Keeping Fitzgerald is NU embracing such a sexualized and or racial hazing culture that even a 4-20 record can’t tear it down. Creepy. It took actual students to protect the athletes, Fitzgerald had no stomach in protecting his athletes, it seems. A “warrior” coach who never wore any uniform of an actual warrior. Creepy.

    It’s also a bit creepy that a Catholic institution is allowing a man to mentor children when at best Fitzgerald was grossly negligent in protecting his own athletes or worse encouraged such hazing and still felt it was fine to tell parents … trust me with your child… I’ll take care of their safety. Creepy.

    === I would also bet he will win his lawsuit against the University===

    What’s that look like exactly;

    “They got hazed, but you can’t fire me for that, even if I didn’t know”?

    “How am I suppose to know”?

    “Player safety and protection isn’t part of my contract”?

    Heaven help Fitzgerald if, under oath, he’s refuted about facts, events, times, players…

    What university thinks Fitzgerald is good in a living room now to recruit student athletes?

    So what exactly is winning there?

    For NU, the toxic culture Fitzgerald cultivated is galvanizing a firewall on a building.

    Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 10:35 am

  9. Funny how first responders are conservative on just about every issue except public pensions and unions.

    Comment by Big Dipper Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 11:02 am

  10. === It’s also a bit creepy ===

    The only thing creepy around here is you.

    Comment by Hannibal Lecter Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 11:15 am

  11. === The only thing creepy around here…===

    … is a catholic institution allowing a parent volunteer who lost his job by not protecting 18-22 year old men from others’ hazing of a sexualized and/or racial manner

    It’s not like he got fired for a 4-20 record.

    Again, it’s creepy.

    Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 11:18 am

  12. Northwestern is a private university competing against conference rivals that are public universities. This salient fact was omitted from the Power 5 comparisons.

    Apples and oranges.

    Comment by Gravitas Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 11:18 am

  13. === Overall, Fitzgerald won 5 bowl games with the Wildcats and he had the most wins (110) of any head coach in Northwestern history.===

    So hazing and a toxic culture is acceptable?

    I mean, “sure” to the administration, it took the student newspaper to highlight how toxic and *then* it was too much.

    Again… you have programs fire coaches for 7-5 records, a bowl win, because there’s a feeling the culture and program are going the wrong way.

    NU keeping a 4-20 coach is about the culture, not the record. And if the buyout was too big, like Texas A&M struggles with Jimbo Fisher, firing for hazing the first time was the best out.

    NU wanted the Fitzgerald culture. Your argument makes the “first” discipline even worse. Not a great argument given Fitzgerald would go in people’s living rooms to talk about how safe their child would be playing at NU.

    Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 12:08 pm

  14. ===Northwestern is a private university===

    So it’s cool if they allow hazing?

    What is your point? Vandy is a private institution playing in the SEC but if they had a toxic culture of sexualized and racial hazing it would still be bad.

    ===This salient fact was omitted from the Power 5 comparisons.===

    You have no point.

    Other private universities in the power 5 include Duke, Boston College, Baylor, Miami (Fl), Stanford…

    You thinking they’d be cool with what happened at NU?

    I mean… yikes.

    Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 1:43 pm

  15. Boston College just shut down some swimming program due to hazing. don’t know what kind of hazing.

    Comment by Amalia Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 2:01 pm

  16. - Amalia -

    Thanks, yes. According to the Google Key, there’s information on it. Appears to be students towards freshen on the team.

    The university is suspending the team from competing.

    “But a private university”

    Hmm.

    This post has the struggling of an $800 million dollar football building that is facing blowback because of many obstacles but assisted in that… a toxic football and athletic department.

    You can’t expect support for that endeavor when folks still support the leaders of that culture who are now gone.

    Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 2:09 pm

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