(670 The Score) Admittedly, hazing scandal and Northwestern football – the program that proudly peddles “good, clean American fun’’ – aren’t two things I ever expected to include in the same sentence.
Yet here we are, at the intersection of surprise and horror, in search of answers.
Even if they’re still outnumbered by questions. Troubling questions.
Who knew what and when? How far back does this kind of behavior go? Was it ever addressed and by whom? What compelled the Northwestern whistleblower to come forward at the end of last season? When did hazing become sexualized or has it always been this heinous? Why now? At Northwestern?
When there's so much we don’t know about a story this big, bad and impactful, it often helps to start by listing what we do. So I’ll try…
I know when successful college football coaches like Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald tell you it starts with them, believe it.
I know for 17 years in Evanston, everything has started and ended with "Fitz."
I know hazing of any sort has no place in college sports, and old-school traditionalists reminiscing about rites of passage in the good ol' days, well, they don't have to like this new reality, but they must accept it. Yesterday.
I know any college coach in any sport who uses culture and character as the foundation to build his program can't ignore the kinds of cracks revealed in the detailed, disturbing allegations of a former Northwestern player published in The Daily Northwestern.
I know it doesn't matter to me whether the former Northwestern player making the accusations was a star or sub, on scholarship or a walk-on, first-string or last resort. He was on campus, on the roster, in the care of the football program.
I know that Northwestern players quickly unifying Saturday to craft a letter they believe raised doubts about the accuser's version of events – they referred to the allegations as “exaggerated and twisted” – suggests the accuser lacks respect from the former teammates who allegedly hazed him.
I know I don't put much stock in that letter signed by the "TEAM."
I know that Fitzgerald should've known about these harmful hazing rituals, as described by The Daily Northwestern, even if his statement claims he didn't. I know it’s inconceivable for a head coach to have such a tight hold on every aspect of the operation yet a loose grip on what goes on in his locker room.
I know the weak, toothless, tone-deaf two-week suspension of Fitzgerald that Northwestern doled out after the internal investigation by a law firm raised more suspicion than it removed.
I know that, according to reports, school officials were aware of the most awful accusations detailed by The Daily Northwestern – the ones called “barbaric” by a former player – yet still concluded it was worth only a two-week suspension until public opinion changed their interpretation. I know you won’t ever find that example of leadership in a Northwestern brochure.
I know Northwestern president Michael Schill, who announced after the school newspaper's blockbuster report that he was reconsidering the discipline – Schill admitted in a letter he “may have erred” — isn't exactly leading from the front.
I know I'm wondering where athletic director Derrick Gragg stands in all this, and it should be nearer a microphone.
I know the Northwestern board of trustees, presiding over an $800-million stadium project at Ryan Field, suddenly can't feel so comfortable about the state of the football program, the athletic department or the wisdom of an investment into the sport that now might include legal fees.
I know Northwestern could take a real step toward transparency by releasing the original report, redacting the names to protect accusers and allowing everyone to decide for themselves if they truly have nothing to hide.
I know this isn’t Penn State or the Blackhawks or USA Gymnastics, but the gravity of those abuse scandals should’ve weighed heavier on the minds of every coach and administrator at every college athletic department in America, especially at a place like Northwestern.
I know the only people related to this story doing their jobs in an exemplary way work for The Daily Northwestern, which showed the kind of relentless commitment to the truth every journalist understands.
I know places like Northwestern – where I'm an alumnus of the Medill School of Journalism – have one obligation above all others: protect the student.
I know having a personal relationship with Fitzgerald for almost 20 years can make it harder for a media member to fulfill the professional duty of calling for accountability now – but it's not impossible.
I know Northwestern needs to hold Fitzgerald accountable now, more than ever.
I know factoring in Fitzgerald’s status as Northwestern’s winningest coach and one of the school’s best all-time players can muddy the waters when it comes to doing the right thing – but you still can see everything clearly if you’re looking for the right thing.
I know Northwestern needs to do the right thing.
David Haugh is the co-host of the Mully & Haugh Show from 5-10 a.m. weekdays on 670 The Score. Click here to listen. Follow him on Twitter @DavidHaugh.
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