General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHow many of you were involved in major college sports? I was. IMO Gym Jordan had to know.
Those of you who were involved in sports know how things worked. No matter where an athlete may have "lived," there were places where all sports intersected and mingled. Two of them come to mind. The training table and the trainers offices. These were places where I got to know athletes from other sports that I ordinarily would not have been practicing with or spending a lot of time with.
You hear things. One knew who could get some pot, who had grade troubles, who was involved in most any mischief. Positive stories were also shared. It was just life happening around us.
I happened to live in an athletic dorm. At virtually any time of day there were at least one or two coaches, assistant coaches, graduate assistants or resident advisors loosely monitoring the overall activities and keeping an eye on things. Certainly not hovering, but one knew where to find them if necessary. They also knew where to find us if they wanted to.
These people were there for obvious reasons. Making sure athletes conducted themselves appropriately (for the most part) and, when necessary, making upper level coaches and administrators informed of issues that arose. Keeping eyes and ears open was part of their job. They sort of made the bigshots aware of things while giving them some cover from public scrutiny. Plausible deniability in some cases. In short, they kept us in line and covered the university's ass at the same time.
Maybe Ohio State operated a little differently, I don't know. But I doubt it was all that different. There is no way, in my opinion, that ongoing sexual misconduct such as what has been described could have gone on without it being widely rumored or even known. Certainly not for that amount of time. I'm not buying that one.
beachbumbob
(9,263 posts)this is no different than the pedophile issue and the Catholic church and their decades of coverup and obstruction.
Jordan is as guilty as the cardinals and popes who chose to ignore what was going on
bluedigger
(17,086 posts)Jordan was part of a systemic coverup.
dameatball
(7,398 posts)Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)for three years at a Wisconsin State College. Never once did I or anyone from the Coaching Staff have any issues. Rules were posted on the Training Room Wall and each and every Athlete was aware of those rules as well as I.
My first rule was,these Guy's were.for the most part,hell of a lot bigger than me and if I screwed up,I most likely would have beat to a pulp.
dameatball
(7,398 posts)talked about sooner or later. There were just too many people getting paid to know what was going on.
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)from a OSU Alum who happened to be a Coach of my neighbors Grand Sons at a SE Conference School. Just so happened the story of the Fondling was just breaking on MSNBC as we were chatting when this fellow broke down and mentioned what he saw.
And yes,there is so much money floating around these Division One Schools Athletic Departments,that,the Cover ups are big business for Attorneys to keep the lid on the can of worms.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)and gestures at the student who were supposed to be there. The reputation for depravity was a terrible problem that in itself victimized all students assigned to that gym.
EVERYONE knew.