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Sports business reporter Darren Rovell has known Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald for over 27 years now, so when the alleged hazing incidents that happened in the Wildcats under his tutelage surfaced, he isn't simply believing it.
For those who missed it, Fitzgerald has been suspended for two weeks starting Friday due to the hazing allegations thrown against his program. An investigation was conducted by an independent third party at the end of the 2022 season, though no evidence has been found with regards to Fitzgerald's involvement in the said allegations.
Still, a lot of people want the Northwestern football coach to be fired, especially after graphic details about the alleged hazing incidents were revealed. One former Wildcats player even called the actions “vile” and “inhumane.”
With that said, Rovell shared that many others wanted him to “cancel” Fitzgerald as well and distance himself from him considering their relationship. However, the reporter noted that he won't do that since he knows the coach really well and he couldn't believe that he's the kind of person who would tolerate such actions.
“I realize you all want to cancel Pat Fitzgerald and want me to cancel him too…immediately. Unfortunately, when you have a 27-year relationship with a person, you can't read one story, or an account attributed to one or two people, and cancel a man who you know to be one of the most upstanding people you know, at least in front of your own two eyes,” Rovell wrote on Twitter.
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“I look forward to hearing and understanding everything associated with the allegations and trust the right decision will be made by those in charge.”
True enough, as Darren Rovell said, it's not good to jump into conclusions until all the details about the incident have been laid out.
It's definitely not a good look for Pat Fitzgerald and the Northwestern football program, but it might also be premature to judge anything and anyone until all information and events have been sorted out.
For now, Fitzgerald will have to serve his suspension and wait for the decision of the university with regards to the issue. An investigation has already been made, and those following the story like Rovell should be able to know all the details sooner rather than later.
