🏈 ESPN reports on Ohio State--a story that hasn't gone quietly in the good night.

[JoshB]

So, has no one else heard about this stuff coming from Project Veritas about "abuse" Meyer committed at Florida? I got an email this afternoon from those guys (dont ask me how I ended up their email list) with supposed "undercover video" of players talking about how they were abused by Meyer and other Florida coaches. Its Project Veritas, so there is a 99% chance it's either faked or extremely edited video and I'm really trying to figure out why they are dipping their toes into the sports world. They are known for being a right wing political group that goes after politicians (primarily) on the left. I've never heard of them going after anyone in the sports world. I didn't watch the videos and I barely skimmed the email because honestly it's Project Veritas, but the timing seems very... interesting.

 

[SnakeFan]

I saw project veritas on rushlimnaugh.com which is why i lokked here.
You’re the first

 

[CmnRef]

It is possible that Urban and his wife didn't pursue because the immediate family had told Courtney to STFU and move on.

Please read this part of McMurphy’s initial post
A few days after Zach’s 2009 arrest, Courtney said two of Meyer’s closest friends – Hiram de Fries and Earle Bruce – asked her to drop the charges. Bruce is Zach Smith’s grandfather, de Fries is Meyer’s “life coach.”
Bruce, who died in April, has a special place in Meyer’s heart. Bruce succeeded Woody Hayes at Ohio State from 1979-87, posting an 81-26-1 record in nine seasons.
“He is the strongest relationship I’ve ever had other than my father,” Meyer said last week. “I’ve made that clear many, many times.”
Bruce and Zach’s mother drove from Ohio to Gainesville to ask Courtney to drop the charges, Courtney said. Courtney said she also received a call from de Fries to set up a meeting at Panera Bread on SW Archer Road in Gainesville.
Meyer and de Fries’ relationship goes back more than 20 years, when Meyer was an assistant at Colorado State in the 1990s. Unofficially, de Fries has been a professional life skills expert the past two decades. His official title at Ohio State: special assistant to the head coach.
In “Urban’s Way,” a 2008 book on Meyer written by Buddy Martin and authorized by Meyer, Meyer said: “Hiram is like my uncle. Hiram is my ‘chemistry coach.’ When I was a young coach, I always said I wanted to have an older guy as the chemistry coach on my staff to help us all get on the same page.”
When asked last week how important de Fries was to the Ohio State program, senior offensive tackle Isaiah Prince said: “Having Coach Hiram around, he’s like the grandfather of the team. He’s got that wisdom. He has been here a long time and he has been through a lot. He always knows when something is wrong even when you don’t say anything. He’s a great resource to have. Everybody loves him.”
On a July morning in 2009, Courtney Smith sat across the table from de Fries, a former attorney and Shell Oil executive. Courtney said de Fries pressured her to drop the charges.
“He said ‘if you don’t drop the charges, Zach will never coach again,’ ” Courtney said. “ ‘He’s never hit you before. He was drinking. He’ll probably never do it again. You should think about giving him a second chance.’ “

 

[NickelDoubleDog]

This isn't complicated.

Urban and Shelley knew of the abuse. They counseled the couple after 2009. After Urban had 2 of his cronies strong arm Courtney into not pressing charges.

Urban and Shelley knew of the 2015 incident. Once McMurphy broke that story, Smith was fired 15 minutes later. Urban blatantly lied about not know it - right after he'd fired Smith - and accused McMurphy of fabricating the story.

Urban enabled a known abuser for years. Then he covered it up. Those things make him fundamentally unfit to lead a college football program.

 

[Sgt. Lincoln Osiris]

This isn't complicated.

Urban and Shelley knew of the abuse. They counseled the couple after 2009. After Urban had 2 of his cronies strong arm Courtney into not pressing charges.

Urban and Shelley knew of the 2015 incident. Once McMurphy broke that story, Smith was fired 15 minutes later. Urban blatantly lied about not know it - right after he'd fired Smith - and accused McMurphy of fabricating the story.

Urban enabled a known abuser for years. Then he covered it up. Those things make him fundamentally unfit to lead a college football program.

This.

 

[JoshB]

I saw project veritas on rushlimnaugh.com which is why i lokked here.
You’re the first

I'm assuming it hasn't gained traction just simply because of who is putting it out there. Other outlets are probably trying to get the players involved to speak about it on the record.

 

[TerryP]

I saw project veritas on rushlimnaugh.com which is why i lokked here.
You’re the first

I'm assuming it hasn't gained traction just simply because of who is putting it out there. Other outlets are probably trying to get the players involved to speak about it on the record.

It's one of your judgments. Why not?

@Tidestalker believes everything he reads. You believe nothing. :naughtydevil:

 

[JoshB]

I saw project veritas on rushlimnaugh.com which is why i lokked here.
You’re the first

I'm assuming it hasn't gained traction just simply because of who is putting it out there. Other outlets are probably trying to get the players involved to speak about it on the record.

It's one of your judgments. Why not?

@Tidestalker believes everything he reads. You believe nothing. :naughtydevil:

Its not that I dont believe nothing. I just consider the source when I'm reading it. If the coaches wife didn't have text messages and pictures backing up her story I would have been very skeptical of it, too.

 

[TerryP]

@BamaBoyJosh,

Bottom line.

This is a bad story.

Here's one for you, Josh.

Rank the coaches in this order. The worst transgression that resulted in you being fired.

Chew on this a minute...how long has it been since a coach has resigned? I'll give you a ain't happened in a bit.

 

[TerryP]

Chew on this a minute...how long has it been since a coach has resigned? I'll give you a clue ain't happened in a bit.

I should put a #resigned tag in....that way the sarcasm is understood.

 

[JoshB]

Well if by "resigned" we mean forced to resign I would say Hugh Freeze was the last.

 

[TerryP]

Well if by "resigned" we mean forced to resign I would say Hugh Freeze was the last.

I was talking about Ohio State specifically. If Meyer if fired...Meyer, Tressell, Hayes...when's the last time they had a coach leave and he wasn't fired?

 

[rammerjammer]

@TerryP, Correct in the fact that she was not a patient of Shelly Meyer that does give some wiggle room and a way out; however, Title IX will most likely bite her (being and OSU employee). From there, the nursing board would probably heap on. They will threaten loss of license and make her take some training in regards to domestic abuse. (more of an ethical issue) I have seen it a bunch over the years with nurses in Alabama. Nursing board will talk a good game, but ultimately a good lawyer will keep your license. Just take some kind of CEU coarse and pay a fine. A lot of gray area.

 

[alabama mike]

I look at this as being similar to being a teacher. If a teacher suspects abuse, we can no longer simply pass the word onto the counselor and then the counselor contact DHR. If we fail to call, we are subject to being fired. Urban falls in with this. He can't deny knowing anything, when he dealt with it in '09 at Florida. He knew that there was a history. As an employee to a public institution of learning, he has an obligation to report. No plausible deniability!!!!!

Just went through this training yesterday... And I'm not a teacher, just a HS coach.

We are obligated by law to report to our superior if there is physical or sexual abuse SUSPECTED. Not proven.

Also defended by the law if said suspicions are not reality.

"Position of Trust" is the label given to those of us working in schools. Not going to say I know it's the same for those working in Universities... My guess is that universities have some type of protocal/training related to the reporting process.

@Tidestalker

I am a principal and if any abuse is suspected, that person MUST call Children's Service first and then report the situation to a superior. Everyone in education is a mandatory reporter and we can lose our jobs and teaching credentials if we fail to report. The problem that we often run into is that someone will call the school to "report" something to us and want us to make the call because they do not get involved. If we, in turn make the call, the report is considered heresay because we are not the person with direct knowledge of the situation.

 

[alabama mike]

Well if by "resigned" we mean forced to resign I would say Hugh Freeze was the last.

I was talking about Ohio State specifically. If Meyer if fired...Meyer, Tressell, Hayes...when's the last time they had a coach leave and he wasn't fired?

Luke Fickell, the interim coach between Tressell and Meyer. He stayed on as DC and is now at Cincinnati.

 

[BamaFan334]

Well if by "resigned" we mean forced to resign I would say Hugh Freeze was the last.

I was talking about Ohio State specifically. If Meyer if fired...Meyer, Tressell, Hayes...when's the last time they had a coach leave and he wasn't fired?

Luke Fickell, the interim coach between Tressell and Meyer. He stayed on as DC and is now at Cincinnati.

It's funny, cause I was wondering if he'd be getting a call the THE Ohio State University soon.

 

[UAgrad93]

@BamaBoyJosh , I saw that video yesterday and wondered the same thing. I also wondered how much of that stuff happens at every college and university. I remember Coach Rich Wingo, who was the S&C coach when I was a freshman was pretty abusive and abrasive. I just thought it was normal.

 

[planomateo]

I think the tweet was more of a reference to the fact that ESPN let McMurphy go and he likely had a “non compete” clause so he was left with no other choice than to use his Facebook page.

Yup. Ironically his contract with ESPN is up in August 2018, the timing of this couldn't have been more perfect.

 

[planomateo]

He isn't go anywhere...

 

[planomateo]

Just my opinion, he's a liar.