Larry Nassar and Michigan State

#2      

PJD86

Texas
Guys what amazes me is this was investigated (at the time) by the Police and they found absolutely nothing . How does that happen?
 
#3      
I didn't read much of anything controversial in Izzo's words. Tries to show sympathy for all the victims while being supportive of the Admin. You think he's going to throw anybody at MSU under the bus, especially with no hard evidence against anyone in particular?
 
#4      

SycIllini

Sycamore, Illinois
I don’t see much controversial in Izzo’s statement. What was Raisman’s Mom’s issue with it?
 
#5      

Whitmans Sampler

Eastern Iowa
I don’t see much controversial in Izzo’s statement. What was Raisman’s Mom’s issue with it?
She had a problem with Izzo saying "I hope the right person was convicted" (in reference to Larry Nassar). She believes there's no question it was him based on the testimonies.
 
#6      
The relative lack of coverage of this story, especially MSU’s and USOC’s possible culpability here really bothers me. This story is essentially Penn State times 20. MSU is going to get sued back into the Stone Age.
 
#7      
It’s not just accusations. Nasser has already been convicted of multiple charges of sexual assault. In a separate trial, he was also convicted of several charges of child pornography and sentenced to 60 years in prison.

What’s going on now is the “victim impact” hearings for the sentencing stage of the sexual assault trial.
 
#8      
It’s not just accusations. Nasser has already been convicted of multiple charges of sexual assault. In a separate trial, he was also convicted of several charges of child pornography and sentenced to 60 years in prison.

What’s going on now is the “victim impact” hearings for the sentencing stage of the sexual assault trial.

Yeah, man.

That's why Mrs. Raisman was understandably furious, despite maybe misinterpreting what Izzo said. This doctor basically molested these teenage girls for years and years, under the pretense of caring for them. It's like the sickest sh*t you can imagine. Anything that sounds even remotely like support for Nassar is gonna anger the parents of these girls, like it would anger you if something like that happened to your daughter.

And I agree it is really, really foul how this story is receiving such minimal media coverage. I think it has to do with the fact that this is US Women's Gymnastics, which has been used for decades as a kind of nationalistic propaganda. "Look how wholesome and courageous and virtuous our girls are, as opposed to the scandalous drugged-up Eastern Bloc Communist girls". You know, they show these background stories of the girls being driven to practice by loving parents, and promote their story as "the American story". As a nation, we minimize the brutality involved (the inhuman training regiments, the reliance or addiction to drugs, the psychological duress and depression, etc...) for these often 12-18 year old gymnasts or figure skaters or other athletes in getting themselves to the Olympics, and instead put their faces on Wheaties boxes to show how noble and wholesome we are as a country. A scandal like this reflects poorly on not simply US gymnastics, but the US Olympic programs at large, which is a tool used to affect how we feel about our own nation (as it is for every nation that sends athletes to the Olympics).

A multi-decade child molestation case involving US Olympians, especially girls, is something that would shatter the narrative of "American exceptionalism", and could have us questioning the integrity of various institutions in the US. The media, which are essentially private interest profit-driven corporations, definitely don't want that.
 
#9      

Flyin Illini

Arlington Heights, IL
Yeah, man.

That's why Mrs. Raisman was understandably furious, despite maybe misinterpreting what Izzo said. This doctor basically molested these teenage girls for years and years, under the pretense of caring for them. It's like the sickest sh*t you can imagine. Anything that sounds even remotely like support for Nassar is gonna anger the parents of these girls, like it would anger you if something like that happened to your daughter.

And I agree it is really, really foul how this story is receiving such minimal media coverage. I think it has to do with the fact that this is US Women's Gymnastics, which has been used for decades as a kind of nationalistic propaganda. "Look how wholesome and courageous and virtuous our girls are, as opposed to the scandalous drugged-up Eastern Bloc Communist girls". You know, they show these background stories of the girls being driven to practice by loving parents, and promote their story as "the American story". As a nation, we minimize the brutality involved (the inhuman training regiments, the reliance or addiction to drugs, the psychological duress and depression, etc...) for these often 12-18 year old gymnasts or figure skaters or other athletes in getting themselves to the Olympics, and instead put their faces on Wheaties boxes to show how noble and wholesome we are as a country. A scandal like this reflects poorly on not simply US gymnastics, but the US Olympic programs at large, which is a tool used to affect how we feel about our own nation (as it is for every nation that sends athletes to the Olympics).

A multi-decade child molestation case involving US Olympians, especially girls, is something that would shatter the narrative of "American exceptionalism", and could have us questioning the integrity of various institutions in the US. The media, which are essentially private interest profit-driven corporations, definitely don't want that.

I believe you are on the right bridge. You hit the nail on the head in regards to what U.S. olympians and more specifically U.S. gymnastics represents in our country. If you ignore, or refuse to question whether or not our institutions are ethical, you feed the very thing that has been uncovered with the gymnastics program. There are obviously very sick individuals who own the lion’s share of the blame here, but those who are blinded by the facade created by success, become bystanders whether they are aware of it or not.
 
#10      
This all hits pretty close to home for me. My daughter was in gymnastics for a number of years. The amount of time involved... 20+ hours a week... and the amount of reliance on coaches and trainers leaves these girls very vulnerable.

We had a coach who was borderline verbally abusive with the girls. Not way over the line, but definitely toeing it consistently and often. The type of thing where he was addressing these 10-11 year old girls in a way that would raised an eyebrow had they been 16-17 year old high school football players.

We were considering switching gyms when my daughter suffered a knee injury. Fortunately for us, we went to a great doctor. After weighing all our options we decided it was time to get out. I think my daughter would have stayed in if it had just been the crappy coach or the knee injury. The combination of the two really killed her will to do it.

Anyway, it’s very easy for me to wonder if we had been living in Michigan instead of Illinois, what would have happened to my daughter when we went to a doctor about her knee.
 
#13      
#14      
Guess Izzo isn’t alone in thinking there are more important things.

https://t.co/nHcs6vV8mz?amp=1

903c1a4955746cee4dff839d546de9d8.jpg
 
#18      

Illiini

In the land of the Nittany Lion
The president of PSU went to jail for the coverup. If Michigan is as diligent as Pennsylvania was, there will be a wing of a Michigan state prison devoted just for everyone involved.
 
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#19      

Deleted member 3875

D
Guest
The president of PSU went to jail for the coverup. If Michigan is as diligent as Pennsylvania was, there will be a wing of a Michigan state prison devoted just for everyone involved.

The president of MSU needs to go and anyone with prior knowledge of this needs to be prosecuted.
 
#22      
Was just listening to the sentencing. Wow! Honestly had no idea this Nassar guy had done so many horrible things to so many young girls. This case really did not grab headlines particularly considering the magnitude & length of offenses as some lesser cases have.
 
#23      

Ransom Stoddard

Ordained Dudeist Priest
Bloomington, IL
Was just listening to the sentencing. Wow! Honestly had no idea this Nassar guy had done so many horrible things to so many young girls. This case really did not grab headlines particularly considering the magnitude & length of offenses as some lesser cases have.

I was talking about this with someone who had kids go through years of gymnastics. The procedure he used as his cover for a lot of this is, weirdly, a legitimate procedure for certain types of injuries common to gymnasts. Because of this, and because of the high-pressure "can't miss a meet" mentality in the gymnastics world, a lot of these parents, as well as some of the kids, don't question it when someone tells them that the need to do "x" in order to be able to compete.

I'd be interested to see the numbers on how often this guy used that procedure vs. other physicians in similar roles. My gut tells me it's probably a factor of 10 or more.
 
#24      

Illiini

In the land of the Nittany Lion
He will likely die in jail, even if he manages to die of old age. He may have to be--way want to be--kept separate from the general prison population.

But he's only the first domino, albeit the biggest one, that starts many others falling.

That said, what made this guy so particularly valuable that people were willing to cover up the monstrous things he was doing? Sandusky, of course, because of his coaching abilities. Paterno leaned on him a lot. But is sports medicine that rare of a talent that Nassar had to be the one to do it?

Also, I'm in Pennsylvania, so of course Sandusky was very much in the news here. Nassar not so much. I'm wondering about how this is playing in the rest of the country. How do the two compare in coverage, for example, in Illinois? Around the rest of the country?
 
#25      

Ransom Stoddard

Ordained Dudeist Priest
Bloomington, IL
I'm wondering about how this is playing in the rest of the country. How do the two compare in coverage, for example, in Illinois? Around the rest of the country?

I don't consume much local news, but on most of the national and international online sources that I follow it's typically high on the front page, but smaller font than the myriad of Trump/political and the monkey cloning story. Yep, the sentencing of a serial sexual predator is getting smaller fonts than monkeys.

FWIW it barely made Fox News' front page, with a link to a video clear at the bottom (as of 2 minutes ago)