Brenda Tracy dishes her thoughts on Izzo (WOW!)
Brenda Tracy, the lobbyist for sexual assault awareness, took to Twitter yesterday to share her thoughts on Tom Izzo.
January 29th, 2018 at 6:45 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 7:05 AM ^
...Maryland hadn't squandered a huge sizable halftime lead and given Sparty another L.
January 29th, 2018 at 8:36 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 8:49 AM ^
Would you predict Michigan to go on a run if our coach were in this crucible? Izzo looked ready to break down in the press conference. I can't imagine his mind's fully on the job right now.
This isn't your standard, Wayne Fontes-style "if we win we keep Coach around another year" kind of thing. Izzo is probably gone due to things that took place off the court. That's not really a great motivator. I think they'll still win a fair number of games because they're a good team, but this does them no favors.
(The part of me that likes conspiracy theories also suspects the NCAA will give them a terrible draw and an unfavorable whistle in the tournament. It doesn't want this story anywhere near the Final Four.)
January 29th, 2018 at 9:37 AM ^
This scandal isn't going away before the Final Four and the NCAA does not want demonstrations at their highest profile event of the year.
I do believe the players are privately trying to "win one" for Izzo though. They can't say it, but I'm sure they're thinking it.
January 29th, 2018 at 9:54 AM ^
I can see both of these happening. The players will rally behind the coach who has "stood by them" all along. But Izzo might not have his usual fire on the sidelines.
January 29th, 2018 at 9:40 AM ^
is my belief in basketball that players and teams with a lot of talent play better the less they think about and the more they simply rely on instinct. I don't think Michigan State is a team that needs a whole lot of coaching as constructed, and in fact, that the more Izzo tightened his strangle hold on them, the worse off they were. They are constructed as a team that just needs to play. I really don't care who the coach is by the end of the season, I think they are more dangerous now than ever.
January 29th, 2018 at 11:36 PM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 9:27 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 10:31 AM ^
They could go on a run, but a sexual abuse scandal at the school doesn't seem to me to be a rallying cry to win games.
January 29th, 2018 at 10:56 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 9:15 AM ^
What's with all these "weird guys" spilling dirt on Izzo? That never happened before?!?!
January 29th, 2018 at 3:26 PM ^
You won't believe what happens next.
January 29th, 2018 at 6:55 AM ^
I'm not a huge fan of Izzo, and I don't doubt the veracity of her statement, but it is that, a statement. No need to title your thread like a BuzzFeed article.
January 29th, 2018 at 7:08 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 8:47 AM ^
January 30th, 2018 at 1:33 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 7:08 AM ^
throws shade at Tom Izzo and the Internet goes wild!
Brenda Tracy claps back at Izzo and shuts him down!
January 29th, 2018 at 7:14 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 8:38 AM ^
THE CAMERAMAN JUST KEPT ROLLING...
January 29th, 2018 at 8:44 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 9:52 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 11:03 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 8:52 PM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 7:52 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 9:01 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 8:52 AM ^
but how she tweets now is crazy!
January 29th, 2018 at 8:25 PM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 7:54 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 7:03 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 9:13 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 11:22 AM ^
sections are always shocking. The stuff people post is amazing. Read the comment sections after any DetNews or MLive article and you see the same shit. Astounding the number of idiots out there.
January 30th, 2018 at 1:35 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 7:43 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 7:58 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 8:08 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 9:11 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 9:23 AM ^
This. Even ignoring future prospects it wouldn't make much sense.
"Hello, Mr. Izzo. I would like the opportunity to share my story and teach you and your team. But first, I'll tell the world that I think you're sleezy and promoting rape culture. Okay, now when are you free for my visit?"
January 30th, 2018 at 1:37 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 9:25 AM ^
You've got to understand the mindset of survivors of sexual assault. Not that I'm a survivor, and not that she was assaulted by Izzo. Not saying that at all. But the reasons for her remaining quiet about this conversation until now are largely the same.
Simply put, it was her word against his. You're trying to discredit one of the most powerful men in college sports, and all the public had to go on (at the time) was your word. As horrible as it sounds, it's more likely that the story would've been dismissed and her reputation be destroyed rather than direct action be taken against Izzo. It's the fear that no one will believe you, and all you will be seen as in the end is a liar and someone who is trying to sabotage a basketball team and its beloved coach.
There's also the fear of retaliation against you in more personal ways. There are plenty of crazies in every fanbase (Michigan included) and you have to wonder how many bricks would've gone through her front window, or death threats left in her mailbox, from people infuriated at the idea of someone going after their coach.
January 29th, 2018 at 2:00 PM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 9:25 AM ^
I added a link below to a great piece on Brenda Tracy for background. Long story short, she is a victim of campus sexual assault and now spends time as an activist. One of her main contributions is giving talks to teams - primarily football.
Regarding her tweet, she was merely sharing her assessement that Izzo's attitude toward sexual assault is pretty poor. This isn't some game changing fact that qualifies as whistle blowing, as you alluded. Given what she is doing in her activism, if she would make her thoughts public every time she had an uncomfortable conversation with a coach, she would soon find herself not being invited to address teams and thus kill what she is trying to achieve. In this partuicluar case though, given the context of recent events at MSU and the revelations by ESPN, sharing her thoughts on Izzo will most likely not affect her work as there is a public outcry for institutions to fix things.
January 29th, 2018 at 9:40 AM ^
From the story:
A 1995 study, relying on data collected from 1991 to 1993, showed that while male athletes comprise only 3.3 percent of their gender’s student population, they were involved in 19 percent of reported sexual assault cases. A 2015 study from economists at Texas A&M, Montana State University, and the University of Wollongong in Australia showed a stark correlation between college football game days and reports of rape among 17-to-24-year-old women. Those reports increased by 41 percent on home game days and 15 percent on away game days, with an 82 percent increase on the days of rivalry games.
January 29th, 2018 at 8:02 AM ^
A year ago there wasn't an ESPN OTL feature blasting MSU and Izzo. I'm also guessing that having a conversation with a coach who "doesn't get it" is not all that uncommon for her. Now that things have blown up at MSU and Izzo is being accused directly, I don't think Brenda Tracy's tweet is out of line.
January 29th, 2018 at 8:32 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 8:09 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 8:46 AM ^
Because it would've been her against the world. Because MSU wasn't already under fire. Because Izzo was (and in some ways still is) untouchable. Very few would've had reason to believe her, and it's more likely that her career would've been destroyed than any real action be taken against Izzo. It would've been her word against the word of one of the most powerful, famous, and well-respected coaches in the game.
It's very much the same reason that many sexual assault survivors are afraid to come forward about their experiences. They're afraid that no one will believe them and they also fear retaliation. Especially if the person who assaulted them is in a position of power or happens to be their manager or some other superior. That's why many of them (unfortunately) keep quiet until they feel it is safe to come forward.
January 29th, 2018 at 8:07 AM ^
Seriously, I am questioning his intelligence more and more. At least have the wherewithal to show empathy for the victims with her, right? I mean, of all people, you are victim shaming in a conversation with a sexual assault lobbyist - at this point in time. This is unbelievable.
January 29th, 2018 at 8:24 AM ^
Izzo thought he was untouchable. Everyone in East Lansing looked up to him. He figured he could bully her around like he did the local media for all these years.
January 29th, 2018 at 8:32 AM ^
They didn't speak recently, they spoke like a year ago.