Is Urby In Trouble Here?

[Kris61]

https://thespun.com/news/brett-mcmurphy-urban-meyer-zach-smith-allegations

[ELA]

Trouble?  Bad PR for sure.  A very awkward press conference.  I doubt anything beyond that.

[Kris61]

Trouble?  Bad PR for sure.  A very awkward press conference.  I doubt anything beyond that.

Hmm. Maybe. But this is a really bad look.  Meyer said he knew nothing of allegations against Smith in 2015.  McMurphy has text messages between Smith’s wife and Meyer’s wife where Shelley Meyer is urging her to leave him because of the abuse.
We’ll see.

[FearlessF]

it's a different world than it was in 2015

[ELA]

Yeah I think we are finding that out across all mediums.  I'm not talking about the Harvey Weinstein stuff, but people having old Tweets dragged out.  I think the days of coaches being able to put blinders on while the police "handle" stuff is over.  Hell, I remember the drug officer in 1995 telling a room full of 5th graders that the standing orders for UM/Ann Arbor police officers, when he was on the beat in the 70s and 80s was that if he picked up a UM football player, you absolutely did not book him, or take him to jail.  You took him straight to Bo's house, and he handled it.  He didn't tell it in a "can you believe this?" but in a "this is funny" kind of way, and not to people at a private dinner party, but to a room full of public school children.

I think a lot of these coaches grew up in that mentality.

[Entropy]

Hmm. Maybe. But this is a really bad look.  Meyer said he knew nothing of allegations against Smith in 2015.  McMurphy has text messages between Smith’s wife and Meyer’s wife where Shelley Meyer is urging her to leave him because of the abuse.
We’ll see.

I agree.  It looks bad.   The coverage of domestic abuse is at an all time high (thankfully).   He won't be fired, but this will follow him for a while.  I'd suspect ESPN digs in now...   he's not in the SEC anymore.

[ELA]

I agree.  It looks bad.   The coverage of domestic abuse is at an all time high (thankfully).   He won't be fired, but this will follow him for a while.  I'd suspect ESPN digs in now...   he's not in the SEC anymore.

Particularly with the ongoing story of the athletic doctor sexually abusing athletes.
Feels familiar.

[mcwterps1]

Not near as bad as deals with handlers and recruiting murderers  

[847badgerfan]

Story is on the front page of the MSN home page now.

[betarhoalphadelta]

IMHO the question is whether everyone just clams up to protect Urban or not. Unless they can *prove* that Shelley told Urban, they can't prove he knew.

I realize there's TONS of circumstantial evidence, but circumstantial evidence vs. Urban Meyer's record and value to OSU? Unless the PR world comes down on OSU like nothing else, I see them circling the wagons and trying to let this blow over. 

But if it's proven that he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, I'm not sure they'll be able to protect him. Not in 2018. Especially if he got on a microphone and blatantly lied about it.

[Brutus Buckeye]

Not... not good. 

[TyphonInc]

2 qualifiers then a rant.

1) Yes I think Meyer is trouble for this. if it's just this and blows over I think the coaching staff attends a "whistleblower" seminar, and Meyer donates a sum of money to abuse prevention charity type thing.
2) Abuse is horrible, and I'm glad we as a society are becoming more aware of it, and trying to prevent and report on it.

Rant: I get annoyed with the highest profile guy is set up as the scapegoat. Why isn't Shelly getting investigated? How about Mrs. Smith others friends? Reporters are targeting Meyer to get the clicks, and I don't think that's how it should be.

[FearlessF]

Rant: I get annoyed with the highest profile guy is set up as the scapegoat. Why isn't Shelly getting investigated? How about Mrs. Smith others friends? Reporters are targeting Meyer to get the clicks, and I don't think that's how it should be.

Shelly would be investigated until she told investigators she passed this along to the head coach.  This may have taken about 10 minutes.  Shelly wouldn't be in the spotlight if she took this to Urban.

[847badgerfan]

Rant: I get annoyed with the highest profile guy is set up as the scapegoat. Why isn't Shelly getting investigated? How about Mrs. Smith others friends? Reporters are targeting Meyer to get the clicks, and I don't think that's how it should be.

Did Shelly or Mrs. Smith's other friends get in front of the media and tell everyone they didn't know?
It's very possible Urb didn't know. Maybe his wife doesn't tell him everything (not healthy, in my opinion, but possible).