GV suspends football offensive coordinator following comments about Hitler
Courtesy | GVSULakers.com
January 27, 2020
Update – 4:50 p.m. A representative from the University provided the Lanthorn with an additional statement regarding its relationship with the newspaper.
“Grand Valley State University is committed to the editorial independence of the student newspaper, The Lanthorn. The administration is reviewing events surrounding the Berger story to determine if there was behavior inconsistent with that commitment.”
Update – 2:20 p.m. A representative from GVSU’s Athletic Department responded to the Lanthorn’s request for comment. The department has no additional comments to share aside from the University’s official statement.
Newly announced football offensive coordinator Morris Berger has been suspended, according to a Grand Valley State University Statement provided to the Lanthorn. The University added that a “thorough investigation” into Morris’ conduct is ongoing.
Morris recently attracted public attention following an interview with the Lanthorn where he referred to Adolf Hitler as a historical figure he’d like to dine with. He also cited President John F. Kennedy and Christopher Columbus as other answers.
“This is probably not going to get a good review, but I’m going to say Adolf Hitler,” Berger said in the interview. “It was obviously very sad and he had bad motives, but the way he was able to lead was second-to-none. How he rallied a group and a following, I want to know how he did that. Bad intentions of course, but you can’t deny he wasn’t a great leader.”
The Lanthorn published the piece Thursday, Jan. 23. This story will be updated.
Mark douglas • Jan 30, 2020 at 6:21 pm
Im so disappointed in my school. Universities are spaces of critical thinking. He said nothing wrong. Zero. Period. To think otherwise is a cognitive distortion. I think it would be fascinating to have dinner with Hitler. Of course someone who studies history would. Simply mentioning Hitler isnt a fireable offense.
Tim Conaway • Jan 29, 2020 at 10:56 pm
Aside from what else he said, which is definitely questionable, he did say you can’t deny he wasn’t a great leader. As in you can’t deny he was not a great leader.
Then again this article as directed at sports fans.
Zack • Jan 29, 2020 at 5:17 pm
Hitler WAS NOT a great leader. A great leader doesn’t lead his country into total and complete ruin with the deaths of millions of his own followers. Anyone who argues he was a great leader is a Nazi-apologist and obviously a complete idiot when it comes to understanding history and leadership.
Mark • Jan 29, 2020 at 12:18 pm
The coach was suspended? Look, I get terminations aren’t easy and have to go through multiple levels of HR review, and possibly get signed off on by your Legal Dept, but this is an absolute no-brainer. For Heaven’s sake, do you want to leave any doubt that this guy has no place being a leader of young men? Roll the dice on this one, and fire him IMMEDIATELY!
Alexander Pechersky • Jan 28, 2020 at 10:27 pm
Journalism is about shedding light on problems. Academia has a problem in this area.
Eating a meal with someone is different than asking them questions. Of course, you can study Hitler’s actions or methods as historical content. But socializing with his ideas or creating a relationship over a meal, is an example how Holocaust became a lost lesson on humanity. Why did we see neo-Nazis marching at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville? Many academics are enamored with German efficiency and their scientific success.
The lessons from the Holocaust cannot include learning from Hitler’s leadership. He led by violence, lying, and exploiting fear even before the war started. That’s the leadership teachers should be exploring?
School leaders should behave like the public servants they are called to be. It is the leadership of Hitler that got boys, very much the age of GVSU students, to shoot months-old babies in their mother’s arms. The dead and wounded people were being buried with sardine efficiency. Puddles of blood, feet deep, were oozing from the mass graves. The efficiency and science of it is the most often recalled characteristic by the witnesses.
History shows that Nazis benefited from the war and many did very well afterwards. They lived out their lives in prosperity.
Many war criminals received nominal punishment at Nuremberg trials (or none at all like Bach-Zelewski) and a fair number of Nazis run free via ratlines to South America and Africa (many to Egypt) with great wealth. They started businesses and scientific projects in those countries. Perón, the president of Argentina, welcomed them hoping they would help the economy and build local knowledge.
https://www.history.com/news/the-7-most-notorious-nazis-who-escaped-to-south-america
ratlines
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/29058048/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/t/egypt-faces-questions-nazi-fugitives-past/#.XjC7j0NJnOQ
Germanic countries, including Switzerland and Austria, grew their industries, financial power, and scientific advancements thanks to the war and the Holocaust. They were the winners long-term over the looser nations exploited first by Hitler and later by Stalin.
Some in the US are trying to deny that Holocaust even took place:
http://www.bocaratontribune.com/bocaratonnews/2019/07/can-questioning-holocaust-happening-boca-raton/
Some academic departments hire Germanic faculty in preference over the untermensch nations incapable of academic rigor, scientific research, and meaningful contributions.
So, what should be the lessons learned from the Holocaust? If you want to have a great career and wealthy life – learn from Hitler? That’s the cold science of it. Shame on GVSU for fostering an environment where this intellectual argument is made. That’s academia without compassion.
Dave Priester • Jan 28, 2020 at 6:59 pm
After reading the article “ Inside the mind of GVSU’s newest offensive coordinator,” what was the clear intention of Kellen Voss? Did he ask the questions based on curiosity? Was he asking the questions to gather facts and information? It definitely appears that he gathered information. Did anyone review the information before it was published? After the information was reviewed, what was the thought process of the team that eventually published the information?
Based on that information, it appears that Morris Berger “ attracted public attention.” Morris Berger answered questions as part of an interview and that interview was published. The published article attracted public attention. Morris Berger was honest in his responses. Morris Berger was candid on how he responded. Morris Berger attempted to protect himself during the response.
Life is full of choices. Sometimes, the choices are good. Sometimes the choices are not so good. Morris chose to answer questions that he was being asked. Morris made a choice to list three people that he would like to have dinner with. Based on what has occurred since then, Morris will think twice about answering questions such as that.
I believe that the Q & A session between Kellen Voss and Morris Berger was an attempt to gain quick knowledge of the newly hired coach that could be shared with GVSU and all those that read this information. It has now attracted negative public attention that could result in an individual losing their job after being on the job 7 days, as well as negative public attention for the leadership at GVSU. Morris Berger was not alone when he said it. An individual asked the question. An individual typed the response. An individual presented the information for review. The information was published. Just before the information was published, did anyone think of the consequences of all involved?
As I do not condone Morris Berger’s response, it is disappointing that this situation has generated the publicity that it has. Disappointing that a relationship between a journalist and a coach has been destroyed. Disappointing that Nick Moran would publish that Morris Berger attracted public attention, when in all reality the Lanthorn and its staff attracted public attention.
Let this be a lesson in accountability. Accountability to our words, and accountability to our actions.
Peter Dresslar • Jan 28, 2020 at 12:27 pm
Hey there, I am Peter Dresslar. I went to Jenison High School, and now my Jewish family lives with me in Germany. I want to invite any and all of you Hitler aficinados to come visit me personally in my home here in Germany. This part of the Rheinland is truly beautiful! You can explain to all my neighbors here what an impressive chap Hitler was, and that you’d liketo share Kaffee und Kuchen with him and–ya know–compare notes. Maybe then you will have a better understanding of how deeply you have no Earthly idea what you are talking about.
Dan • Jan 28, 2020 at 10:52 am
“How he rallied a group and a following, I want to know how he did that.” Fear. Hatred. Misinformation. That’s how. Every private individual is afforded his own opinion. However, when acting in a public or representative capacity, as Morris Berger is, your speech will be subject to public scrutiny and rightly so. As a member of the GV community, I do not want a representative who does not already know that Hitler “rallied” people to his cause through a careful campaign of fear, hatred, and misinformation and that this is a poor way to be a “great leader.”
Alan Myrtle • Jan 28, 2020 at 10:29 am
The majority of comments that you will receive on this issue will use “free speech” as a defense for admiring Hitler’s so-called “leadership”. The real issue is not free speech, it is whether a person whose model of “great leadership” is Adolf Hitler is the absolute best choice for a high profile leadership role at a public university.
I think GVSU can find a great football coach who is better qualified to lead young men and to represent the university. Someone who can get through his first week without humiliating 180,000 GVSU alumni.
Anthony Chibbaro • Jan 28, 2020 at 9:27 am
While I am NOT a “Historian” I am well ‘educated’ in world History – actually, Hitler was NOT “a great leader” – the Versailles Treaty, sadly, pretty much guaranteed WW II . . . a good book to read is Pat Buchanan’s “Churchill, Hitler, and the Unnecessary War”.
Hitler led Germany into near total destruction – NOT the legacy of a supposed great leader.
Had Coach Berger stated that he wanted to have lunch with Hitler to ask him why he made so many mistakes that cost him a war that, perhaps, he could have won? – why invade Russia when both the King of Sweden and Napoleon made such a mistake?
Coach Berger did NOT cry out “fire” in a crowded movie theater – seems he should have been afforded his opinion, right, wrong, or incorrect, as a matter of free speech.
Joe Webb • Jan 28, 2020 at 5:37 am
I agree with Diane – GV is 100% off base for suspending the coach. This is another example of somebody (Grand Valley administration) attempting to stifle someone else’s opinion in favor of their own.
GV Administration – just because you don’t agree with someone doesn’t give you the right to squash their views.
Lawyers would need to review the terms of employment documents but this certainly smells of wrongful termination.
Trolls – I know that this is only a “suspension” but the rules of engagement are the same. At a bare minimum Grand Valley has created a hostile work environment and violated Coach Berger’s right to freedom of speech.
Coach Berger – a learning moment for you. Not everyone will accept your opinions, regardless of your motives. I think that you’re position was clear – Hiltler was a monster but had historical value. Although I personally would not have chosen him you have the right to your opinion. The school is out of line and will probably come to regret their haste but I would look elsewhere for employment. There is no way I would want to be associated with this group of intolerant individuals.
Chuck • Jan 28, 2020 at 12:09 am
Coach Berger did not give a wrong answer. Hitler was a great leader. 100% wrong. But almost a whole country followed this lunatic. I find it intriguing Hitlers idea of The Great Race that so many were on the band wagon to join him. How can people now not wonder about that. Hitler was not a Guru or a Self proclaimed prophet just a guy with an idea. Although once Hitlers ball got rolling…. it was hard to get off and rebel.
A leader with an idea and everyone followed. That is the basic answer I think for Coach Berger answer.
Diane • Jan 27, 2020 at 7:56 pm
The school was wrong in suspending the coach. He was asked a question and he answered it truthfully and stated why he wanted to interview him. He did not agree with the monster or admire him as a person or his cause. If you don’t want an honest answer, don’t ask the question.
Anonymous • Jan 27, 2020 at 7:27 pm
This is bad it doesn’t matter the context and plus the fact that this came out on the Holocaust Remembrance day is awful. I wish that everyone was more aware that today is a day of remembrance for the six million Jewish people who died during the Holocaust and all of the other minorities as well. I am not saying that this article should not be published it should but it should have been tomorrow.
#NeverForget
Anonymous • Jan 27, 2020 at 5:45 pm
Okay. This is ridiculous. The answer has definitely been taken out of context and I think the backlash is unwarranted, but also he shouldn’t have brought up Hitler in an interview about football.
The question he was answering was: So you graduated from Drury with a degree in History, you’re a history guy. If you could have dinner with three historical figures, living or dead, who would they be? And I’m ruling out football figures.
As a previous IB History student, it is no secret in the academic world the Hitler was a terrible person, but an effective leader (to an extent). When answering this question, Berger could have been answering from an academic standpoint, which is an acceptable answer in that field of study. The phrase “great leader” means a significantly different thing in a historic standpoint in describing a leader than in general life, and those not taking this in consideration are doing a great disservice in their comments towards him without considering all the context of this answer and if he were to lose his job over that misinformed, mindless backlash, I would be furious with GVSU administration for sacrifice an academic answer over misinformed pressures from the public to save their “image”.
On the other hand, mistakes were made. It’s clear that Berger had never had an interview by media before, otherwise he would know that answers like that could/would be taken out of context. If he was hoping that there would be a level of academic understanding, it was naive. Also, the way he phrased his justification to try to express his academic interest in Hitler to the general public was a little misphrased, most likely because it was a spoken interview and the answer was probably more on the spot and not able to be fully expressed. Even though the interview was mostly about football, this question clearly was about him and his academic interests as a person, and it’s just bad judgement if you’re going to focus on this singular question in relation to his skills as a coach.
OF COURSE HE’S NOT SAYING HE ADMIRES, IDEALIZES, OR WANTS TO EMULATE HITLER. He’s just an interested academic. Allow for him to make a clarifying statement to better represent his interest and be done with it. Although there will still be backlash by a misinformed and quick-to-judge public, I personally think it would be worse for GVSU to have consequences for an academic answer that’s well with the realm of an acceptable answer. I wouldn’t want to study at a college that sacrifices academic thinking of those involved in the institution for bettering its public image with a public that is not directly impacted or associated with the institution and are completely misinformed. Grow a backbone, GVSU Administration. This isn’t the first time you’ve chosen public backlash over the best academic interest of students and it really makes me ashamed to go here.