*BREAKING* WILLIE THE WILDCAT POSSIBLY NEVER RECEIVED WORD OF "CALL ME MAYBE" MASCOT VIDEO, REPORT SAYS *BREAKING*

Now, "Call Me Maybe" isn't actually my favorite song - you probably learned this morning, it's actually Wagon Wheel - but I was still quite distraught over the news a few days ago that Willie the Wildcat chose not to participate in the Big Ten mascot edition of "Call Me Maybe". However, a captivating report might clear Willie's record of his prior indiscretions.

A hard-hitting report from the Lafayette Journal and Courier had one question it needed answered: why wasn't Purdue's creepy anthropomorphic smiling man, Purdue Pete, featured in the Call Me Maybe video? The answer they got may shock you:

Tom Schott, Purdue associate athletic director for communications, was unware of the video on Thursday morning. Schott said spirit coordinator/head cheer coach Steve Solberg is responsible for all of Pete's appearances and was not contacted.

Schott later learned that a former Purdue Pete was emailed about the video. The email was forwarded to the current Pete. By the time Pete saw it, the video had been filmed.

In perhaps the cruelest definition of irony, Purdue Pete never received MSU's number, and was never playfully suggested to call MSU. What's worse is that those in power chose to make it appear as if Purdue "declined" to participate, rather than simply stating the facts - that there had been a communication breakdown.

Inquiring minds were curious whether perhaps the same thing happened to Willie, and today, Northwestern Sports' official twitter account set the record straight.

Same story here; Athletic Dept not contacted. Would've loved for Willie to be in Mascot 'Call Me Maybe!' @BigTenNetwork on.jconline.com/MpbSUK

— Northwestern Sports (@NU_Sports) July 13, 2012

Who is to be believed in this high-stakes game of he-said, she-said? Did Purdue and Northwestern really never hear about the call to arms, or did Willie the Wildcat turn down his Jepsen-loving peers? If it's any insight, the Journal and Courier reporters would have gotten a Medill F for misspelling Jepsen "Jepson", but that doesn't give us any clues into who is really double-crossing who here.

My faith in Northwestern is partially restored: perhaps Willie the Wildcat merely didn't hear about the video, rather than what was previously believed, that he viciously declined a plea for participation in a fun-loving summer hit viral video. However, what's gone is my faith in the system. No matter who's telling the truth, it's clear that someone in our conference has no qualms about cliquishly deceiving others in order to make it seem as if they are in the right. And if we can't trust each other, all is lost.