Friday, November 11, 2011

The Penn State Board of Trustees did the right thing with respect to Coach Paterno. The way this thing has exploded due to his seemingly-calculated inaction there is just no way that he should be permitted to continue to lead this team. There may be a lot more to come but right now the best thing to do is get him and all of the others involved out of the public eye and away from the school while they begin to address the huge storm ahead.


While I am glad that he has been removed I do not revel in this shame and disgrace that has befallen the school or football program. I am quite disappointed that school officials have not been more forthcoming with proactive statements or actions related to the victims, but recognize that there is a fine legal line in place that they must maintain and probably cannot get into that stuff, at least not yet.


I am certainly very disappointed with Paterno's involvement and inaction with this situation. It has diminished my respect for him to the lowest possible level. I will never be able to hear his name and not immediately think of the damage that his inaction has done to a bunch of kids, the exact number of which we may never know. But just like O.J. I will always admire what he was able to accomplish in football, on and off the field:

  • He created one of the most storied college football programs in the history of the sport
  • He stressed academics and graduated a lot of players
  • He didn't cash in by leaving for more money
  • He knew the value of branding and didn't succumb to the lure of big money to change that brand.
  • He gave back millions to the university
  • He won a lot of games, bowl games, and a couple of national championships

This is the stuff that those who continue to support him remember while not considering that character trumps all of that. They are people whose values are misplaced, either permanently or due to their emotions temporarily clouding their better judgment. Those in the latter category will come around, while just like with O.J. there will be those who will support Coach Paterno to the end of their days.


My primary thoughts are with the victims of Jerry Sandusky and hope that they find a way to find some way to heal and put this behind them. I know that is a tall order. Just like we cannot un-ring a bell, there is not much that can be done to erase these acts from their memories and lives. Still I hope that he has not ruined these people in such a way that they cannot follow their dreams.


In Thursday, November 10, 2011 Neil Rudel of the Altoona Mirror wrote:

Wednesday night, while attempting to take the first step toward rebuilding its reputation and re-shaping its future, Penn State finally sent the message that the institution cannot take orders from the football coach.

From: http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/555303/End-of-lion-won-t-overshadow-greatest-tenure.html?nav=805

On the margins of this mess another subject needs discussed, that being the stranglehold that college sports and sports in general have on our society. Had events like this been related to faculty members associated with the school's orchestra would the school attempt to cover it up? I don't think so, but there is no potentially-huge financial loss associated with the school's orchestra.

We live in a world where a school will pay millions of dollars for the right to play football in a different conference. We don't blink an eye when we see that West Virginia University will pay $5 million to leave the Big East. FIVE MILLION DOLLARS! For an extracurricular activity? Coaches are paid enormous sums and these programs generate boat loads of revenue. Is it any wonder that these guys would want to protect that? While the end certainly does not justify the means in this case, I will suggest that we, our collective society, should also be ashamed that we have created this monster that would make some intelligent men make horrible decisions that hurt children all for the sake of what is supposed to be a diversion for students in pursuit of higher education.

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5 Comments:

At 11:54 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

say what???..

 
At 6:11 AM, Blogger Scott Hayden said...

Read it again.

 
At 8:41 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I read enough I still don't agree with you, they should of all been arrested and shoot!

 
At 5:33 AM, Blogger Scott Hayden said...

We are not as far apart on this as you may think. Yes, I agree that they should all be arrested and tried for these crimes. Shot? Not a supporter of capital punishment, but they should certainly get maximum sentences.

I will never agree that the NCAA had any reason to impose the sanctions that it did, as what happened at Penn State did nothing to provide them with competitive advantage. Vacating wins and penalizing the football team was ridiculous.

I have never been a Penn State fan until this year. I am pleased that those players who stayed are winning some games and hope for nothing but the best for them and those who follow in the future.

 
At 3:32 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

They should be shoot! And I'm sure you were a fan before then! No reason to say no now!

 

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