is, they haven't learned a God damned thing. http://www.thenation.com/blog/164587/world-joe-paterno-made
That's just one point of view. As obviously slanted as it is, it means nothing. I give no credibility to anyone who arrogantly paints the entire campus population, the 80,000+ fans, and the student-athletes with a broad brush of they-don't-care paint. The nerve of that writer pointing out isolated comments to infer that all these tens of thousands of people were wallowing in self-pity. There are divergent viewpoints to be sure. One of those clearly is illustrated here.....piling on.
I think the bigger point is that this guy protested silently and he was gut slapped, had beer poured on him, had his signs kicked away and endured constant verbal abuse over the course of the day. No one stepped in to stop it. I can readily admit that skybox/prodigy aside, I've not met one Penn State fan who didn't have this mindset. That isn't to say they are all covered under the broad brush stroke. What is to say is that not a damned thing has changed. I'd say almost three quarters of my clients I deal with in a day or Penn State alums, or fans who went to other colleges in the area (including Ivy league types)... not one of them doesn't think JoePa is guilty of anything. That isn't just one writer, click the hyperlink from that story. His story was inspired by a newspaper's coverage of it... Why didn't anyone step in to tell people to leave him alone? Why didn't anyone stop this. That's a real common question in Happy Valley these days. It's not piling on, it's people digging in against the even larger broad brush stroke of CYA in the media that we're already seeing take place. I've encountered protesters at games. Some of them, well honestly their cause was quite laughable. (California native American tribes protesting the use of the Seminole is one) Had someone done to them what that guy endured at Penn State, there would have been a fight.. or at least a very tense confrontation. I wish I could be more sympathetic Sid, I really do. I'm all about the world being many shades of gray with very few things that are black and white. The longer this goes on, the more black and white this seems to be.
Paterno may well suffer the same fate as OJ. No one remembers Simpson the player; no one will remember Paterno, the winningest coach. And that is as it should be.
Well said Sid.....I can't speak for all of 'em as that fool did, but I've got a helluva lot better sense for some of 'em than he does to be sure...and nothing could be further from the truth. Of course they feel sorry for themselves, they're human beings and it is a natural reaction but to suggest that is the overwhelming emotional response is crap.....my wife and her entire family love their school and football team but they are mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles and grandmas and grandpas of young boys above all else and they are grief stricken and enraged by what happened to those young boys as are tens of thousands of their fellow alums......what a vile disgusting piece of crap article that was......
Bo gets it. http://thedeeppost.com/2011/11/15/p...ils-it-during-the-post-game-press-conference/ Perspective is something that appears to be lacking greatly in B1G country. Who knew that the 'mild mannered' Bo P would be the voice of reason? That should give people reason to stop and give pause... they won't because it's about the players, the money, the school, the tv rights... it's about everything except what it should be about..
A lot of people get it Corey.....and for the millions that do, the broad brush you use to taint them is way off the mark.....my wife - a PSU alum as you know - and I have a twelve year old son, her parents - PSU alums have a 2 12 year old grandsons - her brother and sister-in-law - also PSU alums - have a 12 year old son and nephew. Trust me when I tell you, I'm living it, up close and personal, we get it. Perspective my ass......
Terry, As am I, listening to client after client tell me how 'this faggot ruined Joe Pa's legend.'...and how 'this isn't right, the kids suffering for something they had nothing to do with'.. it goes on and on and on. Not saying your wife or family members are in that long line of jock culture goon squad. I'm glad to hear they aren't. Now we just need more of them.. and more of them willing to stand up in the face of assault... because right now, they're badly outnumbered. You guys seem to forget, I live in Alabama and work for a company in Pennsylvania. I bet you I come in contact with 50 alums of Penn State a day (and not the same people over and over).. That isn't counting the others who are Penn State fans who went to Penn, Pitt or insert random prestigious or otherwise school here). I know they are out there. Right now, they are outnumbered. You can say they exist, but what people say...and what they do are two very different things. Right now all I hear about is talk of a Penn State and quality people. You want to paint the loud goons and the rape culture as merely the 'vocal minority.' I call ******** on that. You're at best 50-50. It's a family torn apart and until you can recognize that (and admit it) this problem won't get better.
Terry, I feel for your family and for the tens of thousands of Penn State faithful who have been violated by this horrible scandal. I can relate somewhat to how they feel because of how I as a Catholic felt as the Church scandal unfolded. Granted, they are different in scale, but the fallout is similar. I was angry that the Church hierarchy was not held directly accountable for shielding the pedophile priests. At least in the case of PSU, there are specifically identifiable people who will be held accountable in a court of law and certainly in the court of public opinion. In my case, I felt violated in the sense that my faith was being put to a test that I had no control over. Through it all, I never gave a thought to leaving the Church, as the PSU faithful are standing by their beloved university. As happened in the Church scandal, there will be many who will pile on, as we are seeing here, because it is their nature to do so. There will be differing opinions. For example, I understand those who feel the game should not have been played. I watched everything that happened on the field, and I believe that it was OK to play the game. Despite the isolated instances cited in the article at the head of this topic, which are miniscule in terms for the number of people involved, it gave the PSU community a start to the healing process. Unlike opinions to the contrary, I saw the game as defining the true character of the PSU community, and thank goodness I did not fall prey to judging the whole based on the conduct of the very few.
I agree that the PSU family is a family torn apart and not all of them feel as my wife does.....I get that. But your statement was.... and the brush with which you painted everybody in B1G country encompasses a whole lot more than those tortured and conflicted souls from PSU. If you were to take a poll across the entirety of B1G country, I would expect the vast majority would vote to nuke the program in its entirety and wait until the ashes were cold to start over.....I just didn't think it accurate or reasonable to lump everybody in with those other poor bastards who still blame the press for Joe and the programs destruction.....that's all. Sid, thanks....very well put.
Thoughts? http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7233704/the-brutal-truth-penn-state I agree with Sid btw, I thought the game was a defining moment for the Penn State family.. While business went on as usual inside the stadium, abuse was going on right outside and people just walked by... When you get what's wrong with that, it's a step in the right direction... When people get what's wrong with that and then ACT ON IT, you're getting there. Which few would that be Sid? The ones who did the actual abuse or the tens of thousands who walked by doing nothing?
This article reflects what I said last week about Meyer now unable to take over at Penn State whereas before it was a better fit for him at Penn St than at other openings.. http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/16115355/its-complicated-but-penn-state-cant-hire-best-football-coach The Ohio State job now looms large for Urban but I think it's 50/50 because of the pressure that goes with that job and it has no weather lure. If Mack Brown ever retires at Texas that might be a better fit for Meyer because the winter weather is a factor for Mrs. Meyer plus it gives Urban a couple of more years to do his ESPN thing which he claims to enjoy.
In my view Corey that is equivalent to saying that the circumstances surrounding the death of Declan Sullivan was a defining moment for the Notre Dame family.....while business went on as usual inside the practice facility, a young life was at risk due to the negligence of several and people just kept on practicing and watching the tower sway until it came down..... I don't believe that statement to be true for a second and trust that you don't either.....the hyperbole is just not productive in my view....
It's not hyperbolic and for the record, I think there should have been more accountability for Declan's death. The more I read about that, the more I think... WTF was that kid doing up there? Good men make mistakes.. the difference between good men and the others is that good men are accountable.. We are sorely lacking in accountability these days. BTW, read the Grantland article. Also, I get what you were saying in the Sullivan comparison but here is where it's really off... This is after the tragedy...after the riots...and after the candle light sing a long to honor/mourn the victims.. in their very first public appearance and with everyone watching.. a guy protesting silently was subjected to abuse... both physical and verbal, by the same people who said they 'have learned.' Penn State has been talking a good game about good men for my entire life, but I've yet to see evidence of it.. When I start seeing them be accountable for their actions (or inaction) I will believe it.. until then, it's just one big drunken frat rape after another written off as 'boys being boys.'
I just don't believe that to true Corey.....in "their" first public appearance...."everyone" watching...."same" people.....who are they? Oh really? There are millions of PSU people....alums and related, faculty and related, staff and related, fans and related, etc.....they are the PSU family. What percentage of that family subjected that man to abuse or ignored it if they witnessed it first hand? If you are suggesting to me that the majority of the PSU family would support or in any way condone those actions, I believe you're terribly wrong. That would be a gross exaggeration and that would be hyperbole and that's just not productive in my view but you are certainly entitled to your opinion but my opinion is that is sheer unadulterated nonsense, completely unreasonable and not remotely close to the truth..
Buckeye T, I hope you didn't pull a muscle trying to equate a college age kid getting blown off a scissors lift by a gust of wind with years of systematic child abuse of young children by man who, up to ten days ago, had full access to his favorite hunting grounds, the PSU campus and the apparent coverup by most familiar with the situation. A well known coach would have to be crazy to take that Penn State job now.
Krebs, BT said he didn't believe that statement about Sullivan to be true, just using it as an example of hyperbole getting out of hand. That said I do believe that the vast majority of PSU fans have invested so much into Joe Paterno, that to toss him aside is just too difficult. I believe most of them are hoping that in the future things will come out that explain the situation and allow Joe to be cleared of complicity in the scandal. I saw an article by Coach K where he can't bring himself to be critical of Joe and searches for reasons to absolve Joe.
I stand corrected. Meanwhile, ten more alleged victims cue up. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/15/s...state-scandal.html?_r=1&partner=MYWAY&ei=5065
Why not Golden? He is in a world of crap now at Miami that is not of his own doing so why not go from the frying pan into the fire? Might as well.....