Wlll Penn State's punishment fit the crime?

Throughout the entire saga of the Jerry Sandusky/Penn State sex abuse scandal, people have speculated what the PSU administration knew and did not know.  People who did not have facts were screaming for the NCAA to fire off the death penalty on the Penn State Football program.  People without facts proclaimed Joe Paterno did all he had to do by reporting the issue to his superiors.   

There was always speculation as to who exactly was in charge at Penn State.  After hearing the findings of the Freeh report today, that's a very valid question.  Who was in charge at Penn State?   I'm not referring to the names of the people in charge during this.  We know those names with great detail.  President Spanier, Coach Paterno, Athletic Director Tim Curley, and Vice-President Gary Schultz.  

My question is directed more towards who these people are in terms of their character.  

Prior to this scandal, all four men were held with the highest regards professionally.  Every college football fan is well aware of Paterno's accomplishments both on and off the field.   Paterno is the all time winningest coach at the highest collegiate level.  He's given millions of dollars back to the school who employed him, and for all intents and purposes he was perceived as a good guy.   Spanier was also widely regarded as one of the finest university leaders in the country.   

None of that matters anymore.

The findings of the Freeh report blow those reputations to hell and back.  In it, the underlying theme of the report is that four people of high power and esteem at Penn State participated in a deliberate cover-up of the deplorable actions of Jerry Sandusky.  They all lied as to the extent of their knowledge.  All four of them.  

In light of the evidence found by the investigative committee, these four people are responsible for choosing not to report the actions of Sandusky to law enforcement to protect the university and football program from shame.  One quote I've heard is that it "wouldn't have been humane to Sandusky." This decision allowed Sandusky to continue to prey on his victims long after it should have been stopped.

People everywhere are disgusted by the actions of Sandusky for good reason.  The crimes he committed against children are unspeakable.  People are also understandably disgusted by the fact that said actions were hidden from the public intentionally.  I've preferred to wait until the facts came to light before making further judgement, and that day was today.

As a former Penn State student I am absolutely sickened to see all the details of just how much these four knew and hid.   Paterno, a man I once respected, has let down the very people he tried to teach the Penn State way to.  When it came time for him to face his greatest test, he failed in the most awful way imaginable.  

If they had gone to the authorities, Sandusky would have still been put on trial, but perhaps more people would have respected Penn State for "doing the right thing" in this situation.  There would have been negative publicity, childish anti-PSU jokes much like other schools caught in scandal have to face, but it would have been the right thing to do.

So now we settle in on the next phase which is, "What punishment fits the crime?"  Keep in mind that Paterno was fired for this, as was Spanier.  Curley and Schultz are on "administrative leave" while they face perjury charges, although I would imagine today's findings are more than enough ammunition for Penn State to fire them for ethical misconduct.  

All four involved will be gone for good from the university.   That should satisfy some of the bloodlust.  

Step two, legal remuneration for the victims.   Money won't change what happened, but making sure these victims get help in recovering from what is an unspeakable tragedy is a necessity.  Especially when it could have been prevented.

Step three, is trickier.  NCAA sanctions.   People out there are screaming for Penn State to get the death penalty.  You'll hear both sides of this argument play out on sports radio in the near future.  I never thought the day would come where I'd find myself writing this statement, but if Penn State was hit with the death penalty, I wouldn't complain.   Any sane, logical fan of Penn State has to see this situation for what it is.  

Despicable.

Shocking words I know, but this entire situation is shocking.  If they continue to play football like nothing happened, it will only prove that football is king in this country.  Innocents get harmed in any type of punishment.  Wives, children, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends.  Everyone who knows a prisoner can attest to this.  It's harder on those left behind.  

What would be even more shocking would be for Penn State themselves to shut down the program for a year or two.  Don't wait for the NCAA to rule.  Prove that you understand the seriousness of this situation and do the right thing.  The school would probably be better off overall if it separated football from the university for a little while.  How much of a distraction will this upcoming football season be?  

There is no precedent for the type of punishment that is worthy in this situation because this (thankfully) hasn't happened before.  Hopefully it never does again. My only question for the readers though is, how much is enough punishment for you?   

I get the feeling from some people out there that they'd like to see the Penn State Campuses flipped upside down and become State Penn.  Anyone who has ever been associated with PSU must be evil right?  

Lock down any former student, professor, athlete, alumni, whatever.  They scream, "Wipe Penn State off the map!"

I don't expect people to forget, but at least forgive and help Penn Staters move forward.  

Contrary to some people's beliefs these days, there is still a lot of good about Penn State.  I trust that PSU will do the right thing and never forget what happened here.  

One other thing many people have discussed is the statue of Joe Paterno.  Most people want it torn down.   You can't argue with that either.  Maybe before today's report you could have, but not now.  

It would be a constant reminder of the man who helped conceal a serial rapist.  It's a constant reminder of one of the greatest mistakes in human history.  Then again, maybe you SHOULD leave it up for just that reason.  

Never forget what happened here. 

Penn State reportedly hires Bill O'Brien as the next football head coach

Penn State certainly took their time finding a new head coach to replace Joe Paterno and that exhaustive search has led them to...Bill O'Brien.  O'Brien will take over as the first new head football coach at Penn State since 1966.

I'm going to pause while some of you use Google to look up Bill O'Brien.  He is the current offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots.

In case you aren't familiar with how former Patriots offensive coordinators have done away from the hub of the recording industry, a.k.a. Spygate, here's a few names for you.

New PSU head coach Bill O'Brien

Charlie Weis coached five years at Notre Dame, compiling a record of 35-27.  He started off with two strong seasons (9-3 and 10-3) with losses in the Sugar and Fiesta Bowls, but then he went 3-9. 7-6 and 6-6 over the last three seasons.  He recently signed on as the head coach at Kansas.

Josh McDaniels compiled an 11-17 in two seasons with the Denver Broncos.  From the start he mismanaged a possible trade with the Patriots for Matt Cassel and lost the trust of his quarterback Jay Cutler, who demanded to be traded.  Missed playoffs in first season despite starting 6-0.  The team was also involved in a videotaping scandal, which he clearly learned from Bill Belichick

Now we have Bill O'Brien who, like Joe Paterno, went to Brown University.  That might have been a good school to hire from in 1966, but not sure how relevant they are in major college athletics these days.

O'Brien's coaching resume includes stints at Brown, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Duke, and the New England Patriots. 

I love how Duke's offenses were terrible under O'Brien but he got hired to coach in New England and now gets some credit when really it's Tom Brady being Tom Brady.  If Brady could magically regain some eligibility and come play for PSU, then we might have a strong hire here, but as it is I am extremely skeptical.

O'Brien intends to remain the offensive coordinator for the Patriots for as long as they remain in the playoffs.  If that includes a Super Bowl appearance, then O'Brien won't take over fully until just two days before Letter of Intent day. 

I realize the situation at Penn State made the likelihood of getting a big name coach very small, but there had to be coordinators out there, much like recent Pitt hire Paul Chryst, who would still welcome the chance to take over a program like Penn State that's in a major BCS conference and plays before one of the largest stadiums and fan bases in college football.  

Do we really need a guy like O'Brien whose made to look better because he has a future hall of famer at the QB position?

As always I'll take a wait and see approach, but I just don't think this is the right guy to lead Penn State back to glory.  I just don't know that PSU had much of a choice given who they finally picked. 

Is Anyone Else Out There SICK Of Hearing About Penn State?

Look, I'm not naive to think this story about the Jerry Sandusky scandal is dead by any means, but every article I read seems to rehash the same details as the other 20 articles on the same website.   I'm talking to you ESPN.  You put up an article about how JoePa was proud of the team, dedicating about 4 lines of text to his reaction before filling the rest of it with details about the sex scandal.

Even those who haven't bothered to read the 23 page grand jury report should now be intimately familiar with the specifics of the allegations facing Sandusky.  Lord knows we've been bludgeoned to death by them over the past week or so.

We've reached the point where every rumor and possibility is being overblown in the media and on Twitter. 

One of the latest rumors circling the net was that the Joe Paterno statue outside of Beaver Stadium is going to be taken down.  Immediately the comments filled up about how PSU students were surely going to riot when this news became official.

I'm not defending any of the actions, or lack thereof, of those involved in this mess.  Even if he wasn't the one committing the crimes, it certainly appears Paterno could have done more to prevent more victims from being harmed by Sandusky. 

Paterno was responsible as head coach for many things and as a result, had to lose his job.    It just seems like many people out there don't want to stop there.  Some would see Paterno go to jail despite the fact he committed no crime.  There are already talks about civil lawsuits, tarnished legacies, and other football related news (Paterno's name removed from the Big Ten Championship Trophy).

I've even read comments on ESPN articles from Big Ten Rival school's fans about how PSU deserves the NCAA death penalty.  Don't worry, PSU will take a huge hit in this for far longer than the NCAA could possibly impose a sanction for.

At this point, the legal investigations and trials need to run their course before any other action is taken.  I think way too many people are fanning flames that shouldn't be burning yet.  Even worse, so many uninformed people who haven't bothered to read the grand jury report continue to chime in their opinions. 

Armen Keteyian and CBS promoted an exclusive interview with Mike McQueary which was in actuality a 24 second conversation mostly with Keteyian putting words in McQueary's mouth.  One of the lamest and most over hyped interviews I have ever seen.  It seems to be a great symbol for what passes as journalism in this case.  Short, uninformed, and over promoted.

To be fair, Bob Costas had a strong interview with Jerry Sandusky, in which he asked very relevant questions to try and get to the bottom of Sandusky's inner psyche.  What we found is haunting to say the least.  The fact it took Sandusky about 3-4 seconds to try and answer whether he is sexually attracted to young boys is just sick. 

The media needs to stick to reporting facts instead of spreading every possible unfounded rumor they hear about this mess in an attempt to "break a story" first.   It's just irresponsible.  

I doubt it'll happen though because there are a lot of people out there who would rather get ratings and attention out of all of this than to see the truth or justice find the light of day. 

We never got to say goodbye.

Before I start this rant, I'd like it to be known that I do not condone what happened at Penn State. It's a tragedy of epic proportions and it could have been prevented.

So many people are bashing PSU fans who continue to show support for Joe Paterno following his dismissal as head coach of Penn State. What they fail to realize is that Paterno has been a grandfather figure to so many who follow the team. In fact, he was almost the same exact age as my own grandfather.

When we lose loved ones suddenly in life, what is the common thing many of us say? "I wish we had more time" or "I never got to say goodbye."

I'm going to focus on the second one. Paterno will not have a chance to coach another game unless some crazy athletic director decides to hire an 84 year-old coach to be the face of his program. Very doubtful since that same athletic director would promptly be fired for making such a move.

There will be no final home game ceremony to honor him. No final chance for the PSU faithful to shower him with accolades for all the good he's done in building Penn State into a national powerhouse.

The fans were robbed of that because of a scandal that also shook their pride in Penn State to the core.

Whatever you think of Paterno's involvement in this scandal and subsequent cover up, it doesn't change the fact he's arguably the greatest college football coach ever, at least in D-I/FBS football.

I fully understand why you can't honor him at this time, but that doesn't mean his fans shouldn't be allowed to share their feelings of support for what he did ON THE FIELD.

Penn State has always felt like a large family, and no matter what you think of a family member's failings, they are still your family.

Paterno is the grandfather of Penn State. Many out there, myself included, are still in shock at just how quickly he was gone. Just last week he won his 409th game as head coach, moving into 2nd all time in college football history. No one could have known it would be his final time patrolling the Penn State sidelines.

Yes he's still alive and facing the music for what happened but in terms of football he's dead. Let us grieve his loss however we see fit.

Instead of the negative, focus on the positive responses the student community and alumni have done since the scandal went public.

The candlelight vigil Friday night on the lawn of Old Main was emotional and proved that not all PSU students are interested in rioting to show support for Paterno.

At the time I write this article, Penn State supporters have already raised over $295,000 of their $500,000 goal to support R.A.I.N.N. (Rape Abuse Incest National Network).

McLanahan's Penn State will donate all proceeds from the sale of Nebraska Blueout t-shirts this weekend. They can be purchased online at www.pennstateroom.com

None of this will ever make up for the unspeakable tragedy that has occurred. It will never atone for the horrendous acts that Jerry Sandusky committed, and will never fulfill the moral obligations that Paterno, Mike McQueary, Tim Curley, Gary Schultz, and Graham Spanier failed to uphold.

It does show you that not everyone at Penn State are monsters. Many of us are fine upstanding individuals with large, heavy hearts in the wake of these scandals. We are just as disgusted as the rest of the world at these allegations, and fully support the legal process and hope the hammer comes down on everyone responsible.

On top of that though, we've lost a grandfather figure in the process. Let us deal with this in our own ways.

We are...Penn State.

We are...grieving.

Joe Paterno fired as head coach of Penn State

A headline I never thought I'd see, let alone write, in my lifetime.  Joe Paterno is no longer the head football coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions.  

A few hours after Paterno indicated he would retire at the end of the 2011 season, the Penn State University Board of Trustees announced at a press conference that Paterno had been removed from his position, replaced by interim head coach Tom Bradley.  Joe Paterno was fired.

University president Graham Spanier is also out, replaced on an interim basis by provost Dr. Rodney Erickson.

I'm so glad my grandfather Ed isn't alive to see Paterno fall like this.  He absolutely loved Penn State football and I can only imagine the heartache he would feel tonight.  I only know the empty pit in my stomach.

I know this had to be done for the university to move forward, but that didn't make the news any easier to take.  What also didn't help the situation was the utterly stupid questions being asked by some people at the press conference.

A legendary coaching icon was just removed from a position he has held for almost half a century amidst scandal, and someone actually asked out loud "Why Why?" at the immediate announcement.

Someone asked about a severance package for Paterno.  Who cares?

Someone asked if the board thought they rushed to judgement.   Many out there would argue they didn't act fast enough.

NO ONE asked a single question about Spanier!  Glad to know what people's priorities are up there.

A headline I never thought I'd see.

I have a question that SHOULD have been asked at the press conference.  "Can you tell us if Mike McQueary, who WITNESSED a child being raped still has his job?  If so, can you possibly explain how?"  From all sources on Twitter, McQueary is still employed.  That's a joke.

On top of the "journalism" displayed at the press conference, Penn State students are on the verge of rioting. 

This situation continues to get worse and worse with each passing moment, and it all comes back to one simple fact.  It could have been prevented. 

Don't lose sight of the reason this all occurred tonight.  An alleged sexual predator was allowed to remain on campus as a result of a coverup.  The only innocent victims in all of this were Sandusky's victims. 

It's a sad day and it didn't need to be.

This Will Be Joe Paterno's Final Season

Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno announced today that he will be retiring at the end of the 2011 season.  Needless to say the circumstances of his exit are not what anyone could have envisioned for the 84-year old legendary coach.

I won't rehash the obvious reasons for why Paterno is making this move. 

Paterno issued the following statement:

I am absolutely devastated by the developments in this case. I grieve for the children and their families, and I pray for their comfort and relief.

I have come to work every day for the last 61 years with one clear goal in mind: To serve the best interests of this university and the young men who have been entrusted to my care. I have the same goal today.

That’s why I have decided to announce my retirement effective at the end of this season. At this moment the Board of Trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status. They have far more important matters to address. I want to make this as easy for them as I possibly can.

This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.

My goals now are to keep my commitments to my players and staff and finish the season with dignity and determination. And then I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to help this University.

Penn State's Board Of Trustees is meeting tonight to discuss several agenda items, most notably the status of President Graham Spanier and whether or not Paterno will be allowed to coach this weekend in the game against Nebraska. 

Paterno thinks he is coaching, but to be honest, that isn't his decision to make anymore. 

Spanier is expected to be out as president by the end of the night.

Keep tuned in for updates on this evolving story.

Continuing Coverage of the PSU Sex scandal

More and more details emerge by the hour in the indictment of former PSU defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.  It seems with every passing moment the administration of Penn State finds ways to make themselves look even dumber.

Graham Spanier, President of Pennsylvania State University, seems to think these accusations are merely troubling.  “The allegations about a former coach are troubling, and it is appropriate that they be investigated thoroughly,” the statement read. “Protecting children requires the utmost vigilance … I wish to say that Tim Curley and Gary Schultz have my unconditional support.”

Did he read the grand jury statement?  Plain as day it is spelled out all of the crap these guys have covered up, and yet he unconditionally supports them?

A suspected pedophile continued to get access to Penn State for years after he was caught in the act.  We now know the graduate assistant in the report is Mike McQueary.  McQueary reported the issue to Joe Paterno, who immediately notified Tim Curley of the problem.

That's all well and good on Paterno's part, but you have to wonder if Paterno bothered to followup on his reporting of the situation.  From all of the reports it seems like University Police didn't bother to fully investigate the claims. 

No one seemed to go and search for the victim...
No one seemed to care...

Paterno fulfilled his legal responsibility by reporting the matter, but I think he fell a bit short on the moral front.  That is why he is drawing a lot of criticism today from the national media and the public.

Joe Paterno was the king of campus during this time.  He wielded more power than Curley, and many are saying he should have been the one to report the issue to the police, particularly years after the fact when Sandusky still had access to the campus.

Curley and Schultz are in deep over this, and rightfully so.  Why lie about it to a grand jury?  Surely these well educated men had to see there was no saving their jobs once the truth came out. 

Although with stupidity running about on campus in the name of Spanier, who has given them unconditional support, maybe they need not have worried about job security.

At this point anything less than the resignations of Spanier, Curley and Schultz would be an outrage.  Curley and Schultz (allegedly) swept this entire thing under the rug, and Spanier is responsible for them all.

This also pains me to say it but Joe Paterno also has to resign in the wake of all of this.  While he didn't do anything wrong by reporting to Curley, I'm not entirely sure he made sure the authorities were aware of the problem either. 

Nothing stopped him from going outside the chain of command, no matter how painful it might have been to turn in an old friend.  In fact, I'm pretty sure when other head coaching jobs were a possibility for Sandusky, didn't Paterno offer up recommendations for the jobs?  I'm not sure I could recommend a co-worker for a job if I knew they were a pedophile. 

Paterno may not have a choice in the matter.  If Curley resigns or is removed from office, Penn State will have a new athletic director.  A new AD would deserve the opportunity to bring in his own head coach.  It's not like Paterno is the future of Penn State.  He's clearly the past. 

The only way to start the healing process in this whole matter is to remove all traces of the cancer from the body.  In this case those responsible, directly or indirectly, have to be shown the door. 

Anything less will only add to this travesty.

PSU AD Tim Curley and VP of Business Gary Schultz Charged With Perjury

Maybe Pitt fans have it right. Perhaps the school will HAVE to change it's name to State Penn University.

Updating my article from yesterday. the Jerry Sandusky sex scandal just got bigger and who knows where the final axe will fall.

Athletic Director Tim Curley and Vice President of Finance and Business Gary Schultz were charged on Saturday with perjury and failure to report in an investigation. Schultz's responsibilities include overseeing the University Police department.

A good description of the mess involving Curley can be found at this ESPN Blog.

This is definitely not a good sign for the Penn State administration as it now seems very likely that some sort of massive cover up occurred at the school. You have to wonder how many other high ranking officials and coaches in the program knew what was going on.

It sounds like Paterno knew about the situation and reported it to his superiors. That's why he was not named in the perjury charges. I know some biased people will want to tear down Paterno's legacy but if he reported the situation to his athletic director, he's done his job. Had he not told Curley and tried to cover it up, then perhaps you could fault Paterno.

Why would Curley lie about it? If Sandusky did it, then deal with it by letting him go and don't lie to the authorities when asked about it. Nothing this big ever goes away. Hiding the truth only hurts the program more.

Curley and Schultz deserve jail time if we find out they did lie to protect a sexual predator. What kind of leadership does that show?

I am absolutely disgusted by this whole story right now and it looks like it's going to get a lot worse.

At least the state penitentiary isn't too far from campus.

Former PSU Defensive Coordinator Jerry Sandusky Facing Felony Sex Crime Charges.

Penn State has a long standing reputation of being a moral compass in college athletics.  Head coach Joe Paterno has always focused on trying to recruit kids who will go to class and get an education on top of being pretty good athletes. 

It's what has made Penn State stand out over quite a few other noteworthy programs during his 46 year tenure.

I imagine I'm not the only Penn State alumni who is completely shocked to hear the news that former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was indicted on felony sex crime charges. 

According to the Patriot-News, Sandusky is facing 40 counts of various crimes.  A two year grand jury investigation resulted in the indictment.  The alleged charges range from 1996-2005.  Makes you wonder if Sandusky's autobiography, "Touched: The Jerry Sandusky Story", had more of a hidden meaning to the title. 

The actually name of Sandusky's autobiography.
You can't make this up...

Sandusky retired from Penn State in 1998, so going off the charges listed, some of this allegedly took place during his Penn State tenure.

Sandusky is the founder of The Second Mile, a statewide non-profit organization that plans, organizes, and offers activities and programs for children - and adults who work with them - to promote self-confidence as well as physical, academic, and personal success.

I am always in the camp of "innocent until proven guilty" but it's hard to look at all these charges that took over two years to be filed, and not think SOMETHING happened. 

The big thing one has to know, is who knew what and when in the Penn State administration.  Joe Paterno and athletic director Tim Curley both testified before the grand jury during their investigation.

Sandusky was often rumored to be the next head coach at Penn State after Paterno retired, and yet at the age of 55 he suddenly retired and disappeared from the limelight.  Makes you wonder doesn't it?

Several media entities around Pittsburgh (Chris Mueller and Mark Madden) are asking the same questions I am. 

What if Paterno and Penn State knew about this and covered it up?

How did no one in the Central Pennsylvania media hear about this before now?

What happens if we find out PSU DID know about all of this?  Surely some heads would roll.

It remains alleged of course, so I will wait and see what happens in the trial. Regardless, the whole situation disgusts me and I am sure many of you out there as well.

One of the most boring 5-1 teams in the country....

Most college football fans are accustomed to epic shootouts, where defense is an afterthought.  The offensive talent in the NCAA usually dwarfs their defensive counterparts.

Penn State is the antithesis of this notion. 

The offense is awful this year, mostly as a result of the coaching staff's unwillingness to install one quarterback as the leader of the team.  This indecision manifests itself on the scoreboard every week.

Even the broadcasters are calling out Penn State for this.  They are equally praising the Nittany Lion defense which is the SOLE reason that Penn State finds themselves with a 5-1 record point in this season.

Tom Bradley continues to prove why he is one of the finer coaching minds in the country, and it continues to astound me why he is never getting the call to take over as a head coach of a program.  

It's scary to think how good this team could be if the offense could just get untracked.  They held Alabama to 27 points, which is below average by the Crimson Tide's standards. 

This week they held the nation's 28th ranked passing attack to 169 yards and two interceptions.  This was the same Iowa team that shredded Pitt for 399 yards passing and a 21 point comeback.  PSU made that same offense look like a bunch of high schoolers.

It's not pretty, but it's effective.  There's no telling just how far PSU can go behind this defense.  Things will get trickier as the opponent's talent level builds up, but again, this was a solid passing team that PSU held in check today.

They'll face another solid test in the form of the 19th ranked rushing attack of the Purdue Boilermakers.  This might test the linebackers who are without Michael Mauti for the remainder of the season. 

Sure it might be boring to some of you, but in the words of the recently departed Al Davis, "Just Win Baby".  That's all that matters in the end.

Penn State Needs To Stop Playing Quarterback Roulette

The Penn State Nittany Lions have been walking a tightrope act so far this year by refusing to name one quarterback as the outright number one.   In my opinion, the only thing keeping them on the rope is a stifling defense that ranks tenth in the NCAA.

Rob Bolden and Matt McGloin have both taken significant snaps for the blue and white with mixed results.  If I am being honest here, I really don't think either is strong enough to lead Penn State to a Big Ten Championship, but playing the revolving door isn't helping the situation.

I'm struggling to understand why Matt McGloin hasn't been named the starter by now.  His 63% completion percentage destroys the disgusting 46.5% Bolden has posted.   No brainer, right?

McGloin has three touchdowns versus zero interceptions.  Bolden on the other hand has one touchdown against three interceptions.  Another no brainer.

McGloin also outproduced Rob Bolden in 2010, so I'm really not sure what he has to do further to prove he's the right guy for the job.   The only knock against McGloin was his awful five interception performance in the Outback bowl game against Florida. 

Penn State did not record a passing touchdown until their FOURTH Game this year.   I know the offense is built around Silas Redd, Brandon Beachum, and Curtis Dukes in the rushing attack, but you can't be a good football team by being completely one dimensional.  Eventually the competition level increases.  We saw what happened against Alabama. 

The reason for the inconsistency on offense is because the receivers can't get used to one style or the other and build off of that.  When your starting quarterback has gone four games, has a completion percentage under fifty percent, and has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns, it's time to go with McGloin. 

It's time for the coaching staff to do what's right for Penn State, and end the disaster that is the Rob Bolden era at starting quarterback.   He's had more chances than anyone deserves and has blown all of them.

Joe Paterno's 400th Win: Like Watching Your Grandpa Achieve His Lifelong Dream

Due to parental responsibilities, I got a late start watching the football game between Northwestern and Penn State this weekend. By the time I turned on the game, it was already 21-0 in favor of the visiting Wildcats.

It turned out I was just in time to watch a truly great comeback by my beloved Nittany Lions.

I'm not sure why I felt calm and so sure of the comeback, but it may have been my grandfather's spirit telling me to enjoy what was about to happen. My grandfather Edward was one of the first people who made me a lifelong Penn State fan. He also was about three months apart in age from Joe Paterno.

Maybe that's why watching Penn State football always makes me feel like I am watching my own grandfather out there coaching up the troops. My "Pap" always liked JoePa because of what he stood for on and off the field. He always commented on how Paterno would never rub victory in the face of his opponent by running up the score intentionally.

He always mentioned how Paterno would show nothing but respect for the opponent he was facing, even if it was a game PSU was 99 percent sure to win.

Think about it, have you ever heard Paterno disrespect an opponent before in your life?

I didn't think so.

In today's world of sports, success is fleeting, and it seems like head coaches are always being fired for having a bad season. I've been pretty fortunate to root for two teams that believe in stability at the head coaching position, the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers and, of course, the Penn State Nittany Lions.

As the final moments unwound on victory number 400, I found myself watching in amazement that an 83-year-old man who is constantly being told that the game has passed him by continues to fly in the face of logic and win games for Penn State.

After the final gun sounded, Paterno was greeted by two of his offensive linemen, who picked the old coach up (very carefully, of course) on their shoulders and began to carry him reluctantly for just a little bit. Paterno deserved this moment. He always tries to deflect the spotlight away from himself and his players and onto the next opponent, but this moment deserved to be his and his alone.

It was nice to see him smile and enjoy it.

I was especially touched when Joe's wife Sue found her way to him and the two enjoyed a moment together. It was like seeing your own grandparents unafraid to share their love for each other even after so many years of marriage.

I think that's why this day and this moment were so uplifting to me. It was almost like seeing my own grandfather achieve his dreams.

That's why I know I'm in no hurry to see Joe Paterno retire from coaching. He's like a grandfather to me, and God knows we should treasure every moment with our grandparents before they are gone forever.

Joe Paterno is the embodiment of everything our parents taught us growing up. Be respectful, teach them the right way, not the wrong way. Above all else, with 400 collegiate victories, I think he’s proved that he knew what he was talking about all along.

Hats off to you, Joe.

Think you have another 100 in you?

The Cleveland Browns Are The Biggest Pushovers In The NFL

In a preseason game, the Detroit Lions star rookie lineman Ndamukong Suh slams your quarterback to the ground by his facemask. What do you do? Nothing. No one even got up in his face about it.

Against the hated Pittsburgh Steelers, their linebacker James Harrison lays a crushing blow on your best offensive weapon, knocking him from the game. What do you do? Nothing.

In that same game, that very same linebacker throws another crushing hit on one of your other top offensive weapons. Again, what do you do? Nothing. In face one of your players childishly kicks the ball out of bounds.

How one sided has the matchup been with Pittsburgh? You've beaten them a whopping three times since 1999. It should have been four, but your team got extremely soft in an epic playoff match and you blew a nice comfortable lead.

Pushovers.

Quick. Name me one player on the Cleveland defense that intimidates anyone. People are afraid of Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, LaMar Woodley, Lawrence Timmons, Ryan Clark. They will all throw a major hit on you.

Your wide receivers are always afraid of taking big hits over the middle and often drop the ball. Massaquoi was already bracing for that hit early from Harrison.

The loudest and most noticeable opposition to what happened on the field Sunday comes from the fan base. Uninformed football fans crying for Harrison's head and begging that he gets suspended when all he did was play football. Quite a few former NFL players agree those hits by Harrison were just good, hard hits. It's a crime he got fined for it.

The Browns simply don't know what physical football is anymore. If they did, maybe they would have made the playoffs more than once since their 1999 return to the league. Heck, maybe they should try to finish somewhere other than last place as a stepping stone along the way to being even mediocre.

I'm willing to bet 99% of the Browns fan base is thrilled with all the threats to curtail physical play. I mean, it can't possibly hurt a team that doesn't play that way in the first place. In fact it might even the odds a bit and let the Browns start winning some football games again.

Mike Holmgren is the perfect hire for your organization. Someone with lots of experience whining after the Steelers beat him. He fired James Brown, the only person with any guts in your organization. It's pretty sad when the only person the Browns push around is arguably the team's greatest former player.

Oh well, get used to it. It's going to be a long time before the Browns change their philosophies and get back on the right path. Of course it would help if your team grew a pair first.

Why the NHL needs to use Instant Replay to review Blindside hits

I'm sure by now many of you have heard about how the NHL is cracking down on blindside and lateral hits on players. It's called Rule 48 (http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=64063).

According to the NHL official rule 48.1, a lateral or blind side hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principle point of contact is not permitted. It carries a five minute major penalty and automatic game misconduct. A match penalty can also be enforced if the referees determine the player intended to deliberately harm his opponent with the hit.

I am all for rule 48 as it helps curtail much of the "Dirty" play in the NHL. Go ahead and get rid of the cheap shot artists but at the same time we have to be careful as vicious hits (legal ones) will always be a fun part of the game. Don't like it? Don't lace 'em up.

However with many of the accompanying penalties now associated with this rule, isn't it also important to make sure the player in question actually committed the crime?

A prime example of how this rule was implemented unfairly was in a recent game involving the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Islanders. New York forward Blake Comeau was entering the Penguin's offensive zone and was skating with his head down. Penguin Defensemen Kris Letang came in and laid a shoulder to shoulder hit which knocked Comeau to the ground. During the collision Comeau's helmet went flying.

The referees quickly enforced Rule 48 and issued a five minute major and game misconduct to Letang because they thought Letang made contact with Comeau's head, however the Jumbotron cameras and replays clearly showed this was not the case. The league even later rescinded the penalty based on the clear evidence that Letang's hit was legal.

Given the severe penalties facing a player who might be unfairly called for an infraction of this rule, shouldn't a replay judge at least take a good look to make sure it was in fact a hit to the head? In many cases the player who suffered the hit is lying prone on the ice, so have a replay judge take a look then and there, while the game is already delayed.

In the case of Letang, he was thrown out of the game and the Penguins, who had a 2-0 lead at the time, had to kill the five minute major. The Islanders scored one goal during the power play, and a second one a few seconds after the power play expired to tie the game up at 2. In addition to the score impact, the Penguins were forced to play the rest of the game shorthanded on defense. The blown call had a major effect on the outcome of the game.

Again I want to be clear I am not against Rule 48, I just want to make sure it's implemented properly. It's only fair...

Bullying the Broad Street Bullies

Daniel Briere drew first blood, but it was a river of orange blood that flowed for the remainder of the game. The Penguins (3-3) scored 5 unanswered goals on their way to a convincing 5-1 win Saturday night over the rival Philadelphia Flyers (2-2-1). The win avenged last week’s win in Pittsburgh by Philadelphia.

The Penguin power play continued to struggle early on with an 0 for 4 start. As the game progressed the Penguins started taking more shots on goal on the power play and finally showed signs of waking up from hibernation with two power play goals by Sidney Crosby.

Mark Letestu continued his strong 2011 campaign scoring his third goal of the season. He battled hard in front of the net, before getting his stick free just enough to poke the puck past goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Bobrovsky, who had looked stellar in last week’s win over Pittsburgh, seemed to come back to earth a bit in this one.

What can you say about Penguin backup goaltender Brent Johnson? He continued to make some huge saves early in the game to keep it tied at 1, and then in the 3rd period he continued to keep the Flyers off the board. Just look at this difference in stats. Johnson is now 3-0, sporting a 1.32 GAA, as well as a .953 save percentage. Marc-Andre Fleury on the other hand is carrying an 0-3 record, a 3.41 GAA, and an .853 save percentage.

I never thought I’d say this but you just might have a goaltender controversy in Pittsburgh. Head coach Dan Bylsma was clearly not happy with Fleury’s play through 3 games and as a result Brent Johnson has gotten, and made the most of, his opportunity. It should be very interesting to see who ends up in net against Ottawa on Monday night.

Bylsma should probably ride the hot goaltender until Brent Johnson cools off. He’s flat out been the better player so far, and I think that should earn him some more playing time. At the same time, Fleury is the long term option in goal, and you really need to give him a chance to redeem himself. It’s a tough decision to be sure, but I’m sure Bylsma already has an idea how he is going to handle it.

As it stands, the Penguins have dug out of the early 1-3 start and are starting to play better hockey. It’ll be fun to see how good this team is once they get Jordan Staal, Zbynek Michalek, and Brooks Orpik back.

What do Pitt and Penn State football have in common?

I have a very simple question for Pitt and Penn State football fans? Besides both schools being located in the state of Pennsylvania, what ELSE do the two teams have in common?

The answer is simple. Both teams are god awful. Both teams were severely overrated at the beginning of the season.

As I sit here and look at the flaming pile of dogcrap that is both offenses, you have to wonder how people thought these were two of the top 25 teams in the country before the season.

Every single marquee matchup both teams have faced this year, they've failed miserably.

Pitt: Lost to Utah (Currently ranked 11th in the AP poll) 27-24 on the road while being ranked 15th. That game was closer than it was only because of mindnumbing play by Utah at times in the game. Lost 31-3 at home to then 19th ranked Miami, who just got embarrassed at home the other day 45-17 to that powerhouse Florida State. Pitt also just lost this past weekend to Notre Dame who also does not have any marquee wins this season to brag about.

Penn State: Lost 24-3 on the road at #1 Alabama. Okay so maybe there's no crime in that, other than the fact the offense drove the field only to committ stupid turnovers in the red zone. Lost 24-3 to #17 Iowa on the road. Also struggled heavily against Kent State, Youngstown State, and Temple. Of course they also just got blown out at home by Illinois in the tempo setting game that might cost the Nittany Lions a lot of confidence.

My friend Chris Mueller posed a question recently. What team will end up with more wins? Pitt, Penn State, or Temple.

How many of you would have said before the season began that Temple would have more wins?

Penn State's problem is that they are inexperienced right now. It was a rebuilding year so this isn't completely unexpected. Pitt though was a darkhose candidate for a national champion if you believed some of the local hype.

The only saving grace for Pitt is the disaster of a conference they play in. Honestly all they need to do to go to a BCS bowl is beat WVU. Could you imagine a 7-5 team playing in a major bowl game? It could happen with this crew.

Oh well, at least we appear to have a strong Steeler squad to root for around here.

PSU/Alabama

Well I'm sitting here a few hours after the PSU/Alabama game ended and while the end result was certainly disappointing for us faithful followers of PSU, you have to like some of what you saw in that game.

Yeah the red zone turnovers were a killer, but the fact is that PSU WAS moving the ball somewhat easily on Alabama. For Bolden being a true freshman Qb, he didn't do all that bad.

Yeah I know moral victories don't count for much, but this game could have been a lot worse.

I will say this though, the difference in talent between the two teams was quite apparent. PSU might be "Linebacker U" But I sure didn't see many big plays out of our linebackers. This team needs another LaVar Arrington to dominate again.

The future is bright though, so I won't let a loss on the road to the defending national champions get me down.

WE ARE!!!!

All the naysayers about Penn State's Schedule...

I keep hearing how Penn State is afraid to schedule top competition, but what people forget is that Penn State was scheduled to play Alabama last year and this year. It was the Crimson Tide that bailed on playing Penn State, forcing the Nittany Lions to schedule other more inferior teams.

Is Penn State's schedule that much different from Florida's? People kiss the SEC's ass, but are they really that strong of a conference or is it just bias? 8 of the 12 SEC teams finished 7-5 or lower. That's flat out mediocrity, but yet people bill the SEC as this tough conference top to bottom.

The bottom line is that there are only a handful or truly good teams in College Football and they are mostly spread out across the conferences. Some conferences get better reps than others.

Maybe it's time to start scheduling a few games each year based on your standings from the year before. Have the conference champions have to play other conference champions in week 3 or something. Rotate it around. Have some fun with it. At least it might put the end to this ridiculous pissing contest.