ESPN has been one of Penn State’s biggest detractors since the Sandusky scandal, which has a multiplicative effect among their viewership. Now, all of a sudden, they’re changing their tune.
Brian Bennett writes:
Forget for a moment the unprecedented lengths NCAA president Mark Emmert traveled in order to punish Penn State for what was a criminal matter, not an NCAA rules violation. Discard the notion that those penalties and the ongoing oversight reports by former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell were mostly a public relations show. It simply never made sense to hold accountable current players and coaches who had no association whatsoever to Sandusky.
Read the rest of Bennett’s piece here.
Meanwhile, Ivan Maisel opines:
Not until Rece Davis asked me on the Championship Drive podcast Tuesday did I realize just how big immediate bowl eligibility is for Penn State. If you look at the schedule, which is missing No. 18 Wisconsin, Nebraska and Iowa, and provides off weeks before games at Michigan and against Ohio State, the Nittany Lions easily could reach an Outback or Capital One Bowl. Penn State doesn’t have the experience or the depth to get to its Thanksgiving Saturday game against Michigan State with an 11-0 record. But the new possibilities are exciting to consider in a Big Ten that could use some optimism.
LOL. I think Ivan’s been drinking from K. John’s fountain.
K. John says
If Ivan had been drinking from my fountains he would have mentioned that Penn State has the talent to go into Land Grant weekend at 11 and 0. Experience is not nearly as important as some think given that Penn State has about as much experience as any team they play capable of beating them. Depth on the other hand only matters if there are injuries and they do have more depth than some give them credit for. Now I don’t think they are going to get to 11 and 0 but I did pick them to go 10 and 2 and do think they have the best chance to dethrown Sparty.
Joe says
Yeah, I’ve noticed a lot of “journalists” seem to have forgotten what they wrote two years ago. Bennett was one of the first with a pitchfork and torch and now seems to have done a complete 180.
But I will say that Maisel has always been outspoken against the sanctions. He even took some heavy criticism from his brothers of the press for his original position that the NCAA should have stayed the hell out of the whole thing.
We did know that this change of opinion was going to happen though right? Can’t get page views by rehashing the old shit, so jump on the bandwagon; it’s cool again to say nice things about Penn State!
BigAl says
ESPN is too busy lynching Ray Rice to trash Penn State. We are yesterday’s outrage. The only people who care any more are the hard core haters and the trolls who enjoy jacking up the Joebots.
If State makes it to the Moo U game with fewer than 2 losses, I’ll be totally shocked. The BIG sucks this year, but OSU still has way more talent than we do. And don’t forget that Johnson is their DL line coach and will know how to handle our offense. Plus, they’ll screw up at least one of their road games.
psudrozz says
unfortunately, it is all too typical these days to incite a mob mentality in the name of “justice”.
fast forward 3 years, and people actually start to wise up to the NCAAs breach of jurisdiction.
Spencer Hall (over at EDSBS) had the best response*:
“Ok, so the NCAA just retracted a punishment it made up anyway. Cool.”
*paraphrased
L Hamilton says
Every bit of this is highly predictable. What I’d like to know is why no one is making anything of Louis “look ma’ no hands” Freeh nearly killing 3 people driving his Yukon at 65 mph in a 50 mph speed zone while impaired in Vermont about 3 weeks ago. The VT state police didn’t think it necessary to do a bac test on him. And this drunk had the nerve o hijack $6 million from the illustrious PSU BOT. There is so much wrong with this whole deal from start to finish it makes me want to puke. Leadership failure at every level. The inmates are now running the asylum.
K. John says
Didn’t you know that as a former judge and head of the FBI he is above reproach?
The Nittany Turkey says
Don’t be surprised if Freeh is called upon to investigate the Ray Rice NFL morass. Offal like that attracts flies like Freeh.
—TNT