The Nittany Turkey

Primarily about Penn State football, this is a tale told by idiots, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

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Wrapping Up a Leaderless Week

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“Quick hits” ah nytha quick nor hits. Twalk amongst yaselves. Discuss!

NOTE: My link to the Paterno “Due Process” petition below were originally broken. I have now corrected them. Please accept my apology for the extra work I caused people clicking on the original links — they got you to the right neighborhood, but then you had to search and go through multiple pages of results. Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa! Merry Christmas to all!

Hey, there’s a petition circulating via the Internet about the whole issue of the Joseph V. Paterno firing and its inherent rush to judgment. None of us wanted to see the old man depart with such a stain on him, certainly, but most of us know that he was at least to some extent culpable for covering up the Sandusky mess. Whether he knew then what we know now is a big issue. It is easy to ass-ume that he knew everything, but did he really? Does anybody have a reasonable doubt that he did? The petitioner, Anthony P. Lubrano ’82, thinks that due process was circumvented in Joe’s firing.

You might recognize Lubrano’s name. It is on the baseball stadium at Penn State.

Was due process circumvented as Lubrano asserts? Of course it was! When did a businessperson ever need a full jury trial to fire someone? The Board of Trustees does not owe anybody anything. Their decision is theirs and theirs alone.

Having said that, though, I must advise you that I in fact signed the petition. I think that Joe should should tell what he knew, but I also think that he has earned a place in the annals of football history without the proverbial asterisk. How about giving Joe a belated 85th birthday present by signing it? It costs you nothing but the few minutes required to navigate to the web site and read the petition.

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About two dozen well wishers gathered outside Joe Paterno’s home yesterday to sing Christmas carols and wish the ailing former head coach a happy birthday. Paterno could not come out because he was weak from the chemotherapy being used to treat his lung cancer, but wife Sue appeared briefly to corral some grandchildren playing in the yard, thanking the well wishers.

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The NCAA handed down its rulings to Ohio State in the wake of Tattoogate, and the sanctions were not pretty. The University’s original position was to vacate all of its 2010 victories and give back their bowl money, but the NCAA wanted to leave a more lasting impression. Head Coach Jim Tressell, who knew about the shenanigans but failed to tell administrators until it was too late, was handed down what amounts to a Typhoid Mary label in college football, a “show cause.” Tressell is presently working as a video coordinator, whatever that is, for the NFL Indianapolis Colts. Ohio State also lost scholarships and it may not play in a bowl game after the 2012 season.

But here’s the big question. The NCAA is investigating the Sandusky mess at Penn State under the same rule as Ohio State. This Turkey is quite certain that the NCAA has the desire to set a tough precedent with Ohio State, applying the same type of harsh punishment to the rash of schools that committed egregious sins that were discovered after Tattoogate. Methinks Penn State is in for some “Law West of the Pecos.”

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State College police have asserted that Matt McGloin and Curtis Drake will not be criminally charged for the fight that put McGloin in the hospital.

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This doesn’t affect Penn State very much, but USC quarterback Matt Barkley has promised that he would be back for his senior year. He’s saving the NFL money for later, and here’s hoping that he can finish 2012 injury free.

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Neither does this: I ran into Elayne Wershel and her daughter Billie, whom I haven’t seen for at least five years, at the Publix today. They were buying a turkey for a Hanukkah dinner. I couldn’t tell them to cook  a ham instead. Tragedy.

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Acting AD Dave Joyner has issued the following statement about his head coach search, after yet another week of rumors, innuendos, and no head coach:

“As we head into the holidays, I wanted to share an update on the search for the next head football coach at Penn State. We are continuing to talk with individuals that we’re interested in and work through the interview process. As I’m sure all can appreciate, this is a very important hire for Penn State and, as a result, the search committee is taking a very deliberate and measured approach to the process in order to identify the coach that best fits the requirements of the position.

“We look forward to introducing our new football coach at the appropriate time. In the interim, I’d like to wish everyone happy holidays as well as remind all Penn Staters to support our team and its 23 seniors as they compete against the 12-1Houston Cougars in the TicketCity Bowl in Dallas on January 2nd.”

So, there you have it: “… a very deliberate and measured approach … at the appropriate time … ” We’re being told we’re not going to have anyone anytime soon. This Turkey’s question is, was, and always has been, who’s going to be left by the time Joyner’s committee gets to doing what it should be doing. If they get too picky, they’ll dawdle themselves into a corner, where they’ll wind up having to hire Tom Bradley because no one else is available. (Bradley was thought to be a contender for the head coaching job at Pitt both last year and this year, but Pitt went and hired Wisconsin’s offensive coordinator, Paul Chryst, this week. So, Bradley is in limbo land once again. He wants to coach at a high profile program in Pennsylvania, but how many of those are there? Thank you.)

Would it be so bad to hire Bradley? Well, yes and no. Recruiting is already screwed up by all the decommits and by Paterno’s abrupt departure. Tom cannot screw things up much more. However, the unknown lurks around the corner for Tom, because it would be doubtful that he would get more than a one or two year contract. He and all the recruits would know that he was the consolation prize because Joyner’s committee farted around while all the good coaches were hired, and as such that he would have a limited future.

But it is starting to look like that’s the way it will go. Who is available? Who has been interviewed? My sources tell me that Bradley gets his interview sometime today. There are questions to be answered, such as how could a search committee charged with straightening out the football program hire a coach who possibly had complicity in the Sanduskygate cover-up? In fact, Bradley was Sandusky’s replacement in 2000, promoted from within a very close football organization. Did he know anything at all about the circumstances of Sandusky’s retirement (which Sandusky and his lawyers deny had anything to do with the “incidents” of the time)? The committee must use this interview to determine whether Bradley would be the guy to cut the programs losses or allow things to fester.

Aside from Chryst and, of course, Urban Meyer, a veritable plethora of head coaches have been hired during this break between the regular season and bowl games. I would really, really, really want to know who the hell is left. Bradley might yet be the best choice. Of course, if an NFL guy like former Penn Stater Mike Munchak of Tennessee is secretly on the hook and waiting until the NFL season ends, then I’ll recant what I’ve said here and change my tune to say that if they’ve already selected someone like Munchak, then they’re double-dealing the people they’ve been interviewing thus far, unless they’re specifically told that there is or are one or more potential NFL candidates, which will slow the search. But the Catch-22 there is that anyone’s who’s interviewing now is not going to wait weeks and weeks for a decision, because he’s got mouths to feed and unless he already has a coaching job, he needs one!

Do you now know more than when you started reading this “quick hit”? I didn’t think so.

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This Turkey was at the supermarket today observing people preparing to eat my relatives. Notwithstanding the sadness and angst this generates in my avian family, I still want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and whatever else brings you joy at this time of year. I’ll be back soon with some facts, opinions, and prognostications for the great big TicketCity.com Bowl. WooHoo!

 

 

Quick Hits for Another Leaderless Monday

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What the hell is a “quick hit”? Does that mean something like, “Ima hit yo’ ass wit dis, ya shit!”? I don’t know. It’s one of those vogue sportswriter things. I just thought I would use it here so I could bitch about it. What I mean is that I have a few quick stories for you.

First, our deposed legend, Joseph V. Paterno, is out of the hospital, released to Sue’s care. As you probably know, hip/pelvis fractures are quite dangerous for people of Joe’s age; however, he’s a tough old bird about to be 85 and he’ll surmount this just like he has surmounted much adversity in his life. Joe comes from an era in which we admired people who could handle tough breaks, unlike now, when everyone has a sense of entitlement and people for whom life isn’t going well are to be avoided, if not scorned. (Notice how I get the editorial in, even though the subject is Paterno’s hip?) He will be continuing rehabilitation at home, and will continue with his cancer treatments, which reportedly “take a lot out of him.” He has not lost his fighting spirit, though. Give ’em hell, Joe!

The next “quick hit” involves a hit that was too quick for Matt McGloin, as it knocked him ass over tin cups onto the concrete locker room floor, where he smashed his head and put his lights out. McGloin is now questionable for the Lions’ post-season consolation bowl. Like a true leader, McGloin took full responsibility for the fight, which involved several punches between him and Curtis Drake, and which he said lasted about 10 seconds before he hit the deck. He admits to having started it, but says he should have walked away, because as a quarterback, he’s held to a higher standard. Both McGloin and Drake are looking at some kind of discipline by acting interim temporary sort of head coach Tom Bradley. PSU Judicial Affairs is looking into the altercation and will involve Homeland Security if any terrorism is suspected. Come on, folks! It’s a simple fight between two testosteronically challenged dudes who went at it in the locker room — big deal! Back in the good old days, they’d go have a beer afterward and celebrate Drake’s winning haymaker — just a simple fight between a dude from West Philly and a dude from West Scranton. Oops, wait. We don’t want Drake having any beers yet, as he won’t be 21 until February 1. Stand down, Stephfon.

Now, this third “quick hit” is a real doozie. Our old friend and current ESPN analyst Craig James is seeking the Republican nomination for U.S. Senator from Texas. (It used to be that Senators were appointed by the governor of their respective state before the progressives got their way. It was better the old way, but hell, Rick Perry would have probably appointed James, anyhow. There I go editorializing in the context of a freaking “quick hit” again. Quick! Hit me! … thanks, i needed that…. But I digress.) Yeah, the good thing is that we won’t have to see or listen to James on ESPN anymore. He won’t be working there while he’s running for office, and he’s already missed the hefty assignment of the Beef O’Brady Bowl. This all, of course, is outweighed by the peril of Mr. James having an influence on public policy. OMG WTF. Read enough to make you sick on ESPN.com.

And our final “quick hit” is a bit of a hit about the snit Rob Bolden got into with so-called “minor legal issues.” The twit! Dimwit! He needs a quick hit upside da haid! Get this shit: he stole a damn bottle of Gatorade from a campus convenience store! Bradley had a fit, and Bolden to his doghouse he did admit, although Bradley said that it was a prank and Bolden had returned the bottle to the store lickety-split. As for playing time, Bolden will not sit, Bradley said. As McGloin might not be medically cleared or disciplinarically available to play the Second Annual TicketCity.com bowl, it now looks like Bolden is it. (OK, I quit!)

Leaderlessness

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I’m just catching up with Penn State football news after having been out of commission for a while, so please bear with me if my ruminations reflect the obvious, which is that the Nittany Lions are clearly in need of leadership both on and off the field, and as more time passes before a new head of the football program is selected, the worse things will get. Last week Dave Joyner promised results from his search committee within thirty days, pushing it out until the conclusion of the bowl season. ????? ???? ??????

The present lack of leadership has fostered undisciplined behavior among the team. ????? ??????? ?????? For example, recently, a locker room scuffle  between Curtis Drake and Matt McGloin following a dust-up (“dey had words”) at practice probably would not have happened were it not for the vacancy at the top. Players now seem to feel as if they can do what they please. If our deposed legend had been in charge, those two might have thought before they acted. Lesser transgressions caused bowl suspensions in the Joseph V. Paterno Era. No one is handing out suspensions at the moment.

So, Drake beat the shit out of McGloin, causing the Irish kid a concussion and a seizure. No doubt there were enough flies on the wall at practice and in the locker room that we’ll know eventually what the words between them were. McGloin is well known for his cocky attitude and perhaps Drake had just a little too much of it. However, no matter what the genesis of this unseemly event, this kind of crap stems from the waywardness of the program.

 “Penn State doesn’t appear to know if it wants to try to remain a national power or de-emphasize football. Good luck trying to do both.” —Ron Cook, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Nittany Lions need a new head coach — and fast!

We’ve already lost three top recruits. The most recent of these is Tommy Schutt, a twenty-seven star (you know how I feel about those star ratings) defensive lineman from Illinois who de-committed from Penn State in favor of the Urban Renewal team in a neighboring state. “With everything that happened at Penn State, I really felt like I needed to look at my situation,” Schutt told the Daily Herald of Chicago, “I’ve always liked Ohio State and just felt comfortable there on my visit.”

Bob Flounders of the Patriot-News thinks that this is just the beginning. Why would anyone want to play for a leaderless program carrying the heavy baggage the Nittany Lions do? They have no idea what the coaching style will be, no clue whether anarchy will continue to rend the players asunder, and not the foggiest notion of whether Penn State football will go the way of Indiana University — except that Penn State doesn’t even have a basketball team that can redeem it. To be a football power once again? To be an academic power with football de-emphasized? Or for that ultimate pie in the sky, the “Grand Experiment” continuation with a candidate with strong credentials in both areas. Does such a person even exist?

Dave Joyner and his search committee seem to be dragging their feet. What are they waiting for? As Neil Rudel of the Altoona Mirror suggests, perhaps the leading candidates are in the NFL, such as Mike Munchak (who just took over the helm at the Tennessee Titans this year) or Jim Caldwell (who desperately needs to be rescued from Manninglessness but probably wouldn’t be considered by anybody for anything owing to his abysmal 0-13 record with the Colts this year — this just in: they beat Munchak’s Titans today). Many high profile college coaches have already moved to their new destinations.  Who is left? Would Pat Fitzgerald or Al Golden seriously consider heading up the PSU program? I suppose we’ll find out sooner or later, but the later it gets, the more speculation it will cause among the fans and, of course, the media; the more uncertainty it will cause among recruits; and the more frustration it will cause for existing team members.

Hey, ya gotta feel for those guys. It wasn’t their fault that Jerry Sandusky did what he did — whatever that was, in view of McQueary’s 19 versions of his story — and it wasn’t their fault that the Paterno/Spanier cover-up took place. Their 9-3 season was rewarded by a trip to the TicketCity.com booby prize bowl instead of a Florida game, which pissed them off. They look toward the future not knowing which end of the team is up or who will be playing on it. So, why not take their frustrations out on each other, smashing someone’s head into a locker or breaking some “minor” laws?

To add insult to injury, I hear that Rob Bolden has some “minor legal problems”. Who is going to quarterback the Lions in the TicketCity.com bowl, Shane McGregor? Hey, TicketCity.com, how about that for TV ratings? Being on ESPNU is bad enough without having the few people who found that cable channel being driven away by a third-stringer.

Does Joyner’s committee comprehend what kind of a person it is searching for? A competent football guy? A scholar with pristine academic standards and scruples? A disciplinarian? All three wrapped up in one neat package? Penn State is ideally seeking to replace a legend with another legend, and that just isn’t possible. Fuhgeddaboudit! Ron Cook of the Post-Gazette says, “Penn State doesn’t appear to know if it wants to try to remain a national power or de-emphasize football. Good luck trying to do both.”

In The Republic, Plato employed the leaderless ship metaphor to describe the political state of Athens at the time. Those who were qualified and capable, the philosophers, eschewed leadership roles, while those driven by power hungry incompetence took over the helm.  After a half century of Paterno, how will this ship of State handle a new captain? Joyner and Company must hire a very strong, competent leader very, very soon in order to avert an inmate takeover of the asylum, with negative implications for the future. ???? ??????

Are you feeling confident in Joyner’s search committee? Are you optimistic about Penn State’s football future? Or, on the contrary, do you fear that much like the early 2000’s, the program is facing another set of “Dark Years”, this one more protracted? Please share your thoughts.