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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Another Travesty at PSU

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Yeah, I know I said that I wouldn’t be writing more drivel about the Sandusky scandal, NCAA sanctions, etc., etc., but here’s an “etc. ?????? ????????? ” that is worth a couple of words. Seems that the PSU fencing coach for the past 31 years, Emik Kaidanov, was fired by an athletic department version of the kangaroo court held by the BoT to fire the sainted Coach Paterno.

The circumstances here were different. Coach Kaidanov got involved in a he said/she said situation regarding a team member’s alleged drug use that was completely defused (or so everyone thought) when the fencer in question volunteered to be tested and turned up negative for controlled substances. However, the incident was reported directly and anonymously by a staff assistant, even before Kaidanov became aware of it. When he finally heard about it, he told the staff assistant that she should have reported it to him first, as it was his ultimate responsibility to deal with reporting such issues.

Apparently, the PSU administration thinks that there were some threats or harassment made by Kaidanov toward the assistant. Protecting a whistle-blower is one thing, but summarily shitcanning a distinguished coach without so much as a come-to-Jesus meeting is more cowardly bullshit of the type exhibited in The Firing of St. Joe.

There’s probably more here than meets the eye. It’s easy to jump to conclusions when you don’t know the facts. Just look at all the “experts” who trolled the Internet boards at each stage of the scandal I wasn’t going to write about again and won’t. Kaidanov was born in Russia, where many  of my ancestors were hatched — I know that Russians can be hard to get along with. Not saying that’s true of Kaidanov because I didn’t know the man. However, I wonder whether he might have rubbed one of the pussified wimps in the administration the wrong way at some point. ???? bingo Perhaps the ballsless wonder was just waiting for one misstep by Komisar Kaidanov. ???? ????? ?? ???????? Just perhaps. Again, I know nothing, so I’m just saying.

Read more about this and find out how to protest with some very influential PSU people here. Many thanks to Joe for bringing this to my attention.

ESPN Article on Paterno Firing

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Paterno Termination Letter
Paterno Termination Letter – click to enlarge

Just when you thought we were moving along and laying the sordid past to rest (at least until June, when Jerry Sandusky’s trial is scheduled), ESPN’s Outside the Lines comes along with a detailed, behind-the-scenes investigative account of Joe Paterno’s dismissal after a 61 year tenure at Penn State.

The story, by Don Van Natta, Jr.,  also appears in the April 16, 2012 “One Day, One Game” issue of ESPN The Magazine. The following paragraph gives you a portent of the story.

“The untold story, though, is about bare-knuckle Pennsylvania politics, old grudges and perceived slights. It involves a stagnated child sexual abuse investigation that, to some, took a backseat to higher-profile cases and a gubernatorial campaign. It involves a head football coach who knew too little and, still, failed to do enough. It includes a passive school board of trustees that for months ignored a lurking controversy and then, under pressure to preserve Penn State’s reputation, quickly fired its legendary coach without ever talking with him.”

Although many readers know the story inside and out, Van Natta reveals some earthy details, for example that Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett played a significant role in firing the late, lamented head coach, who passed away from complications of lung cancer two months after being disgraced by the Penn State Board of Trustees. To wit:

Through it all, the central character was Corbett. “Something not very good happened,” he told reporters on Nov. 9, hours before he urged his fellow trustees to fire Paterno. “We have to … take the bull by the horns and fix it. Quickly.” Publicly, Corbett made it clear that he thought he was the most qualified person to fix Penn State.

Contrary to what appeared to be acting as the primary string-puller, Corbett publicly stated that he played only a minor role in the Trustees’ decision. Corbett has an ex-officio seat on the Board of Trustees. One Trustee said, “That is a bald-faced lie.”

Corbett had his comeuppance as attorney general of Pennsylvania, where his reputation was formed in bringing down powerful people. Old instincts don’t die easily.

Read the ESPN article. It is lengthy and it rubs salt in old wounds, but a thorough understanding of the circumstances can only serve to assuage some of the pain. Or not.

Goodbye, Joe

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Joe Paterno was fired by telephone last night by the Penn State Board of Trustees. His unprecedented career at Penn State spanned over 60 years, 46 as head coach.

Earlier yesterday, Paterno had announced his retirement, effective at the end of the current season. I was relieved that he would be able to make a dignified exit.

“I am disappointed with the Board of Trustees’ decision, but I have to accept it.” —Joe Paterno

What I didn’t realize at that time was that Paterno had made his retirement decision unilaterally, without even consulting with the president or the Board of Trustees, even though the BOT had announced earlier that it would be deciding on Paterno and Spanier’s fate at a meeting that same evening. Paterno hired a PR agency to couch his retirement statement, which was intended as a pre-emptive strike designed to obviate the need for BOT action on his case. As usual, he was making it clear that he would decide when it was time to go — he and no one else. In his statement, he even asserted that the board did not have to waste time deliberating on their decision about him as planned; their time would be better applied to more important matters.

If ever there was a way to sway trustees who were teetering on the brink of letting Paterno play out the season, this was it! His long history of defiance is well known in connection with the 2004 attempted firing fiasco. Spanier and Curley showed up at his door to dump him, and he sent them home with their tail between their legs. In Joe’s mind, it is his football program.

My first reaction to the immediate firing was anger. Why not let him finish as he wants to? With dignity?

That turned to sadness. Something that had been a big part of my life for the past 47 years was going away abruptly, and I wouldn’t even have time to adjust to it. I felt for Joe and Sue. I couldn’t fathom the hard-ass posture of the BOT.

Then, I thought of the victims of Sandusky’s alleged perverted activities and Joe’s inaction. I had always felt that Joe’s humanitarianism was above reproach. However, even he admitted that in retrospect, he should have handled things differently. Damn straight he should have! I felt that it was appropriate for others to be sent a message that no one is immune from being punished for making awful mistakes. General Patton, perhaps the greatest field commander ever, lost his command for having slapped one lowly GI. ??? ???? ????? The court of public opinion did in both Paterno and Patton.

At last, I reluctantly accepted the BOT’s action. No matter whose idea the cover-up was, Paterno had gone along with it. People who rationalize that he was just following orders aren’t thinking straight. Joe, as demonstrated by his pre-emptive strike on the BOT, is his own man. Anyone who can defy the president and the BOT with respect to deciding the terms of his departure could have surely done the same with the victims in mind. Instead, he allowed Sandusky, who he knew to be a pervert, to continue with business as usual. That sort of benign neglect demands punishment.

I was content to know that Joe was not alone in being fired for inaction on the Sandusky case. President Graham Spanier was fired, too, or to couch it in the official language of the day, his resignation was accepted. I won’t dwell on that here, because this is a football blog. All I have to say is that the buck did indeed stop there.

I still can’t fathom why Paterno would leave a situation like this alone. But that is juice for him to stew in for the rest of his life. Perhaps, he will write a “tell all” book or appear in a “60 Minutes” interview some day and will let  us all know what happened. Until then, or until ongoing investigations dig up all of the facts, we’re left to guess about what happened, filling in the details in our minds. ??? ?????? Unfortunately, our minds can be lazy from time to time, so we allow those unknown details to be filled in by the national media. That ain’t good. They know as much as we know.

Joe Paterno was an accomplished hero not only on the football field but also in the arena of life. It is a shame that such a distinguished career has to end this way. I’m back to being sad, but I acknowledge the need for the change.

Joe was a part of me. This whole affair has sickened me. Joe’s legacy is tainted indelibly.

I think that I’ll close with an open letter written to Joe Paterno from former Nittany Lion lineman A.Q. Shipley, which captures how many of Joe’s present and former players feel about him:

 Dear Coach Paterno,

It was an absolute honor when you gave me the opportunity, and it was just that, an opportunity to play for you at Penn State. You did not guarantee anything when you presented me with a scholarship except that you would be a teacher and a mentor and give me a chance to succeed athletically and academically! It was more than an honor to have been a captain on your 2008 Big Ten championship team and be a part of your program for 5 years. I came to PSU a boy and left a man due to the values you instilled in all of us. I learned so much from you in my years at Penn State that go so far beyond playing football. ????? ????? ???? You have been a leader in the community for so many years and have touched the lives of so many people. I am proud to have played for you and to have received my degree from Penn State University and that is all because you gave me an opportunity. You are an amazing father, mentor, teacher, educator, coach and most importantly man. I guess the two most important words i need to say to you are Thank You.

Yours Truly,
AQ