There’s a new sheriff in town, and who can wait until Monday’s official announcement to blast out the news? Clearly, Onward State can’t, as they broke the story two days ago that was later picked up by the other scoop starved rags. Eric J. Barron, most recently president of Florida State University is to become Penn State’s new president, replacing the retiring Rod Erickson.
(I can think of three Penn State presidents who had “Eric” in their name: Eric Walker, who was president when I was there, Rod Erickson, and now Eric Barron. But I digress.)
Read some of the stories — some unremarkably derivative of the Onward State story:
The hiring comes on the heels of the report that Penn State Athletics lost almost $6 million last year. Tough job to walk into for Barron. He’ll be working on emphasizing the de-emphasis of the football culture at Penn State.
I am not smart enough to outguess the selection committee, so I can’t speculate on how good a fit Barron will be, and precisely what he will bring to the table. I cannot say how the PS4RS people will react (he hasn’t yet stated a position on their most important issue: restoring the Paterno statue and record). I can’t predict how Barron will get along with Mark Emmert. I have no idea whether he’ll keep Dave Joyner around or find a better athletic director somewhere else. I don’t know anything.
But you all do know everything among you collectively! I know that you people out there who are smarter than I am will have something to say of benefit to your astute and highly intelligent readers of The Nittany Turkey. So, please give us your comments.
Comments from haters are welcome, too. I can see the whining now: Joe’s record will never be restored now that a Bowden lover is running the show! Can anything that comes from Florida be any good? This is not me speaking, as I have been a Floridian for the past 38 years plus my high school years. Barron has a Penn State connection, having been a dean and taught there, which some of you will regard as mitigating the serious issue of his most recently being president of the much hated Semenoles [sic]. 😀
Tell me what you think!
