Weekly Game Guide

Virginia Tech, favored by one over Georgia Tech, is currently leading eight.  GO JACKETS!

In the Big Ten:

The Huskers are favored by 3 over Penn State.  GO STATE!  SHUCK HUSKERS!

The Cheateyes are favored by 7.5 over Purdue.  GO BOILERS!

Illinois versus THEM is a pick.  How great would it be for Illinois to win?  I'd sacrifice a small animal for that!  (Hey, it worked last week!)  GO ILLINI!

Northwestern is favored by 16 over Rice.  GO WILDCATS!

The Spartans are favored by 2.5 over Iowa.  GO HAWKS!

Wisconsin is favored by 27 over the Gophers.  How great would it be for Minnesota to win?  I'd sacrifice a Klondike Bar that!  GO GO GOPHERS!

Indiana has a bye week.

In games of past opponents:

Temple beat Miami (OH) 24-21 last night.

Alabama is a 17.5 point favorite over Mississippi State.  ROLL TIDE ROLL!

Eastern Michigan is favored by 3.5 over Buffalo.  GO EMU!

Indiana State is at Missouri State.  GO TREES!

Who (or What) Will Be Next?

Lester Munson of ESPN feels that the Lynch Mob in Old Main has more work to do.

But who's left?  Mike McQueary?  (He's actually not going to be at the game because of death threats.)  But a good point, but he's thinking bigger.

Tom Bradley?  Not big enough.  Think BIGGER.

With Spanier and Paterno gone, who is left that is bigger?

The Board of Trustees?  Good idea--GREAT IDEA--but think BIGGER!

Mr. Munson, bless his little heart, thinks that Penn State should stop playing football for a couple of years.

That's right.  Let's just kill the football program, which coincidentally will kill the ENTIRE sports program at PSU since football pays ALL the bills.

As the trustees attempt to reset the priorities of the university and its football program, here are some things they must do:

Consider the cancellation of the football program for a period of at least two years. It might not be possible to establish a new culture without the total elimination of the old one. A two-year hiatus might be the only way to eliminate a systemic problem. How important is football to an institution of higher learning that serves 95,000 students and is supposed to be dedicated to the pursuit of excellence? When Tulane University was caught in a basketball point-shaving scandal in the mid-1980s, the university leadership eliminated the sport for several years to allow a complete renewal of values. When the U.S. Congress discovered a series of abuses in 2008 in its page program, which was designed to offer opportunities to young people, the members of Congress agreed to eliminate it altogether.

I already "suggested" that we should just close down the whole University, so I've got dibs on that one Lester. 

But then, Lester praised the Board of Trustees for their exemplary action of canning the 84-year old Paterno.  Not everyone sees this action as exemplary.

To wit, we have Dan Vecellio writing on The Huffington Post about why the media has missed the mark:

Quick. Don't think. Who is prime suspect number one in the scandal involving Penn State right now? If you were to read 95% of the stories put out by the national media since Sunday or gone on Twitter or (from stories I've heard) spoken with any of the national talking heads trudging through State College right now, they would tell you that the villain in this horrible, horrible incident is Joe Paterno.

Tell me, when was the last time you heard Jerry Sandusky's name? When was the last time you heard about the charges brought against athletic director Tim Curley and former VP of Business and Finance Gary Schultz? I'm fairly certain that these three men have been the ones charged with crimes in this on-going investigation.

1. "JOE PATERNO NEVER FOLLOWED UP ON THESE CHARGES" or "JOE PATERNO SENT THIS UP THE CHAIN OF COMMAND AND WASHED HIS HANDS OF THE SITUATION.
This was the first of many "facts" that was made up by the national media. If you've read the Grand Jury testimony, I commend you. Now go read it again. Pick out the part where it says Joe never went back to Tim Curley or Gary Schultz to see what was happening in the process. It never says he did, but it sure as hell doesn't say he didn't either.

2. "JOE PATERNO KNEW ABOUT (OR HAD TO HAVE KNOWN ABOUT) THE '98 ALLEGATIONS AND STILL LET A CHILD RAPIST AROUND HIS TEAM"

Once again, go back to the testimony. Nowhere does it say that Joe knew about any allegations before 2002. In fact, one person I know sat in a class on Tuesday and listened to Patriot-News reporter Sara Garim, who has been the point person for all of the investigative stories dealing with this case, say that Joe testified he did not know about the 1998 allegations, going as far to say: "I think it's fair to say, as far as you could possibly say, that Joe Paterno didn't know about [the 1998 investigation]." If some real investigating had been done by the national media, they'd probably know that too.
3. "JOE PATERNO ENABLED A CHILD RAPIST"

Use your words better. I understand your need for emphasis to sell, but using the word enable makes it seem like Joe hand-picked the boys for Sandusky.

4. "JOE PATERNO IS TIM CURLEY'S/GRAHAM SPANIER'S BOSS" or "JOE PATERNO RUNS PENN STATE UNIVERSITY"

Many columnists have brought this point up in regards to Joe pushing Mike McQueary's information up the chain of command. Since Joe runs everything there, he is to blame. He is the head honcho. Find other columns these men and women have written. Look at their Twitter feeds over the past year. Look at them from the past week! They'll tell you that he doesn't even run his own football team anymore and hasn't for 15 years. For an 84-year old man to not be able to look over 85 players and a coaching staff, but yet control 44,000 students on the University Park campus, plus the administrators, plus the faculty, plus the staff and handle day-to-day operations of a university seems unimaginable to me. But you know, whatever argument works at the time, guys.

When Joe Paterno released his retirement statement Wednesday morning, he said that he would finish out the year coaching. A large majority of the people I follow on Twitter and TV commentators said it wasn't enough and were adamant about it. He needed to resign now or be fired by the Board of Trustees. A huge, HUGE backlash for a man who just wants to coach four or five more football games. Later on in the afternoon, Ben Jones of Black Shoes Diaries and StateCollege.com tweeted that he was told Jerry Sandusky was spotted working out in a gym with his wife this morning. The reaction? "Wow." "Geez." "Welp."

This story has become so twisted that negative emotion about a man coaching a football game exceeds that of an accused chlid molester walking the streets of the town where he committed his crimes by what it seems to be millions of percent. By focusing on the tear-down of the most notable figure involved in the case, people have become numb to the man who did the most damage and those who have been accused to covering up that damage.

Sensationalizing a story led to Joe Paterno being the first man to lose his job in this fiasco. And while I have no qualms about saying Joe had to step down after this mess blew up, when looking back at the facts, is he really the first man who should have gotten the axe?

Now, since the media has completed Objective One: Bring Down JoePa, I hope they do what I always believed journalists did: find the facts, dig through the sources and tell the people the real stories happening in State College.

AMEN!  My God!  Someone IN THE MEDIA with a freaking clue!

And then there is TOM IN PAINE who posts about the railroading of Joe Paterno:

That is exactly what is going on now with the phony moralistic and imbecilic calls by factually challenged sportswriters and other journalists, not exactly known for their ability to think in the first place, for Joe Paterno the coach of Penn State football, to resign or be fired over a child abuse scandal involving a former defensive coach at Penn State.

The fact that, based on all the facts presently known, Paterno did nothing wrong, not in any imaginable way, doesn't stop the sanctimonious, self-righteous pseudo-moralistic members of the press from piling on over an issue for which they feel safe in piling on.

Based on all the facts at the grand jury's disposal Paterno did nothing wrong. And the Pennsylvania State Attorney General said as much as well.
But if you want to pretend youre a moral hero, if you are self-serving and sanctimonious and looking to beat your chest about something, that isnt good enough. That also wont sell newspapers, get TV ratings, or get website hits the way going after a figure like Joe Paterno would. And the justification by these factually challenged journalists who are trying to do something journalists have proved they are incapable of doing in the first place -- think -- is that while Paterno did nothing criminally wrong he was morally wrong in not reporting what he heard to the police.

The incident in question was witnessed by an assistant coach who actually saw the abuse take place. This coach - an eyewitness -- did NOT go to the police with what he saw but the press is giving him a pass anyway. Why? Because he is not a big fish. Because he is not going to embellish anyone's reputation. Because pointing the finger at him is not going allow sanctimonious journalists to stick out their chests the way the morally sanctimonious always do.

The mother of the boy who was sexually abused by Sandusky issued a public statement yesterday. In it she said that Sandusky in 1998 "admitted to my face - he admitted it", that he had sexually abused her son. She said in the same statement that Sandusky admitted the abuse to her again in 2002. What did the mother do? Nothing. Did she go to the police with this specific admission? No. But Paterno was supposed to with none of the facts the mother had.
So we have an assistant coach who actually witnessed the incident but didn't report it to the police and the mother of the victim who was told twice over a 4 year span by the abuser himself that he had abused her son and neither went to the police. But Paterno, who didn't have a fraction of the information those two had, and didnt have a fraction of the moral responsibility of the boy's own mother,was supposed to do more than the boy's own mother did. And should be fired for not doing so.

I still can't believe they fired Paterno.  My wife went to bed early last night so I had to tell her about it the following morning, like she couldn't read it on the front page of the paper.  I pulled a Matt Millen and ended up crying and leaving the room to compose myself.
 
I hope that justice will find its way to each and every member of the Board of Trustees.

A Letter From Penn State

I received the following email from Penn State today:

A message from Rodney Erickson

This is one of the saddest weeks in the history of Penn State.  It has been difficult to comprehend the horrific nature of the allegations that were revealed in the Attorney General's presentment last week. As a member of the Penn State community for 34 years, as a parent, and as a grandfather, I find the charges as they have been described to be devastating, and my heart goes out to those who have been victimized and their families. This is a terrible tragedy for everyone involved, and it will take some time to bring a measure of understanding and resolution to the community.

In addition to the legal process under way, Penn State's Board of Trustees has authorized a full investigation "...to determine what failures occurred, who is responsible, and what measures are necessary to insure that this never happens at our University again and that those responsible are held fully accountable."  As those involved pursue their cases, I also urge you, as Penn Staters, to be patient, to avoid speculation, and to refrain from passing judgment until the facts are known.

As you are now aware, the Board of Trustees has asked me to serve as the interim president of Penn State effective immediately. I undertake these duties with a firm sense of resolve, and I ask for your support as we move forward. And move forward, we must and we will.
Penn State has a long and storied tradition that has endured for more than 150 years. Our roots are deep, our constitution is resilient, and the importance of our work is as vital today as it was last week - perhaps even more so in the face of such adversity.  We are 96,000 students, 46,000 employees, and more than a half a million alumni. We are 24 campuses across the Commonwealth and a World Campus. We are a university that is committed to its core values of honesty, integrity, and community.  We are a university that will rebuild the trust and confidence that so many people have had in us for so many years.

Through your conduct every day, you can play a role in restoring the integrity, honor, and pride that have always characterized Penn State. I share your anger and sadness in this time, but always remember that your actions reflect on the entire Penn State community. Please set an example that will make us all proud. Moving forward is the only responsible course to take in the coming months. I ask for the full support of our faculty, students, staff, and alumni, and in return I will do my best to lead this institution through the challenges ahead.

So let me get this straight.  You want US "to be patient, to avoid speculation, and to refrain from passing judgment until the facts are known," yet YOU act rashly to dismiss an 84 year old man whom the Grand Jury did NOT indict because you are concerned about the IMAGE of this University? 

YOU haven't even completed YOUR investigation yet.

Some things never change.  You'll want my money but you don't want my two cents.

Joe Paterno Fired!

The Lynch Mob BOT has met.

Tom Bradley will act as interim coach.

I'm past disgusted now.

Paterno Announces Retirement

I truly never thought I would type that title.  I figured he would die--possibly on the sideline--before he would ever retire.

To wit, Paterno gave this 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.”

I never thought I would see this day.  But times have changed.  Due process no longer is a right of our citizens.  The media can now dictate who is innocent and who is guilty before the courts can.  People must be held accountable for their allegations without actually being proven guilty.

I have gone from saddened to disgusted.

I have second guessed Paterno several times in his career--not just his decision to punt on fourth and short, but things like Rashard Casey, for example--and time after time, Paterno always proved me wrong.  Maybe not on the punts, but he has won 409 games.  He always did the right thing.  Did he this time?  Well only God in Heaven knows that because there isn't one person on this planet who knows how the legal proceedings will go from here.

But I came across this interesting read regarding the legal and moral implications of Paterno's actions:

A Strong Defense of Joe Paterno: Why Paterno Was Morally & Ethically Right Not To Go Further in The Sandusky Sex Abuse Case

In the comments section of an article in an SI online blog post by Joe Posnanski, Columbia Univ. Adjunct Professor Scott Semer assails Joe Paterno for not taking greater actions in the Jerry Sandusky case (Link is to the actual Grand Jury Report. It is not for the squeamish.)

Semer rests his opinions as a lawyer and an Adjunct Professor of Transactional Law at Columbia Univ. in NYC. He takes what I believe is the majority opinion as to Coach Paterno's decisions which is that he did the least he could do to cover himself but owed a moral duty to do more.

I too am an attorney, a criminal defense lawyer, a former special prosecutor, and an adjunct professor of Trial Advocacy, and as to his judgment of Paterno I completely disagree with Professor Semer. I think Paterno did what was both morally and legally correct.

After contacting his chain of command superiors, he let them do their jobs. He knew there was a campus police force that investigates ( and prosecutes ) crimes on campus. He took whatever information he had to the head of his department. He took it to the person who is, for all intents and purposes, the police commissioner of a 256 person police force which according to the Campus website says: "(The University Police are) governed by a state statute that gives our officers the same authority as municipal police officers."

Paterno didn't just give his information to a superior, he turned it over to the highest ranking official in that police department. That man, PSU's VP of Business called in the ACTUAL WITNESS and spoke to him. In other words Paterno could see an investigation.

Suggesting Paterno should have then done more is both ridiculous and dangerous. Paterno should not have approached Sandusky,for fear he tip him off to the investigation; he should not have called University police after nothing happened because

1. A police department has a right to set its policing priorities. The Courts have consistently held that: it is a "fundamental principle of American law that a government and its agents are under no general duty to provide public services, such as police protection, to any individual citizen." Warren v. District of Columbia, 444 A.2d 1 (D.C. Ct. of Ap., 1981).

2. Once he reported the incident (and not having any information as to the progress of any investigation or the results thereof) Paterno had no other action he could reasonably take. If he pressed further or went public he risked opening himself and the University up to a law suit from Sandusky for libel , and that is assuming Paterno thought the grad assistant was both reliable and accurate. By that person's own admission he was distraught. He would be accused of trying to eliminate a potential competitor for his job. He would also call into question the safety of the campus and without any proof of his own on the allegations of another. Pattern is not a witness and arguably isn't even an "outcry witness." ( an outcry witness is one who verifies that another witness was so distraught that what they are saying must be true. To be an outcry witness the original witness must make his statement to you first and within a few minutes top hours after witnessing the incident. More than a couple of hours usually spoils the outcry's reliability. It gives the maker too much time to make up the testimony)

3. Assuming Paterno did go to the Chief of Police for the Penn State police department, the person under Gary Schultz, would that not be an act of insubordination? What if he were wrong? He would lose a long time friend and PSU family member. He would hurt alums, recruits and his teams. His fellow coaches could not trust him, all of this without being an actual witness to anything. Taking one man's word against anothers.
No one wants to see kids hurt, and I believe Coach Paterno heads that list. People suggesting he needed to do more either don't understand the law of criminal investigation, or have a different ax to grind ( like the head of the PA State Police who is grand standing in saying people have a greater responsibility than to report crime to the local Authority. He would be the first guy to defend a civil rights suit against his agency, (brought by a crime victim claiming that the failure to arrest caused her injuries) by invoking the Warren case.)

Paterno handled this exactly as he should have and to suggest otherwise is to use 20/20 hindsight to judge what was a fluid real time situation. I guess the path is always clear for the Monday Morning Quarterback.

I will miss you, Joe, even though your conservative play calls have frustrated the hell out of me for decades.   If you were expected to retire for not recruiting, or for not winning games--I could understand.  But to feel compelled to retire because you TRIED to do the right thing, but perhaps fell short of a multitude of people who would have OBVIOUSLY done the "right thing" . . . . just sad.   And in the end, I won't be surprised if you were right after all.  Too bad the vocal crowd with fewer morals than you have in your pinkie finger have won the day.  College football without you will never be the same.
 
But if you have the time, why not go out with a Big Ten Championship!

Statistically Speaking: Corn Pone Edition

From the NCAA site, here are the stats for PSU versus Nebraska:

NCAA Stats Comparison
Category:	Penn St.	Nebraska	Delta
Rushing	55	13	-42
Passing Offense	88	101	13
Total Offense	88	53	-35
Scoring Offense	100	27	-73
Rushing Defense	24	64	40
Turnovers Gained	12	73	61
Passes Had Intercepted	43	43	0
Pass Defense	7	20	13
Net Punting	97	34	-63
Punt Returns	82	46	-36
Kickoff Returns	20	4	-16
Turnover Margin	23	53	30
Fumbles Recovered	36	73	37
Passes Intercepted	7	56	49
Fumbles Lost	82	36	-46
Turnovers Lost	63	33	-30
Passing Efficiency	106	65	-41
Pass Efficiency Defense	3	33	30
Total Defense	8	41	33
Scoring Defense	3	40	37
Fewest Penalties Per Game	26	59	33
Fewest Yards Penalized Per Game	28	57	29
Punt Return Yardage Defense	67	114	47
Kickoff Return Yardage Defense	65	99	34
Offense Third-down Efficiency	87	37	-50
Offense Fourth-down Efficiency	6	22	16
Defense Third-down Efficiency	31	93	62
Defense Fourth-down Efficiency	78	78	0
Tackles for Loss	12	114	102
Offense Tackles for Loss	11	36	25
Pass Sacks	28	81	53
Pass Sacks Allowed	24	24	0
Time of Possession	43	103	60
First Downs	78	49	-29
First Downs Allowed	11	34	23
Red Zone Efficiency	79	15	-64
Red Zone Efficiency - Defense	112	37	-75
Average NCAA Rank:	46.84	52.97	6.14
Weighted Avg. Rank:	50.17	45.33	-4.83

Nebraska has a worse pass offense than PSU, if you can believe that is possible.  While there is a perception that Nebraska has a tough defense, the numbers do not truly bear that out.  They're not bad--don't get me wrong--but we have faced statistically tougher defenses against Bama, Illinois and probably Temple even. 

I suspect Iowa is comparable in the Big Ten to what we will face on Saturday.  From the Big Ten site, Iowa is ranked 7th and UNL 8th in scoring defense in the league.  Nebraska is 7th and Iowa 8th in total defense.

Nebraska is poor in terms of time of possession.  If we can get our running game going with Redd et al, we could conceivably control this game ala vintage Paterno.  Another ugly win, but a win nonetheless.

The intangibles, though, favor Nebraska.  Coming off an upset, they are going to be out to prove something.  This is a kind of must-win game for them to stay in the hunt for their division title.  They are already one loss down to the Spartans who have Iowa, Indiana and Northwestern left on their schedule.  They can't afford to be two games behind.

And then there is the Jerry Sandusky crap that could be a distraction.  Ya think!?  With the storm clouds over State College, we can only hope this team circles the wagons, shuts out the cruel world around them, and focuses on playing football, at least for three to four hours on Saturday.

I hate noon starts.  Especially big games like these.

Here is how the Huskers' season has played out so far:

W  Chattanooga  40-7
W  Fresno State 42-29
W  Washington 51-38
W  @Wyoming 38-14
L   @Wisconsin 48-17
W  Ohio State 34-27
W  @Minnesota 41-14
W  Michigan State 24-3
L   Northwestern 28-25  (only common opponent so far and we beat the Wildcats 34-24.)

In my pre-season countdown, I had the Cornhuskers pegged as the third most difficult game behind Bama and Wisconsin, and one spot ahead of the Cheateyes.

My final analysis:

Prediction: If Nebraska is as good as the experts claim them to be, then I don't think PSU can win this game. But I do think it is winnable. I'm not sold on QB Martinez, and he had an ankle injury last season which may play a factor in his play this year. I think Nebraska is going to find play in the Big Ten to be a little different than the high scoring shoot 'em up Big XII conference, where the only Big D they have heard of is Dallas. Officially, I call this a loss. Off the record, I think we can win this game.

I still think we can win this game.  The Husker D is not as good as people thought they would be, and they have been inconsistent offensively.  Our defense is playing better than some people expected, and our offense has been improving--slowly but surely.  I think our defense plays lights out on senior day and our offense manages not to make a fatal mistake.  I look for a close win in the Iowa game range, maybe 16-13.

Time to Pop Some Corn

Lost amid this media circus is the fact that Penn State has a football game this Saturday against the University of Nebraska.  The Huskers are favored by 2.

Step back from the ledge . . .

I apologize, but this is a football blog.

I think we all need to take a deep breath and step back from the situation for a moment. 

It is a tragedy. 

It is natural to feel horrified.  Sickened.  Betrayed.  Disillusioned.  Mad.  Confused.

Innocent children have been potentially--I'll even go so far as to say likely--preyed upon and scarred forever.  Those who we believe to be men of integrity appear to have dropped the ball in protecting these victims; perhaps even enabling this monster should he be found guilty of these crimes.

But I think people are over-reacting.  Let's look at some comments from BWI:

KnoxNittany2.0 writes:   After reading the GJ report last night I burned my Penn State flag.  I didn't burn my diploma, as I received a great education there. However, the flag flying on my house, the house where my children live.....I just couldn't see flying that any more. . . I will still root for this current team, which got dealt one hell of hand these last three games to deal with....but a major phase of my Penn State fandom has died and it will take quite awhile to get it back.

Did you burn your United States flag when Nixon resigned?  When Clinton didn't understand the meaning of sexual relations?  I'm glad you didn't burn your diploma because seriously, what does Sandusky's conduct have to do with the work you performed in class, the dedication of your professors, or any of your college experience for that matter?  Current professors should not be ashamed to work at Penn State--it is still a fine institution of learning.  Students should not be ashamed to go there.  I don't condemn the Heisman people and boycott their annual award because they gave it to someone like OJ Simpson. They have no control over how winners conduct themselves later in life.

INtheValley08 asks:  Think my [autographed] ball has depreciated in value some?

I don't know . . . how's it hanging?  Did Pete Rose's memorabilia drop in value?  OJ Simpson's?  As PennStateClips pointed out, it might actually INCREASE in value.  Where do people come up with questions like this?

One person said they called and cancelled their season tickets, but I can't find that thread at the moment.  Ok--found it on another board.  And that will help these kids . . . how???

grinagrin asks:  Does anyone else think that they should shut down the rest of the season...until things get more solved and more questions are answered? Football and the B1G title should be the last thing on anyone's mind right now. I know that as a diehard, I could care less about the game this Saturday. How can I watch and see Big Red's mug regularly throughout the game and not help but think that this coward kept things quiet for 9 years...I'll be so disgusted.

Seriously?  Why don't we just close the University.  Send all the students home or transfer their credits to other institutions that have perfect people who never make mistakes.  We can sell off Beaver Stadium and all the University property to offset taxpayer losses and reimburse the injured for their suffering.

Again, I repeat, THIS IS A TRAGEDY.  But guess what folks, this shit happens all the time.  While you're sitting here reading this, kids (and wives and men) are being abused--physically, emotionally and sexually--all over this world.  Maybe in the house next door.  Are you doing anything about that???  People are dying of hunger.  Are you heading over to make a hefty donation to the World Hunger Fund?  Where is your righteous indignation????  Should we be demanding resignations from University presidents--prime ministers and world leaders--because they are not doing enough to fight World Hunger?  PEOPLE ARE DYING!  How about slavery?  Civil War in Africa.  Drug Lords killing innocent bystanders/tourists in Columbia or Mexico.  Poverty.  I could go on and on. 

Aren't we all guilty of looking the other way or pretending that there isn't evil in this world because it doesn't directly affect us?

The LAW is going to deal with Jerry Sandusky, and hopefully anyone who played a role in allowing this to happen/continue.  Hopefully the victims will eventually receive compensation for their suffering, for therapy and for medical care.  But no one has even been convicted of anything yet.  That is the way it works in this country. 

None of the players on this team have anything to do with this whole tragedy.  They have worked their butts off in practice and in the classroom--some have been aspiring to this since they played PeeWee football--and they deserve our support.  I am proud of this team and I am proud of this University. I am not proud of Jerry Sandusky if the accusations lead to a conviction.  I'm not proud of the way the University handled things, but it appears things were handled properly up to the level of the AD and he now has to explain himself in court.

Could more have been done?  Probably.  Should more have been done?  Probably.  But it is too easy for us to be critical because WE WEREN'T THERE.  None of us will know what kind of shock the GA had when he discovered this situation.  Had he stepped into that shower to stop what was going on, Sandusky could have accused him and it would have been his word against the other.  How many times have you heard about people being mugged in broad view in New York and no one stopping to help?  Until you are actually in that situation, can you really demand a certain behavior from others?  The GA did what he was supposed to do.

I feel sickened at the thought of the alleged victims in all this.  But me not going to the game or singing the Alma Mater, or taking down my flag, or not wearing my Penn State clothing, or cancelling my tickets or withholding my NLC contribution won't change what has happened.  Doing these things does not condone what has happened.  Another thing lost in all this is ALL THE GOOD that The Second Mile accomplished for hundreds/thousands of kids. That doesn't make what happened to these victims right or any less sickening, but I have seen people saying they will never donate to the organization again. You are hurting other kids by doing this!

We can only pray that the victims will be okay and that JUSTICE will be done. 

In the meantime, we have a game this Saturday.  Our team needs us.  And I think, despite this situation, we beat some Husker butt!

LET'S POP SOME NEBRASKA CORN!