We all love to see the embarrassing “Not Top 10″ plays where a player, say, picks up a football and runs it into the wrong endzone. It’s lighthearted fun that no doubt leaves the player feeling a bit sheepish for a little while. But sometimes, sports programs find themselves embroiled in much deeper, much more disgraceful scenarios of their own design. These highly public embarrassments can ruin lives, cost schools thousands or millions of dollars, and leave the entire...
According to ShreveportTimes.com, the city of Grambling filed a formal petition to the NCAA requesting that the college governing body vacate some of Joe Paterno’s record 409 Division I victories. In doing so, this would allow for Grambling’s Coach Eddie Robinson to reclaim college football’s winningest coach crown. Joe Paterno surpassed Robinson’s 408 victory mark just two weeks before he was fired for his part in the Jerry Sandusky debacle. Now that the Freeh report exposed Paterno’s role, the city of Grambling wants the record restored to honor...
Ideally, colleges should be well-known, desirable, and popular because of the high quality of educational resources they offer students and other members of the community. Yet, here in the U.S. that’s not always the case. Many schools’ academic programs are eclipsed by the overwhelming popularity of their sports teams, and for better or worse that has made the coaches and head administrators of these teams incredibly powerful figures that dominate what has now become a billion-dollar industry for colleges...
Say what you want about Joe Paterno, but when he passed away on January 22, 2012, the college football world lost an icon. The Penn State alumni magazine finally took appropriate action by paying tribute to the legendary coach. The March/April 2012 issue of The Penn Stater is fully dedicated to coach Joe Paterno and all the lives he positively affected. In the words of former PSU QB Todd Blackledge, “no one individual has ever done more for a university...
In the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal, Penn State president Rodney A. Erickson recently launched a new web site, http://openness.psu.edu/, that offers readers complete access to key financial and contractual documents that were historically blocked from public view. Erickson stated that this web site is a “commitment to open communication” responsive to harsh criticism that Penn State’s internal operations were held in secret. Documents available are unedited and complete in nature to include the cost of the scandal....
With the college football world mourning the death of legendary coach Joe Paterno, one disgraceful group is celebrating his passing and plans to stage a protest during his funeral. Upon learning of Paterno’s death, the Westboro Baptist Church (“WBC”) tweeted to the nation that “He’s in Hell.” The fiery Margie Phelps, the daughter of WBC Pastor Fred Phelps and general counsel, regaled Paterno’s passing by publishing some disturbing tweets. The WBC, based in Topeka, Kansas, is known for its extreme and controversial views and sends its message...
Now that the dust has settled, it is clear that Penn State’s acquisition of New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien will prove to be a good move for a scandal-ravaged university. For the first time in nearly half a century there will be no Paterno on the Penn State sidelines. This move is exactly what Penn State needed to do in taking that monumental leap in rebranding itself after a horrific past few months. Though several former players...
Yesterday, 382 former and current Penn State football players showed their support by publishing a letter standing behind Joe Paterno and Penn State. The following is a copy of the letter: As members of the Penn State Community, we are deeply saddened by the allegations against Jerry Sandusky, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families. Given the allegations against Sandusky, we understand the public’s outrage because we share it. At the same time, however,...
