Voepel on Penn St & Rene | The Boneyard

Voepel on Penn St & Rene

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Another fine article from Mechelle Voepel. And another blot on JoePa's nomination for sainthood for protecting Portland for so long.
 
Exceptional article. As usual, Mechelle's writing hits the nail on the head.
 
Just looked over the Portland file and looking forward to seeing the film
What a sad story. Just pre-dates my interest in the sport.
There surely is a pattern.
 
.-.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl...-s-troubling-attitude-toward-sex-charges.html

Some may remember this gem from Paterno back in 2006:

"In 2006, on the eve of the Orange Bowl, Paterno had this to say about a Florida State linebacker named A. J. Nicholson who had been accused of sexually assaulting a woman: “There’s so many people gravitating to these kids. He may not have even known what he was getting into, Nicholson. They knock on the door; somebody may knock on the door; a cute girl knocks on the door. What do you do?”

Paterno continued to a group of reporters: “Geez. I hope—thank God they don’t knock on my door, because I’d refer them to a couple of other rooms.”

After Paterno’s comments became public, the National Organization for Women called for his resignation.

“I’m not going to say anything about it,” Paterno told ESPN a few days later. “Most people know me. I am what I am.”
 
Voepel's article is one of the best written on the situation.

Training Rules is a very worthwhile film. I have talked with Cindy Davies several times, especially, during the events leading to Portland's departure and Cindy's cooperation with NCLR and her story reminds us why achieving full rights and protection under the law for all people is critical.

Of course, the remaining fans of Portland who as Voepel states remain at PSU see no parallel at all. I posted the connection on PennLive almost a week ago and the Rene apologists went nuts. Rene fans root against Coquese Washington and want her to fail to elevate Rene.
 
There is some irony here. Joe's comment -- "I am what I am" -- happens to be the title of the signature song from the musical, "La Cage aux Folles," and the singer is describing his "I don't give a damn" attitude about people who disapprove of his homosexuality. I am sure it's a musical and a song that are unknown to Portland or Paterno.

Best version: Linda Eder. Check it out with close attention to lyrics.
 
Unfortunately, institutional change is very difficult. Patterns of behaviors and beliefs become ingrained in the institution' society. They die very slowly.

The PSU board of trustees are probably doing the only thing they, clean house from top to bottom and rebuild. But some will never believe that anything was really wrong. After all, schools are but a micro image of our society at large.
 
"I am what I am " should be amended to include "and it's not what you think I am."

Here's an interesting and revealing piece by Gene Wojciechowski at ESPN:
http://espn.go.com/college-football...dy-penn-state-nittany-lions-coach-joe-paterno

"Joe doesn't know why [Sandusky] resigned?" says a former athletic director at a rival institution. "Bull----. That was the first cover-up. … In '99, when Sandusky resigns, you think this coaching staff didn't know what was going on?

"In 2002, this could have been a two-day story: 'Ex-Penn State assistant coach is arrested.' I'm not saying it wouldn't have been a painful story, but it would have been dealt with. But there's so much arrogance to think they can keep it a secret. And it starts with Joe … Monumental ego and arrogance."
 
Icebear said:
Voepel's article is one of the best written on the situation.

Training Rules is a very worthwhile film. I have talked with Cindy Davies several times, especially, during the events leading to Portland's departure and Cindy's cooperation with NCLR and her story reminds us why achieving full rights and protection under the law for all people is critical.

Of course, the remaining fans of Portland who as Voepel states remain at PSU see no parallel at all. I posted the connection on PennLive almost a week ago and the Rene apologists went nuts. Rene fans root against Coquese Washington and want her to fail to elevate Rene.
Expand ...


Sad.
Unfortunately, the haters may get their wish if the current scandal severely hinders recruiting.
 
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UConnCat said:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl...-s-troubling-attitude-toward-sex-charges.html

Some may remember this gem from Paterno back in 2006:

"In 2006, on the eve of the Orange Bowl, Paterno had this to say about a Florida State linebacker named A. J. Nicholson who had been accused of sexually assaulting a woman: “There’s so many people gravitating to these kids. He may not have even known what he was getting into, Nicholson. They knock on the door; somebody may knock on the door; a cute girl knocks on the door. What do you do?”

Paterno continued to a group of reporters: “Geez. I hope—thank God they don’t knock on my door, because I’d refer them to a couple of other rooms.”

After Paterno’s comments became public, the National Organization for Women called for his resignation.

“I’m not going to say anything about it,” Paterno told ESPN a few days later. “Most people know me. I am what I am.”
Expand ...

I remember this well. I wonder if JoePa thought the same thing about Sandusky, "he is what he is", and just turned the other way.
 
VAUConnFan said:
Sad.
Unfortunately, the haters may get their wish if the current scandal severely hinders recruiting.
Expand ...
That is exactly what I am afraid may happen.
 
Mechelle obviously was very involved in the Portland saga. Great article that brought out a number of things I'd never read before.
 
Not only hurting recruiting but PSU will probably lose a few applicants who watched those TV vans tipped over in State College.

Any tears shed over possible difficulties recruiting at OSU after Tressel? Or at Tennessee after that men's bb coach left? I don't think so.

You reap what you sow. Deal with it.
 
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it would be interesting to know why the most recent recruits took back their verbals and went elsewhere.

btw Lisa Etienne, a Connecticut native, came back home and played for Jen R
 
Glad MV decided to take this on, knowing she's gonna get a lot of nasty mail. Informative for the many who are unaware of this background.

This excerpt has me puzzled, though:

"But as I said, the link is the deficiency in leadership that wasn't as proactive as it could have been in dealing with difficult issues."

What is "difficult" about these issues? They seem extremely clear to me. Is there really anything difficult about determining what is right and what is wrong here?

I don't get it... unless you think doing what is right is difficult.

What am I missing?
 
PacoSwede said:
Glad MV decided to take this on, knowing she's gonna get a lot of nasty mail. Informative for the many who are unaware of this background.

This excerpt has me puzzled, though:

"But as I said, the link is the deficiency in leadership that wasn't as proactive as it could have been in dealing with difficult issues."

What is "difficult" about these issues? They seem extremely clear to me. Is there really anything difficult about determining what is right and what is wrong here?

I don't get it... unless you think doing what is right is difficult.

What am I missing?
Expand ...
I think she meant "difficult" as in hard to comprehend or understand. As a human being with a conscience, the whole Sandusky situation is incomprehensible to me, as in hard to wrap my mind around such a thing happening in a civilized society.
 
The article was excellent. I enjoy reading a report that stays above the fray. The school lacked oversight. It went back decades.

All universities and institution can and hopefully will learn from this.
 
Stewart Mandel wrote a very thoughtful piece on the environment and culture that existed at Penn State. Mandel used the word "idolatry" when talking about Paterno and his point has been driven home by the TV footage showing fans literally kneeling in front of Paterno's home. It's stunning. As a Catholic I understand kneeling in church but kneeling in front of a football coach's home is something I can not get my head around.

We've seen this before w/r/t coaches at universities but never to this extent and never with consequences so grave.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...e-joe-paterno-culture/index.html?sct=cf_wr_a1
 
.-.
PacoSwede said:
Glad MV decided to take this on, knowing she's gonna get a lot of nasty mail. Informative for the many who are unaware of this background.

This excerpt has me puzzled, though:

"But as I said, the link is the deficiency in leadership that wasn't as proactive as it could have been in dealing with difficult issues."

What is "difficult" about these issues? They seem extremely clear to me. Is there really anything difficult about determining what is right and what is wrong here?

I don't get it... unless you think doing what is right is difficult.

What am I missing?
Expand ...

There was a discussion about this on CCN this morning. The difficult issues are demonstrated in how this is characterized. Some newspapers referred to it as "inappropriate conduct." Others called it "child rape." The grand jury transcripts were more clinical.

The use of these terms, with varying degrees of connotation, is itself demonstrative of the difficult issue. People are clearly uncomfortable with the subject, because, at their core, it sickens them.
 
ThisJustIn said:
Because it is. If it weren't, we wouldn't excoriate whistleblowers.
Expand ...

This is a very good point. Whistleblower protection laws are in place to protect those who expose the wrongdoing of others.
 
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