Penn State Culture

Well, shucks....

Just about the time I think things have leveled off, we just keep adding characters to the plot around here.

In short, this is what I have learned so far:

Never try to tap dance in flip-flops.

Recap: A presentment is nothing more than an accusation. Based on that alone, the media skewered the accused, an entire university, it's surrounding communities and their defining culture(s). The governor issued a threat and the Board of Trustees imploded. Reputations and careers have been irrepairably damaged without the benefit of due process.

My understanding is this - this is not about what people knew. This is about what they said they knew...to the grand jury. There is no way I can have an opinion on this. I wasn't there. Were you?

We have seen some measure of justice for the victims, criminal punishment for the perpetrator...and now we wait for due process for Spanier/Curley/Schultz...almost as an afterthought. Civil suits are lining up like ticketholders to a broadway show, while the rest of us watch in stunned amazement. While time marches on, it is so easy to fly off on tangents. There are so many characters and subplots, it can be disorienting. There are pro groups and anti groups and Twitter feuds aplenty.
I am resolved to stay focused on the fundamental issues that drive this story:
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS. DUE PROCESS. FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

Something we all seem to agree on: Penn State has a governance problem.
To infer that the president has/had too much power is double-speak, when the BOT is the very instrument of that arrangement. It laid the groundwork for zero accountability for the board, should things go badly...and they did. They have since demonstrated the inability to perform at any acceptable level of competence and if any group of people has been exposed as woefully inefficient, it's this bunch...individually and as a whole.

In short, these (Penn State Board of Trustees) are the people who abandoned their own president and coach, followed Corbett and Surma, pleaded guilty for all of us, leaked information, brought Erickson and Joyner into the fray, hired a PR firm, hired Freeh, caved to Emmert and the NCAA, listened to Mitchell, denounced due process, ignored the alumni, snubbed Wagner and they consider transparency as optional...with questions allowed...but no answers.

Feel free to correct me if I got any of this wrong.

My current menu:

• Wagner - didn't have anything new to offer...in the sense that Penn State has a governance problem...we all know that one. The BOT told him to kiss off. The scariest scenario was having the governor and legislature run Penn State while there is a search for a new prez. I don't care if the board is reduced to 6-7 members, because that's how many actually run the show, anyhow.
• Mitchell - completely disregard anything he has to say. It's the NCAA speaking. I'm more interested in what he/they get paid...and some of those numbers are just starting to surface. Monitor that.
• BOT publishes Spanier info - salary + compensation money is a classic example of the BOT's selective transparency: trying to direct people's angst somewhere else. Spanier was our president for 16 years. He was given a 5-year contract extension and a vote of confidence by the same BOT who decided in 24-hours that he lost controll of the school. Like it or not, his contract and compensation is nothing short of normal.
• Corbett / Kane - we'll see. Corbett already treats her like a child.
• Baldwin - dead center of everything. I called this last year.
• Presentments - only 2 states (PA and Conneticut) use this form of presentment. They were determined by all others to be too "inflammatory and unfair to defendents." Gee, ya think???
• Poole your efforts - construction contracts and money questions all over the place.
• Clery Act and Title IX issues have yet to play out.
• I'm imposing a ban on the term "task force."
• I have written about 50+ individuals in these blogs...and there's probably 200 more that deserve a mention...and I don't mean in a kind way. I've asked a lot of questions. Almost none have been answered, except through the passage of time. Review, if you must.
• I would be remiss if I didn't repeat the following: at least 3 people have committed crimes, publicly admitted it, but have not been charged - Tom Corbett, Matt Sandusky, Mark Schwarz.

It's just another bowl movement

Imagine this:
You are a 6"7", 310lb. senior offensive lineman, picked to go in the first round of the NFL draft. Your problem is - you play for a 6-6 "bowl eligible" team. Lucky you. You get 5-6 weeks of additional practice, to go play in a meaningless Atrophy Bowl, in Duluth, on a Wednesday, at 4:00am (kickoff determined by ESPN) in front of 300 fans (family and friends)...and risk a career ending injury and multi-million contract.
I don't think so.
So, let's just say that missing the post season is no BIG deal. Get it? We still have revenue sharing.
It was so great to see our team have the year they did and receive the accolades they richly deserved. Same for the coaches. I'm satisfied.
But, I know how this works. I will see fans turn on the very same people if it doesn't go well in the future. We are stuck with a 109,000 seating problem, conference expansions, scheduling problems and recruiting issues and a rumor mill that is never going to go away.
So, savor the moment(s) while you can.

 Culture This II

Let me try to color between the lines for everyone.

State College, PA, aka Happy Valley... I grew up up here.
Apparently, our founding fathers couldn't find the time to come up with an actual name for my hometown. "State College" didn't require a lot of thought.

College Avenue is the moat that separates academia from hunting season:

• "Knowledge is Power" vs. "Yea, but I'm armed."
• Pick-up trucks vs. pick-up artists.
• Opera vs. Oprah.
• Grange Fair vs.Vanity Fair.

Most everyone I grew up with thinks Curriculum Vitae is an Italian porn star and a tenure is someone who can hit the high notes. In the meantime, on campus, we have the "Trying to be the Most Important Person at the I Don't Give a Shit Party."

WE ARE....

.....an agricultural school with a nuclear reactor.
.....PhDs going to a tractor pull.

Bottom line:

I like it this way. I'm proud of my heritage, both as a local boy and as a Penn State grad.
I don't owe anyone an apology for any of it.
It's the best of all possible worlds.... and if nobody else wants to come here, I'm fine with that.