Say It Isn't So Joe!

It’s a sad, sad time for college football. For the first time in more that 45 years Joe Paterno is not the coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions.

I’ve been a JoePa fan for as long as I can remember. I have a small statue of him on my desk. A part of me is in denial because of my love and respect for JoePa and the other part of me is still trying to put the pieces together and gain an understanding of this story.

No one is going to defend Jerry Sandusky’s actions of child molestation. Jerry Sandusky is a sick, SICK man and he will meet his match in prison. What happened to these victims is repulsing. I read the Grand Jury Report, but I think there are a few pages missing…

Why almost 15 years later are we just now hearing about these awful events? Were promised scholarships not fulfilled, hush money stopped being deposited or something else…? What happened to the victims is awful and now we have to figure out how it went on for so long, the campus cover up and how to make sure this never happens again.

I can only speak for myself- I know how embarrassing I was as a child to my parents by just being me. The first time I heard the word penis, I said it over and over and over… along with every other “bad” word. I laughed when we walked by Victoria’s Secret because they had manikins in their underwear. I went to a hearing specialist for a year where my parents learned that my hearing was fine, I just didn’t listen. My point is that if I was fondled in any inappropriate way I would have told everyone just for being a kid, not because I knew it was a crime. Even if I was told not to tell, I would have “forgotten” and still said something…. I just feel like these victims said something and the mom of victim #1 even reported it- it’s in the Grand Jury report and nothing happened? Again, I’m not in any way defending San-disgust-me, but I’m trying to understand why we are hearing about it 15 years later.

The Penn State cover up is so deeeeeep and disturbing. I believe JoePa when he was notified by Mike McQueary of “fondling and horsing around” that he went to the AD, Tim Curley. McQueary SAW the shower incident of victim #2 and didn’t go to the police! He didn’t even try to intervene! WTH is wrong with McQueary? At the time, McQueary was 28 years old and a graduate assistant and from what we know, he is the only eye witness and he didn’t go the police. Isn’t that failure to report a crime?

Continue reading Sandusky’s Grand Jury Report and you learn that what McQueary saw and reported to JoePa, Curley and senior VP of business and finance Gary Schultz, were different stories. You could blame all them of being guilty of failure to report a crime that they didn’t witness. Police need indisputable evidence to pursue a crime not “he said, she said”. McQueary is the only one of those who could testify to the police what he witnessed, but instead he took a full time coaching position with Penn State… It’s funny how that timeline worked out for him. After what he saw, how could he work with Sandusky? Was he not scared every time he dropped a pen when Sandusky was in the room?

The reaction of Facebook and Twitter is the lack of empathy from Penn State students and fans towards the victims and criticism of Penn State students for the riots and the support they have shown for JoePa. But here’s the issue; no one supports child molestation and JoePa is not the one accused of the charges.

Students and fans were outraged by John Surma and the Board of Trustees decision to fire JoePa by saying it is in the “best interest of the university”. Shut the front door! How can you make that statement and then follow with “we don’t know all the facts”. In America, you are innocent until proven guilty. How do you fire the man who IS your University, who announced to his team he would retire at the end of season just days before his last home game after 45 years of commitment and dedication to the University when you “don’t know all the facts”??? But the one fact we all know is that McQueary witnessed the crime, didn’t go to the police and it took days later for the Board to announce he would not be coaching Saturday’s game and that he is in protective custody.. Penn State hasn’t fired him, but they fired the BEST tradition, a living legend, the heart of Penn State; JoePa and they think the fans would be okay with that decision? Wrong again. The Board of Trustees should be embarrassed for the way they have handled this sick, sick scandal.

I don’t even have to hope that Penn State doesn’t win another football game, without JoePa- what is Penn State’s selling point? And to go out like this is just sad. Say it isn’t so Joe! Joe Paterno should have been able to coach his last home game. The seniors deserved it, the team deserved it and JoePa fans needed a way to say thank you and good bye. John Surma- you just planned the funeral of not just Penn State Football but for Penn State University.

Joe Paterno: YOU ARE PENN STATE.

"Embrace the Suck"

It’s been a bad few weeks for sports teams… No really, it’s been a BAD few weeks.

It’s no secret that I’d rather be called the Tin Man than the Scarecrow and lately I’ve been reminded on just about every Saturday and Sunday when my football teams lose that deep down, there is a broken heart… Every week I trick myself into believing that THIS week is going to be different. It’s as if I’ve been living a sports version of the movie Groundhog Day and the losing just keeps replaying and yet I keep watching and rooting.

Texas Rangers
I can’t even talk about game six or game seven without feeling like the Sports Gods hate the Texas Rangers. WHHHHY? This is a team that makes baseball fun to watch and a franchise that deserves the Commissioner’s Trophy in Arlington, Texas.

Back-to-back heartbreak for a blue collar team that plays with more heart than any other team; it just hurts. I’m still nauseous thinking about it. They lost; they lost game six and they lost game seven in St. Louis when the games should have been played in Arlington. Bud thinks the league winner of MLB All-Star game is the only way to decide who gets home field advantage and this is a situation where the National League clearly had home field advantage.

Game six will define this World Series as a scar on the hearts of Ranger fans for year’s maybe even decades…

Tennessee VOLS
Let’s be honest, the only thing bright in Knoxville is Dooley’s pants. Star Justin Hunter ended his season on a non-contact play, QB Tyler Bray hurt his hand but he has no problem tweeting and this list can go on and on and on and on.. It’s beyond frustrating to watch an SEC team lose at home and they only score by kicking a field goal. It’s so embarrassing that’s almost comical.

Washington Redskins
I know.. I should be use to losing as a Redskins fan and I am. But some how I still think every year is going to be the year! HA- it’s more like the decade of the worst QB in Washington. Seriously, I don’t know how much more of this I can take. Let Ovechkin run the pocket- at least he can win in the regular season. I’ve have the same beer guy in my section for the past three seasons, but I’ve had eight QB’s and six head coaches in 12 seasons. With that turnover, who would want the starting job in Washington??

On Sunday, I’m missing my first home game in three seasons. Not because I’m scared I’ll be escorted out of FedEx for yelling obscenities at Kyle Shanahan, but because I’ll be on a flight to Sin City. I should land at half time which means I’m going to miss the game because the Redskins haven’t played a full game in years! And somehow I’ll still rock my BANKS jersey from DC to Vegas as if it’s going to be our lucky day. Pathetic- I know.

So after the past week of being in a sports depression I was given some much needed advice when listening to the Double A Show on TSR 1180; “Embrace the Suck”. It’s as if the stars aligned and fireworks went off- it all made sense. I picked my teams and I’m going to be a fan for the good and for all the bad, really bad, terrible, disappointing, depressing, embarrassing and heartbreaking seasons. My new motto is “Embrace the Suck” Thanks AA!