Fair warning: the Roundup is leading with Penn State. If you are rather sick of reading about it, and I don’t blame you, feel free to skip over to the Roundup links for your regular Friday programming.
I’ve tried to keep most of the Jerry Sandusky news out of previous Roundups, save for major developments. Not because I wish to avoid the situation, but because it has just dominated the offseason news cycle and there wasn’t much for me to add besides additional disgust.
But then the Freeh report came out today. If you can stomach it, you can read it in full, but if you just want the highlights, those are available as well. Although Joe Pa and his family tried to plead ignorance, and many Penn Staters vehemently defended him, despite all logic, Freeh blew that all out of the water today. While there is certainly plenty of blame to go around, Freeh hit the nail on the head when he said the “Penn State Way” greatly contributed to the problem.
Make no mistake, the “Penn State Way” is Joe Pa’s way. He is Penn state. Their identities are intertwined like no other school that I can think of. Reading the Freeh report simply drives this home: janitors, the athletic director, university, and board of trustees all knew that Joe was the man in charge.
Yesterday, Bruce Feldman pointed out that this was the inevitable result of treating a football coach like a king, but the more I think about it, the more my mind boggles. A man with so much supposed integrity should’ve forced Sandusky’s retirement and banishment from campus, and with his power, he could do it without the public being the wiser if he so desired. However, he choose to ignore the warning signs in 1998.
And perhaps you could logically forgive him for that. After all, the police did investigate and determined that there was no crime committed. But then another coach comes and reports yet another case of abuse three years later. Again, Joe Pa passed the problem along instead of swinging his weight around to put an end to it.
Remember, this is man that created a culture in which $400 in illegal benefits given to one of his players was enough to permanently ban someone from campus, yet multiple reports of sexual abuse by the same person wasn’t cause enough for him to bother anyone on the weekend. Furthermore, the higher-ups that did executed said ban felt that Sandusky should be treated in a more “humane” manner and not report anything to police.
It just doesn’t add up.
Yet the Paterno family wants everyone to believe that Joe Pa was simply duped by Sandusky. Somehow he still creates blind loyalty that the student center refused to televise the unveiling of the Freeh report.
I truly feel sorry for all those affiliated with Penn State. Not just those that have such blind faith in Paterno, but more so those that were truly betrayed by a school they love. Everyone bought into the “Penn State way” and was completely duped. The man they trusted and lauded for his integrity has now helped bring a scandal upon them that makes the Pony Express look like child’s play. It’s a betrayal that simply has no equal in college sports.
Anyways, enough of that, back to your regularly scheduled Roundup.
The Roundup
Law & Order: ROLL TIDE! Saban’s daughter may just be a little bit unhinged.
Michigan made a music video. I had no idea that ND doing the Freekbass video was setting some kind of absurd bar for everyone else in college football. But anyways, here are two Skunkbears being very serious about their music, complete with Denard Robinson on a longboard.
We weren’t the only ones running a NCAA ’13 season simulation. Although this one doesn’t have such a bright outcome for the Irish.
Adidas–what the hell? I’m not even sure what in the hell you did to Texas A&M’s jerseys.
Smart Football creates more must read material. This is just a fantastic write-up on the history of the “Air Raid” offense.
Bruce Feldman files another column into “must read” territory. Before he eviscerated Joe Pa, he took a look at yet more NCAA insanity.
ND Hockey embraces the great outdoors. Football won’t be the only sport to play at Solider Field.
Recruiting is quite the complex science. Keith Arnold does a fantastic job in breaking down Kelly’s approach.
If you weren’t chillin’ at the Nokia ESPY pre-party, you missed out. Sounds like it was a blast considering that everyone under the sun attended.
Speaking of the ESPYs, there was a can’t miss moment. Eric LeGrand delivers a simply amazing speech. Warning: tears are practically inevitable.
The Beer
I was at a bar with a good beer selection recently and just started drinking random beers that I’ve never had the pleasure of drinking. This particular night had a clear winner: The Victory Golden Monkey.
Both the name and the 9.5% ABV immediately caught my attention, but the taste sold me: a bit of banana and citrus with a nice bitter finish that balances everything out rather well.
Unlike most of my recent beer experiments, this brew isn’t located in Texas, but Pennsylvania.
Yes…somehow I managed to come full circle in this Roundup without even trying.
- Epilogue - January 3, 2022
- HLS Podcast Finale - January 2, 2022
- The Final Fiesta: Notre Dame vs Oklahoma State NCAA ’14 Sim - December 31, 2021
Titus
What part of a “short and plain statement of the facts” does this Stephen Strickland not understand? Eight pages to plead a one-count assault claim? That’s written purely for publicity’s sake.
trey
Tex, I have a feeling you and I will just never really agree on taste. Once again, I dont understand what is so atrocious(outside of the fact that it was filmed on scUM campus) about the Skunkbear video. Not something I’d voluntarily listen to but I didnt think it was THAT bad. Also, what is wrong with the Aggie threads? I saw that last night and thought they look pretty slick.
NDtex
Perhaps this will help you on the music thing. What really tops it off though is the unbelievably forced cameos of Denard on a longboard. Because you know, this video just had to have Denard longboarding to his bros–nothing else would do.
The A&M uniforms look like they are clashing with eras. You have the modern trend of putting designs on sleeves for who knows what reason and then you have socks that look like they are from the 70’s. It’s like Adidas couldn’t make up their minds.
trey
I like fusion food, I guess I enjoy fusion design in my unis. I still think they look slick. And I’m only Aggie-lite, so Im pretty objective
alli
I disagree on one small point: that Joe Paterno could have banished Sandusky without the public knowing about it. Part of the reason PSU is in such hot water is over Clery Act compliance. The Clery Act passed in 1991 and requires universities to publicly report all crimes that occur on their campuses, with additional compliance measures involved (such as designating a coordinator, implementing a training regimen, etc) that usually accompany federal decrees. Penn State didn’t report any of this, and basically has not done jack squat to pursue Clery compliance, which is why the Department of Ed has grounds to remove a whole host of benefits, such as student eligibility for federal student aid.
NDtex
That’s a good point. Perhaps only had he given Sandusky the boot in 1998 would that have worked.
Wes
Super Dodge Ball was awesome. You forgot Super Off Road and Excite Bike and Arch Rivals. Nothing beat punching someone in the face at half court.
Wes
Another one I would put up there is World Games. I used to play that for hours on end.
Wes
Just realized I somehow posted on the totally wrong board. I was on OFD and ended up here somehow while trying to sign in there.
tlndma
It’s Saturday morning and still no word from the Padre, I’m starting to worry.
The Biscuit
Padre had to say some prayers for a few folks. He will be up.
GB
I lost my respect for St. Joe about 5 years ago. Some players were charged with some sort of sexual assault and paterno basically said”Boys will be boys” but not those words.
Bill Meehan
Tex,
Victory Golden Monkey is one of my favorite beers. One of my friends introduced me to it because how can you not at least try a beer with that name. As always a superb job on the roundup.