Penn State and Paterno's Legacy Should Be Destroyed!

After seeing the reports about Joe Paterno and the cover-up at Penn State, I am going to be on the list of the people that will now, pile on. I always respected and admired Joe Pa for his clean program and winning at State College, but that quickly disappeared this past week. Joe knowingly covered up for a child predator, to protect his winning at Penn State. Does this act undo a lifetime of good work. Absolutely. There is no excuse or reason to place any business, university or team before the welfare of our children. 

The Penn State program deserves the ultimate penalty from the NCAA.
Many people will argue that the governing body of college athletics should not be involved with a criminal activity, but I say they have in the past and with much smaller issues then the rape of children. Paterno, Curley and many others at Penn State, knew and looked the other way, while this pervert, Sandusky, was  allowed to continue his assault on children. They should all pay a price and the university should be willing to step up and accept their culpability in the crime.

What would it take? I feel the NCAA death penalty should be invoked. Take away their scholarships. No television money or bowl trips. Make them start from square one. Rebuild their entire program. Strip away anyone associated with this sordid episode. Give restitution to the victims and their families.

Will this ever make up for the failure of Penn State and Paterno, to these children and their families. No, however it will serve notice to every entity that we all have an obligation to protect, not just our children, but anyone that is being attacked. The NCAA needs to step up and do it now. We all should demand nothing less.

Com'n Dwight, You Really Want The Ball In The Stretch?

In today's Orlando Sentinel, Dwight Howard is quoted as saying, he wants to have the ball down the stretch and the game is in doubt. According to Howard, he needs to have the opportunity to carry the team in the waning minutes of the game. He should have the confidence of the coach to get the job done. He also pointed out, rightfully so, that Kolbe did not have that assassins mentality when he first came into the game. I agree with Dwight on that point. Kolbe had to get confident and the coaches had to let him miss, so he could learn how to finish and win games for the Lakers. Where Dwight fails to understand is that Kolbe, never had a 40% free throw average. Other teams did not seek out Bryant, to foul him and send him to the line, knowing that the chances were greater that he would miss the free throw and thus help the opposing team. There is now a hackaDwight philosophy, and there never was a hackaKolbe play. Howard is correct that players have to be given that chance to win the game for his team, but when you cannot even come close to hitting your free throws, the right thing for the team is to place the ball into the hands of someone else. I have enjoyed watching Dwight, until this year. He has started to take that diva approach that has always turned me off to some professional athletes. Dwight has thrown teammates under the bus and now he is taking dead aim at one of the top coaches in the NBA. My advice to Howard is quite simple. Keep playing hard, which you always have done and learn to make your free throws at a much higher rate. Once you do that the coaches, wherever you end up playing, will want the ball in your hands. Until then be satisfied with the role you play.

Only Five More Hours Of Pre-Game.

I will be finishing up on my posts for today shortly. I have already finished my Americas Voice post and after I am done with this I will do a short post on Father Thinks He Knows Best. Then I will sit back and enjoy the extravaganza known as the Super Bowl. ESPN and then the networks will have about ninety five hours of pre-pre-pre-pre-pre-game information. Usually by the time the actual game begins everyone is bleary eyed and ready for bed, but somehow we all muster the energy to watch the game and a seven hour halftime show. Only in America can we turn a sixty minute game into two weeks of non-stop nothing and people will watch it. Well I hope you all stay awake and enjoy the game.

My Thoughts on Tomorrow's Super Bowl. The Giants Win.

This is going to be short and sweet. I am rooting for the New York Giants to win. Sorry to my Patriots friends, but I do not want them to get any closer to my beloved Steelers in total Super Bowl victories. To my Giants friends, I will issue my apology in advance for my pick. You see I predicted Florida State would win the national title. That didn't work. I predicted the Steelers would win their seventh Super Bowl. You know how that worked. I also decided I would root for the underdog Broncos and Tim Tebow to beat New England. I believe that is strike three. So if I jinx the Giants tomorrow and Tom Brady and the Pats ride off into the sunset with yet another title, I am sorry. Meanwhile I hope everyone enjoys the game and especially the commercials.  Go Giants, let me have one good prediction this football season.

Super Bowl XXXVVVVIIIIIIIIIIIIICCCC!

Oh hell, I was never very good with Roman Numerals, but why, something as American as the Super Bowl, did we use Roman Numerals to designate how many we have had. The first four, and yes I was there for all of them, were easy. You just had to count the number of sticks and be done with it. All I know is it is Super Bowl 46. See how easy that is to figure out. No running to the Internet or looking up an article to know how many we have had. Also why do we even have to track the number? We don't say The World Series CCXXVVII, it is just the World Series.

 Somewhere two thousand years down the road it will take an entire page, just to know that the Super Bowl is being played. Thankfully, then it will be the year 4012 AJ. After John.  P.S. Go Giants!!

Joe Paterno

It is never a joyous time, whenever anyone leaves this earth and no matter what some may think, it is sad that Joe Paterno passed away yesterday. Joe Pa, was a husband, father, grandfather and friend, so to each of these people I express my sincere condolences.

Over the last several months Joe went from beloved by many, to still loved but also hated. That is regrettable. Joe made his, extremely bad, decision to report an incident, but to not follow up and make sure that the proper authorities were notified and doing their jobs. He did not do, all that he could have to protect innocent children from a predator and for that he will always be remembered for a remarkable failure.

The other part of Joe cannot be ignored either. He touched so many lives, through the years, after taking over for Rip Engle, at Penn State. He lead a football program that was successful on many levels on the  field and off the field. He and his wife gave back to Penn State in the form of donations to support the academic standard in Happy Valley. He made leaders that went on to, not only, professional football , but became leaders throughout various other industries. These young people have stood up for Paterno and will be forever grateful to him for his contribution in their lives.

Lastly Joe Paterno was a human being and thus saddled with the frailty of mistakes. I am sure that if given a second change, Joe would have changed the way he handled the Jerry Sandusky situation, but, none of us have that opportunity. We all have to live and eventually die, with a certain amount of failure. We just don't have to do it in a fishbowl environment, like Joe Paterno did.

So to Joe, rest in peace. You were not perfect and had human flaws, but I will try to remember more of the good you did and hope people can forgive your weaknesses.

Running Off At The Sports Mouth.

I fell asleep at half time of the BCS championship game, did you. What a yawner.

Jim Boeheim may be doing his best job of coaching ever this year. With all of the distractions he has kept the team focused and still undefeated.

Penn State Alum, led by one of my idols, Franco Harris, are way off base when they demand, Joe Paterno be reinstated as the coach at Penn State.  Let it rest. He was in charge and did not follow up, when he notified his superior.

I love this time of the year, when college basketball teams are in their conference schedule. My Noles handed North Carolina a shocking 33 point loss. I know one thing, the Noles are not 33 points better then the Tarheels.

In the NBA. Hey Heat fans. Look what team is leading the conference. That's right the Magic. Have heart though. No don't have heart. Labron is continuing the same pattern he has had since entering the league. At crunch time he is better then David Copperfield at disappearing.

Just when everybody wanted to bury Kolbe, he rips off 40+ points in three games. Never underestimate the heart of a champion. Lebron, see what Kolbe does!

Staying with Lebron. My last word is some advice for him. Wait, has anybody seen Lebron.  Lebron. Lebron. Where are you. Just wait for the first quarter of the next game and he will show up, just don't look for him in the forth.