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Paterno’s Priorities
Priorities. Life is all about getting them right and in order. Some people just have theirs really screwed up. Joe Paterno was one of them. As is so often the case in sports the desire to win, to achieve, to excel, over rides all common sense in the order of priorities. Steroids in Baseball. BountyGate. Recruiting violations. Covering-up the horrific crimes of Jerry Sandusky. Whatever the means all of these are examples of the unhealthy obsession we have with winning. And in the pursuit of that goal, it is ironic that indeed everybody loses when the choice is made to “win at all costs”.
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Lombardi is rolling over in his grave over the Penn State Scandal.
Joe Pa got in over his head w/out trulythinkin’ ’bout how manylives Sandusky was affecting…very sad for the afflicted families of thevictims
Good Morning from Omaha-
you are so right, Drew. life comes down to priorities. In time your priorities are set straight, by either you, society or god opens up to you, taps you and the shoulder and re aims you.
Big time college football is big business. The buffs, rams and falcons tend to play on the fringes of this business.
Who knows what other programs have such skeletons in their closet. Jo PA was so trusted that when he walked into the recruits parents living room and said “trust me with your young man”. Hey it was JoPa–Never any question.
I hate to pull out NE football and the quote etched on Memorial stadium but here goes-“Not the victory but the action; Not the goal but the game; In the deed the glory.”
some how we have all failed to live up to those noble words, even the big red.
strive for excellence, noting but your best.
Gene
The only thing I see different from that list is that nothing in the Sandusky scandal was engineered to win games. Recruiting violations bring in better athletes, doping improves athletic ability and performance, bounties and cheap shots intimidate and injure opponents – all of those are tactics (albeit illegal ones) to gain an edge in a game.
Penn State didn’t win any games because they covered up Sandusky’s crimes. Whether out of personal loyalty to an assistant coach, a hope that nothing would come of the accusations, wanting to protect the reputation of the program he had built up for decades, or just old fashioned CYA, Paterno didn’t just ignore the charges, but rather helped cover them up, and used his position and longevity to get his way.
Lord Acton’s saying about power corrupting still holds true.
Another Cartoon take, from Deadspin:
http://deadspin.com/5927457/cartoon-bear-bryant-kicked-cartoon-joe-paterno-out-of-cartoon-heaven