Tony Hunt Graduated Just in Time

This, right here, is why I hope Joe Paterno coaches Penn State football until the day he dies:

When Penn State re leased a statement from Joe Paterno regarding the assault and burglary charges against six of his football players involved in a campus brawl April 1, it ended with the promise that the coach would have nothing more to say on the matter until it was fully adjudicated...

But he had plenty to say yesterday before a large Philadelphia-area banquet at the Radisson Convention Center. And the words were mostly contrite.

Paterno termed an "embarrassment" the incident, in which Scirrotto and his girlfriend apparently were insulted and allegedly assaulted before the sophomore safety called in the posse on the non-football-playing alleged antagonists.

In Paterno's estimation yesterday, "14 or 15" Nittany Lions players showed up at the apartment of the non-players involved. Sources say the figure was likely triple that when including players who arrived after the incident was over.

That response alone was, Paterno said, enough to warrant his own program of action. He said he will have his entire team help clean up Beaver Stadium every Sunday after home games this season -- a task usually taken on for pay by PSU club sport athletes who use the money to fund their teams.

This fall, according to Paterno, they won't have to do it; his guys will. And the money will still funnel to club sport coffers:

"We're all going to do it. Everybody. Not just the kids that were involved. 'Cause we're all in it together. This is a team embarrassment. I wouldn't call it anything much other than that."

Another good story about the punishment here:

According to Paterno, the Penn State football team will clean Beaver Stadium after each home football game this fall. It'll gather garbage, sweep stairs and maybe even hose parts down.

It'll be Notre Dame on Saturday, nacho spills on Sunday.

It's a job that usually goes to members of club sports on campus – say, rugby or crew – which do it to raise money so they can compete. Paterno said the clubs still will get the $5,000 for the job, but his guys, fresh off playing 60 minutes of major college football the day before, will do all the work starting Sunday morning...

At too many places in college football, the kids never are wrong. Punishments often are things that actually help the team: more running, early-morning weightlifting. It is rarely public, rarely embarrassing and never, at least to my knowledge, a blanket shot across the entire team, a true call for leadership and shared values.

But this is why Joe Paterno is Joe Paterno

He isn't worried about hurt feelings. He isn't worried about potential recruits. He isn't worried about guys sacking garbage on Sunday morning.

He's worried about the reputation of his players, his program and his school. He's worried about cleaning things up immediately, starting with the stadium.

Good on ya, Joe.

Comments

[bake]

Now that I think about it, and my head clears, why didn't the eagles take the plan I had for them?
Keep garcia if you're going to draft a qb that you expect to start in 2-3 years. (number 1 pick so he must be expected to start soon right?)
I said in a way earlier blog that if you don't want mcnabb, trade him and get a qb for the future that garcia can train. garcia runs the west coast offense well, is up there in age, so it would've been perfect.
Now we have an insecure mcnabb, a backup who's ready to compete for the starting job and who knows what? If mcnabb does come through really well these next two years what are you going to do? Still let him go? Go with an unproven guy?
So the eagles rolled the dice. Someone is going to be left out in the next few years, and it looks like it could be mcnabb. Could've been a lot of easier if they stayed with garcia, drafted kolb, and possibly dealt mcnabb to move up in the draft and got one of those safeties.