Pitt and Penn State are scheduled to play a home-and-home pair of football games in 2016 and 2017. A possible thaw in the long-standing stalemate in what was once a great annual rivalry game. Add in the fact that the Big 10-Pac-12 annual cross-over plan that was scheduled to begin in 2017 has now fallen through. Well, you could make a pretty good case that Pitt and Penn State might actually be able to resume the annual in-state rivalry game.
This home-and-home came about before the Penn State cover-up of the Sandusky molestations came to light. A cover-up to protect the image of the football program at Penn State. Now, Penn State is promising reforms. Changes, in no small part from the recommendations of the Freeh Report. But as Dan Wolken notes, how can there be real change when Penn State begins their new season in seven weeks?
That creates a question for Pitt and Pitt fans. Should we still want Pitt and Penn State to meet in football? Do we want to play a program where the leaders so willingly betrayed its self-righteous ideals to protect the image of itself. That it not only hid a pedophile right within in its midst, it gave license the beast to continue to use his relationship with Penn State football to bring in more boys to victimize.
I saw it posed in the comments. I’ve been in discussion thread with friends. I don’t have a good answer.
I grew up on the Pitt-Penn State game, as did many of you. It’s something we’ve long wanted back. But now? After this?
The game is still four years away. Maybe real changes are affected at Penn State. Maybe they confront the actual horrors and take ownership of their culpability and culture that created this and do something about it.
But what if they don’t? What if they compartmentalize it. Rationalize it as being others who did it. That it could happen anywhere, and that they are being unfairly maligned by haters. Avoid the responsibility and the real changes. What then?
By playing them are we just one more part of the culture that puts football ahead of all else.
Rather than just discuss in the comments here’s a blunt instrument to take the temperature.
You guys want to hear my freakin’ day. My in-laws live just outside state college. We went down to the arts fest today and as we get half way thru my wife sees a little lemonade stand…my wife has soft spot in her heart for these things. She gives my two little boys some money to get a cookie and a drink from the young girls running the stand.. As we walk away I notice a guy sitting in the shade under a tree in the backyard of the house where we bought the lemonade…it was mf’ing Jay Paterno. Then it hits me that my two little boys just gave cash to the Paterno’s. I’ve never been so distraught over $4 in my entire life.
My boys and I were at least wearing Pitt gear – a must anytime we go into town. After getting that off my chest I have to mention my two favorite ped state stories to make me feel better…
1. My oldest’s first intro to Paterno was a stuffed doll my sister had at her place…upon seeing it he screamed in utter fear at the hideous figure.
2. A couple of years later his grandfather and uncle wanted a pic on top of the nittney lion. Upon seeing the lion my son declared that it wasn’t a lion and that it was a Panther. He then declared that he would sit on the Panther.
I was hoping that would make me feel better…but it didn’t.
The wagons are being circled as we speak. Ron Cook still doesn’t get it.
Matriculated as a tight end but graduated as a wide receiver.
As much as I hope I am wrong I suspect that the final outcome will be far removed from the “death penalty”.
Three Years of Punishment:
Loss of 10 scholies first year followed by loss of 5 scholies per year in second and third years.
No bowls for 2 years
No TV for l year.
End result, the WE ARE PENN STATE cry will continue to echo from Perv Valley and nothing….
NOTHING will change!!
This was one sick individual being protected by selfish administrators, who put their own interest above the well being of children. I believe the NCAA should get involved but only to set a precedent for future corruption. The culture at PSU will change now that all the parties involved have been removed from power. It has to, not only because of the NCAA involvement but because of flags raised at the federal level now. There are bigger concerns now than the football program for the first time in about 60 years.
What has to change now is the culture at other schools where football has become bigger than the education provided…. I’m looking directly at the SEC and the rest of the Big Tenwelve.
I am simply stunned by the continued arrogance and pooh-poohing of the scandle by PSU Alums.
Without the death penalty, it will go back to business as usual at Ped State.
If anyone believes that all of the responses are not well planned, they are mistaken or else have never been in a Board Room. There is zero email traffic on this issue between the BOT and the PR firms unless it goes through their defense counsel in order to protect privilege.
All communication is facilitated through land lines, not cell phones. The entire premise of the Freeh Report is flawed as the scope was too narrow and it was another effort to protect the football brand. All this other hoopla by the Paterno’s is being done to throw the attention away from the program and the university. Despicable!
2.) After finding out about pedohile, a phone call to 911 would have ended it.
In summation, a pedophile, and 4 men without character.
Here is a good debate on if college football should even exist: link to npr.org
B.S.!!! These were children being raped, not someone jaywalking.
And Dan, I certainly hope you are not insinuating that I am one of the people giving the administrators a break. If so, you haven’t been reading my posts closely.
I’ve said about all I can say about this.
My comment was general to the news media and callers on radio shows.
I think this has been a very good dialogue on the situation up there.
I really hate cliches’, but, in this case, I think many of us have reached the point of
“we agree to disagree”.
Time for some football!!
Paterno dead, Sandusky in prison for the rest of his life. The three high profile enablers on their way to prison, retirement, or out of the country. After PSU comes off the death penalty and comes to PITT on bended knee begging, you say maybe and on one condition; the name of the former head coach who enabled these felonies against children, these crimes against humanity for an era, comes off any stadium the men representing the University of Pittsburgh sets foot in. And melt the goddamn statue while you’re at it. Then we’ll think about it. I hope like hell the Big Ten throws them out of the conference.
that would be way cool! & donate All proceeds to a victim fund.
When did 5 or 6 get found out? 1 month? 2 months? 10 F’N YEARS?
If the latter, shut ’em down and shut ’em down NOW! AND, BY THE WAY, YOU SAID IT’S A CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL!
Sorry, Dan, you’ve hit a nerve. I’m privy to docs who’ve done horrible things to save their asses.
Let’s go, Rangers