"The Downward Spiral of Penn State"

After reading a moving Facebook post on the NCAA sanctions brought down on PSU by our good friend, we decided to reach our to him and see if he would be willing to share his thoughts on the issue. He was more than welcome to voice his opinion (as he always has been here). So here it is, the Penn State issue in the eyes of the one and only Derek Nelson.

By: Derek Nelson of derekstevennelson.blogspot.com/

Disclaimer: I am from Pennsylvania. I am a Penn State fan – in fact, it could be argued that I became a bigger Penn State fan when I moved all across the country in pursuit of an acting career. Penn State football was a symbol of who I was, where I came from. When cameras panned a rowdy student section decked out in white, or 80-year olds embracing bitter cold on iron bleachers, I felt a connection to the people I came from. I remembered who I was, as I combated fake SoCal’ers who were more interested in the beach than a night in 20-degree weather with your best friends. Many times I was completely alone chasing a far-off dream, and those couple hours of a Penn State game brought me back to my friends and memories – fuel that kept me going for my dream.

I’m also the most blunt, honest, no bullshit person you will ever meet. I love America, but I have no problem pointing out how it’s collapsing. I love myself, but will be the first person to admit I’m legally retarded in certain aspects of life, and I need to learn patience. Joe Paterno deserved to get fired. All the higher-ups at Penn State deserved to get fired and will have to answer for even more potentially serious crimes in court – where may I remind you America, they are innocent until proven guilty.

I have dated and been intimate with over half a dozen women who were sexually abused or raped as children. I have held them as they cried onto my shoulders, kissed them as their eyes swelled with tears over experiences they were still trying to get over. I have felt their pain and understand the seriousness and sensitivity of this situation better than most. Having said all this, we need to look at the current situation with a clear head and not fall victim to being part of the “angry mob” of media out there.

 ESPN’s Ivan Maisel wrote, “You can read the hundreds of pages of the NCAA manual from now until the Nittany Lions run onto the field to play Ohio on Sept. 1, and you won't find a single rule that Penn State violated in this case. If that doesn't mean anything, why have a rulebook?” Because the NCCA has recently been more and more exposed for what it really is: a crooked organization of self-serving hypocrites – and this was their chance to save their ass with some positive P.R. The NCAA has no ground to levy punishment against Penn State. This was a criminal matter, not an NCAA one. There were no NCAA rules broken, no bribes for recruits; it was a lack of character and federal and state laws broken. The idiocy of the situation is only further heightened when NCAA President Mark Emmert totally bypassed the normal infractions committee, taking complete control and going full-throatal Caesar to “save” the integrity of the sport. “Michael Buckner, a Florida-based attorney who represents collegiate athletics departments, has gone so far as term Emmert's action not only unprecedented but "perhaps unconstitutional.'' Meanwhile, Jerry Crawford, an Iowa-based attorney who defends collegiate programs, called it a "rush to judgment.''” Perhaps the NCAA watched the constant media attention surrounding this circus? "I don't know any reason for the NCAA to feel they needed to rush in other than they were getting bullied in the court of public opinion, which they obviously didn't like,'' Crawford said. "What I believe I know is Joe Paterno ran an NCAA sanction football program that didn't just play within the rules, but played well within the rules. Recruited good people. Got them educations. I thought it was a program the country needed to emulate, not ostracize.''

 Anyone who opposes the general consensus of bashing Penn State is met with, “You don’t care about the kids!” It’s not an either or/situation. As ESPN’s Colin Cowherd said, “I can want individuals to face harsh punishment, but not the institution. The fans rooting for Penn State in the 80’s and 90’s, and the players playing for Penn State in the 80’s and 90’s weren’t rooting for a pedophile.”

Does crippling Penn State football really make the situation better? Have you ever been to State College? It’s 50 miles of cow farms, national weather headquarters, and then Penn State. The “culture of entitlement” at Penn State is gone. Joe Paterno is dead, his once-proud legacy in ruins. Former President Graham Spanier, former Vice-President Gary Shultz, and Athletic Director Tim Curley are about to go to trial for perjury – and rightfully so. Penn State is writing a $60-million check to victims of abuse, in addition to Big 10 money. A once-proud university for BOTH academics and sports now must address heinous crimes perpetrated under their noses. The house is not just on fire, the foundation is in ashes. Trust me, these people are feeling it. But do the stiff sanctions make the situation better? Will pedophiles stop being pedophiles? No – they’ll just be smarter and more discreet with their actions. The football team is needed now more than ever to help heal a community and use a negative situation to create something positive and lasting out of it. Instead, Penn State will lose a sense of its identity, restaurants and hotels will go out of business, and people will lose jobs. And the victims of Sandusky? Guess what – they’re still going to be victims.

Because of the public outcry Penn State will not file an appeal. The political correctness of this country is out of control and almost impossible to combat without losing your head. Instead of everyone trying to look good for P.R. and save their butts -- when will someone stand up for the whole truth?! When will we be thorough with situations, and not allow governing bodies to over-extend the power of their jurisdiction? There needs to be a separation of church and state. There needs to be a separation of the federal and state government. And there definitely needs to be a separation of a sports governing body and criminal matters.

I have no problem with taking down the Paterno statue, but if you do, take down Beaver Stadium, the Paterno student library, the spiritual center, all the restaurants and hotels – hell, blow up all of State College because we Pennsylvanians know who and what it was built on.

Oh, and one more thing NCAA, when another college kid loses his scholarship because he doesn’t fit a college coach’s “style,” like what happened to numerous kids when John Calipari took over at Kentucky and you turn a blind eye – go fuck yourselves you sorry pieces of shit. In a perfect world you’d be thrown in jail – right next to Sandusky.