November 6, 2007
Paper says JoPa fails to enforce punishments
The Wizard of Odds links to an Adam Smeltz piece outlining punishments promised by Penn State coach Joe Paterno to university president Graham Spanier that have not been enforced, according to the Centre Daily Times.
The disciplinary plan was created by Paterno and outlined in a May 7th memo to the President's Office in the wake of several players breaking into an apartment and starting a fight.
The document, dated May 7 and reviewed by the Centre Daily Times, carries three key apparent assurances to the university president.Two appear to be unfulfilled. For one thing, Paterno wrote, the players directly involved in an April 1 apartment invasion and assault case would see their roster positions drop and their game time decreased.
The punishment would be imposed regardless of actions taken by State College authorities or by the university Judicial Affairs office, Paterno wrote. He noted that he had told players about the disciplinary plans on April 30.
But while the university temporarily expelled four players after a Judicial Affairs investigation of the case, three of the four have not seen their roster positions drop or their game time reduced since the season started.
The CDT reports that two players who were involved in the incident - safety Anthony Scirrotto and defensive back Lydell Sargeant - have started every game this year. While DE Jerome Hayes has sat out since an injury last month. DL Chris Baker,has started in four games.
Guido D’Elia, who handles football communications, said that some players did indeed see their roster positions change. The university reported that it took disciplinary action against 17 football players after the Judicial Affairs review of the April 1 incident.But details about which players’ roster positions were affected by the incident are not public information, D’Elia said. Roster positions often change for a variety of reasons, he said, citing class attendance and academic performance as two examples.
From the limited information that's out there, it certainly appears that Paterno has not cut the playing time for those involved. And it's certainly possible that their position dropped on the depth chart during the spring, but it hasn't been reflected during the season.
Paterno has more than followed through on his promise to have players perform community service, with players volunteering time for Habitat for Humanity and the Special Olympics.
And you can't question JoPa on having his players clean the stadium. According to the report, Paterno committed the players in question to two hours of cleaning the stadium after each home game. In reality, the entire Penn State football team cleaned the stadium after home games. Paterno put an end to the cleanup duties in mid-October, but the team was definitely involved in the cleanup up to that point. (It isn't for every game as outlined originally, but they certainly put in more manhours than promised, so... I think you call that a wash.)
There's no question that Paterno does not like to told how to run his team. He's said it himself more than a few times over the last couple decades. The head coach judge, jury, and executioner when it comes to discipline.
Which makes it odd that Paterno wouldn't fully implement punishments that he himself outlined. He gets a pass on the community service, but you cannot question that the players involved in the incident have not seen their playing time reduced. They're starting, for crying out loud, so playing time is not being reduced, nor are they further down the depth chart.
It's interesting to see the Centre Daily Times revisit this story. While there has been a lot of focus on improving discipline (and the perception of improving discipline) on the Penn State football team, this is the first time that I can recall the CDT re-hashing punishments. Clearly the natives are getting restless.
Comments:
FanoftheGame said:
posted on November 7, 2007 10:46 AM — 198.211.223.194 — link — abuse?
#2 Nole you might be right.
It's really a shame that a coach that has left such a positive legacy in college football is in JoPa's situation. First, Bobby loses control at FSU and now JoPa loses control at PSU. Two coaching legends that can't seem to keep their teams from falling apart. It's a real shame.
1st_and_NOLE
posted on November 7, 2007 10:53 AM — 71.14.108.232 — link — abuse?
said:
Well I missed it when Bobby lost control. He's only had ONE player with off field legal problems - Geno Hayes. They were only misdemeanors yet Bobby enforced exactly what he said he would.
He cut Geno's playing time considerably.
Geno did university sanctioned community service.
Geno is also undergoing university sanctioned behavior counseling.
In addition to any legal punishment for his misdemeanors that may be handed down by the law.
Sounds like a lot more punishment then a lot of coaches would hand down for misdemeanors. Oh yeah, and Bowden followed through with all of it.
GatorMatt
posted on November 7, 2007 11:55 AM — 128.227.7.218 — link — abuse? said:
Question for anyone who can answer:
What exactly do Paterno and Bowden do? I never see them with a headset on, I just see them stand there with their arms folded. And do they do anything during practice? Or does Bobby just continue to sit up on that riser thing and watch? I have a feeling they're both still there b/c they've been around for so long, and it's almost like they have tenure
FanoftheGame said:
posted on November 7, 2007 12:06 PM — 198.211.223.194 — link — abuse?
Nole,
I'm a Bobby Bowden fan. Very seldom does a coach come a long that cannot only win, but continue to win over decades with Nationally ranked teams.
But Bobby has definately had his woes with more than just ONE player over the years. McPherson, Kenny O'neal, Darnell Docket, and Talman Gardner-just to name a few. However, I do agree that Coach Bowden has taken alot of steps to eliminate the types of problems that these youn men were involved in. More so, even than JoPa.
That said, every incident that these two coaching icons have to deal with is amplified in the media, whereas other programs don't seem to be media targets. In my opinion, Mack Brown has had more off the field player issues at Texas over the past 2 years than Bobby or JoPa, but it doesn't garner the attention of the media on a national level.
Maybe, it is time for JoPa and Bowden to leave the game, but I hope when they do they will be remembered only as great coaches.my $.02
TE
posted on November 7, 2007 12:15 PM — 204.68.245.11 — link — abuse? said:
C'mon, G-hip...You know you're living in a glass house there...
Lots of friends of the Sticky Icky there at UF...One who played the whole game against LSWho last year...
...and let's not talk about this year...I heard EA Sports is talking about a cross-genre multimedia game, starring Tony Joiner...They're going to call it: Grand Theft Auto-Gainesville...
I say this knowing full well I live in a glass house surrounded by barfights defending the honor of your pregnant girlfriend, whose so honorable she's out at a smoke-filled bar with you...
It's also down the corner from a counterfeiting ring, not to mention there's a casino in the same town that underage kids try to sneak into from time to time...
But, c'mon, man...That's my entire point...Every program has problems...Whether your kids are getting DUI's and public intoxications (like Texas & Nebraska) or their coaches are (Texas Tech & Baylor)...
Sort've like our old political Kingfish, Huey Long, who advocated, "Ever Man A King, A Chicken In Every Pot," almost every bigtime CFB program has a "Skeleton in Every Closet"...
gatorhippy
posted on November 7, 2007 12:27 PM — 209.16.115.5 — link — abuse? said:
TE (#9):
" say this knowing full well I live in a glass house surrounded by barfights defending the honor of your pregnant girlfriend, whose so honorable she's out at a smoke-filled bar with you"...
Sigh...
You're right...
I'll just leave your mom at home next time...
Spartacus
posted on November 7, 2007 12:57 PM — 72.25.84.228 — link — abuse? said:
GatorMatt:
They both do exactly the same thing that your boss does - only they make alot more money doing it. Really, it wouldn't surprise me at all, if all Bowden and Paterno did was surf the web all day and night.
Tommie Trojan
GatorMatt
posted on November 7, 2007 1:05 PM — 128.227.7.218 — link — abuse? said:
#12,
I know that Urban doesn't call the plays, Dan Mullen does that up in the booth. But I see Meyer on the field with a headset talking to Mullen and yelling at the players and screaming at the refs. I don't see either Paterno or Bowden do that. I'm kinda surprised they don't bring them out a lawn chair
gatorhippy
posted on November 7, 2007 1:21 PM — 209.16.115.5 — link — abuse? said:
TE (#11):
"Again, let he who is without sin cast the first stone...Or something like that"...
Interesting quote...
Considering that was my first shot at you on a personal level, while you have repeatedly attacked my personal life over the last few weeks...
;-]
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gatorhippy
said:
posted on November 6, 2007 1:09 PM — 70.121.185.56 — link — abuse?Maybe Joe should just threaten to eat their brains...