Yesterday, the CDT ran a Ron Bracken column about Joe Paterno’s decision to make the entire football team clean up Beaver Stadium the day after football games this fall. Bracken argues that this may be a preemptive strike against the Centre County District Attorney and the Office of Judicial Affairs. Bracken also noted that the decision to announce it at function in the Philadelphia suburbs was designed for maximum media exposure.
Well, DUH.
Paterno knows what he is doing. He got the message out that he is still a tough guy and he has much higher expectations from his team. He is showing the players that they are all accountable to each other. This may cost them a game this season, but Paterno is probably thinking that the team will be stronger in 2008 because of those Sundays picking up trash in the bleachers. Paterno also just rehabilitated the program and university’s image a little bit. I don’t think it will influence Judicial Affairs or the criminal justice system, but it probably helps the court of public opinion. Remember, the two players who were indicted may still face punishment from Paterno, in addition to the law and Judicial Affairs.
So far, it strikes me as brilliant all around. I do wonder if the players informed about the decision or did they find out from the newspaper articles? Also, I am concerned he may back off on it a little which hurts credibility. For this to work, the players have to clean up after EVERY home game this season.
Bill Conlin of the Philly Daily News wonders if Paterno went overboard though.
Black Shoe Diaries has a theory on why Judcial Affairs involved:
Had this incident happened to any other students, Judicial Affairs probably wouldn’t even get involved unless there were serious injuries. But these are football players, and the 21st century feminist movement has hardened our views toward high profile alpha males. Society views jocks as spoiled thugs who deserve to be held to some mythical higher standard. We like our men to be confident and strong, but we want them to wear turtlenecks and write poetry too. When they fail to live up to the latter, we are led to believe we must tear them down.
I disagree with BSD’s “21st century feminism” argument. Football players are the most visible students at Penn State and when they are leading the Fulmer Cup it puts the entire university in a bad light. I am not seeing where “21st century feminism” has anything to do with it.
I don’t have a problem with football players being held to a higher standard, because at Penn State they have advantages that regular students do not. Obviously, tuition and room & board are the most obvious. Throw meals in there too, along with preferable class scheduling, their own computer labs and academic advisers. Putting “Nittany Lion Football letterman” on the resume can’t hurt much either. There are plenty of unofficial benefits too.
I don’t begrudge the players of any of these and acknowledge that they also have a more challenging schedule that I did in college. They have the potential for greater glory and shame. That is the way it is and probably should be.
