WHAT IS IT PENN STATE DOESN'T GET?

There has been enough knee jerk reaction to the situation at Penn State to make all the Chiropractors & Orthodedic surgeons in the world richer than they ever dreamed.

Having said that, I'm still confused by the recent moves of Penn State University.

Joe Paterno was fired by the Penn State Board of trustees. I couldn't help wonder then, as I do now, how far up the ladder the alleged knowledge of wrongdoing at Penn State extended.

Trust me. I'm neither looking for nor desire to extend the popular conspiracy theories now rife in the media as to who up at the university had prior knowledge of the alledged wrongdoings by former coach Jerry Sandusky and failed to act responsibly prior to the grand jury's findings.

But, would it be unrealistic to wonder whether or not some members of the Penn State Board of Trustees were members and/or disciples of the "don't ask -don't tell mentality club" up in Happy Valley?

That thought reoccurred when Penn State announced recently that Dave Joyner, a highly respected orthopedic physician and scholar/athlete has been selected as Penn State acting athletic director.

Don't get me wrong. Anybody with even the slightest knowledge of crisis management knows that the best action is one that is concise and immediate. Both are strategic tactics which Penn State officials have previously failed miserably.

The interim appointment captures the described desired strategies - almost.

Joyner was a two sport athlete at Penn State as well as the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions for his many contributions to sports: college, professional, and the U.S Olympics.

He received his bachelor's and medical degrees from the university. He also served, until taking this new appointment, as a member of Penn State's Board of Trustees.

On the surface, the latter role might not disqualify him for his new position as acting athletic director. But, does it?

Reasonable people might conclude that, at this juncture of what many highly respected individuals are referring to as the worst University snafu of all times, a little hesitation might have been in order.

Please let me try to clarify via this recent news item:

Per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "State Education Secretary Ronald Tomalis would not rule out the possibility that Penn State University trustees would face scrutiny from a campus investigative panel seeking to ascertain what campus leaders knew about child abuse allegations and if they responded properly"

When asked in a phone interview by the Post-Gazette writer if the possibility that current or former board members knew of the the assault allegations had or would be explored, he responded "that's one of the things the committee will be looking at."

Tomalis is a Penn State trustee and vice chair of the committee.

The article goes on to say: "Penn State has not identified the full list of members who will sit on the special investigative committee, but officials have suggested in recent days that the panel will be limited to those with university ties."

Yeah, that should satisfy watchdog groups, ethicists, and the media.

It would appear to this blogger,only those House members serving on the House Ethics committee - with no expressed authority to punish wrongdoers - could possibly see this as good logic.

There is no intention to disparage Dr. Joyner here. His reputation appears to be as impeccable as few other leading citizens and has demonstrated nothing to contradict this.

It's just the timing of his appointment that is sure to raise eyebrows. If the man is to be "acting" athletics director, was there nobody without university ties who would have been equally qualified to serve in a temporary capacity?

It's also apparent that, given the man's sterling reputation and intelligence, he may have made the decision to accept this "acting"
post primarily as an example of the compassion he has demonstrated in his other capacities of providing service to his country.

Assuredly, no attempt is being made here to compare him with another highly respected Penn State figure who fell from grace recently.

However, you gotta wonder. Was there no other person the board may have considered who either did not attend college there, reside in University Park, or who was a former stellar athlete/scholar at Penn State?

Is there some University requirement that only someone with any vague tangential knowledge of the geographical area in which Penn State is located is possibly qualified to serve as investigator of this incredible embarassing screw-up?

Sorry, but that appears to be a strange way for a major university to operate during a crisis that has gained worldwide attention.

If Dave Joyner is as qualified as suspected, why not have him in a position of "Athletic Director in Waiting"?

That would be similar to what many schools do when posturing themselves with a "Head Coach in Waiting" as a replacement for some head coach whom administrators believe may soon be retiring or seeking employment elsewhere.

Let's assume there exists a community wide belief up in Happy Valley that concludes familiarity with a business, or possession of an extensive expertise as to the problem needing addressing, is a pre-requisite.

If so, one has to wonder if any of the leading banks in the State College area had in the past ever considered hiring famed bank robber Willie Sutton as their Director of Security?

Surely, there must be some scholar or professor at Penn State who could have explained to the Board of Trustees,Plutarch's writings which later became known as the concept of "purer than Caesar's wife"

You have to conclude that Penn State still doesn't get it.