This is so embarrassing. In the wake of the horrible Jerry Sandusky scandal, these jackasses appear when Penn State decides to honor Joe Paterno despite that scandal – a decision that was already controversial enough.

Pathetic.

What are Penn State fans thinking? That's embarrassing and terrible. pic.twitter.com/bz6OXyro3l

— Chris Abaray (@ChrisAbaray) September 17, 2016

The Joe Paterno statue came down today, and tomorrow Penn State will learn about the reported “unprecedented” penalties coming down from the NCAA. The buzz on Twitter suggests it won’t include the death penalty, and that Penn State will not appeal the ruling, suggesting that perhaps a deal has been struck behind closed doors.

All of this is moving quickly, but meanwhile SPORTSbyBROOKS is highlighting a story from 2006 suggesting that pressure came down on students to refrain from pressing charges against Penn State football players involved in an alleged brawl.

The culture at Penn State was way over the top, and Paterno had a serious personal failure with his involvement with the Sandusky crimes. Paterno himself would have been subject to indictment had he lived and had the prosecutor been able to corroborate the Freeh report. In many ways this is a special case and the NCAA will be doing something very out of the ordinary with these penalties. Nothing can reverse Sandusky’s crimes or Penn State’s cover-up, but serious punishment of the program is in order.

But the systematic problems revealed at Penn State are not unique, as millionaire football coaches all over the country rule their programs with an iron fist. Hopefully the NCAA considers that as the sanctions here should serve as a model on how to clean up a football program, beyond just punishing Penn State for the horrible cover-up of Sandusky’s crimes. For example, no football coach should be able to influence student discipline for crimes outside of football. All academics should be completely separate from the football program.

Watch this stunning video of new Penn State trustee Anthony Lubrano edited by SPORTSbyBROOKS, and you’ll see that the Joe Paterno worship hasn’t waned yet in the eyes of many at Penn State. With people like Lubrano on the Board of Trustees, how will Penn State handle some of the new revelations about how Paterno may have been involved in a cover-up of Sandusky’s crimes?

Photo by Bill Moore. Copyright 2006 Bullz-Eye.com

With the news that Joe Paterno may have been involved in a cover-up at Penn State, here’s a look back on an article that detailed Paterno’s “come back” in 2005 after Penn State officials tried unsuccessfully to ease him into retirement.

This was dug up and highlighted by SPORTSbyBROOKS and it’s instructive on how Paterno had an iron grip of the football program. Nobody would seriously doubt that, but this article fills in many of the details. Paterno told them to go to hell, and then he or someone in his camp likely leaked this story as he spiked the football in their faces. After this story there was no doubt who was the king of Happy Valley, and he would leave on his own terms.

This paragraph also jumped out at me:

He chose unforgiving punishments for players who drank too much or skipped class, like when he cut star wide receiver Joe Jurevicius from the travel roster just before the Citrus Bowl Jan. 1, 1998. Yes, he was willing to worsen his team to strengthen his way. He donated his millions to the school library and his minutes to film study. He pledged simplicity — a blue blazer wardrobe, a modest house. He decided he would never fire an assistant coach, finding it senseless to let one go when he could help make him better. “You showed you were committed to it,” former assistant Kenny Jackson said, “and he’d die with you.”

It’s all painfully ironic now, but the real message here was that Paterno was tough on players and others around the football program when they broke his rules. He was the king.

Read the entire article. It’s actually creepy thinking about it now. The bottom line is Paterno didn’t want to let go, and that singular drive may be what kept him from doing the right thing when the Sandusky allegations were explained to him.

Technically I went 2-2 last Saturday but I did produce this gem, which was worth another win in my eyes:

My 2-2 effort last week puts me at 21-13-2 ATS for the season. Again, chances are two of these four picks will be winners while two will be losers. Soooo, have fun with that.

My two winners? Iowa (+4) and UCLA (+8.5). My two losers? Alabama (-4.5) and Texas A&M (+14).

My latest .500 week puts me at 23-15-2 on the season and once again, if you can figure out which two picks will hit and which two won’t, you’ll have a 4-0 Saturday. It’s like a game. A twisted, nauseating game.

Nebraska @ Penn State, 12:00PM ET
One of two things are going to happen this week at University Park. Either Penn State is going to play the most inspired football of the season or the Jerry Sandusky/Joe Paterno fiasco is going to bury them. I’m banking on the latter, which is why I’m riding the brutal-against-the-spread Huskers this week. Nebraska will be fired up and while Penn State may show plenty of emotion at the start, I think they’ll run out of steam eventually.
THE PICK: NEBRASKA –3.5

Michigan @ Illinois, 3:30PM ET
I’m going right back to the well in picking against Michigan. Outside of trouncing Northwestern, the Wolverines have played poorly in two of their three road games this season. While Illinois is going backwards, this is a good opportunity for the Illini to snap their current three-game losing streak. They also seem to play Michigan tough, which is supported by their 4-1 record against the spread in the last five games these two teams have met.
THE PICK: ILLINOIS –1

Louisiana Tech @ Ole Miss, 7:30PM ET
I’m choking on chalk this week but I really love this matchup. Some bettors will look at this game and all they’ll see is the WAC vs. the SEC, and the fact that Ole Miss is getting points at home. But in some respects, this is the Bulldogs’ season. They take down a SEC opponent on the road and regardless of whether or not they catch Nevada, their season will be a success. As for the Rebels, will their hearts even be in this one? They’ve been terrible all year and now they have a non-conference game that means absolutely nothing to them. Even though LA Tech is favored, I like the Dogs in an “upset.”
THE PICK: LOUISIANA TECH –2

Hawaii @ Nevada, 10:15PM ET
I’m choking on chalk this week. Hawaii has had issues coming to the mainland, as evidence of its embarrassing 40-20 loss to UNLV in Week 3. UNLV is one of the worst teams in college football this season and it steamrolled a Warrior team that was a 17-point favorite. Nevada is 4-1 against the spread in its last five home games against Hawaii and the home squad is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings between these two teams. I hate that the line is a full point and a half above the key number of 14 but I like the Wolf Pack anyway.
THE PICK: NEVADA -15

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