Pompous pundits punish, pummel Paterno

Talk about media run rampant. It's a disgrace that long-time Penn State football coach Joe Paterno has been subjected to such a frenzied display of non-news reporting. For the last six days, the media has speculated, supposed, pointed the finger and crucified Paterno, to the point of ending the career of one of the world's most respected people.

Let's just ignore Paterno's immaculate record at the University. Let's ignore the fact that he has championed the student before the athlete. Dismiss the thousands of kids he has mentored and shown that there's a better life out there. Toss aside the discipline, the integrity and the fortitude he has instilled in five generations of kids.

Just look at the facts. He reported what the grad student told him. He followed his chain of command. He appeared before the grand jury. He told the truth. The initial reports that came out when the story broke immediately said Paterno was not the focus of the investigation. There was a strong emphasis that he had testified, he had done what he was supposed to do. Even the investigating team said the same thing. It wasn't until some fringe group created a Facebook page (called Fire Joe Paterno) that the feeding frenzy really began.

On Saturday, I speculated to some that Paterno would be the scape goat and that by the time the chips fell, he would be the one who was fired. Lo and behold. Look what happened. It was so obvious, so clear where the reporting was heading. Yet, not a clear head prevailed.

It's a ridiculous state of affairs when any idiot can prattle ad nauseam on television, the radio and now (God forbid) the Internet (via FB, Twitter and any other number of outlets), saying any and absolutely everything they want with no recourse whatsoever.

To make matters worse, "official news outlets" quoted Facebook posts as sources. What has the world come to? What is the news industry thinking? It's an embarrassment to the journalism profession that the entire focus of Paterno's career came down to opinions--not legal facts.

What about the social worker who confirmed with Sandusky that the event took place? And then did nothing when he promised it was a lapse in judgement and wouldn't happen again? Where were the sharks?

What about the high school administration that banned him from their campus? Why aren't the buzzards circling there?

It's because there is a man who, above all, has a solid reputation. Who has proven time and again that good can (and most often does) triumph over evil. So who has to be torn down? It's infuriating.

There is a story about a man who takes a feather pillow to the top of a hill. He rips it open and the feathers fly all over the place. Captured in the wind, they are scattered everywhere. Then he decides he was wrong and he tries to collect the feathers to refill the pillow. Guess what? No matter how hard he tries, he cannot bring the pillow back to its original state. That moral of the story: When you spread rumors, talk out of turn, tear down someone's reputation, you can never put it back together.

The damage done to Paterno's reputation will never go away. When this good and righteous man dies, his entire career will be shadowed by the ignorant speculation, the crazed manipulation of the many trying to make news instead of reporting what actually happens.

Coach, let me say, as someone who isn't even a sports fan, doesn't believe in organized sports at the college or professional level: I support you 100 percent. I apologize for others in my profession who have done nothing to tell the truth, to focus on balanced and fair reporting. I believe you did what you thought was right at the time, that you told what your grad student told you. That you passed it up the chain of command as is required by your place of employment.

I also believe that no matter what happens, you have been an inspiration to a multitude of kids. You've been an inspiration to me. I admire your strict rules for your students. I love that you want them to be students first and athletes second. I applaud you for your hard stance on attitudes of entitlement and your iron fist when it comes to being a good sport, rather than being a good winner.

And, finally, Coach, I want to congratulate you for your unwavering strength in the face of adversity. The grace and dignity that you have shown in this unfortunate line of fire is one more testament to the kind of man you are. I wish you all the best as you and your family try to endure the onslaught of negativism coming your way.

This is so wrong in so many ways. My heart aches for the kids, the parents, the families, the Paternos and mostly, for the general population who has come to believe that making up news is news. It's a sad state of affairs.

End of Daylight Savings Time 2011

Every year we change the clock
Falling backward just an hour,
But my internal settings go awry,
The whole thing makes me dour.

Is it five or six or even nine?
I hate this obsessive craze.
The loss of daylight savings time
Delivers an uneasy feeling of malaise.

Falling asleep as darkness falls
So early in the eve.
Then wake up in the middle of the night
With drool upon my sleeve.

I'll toss and turn and turn and toss
Til dawn emerges bright.
How I often wish for time
When daylight lasts til night!

These long three months that are so dark
Will make my days seem gray.
I'll dance a jig of gladness
When the darkness goes away.

Facing future will be my job
Til slowly longer grow the days.
I'll yearn for the time when springing forward
Keeps the winter blues at bay.