Character Issue

One of the questions I enjoy watching Joe answer during press conferences has to do with the challenges of relating to todays players.  If I'm not mistaken, his response is usually the same...it's no different today than it was 20 years ago.

Is any similarity between the nature and character of the players today, and players from, say, the 1970s and 80s?  Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying that all the kids on the squad this year are thugs.  In fact, listening to guys like Deion Butler and Derrick Williams continues to make me proud as a Penn Stater. Additionally, I don't presuppose that all of the guys on the earlier teams were angels.

I just wonder if there is some breakdown of fundamental societal values that makes someone even contemplate brandishing a knife at a teammate, organizing a group of friends to go play party-crasher, or shoot a crossbow in a college town.  

It is my opinion that even teams with strong leadership won't be able to corral all 80+ players on the team all of the time.  The dynamics of human nature dictate that somewhere, someone is going to make a bone-headed decision that will reflect poorly on the team.  The key is to minimize those occurances through leadership and vigilance (and kicking miscreants out of the program).  That being said, the Poz's, Connor's, and Lee's of the program shouldn't have their leadership style questioned everytime something like this happens...

In my line of work (USAF), I have had as many as 100 people working for me.  Everytime one screws up, I get called on the carpet by someone.  Sometimes there are things I should have done, should have seen.  Sometimes, there was nothing that I could have done.  People can and will be idiots.

One of our (USAF) core values is Integrity First.  I often ask my airmen if they don the right thing all the time, or only when someone is watching.  Sorry to ramble, but oh well.