I think this is a pretty shit poor documentary based on the videos. Like you said RUTS, they don’t bother to include any sources of the information. I would have loved to see ESPN’s “research” which probably amounts to nothing more than a Google search for “penn state players arrested” which could bring up a host of rumors, speculation, and articles that were written before 90% of the charges were dismissed or downgraded. I’m not going to defend any of the players that committed crimes, but I hope that they point out (and this is doubtful) that most of those players took responsibility for their actions, plead guilty, had the charges dismissed, and when appropriate (Bell, Corless) that the Coaches dealt with accordingly by removing them from the team as punishment. At least our coaches and university actually punish athletes that do wrong (cough, cough, Florida State, cough).
The other thing that bugged me was how he talked to Paterno. Don’t speculate to the man’s face that he purposely recruited a bunch of thugs to win games, when his mission for the athletes of his teams for the past 43 years has been prioritizing developing his players into college students and mature adults first, and football players second. That was just plain insulting, especially since that was from some website spouting off rumors that ESPN took for facts (or the more likely option that they knew that information was from a poor source of material, but instead called the source “Some people” to cover up their shoddy reporting).

Wow. If that is the best the WWL can do it’s pretty weak. Like you said they just run the rumor by Joe and ask him if it’s true. Does he really think Joe would send a text message to the entire team? That’s ridiculous. Joe doesn’t even own a cell phone. And if he did something tells me he couldn’t figure out how to send a text message, and if he could it’s not his style to send a text message. He would call a closed player meeting and chew them out in person before he would send a text message.

This reporter is a tool.

I lived with 2 football players for 2 years off campus, during that time one was arrested for fighting in a bar and kicked off the team by Joepa. This was during the glory years of 93-94, so Outside the lines can shove it up their ass. These are just kids who do things we all do/did in college, the entire premise of their story is retarded. I’m just glad the kid who tore up the Lasch building wasn’t on the football team.

Haven’t seen the clips, but about the only thing that’s ever impressed me about ESPN (well, since 1996 or so, anyway) is the fact that they prominently feature their ombudsman’s contact info.

If anything on OTL is factually wrong, feel free to drop her a line:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?id=2826900

“something I termed “a fighting and drinking problem” over at Run Up The Score “

“just a fight”

FUCK NO. The Meridian thing was thuggery – gathering together a posse for a beatdown. It was not “just a fight”. You’d have to stretch pretty far to downplay the HUB incident that way, but there is no way on earth that you can really call getting together a bunch of your buddies to break into an apartment “just a fight”. As I like to say, that’s the kind of shit that gets you shot down here in Texas.

ESPN is a joke when it comes to hard core reporting, they are excellent at covering games but if you want “real reporting” go somewhere else…the respectable blogs/papers that care about these program have better information. Although many are a bt bias.

Are there issues at PSU…yes. Are those issues being reported accuratly by OTL…probably not. I am not a blind superhomer like M1EK so I see the problems, I just want those problems reported w/ accuracy…nice job RUTS on the correct list.

You should contact ESPN for a rebuttal to these charges.

Damn it, I’m done editing this post. Thanks for the tips, and it’s good to see some of the other characters from my place over here. Except Sweep The Leg.

Wow – what a hatchet job. Looks like Spanier called all his Joe bashing cronies together for a televised smash fest. Don’t forget to email the ombudsman…

I enjoyed how they chopped the Paterno interview down to three 5 second bits, which they played multiple times in an attempt to portray him as a bitter old man. I guess they didn’t want to cut into the 8 minute redundant clip with the guys from the apartment fight.

Was that entire bit a kangaroo court for the appointed judge Mike M?

I don’t know if you guys saw this, but after airing it one espn, they asked stephen a smith (since he’s from/worked in philly i guess) about his opinion on the situation.

He said it’s real that penn state is intentionally going after thugs to win games, that joe pa is an embarrassment and that he needs to go. He absolutely chewed out joe paterno. Saying the only reason why he was still around was because he is a cash cow for the university.

One of the big things they discussed was accusing Penn State of recruiting the more talented , but “troubled” player. That is a tough accusation to make, because if you think about it, anyone is capable of going down that “bad thuggish” route. Its all on the decisons we choose to make. What people think is the best kid, ideal recruit, could easily kick down a door and start beating the crap out of someone.

If ESPN had any sense, they would have tried to get the complete story.

what a homer story, i emailed OTL suggesting that their future programming include stories about other university football teams’ such as OSU, Michigan, FSU and Miami (for example) because its bullshit to outline PSU’s legal woes when they’re far less than many other’s.

the recent fan behavior and of the field incidents have tarnished the reputation of our school.

what to do? own up to the recent misfortunes and be the best fan you can be. set an example for others to follow.